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The skinny: Underwear-clad statue not a hit on campus

 
Tampa Bay Times
Published Feb. 8, 2014

Not your average art

Underwear-clad statue not a hit on campus

A remarkably lifelike sculpture of a man sleepwalking in nothing but his underpants has made some Wellesley College students a bit uncomfortable, but the president of the prestigious women's school in Massachusetts says that's all part of the intellectual process. The sculpture titled Sleepwalker of a man in an eyes-closed, zombie-like trance is part of an exhibit by sculptor Tony Matelli at the college's Davis Museum. An online petition started by junior Zoe Magid called on president H. Kim Bottomly to have the artwork removed. That appeared unlikely, according to a joint statement issued Wednesday by Bottomly and museum director Lisa Fischman. "The very best works of art have the power to stimulate deeply personal emotions and to provoke unexpected new ideas, and this sculpture is no exception," the statement said.

Men in tights tangle

'Real' superheroes refuse to play nice

A dispute over leadership of a costumed band of self-professed real-life Michigan superheroes has escalated into a battle of insults. Mark Williams, who dresses up as Batman to patrol Petoskey, and Adam Besso, who hails from the Detroit area and is nicknamed "Bee Sting," became friends in 2011. But now their dispute has split the dozen-member Michigan Protectors group, the Detroit News reported. "He is an abusive, neglectful, thieving, boastful, cowardly crook," Williams said. Besso had his own harsh words for Williams. "He has to tear others down to feel better about himself," Besso said. "He's like Lord of the Flies with a slightly better version of dirt bags."

Surprising offer

Victim: Crooks tried to sell me my stuff

Denver police have arrested four suspects accused of unwittingly trying to sell items they stole back to the burglary victim. Lacinda Robinson discovered the items missing at her home on Friday and drove to the parking lot of a nearby fast-food restaurant to report the theft. That's where she says she was approached by two people asking if she wanted to buy a video game set. Robinson says another person walked up wearing her jacket. She went next door to a gas station and found two off-duty police officers who made the arrests.

Black history fail

Celebration menu stereotypes

Officials at a Northern California private school are apologizing after a lunch menu option to celebrate Black History Month angered some parents and students. Students at Carondelet High School for Girls in Concord wanted to come up with ways to commemorate the occasion during a lunchtime celebration Friday. But when the school announced a menu of fried chicken, cornbread and watermelon on Monday, other students and parents became offended.

Compiled from wire services and other sources.