Gonzaga students are getting ready to hold their 12th annual spring dance concert later this month.

The concert, which features 90 student dancers, will include several different styles. Ballet, jazz, modern and musical theater routines will all be presented. Between dances, several videos will be shown celebrating Gonzaga's 125th anniversary.

In a statement from Gonzaga University, dance director Suzanne Ostersmith says the dance students worked all semester to prepare and are excited to present this final performance.

“This is a much bigger experience in that these students are not only learning a subject, they are applying it physically, living it and then presenting it before a live audience,” Ostersmith said. “The stakes are high. How often do you present a term paper to a public audience?”

Tickets are $5 each and available for purchase online here. To reserve a ticket, call the Gonzaga Theatre Box Office at (509) 313-6553. Cash, Visa, or MasterCard are accepted.
 

Nearly 40 people from the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene area ran in the Boston Marathon, many of the coming home with tales of what they saw and experienced on Monday.

Those who have already traveled home to the Inland Northwest say they're glad to be back. The day after the bomb blasts rocked the marathon and those runners returning home are doing anything but bragging about their run times.

Instead, it's a much different conversation, with a somber tone.

"It's very irrelevant," runner Paul Bridge said.

"When people's lives are lost at a thing like a marathon it just makes it feel pretty meaningless."

Bridge, who lives in Spokane Valley, has run the Boston Marathon 10 times.

He describes it as pure joy; the crowd, the atmosphere, there's nothing like it.

"Boston is kind of the Mecca for runners," he explained.

But now Bridge said the purity of the race has been tarnished.

"Now I feel like it's the other side ... the joy is just kind of gone," he said.

Bridge said he finished the race 15 minutes before the bombs detonated.

In wake of the tragedy that struck Boston Marathon runners yesterday, Lilac Bloomsday organizers have released the following statement regarding race safety for this year's Bloomsday run:

We at Bloomsday are heartbroken about the events at the Boston Marathon, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families. We are saddened that a wonderful celebration of health and fitness ended in tragedy.

Since our own event will take place in a few weeks, we understand that the Greater Spokane community and our visitors may have concerns. Safety at Bloomsday has always been our highest priority, and we will continue to work with the Spokane Police Department, the Spokane County Sheriff and federal agencies to plan for the wide variety of contingencies that might affect Bloomsday, as we have for many years. As we review these systems, we will make whatever changes are deemed advisable to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all our participants and spectators.

--Steven Jones, President, Lilac Bloomsday Association

--Don Kardong, Bloomsday Race Director