Preface: For this post I ask you to welcome a guest writer -- me. At age 15. A few weeks ago I went home to help my mom clean out old stuff in my room. I brought back with me a stack of journals. I've journaled through most of my life (it's why I blog now), and these notebooks have held priceless value for me through the years. I grew up being really private about my feelings for some reason, and these journals are where I let all those feelings out. I was terrified someone else would read them and think I was stupid. Now, ten years later, I'm actually proud of a lot of what I wrote. So I'm publishing parts of them here...finally giving the girl who wouldn't tell anyone anything the opportunity to share her innermost thoughts with the rest of the world.
These are some entries from the journal I started just before my freshman year of high school... The following is about the upcoming Christmas dance; my first semi-formal dance ever. I will add that I had a list of guy friends in here that I was planning to ask. Rather than wait to be asked, I guess? I was a badass. I'll also add that I didn't even have crushes on any of these guys; I had already bought a dress so it was really just all about finding a date. These poor boys' names have been changed to Muppets to protect the innocent/engaged/married.)
About the Christmas Dance...here's the plan [later I wrote in notes about each]:
1. Burt (not going as of yet. Fun guy!)
2. Telly (he's not going. Already asked 2 girls but no.)
3. Gonzo (he likes me?)
4. Ernie (he'd be so much fun!) [later I changed the order, "switching" Ernie and Gonzo.]
5. Kermit (does he have a date???)
~~~
Some confusion, but the order has switched. I'll ask Burt Monday. If he says no, I'll ask Telly Tuesday/Wednesday. If Telly says no, I'll ask Ernie on Friday. If Ernie says no, I'll ask Gonzo on the next Wednesday. If Gonzo says no, I'll find out if Kermit has a date...if he doesn't, I'll ask him. If he says no...woah, that's 5 guys. I'll stop there and if those five guys fall through, I'll think of some more! (Do I sound desparate for a date? [Yes, 15-year-old Lisa, I think you do.] Well I'm not -- I just want to go with a good guy friend and have fun at the dance!!!)
~~~
I wonder if Ernie was thinking about asking me. We talk a lot and stuff -- he was saying how he was going to get hooked up with this girl from Kokomo, but today he was like, "Well I heard that she's really weird.." and he sounded doubtful. Then this afternoon at the end of school he stopped at my locker. He was staying after for wrestling -- and he was just kinda small talking and stuff...then he's like, "Well...I guess I better go." He followed some of the guys on their way to the lockers.
I just wonder if he was going to ask me??? This does not go anywhere, I'm not telling anyone [made a note later: "told Rachel"], I just think. If Ernie does want to ask me, I hope he does it really soon! Because what if I ask Burt and then he doesn't get to ask...aaagh. Maybe I should just ask Ernie first. He'd be so fun, he can dance...Every time the phone rings, I hope it's Ernie or Burt or Telly calling to ask me to go, God, let me go to the dance! Pleeeease!
~~~
Eeeeeeeeeeee!! :) Wishes do come true! Ernie asked me to go to the dance. The first thing I thought was, "Am I dreaming?" So anyway, life is sweet! It was great how (the way) he asked me -- just the way I'd have asked him -- like almost the same words! Ha! I'm getting so excited for the Christmas dance!!!
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
changing clothes...and other stuff
Tonight at musical rehearsal, a couple of the girls told me they loved my clothes.
"You always look so fashionable," they said. "You could be a model!"
Now, I know that's a load of crap, but it still made me feel good. Here's the funny thing -- I have always admired people who are able to sort of "put it together." But when I was in high school and even college, I never really felt like I knew how to do it, so I usually opted for the jeans-and-t shirt look.
It wasn't until probably my junior or senior year of college that I started trying to put it all together clothes and accessory-wise. For me, a "matching outfit" meant no clashing of black/brown or black/navy. It took awhile for me to just start getting how jewelry and shoes could pull an outfit together or that layering was more interesting than just wearing a t-shirt or sweater by itself. (The whole layering thing is still kind of a puzzle to me.)
And then after college I got to the point where I decided to wear whatever I wanted, because my job description doesn't really include a dress code. That gave me an excuse to take some risks and try some things that I was too chicken to try to pull off in college.
And now apparently some people think I'm fashionable.
So it just goes to show you how new people can be a litmus test for how much you've changed over the years. And I don't just mean on the outside, but also how you've changed you're opinions or your level of acceptance or your ability to branch out and try new things. I feel like every time I meet new people, I kind of find out more about the person I've become and how my experiences have taught me and influenced me to change. It's pretty cool.
On a separate note, another comment tonight made me and a couple other people laugh. My friend Chris, another guy in the show named Jeff, and I are all in the 24-25 age range. And at one point in the rehearsal, the kids sitting behind us made some comment about the three of us, referring to us as the "cool college kids." And we all three sort of went, "Pshhh, we're not in college! We're old! We're not that cool!" I think it's really funny how much we all get over ourselves once we graduate. You sort of get smacked in the face with real life, and then it doesn't matter how good your grades were, or how many clubs you were the president of, or how many friends you had, because they are all history and now you are a little fish trying not to get eaten in a very, very large pond called The World. It is very humbling to be a twenty-something.
OK, here's my last bit -- It used to be that when I was in junior high, high school, and even college, people always thought I looked older than what I was. But starting when I graduated, people have always been surprised to find out how old I am. I'm hoping it's because I stopped looking older and not because I display a lack of maturity! And either way, I'm not complaining; I'm getting to the place in life where it's a huge compliment for people to think I'm younger than what I am, and I hope it continues. But it's weird to go to a bar and have to get that suspicious eye from the bouncer after you've been legal for three years! I was always sort of afraid that because I matured early as a kid and teenager that I'd also age quickly as an adult. And it's nice to think I won't have to worry about that just yet.
Do you remember looking in the mirror as a kid and wondering what your adult face would look like? Now I catch myself looking in the mirror sometimes and thinking, "Oh! I guess this is it!" That's so weird. I still feel like I'm waiting to turn into a grown-up. I keep forgetting I am one.
"You always look so fashionable," they said. "You could be a model!"
Now, I know that's a load of crap, but it still made me feel good. Here's the funny thing -- I have always admired people who are able to sort of "put it together." But when I was in high school and even college, I never really felt like I knew how to do it, so I usually opted for the jeans-and-t shirt look.
It wasn't until probably my junior or senior year of college that I started trying to put it all together clothes and accessory-wise. For me, a "matching outfit" meant no clashing of black/brown or black/navy. It took awhile for me to just start getting how jewelry and shoes could pull an outfit together or that layering was more interesting than just wearing a t-shirt or sweater by itself. (The whole layering thing is still kind of a puzzle to me.)
And then after college I got to the point where I decided to wear whatever I wanted, because my job description doesn't really include a dress code. That gave me an excuse to take some risks and try some things that I was too chicken to try to pull off in college.
And now apparently some people think I'm fashionable.
So it just goes to show you how new people can be a litmus test for how much you've changed over the years. And I don't just mean on the outside, but also how you've changed you're opinions or your level of acceptance or your ability to branch out and try new things. I feel like every time I meet new people, I kind of find out more about the person I've become and how my experiences have taught me and influenced me to change. It's pretty cool.
On a separate note, another comment tonight made me and a couple other people laugh. My friend Chris, another guy in the show named Jeff, and I are all in the 24-25 age range. And at one point in the rehearsal, the kids sitting behind us made some comment about the three of us, referring to us as the "cool college kids." And we all three sort of went, "Pshhh, we're not in college! We're old! We're not that cool!" I think it's really funny how much we all get over ourselves once we graduate. You sort of get smacked in the face with real life, and then it doesn't matter how good your grades were, or how many clubs you were the president of, or how many friends you had, because they are all history and now you are a little fish trying not to get eaten in a very, very large pond called The World. It is very humbling to be a twenty-something.
OK, here's my last bit -- It used to be that when I was in junior high, high school, and even college, people always thought I looked older than what I was. But starting when I graduated, people have always been surprised to find out how old I am. I'm hoping it's because I stopped looking older and not because I display a lack of maturity! And either way, I'm not complaining; I'm getting to the place in life where it's a huge compliment for people to think I'm younger than what I am, and I hope it continues. But it's weird to go to a bar and have to get that suspicious eye from the bouncer after you've been legal for three years! I was always sort of afraid that because I matured early as a kid and teenager that I'd also age quickly as an adult. And it's nice to think I won't have to worry about that just yet.
Do you remember looking in the mirror as a kid and wondering what your adult face would look like? Now I catch myself looking in the mirror sometimes and thinking, "Oh! I guess this is it!" That's so weird. I still feel like I'm waiting to turn into a grown-up. I keep forgetting I am one.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Reality, Reviews, and Randomness
I haven't posted anything lately, and I don't really have anything in particular that I wanted to blog about, so this is gonna be pretty random.
Firstly, let's do a little reality recap.
The Bachelorette
I know, right??? That was over so long ago, but I need to dish about it one last time! I had a feeling DeAnna would pick Jesse just because she always seems to do what we wouldn't expect her to. And I think it's funny that she keeps saying how important her family is to her, because I'm pretty sure she picked the guy her family liked least out of the final two. I mean, Papa Pappas didn't exactly look brimming over with joy when they announced their wedding plans on national network television. It will be interesting to see what happens.
And of course the part of the special "Where Are They Now" episode that made my jaw drop was the very, very end of the show, where we see good ol' Brad Womack (who DeAnna seems to have forgiven because now she realizes there is no way you can go on this show and NOT make someone feel they have been led on) sitting in a recliner in what I guess is supposed to be his bach pad, eating a sandwich and watching TV. Cut to an over-the-shoulder shot of what's on the TV (a teeny little flatscreen--we know Brad's REAL bach pad would have one much bigger), and it's DeAnna, self-proclaimed happiest woman in the world, getting engaged and having all her dreams come true. Cut to commercial. WHAAAAAAT. How would they ever get Brad, who they've been bashing all season, to agree to shooting that? Well, I found out that they didn't. This article explains where the sandwich-eating footage came from and how it was originally supposed to be used. Annnnd that's why they make you sign your life away to be one one of these shows. So they can humiliate you later, and you can't do a thing about it.
Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods
I think in our heart of hearts, we all knew from the beginning that Southern belle Bailey would nab the role of Elle by the end of the show. And I really, really feel for Autumn; how much does it suck to be told by the director of a Broadway show that you have the best voice of anyone in the entire competition, and then NOT get cast? I guess that's why that industry is so tough. Just having a kick-ass voice isn't enough to get you a show. But the cool part is how awesome it must have been to perform three Broadway numbers on a Broadway stage for your family. Whether you end up winning or not, that's still awesome. Although it would be much more awesome if you won so Mom and Dad could see you do the whole show.
And Bailey debuted this week! If you visit the show's site, you can see a video of her recording "So Much Better," which is now available on iTunes. And typical of Bailey, the song sounds a little too perfect. But I mean, she's good. I can't hold a note as long as she does at the end of that song, that's for sure! I just think when Bailey talks she has this sort of animated Disney princess quality that's a little less believable than Laura Bell Bundy's quick, quippy raspiness (which I didn't particularly like either...I guess I just wish they could put Reese Witherspoon onstage instead; I'm just a die-hard for the movie version). I'm trying to find a review of Bailey's first performance, but I haven't had any luck.
Speaking of reviews...
We got one for HSM in the Journal and Courier. I guess it was good considering who wrote it--apparently the guy has it in for our director and our Miss Darbus, and both of them knew that--but luckily Cody, Issa, and I were described as "notable" performers, and the rest of the young cast was spared from any of Mr. Jaeger's snarky remarks. I've never been reviewed for doing a show before; it was kinda weird. But I think the important thing is that no one really cares what's in the review; they care more about what friends, family, and respected theatre patrons have to say. And all of THEIR reviews were pretty good. I know the 12-and-under crowd was happy with it anyway!
What else is new? Oh! I am helping a friend of mine who coaches the Twin Lakes color guard. He needed a "movement technition"...basically someone to help teach the girls better dance technique, and asked me if I'd do it. Now, I have never been in color guard, so I know I am going to learn a LOT. So far the girls are doing great; they have been working really hard and picking things up quickly. But I'm sure after a couple of weeks my novelty will wear off and they will stop liking me...lol I just remember that you always liked a new coach or director for like a week and then you stopped thinking they were fun. So I'm just kind of waiting for that to happen! They call me "Miss Stanforth," which is really weird but I guess I'll just have to get used to it. Meanwhile, I'm just worried about whether I'm teaching them the right things in the right way. I've just never really coached anything, and I like it, but I just worry about doing a good job. I am, however, totally excited to get to go watch them at football games and competitions! In high school I had a lot of friends who were in marching band and I was always fascinated about how they got everyone to move into those formations and everything, so I'm stoked to get to see it from the other side.
Lastly, people are leaving!!! :(
My on-stage brother (he played Ryan to my Sharpay) is now gone. He's doing a grad school/dorm director program in Illinois and he left Tuesday. We really bonded and I do actually feel like he's my brother, and I miss him a metric ton. And the weirdest part is, I don't talk to him every day now, and so I feel like it's been ages since we've spoken! I did get to talk to him Wednesday night and I was already going "It's so good to hear your voice!" Geez, I sound like my parents! But I am sure he is super-busy getting ready for the school year to start and for all of the undergrads to get there! Everyone else from the HSM group is still in town, but now we're all leaving on vacations, so we're not doing the "big group" activities so much anymore. In a way, though, it's nice because I'm getting more one-on-one time with people and getting to know them better, which is very awesome. I think we're going to try for one more big group day/night before the rest of the kids head off to IU and Butler and wherever else. And then, I know the Purdue kids will still be in town, but I also know their schedules will fill up, and they'll get back in the swing of things with their college friends and roommates, and I won't see them as much, so I'm trying to treasure moments with them now too. Although, it sounds like we will all see each other at tailgates on game days, which will be SO much fun! So that will be good. Also, one of my friends from the station is leaving for a new job in Oklahoma, and although I know it's going to be great for her, I am bummed that she won't be around anymore. The thing that stinks about TV is that people come and go very quickly. Thank God for Facebook!!!
Well, this is getting longer and longer, so I guess I'll just stop here before I think of something else to talk about!
Until later!
lis
Firstly, let's do a little reality recap.
The Bachelorette
I know, right??? That was over so long ago, but I need to dish about it one last time! I had a feeling DeAnna would pick Jesse just because she always seems to do what we wouldn't expect her to. And I think it's funny that she keeps saying how important her family is to her, because I'm pretty sure she picked the guy her family liked least out of the final two. I mean, Papa Pappas didn't exactly look brimming over with joy when they announced their wedding plans on national network television. It will be interesting to see what happens.
And of course the part of the special "Where Are They Now" episode that made my jaw drop was the very, very end of the show, where we see good ol' Brad Womack (who DeAnna seems to have forgiven because now she realizes there is no way you can go on this show and NOT make someone feel they have been led on) sitting in a recliner in what I guess is supposed to be his bach pad, eating a sandwich and watching TV. Cut to an over-the-shoulder shot of what's on the TV (a teeny little flatscreen--we know Brad's REAL bach pad would have one much bigger), and it's DeAnna, self-proclaimed happiest woman in the world, getting engaged and having all her dreams come true. Cut to commercial. WHAAAAAAT. How would they ever get Brad, who they've been bashing all season, to agree to shooting that? Well, I found out that they didn't. This article explains where the sandwich-eating footage came from and how it was originally supposed to be used. Annnnd that's why they make you sign your life away to be one one of these shows. So they can humiliate you later, and you can't do a thing about it.
Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods
I think in our heart of hearts, we all knew from the beginning that Southern belle Bailey would nab the role of Elle by the end of the show. And I really, really feel for Autumn; how much does it suck to be told by the director of a Broadway show that you have the best voice of anyone in the entire competition, and then NOT get cast? I guess that's why that industry is so tough. Just having a kick-ass voice isn't enough to get you a show. But the cool part is how awesome it must have been to perform three Broadway numbers on a Broadway stage for your family. Whether you end up winning or not, that's still awesome. Although it would be much more awesome if you won so Mom and Dad could see you do the whole show.
And Bailey debuted this week! If you visit the show's site, you can see a video of her recording "So Much Better," which is now available on iTunes. And typical of Bailey, the song sounds a little too perfect. But I mean, she's good. I can't hold a note as long as she does at the end of that song, that's for sure! I just think when Bailey talks she has this sort of animated Disney princess quality that's a little less believable than Laura Bell Bundy's quick, quippy raspiness (which I didn't particularly like either...I guess I just wish they could put Reese Witherspoon onstage instead; I'm just a die-hard for the movie version). I'm trying to find a review of Bailey's first performance, but I haven't had any luck.
Speaking of reviews...
We got one for HSM in the Journal and Courier. I guess it was good considering who wrote it--apparently the guy has it in for our director and our Miss Darbus, and both of them knew that--but luckily Cody, Issa, and I were described as "notable" performers, and the rest of the young cast was spared from any of Mr. Jaeger's snarky remarks. I've never been reviewed for doing a show before; it was kinda weird. But I think the important thing is that no one really cares what's in the review; they care more about what friends, family, and respected theatre patrons have to say. And all of THEIR reviews were pretty good. I know the 12-and-under crowd was happy with it anyway!
What else is new? Oh! I am helping a friend of mine who coaches the Twin Lakes color guard. He needed a "movement technition"...basically someone to help teach the girls better dance technique, and asked me if I'd do it. Now, I have never been in color guard, so I know I am going to learn a LOT. So far the girls are doing great; they have been working really hard and picking things up quickly. But I'm sure after a couple of weeks my novelty will wear off and they will stop liking me...lol I just remember that you always liked a new coach or director for like a week and then you stopped thinking they were fun. So I'm just kind of waiting for that to happen! They call me "Miss Stanforth," which is really weird but I guess I'll just have to get used to it. Meanwhile, I'm just worried about whether I'm teaching them the right things in the right way. I've just never really coached anything, and I like it, but I just worry about doing a good job. I am, however, totally excited to get to go watch them at football games and competitions! In high school I had a lot of friends who were in marching band and I was always fascinated about how they got everyone to move into those formations and everything, so I'm stoked to get to see it from the other side.
Lastly, people are leaving!!! :(
My on-stage brother (he played Ryan to my Sharpay) is now gone. He's doing a grad school/dorm director program in Illinois and he left Tuesday. We really bonded and I do actually feel like he's my brother, and I miss him a metric ton. And the weirdest part is, I don't talk to him every day now, and so I feel like it's been ages since we've spoken! I did get to talk to him Wednesday night and I was already going "It's so good to hear your voice!" Geez, I sound like my parents! But I am sure he is super-busy getting ready for the school year to start and for all of the undergrads to get there! Everyone else from the HSM group is still in town, but now we're all leaving on vacations, so we're not doing the "big group" activities so much anymore. In a way, though, it's nice because I'm getting more one-on-one time with people and getting to know them better, which is very awesome. I think we're going to try for one more big group day/night before the rest of the kids head off to IU and Butler and wherever else. And then, I know the Purdue kids will still be in town, but I also know their schedules will fill up, and they'll get back in the swing of things with their college friends and roommates, and I won't see them as much, so I'm trying to treasure moments with them now too. Although, it sounds like we will all see each other at tailgates on game days, which will be SO much fun! So that will be good. Also, one of my friends from the station is leaving for a new job in Oklahoma, and although I know it's going to be great for her, I am bummed that she won't be around anymore. The thing that stinks about TV is that people come and go very quickly. Thank God for Facebook!!!
Well, this is getting longer and longer, so I guess I'll just stop here before I think of something else to talk about!
Until later!
lis
Monday, May 26, 2008
high school drama
I've been thinking about high school a lot lately.
Which is really weird, because I'm not one of those people who look back very often. I treasure memories of high school, college, and everything in between, before, and since. But I don't dwell regretfully on the "good old days" or anything. I'm not an Uncle Rico.
But lately it's all been coming back.
I think it's easy to see why...first, I just started rehearsals for a play called "High School Musical," which is obviously about high school. And so it's making me think back to that high school mentality--how you define yourself by what you do, how you dress, and who you hang out with. Which of course gets me thinking about who I was and what I did in high school.
Plus, a lot of the show's cast actually ARE in high school, or just graduated, so for the first time in a long time I'm hearing and seeing bits and pieces of that high school mentality...the things that are and seem so important, cool, or funny.
AND, this weekend was Graduation Weekend for all the area schools, which got me thinking about my high school graduation and just being a high school senior in general...what we were all thinking and doing and feeling.
THEN, I went home yesterday for a cookout at my mom and dad's, and they had a bunch of my dad's high school classmates over. They are a really neat group of people, and I had so much fun hearing their stories. My favorite story is one we ask my dad to tell us all the time, but I requested it yesterday thinking it would be entertaining with everyone telling it...and I was right. It's the story of how they stole their rival school's mascot, a stuffed wildcat, the day before their big rivalry basketball game. It is a GREAT story.
Well, I never did anything that crazy in high school, but it did get me thinking about some of my favorite times back at NHS. And the fact that the last time I did any theatre was in high school...has been bringing back lots of memories about high school drama. The department, not the actual "drama" drama. Ok, and the actual "drama" drama. In a fun way. It's weird to think back on the fights and rivalries and stuff and just how...SERIOUS everything was. When looking back, the reasons we had for getting upset just make me laugh. I don't know...I don't have anything profound to say about it. Just...that I had some great times in high school. And that even the bad memories are good memories, in a way, if that makes any sense. Aaaaaanyways....that's all I've got.
Until later! :)
Which is really weird, because I'm not one of those people who look back very often. I treasure memories of high school, college, and everything in between, before, and since. But I don't dwell regretfully on the "good old days" or anything. I'm not an Uncle Rico.
But lately it's all been coming back.
I think it's easy to see why...first, I just started rehearsals for a play called "High School Musical," which is obviously about high school. And so it's making me think back to that high school mentality--how you define yourself by what you do, how you dress, and who you hang out with. Which of course gets me thinking about who I was and what I did in high school.
Plus, a lot of the show's cast actually ARE in high school, or just graduated, so for the first time in a long time I'm hearing and seeing bits and pieces of that high school mentality...the things that are and seem so important, cool, or funny.
AND, this weekend was Graduation Weekend for all the area schools, which got me thinking about my high school graduation and just being a high school senior in general...what we were all thinking and doing and feeling.
THEN, I went home yesterday for a cookout at my mom and dad's, and they had a bunch of my dad's high school classmates over. They are a really neat group of people, and I had so much fun hearing their stories. My favorite story is one we ask my dad to tell us all the time, but I requested it yesterday thinking it would be entertaining with everyone telling it...and I was right. It's the story of how they stole their rival school's mascot, a stuffed wildcat, the day before their big rivalry basketball game. It is a GREAT story.
Well, I never did anything that crazy in high school, but it did get me thinking about some of my favorite times back at NHS. And the fact that the last time I did any theatre was in high school...has been bringing back lots of memories about high school drama. The department, not the actual "drama" drama. Ok, and the actual "drama" drama. In a fun way. It's weird to think back on the fights and rivalries and stuff and just how...SERIOUS everything was. When looking back, the reasons we had for getting upset just make me laugh. I don't know...I don't have anything profound to say about it. Just...that I had some great times in high school. And that even the bad memories are good memories, in a way, if that makes any sense. Aaaaaanyways....that's all I've got.
Until later! :)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Stellar Saturday
Today turned out to be a much different day than I expected...
First, I went to an audition workshop for High School Musical, which the Civic Theatre is producing this summer. I am really hoping to do this show, since you may know I'm a teeny bit obsessed with HSM. So I went to this workshop, and here's the thing--looks-wise, I can pass for a high-schooler, but when I start talking, you can tell I'm older. So hopefully I won't get screwed in the casting and I'll get to play a high schooler, not an adult. Because the adults don't sing and dance. Honestly, I'd rather not have a speaking part and be a kid in the background singing and dancing, than have an adult role with lots of lines. But it was so weird because everyone else there was actually IN high school (or middle school) and so they'd be like "what grade are you in?" And I'd be like "Uhhhh...Purdue." Haha. So for the first time I'm having to lie about my age. Not really, though. When you sign up for auditions, you have to write your age down, so there's a big ol' 23 next to my name.
Oh well, hopefully I can still pull it off. I feel like I did really well, actually. My acting came back to me a little, plus I've watched this movie so many times, I felt like I knew what was going on with the lines enough to make some choices about how to play different roles. My dancing was solid, too. I don't think I'll have trouble with the dance auditions. The best part was when we were doing some staged readings with scenes from the script. We had to organize ourselves and assign ourselves to roles, so in the first scene I volunteered to play Ms. Darbus, the eccentric, long-winded drama teacher, because I thought it would be a fun way to loosen up. And they liked it! But again, that's an adult part, so I'm hoping to be cast younger, not older. In the next one, they sort of assigned roles, and put me as Gabriella, who is the female lead...a shy brainiac who wants to try her hand at being onstage. I am not a fan of the character in the movie...she's just too syrupy, but I tried really hard to play her with as much sweetness and integrity as possible, without being a total cheeseball. And then they had us go back in the scene because they wanted to change something about an exchange between two characters, Sharpay (the role I really want!) and Kelsi. And then they were like, "Let's do it again, but Lisa come over here and be Sharpay."
Yes!!!!!
Even if I don't get the part in the show, I am just so happy that I got to play her in this one scene...because it's one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Basically, Sharpay is a spoiled brat who controls the drama club and always gets the lead roles. Kelsi is the show's composer, a very softspoken, meek individual. And in this scene, Sharpay basically lets Kelsi have it for even suggesting that Sharpay may not land the lead this time.
And I got to do that scene! It was so fun! And I feel like I did really well!
I will say that it's funny coming back into a theatre setting after so long. By the end of high school, I was friends with so many people in drama that it really felt like a little family. But I had almost forgotten how much of an outsider you feel like when you first encounter a new drama group. It was like being in 7th grade and trying out for my high school's production of "The Nutcracker" all over again...the directors are super-warm and friendly to the people who obviously have been involved before, and there's no sort of trying to treat everyone the same. It's almost like all the inside jokes are aired out in front of everyone with no regard for the new people who have no idea what the jokes mean. Then all the directors keep telling you to be bigger, give more, and that the weirder it feels, the better. There's certainly no effort to try to make people feel less intimidated or more included. Basically, the point of drama is to make you as uncomfortable as possible.
But I know that the great thing is, once you get to know those people, you get really close to them and by showtime, you really DO feel like a family. I think it's just important to remember how it feels to come join a family full of people you know nothing about.
But anyway, auditions are in May, so I'll keep you updated!
Also, I caught up with someone I should've been talking to more in the past few years...we probably talked on the phone for a couple of hours, and the more we talked the more I felt so blessed to have someone I can relate to about so many things. Then I was on the phone with my dad for like three hours after that, trying to figure out how to get some video converting software on my computer. Then I got a message from the female sports anchor wanting to grab dinner, since she was done at the station. Then it turned into a little station girls' night out. We had said female sports anchor, the weekend anchor, a reporter, the weekend meteorologist, and me, the morning producer. We were rolling deep. We went for dinner and then hopped across the street for a couple drinks. And it was so fun! And now I'm home, pooped for the day and ready to crash.
Until you read again!
Lis
First, I went to an audition workshop for High School Musical, which the Civic Theatre is producing this summer. I am really hoping to do this show, since you may know I'm a teeny bit obsessed with HSM. So I went to this workshop, and here's the thing--looks-wise, I can pass for a high-schooler, but when I start talking, you can tell I'm older. So hopefully I won't get screwed in the casting and I'll get to play a high schooler, not an adult. Because the adults don't sing and dance. Honestly, I'd rather not have a speaking part and be a kid in the background singing and dancing, than have an adult role with lots of lines. But it was so weird because everyone else there was actually IN high school (or middle school) and so they'd be like "what grade are you in?" And I'd be like "Uhhhh...Purdue." Haha. So for the first time I'm having to lie about my age. Not really, though. When you sign up for auditions, you have to write your age down, so there's a big ol' 23 next to my name.
Oh well, hopefully I can still pull it off. I feel like I did really well, actually. My acting came back to me a little, plus I've watched this movie so many times, I felt like I knew what was going on with the lines enough to make some choices about how to play different roles. My dancing was solid, too. I don't think I'll have trouble with the dance auditions. The best part was when we were doing some staged readings with scenes from the script. We had to organize ourselves and assign ourselves to roles, so in the first scene I volunteered to play Ms. Darbus, the eccentric, long-winded drama teacher, because I thought it would be a fun way to loosen up. And they liked it! But again, that's an adult part, so I'm hoping to be cast younger, not older. In the next one, they sort of assigned roles, and put me as Gabriella, who is the female lead...a shy brainiac who wants to try her hand at being onstage. I am not a fan of the character in the movie...she's just too syrupy, but I tried really hard to play her with as much sweetness and integrity as possible, without being a total cheeseball. And then they had us go back in the scene because they wanted to change something about an exchange between two characters, Sharpay (the role I really want!) and Kelsi. And then they were like, "Let's do it again, but Lisa come over here and be Sharpay."
Yes!!!!!
Even if I don't get the part in the show, I am just so happy that I got to play her in this one scene...because it's one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Basically, Sharpay is a spoiled brat who controls the drama club and always gets the lead roles. Kelsi is the show's composer, a very softspoken, meek individual. And in this scene, Sharpay basically lets Kelsi have it for even suggesting that Sharpay may not land the lead this time.
And I got to do that scene! It was so fun! And I feel like I did really well!
I will say that it's funny coming back into a theatre setting after so long. By the end of high school, I was friends with so many people in drama that it really felt like a little family. But I had almost forgotten how much of an outsider you feel like when you first encounter a new drama group. It was like being in 7th grade and trying out for my high school's production of "The Nutcracker" all over again...the directors are super-warm and friendly to the people who obviously have been involved before, and there's no sort of trying to treat everyone the same. It's almost like all the inside jokes are aired out in front of everyone with no regard for the new people who have no idea what the jokes mean. Then all the directors keep telling you to be bigger, give more, and that the weirder it feels, the better. There's certainly no effort to try to make people feel less intimidated or more included. Basically, the point of drama is to make you as uncomfortable as possible.
But I know that the great thing is, once you get to know those people, you get really close to them and by showtime, you really DO feel like a family. I think it's just important to remember how it feels to come join a family full of people you know nothing about.
But anyway, auditions are in May, so I'll keep you updated!
Also, I caught up with someone I should've been talking to more in the past few years...we probably talked on the phone for a couple of hours, and the more we talked the more I felt so blessed to have someone I can relate to about so many things. Then I was on the phone with my dad for like three hours after that, trying to figure out how to get some video converting software on my computer. Then I got a message from the female sports anchor wanting to grab dinner, since she was done at the station. Then it turned into a little station girls' night out. We had said female sports anchor, the weekend anchor, a reporter, the weekend meteorologist, and me, the morning producer. We were rolling deep. We went for dinner and then hopped across the street for a couple drinks. And it was so fun! And now I'm home, pooped for the day and ready to crash.
Until you read again!
Lis
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
My First Snow Day!
(File this under things I never want to forget.)
So, today was my first "snow day," as they call it at the station.
All week the weather team was forecasting snow for late last night and this morning. And they were absolutely right! It snowed last night when I was on my way in to the station, and kept snowing all night long.
We already had a plan--someone was going to do a live shot from the outside deck so everyone could see the snow. And I was counting on some breaking news; a crash or something like that, or at least police reports of bad road conditions.
But it wasn't until about 3:15 this morning that I heard anything. The scanner had been mostly quiet, and then I heard it; the big story.
A Greyhound bus had slid off the road on the interstate. At least eleven injuries, broken bones, head and neck injuries. I called our video guy to go shoot it. Not long after that, it sounded like almost every emergency vehicle on duty was being sent to this crash.
Then the anchors came in, excited about the show. Then the tape guy came in, not excited about the live shot. In fact he was, I think, 65 percent sure that it wasn't going to work.
And he and our anchorman got in an argument about it.
So now the tape guy is in a pissy mood.
And then the calls started to roll in. Schools with 2-hour delays.
Wait, wait. Before the calls came, the anchors gave me this rapid-fire crash course in how to answer the phone, and they choose to do this as I'm trying to edit videos for the show:
"If you have time, ask them why they're closing school--"
"But no matter what---"
"That way we can get the information just in case--"
"And Lisa--"
"--we need it. But if you're getting tons of calls, don't worry about. And--"
"Can I finish please? Lisa, whatever you do, make SURE you repeat back to them what they told you. Because you don't want to get it wrong. You may think you understood them, but then you'll hang up and think, 'I'm not sure what they said, alternate kindergarten or NO kindergarten?'--"
"Yes, and make sure you understand the difference because you might hang up and then think, 'Did they say alternate kindergarten or NO kindergarten?'--"
"--And you'll get mixed up, like, 'Was it Clinton Central or Clinton Prairie, or Prairie Central'--"
"Yeah, so write it down because you won't be able to post it that fast and other calls will be coming in--"
And that's how that went. And THEN the calls started coming in. And then the show started. And then the live shot didn't work. And then we were two minutes heavy. And then the live shot worked. And then we were four minutes heavy. And then the phone was ringing off the hook in the newsroom, but not in the control room. So I was sprinting back and forth to answer the phone to get the school delays, meanwhile trying to figure out how to get rid of four minutes of content.
Finally the engineer found out what was wrong with the phone in the control room: someone had disconnected it. So he plugged it in, and immediately it started ringing. From then on, I was juggling a show that was four minutes too long, a frustrated anchorman and tape guy, and a phone that was ringing non-stop. Literally every time I went to post a school delay, I got interrupted because another school was calling. And then a school called because they had called ten minutes ago and didn't see their names on the crawl, and I had to explain to them that I couldn't get the schools' names up because people kept CALLING. But finally the calls died down, and I got them posted on the live crawl. And finally I found four minutes to cut out of the show.
And then it was like a train slowing into a station; we hit a rhythm, got everything under control, and we finished the show. I felt like I had just waded through crap, or mud, or something thick and nasty, but I was proud of myself for getting to the other side. And everyone felt pretty good about it, once the anchorman and the tape guy calmed down.
Then I stayed for two extra hours to do live cut-ins with updates, and then the video guy came outside and helped me get the snow off my car while he did hilarious impressions of all the people who work at the station. Then I got in my car and came home! What a day!
And now I'm sitting here at my computer, with a beautiful scene to my right through the open blinds of a wintery wood out my window. And I'm inside, cozy and warm, and hungry! I think I'll make cheese dogs and maybe some chips and salsa.
Oh! Also some quick updates.
I put up a Christmas tree. My first one. It's artificial, but it's 6 feet tall and the perfect size for my apartment. It has white lights, gold glass bulbs, and a gold tree skirt. Nothing under it yet because I don't have enough money to go Christmas shopping until my next paycheck. The only thing under it is a bag full of clothes that I need to take to Goodwill. I can't wait to wrap my gifts and put them under the tree to wait for Christmas!
OK, media favorites of the moment:
-Music: The "Enchanted" soundtrack. It's written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who basically turn to gold eveyrthing they touch. It was really fun driving through the snowy town with this whimsical music as a background!
-TV: The Office is my new addiction. It's so funny that I laugh just thinking about it. I've watched all the episodes available on NBC.com. I'm going to have to buy Season One on DVD and start from the beginning. I hope the writer's strike ends so I can see more episodes from this season! Also, I'm very excited because CBS is going to do a winter edition (first ever) of Big Brother! As you know, I was totally addicted to this show over the summer, and I think it's a brilliant way to deal with the writer's strike. And it comes just in time; Kid Nation is two episodes away from being over, and The Bachelor is long finished, so I'm going to need another reality vice to sink my teeth into.
-Movies: I've been revisiting the Austin Powers franchise...with the commentary. And it's really great! Mike Myers seems like a really sweet guy in real life; it's so funny that he can come up with such raunchy characters. Those movies are funnier every time I watch them.
Ok, that's it for me. I've been away from this for so long, and I can't do that anymore because I end up writing too much when I do come back. So hopefully it'll be sooner than later when I write again and I won't have to worry about that!
I'm starved. Cheese dog time! Happy snow day!
So, today was my first "snow day," as they call it at the station.
All week the weather team was forecasting snow for late last night and this morning. And they were absolutely right! It snowed last night when I was on my way in to the station, and kept snowing all night long.
We already had a plan--someone was going to do a live shot from the outside deck so everyone could see the snow. And I was counting on some breaking news; a crash or something like that, or at least police reports of bad road conditions.
But it wasn't until about 3:15 this morning that I heard anything. The scanner had been mostly quiet, and then I heard it; the big story.
A Greyhound bus had slid off the road on the interstate. At least eleven injuries, broken bones, head and neck injuries. I called our video guy to go shoot it. Not long after that, it sounded like almost every emergency vehicle on duty was being sent to this crash.
Then the anchors came in, excited about the show. Then the tape guy came in, not excited about the live shot. In fact he was, I think, 65 percent sure that it wasn't going to work.
And he and our anchorman got in an argument about it.
So now the tape guy is in a pissy mood.
And then the calls started to roll in. Schools with 2-hour delays.
Wait, wait. Before the calls came, the anchors gave me this rapid-fire crash course in how to answer the phone, and they choose to do this as I'm trying to edit videos for the show:
"If you have time, ask them why they're closing school--"
"But no matter what---"
"That way we can get the information just in case--"
"And Lisa--"
"--we need it. But if you're getting tons of calls, don't worry about. And--"
"Can I finish please? Lisa, whatever you do, make SURE you repeat back to them what they told you. Because you don't want to get it wrong. You may think you understood them, but then you'll hang up and think, 'I'm not sure what they said, alternate kindergarten or NO kindergarten?'--"
"Yes, and make sure you understand the difference because you might hang up and then think, 'Did they say alternate kindergarten or NO kindergarten?'--"
"--And you'll get mixed up, like, 'Was it Clinton Central or Clinton Prairie, or Prairie Central'--"
"Yeah, so write it down because you won't be able to post it that fast and other calls will be coming in--"
And that's how that went. And THEN the calls started coming in. And then the show started. And then the live shot didn't work. And then we were two minutes heavy. And then the live shot worked. And then we were four minutes heavy. And then the phone was ringing off the hook in the newsroom, but not in the control room. So I was sprinting back and forth to answer the phone to get the school delays, meanwhile trying to figure out how to get rid of four minutes of content.
Finally the engineer found out what was wrong with the phone in the control room: someone had disconnected it. So he plugged it in, and immediately it started ringing. From then on, I was juggling a show that was four minutes too long, a frustrated anchorman and tape guy, and a phone that was ringing non-stop. Literally every time I went to post a school delay, I got interrupted because another school was calling. And then a school called because they had called ten minutes ago and didn't see their names on the crawl, and I had to explain to them that I couldn't get the schools' names up because people kept CALLING. But finally the calls died down, and I got them posted on the live crawl. And finally I found four minutes to cut out of the show.
And then it was like a train slowing into a station; we hit a rhythm, got everything under control, and we finished the show. I felt like I had just waded through crap, or mud, or something thick and nasty, but I was proud of myself for getting to the other side. And everyone felt pretty good about it, once the anchorman and the tape guy calmed down.
Then I stayed for two extra hours to do live cut-ins with updates, and then the video guy came outside and helped me get the snow off my car while he did hilarious impressions of all the people who work at the station. Then I got in my car and came home! What a day!
And now I'm sitting here at my computer, with a beautiful scene to my right through the open blinds of a wintery wood out my window. And I'm inside, cozy and warm, and hungry! I think I'll make cheese dogs and maybe some chips and salsa.
Oh! Also some quick updates.
I put up a Christmas tree. My first one. It's artificial, but it's 6 feet tall and the perfect size for my apartment. It has white lights, gold glass bulbs, and a gold tree skirt. Nothing under it yet because I don't have enough money to go Christmas shopping until my next paycheck. The only thing under it is a bag full of clothes that I need to take to Goodwill. I can't wait to wrap my gifts and put them under the tree to wait for Christmas!
OK, media favorites of the moment:
-Music: The "Enchanted" soundtrack. It's written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who basically turn to gold eveyrthing they touch. It was really fun driving through the snowy town with this whimsical music as a background!
-TV: The Office is my new addiction. It's so funny that I laugh just thinking about it. I've watched all the episodes available on NBC.com. I'm going to have to buy Season One on DVD and start from the beginning. I hope the writer's strike ends so I can see more episodes from this season! Also, I'm very excited because CBS is going to do a winter edition (first ever) of Big Brother! As you know, I was totally addicted to this show over the summer, and I think it's a brilliant way to deal with the writer's strike. And it comes just in time; Kid Nation is two episodes away from being over, and The Bachelor is long finished, so I'm going to need another reality vice to sink my teeth into.
-Movies: I've been revisiting the Austin Powers franchise...with the commentary. And it's really great! Mike Myers seems like a really sweet guy in real life; it's so funny that he can come up with such raunchy characters. Those movies are funnier every time I watch them.
Ok, that's it for me. I've been away from this for so long, and I can't do that anymore because I end up writing too much when I do come back. So hopefully it'll be sooner than later when I write again and I won't have to worry about that!
I'm starved. Cheese dog time! Happy snow day!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Where Are You, Christmas (Show)?
It's mid-October. It's starting to get cold. And the normal American is getting ready for Halloween.
I'm ready for Christmas.
For the past 4 years I have spent this time of year putting in serious time learning various arrangements of Christmas songs and carols for the Purdue Christmas Show. And before those 4 years, I was at least starting to learn a Christmas song or two for one choir concert or other. This year, I'm not doing that, and it's weird. There is definitely a void.
So today I had to give in to the urge and pop in an old Christmas Show rehearsal CD on my way home from work. I almost cried; I am really going to miss being in that show.
Don't get me wrong; it's fantastic not to have the stress and anxiety connected with preparing for a show of that magnitude. But Christmas Show was my favorite part of Purduettes, PMO, and Purdue. I spent all year getting excited about it, and I never got tired of rehearsing for it. When the curtain finally rose in front of a live audience, I was in my element. Nothing else will ever be like performing on that stage, and it's a little sad not to look forward to having that thrill this year.
On the other hand, I am building up anticipation to being in the audience for the first time since I was in high school. I will definitely have a different kind of appreciation for it now that I've been a part of it. And maybe I'll get to sing with the alumni onstage during the carol sing.
P.S. -- I finished training for the producer job today. I did the whole show by myself, pretty much, and it went well! I am excited about flying solo come Sunday night. I really need to watch "Anchorman" again...so many references come to mind now that I'm writing what goes in the teleprompter and dealing more directly with the anchors, but they don't come to mind as readily as they should. I've forgotten a lot from that movie. Time to brush up!
Well, it's past my bedtime. Merry Christmas and a Happy Halloween!
I'm ready for Christmas.
For the past 4 years I have spent this time of year putting in serious time learning various arrangements of Christmas songs and carols for the Purdue Christmas Show. And before those 4 years, I was at least starting to learn a Christmas song or two for one choir concert or other. This year, I'm not doing that, and it's weird. There is definitely a void.
So today I had to give in to the urge and pop in an old Christmas Show rehearsal CD on my way home from work. I almost cried; I am really going to miss being in that show.
Don't get me wrong; it's fantastic not to have the stress and anxiety connected with preparing for a show of that magnitude. But Christmas Show was my favorite part of Purduettes, PMO, and Purdue. I spent all year getting excited about it, and I never got tired of rehearsing for it. When the curtain finally rose in front of a live audience, I was in my element. Nothing else will ever be like performing on that stage, and it's a little sad not to look forward to having that thrill this year.
On the other hand, I am building up anticipation to being in the audience for the first time since I was in high school. I will definitely have a different kind of appreciation for it now that I've been a part of it. And maybe I'll get to sing with the alumni onstage during the carol sing.
P.S. -- I finished training for the producer job today. I did the whole show by myself, pretty much, and it went well! I am excited about flying solo come Sunday night. I really need to watch "Anchorman" again...so many references come to mind now that I'm writing what goes in the teleprompter and dealing more directly with the anchors, but they don't come to mind as readily as they should. I've forgotten a lot from that movie. Time to brush up!
Well, it's past my bedtime. Merry Christmas and a Happy Halloween!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
And We're Baaaack!
Just back during some downtime at the station to update on a couple things. As you know if you've been reading, I'm addicted to BB8, and it's really starting to get intense. One contestant is Eric, America's Player, which means that he is sort of "controlled" by anyone who wants to vote in the U.S., and they submit votes every week to tell him who to try to put up for eviction nominations, and most importantly, who to vote out of the house. This is hard for Eric, because he came into the house with his own game plan and now has to modify to what America requests from him, and the last two eviction elections, America told him to vote against his alliance, which was very risky. Well, everyone in the house sort of figured out that it was he who was casting the wayward votes, and last week Daniele as HOH had a personal vendetta to get Eric out of the house. He was almost back-doored, but some loyal alliance votes saved him...for this week. Now his best friend in the house, Jessica, is HOH, which would be good for him except that she really questions her ability to trust him after all the talk last week.
Here is where I have to say...America, what are you doing?! I know some people have said they don't like Eric, and I'm sure that some are trying to sabotage him to get him out of the house, but I think that once that happens, all those voters will regret it, because now they will have nothing to do but sit and watch the show, having no input or feeling of control with the show. Furthermore, the whole reason Daniele went on her campaign anyway is because during an endurance competition in the backyard, someone flew over the BB house with a banner saying that Eric was a liar. If it weren't for negative outside influence, Eric would still be playing the game without any backlash like he's getting now. My personal opinion is that Eric is kind of a tool, but I have to admire the way he plays the game, incorporating his assigned tasks with his own style. He's smart, and he deserves to stay in the game because he's playing it smart. Now everyone thinks he voted the way he did because he was trying to set someone up, but the truth is that he was just doing what he had to do as part of the game. I can't wait to see what happens when Dick and Daniele find out Eric's role in this game.
Enough about that! I know it's kind of lame to be into that kind of stuff, but it's fun, and it's all that I get on TV besides crime shows. CBS needs to run more sitcoms, by the way. We've got three different CSIs, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Close to Home, Ghost Whisperer, 48 Hours Mystery, NCIS, and The Unit. Gimme a break, I need something fun to watch!
Current music tastes: I've been listening to Christmas music (already getting excited for the Purdue Christmas Show as usual) and any other recordings of PMO, just because I'm excited to see upcoming shows as the new season begins. I also feel like the Christmas music may help me think chilly thoughts and stay a little cooler during this heat wave! (I feel bad complaining about the heat; Michelle is in the middle east and I know it's hotter there than it is here!)
Movies I'm into at the moment: Anything by the Chris Guest/Eugene Levy troupe (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, This is Spinal Tap). I just watched Spinal Tap for the first time and it was great! So funny to see these guys when they were younger! I'd like to get my own copy of Waiting for Guffman, and I'd also like to find the new one they made last year called "For Your Consideration," but I haven't seen either anywhere. I also decided yesterday that I should own more musicals. All I have is The Wizard of Oz and High School Musical (does that really count?), so last night I went to Target and bought "Hello, Dolly!" and "The Wiz." I love Dolly...I think if I could ever have a dream role, that would be it, that meddling, fast-talking lady! I was actually in The Wiz in high school, and the movie is so much cooler, and Ryan had expressed a desire to see it awhile back, and it was only five bucks, so that's why I got that one.
Final notes: Today at the restaurant it was so busy that nobody got to leave until the night time shift got there, and even then everyone was there for about an hour getting everything caught up. I was finally excused at 5:00 because I was supposed to have been at the station at 4! With freshman orientation around the corner, everyone was in town for the "last supper" and, apparantly, everyone decided to come to our restaurant! At one point this afternoon, I thought, "I hate this restaurant." Let's just say if you want to know how I like my job, ask me tomorrow! I am still in my uniform right now; I didn't go home to change over the dinner break after the first newscast because I wanted to stay to make up the hour I lost while at the restaurant. And look what I'm doing! Clearly, it's a slow night at the TV station.
That's all for me today. Really.
Lis
Here is where I have to say...America, what are you doing?! I know some people have said they don't like Eric, and I'm sure that some are trying to sabotage him to get him out of the house, but I think that once that happens, all those voters will regret it, because now they will have nothing to do but sit and watch the show, having no input or feeling of control with the show. Furthermore, the whole reason Daniele went on her campaign anyway is because during an endurance competition in the backyard, someone flew over the BB house with a banner saying that Eric was a liar. If it weren't for negative outside influence, Eric would still be playing the game without any backlash like he's getting now. My personal opinion is that Eric is kind of a tool, but I have to admire the way he plays the game, incorporating his assigned tasks with his own style. He's smart, and he deserves to stay in the game because he's playing it smart. Now everyone thinks he voted the way he did because he was trying to set someone up, but the truth is that he was just doing what he had to do as part of the game. I can't wait to see what happens when Dick and Daniele find out Eric's role in this game.
Enough about that! I know it's kind of lame to be into that kind of stuff, but it's fun, and it's all that I get on TV besides crime shows. CBS needs to run more sitcoms, by the way. We've got three different CSIs, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Close to Home, Ghost Whisperer, 48 Hours Mystery, NCIS, and The Unit. Gimme a break, I need something fun to watch!
Current music tastes: I've been listening to Christmas music (already getting excited for the Purdue Christmas Show as usual) and any other recordings of PMO, just because I'm excited to see upcoming shows as the new season begins. I also feel like the Christmas music may help me think chilly thoughts and stay a little cooler during this heat wave! (I feel bad complaining about the heat; Michelle is in the middle east and I know it's hotter there than it is here!)
Movies I'm into at the moment: Anything by the Chris Guest/Eugene Levy troupe (Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, This is Spinal Tap). I just watched Spinal Tap for the first time and it was great! So funny to see these guys when they were younger! I'd like to get my own copy of Waiting for Guffman, and I'd also like to find the new one they made last year called "For Your Consideration," but I haven't seen either anywhere. I also decided yesterday that I should own more musicals. All I have is The Wizard of Oz and High School Musical (does that really count?), so last night I went to Target and bought "Hello, Dolly!" and "The Wiz." I love Dolly...I think if I could ever have a dream role, that would be it, that meddling, fast-talking lady! I was actually in The Wiz in high school, and the movie is so much cooler, and Ryan had expressed a desire to see it awhile back, and it was only five bucks, so that's why I got that one.
Final notes: Today at the restaurant it was so busy that nobody got to leave until the night time shift got there, and even then everyone was there for about an hour getting everything caught up. I was finally excused at 5:00 because I was supposed to have been at the station at 4! With freshman orientation around the corner, everyone was in town for the "last supper" and, apparantly, everyone decided to come to our restaurant! At one point this afternoon, I thought, "I hate this restaurant." Let's just say if you want to know how I like my job, ask me tomorrow! I am still in my uniform right now; I didn't go home to change over the dinner break after the first newscast because I wanted to stay to make up the hour I lost while at the restaurant. And look what I'm doing! Clearly, it's a slow night at the TV station.
That's all for me today. Really.
Lis
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Graduating
I have sat through two commencement ceremonies a year for the past four years here at Purdue, because the Purduettes sing at the winter commencements. Here at Purdue, the ceremonies are split up because there are so many thousands of people graduating that it would be impossible to fit everyone and their parents in one ceremony at Elliott Hall, which, by the way, seats over 6,000 people. So in the winter they split it into two ceremonies, and in the spring they split it into four. Just to give you a picture. Each one is about two hours long, and there are so many people that only the graduate and doctorate degrees get their names read; everyone getting a bachelor’s or associate’s degree gets to see his name up on a screen with about ten other people as he walks across the stage. Which, don’t get me wrong, is pretty cool.
I just figured, knowing how boring and long and impersonal these things could be, it wouldn’t mean a whole lot to me.
I knew it meant a lot to my family, and hey, they knew what to expect. My mom and dad both graduated from Purdue. And if it was important to them, I’d try to make it a special day. Ryan even pointed out to me what a great accomplishment it was.
“You’re the only person I’m this close to who has ever graduated from college,” he said. “It’s a big deal.” And he was absolutely right.
It’s not like I didn’t want to go through graduation…I just wasn’t really excited about it.
Plus, it was weird; none of my Purduette classmates were graduating with me. Beth has another semester, and Laura still has more school. Meghan was going to go through graduation, but I didn’t know what section she was in, so as far as I knew, I would show up at the armory, get in line, and go through the ceremony with a bunch of strangers that I had apparently been going to school with over the last four years. It wasn’t like high school graduation, where you’re with all your friends, and all the teachers are there, and everyone knows you. I’d be lucky if the Glee Club guys, who were going to be singing onstage, would catch me as I walked by.
When my family arrived, it felt like something out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Marla popped her head in the door to give me about a ten-second warning that everyone was here. Then in came Mom, Dad, Mamaw, and Papaw, with hugs, questions, and comments. Mamaw immediately pounced on the graduation robe I had laid out on my bed and began wishing she’d brought her steamer.
“Well, I bet we could iron it right here on the bed,” she offered. I told her no, thanks, because no one else’s was going to look any better, and from where everyone was sitting they wouldn’t be able to tell if it had wrinkles anyway. I was almost ready when they all got there, but not quite, so then I had the fun of people watching me get ready. For some reason, this is a pet peeve of mine. I think it’s because I worry that the person watching me is thinking, “Is she really going to do her hair like that?”
Finally it was time to go to the ceremony. I had to be at the armory, next door to the Hall of Music, an hour before the ceremony, and everyone else was going to go find seats. At the armory, Dad helped me put my little white collar on my robe while Mom and Mamaw corrected my placement of my cap on my head. Marla, who was taking pictures of all of this, told me I looked pissed off, and I knew my lack of excitement and slight irritation at all the nitpicky attention was coming through loud and clear. I had to at least try to act as excited as they all were.
That’s when Katy showed up.
Katy was my roommate and instant best friend our freshman year at Purdue. She was getting ready to graduate with a degree in English Education, and soon after would find out she’d been offered a teaching job in a high school near Indianapolis. She was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and about a year ago talked Marla into rushing. Marla joined DG, and Katy took her under her wing from the very beginning, doing everything from pairing Marla with the perfect match of a Big Sis in the house to teaching Marla how to tease back her hair.
I can’t tell you how glad I was to see Katy. Just like when she showed up in our dorm room during orientation week with all of her cute dorm accessories and reminded me how fun and adventurous college life was going to be, she showed up in front of the armory asking my dad for help with her collar, since he’d figured out mine, and wanting pictures of the two of us together, and she reminded me how special it was going to be to finish this fun and adventurous time and start off on a new one of even greater significance.
Katy and I went inside and parted ways to sign in. Get this—we had to get a sticker with our names and numbers next to them so we’d know who to stand behind in alphabetical order! I felt like one of the calves at my grandma’s farm when my parents and aunt and uncle are working cattle; I might as well have had a tag in my ear. Wouldn’t that be funny? All the tags in colors to match our tassels representing our schools and degrees!
I was trying to find which line to get into when I saw standing together Ashley from the Purdue Bells in PMO, Lindsey, who used to go to my high school, and Amanda, a former Purduette classmate. The three of them were standing together and talking, and as they greeted me enthusiastically, I got the feeling that this kind of was like high school graduation…all of your classmates waiting in the gym, checking to see if someone’s cap is straight or if someone’s hair doesn’t look too goofy under the cap. I finally found my check-in line, and when I got to the front, who was there to sign me in but Colleen Williams, the academic advisor who had helped me schedule my classes every semester and who never let me completely commit academic suicide by taking on too much.
“Oh, you got your hair cut!” she said as she found my sticker and patted it onto the shoulder of my black robe. I smiled. She was like the teacher who always helped you out during high school, even if you didn’t have a class with her.
I lined up, it turned out, behind a guy I had met my first semester at Purdue. He remembered me, so it was really fun to be within speaking distance of a previous acquaintance. A few more people ahead of him stood Amanda, which was also a comfort. And after some final instructions about when and where to stand, sit, or walk, we began the ceremony.
We all paraded out of the armory and past the Hall of Music and the bell tower. Then we took a lap around the Engineering Mall as people stood outside waving and taking pictures. There was something really cool about taking this walk down sidewalks you’d hurried across so many times as a student, only this time at a leisurely pace and in a cap and gown. It made me feel the finality of walking in these places as a student for the last time. And I realized that this was the part I had never seen before when I sat through those winter commencements.
This was the special part. This was the part of the ceremony that was for me.
The rest was for Mom and Dad, Mamaw and Papaw. The speeches were great, the music was beautiful, and the university president, who knew me through Purduettes and a scholarship group I had been in as a freshman, made a point to get up out of his chair and meet me onstage as I walked across. He gave me a hug and shook my hand and asked what I would be doing after graduation, and he wished me good luck. I think it was a special ceremony weekend for him as well; he was retiring from Purdue at the end of the school year.
The two hours of commencement were gorgeous, and they meant a lot more to me than I could of imagined. But whenever I think back to the day I graduated from Purdue, it won’t be the stage full of glee clubbers, band members, faculty, and trustees that I will remember. For me, it will be that stretch of pavement between Elliott Hall and the engineering buildings, where I last walked as a student at Purdue.
I just figured, knowing how boring and long and impersonal these things could be, it wouldn’t mean a whole lot to me.
I knew it meant a lot to my family, and hey, they knew what to expect. My mom and dad both graduated from Purdue. And if it was important to them, I’d try to make it a special day. Ryan even pointed out to me what a great accomplishment it was.
“You’re the only person I’m this close to who has ever graduated from college,” he said. “It’s a big deal.” And he was absolutely right.
It’s not like I didn’t want to go through graduation…I just wasn’t really excited about it.
Plus, it was weird; none of my Purduette classmates were graduating with me. Beth has another semester, and Laura still has more school. Meghan was going to go through graduation, but I didn’t know what section she was in, so as far as I knew, I would show up at the armory, get in line, and go through the ceremony with a bunch of strangers that I had apparently been going to school with over the last four years. It wasn’t like high school graduation, where you’re with all your friends, and all the teachers are there, and everyone knows you. I’d be lucky if the Glee Club guys, who were going to be singing onstage, would catch me as I walked by.
When my family arrived, it felt like something out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Marla popped her head in the door to give me about a ten-second warning that everyone was here. Then in came Mom, Dad, Mamaw, and Papaw, with hugs, questions, and comments. Mamaw immediately pounced on the graduation robe I had laid out on my bed and began wishing she’d brought her steamer.
“Well, I bet we could iron it right here on the bed,” she offered. I told her no, thanks, because no one else’s was going to look any better, and from where everyone was sitting they wouldn’t be able to tell if it had wrinkles anyway. I was almost ready when they all got there, but not quite, so then I had the fun of people watching me get ready. For some reason, this is a pet peeve of mine. I think it’s because I worry that the person watching me is thinking, “Is she really going to do her hair like that?”
Finally it was time to go to the ceremony. I had to be at the armory, next door to the Hall of Music, an hour before the ceremony, and everyone else was going to go find seats. At the armory, Dad helped me put my little white collar on my robe while Mom and Mamaw corrected my placement of my cap on my head. Marla, who was taking pictures of all of this, told me I looked pissed off, and I knew my lack of excitement and slight irritation at all the nitpicky attention was coming through loud and clear. I had to at least try to act as excited as they all were.
That’s when Katy showed up.
Katy was my roommate and instant best friend our freshman year at Purdue. She was getting ready to graduate with a degree in English Education, and soon after would find out she’d been offered a teaching job in a high school near Indianapolis. She was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and about a year ago talked Marla into rushing. Marla joined DG, and Katy took her under her wing from the very beginning, doing everything from pairing Marla with the perfect match of a Big Sis in the house to teaching Marla how to tease back her hair.
I can’t tell you how glad I was to see Katy. Just like when she showed up in our dorm room during orientation week with all of her cute dorm accessories and reminded me how fun and adventurous college life was going to be, she showed up in front of the armory asking my dad for help with her collar, since he’d figured out mine, and wanting pictures of the two of us together, and she reminded me how special it was going to be to finish this fun and adventurous time and start off on a new one of even greater significance.
Katy and I went inside and parted ways to sign in. Get this—we had to get a sticker with our names and numbers next to them so we’d know who to stand behind in alphabetical order! I felt like one of the calves at my grandma’s farm when my parents and aunt and uncle are working cattle; I might as well have had a tag in my ear. Wouldn’t that be funny? All the tags in colors to match our tassels representing our schools and degrees!
I was trying to find which line to get into when I saw standing together Ashley from the Purdue Bells in PMO, Lindsey, who used to go to my high school, and Amanda, a former Purduette classmate. The three of them were standing together and talking, and as they greeted me enthusiastically, I got the feeling that this kind of was like high school graduation…all of your classmates waiting in the gym, checking to see if someone’s cap is straight or if someone’s hair doesn’t look too goofy under the cap. I finally found my check-in line, and when I got to the front, who was there to sign me in but Colleen Williams, the academic advisor who had helped me schedule my classes every semester and who never let me completely commit academic suicide by taking on too much.
“Oh, you got your hair cut!” she said as she found my sticker and patted it onto the shoulder of my black robe. I smiled. She was like the teacher who always helped you out during high school, even if you didn’t have a class with her.
I lined up, it turned out, behind a guy I had met my first semester at Purdue. He remembered me, so it was really fun to be within speaking distance of a previous acquaintance. A few more people ahead of him stood Amanda, which was also a comfort. And after some final instructions about when and where to stand, sit, or walk, we began the ceremony.
We all paraded out of the armory and past the Hall of Music and the bell tower. Then we took a lap around the Engineering Mall as people stood outside waving and taking pictures. There was something really cool about taking this walk down sidewalks you’d hurried across so many times as a student, only this time at a leisurely pace and in a cap and gown. It made me feel the finality of walking in these places as a student for the last time. And I realized that this was the part I had never seen before when I sat through those winter commencements.
This was the special part. This was the part of the ceremony that was for me.
The rest was for Mom and Dad, Mamaw and Papaw. The speeches were great, the music was beautiful, and the university president, who knew me through Purduettes and a scholarship group I had been in as a freshman, made a point to get up out of his chair and meet me onstage as I walked across. He gave me a hug and shook my hand and asked what I would be doing after graduation, and he wished me good luck. I think it was a special ceremony weekend for him as well; he was retiring from Purdue at the end of the school year.
The two hours of commencement were gorgeous, and they meant a lot more to me than I could of imagined. But whenever I think back to the day I graduated from Purdue, it won’t be the stage full of glee clubbers, band members, faculty, and trustees that I will remember. For me, it will be that stretch of pavement between Elliott Hall and the engineering buildings, where I last walked as a student at Purdue.
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