Spring Break
From one Maya to another
Mike Northup
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Husky Hoopla
Maya Moore must have had Nov. 3 circled on her calendar for quite some time. That was the date that the iconic poet, author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was to come to Storrs for a lecture at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
Maya Angelou - the very woman Moore herself was named after. Moore couldn't let a chance to see one of her idols pass. Fortunately for Moore, coach Geno Auriemma knew how important this even was to her and was "gracious enough to let [her] out of practice early" that day so she could make the 7 p.m. show.
With no time to lose, Moore made a beeline from Gampel Pavilion to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
"I sprinted the whole way there. [Practice] got out like 10 minutes before so I made it in time," Moore said.
Not only did Moore make it just in time, but she was able to get a seat right up at the front of the theater, which had sold out for the lecture.
"I was pretty close to her," Moore said. "I was probably within 10 feet. That made my day."
Angelou's theme for the night centered around how our ancestors have given people a great opportunity through hard work and survival. She sang and read poetry as part of the lecture.
While she didn't get to meet her namesake after the show, Moore called the whole experience "amazing."
"She's just an amazing woman," Moore said. "She represents so many things not just for African-American women, but for our country. And I think of her as like a Barack Obama; she's one of the first icons for us - she's a poet, author and an actress."
Maya Angelou - the very woman Moore herself was named after. Moore couldn't let a chance to see one of her idols pass. Fortunately for Moore, coach Geno Auriemma knew how important this even was to her and was "gracious enough to let [her] out of practice early" that day so she could make the 7 p.m. show.
With no time to lose, Moore made a beeline from Gampel Pavilion to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
"I sprinted the whole way there. [Practice] got out like 10 minutes before so I made it in time," Moore said.
Not only did Moore make it just in time, but she was able to get a seat right up at the front of the theater, which had sold out for the lecture.
"I was pretty close to her," Moore said. "I was probably within 10 feet. That made my day."
Angelou's theme for the night centered around how our ancestors have given people a great opportunity through hard work and survival. She sang and read poetry as part of the lecture.
While she didn't get to meet her namesake after the show, Moore called the whole experience "amazing."
"She's just an amazing woman," Moore said. "She represents so many things not just for African-American women, but for our country. And I think of her as like a Barack Obama; she's one of the first icons for us - she's a poet, author and an actress."
Be the first to comment on this story