I'm gonna be on NATIONAL TV!!

Alright, so here's the deal: ESPN came out a few weeks ago to shoot Longhorn Band playing the Indiana Jones theme to help promote the release of the DVD that I guess is pretty soon. Six other bands were also filmed playing their own rendition of the theme, and we are all competing for the feature spot on ESPN Gameday, our footage to be on the DVD, AND $25,000. And here is where I need YOUR help... Winners are decided based on who gets the most votes. You can vote once a day, so if everyone holds true to that we should be able to win this. Go ahead and watch the other bands if you want, but you will realize very soon that VOTING TEXAS is clearly your best choice :)

http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/indianajones/meetTheBands

Reasons why we are going to win:
1. We got a night-time shooting at DKR... badass.
2. Big Bertha.
3. Our arrangement of the theme is the best.
4. "They Eyes of Texas" is at the very end of the song because we're awesome and super proud that we are Longhorns.
5. Our feature twirler, Alexa, uses FLAMING BATONS.
6. Our trumpets don't frack nearly as many notes as some of the others, most notably USC.

And of course, because that is yours truly at 1:43. Yep. Hello America... my name is Rebecca Chadwell and my hat is too big.

Seriously though, tell your friends and vote every day up to October 11! Hook 'em!!

Do you ever wonder...

... what it's like to be on a field in front of 98,000 screaming football fans wearing burnt orange? Your wait is over.

This didn't last long because I turned my camera on too late. I was going to get the last part of cadence, the entrance through the sealed gates, AND the drumline, but all that I really got was drumline. Maybe I'll try at the next home game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFmYwDK9N5Q (blogspot won't upload the video and it won't let me embed the youtube vid... so there is link)

And this one is unnecessarily long because I wasn't sure exactly how long we'd be waiting in the tunnel. The first week we ran through, last week we waited for like 10 minutes... so I just kept rolling. Sorry about the quality. Number one, it's a camera, not a video camera. Number two, it was really bright, so that combined with a lot of movement kinda freaked the camera out. And number three, it was really really stinking loud. You won't get the full effect, but I figure it can give you a taste of the rush that comes with the intro to a University of Texas football game!

My heart is slowly breaking.

Many of you probably didn't know this because you don't care, but yesterday was the Rangers' last home game for the 2008 season. We won 14-4 in a very fitting, offensively strong showing, but also had a fantastic performance by rookie Matt Harrison. He is one of many reasons to be excited for the upcoming seasons; however, keep in mind that it may not be next season quite yet. The team still has some polishing to do like settling on one solid catcher and narrowing down the very talented outfield, tasks which I'm sure John Hart, Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels, and Ron Washington have already started working on. Which, by the way, what in the world are we going to do with Hank Blalock?! I hate trading him off, but we don't have a spot for him and he is definitely great trading material in trying to find reliable starting pitching. Decisions decisions decisions. 2009 will be better... hopefully more like the Texas Rangers we all witnessed and loved in June and July.

I'm going to miss baseball. I already am. Although, I guess I've had an easy let down. Little by little the Rangers are slowly vanishing from my life this season. I was pretty hardcore for a while, but then I had to leave for Austin where I only get the game if they show it on FSN and decide to go with the Dallas feed instead of the Houston feed. Then I had Hell Week for LHB, where I didn't do anything except bond with my trumpet. Next came some off time, so I could watch games here and there, but it got to where I didn't want to because they had gotten so bad. Yesterday was the last time we'll see The Ballpark in 2008 (and you guys have no idea how freaking badly I wanted to be there). And Sunday afternoon is the final game of the season, that thankfully will be shown on FSN. I guess I gotta find some other team to care about in October... again.
(subnote: Mr. Huston Street did not pitch yesterday. I haven't seen him throw at all this season... how very very sad.)


And now for a few other random things floating through my brain...

I took an Astronomy test on Monday. Wanna know how it went? Let's see... do you know how long a day in Alaska is in comparison to a day in Texas? Yeah, neither did I (and we NEVER learned that. I pay attention and take great notes in that class. It's nowhere to be found).

Apparently an elephant was electrocuted to death at Coney Island as entertainment way back in the day. We watched it in my AMS class.

Tofu=GROSS. I thought I'd give it a shot since the Kinsolving cafeteria has it all the time. Don't ever do that. It tastes like plastic and I couldn't even find it in myself to swallow. ...that's what she said (I'm sorry, I'm sorry.. I typed it and had to complete what half of you guys are undoubtedly thinking).

Season 5 of "The Office" premeires tonight!!! :D I have missed the Jim-Dwight antics.

So I went to a bible study last night with a friend. Not gonna lie, I was kind of skeptical on if I would find a place that I could experience some spiritual guidance, but I left that lecture hall so insanely refreshed I just felt like passing out on the South Mall. I've felt like something has been missing since I've moved down here, but I kinda just chalked it up to not having family around and being in a place that I don't know every nook and cranie nearly as well as I knew Denton's. After going to the hour and half rejuvenation period last night, I immediately knew that I had found a place that I can continue to attend and grow closer to God. One of the best parts was when current students got up and gave personal testimonies about how they are giving complete control to the Lord, acknowledging that He has a plan, and sharing the amazing ways that He is working in their lives. This really struck me because it wasn't an adult pastor or even an upper-20s youth leader looking back at their college years... it was a student just like me, experiencing UT right now, still professing this kind of faith, and committing to whatever God has in store for them. The hall was so alive with God's presence that I found myself reaching up to wipe away a small tear during the praise songs. It was so inspirational, which is something I have been missing for a very long time. I cannot wait until next week.

Going home next weekend. It's the only weekend I have off pretty much the entire first semester and I want to see my dog. And OF COURSE my family :) My full size bed, bigger than 11'5" x 17'9" single room, and carpeted floor are calling my name.

A Message to the Masses.

Dear Students of the University of Texas,

After being with you for all of 3 weeks, I have a few things to say:

1. Learn to walk: As I hope you have noticed, there are busier times around campus when everyone is trying to get to class. This is NOT the time to spread 7 across the entire sidewalk (which, by the way, was built big enough to accommodate large amounts of people, so that's saying something if you are blocking it). If you are a slower walker (which is ok.. really, that doesn't bother me) you should consider walking as close to the grass as possible. Better yet, just be aware of the people around you that would like to move a little quicker. If you are in the center of the sidewalk and get that strange feeling like someone is staring a laser beam right through your skull, someone probably is and that someone is probably me.
2. Learn to ride a bike: Just because your mode of travel has two wheels instead of two feet, that does not mean you are more important. Ok, maybe it does, but you guys really should watch the people around you. I was trying to get to my Kines class at Bellmont yesterday (only 5 minutes late... I'm getting faster, haha) and heard the dreaded my-bike-is-on-coast-because-I'm-going-down-a-hill clicky sound, making me turn around just in time to jump out of the way of an biker. Instead of riding on the emptier side of the shrubbery, you choose to plow through the thick of the student population around Speedway and 24th. You know the spot. Invest in a bell or something... it would help us out. Note to fellow walkers: get out of the way of these inconsiderate bikers. They will not stop and they will run you over like the insignificant piece of foot traffic that you are.
3. Learn to SPEAK!: Holy freaking crap, I had no idea that communication is really this difficult. What could be said in 5 seconds you find a way to drag out to an entire pain-staking minute of awkwardness and word fumbling. Plan what you are going to say before you open your mouth. And I don't mean be ridiculous and prepare every single word, but have at least your first sentence in your mind. I have noticed that many of you hand-raisers have the general concept (actually, I'm being generous... some have the general concept) of what you'd like to share with the class, but I've heard SO many answers/responses that just meander through the brain that is attached to the speaking mouth that I want to smack you across the face. And if you watch the professor you are talking to, they nod their head and try to interject to keep moving, yet you continue to try to make sense and think aloud. Class time would be insanely more efficient if you would just be concise in your thought. Better yet, let someone else speak. I bet they can get the message across without misleading their peers to write random, pointless notes trying to follow your thought pattern.
4. Learn to smell like nothing: Regular body aroma is one thing, but when you use coconut melon shampoo, raspberry conditioner, sweet pea body splash, and vanilla lotion, that is not being nice to those forced to sit next to you for 45 minutes or 75 minutes. If you find that your chair neighbor is leaning away from you, constantly has their hand to their nose, or is sneezing, I may be talking to you. Pick one scent. It's not bad to smell nice, it's bad to have everything that the nose identifies as "girlie" on your body at the same time.
5. Learn this: Yes, everyone is eavesdropping on your conversation in hopes of hearing something to add to the great Facebook group "Overheard at UT." Happy convos!!

If you do not apply to any of these issues, then I love you for making Austin awesome. Thank you for using your brain. And that is sincere, no sarcasm here :)

ESPN comes out tonight for band, meaning it is fringe time. Not sure which I'm going to count as my first fringe experience, though... tonight to sit in the stands and play the Indiana Jones theme or on Saturday when we BTHO Arkansas. Probably the game... sounds way cooler.

Guess what I just wasted an hour doing?

Yep. Could have read about how "landscape in America" is not just a reference to mountains, bison, and city skylines. I'm not even sure why I did this. It started with me simply wanting a good picture of Mr. Street for the background on my laptop. Then it sort of evolved into, "Well, there are too many good ones, so I'll just cheat and use a few". Realization: "Oh wait, I don't have any kind of program that merges pictures. [googliiiiiiiing] Solved." And would ya look at that? 1 hour and 13 minutes later and I have a new desktop collage assured to bring smile upon every face that sees it.

Alright... onward to real work. In 12 hours I will be sitting in my AMS class (which, by the way, I'm not sure what I should call that. AMS class? Some people might not know what that means.. and I don't want to deter them from reading these oh-so-exciting insights into my brain. Alright, then draw it out: American Studies class. Then I'm asked what that is. Oh, it's my writing component. But the title of the actual course also sounds pretty nifty: American Places of Leisure. Right? But that takes too long to both say and write. Ugh... anyway, there you have my internal struggle). I'm expected to have all 16 pages of "Axioms for Reading the Cultural Landscape of America" by 8 tomorrow morning. Early classes can suck it.

Yesterday in my US Hist class, we talked in great lengths about the Mona Lisa and why she smiles, if she is actually smiling, what she is physically hiding behind her, her posture, etc. Many took the intelligent approach and said that she is arrogant because she knows something that we don't. Others believed she is not smiling at all, but more grimacing because she really didn't want to sit that long to be painted (stupid). Then one of our 300+ class's finest raised her orange little hand:

probable sorority girl: "Well, maybe her teeth are just really ugly and she didn't want to show them. I mean, when I had braces I never smiled."
class: "/awkward silence/ ha... ha. yeeeeeah.."

Oh the things you learn to not say at UT.


Done by 11 tomorrow. Can't argue with that.