J.C. Watts
Above is an undoctored self-portrait taken this evening at the Clowes Memorial Hall (which is next door to my home) prior to a lecture by J.C. Watts. As part of Butler's Distinguished Lecture Series, the African-American Republican spoke about, what I could gather, America's need to join hands and look for new ways to solve old problems. One small example of a new way to solve an old problem that Watt's suggested was to give every American citizen over 30 years of age, $500 every year their cholesterol is under 200. Watt's suggested it may reduce the number of triple by-pass operations performed on obese Americans each year. (Nice idea. Shell out $500 a year for 35 years vs a $100,000 operation. And at the same time gives people an incentive to live healthier lives).
The next speaker in the series is Bush Senior. For some weird reason, Butler is supposedly a liberal population in the thick of a rather conservative part of America. Nevertheless, complaints had been made that too many Democrats were being invited to speak (like Clinton who was here late last year). The university has obviously taken this into consideration by inviting Watts and Bush.
The Woods
Today I walked through the woods on campus. As you can see from the pics above, it's quite gloomy but made for an interesting trek!
Saturday Night
My attempt to spend less money on alcoholic beverages took me to the university's planeterium/observatory last night. This month they are concerntarting on Saturn because it is visible in the nightsky this time of year. While the planeterium was interesting we were unable to, due to cloud cover, open the roof and gaze at the stars using, what is, the state's second largst telescope (the biggest is at another institution and is not open to the public). I will return on a clearer night.
Continuing with my teetotaling evening, I took up an offer to head downtown to see Rocky Horror. I remember they use to show it at the Prince Charles Cinema every Friday and Saturday at midnight (as they do here). I was aware that there is usually a bit of audience participation at these kind of shows but was not prepared for the absolute absurdity that went on during the show; people yelling profanities at the projection, throwing things around the room, holding up lighters during particular scenes, and at one point, the majority of the audience leaving their seats and heading towards the front of the audotorium to dance along to The Time Warp. A couple of strange hours that thwarted my attempts to not drink as the audotorium resembled more a restaurant/bar than a cinema. Good fun tho!
Camera 1
Unfortunately, I was unaware that we would be streaming Butler's men's basketball over the internet yesterday - otherwise I would have let you know. I was on camera 1 which was located under one of the rings. It was good fun! Armed with the camera and a headset you listen in for instructions from the control room and make sure to be getting the shot that is needed for when they cut to your camera. Luckily for me I've watched my fair share of televised basketball and therefore had a good idea of what shots are needed and when. I'd like to get some experience in that control room as I know from class this is somewhat more difficult.
The basketball is a fun place to get experience because there are plenty of other cameras there (from places like ESPN who are not there to tape the whole game but to get highlights for their news reels). Then there are plenty of radio stations and newspapers and thus a need for a press room which you kinda feel cool entering with your press pass. Unforunately, I din't take a photo but will do for the big game this Thursday. And I'll let u know of the details if you are interested in streaming it and catching my handy videography. Ha!
I can only imagine what it would be like up the road at Ohio State where college attendance exceeds 50,000 students. Of course I wouldn't get the oppurtunity there because, being a Big Ten school, the major networks are filming the games. My housemate Melissa who attended Ohio State was telling me that it was near impossible to acquire tickets for their football games, which have an attendance of around 100,000 for each game.
Ozzie All-Blacks
We had our first game of baketball intamurals last night. We lost big time. The teams name, Ozzie All-Blacks, refers to the fact that we are all black, with the exception of me. Oh, how it works on so many levels!
Barry, my boss, loves Corvettes. His office here is full of posters, clocks, car models, flags, etc. I have the feeling he also has a penchant for 'I Love Lucy' as I hear it play in his office each day. And at the end of each show, he exclaims 'Now that's funny!'
Indy is 15.5 hours behind SA
I got those Laker tickets so I will look forward to that. At $10 we're probably in the nose bleed section, but hey...! Oh yeah, for those basketball fans, Kobe's 81 points is second best of all-time.
College basketball, which is much more popular in the US than the NBA, is hotting up with the Sweet 16 tournament approaching. Butler made it there two years back. They have a home game this weekend so it will be great to catch the atmosphere with the Bulldog Band and students crowding into the 'Dawg Pounds' at both ends of the court. I will be helping to film the game with the Media Arts Department.
A Bulldog game next month will be followed by a screening of an ESPN production, that is soon to air, about the history of basketball in Indiana, and in particular, Hinkle Fieldhouse. (You may have noted a 50s style postcard of the Fieldhouse in an earlier entry in this blog).
Extra curricular
Here I am waiting out the front of campus, leaning up against the school mascot. My french pal and I were awaiting the bus that takes us to Broad Ripple which is a nightclub district not too far from college. As I am wanting to drink less I will not be catching this bus too often.
One bus that I am hoping to catch is downtown to the Lakers/Pacers game. I am going to line up for $10 tickets in a minute but I know they will be in high demand as Kobe scored an unbelievable 81 points last week... I'm not sure but this may be the largest single game scoring record of all-time after Chamberlain's 100 point game back in the 60s. I will have to check the web for that one.
FB108
Sorry about that last entry. The photo above is of me in one of my classrooms. As you can see, class sizes are small. In this room I take Writing for Electronic Media and one component of Audio Production (the other part of this class is spent in studio). My Audio Production teacher acts like Dewey Finn and expresses himself in a manner similar to Jay Leno. I find it hard not to laugh while I'm in his presence - my classmates seem to have the same problem. My Writing for Electronic Media teacher has been a radio DJ since the early days of rock and while in his class I feel I'm tuning into J-Carlise's Super Sounds of the Weekend. He was spinning some tracks as we were entering the class and then commenced the lecture by sharing with us his amazement of the songs that were released in the summer of '56 while listing the tracks from the sleeve of the CD he had just been playing... in classic radio voice, of course.
It's 20F Today - too cold for snow
I'm back at the workplace at the Media Resouces Department. This job affords a lot of time for working on my blog and doing some academic related studies. Having said that, I do need to leave at 9.45 to take a projector from this room (052-base) in Jordan Hall down the hallway to room 045. As these rooms are on the same floor I will not need to use the elevator, but will for my next appointment at 10.50 when I will venture 3 floors, collecting a projector from room 312 an bringing it back to base. If you have read to this point, you are obviously way too bored, or just love the mundane. But then if you loved the mundane, you wouldn't be bored in the first place because everything would interest you.
Party!
While I have not joined a Frat, I spend some of my time at Lambda Chi Alpha - because it is over my back fence. They were excited about their big party the other night for having been banned from alcohol use for the past 2 and half years, Saturday night would mark the end of prohibition! Although, I heard the police entered later in the night and the party was abruptly ended as many are under 21 and therefore underage. My French pal and I went to the supermarket to buy some wine the other day. When we took it to the counter for purchase we were looked at in a funny way by the cashier and told it would not be sold to us... becasue it's Sunday and state law prohibits the sale of alcohol on this day of the week.
Here's a photo of me with Meghan and I believe, 'Foxxy', a fraternity member. Meghan is interested in studying in Sydney next year and I told her she has to go cos Australia is bonza mate!
Presidents and Pacers
This photo I did not take. The main reason why you would know that it becasue the trees are lush and green, but it is winter here now and they are bare.
I have found some employment. At $6.50 per hour I will be part of the Media Services Department. What this entails I am not exactly sure, but I know it will be cool because when you control the media, "you control... in-for-mation!"
As part of Butler's sesquicentennial celebrations, the college has been conducting the Celebration of Diversity Lecture Series. I missed out on Bill Clinton who came late last year, but this morning acquired free tickets for George Bush Snr who will be speaking across the street at Hinkle Fieldhouse early in March. In addition, I see my beloved Los Angeles Lakers are coming to Inidana to play the Pacers next week, so I hope to get along to that too.
Media Arts
Here I am in my office at the Fairbanks Center. Well, its not actually my office but its where I was hanging out before class today.
I have had the intro class for each of my subjects and they are great. Whether it was wise for me to return to uni or not, it was definetely a good decision to come here. There is no comparission. The equipment is so much better here and of course America is the leader in this field and with the tuition fees at this school being over US$30,000 a year - its a different ball game!
The classes are like high school. You dont have big lecture theatres. My classes only have 10-20 students in each. Great ratio.
My classes include Electronic Field Production, Video Production, and Audio Production. I will be working on campus television for credit points as well as production of Butler Bulldogs games. I think there is some chance to get paid work in the field (which I need) and work experience at the local NBC. These are not oppurtunities I had in Australia. But at the same time my good friends in OZ aren't here hanging out with me but that's just the ways things are.
Snowtime!
When I came out of Hinkle Stadium (pictured below) last night it had begun to snow which is cool. Makes campus look nice - although not many of my photos illustrate this. Above is a picture of the frat house next door to me
Lambda Chi Alpha, which you may have noticed a photo of earlier in this Blog. The difference being, of course, the blanket of snow.
Sporting Life
There's two interesting things across the road from my house. Pictured below is Hinkle Stadium. This is the site that hosted the 1954 Indiana basketball finals. Some of you may be aware of a movie starring Gene Hackman entitled 'Hoosiers' which is based on the 1954 champions. The film was also shot in Hinkle Stadium. This is where the Butler Bulldogs play and this is where I will be particpating in intramurals (basketball competition). Right next door to Hinkle Stadium is a development which I am excited about: a Butler sports complex which will house a weights and fitness gym, pool, running track, more basketball courts and a lazy river. Shad!
Greek Life
The thing that I have found the hardest to get my head around is Greek Life. Of course, most of us know this American time-honoured tradition where male students may join Fraternities and girls, Sororities.
These are popular at Butler with approximately 35% of undergraduate students choosing to become members.
Butler has 6 fraternities. Last night each house partied as they had their formal recruitment of new pledgers. These freshmen will spend this semester 'paying their dues' before they are accepted as a brother. Luckily for these freshman, 'hazing' is illegal in many states these days and therefore their pledgeship will involve more academics than alcohol and beatings.
The most appealing and unappealing aspect of these fraternities for me is the hosuing. A lot of alumni who now work for big companies put a lot of money into the 100 year old houses. Therefore, the entrance halls and lounge rooms of each of the houses resemble a gentleman's club with large fire places, leather lounge suites, dark woods and the walls adorned with framed parchments and artwork.
On the otherhand, upstairs in the bedrooms and bathrooms, life it quite dingy.
Will I join a frat group?
Sigma Nu have expressed interest in me pledging (probably becasue there is a student in there who has just returned from an exchange to Flinders Uni). I kind of like
Lambda Chi Alpha, which funnily enough my mate Kyam Maher is an alumnis.
Maybe I will pledge as I'm sure it would produce a few funny stories, but I dont think I want to live in a place like that! Hate to say
I'm too old, but,
I'm too old!
The Midwest
After the week sightseeing on west and east coasts, I headed to Indianapolis, Indiana. Its Martin Luther King Day today so classes will start tomorrow (Tuesday 17).
A lot of the students have asked me why I came to Indy. I tell them, and this is the truth, that I don't really care what city I'm in as I plan to spend a lot of time on campus - the city which it is in, is fairly irrelevant.
So Butler University is a small campus (4,000 students) but has high attendance fees. There is not much of an ethnic mix and the school carriers the tag of
"rich white kids". (Hey, at least I'm one of those three things).
I am living in the basement of a house across the road from campus. Its cheap and I can stay for as long or as little as I like. The people who live with me are ex students and now employees of Butler.
Ha! Ha!
A sign hanging in the window of the Sex Museum. It was kinda weird - across the road from my hostel in LA was the Gay and Lesbian Association and next door to my hotel in NY was the Sex Museum. I visited neither.
Downtown
In the financial district of Lower Manhattan. I love the gothic-esque architecture, the grey skies and the naked deciduous trees. Here is a cemetery and the city's oldest Catholic chruch.
NY, NY
While LA is somewhat of an enigma, New York City gives it to you. In previous emails, I expressed my amazement of this place. It's amazing! A city you don't have to do anything in - just by being there you get the full experience!
While the weather was warm in California, NY was cold, but not as cold as it should have been for the time of year. Here's The Empire State Building int he background (or at least the bottom half of it) on Broadway and 34th St. This photo was taken out the front of my hotel in mid-town Manhattan.
Atop the Hill!
This photo was taken behind a cyclone fence - at this spot I had my 360 degree view. The parks department have been working hard to keep people off the sign due to a number of suicide related deaths. Cyclone fences, and a number of security cameras (which I had witnessed the night before) seem to be doing the job - I was looking at a photo later in the day taken from this same spot 10 years earlier, where the back of each letter was heavily graffitied.
My adventures with the Hollywood sign equalled the excitement of cruising the Sunset Strip and having a bourbon at establishments such as the Rainbow Grill, The Roxy, The Wiskey and the Seventh Veil. Rock On!
Half Way Up!
Once we got our shots, I said good bye to Eagle Wolf as he was leaving the city. I continued to wander through the hills and, while talking to a local, learnt of a park that would lead me to the very top of the hill with a 360 degree view of: LA (pictured), the Valley, the Pacific and the Santa Monica Mountains.
At the Bottom!
Like everything in Hollywood... these photos are not exactly as they seem. I had emailed to many of you my great delight of following a track from the bottom of the canyon to the corrugated iron sheets that are the Hollywood sign, guided only by moonlight, coyote howls, and my Norwegian leader, Eagle "Tensing" Wolf. However, this photo and those that follow, were actually taken the day after our climb as we were unable to cover all the shots on the evening due to lack of light and our intention to remain inconspicuous.
Butler University, IN
G'day
And welcome to my Blog, 'Smoov Goes to College'. My reason for creating such a site is two-fold; I can document my times abroad in a centralized database while sharing with you some fun and laughter.
I had a great time in LA and NY. Here are a few photos!
