Community Books

I'm all finished with my finals, and in relaxation mode. Now that I don't have to use textbooks for a while, I thought I would look for some fun books to read over break. One place I stopped was Boxcar Books.

Let me tell you about this locally run non-profit organization! Not only is it a bookstore, it's a meeting and event space, as well as a place to display artwork. It hosts events like book-readings, public speakers, benefits, and more. What is equally amazing is that it is completely run by volunteers in the community, many of whom are students. According to its website, the store exists "to promote reading, self-education, social equality, and social welfare through increased accessibility to literature and workshops - and the promotion of a community to support these projects." To learn more about the organization, check out www.boxcarbooks.org. The next time I attend a Boxcar event, I will be sure to tell you about it!

A Very Classy Party

As promised, I made a pit stop over by the Canvas premier party amidst my “deadweek” studying. It seemed to be a big success, with a great turn out of guests. There was beautiful art on display, classy music, and a lovely spread of food as well—all good things to accommodate an evening of mingling. I mingled for a bit until I had to run off to do work, work, work! The rest of my night was spent working on a drawing of a space in the Union. After drawing for a few hours my shoulder muscles really hurt, so I hope it was all worth it!

Creative Arts Party

Monday I attended a meeting for Canvas Creative Arts Magazine, sponsored by the Union Board. Anyone can be a committee member, and we meet once a week to make decisions about the magazine itself, as well as Canvas sponsored events like artist lectures. The magazine shows off impressive artwork and written work by IU students.

The semester is winding down, which means all of the pieces have been chosen for the magazine, decisions have been made about its design and layout, and it is almost ready to be distributed. The premiere party will be next Thursday evening at the IMU's solarium, where anyone will be able to come and pick up a magazine, grab some hors d'oeuvres, and view additional artwork by the magazine's featured artsits. On Monday, we met to discuss how we would organize the room in terms of cocktail tables, artwork, and hors d'oeuvres. I will be sure to give you an update after the party!

Here is a link to Canvas' website so you can read up on it:

http://www.indiana.edu/~canvas/

A Music School Novice

Last Friday was an evening of firsts for me. I saw my first opera during my first visit to the Musical Arts Center over at the Jacobs School of Music. I'm a little embarassed to admit that I haven't been taking advantage of our music school's impressive, and often free, performances until now. Last weekend I saw the Magic Flute; it was spectacular, and definitely a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. Not only was I taken by the opera, but by the architecture of the MAC itself. What a shame to have never before seen the cool, contemporary interior of what I had always known as "the round building."













So, tonight I returned to my new favorite place to see a free Philharmonic Orchestra concert. The music was wonderful, and I was glad to experience some relaxation amid the stress of studying. With a musical friend, I was able to go backstage and see things from the performers' perspective. I even saw some parts of the set for the Magic Flute, up close!











Above: part of The Magic Flute set

I am now officially on a music school kick. If you visit the MAC soon, you might see me there!

The History of Magic

This week at Collins is annual Hogwarts week, full of activities revolving around the beloved book series by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter. So far, these have included Harry Potter film screenings, book discussions, a special "Daily Prophet" edition of the Collins Columns, and fireside chats with experts on literature and history. Later in the week there will be performances by Wizard Rock bands, a musical, and a Quidditch tournament, among other things. To support my "house," Hillcrest, I decided to attend "The History of Magic," an informational talk about the history of Collins with alumna Kristen Murphy. After the talk, we got to ask questions and chat about the differences between Collins then and now.

I learned some really unusual things about Collins! Here are my favorite 5 facts I learned this evening:

1. The duty office in the formal lounge used to be an apartment where Ralph L. Collins lived during his years here.

2. The Collins dining hall used to have a waffle-maker.

3. The annual Collins Viennese Ball was started by a student of the Jacobs School of Music. Naturally, the first Viennese Ball had a 25-piece orchestra!

4. The Cheshire Cafe was started as a Q-199 project by a couple who met in Collins, and who are now married.

5. Before Collins was Collins, it was the MRC, Men's Residence Center. The guys had to wear formal attire to the dining hall every evening, including ties.

Touring Bands Perform at Collins

The Collins Coffeehouse was hopping this Tuesday night. Literally, people were hopping! The bands The Pomegranates and Enlou delivered fantastic performances for Collins residents and friends. We stood inches from their faces, bopping along to their up-beat and percussive tunes with sounds similar to bands like the more well-known Arcade Fire.

A Collins resident acquainted with members of the bands decided to bring them to Collins for his Q199 project. Q199 is a class that all Freshmen must take to help orient them with
the inner-workings of Collins and residence life, and requires the completion final project for which students have to find a way to benefit the Collins community. The bands weren’t free, however; their show was supported by the various councils at Collins, notably, Arts Council. Arts Council, Community Council, and other such groups are designated a particular amount of money coming from resident activity fees to spend each semester on programs like these.

The show was a huge success, worth every penny, and, I have to say, the best Tuesday night ever.

Mooching Media

Not being a big reader, watching movies and tv shows is how I like to unwind. Despite the fact that I neither own a television nor any DVDs, I have managed to use mooching as an alternative means to access them. Here are my top three ways to mooch media when I need to unwind:

1. Friends who have TVs

Although I have no TV, a friend of mine owns three! We like to watch the new tv show "Glee" together at her apartment when it airs on wednesdays. I remember when I lived in the dorm last year, girls without TVs would regularly flock to the girls' rooms who had them.

2. The Collins Library

The Collins Library has a huge variety of DVDs and videos that any student can check out with his or her ID card. Collins Arts Council recently approved funding for a complete new horror movie collection including Dawn of the Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Carrie. Of course, I will never watch these because I would not be able to sleep again, but I still thought you should know.

3. Hulu.com

This web site lets you watch the most recent episodes of several movies and shows; this is where I'll go on Friday because I missed "Glee" tonight, and also where my roommate and I watch the hilarious Tina Fey on "30 Rock"... for free!