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Marketing DC United

This Saturday, Mariachis will roam the stands and parking lots of RFK stadium as DC United plays its second game of the season against Chivas USA. It's "Hispanic Heritage Night," one of the many events the soccer team organizes to reach out to Latino fans.

Soccer is the number one sport in most Hispanic immigrants' home countries, but getting these fans to come to games in the U.S. can be surprisingly tricky. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard reports on how DC United has been gradually changing its tactics.

Baseball's Displaced Residents

We flip to the baseball section now. Typically, opening day is a time of optimism and excitement for baseball fans. And on Monday, when the Nationals played their first regular season game of the year against the Mets, many of us rejoiced the start of a new season...even if it was a loss. But for some city residents the Nationals have left plenty of hard feelings for many years to come. It has nothing to do with the team and how they've been playing on the field. We hear today from residents who have been uprooted to make way for the new Nationals stadium in Southeast DC.

Last spring, American University graduate students Kate Kitch and Ken Cornwell produced a documentary in the area chosen for the new stadium. They found an eclectic but close-knit neighborhood of residents and business owners, some who had lived there a short time, others for decades. Despite varied backgrounds, this was a group of people united by anger and frustration at the prospect of losing their properties and their neighborhood.

Since these interviews were recorded, most residents have already moved away. A couple are still hanging on, staying beyond the final move-out dates ordered by the city. American University students Kate Kitch and Ken Cornwell produced the feature, with help from WAMU's Stephanie Kaye.

Baseball: Suburbs vs. City

We continue our opening week bummer-fest with thoughts from Writer Reuben Jackson. While he wasn't uprooted for stadium construction, he does have his own reasons for bearing mixed feelings toward the Nationals...

Reuben Jackson is a writer living in DC.

Real Life on Stage

Teenagers from the DC region have put their lives on stage in the play "What Doesn't Kill Me." The show tells true stories of young people struggling with issues of race, gender roles, same-sex crushes and abuse at home. The youth development organization "City at Peace" runs the theater program as a way to teach conflict resolution and cross-cultural understanding. It brings together teenagers from different socio-economic backgrounds with the idea of using theatre to tackle different forms of oppression. WAMU's Lisa Nurnberger attended a dress rehearsal of "What Doesn't Kill Me" and has this sneak preview.

"What Doesn't Kill Me" premiers Friday night, April 7th, at THEARC Theatre in Southeast, DC, with additional performances on Saturday.

Commentary by Fred Fiske - DC Preparedness

WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske remembers 1947, when nuclear worries plagued Washington...and realizes times haven't changed much since then. He wonders why the District still hasn't spent the money it got from the Department of Homeland Security for emergency preparedness, in light of the importance of the city and the need for safety of its people.

Six Points Music Festival

New Orleans has "Jazz Fest." Austin hosts the massive "South-By-Southwest" music conference. And DC has "Six Points." Don't be surprised if you've never heard of it. In its third year, the Six Points Music Festival is still working to build a reputation. It's happening this weekend as over 40 bands are being showcased at 13 venues all around the DC region.

Melissa DePaulis, Planning Committee Chairperson for the Six Points festival joins us. Also with us are members of one of the featured bands, The Hickories. They recently released a debut 5-song CD, "Lost In Pennsylvania" and will be performing Friday night, April 7th, as part of a lineup of bands at the State Theatre in Falls Church. Michelle Volpe is on vocals and guitar, Meghan Sharp is also on vocals, and Mike Conner is on guitar.

Travel with Jim Yenckel - Berkeley Springs

April and cherry blossoms season is traditionally the time of year when tourists flock TO the District. But if you're looking for a break from the crowds our travel expert Jim Yenckel is here to send us OUT of town. And today we're heading for the land of spas, art, history and nudist colonies. Jim wrote for the Washington Post for many years and is currently writing features for just about every travel publication out there.