The Hidden Museum

So my assignment was to go out and cover a free event held at the Johnson County Historical Society Museum. In honor of Black Hisory Month, the museum was displaying several artifacts and pictures from past African-American Iowan athletes. Being a sports guy myself I had to check it out. What I got out of it was much more.

Not only is the museum open and free to the public, it is a great place to come and learn about the history of the Iowa City area, or in otherwords the place we've been calling home for quite some time now.

In the athletic display, frames of legends such as Iowa State footballer Jack Trice, Drake All-American Johnny Bright, and Iowa All-American Duke Slater hung in the cases for all to see and learn a bit about what these athletes contributed to the advancement of the African-American athlete in the early half of the 20th Century.

Aside from the athletic display, which will continue to be shown until February 29th, inside the main room are items, maps, pictures, illustrations, and artifacts from throughout the history of Johnson County. For those history buffs it will definitely pique your interest.

In the next room is a place for historical cars. Automobiles such as the Model-T are on display for those car gazers who can't get enough of checking out classic models. There's something for everyone at the Johnson County Historical Society Museum.

The only way money is involved depends on how generous you are feeling. The museum takes free will donations as a token of appreciation and gratitude for you're visiting their fine institution.

The thing is thousands of people drive by it everyday and probably don't even realize it's there. It's located on 860 Quarry Rd in Coralville. A quick way to get there is to hop on I-80 and take the 1st Avenue exit south. After that turn onto 9th Street down the brickroad towards the fairly new Marriot Hotel and you will see the museum. Here's a quick link to their website if you have any further questions or interests: http://www.jchsiowa.org/.

Daytripping: An Introduction

For those who don't think Iowa is "head and shoulders"

better than Missouri: here's your proof

Ah, this old beautiful state. With it's "Hawkeye State" hat, overalls and bushy moustache, no wonder we make all the other states jealous. Iowa is more than corn and farming though, this state has a lot of neat things to offer if you know where to find them. This is where this blog can be helpful.

Every week, I will try to highlight a different local attraction that is worth visiting whether that be a Library for a President who only spent 11 of his 90 years in Iowa (evidentally that's enough) or a giant wagon wheel sculpture (and you thought there were no more uses for wagon wheels anymore).

So even if you're from out of state (I'm looking at you Chicago suburbians), strap on your overalls, put on your lucky Hawkeye hat, grab your corn stalk and comb your mustache because for once a week were gonna put a little Iowa in you (that's what she said).

Free movie night! Catch it if you can!

What: Aviation-themed Movie
Where: The Alexis Park Inn & Suites, 1165 S. Riverside Drive, Iowa City
When: Tuesday Nights, 7 pm
Cost: Free!

When my friends and I drove up to the Alexis Park Inn & Suites to watch a free aviation-themed movie last week, we weren't sure what to expect. Would there be a bunch of old, woolly aviation buffs crouched around a TV, loathing our non-airplane loving presence? And would the 'movie' be some grainy documentary about an obscure WWII aircraft?

Well, the Steven Spielberg-directed Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo diCaprio, could hardly be considered obscure. And the crowd, though clearly aviation fans, were very welcoming. As soon as we entered the room the owners of the hotel immediately sprung to their feet to introduce themselves. They kindly showed us where to hand out coats and sit. The other attendees (about 10 - a slow night, according to the owners) engaged us in friendly conversation. To my surprise, there was a moderately-stocked snack bar - also free - with Sunchips (yay Sunchips).

All in all, the experience was positive. The chairs were comfortable, the company hospitable. The screen was a hefty 104 inches, and with the surround sound speakers, it definitely felt like a movie theater. And while the topic of aviation isn't exactly my number one (or number 100) interest, I'd definitely come back again for movie night. The movies shown aren't always as appealing to the masses as Catch Me If You Can, (they do in fact, show more obscure aviation-themed movies), but the owners say they want to attract all types of people (including college students) to the movie nights, in order to draw attention to the declining field of aviation. There was a donation basket, and considering the quality of the evening, we left a couple of bucks. But it is entirely optional.

So, if you want to meet some friendly folks and watch a free aviation-themed movie in a theater-style setting, I'd highly recommend movie night at the Alexis.

Upcoming Intramural Events

Hello everyone. Here's a look at the upcoming University of Iowa Intramural events. These events are open to all university students whether you were all-state in high school or closer to what you would consider "athletically challenged". It doesn't matter if you couldn't shoot a basketball or throw a baseball without looking like you were a five-year old throwing with his wrong hand. Students are encouraged to participate in any and all events. And, to get to the point, they are cheap.

The next event upcoming is wiffleball. The deadline for this event is Wednesday, March 5th at 4:00 p.m. so start getting your teams together now if you're interested. It's only $15 per team which if you divide it really isn't that much at all. You can have up to 10 players on the roster while six can be on the field. The tournament, which is single-elimination, will be held Saturday, March 8th through Sunday, March 9th at the Main Gym of the Field House. Games will be played from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

If wiffleball isn't for you then maybe a trio of Intramural contests and games are. Billiards, darts, and Silverstrike bowling will be held at Brother's Bar and Grill. Singles billiards and darts, as well as Silverstrike, will be held on Monday, March 10th, while doubles billiards and darts will be on Tuesday, March 11th. It's only $3 for singles in billiards and darts and Silverstrike, and $5 for doubles. The deadline to sign up for these events is Thursday, March 6th at 4:00 p.m.

For more information and sign-up sheets for any of these Intramural events, go to the UI Rec Services main office located at E216 in the Field House or visit their website at http://www.recserv.uiowa.edu/ and go to "Programs" and click on "Intramurals".

So, if you've got nothing better to in the first few weeks of March and want to spark a fire in your competitive spirit once again, check out these cheap upcoming events put on by the University of Iowa Recreational Services.

Not so cheap, but got my money's worth

Event: Play - The Vagina Monologues
When: February 14-15
Cost: $5 students, $10 adults

In honor of V-Day, UI theater and medical students, the Emma Goldman Clinic, and the V-Day Organization collaborated to perform Eve Ensler's (pictured, right) acclaimed play, The Vagina Monologues. Now, I know that for a blog dedicated to cheap area attractions this event was a bit expensive, but it was for a good cause (the proceeds benefited the Emma Goldman Clinic and the V-Day Campaign) so I couldn't resist. Plus, I'd always wanted to see the play.

Each character was played by either a theater student, a medical student, or an Emma Goldman employee. Although I suspected which actresses were theater students and which weren't, I was very impressed with them all and thought they all performed superbly.

I'd seen parts of the HBO documentary about the play, so I was expecting it to touch on themes of female sexuality with a mixture of humor, poignancy and tragedy. It didn't disappoint. The play began with silly dialog about the taboo nature of the word "vagina" in our society. In one monologue, an actress depicting an elderly Brooklyn-ite spoke of her sexually deprived life and recurring sexual dreams about Burt Reynolds. Another notable character was a young Bosnian woman who spoke metaphorically to describe her brutal rape and the atrocities of war.

From a guy's perspective, my boyfriend said he enjoyed the overall performance. However, he seemed to think the guy sitting next to him was a bit squirmy/uncomfortable at times. But then again, the reactions of the whole audience were uncomfortable at times. Also, the language (and the content, for that matter) would definitely not be appropriate for children.

We were pleasantly surprised that after the play was over, there was a reception with an impressive variety of free drinks (nonalcoholic) and snacks. I must say that for $5, I definitely got my money's worth!

Check out this youtube link if you want to see a performance (NOT from the Iowa City version) that was a highlight. Disclaimer: Sexually explicit content.

Welcome cheapskates city-wide!

In case the title (or subtitle) didn't give it away and the picture of an empty pocket didn't clue you in, this blog is all about things-to-do, events to see and just about everything else for students (and adults too, we don't discriminate) who know how to pinch a penny. So keep your eyes peeled and prepare to save your hard earned money for more important things (probably alcohol).