Free events during Finals Week

Finals week is just around the corner here at the University of Iowa. This means that students are probably spending 8 hours a day getting reacquainted with class books they most likely haven't touched since they bought them in January. Of course some are just simply stressing out about how they are going to manage all the things that need to be done in the next two weeks. I know I am one of those people. But if you ever get a chance to take a break (and it's highly recommended by teachers, doctors, and anyone that's human), here are a couple of events that will help take some of that stress (literally in one case) off your shoulders.

First up, CAB is sponsoring a free massage chair area located at the Chalk Talk Lounge on the ground floor of the IMU. It will be held from May 6th to the 8th from 9 p.m. to midnight. So if you got the time, and you think sitting in a massage chair will help you pass that Calculus and Matrix Algebra for Business exam (it just sounds difficult) then stop on by and help yourself.

At the start of finals week the First Baptist Church will open up its doors and offer free pizza to students. From May 12th to the 13th from 9:30 p.m. to midnight stop on by and enjoy some free pizza. Who knows it may be the only chance you get at free pizza for another 5 months.

Of course if you'd rather pass on the free massage and pizza there's always Hawkeye athletics. The baseball team is closing up the regular season at home against Ohio State in a four-game series starting Thursday, May 15th at 6:00 p.m. Remember all students get in free with their IDs.

Finally, this is the most important part (if you're like me and need to do really well on a final just to pass a class). The library will be open 24 hours a day during finals week. This means that instead of only being able to cram until 2 in the morning 3 days before your final you could potentially spend the next three days in the library and nobody would care. Although an occassional nap is recommended if you are actually planning on partaking in that particular journey.

So just remember that finals week doesn't have to be about studying nonstop. Take a break once in a while and relax and check out some of the free events going on around campus. And good luck to all in these last two weeks.

Daytripping: Famous home edition

This is a story about the home in the background, avert your eyes from the handsome farmer in the front

American Gothic, what can you say? Everyone knows the original, everyone loves the parodies of it. It's an American classic and it's very much Iowan. The painter (Grant Wood), the two subjects of the painting (Wood's sister and dentist) and even the background of the painting all have Iowa origins.

The house with the gothic window on the top floor (thus the name of the painting) still stands in Eldon, Iowa (a little under two hours southwest of Iowa City) and has become a destination for families, couples and individuals who want to make their own art masterpiece.

The home was built in the 1880s and discovered by Wood in 1930, who decided to paint who he imagined lived in the house. Amazingly, neither Wood's sister or his dentist actually modeled in front of the house or even modeled together -- each part of the painting was done separately.

The house was lived in even after the painting became famous before being placed on the National Register in 1974. The house is closed on the inside and the back of the house is not supposed to be visited (there actually is another Gothic window on the backside of the home), but the trip is worth making for the new American Gothic House Center across the street and a chance to be a part of an American and Iowa classic. Just remember to bring your pitchfork.

Music to my ears

What: UI Orchestra Spring Recital
Where: Voxman Music Building
When: April 27, 2008
Cost: Free

Ahhhh, recital season. If there is one thing I will miss after leaving Iowa City, it will be the free recitals given by the UI music school. When else will I have the opportunity to hear free recitals given by world-class musicians in a sparsely occupied auditorium? Last December I attended a free recital given by Volkan Orhon, an assistant professor of double bass at the university, in which other faculty members gathered to play together. Now, I’ve never followed classical music closely, but there is something truly magical about hearing it in person. At Orhon’s concert last year, I was moved to tears.

Given my strong emotional response to Orhon's recital, I was thrilled to attend the Philharmonia Orchestra and All-University String Orchestra spring recital. The recital lasted approximately two hours, with a ten minute intermission. Each orchestra played about an hour each. The more amateur All-University String Orchestra played first, playing adequate Mozart, Bach and Mendelssohn movements. The highlight of the evening, however, was the Philharmonia Orchestra's rendition of a Tchaikovsky concerto - absolutely breathtaking. The Philharmonia Orchestra is comprised of only music majors so the sound is significantly more refined and cohesive. However, for student ensembles they both performed very well.

I strongly suggest attending at least one of the music school's many spring recitals. There is one nearly everyday this month! Even if you aren't into classical music, it is unlikely you will have an opportunity to see this caliber of music for free again. Plus, it's sad how empty the auditorium has been at the performances I have attended. If possible, try to see a faculty concert - those are the true gems.

Tip: Come on time. They lock the doors after the recital begins to prevent disturbing the performances.

Daytripping: Extremely large cookware edition

It may not be the world's largest frying pan (you've won this round, Rose Hill, North Carolina), but I'm sure Brandon (an hour north of Iowa City on I-380) is still proud of being the home to Iowa's largest frying pan.

A number of individuals have asked if I had been to Brandon to see the frying pan and when I was going to write about it (yes, people actually do read my blog posts, nobody is more surprised than me). Evidentially, the frying pan is very popular and why would it not be, its the simple transitive theory: people love breakfast, a lot of breakfast items are cooked on a frying pan, thus people love frying pans. I am no mathematician, but that just adds up. 

According to its Wikipedia page (and we all know that Wikipedia is always 100% accurate), the frying pan was created in 2004 by volunteers in Brandon to promote their cowboy breakfast which uses frying pans over open flames.

The pan is 14 feet 3 inches in total length and from rim to rim 9 feet 3 inches. It also weighs 1,200 pounds, so you know that it probably hasn't been used all that often. If it was used though, it would definitely feed a small army and probably most of Brandon's 311 residents, check these numbers out:

• The frying pan is supposed to hold 88 times more than a regular 10 inch frying pan
  
• The pan would hold 528 (or 44 dozen) eggs
• 352 pork chops
• 88 pounds of bacon
• 440 hamburgers

And people wonder why this country is so obese.

Poker and a Movie

As part of Residence Hall Week, put on by the University of Iowa's organization Associated Resident Halls, students will get a chance to enjoy several fun activities over the next week without having to spend a dime.

On Wednesday, April 23rd at 8 p.m. in the Rienow Hall lounge, the ARH will be putting on a free showing of the hit movie Juno. Juno stars Ellen Page (Kitty Pride in X-Men 3) as the title character; a laid-back teen who discovers she is pregnant after a one-night stand with close friend Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera (Evan in Superbad). Not ready for parenthood at 17, Juno decides to put her unborn child up for adoption and finds a couple who live in the suburbs, a step up from Juno's middle class surrounding. However, as life goes things do not always work out as smoothly as planned. As Juno put it she is "dealing with things way beyond her maturity level."
After having recently seen it for the first time, I thought it was a decent movie. It's not without it's flaws, but I can also see why Juno's Ellen Page won several awards and received an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. If you can't make it to the free showing, I'd recommend that you rent this movie and at least see it once.

On the following evening (Thursday), the ARH is sponsoring its first annual free Texas Hold 'Em tournament in the Burge basement lounge. Play will begin at 7:30 and players will compete at different tables until they have a final table of five players remaining. Those five will at least walk away with some prize in gift certificates. The higher you place the bigger the prize.
Of course, if poker's not your game and you end up getting dragged to the event anyways, there will be door prizes and other mini-games and events going on while the tournament is taking place.

Event 1-
What: Free showing of Juno
When: Wednesday, April 23rd 8 p.m.
Where: Rienow Hall lounge

Event 2-
What: ARH presents first annual Texas Hold 'Em tournament
When: Thursday, April 24th 7:30 p.m.
Where: Burge basement lounge

Spring Madness

A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King.
- Emily Dickinson

Event: Spring
Where: Outside your door
When: Now!
Cost: Free

Ah, spring. It has seemingly arrived in all of it's rainstormy, bird-chirping, bright-greeny goodness. Accordingly, I am in love with the outdoors, the smells of fresh air and sunshine, grass, dirt... life. And lucky me! Iowa City proper is home to 4o parks, giving me many places where I can enjoy the season. I must confess, however, that my favorite park is not inside the city limits, but located approximately 3 1/2 miles north of Iowa City. Which park is this, you ask? Coralville Lake, of course!

I've been coming to Coralville Lake ever since my older sister first started college in Iowa City a decade ago, and have loved it ever since. It is home to many special memories for me - my family has enjoyed picnics, long walks, and even some intense hikes (intense for Iowa, that is) here. My most recent venture out to Coralville Lake was last summer with my parents, so I'm long overdue for a visit.

Camping at Coralville Lake opened for the season on April 15 and the beaches open May 1. Besides camping and swimming, Coralville Lake features hiking, mountain biking, boating, birdwatching and even an amazingly cool Devonian Fossil Gorge - this alone is worth the drive. Most of the these activities are free, including the fossil gorge, swimming at the Sugar Bottom beach and hiking on one of the four trails. You can't lose! I know I'm planning to head out to Coralville Lake for a hike on my next free day! But of course, you don't need a park to enjoy the season - so just get out there!

Daytripping: Captain Kirk Edition

Before Riverside (about 15 miles south of Iowa City on Highway 27) became "that town with the casino" and we heard that annoying B.J. Armstrong on the commercial every ten minutes (did you know that he is a former Iowa Hawkeye and Chicago Bull? Well I sure as hell do since I've heard that commercial 1,396,547 times), it was known for a slightly nerdier reason.

Riverside is the future birthplace (that's right future birthplace) of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. In case you either weren't born earlier or actually have a life, Captain Kirk was the main character in the show "Star Trek" which though only on for three seasons has spawned 10 movies (an 11th is being made), 5 television series and millions of nerds. Captain Kirk also launched the career of William Shatner which is a gift in itself (because without Captain Kirk, Shatner would not be able to do those very hilarious Priceline Negotiator commercials).

Anyhoo, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry claimed in a book that Kirk was born in Iowa, but did not provide a specific town. So Riverside took it on themselves to make Captain Kirk their native son, well actually future native son, anyway you get the idea.

To commemorate their future hometown status, the Riversiders has their own Starship called the U.S.S. Riverside that sits in their city park and has a stone monument that marks where Captain Kirk will be born on March 28, 2228. So if you are a fan of Star Trek or Shatner or you just want to take a small peek before hitting the craps table come see where a space legend will be born.

And may the force be with you ... (god damnit, wrong movie) And live long and prosper.