Today I got to go on the glass bottom boat ride. They take a boat and put glass at the bottom in the middle so you can see the plant and animal life in the lake. Texas State is one of the only if not the only university that owns its own lake. My university seminar class went all together. While I was walking over to Saltgrass, where they pick us up for the ride, it started raining. It was very cold and windy so the walk was very unpleasant. Once I got to the dock most of my class was there and we all got onto the boat. The boat was fully covered so the wind wasn't so bad. It was about a 30-45 minute ride. We traveled down to the opposite end and back. We saw lots of plant life that took up most of the lake. There were lots of fish and turtles. We saw these tiny cute turtles and they said that these little turtles can spray just like skunks. We also saw a fish with a giraffe pattern skin and a long nose that looks like an alligator. All the things we saw in the lake were interesting and a lot of them are endangered species. In this lake since there are so many endangered species they don't let anyone swim in the lake. The only people who can get into the water are certified scuba divers. I had been thinking about getting certified in scuba diving and now I think I will just to say that I'm one of the few people who can get into the lake.

Valentino's Critique

On September 23, 2009, my roommate and I went to eat at Valentino’s in San Marcos. I had heard the pizza was the best many people had ever had. My roommate is a sophomore so she agreed with many others that it was amazing. As hungry as we were we ordered a large to have leftovers for lunch the next day as well. We ordered a supreme pizza and it was one of the best pizza’s I have ever eaten. It was not filled with grease and sauce. It had a variety of veggies and was hot and fresh. The crust had a little bit of sweet flavor, which gave the pizza its interesting taste. The atmosphere at Valentino’s was also very different and relaxed. Many groups of friends were sharing pizzas and enjoying themselves. The building itself seems as if it has been there forever, and it had a lot of character. The employees are very friendly and funny as well. I will definitely be going back to Valentino’s very soon!

Taylor Francis

Bat Boy

This past Wednesday I went to see the musical Bat Boy. It was so amazing! All of the actors were very talented, especially Bat Boy. The plot line was extremely good, it had a few small twists and one huge one that I never expected! The musical numbers were intriguing and even though the sets and costumes were fairly simple, the actors did a great job of lighting up the stage with their charisma and enthusiasm. The one scene where the costumes were pretty outrageous, however, was when Bat Boy and Shelley were in the woods and all the animals came out and danced with them. That was really entertaining. Also, one thing that amazed me maybe most of all was the artwork on the curtain! Before the show started, there was a hanging mural in front of the stage that was completely hand painted and it looked fantastic. I was blown away by the talent it must have taken to complete that work. Overall, Bat Boy was an amazing show, and I was very impressed by all the hard work that must have gone into it.

-Claudia Giertz

Computer Science Seminar

This past Friday, November 20, 2009 I attended a Computer Science Seminar in the Nueces building. It was titled "Towards a Revolution in Countering Electronic Crime." Dr. Randal Vaughn, from Baylor University, was the speaker for the presentation and a well educated man at that. He went into detail at the approach him and two other colleagues had come up with for the popular tactic of cybercrime. They hope to construct a Research Center that will be able to process and generate a method in dealing with the criminals behind all this. Dr. Randal already had an agenda for all this to go under way, by spring 2010 everything would be in order, as far as funds, partners for the centers, and even locations; then by 2011 the Research centers would be up and running. The whole presentation was rather boring as one might say but it held much interesting and important information the community should be aware of.

-Ryan Howard

Bat Boy: The Musical

On Tuesday, November 12th I attended "Bat Boy; The Musical!" It was amazing. The musical is about a boy who is half bat and half boy. He is abandoned by his parents at birth. The singing, dancing, and acting was flawless. The setting is the present in a small town called Hope Falls, West Virginia. The Bat Boy, otherwise known as Edgar is taught how to talk, write, and become a well-mannered young man. He faces many obstacles in trying to live in the world around him that refuses to accept him because he is different. This musical will make you laugh hysterically and make you cry. I have seen the musical three times, and not because I am a Theatre major, but because it was brilliant. This musical is a must see for everyone!!!

The Black Balloon

On Wednesday November 18, 2009 I attended the showing in LBJ of the movie "The Black Balloon".This was an inspirational movie about a family's struggle to raise their autisitc child/sibling. During the time when the pregnant mother of the house was placed on bed rest by the doctor it took a huge strain on the younger brother Thomas. He found it hard to fit in at his new school due to his brother's health problem. This strain resulted in Thomas saying negative things about his brother and beating him up on one incident. In the end Thomas and Charlie's relationship is strengthed.

The story really touched me because it shows how kids can be very cruel and how it can often lead those who are picked on to drastic measures;in this movie Thomas fights his autistic brother. I really enjoyed the movie although some parts were sad and I recommend it to anyone one who is looking for a touching story.

Ambria Brand

Steven L. Davis: J. Frank Dobie: A Liberated Mind

This afternoon I attended Steven L. Davis's new book J. Frank Dobie: A Liberated Mind. The book is a biography of the life and works of a man who was known for his works about the rich traditions and cultures of rural Texas. Davis opened the presentation with humor regarding the 'commonality' of his name and his acknowledgements to those who helped him write the book. He then went on to describe a number of Dobie's works, influences, friends and enemies that he had throughout his life. He closed the presentation with a few readings from people who admired Dobie for his works. Overall you could see why Dobie's works were so influential to spreading the culture and heritage that Texans pride themselves on.

This past Wednesday, November 18, I attended the showing of The Black Balloon in the LBJ student center teaching theater. It was actually a really pleasant showing; they handed out free sodas and popcorn, kind of corny but cute. The movie was based on a young man, Thomas, and his family that move to a new home and he has to start at a new school, all he wants is to fit in. When his pregnant mother has to take things easy, his father Simon puts him in charge of his autistic older brother Charlie. Thomas, with the help of his new girlfriend Jackie, faces his biggest challenge yet. Charlie's unusual antics take Thomas on an emotional journey that causes his frustrations about his brother to pour out. Majority of the audience were female, and it did somewhat turn out to be a more feminine version of a movie, I think. Certain scenes in the movie were really emotional and just made you appreciate everything so much more. Overall this was probably the most rewarding common experience event.

-Ryan Howard

Veterans Day

Last week, on Wednesday, I got to experience a particular event. Bellow the wrestling horses statue, Texas State held a Veterans day ceremony in the quad. I got to attend the event as a photographer for a Texas State project. Starting off with a whole host of qualified speakers, the event quickly filled up. The flags where flown and people listened quietly as they reflected on the sacrifices veterans have made to keep them safe.

As I took photos with my handy dandy 35, I noticed something peculiar. For the first time in my stay at Texas State have I noticed a group of people feel such strong emotions. As I scanned the audience with my viewfinder, I could see in their faces the genuine feelings and deep thought they held .

Just as this phenomenon reached hold of me, the general came to the podium. I forget his name, but I highly doubt that has any importance. What is important is how this man, this General, spoke. He spoke short and hard, yet had everyone hanging from his every word. I could swear his dark aviators looked into my soul. Speaking of the American revolution, to the fallacies of Vietnam - everyone sat and listened. This was a man with the power to explore the genuine feelings the audience was holding.

Then the planes flew. Flying high above, the jet fighters shook the ground and added the climax to this emotional ceremony. As the ceremony wound down, I found myself thinking, "what did it all mean?" This emotional journey (if I can call it that), truly surprised me. This show of appreciation for the brave soldiers protecting us, may have been just like the thousand others going on across the nation, but for Texas State, and at least for me - this was something spectacular.

Yet, the question still remains : What does it all mean? I looked at the last picture in my roll and it finally clicked.

It means we are darn lucky, to have these brave souls have our backs.

- Edgar

Remember to post

Don't let the end of the semester catch you off guard. You must write at least two blog posts on Common Experience events to receive full credit for this assignment. You may do an extra blog post for extra credit.

Open Door Dance Theatre

Last Friday, October 30th, I went to Evans Auditorium to watch the 25th Anniversary of the Open Door Dance Theatre. This was an important dance event for Texas State because it has been going on for so many years now. Another reason to why this performance was so interesting is the fact that the dance directors for Texas State always perform with their pieces that they have choreographed. Although some people found the dances to be a little far fetch, I found them to be very moving and unique. Having LeAnna Smith as a dance teacher, it was amusing to see her perform. She has such grace that only many years of training can produce. I also have Michelle Nance for a dance teacher and she performed as well. Both Nance and Smith danced beautifully, showing off their ability to execute modern dance. Another cool thing about the show is that a dancer named Louis Kavouras made an appearance. Kavouras is a very skilled dancer that specializes in Hawkins Dance. For those who are not familiar with Hawkins style, it is a very traditional style of dance that focuses on basic movement. All in all the show was a hit! I can’t wait to watch the show again next year and hopefully even perform in a dance piece!

Tim O'Brien

Today I attended a presentation given by the author Tim O'Brien. O'Brien is the author of If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, Going After Cacciato, and ,probably his most notable work, The Things They Carried. He opened up his presentation with a short story about his family. He then began to speak on how important the imagination is to writers and read off several examples of both good and bad ways to grasp the attention of audiences/readers. Throughout the presentation, he tied in several personal examples, and some of these were quite emotional. At the end of his speech, he used another very emotional example that he had used earlier but with a different twist. Overall, you could tell that O'Brien knew how to "get" to the audience by using examples, which I thought, were extremely powerful and real. At times, you could hear his voice tense up when he got to one of these examples and you could feel the audience tense up too. His experience and knowledge is beyond questioning and I think that he would be an interesting teacher to have (every now and then he teaches English here).