I watched "Intrusion" by Jack Michel, which can be found here: http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2014/10/27/intrusion/ .
This documentary, at least at first glance, was a bit hard to watch. The opening scene feels fake, it radiates amateurish execution, and especially with the way that the film progresses throughout the first few scenes, it seems that the plot and the footage will drag on forever. The twist was the only redeeming quality in my eyes. The twist itself merits a moment of realization, however the build up to it could have been tailored to a higher order. To be better I believe the main character of the short should have done intrusive things, such as pocket valuables, not out right as it would ruin the twist, but just subtly hint at the fact that the main man doesn't actually like there.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
SHHO: What Is Going On For Real Tho
In search of further insight into the club, I went over to visit the VT chapter's Facebook page found here: https://www.facebook.com/vtshho. I am not sure who it is maintained by, however it provided some interesting information.
Looking for more knowledge and insightful content, I headed to the VT chapter's website only to run into an almost identical situation as I have found with our chapter (however we don;t have a Facebook page). The account had not posted since February of last year, which strikes me as odd. Someone posted a comment on their page asking when they would be holding a certain event and the account came out of dormancy to reply that the club was on hiatus until further notice. What. So this chapter isn't operating until further notice, have they lost all support? Is it the University's decision? To my surprise I searched for the UV branch of the club and they had posted something as recently as yesterday! It was a feature on a rapper and even beyond that they have been operating consistently for the entire fall term!
Why is there such a disparity in the involvement of each branch of the SHHO? I would like to believe that the central branch at VCU would give other clubs a model to follow and events to plan to help get the club out there and more involved. Why did I choose the SHHO to do my research on is the only question I have left.
Looking for more knowledge and insightful content, I headed to the VT chapter's website only to run into an almost identical situation as I have found with our chapter (however we don;t have a Facebook page). The account had not posted since February of last year, which strikes me as odd. Someone posted a comment on their page asking when they would be holding a certain event and the account came out of dormancy to reply that the club was on hiatus until further notice. What. So this chapter isn't operating until further notice, have they lost all support? Is it the University's decision? To my surprise I searched for the UV branch of the club and they had posted something as recently as yesterday! It was a feature on a rapper and even beyond that they have been operating consistently for the entire fall term!
Why is there such a disparity in the involvement of each branch of the SHHO? I would like to believe that the central branch at VCU would give other clubs a model to follow and events to plan to help get the club out there and more involved. Why did I choose the SHHO to do my research on is the only question I have left.
Survey: Would You Join?
Since no member of the Student Hip-Hop Organization got in contact with me in time for an interview, I decided to throw up another survey that would ask ten people whether or not they would join a hip-hop oriented club. To no surprise, I found that 6/10 people surveyed said they would join a hip-hop club, some even getting more inquisitive asking for information. I wish I could have told them more, and there in lies the problem. The University of Kentucky is home to 30,000 students. 30,000. Yet, it seems that this club has taken no measures to reach their base! Can you fathom how rich the club would be in culture if even an eighth of the hip-hop loving populace were to join? It would be unreal. This club is a gold mine waiting to be struck but it just doesn't seem to buy into its own hype. Granted, at the moment there is not much hype to be excited for based on past experiences, but it is a new club on campus having only operated for two years, this being the third if they do indeed end up operating.
Why has the Student Hip-Hop Organization gone quiet? I know that they had a booth by the student center during club fair day, or whatever name it went under, so I am inclined to believe that they have every intention of growing this year. It is just disappointing to see because come on guys, I'm trying to do a good thorough job on researching you and getting interview and I have been given next to nothing! When will the SHHO reach out to us? As Rick Ross once said "ioeno".
Survey: Have You Heard?
Doing field research I set up a survey that asks twenty people two simple questions. Do you like hip-hop/rap, and have you ever heard of the SHHO? I conducted this survey in the student center food courts and tried to get as varied an audience as I could as to not skew the data. Little to my surprise the percentage of people who liked hip-hop and who had never heard of the Student Hip-Hop Organization was quite high. Around 60% of people surveyed admitted they like hip-hop, of this sub-group, all but one person said that they had heard of the Student Hip-Hop Organization. Of the greater populous surveyed as well, only three people had ever heard of the organization. To my dismay, these results were exactly what I had predicted would be the case. The organization has done a very poor job getting itself out there to the student body this year. I say this year because based on the twitter account's activity about a year ago, the account was active, events were being planned, and people were being invited to them. I'm not sure what happened, however this decline in interaction with the student base has created a deterioration of pertinence for the club.
I want to know how the club can know that they would be a popular organization to join, given such a diverse campus that there are bound to be a myriad of people who would want to become part of it. Why has their twitter gone dormant? At this point, with barely being able to get hold of any officers in the club, and the down right lack of exposure they have, whether or no the cub has tanked. It seems highly unlikely, yet there is hardly any other way to describe what exactly has happened.
I want to know how the club can know that they would be a popular organization to join, given such a diverse campus that there are bound to be a myriad of people who would want to become part of it. Why has their twitter gone dormant? At this point, with barely being able to get hold of any officers in the club, and the down right lack of exposure they have, whether or no the cub has tanked. It seems highly unlikely, yet there is hardly any other way to describe what exactly has happened.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Problem One: SHHO and KYVL
To fulfill this weeks research requirements, I went over to the Kentucky Virtual Library in an attempt to unearth any pertinent information on the Student Hip-Hop Organization. Little to my surprise, there was nothing to be found on the club in particular, neither in the KYVL or the Kentucky Digital Library.
The problem we seem to be encountering in the way of researching SHHO from a purely spectator-esque view is that no one, not even the University of Kentucky, have ANY information on them. This fact is a silent suggestion however, that SHHO has no enthusiastic base to launch itself. I will take it easy on the group since it was started a measly 3-4 years ago, so it is safe to assume it hasn't realized its full potential or membership. The fact that neither KYVL or the KDL have a scratch of information is a sign that they just aren't a group that people yet care about. A fledgling club such as this needs strong leadership to get itself off the ground, and this area of growth seems to have been malnourished.
I would like to know how it has been so difficult for SHHO to get their foot in the campus population door, seeing as there are copious amounts of hip-hop heads among the populous; At places like Virginia Tech and Syracuse they are highly involved and active already, though both are also newer branches. This reflection on negative space highlights the problem we have had for awhile now while gathering sources; UK's SHHO needs to up their game. Perhaps it's time to find a new topic.
The problem we seem to be encountering in the way of researching SHHO from a purely spectator-esque view is that no one, not even the University of Kentucky, have ANY information on them. This fact is a silent suggestion however, that SHHO has no enthusiastic base to launch itself. I will take it easy on the group since it was started a measly 3-4 years ago, so it is safe to assume it hasn't realized its full potential or membership. The fact that neither KYVL or the KDL have a scratch of information is a sign that they just aren't a group that people yet care about. A fledgling club such as this needs strong leadership to get itself off the ground, and this area of growth seems to have been malnourished.
I would like to know how it has been so difficult for SHHO to get their foot in the campus population door, seeing as there are copious amounts of hip-hop heads among the populous; At places like Virginia Tech and Syracuse they are highly involved and active already, though both are also newer branches. This reflection on negative space highlights the problem we have had for awhile now while gathering sources; UK's SHHO needs to up their game. Perhaps it's time to find a new topic.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Hip-Hop and Dance
Moving along the outskirts of my topic, I have decided to hone in on the dance aspect of hip-hop that accompanies the lyrical powerhouse of the culture. The following information was found at the following address: http://www.hiphopunite.com/index-styles.html
Much like in the piece explaining the origins of hip-hop, this article explains how they came to manifest side by side with the blossoming on stage hip-hop scene. Traditional hip-hop dancing includes the well known trio of popping, locking, and dropping(HipHopUnite). Locking, is akin to the "robot" in how the dancer "freezes" their body during the dance in a locked position and then moving fluidly out of it or into another lock. Popping on the other hand is more similar to the "wave". This style is characterized by a general flow in the dance, like a "force of energy moving through the body" and is much more fluid dancing style as opposed to locking.
Neat article on hip-hop dancing, I wasn't aware there were so many terms used for some of the more mundane looking features of the dances. I would like to know how some of the dance moves became common place within the genre of dance, as there doesn't seem to be any major precursors to the dancing styles that developed. I am probably most interested in the beginnings of locking, as it is such a rigid dancing style I would be very intrigued to find out who the main cavalier was for the style and how they developed such a means of dancing.
Much like in the piece explaining the origins of hip-hop, this article explains how they came to manifest side by side with the blossoming on stage hip-hop scene. Traditional hip-hop dancing includes the well known trio of popping, locking, and dropping(HipHopUnite). Locking, is akin to the "robot" in how the dancer "freezes" their body during the dance in a locked position and then moving fluidly out of it or into another lock. Popping on the other hand is more similar to the "wave". This style is characterized by a general flow in the dance, like a "force of energy moving through the body" and is much more fluid dancing style as opposed to locking.
Neat article on hip-hop dancing, I wasn't aware there were so many terms used for some of the more mundane looking features of the dances. I would like to know how some of the dance moves became common place within the genre of dance, as there doesn't seem to be any major precursors to the dancing styles that developed. I am probably most interested in the beginnings of locking, as it is such a rigid dancing style I would be very intrigued to find out who the main cavalier was for the style and how they developed such a means of dancing.
The SHHO on Twitter
Reaching in the dark for more information, and with personal contact with members sparse to impossible, I have gone to the official voice of the SHHO here at UK on twitter, though I am unsure on the identity of the moderator, the account can be found here: https://twitter.com/UKSHHO
The twitter page is very sparsely updated and has been quite inactive since the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. Diving into later posts, it is shown that the account was quite active last year. Promotions are constantly made for SHHO events, such as a partnership with Late Night Film Series, another on campus organization, in which they present many documentaries pertinent to the hip-hop scene; One of the featured movies was "The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest", whom are a pioneering group of the hip-hop scene for those unaware. Despite my previous assumptions, the account does do its best to promote local talent with many local rappers having their content retweeted or explicitly linked to. One in particular who I have actually heard of, J Cannon, gets a sizable amount of attention from the account which leads me to wonder if he were a member of the club. Lastly, producers get just as much of a shot with a highlight being placed on producer "Montreux" giving a direct link to his soundcloud account.
The twitter page was quite underwhelming based on what I would have wanted to find. This fall seems to be a terrible time to follow the SHHO as they have been grossly inactive, giving me very little material to work with. I would like to know why there is such a disconnect between how the account was last year compared to its current state, as there were many tweets and events going on around the same time. It would be cool to find out what it takes to get a promotion from the page, whether it's based on merit or pure association with the group and their amble nature.
The twitter page is very sparsely updated and has been quite inactive since the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. Diving into later posts, it is shown that the account was quite active last year. Promotions are constantly made for SHHO events, such as a partnership with Late Night Film Series, another on campus organization, in which they present many documentaries pertinent to the hip-hop scene; One of the featured movies was "The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest", whom are a pioneering group of the hip-hop scene for those unaware. Despite my previous assumptions, the account does do its best to promote local talent with many local rappers having their content retweeted or explicitly linked to. One in particular who I have actually heard of, J Cannon, gets a sizable amount of attention from the account which leads me to wonder if he were a member of the club. Lastly, producers get just as much of a shot with a highlight being placed on producer "Montreux" giving a direct link to his soundcloud account.
The twitter page was quite underwhelming based on what I would have wanted to find. This fall seems to be a terrible time to follow the SHHO as they have been grossly inactive, giving me very little material to work with. I would like to know why there is such a disconnect between how the account was last year compared to its current state, as there were many tweets and events going on around the same time. It would be cool to find out what it takes to get a promotion from the page, whether it's based on merit or pure association with the group and their amble nature.
The Birth of Hip-Hop Culture
Since I am focusing on a group whom's main focus is on promoting hip-hop culture and ideals, I thought it'd be useful to take a look at what exactly that culture is. I stumbled across a web page titled "40 Years On From the Party Where Hip-Hop was Born." on BBC's website, which can be found here: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20130809-the-party-where-hip-hop-was-born.
The article is more of an expose about the role that hip-hop played in facilitating the creative expression and viewpoints of African-American culture. Riding the waves of the 60's where the FBI greatly suppressed radical black groups (BBC), the youth took to rapping and DJ-ing in the place of expressing themselves in the political forum. This new culture of creativity and speaking out against wrong doings through music created an entirely new culture in African-American communities. It is important to note that even today hip-hop is being used, by some, in similar fashion; It is a platform by which vocal artists can express their views, feelings, and opinions on current events and like-wise happenings,
I thought it was an interesting article, albeit lacking a great amount of soul or narrative; That said, BBC and the UK in general are not known for being tightly entrenched in hip-hop nor its culture. I'd like to know why it was thought to be the best means of expressing political opinions instead of using the actual political platform. It was interesting to see the way that hip-hop has evolved however, it does not hold the same esteem as it used to as more "pop" rappers have emerged who's only objectives is to make catchy hits.
The article is more of an expose about the role that hip-hop played in facilitating the creative expression and viewpoints of African-American culture. Riding the waves of the 60's where the FBI greatly suppressed radical black groups (BBC), the youth took to rapping and DJ-ing in the place of expressing themselves in the political forum. This new culture of creativity and speaking out against wrong doings through music created an entirely new culture in African-American communities. It is important to note that even today hip-hop is being used, by some, in similar fashion; It is a platform by which vocal artists can express their views, feelings, and opinions on current events and like-wise happenings,
I thought it was an interesting article, albeit lacking a great amount of soul or narrative; That said, BBC and the UK in general are not known for being tightly entrenched in hip-hop nor its culture. I'd like to know why it was thought to be the best means of expressing political opinions instead of using the actual political platform. It was interesting to see the way that hip-hop has evolved however, it does not hold the same esteem as it used to as more "pop" rappers have emerged who's only objectives is to make catchy hits.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
The SHHO Presents: Michael Malbon
As it is very difficult now to find any written information on SHHO besides what they have posted on their own website, I have resorted to watching one of their documentary-esque videos. This video in particular is a show case on a barber named Michael Malbon from New York, and can be found at this address: http://theshho.com/2013/06/26/michael-malbon/
The video is focused on a barber who plies his trade in New York, and has become a go to barber for many celebrities whether they live in the city or are just passing through for a show. However, his profession is not the central theme of the video, though it constitutes a fair portion of view time, instead the focus falls on him and how he has seen the hip-hop scene change while his time in the city (tenure beginning circa 1990). He relishes the days when Nas and Biggie were the biggest on the block as well as an emerging Jay-Z. When these giants of the game ruled the clubs, the social scene of the city was quite different as well according to Malbon, "You use to be able to walk around, drink a beer on the street, and just have a good time" he says remembering the relaxed attitude however he goes full circle to modern day quickly pointing out that "now it isn't even funny how quick you'd get shut down for that." Interestingly, he defines a divide in the old school hip hop and of that which has taken over the majority of the city. "It's fun, but it's not like it used to be" he sighs, he notices that the scene isn't the same as many of the new rappers are club focused and sell out for hot beats and catchy tunes instead of the classic old school sound coupled with conscious lyrics.
This was an interesting video to watch, as I had no idea that the social climate of the city changed in hand with the hip-hop scene. Overall it was cool to see what kind of people that the SHHO likes to showcase, and what these people bring to the table as insights into rap and hip-hop. I am getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of information online about the organization, it seems that interviews will likely become the only other source of information that I will be able to get a hold of. Ideally, I would like to join the group and make it into a powerhouse at the university, a club you think of with esteem and pride, but that's another conversation. I would also like to include my blog from last Friday as one of my three for this week.
The video is focused on a barber who plies his trade in New York, and has become a go to barber for many celebrities whether they live in the city or are just passing through for a show. However, his profession is not the central theme of the video, though it constitutes a fair portion of view time, instead the focus falls on him and how he has seen the hip-hop scene change while his time in the city (tenure beginning circa 1990). He relishes the days when Nas and Biggie were the biggest on the block as well as an emerging Jay-Z. When these giants of the game ruled the clubs, the social scene of the city was quite different as well according to Malbon, "You use to be able to walk around, drink a beer on the street, and just have a good time" he says remembering the relaxed attitude however he goes full circle to modern day quickly pointing out that "now it isn't even funny how quick you'd get shut down for that." Interestingly, he defines a divide in the old school hip hop and of that which has taken over the majority of the city. "It's fun, but it's not like it used to be" he sighs, he notices that the scene isn't the same as many of the new rappers are club focused and sell out for hot beats and catchy tunes instead of the classic old school sound coupled with conscious lyrics.
This was an interesting video to watch, as I had no idea that the social climate of the city changed in hand with the hip-hop scene. Overall it was cool to see what kind of people that the SHHO likes to showcase, and what these people bring to the table as insights into rap and hip-hop. I am getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of information online about the organization, it seems that interviews will likely become the only other source of information that I will be able to get a hold of. Ideally, I would like to join the group and make it into a powerhouse at the university, a club you think of with esteem and pride, but that's another conversation. I would also like to include my blog from last Friday as one of my three for this week.
Blog Reflection
I thought doing these blogs would be pretty monotonous, however what I've found through my research, notably my most recent work, has been an interesting process. Starting with the arboretum it was particularly frustrating because I found that there was very little information for me to find on the space, and that I would have to grasp at straws just to meet the word limit, let alone the three blogs a week. It was a testament to how research doesn't always turn out how you would like it, but it was good to learn early. After the arboretum I moved around a little bit, branching out to Memorial Coliseum and then Commonwealth stadium. The former is not a space that I would have much interest in doing a documentary on myself, sure it has its interesting bits but it just isn't what I would see as a lively and engaging topic. Commonwealth stadium followed the same pattern, a bit more of an interesting space, yet it lacked an x factor to focus on or highlight. In addition, it turned out to be a very one dimensional space as football is close to the only thing that the stadium caters to. At last, I arrived at The Student Hip-Hop organization. This was by far the most interesting topic I came across. I first heard of it while in my UK 101 class during a discussion about clubs and getting involved. It peaked my interest, and when I went to further research the club it became evident that this would be the topic I wanted to do my documentary on.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Student Hip-Hop Organization
Now that I have cemented my topic I went on over to the official webpage for the Student Hip-Hop Organization. Written by selected authors to maintain the site, the webpage can be found here: http://theshho.com/
The webpage is extensive and reads a lot like Twitter. It is a ticker that details what different chapters of the organization have been doing in relation to interview, activities, concerts and what not. If you take a stroll over to the history section of the website then it opens up the student handbook which is a guide to the conception and the concepts of the organization. Founded by Arnold Yun at VCU in 2006, the organization was created for like minded hip hop heads to go and enjoy the genre, discuss the latest happenings, and generally create a place where people could express themselves. It branched quickly to neighboring Virginia universities like Virginia Tech and even George Mason in Washington DC. The organization does its best to get in touch with rappers big and small and become an active part of the music scene. VCU had a focus on the Virginia hip hop scene in particular, which is quite a flourishing place for young rappers. Much more information could be said about different chapters and activities, however I'll save those for later blog posts.
Overall, it is a very informative page that means to convey the genre attitude and culture of the organization to its audience. I would like to find more information on the UK chapter in particular since I plan on joining, and it would be helpful for creating a connection with the documentary audience. I do wish that the website were a bit more concise rather than the ticker like lay out they have at the moment.
The webpage is extensive and reads a lot like Twitter. It is a ticker that details what different chapters of the organization have been doing in relation to interview, activities, concerts and what not. If you take a stroll over to the history section of the website then it opens up the student handbook which is a guide to the conception and the concepts of the organization. Founded by Arnold Yun at VCU in 2006, the organization was created for like minded hip hop heads to go and enjoy the genre, discuss the latest happenings, and generally create a place where people could express themselves. It branched quickly to neighboring Virginia universities like Virginia Tech and even George Mason in Washington DC. The organization does its best to get in touch with rappers big and small and become an active part of the music scene. VCU had a focus on the Virginia hip hop scene in particular, which is quite a flourishing place for young rappers. Much more information could be said about different chapters and activities, however I'll save those for later blog posts.
Overall, it is a very informative page that means to convey the genre attitude and culture of the organization to its audience. I would like to find more information on the UK chapter in particular since I plan on joining, and it would be helpful for creating a connection with the documentary audience. I do wish that the website were a bit more concise rather than the ticker like lay out they have at the moment.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Willy T. Young Library
In a last ditch effort to find a solid topic, I have come to Willy T. Young library's official page contained within the University of Kentucky catalog of libraries' website. The exact page can be found here: http://libraries.uky.edu/libpage.php?lweb_id=1021&llib_id=14
This webpage gives all the information that one would ever want or need in regards to Willy T. For the sake of typing, I won't list every single thing that the website goes over, however I will hit the most pivotal and interesting sections of the site. One of the biggest draws to Willy T. is manifested in the form of "The Hub". The Hub is located in the basement of the library and is a dedicated study area that hosts IT support, complete with over 200 computers and its own Mac lab. If you go up a couple floors you will find yourself at The Writing Center. The Writing Center is a place for students to go if they need help writing a paper or with any aspect of their writing. Lastly, what is studying if you don't have any food to hold you down? Willie T. offers many snack options in Starbucks and Ovid's Cafe.
Very informative webpage, I received a lot more concise information than I had from other sources about some of my previous topics. I wonder who proposed the building of Willy T. and how it came to become the social and academic center of the university. Who proposed Starbucks and Ovid's? How did the writing center come about; Was it around before the completion of Willy T? I don't know but I guess I'll eventually find out.
This webpage gives all the information that one would ever want or need in regards to Willy T. For the sake of typing, I won't list every single thing that the website goes over, however I will hit the most pivotal and interesting sections of the site. One of the biggest draws to Willy T. is manifested in the form of "The Hub". The Hub is located in the basement of the library and is a dedicated study area that hosts IT support, complete with over 200 computers and its own Mac lab. If you go up a couple floors you will find yourself at The Writing Center. The Writing Center is a place for students to go if they need help writing a paper or with any aspect of their writing. Lastly, what is studying if you don't have any food to hold you down? Willie T. offers many snack options in Starbucks and Ovid's Cafe.
Very informative webpage, I received a lot more concise information than I had from other sources about some of my previous topics. I wonder who proposed the building of Willy T. and how it came to become the social and academic center of the university. Who proposed Starbucks and Ovid's? How did the writing center come about; Was it around before the completion of Willy T? I don't know but I guess I'll eventually find out.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Commonwealth Stadium
In an attempt to find my final subject matter I have looked up the official page for Commonwealth Stadium on the University of Kentucky Athletic Department webpage. The department are the maintainers of the site and the specific page can be found at this address: http://www.ukathletics.com/athletic-dept/commonwealth-stadium.html
The webpage is set up as an informative and quite linear article that outlines the history of Commonwealth and a brief inlet into the role it has had with the football program. Built and opened in 1973, Commonwealth Stadium has been home to the wildcats for 41 years now, seeing them host a, by our standards, impressive 107-95-4 home record. It goes on to talk about how the cats came to get a win in their inaugural game in the stadium, as well as mentioning how many people have been through the gates to watch games since its creation, 12,040,330 and counting.
This source does a very good job of giving you an aesthetic for the stadium, lending you the bare bones knowledge that a passerby may want, yet it fails in the respect of delving deeper into the overall purposes of Commonwealth and what it means to the community. Indeed, it gives numbers on football games which hints towards the amount of traffic that the stadium receives. Now, it is no secret that the football team for the University of Kentucky can be a bit underwhelming, especially in recent years, but the fact that we have come out above .500 winning percentage also links back to the community of the stadium and how such a, supposedly, good atmosphere and crowd can propel even a football team of their likeness to victory. I would like to know what other things Commonwealth has been a venue to, and why it is overlooked as a quality stadium.
The webpage is set up as an informative and quite linear article that outlines the history of Commonwealth and a brief inlet into the role it has had with the football program. Built and opened in 1973, Commonwealth Stadium has been home to the wildcats for 41 years now, seeing them host a, by our standards, impressive 107-95-4 home record. It goes on to talk about how the cats came to get a win in their inaugural game in the stadium, as well as mentioning how many people have been through the gates to watch games since its creation, 12,040,330 and counting.
This source does a very good job of giving you an aesthetic for the stadium, lending you the bare bones knowledge that a passerby may want, yet it fails in the respect of delving deeper into the overall purposes of Commonwealth and what it means to the community. Indeed, it gives numbers on football games which hints towards the amount of traffic that the stadium receives. Now, it is no secret that the football team for the University of Kentucky can be a bit underwhelming, especially in recent years, but the fact that we have come out above .500 winning percentage also links back to the community of the stadium and how such a, supposedly, good atmosphere and crowd can propel even a football team of their likeness to victory. I would like to know what other things Commonwealth has been a venue to, and why it is overlooked as a quality stadium.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Memorial Coliseum
A link to Memorial Coliseum's Wikipedia page will be the subject of today's. As per Wikipedia's design, the author is anonymous (I understand legitimacy issues that can arise with Wikipedia, however I've found that places as mundane as Memorial Coliseum are created by credible, to a degree, source whose sole purpose is to convey informative information) and the page can be found at this address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Coliseum_(University_of_Kentucky)
The page goes to show the many uses that Memorial Coliseum has been given throughout the years. It is home to the women's volleyball, gymnastics, and basketball teams, as well as having a rich history hosting the men's basketball team before the conception of Rupp Arena. Under the surface of the athletic side of the stadium, I found it interesting to find out about whom it was built in memory of. According to the official website for the Coliseum, it was built in memorial to all of the Kentuckians who died during WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Later on, the names of those Kentuckians killed in the Vietnam War were added to the list of those honored. Refocusing on the athletic side of the coliseum, it was witness to the rising prestige of the Kentucky men's basketball program, seeing the team win the national championship in 1951 and 1958. Recently it has been home to some fairly successful women's basketball teams in those of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.
This source gives a good summary of what the Coliseum is home to and what it stands for on a metaphorical level, however it leaves much to be desired as a candidate for a documentary. It might be harsh to go ahead and throw out it out as a possibility, as I could easily delve deeper into the history of the men;s basketball team playing in the building, yet this wouldn't be anything new or breathtaking as there are hundreds of sports documentaries out there in the world, and it doesn't excite me as much as a writer to rehash something that has surely been done an innumerable amount of times.
The page goes to show the many uses that Memorial Coliseum has been given throughout the years. It is home to the women's volleyball, gymnastics, and basketball teams, as well as having a rich history hosting the men's basketball team before the conception of Rupp Arena. Under the surface of the athletic side of the stadium, I found it interesting to find out about whom it was built in memory of. According to the official website for the Coliseum, it was built in memorial to all of the Kentuckians who died during WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. Later on, the names of those Kentuckians killed in the Vietnam War were added to the list of those honored. Refocusing on the athletic side of the coliseum, it was witness to the rising prestige of the Kentucky men's basketball program, seeing the team win the national championship in 1951 and 1958. Recently it has been home to some fairly successful women's basketball teams in those of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014.
This source gives a good summary of what the Coliseum is home to and what it stands for on a metaphorical level, however it leaves much to be desired as a candidate for a documentary. It might be harsh to go ahead and throw out it out as a possibility, as I could easily delve deeper into the history of the men;s basketball team playing in the building, yet this wouldn't be anything new or breathtaking as there are hundreds of sports documentaries out there in the world, and it doesn't excite me as much as a writer to rehash something that has surely been done an innumerable amount of times.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Stress and College Students
Today I came across an article titled “Stress takes Its Toll
on College Students” on the website Bloomberg Businessweek, written by
Francesca Di Meglio. It can be found at this address: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-10/stress-takes-its-toll-on-college-students
Following my inquiry
into the purpose of the arboretum I decided to investigate some sources
regarding the mental health scene of college students. The article points out
that, though not pertinent to my investigation, there has been a steep increase
in the amount of students who seek psychological help whom have serious
psychological problems, from 16% in 2000 to 37% in 2012. Increases in self harm
and eating disorders have been the most prevalent amongst college populations
according to 228 interviewed university counselors. Later on, it is mentioned
that depression and anxiety command the majority of student issues, both of
which can be helped by getting active and outside. However, this article has
seemed to be a dead end. I found a small graph comparing the amount of stress
recorded by students in 1991, the year the arboretum was created, and found
that 1991 actually had the lowest numbers of students whom considered
themselves stressed. I suppose this goes to show that not all questions are in
fact fruitful.
In all, the article provides good insight into what the main
mental ailments of college students are, and how they correlate in comparison
to reported levels of stress. Regardless, this article has been more of a
learning experience in my researching plight than actually useful for its
information. At the very at least, now I know what direction I shouldn’t go in.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The Arboretum
Today I came across the official web page for the University of Kentucky's arboretum which is written and maintained by the university's college of agriculture. The web page can be found at this address: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/arboretum.
The web page is a general information source that details the conception and purpose of the arboretum. Cited as having "began in 1991" the park was created to be a sort of escape for stressed students and inhabitants of the city. The park was joint project created by the University of Kentucky and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. To revisit the point of the arboretum being boasted as a place where "stresses melt away" hints at an underlying frustration that students had very few means to outlet their tensions about classes and college life in general. There was a double incentive for creating the arboretum however, as it also servers the purpose of being a place that "serves as a resource center for environmental, and horticultural education, research and conservation."
The web page gave me a good indicator of what the arboretum is all about as a nature sanctuary, and as a functioning part of the university and general education. I am curious now as to who initiated the proposal, either the university of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and what prompted the proposal in the first place? Was there a call for a stress relieving center? A need for a new research center dedicated to the college of agriculture? I would like to see the cities report on the project.
The web page gave me a good indicator of what the arboretum is all about as a nature sanctuary, and as a functioning part of the university and general education. I am curious now as to who initiated the proposal, either the university of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and what prompted the proposal in the first place? Was there a call for a stress relieving center? A need for a new research center dedicated to the college of agriculture? I would like to see the cities report on the project.
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