Carpe Weekend: Down below and up above
By Jason Freeman jfreeman@southtownstar.com April 11, 2012 3:28PM
In this April 10, 1912, photo, the Titanic departs Southampton, England, on its maiden Atlantic voyage. April 15, 2012, will mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, just five days after it headed to New York. | AP file photo
Updated: May 13, 2012 8:03AM
The sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 has fascinated me ever since I saw the 1980 film “Raise the Titanic” as a child.
Despite being a movie so bad it should have stayed sunken at the bottom of the movie studio’s rejection pile, “Raise the Titanic” made me fall in love with the mystery surrounding sunken ships.
Most shipwrecks bring with them unspeakable tragedy, and the Titanic disaster was no exception.
More than 1,500 people lost their lives when the ship struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
But there’s also a kind of wondrous element to sunken ships, too.
At the bottom of lakes and rivers and oceans lie hundreds of pieces of history, some of which are so well-preserved that they offer an unblemished glimpse into the past that only a time machine could afford.
If you’re a fan of shipwrecks, too, then my top pick for this weekend is right up your alley.
If you’d rather gaze up at the night sky than look down into the watery depths of the Atlantic, I have you covered, too.
Either way, it’s your weekend, so make the most of it.
TOP PICK: APRIL 12
A Titanic tag team
April 15 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster, and to honor the occasion, St. Xavier University will host a free event from 6:30 to 10 p.m. April 12 in McGuire Hall at the school, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago.
The event will feature a performance by professional dramatist Denise Vanaria, who will play the role of Helen Andrews, wife of Titanic ship designer Thomas Andrews, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.
The performance will be followed by a showing of the 1958 movie “A Night to Remember” from 8 to 10 p.m. The movie focuses on the disaster from the standpoint of second officer Charles Herbert Lightoller.
Information: Dave Kohut, kohut@sxu.edu or (773) 298-3355.
APRIL 13
Stars and Mars
Check out the Spring Stargazing event from 8 to 10 p.m. April 13 at Trantina Farm, 15800 W. 151st St., Homer Township.
Constellations and celestial views will be highlighted via astronomers from the Kankakee Area StarGazers, the Naperville Astronomical Association and the South West Astronomy Observers Group, all of which will have large telescopes available for free viewing.
Information: (708) 301-0632.
APRIL 14
Something fishy
Stop by the Spring Fishing Classic from 7 a.m. to noon April 14 at Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens, 7402 W. Lake Katherine Drive, Palos Heights.
Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded, and lunch will be served.
Tickets are $100. Information: (708) 361-1873, lakekatherine.org.
APRIL 15
Odds and ends
Tinley Park Community Theater will perform Neil Simon’s classic play “The Odd Couple” at 3 p.m. April 15 at the Tinley Park Performing Arts Center, 16801 S. 80th Ave.
Tickets are available in advance at the Bettenhausen Recreation Center, 8125 W. 171st St., Tinley Park. If still available, tickets also will be sold at the door for $13.
Information: Meri Niehaus, (708) 342-4200.
