UIS - The Real Deal

Virginia Tech Hits Home

2007-04-17T22:27:00.000-05:00

Every college student across America was hit with the cold reality of yesterday's tragedy. If you know me, you know that I'm a news junkie, and if you can guess, I was glued to my internet news feed.

What you may not remember is that yesterday was 6 days shy of the anniversary of the Columbine Massacre. I was in high school when that happened, and I still remember the fear of a trench coat mafia walking into our small high school and severely reducing our number. I remember the "experts" on the news blaming video games, lack of religion, and Marilyn Manson.

Yesterday, I wasn't hit by my usual paranoid vulnerability. Today, I was. I don't know Ryan Clark. I never had dinner with him, I never shook his hand, and I never added him as a friend on Facebook. But today, the loss of Ryan Clark hits me very hard.

Most of the people reading this probably don't know that I was a Resident Advisor at U of I at Urbana-Champaign. I was a double major (as well as having a minor), and I was very active in the University community. I was in the band, I was involved with multicultural affairs, and I was heavily involved with music groups. Why is this important?

Ryan Clark was a Resident Advisor, a Band member, and a Triple Major. Ryan Clark was also one of the first victims by Cho Seung-Hui.

The point I'm really trying to bring here is this: Among the 32 dead, I'm sure you can find somebody who mirrors your personality. Do you take French? Do you dance? Do you play guitar? If you did, you have something in common with 3 of the victims of Va Tech. So, when you think, "This couldn't happen to me," just think this: the students who woke up yesterday thought the same thing.

I know what I'm saying is trite or maybe even paranoid, but just take today to reflect. Call home. Call your brother or sisters. Talk to your friends. We only have 3 weeks left before classes end.

We live in a small community, and I'm happy to say I recognize almost all the faces I see here. Be there for your friends, and be there for yourself.

The Green Green Grass

2007-04-02T21:29:00.000-05:00

Hi Kids,

Have you realized that a certain metallic monstrosity has left our quad? I did. By the way, I've been looking for a job, and I have some funny stories for you. Stay tuned for tommorow!

Love,

Suraj

Retire the Prarie Star!!!

2007-02-19T12:39:00.001-06:00

Before I get some hate emails. This is satire. As you may have heard, the symbol of the Fighting Illini, Chief Illiniwek will dance his last dance this Wednesday. As a member of the Illini Alumni, I'll be wearing black and remembering the pride I felt when I saw the Chief represent our school with pride and honor. This is not the place to debate the Chief, so I won't. As a student here today, I have a much bigger fish to fry.

The Prarie Star must go. After a conversation with my good friend in Stellar Cartography, Jeff Skywalker ("Jeff" kindly asked me to keep his name private, so out of respect for him, I changed his name), he told me that the graphic misrepresentation of the Prarie Star is offensive to other stars in our Universe. He's right. He's SO RIGHT. With that said, I decided to take some action and see for myself whether or not this Prarie Star is indeed a safe mascot for UIS.

I only have one picture, and when I saw it... I saw the monstrosity, and my heart cried out for VENGEANCE!

WHY ARE YOU MAKING THE LITTLE GIRLS CRY!!!

UIS, do you want this symbol of fear representing your school? I knew you'd feel the same way, so I decided to come up with alternative logos for our school. Please enjoy.

Exhibit 1: The UIS Tornadoes
Why Tornadoes? Can anybody deny the destructive forces tornadoes represent? Do you not remember the Tornadoes of 2006 that ravaged Springfield?

When I think Tornado, I think "FIND SHELTER! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" When you see your UIS Tornadoes take the court or the soccer field, you will be proud to see them instill fear into the hearts of their opponents.

I sincerely believe that The Tornado is a safe mascot and logo to replace the Prarie Star. Now nobody will be offended AND you get to instill fear.

... WHAT? That's too Offensive? What's wrong with you people? Why can't you be satiated? Fine. Maybe this will work.

EXHIBIT #2: THE UIS PRECIPITATION
Okay, so apparently by calling UIS the "Tornadoes" means that we're being unfair to Rain, Sleet, and Hail. So, I devised a way to appease all those biased towards the weather: The UIS Precipitations.

Rain, Sleet, Snow, Tornadoes, and even Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Monsoons! We make life less safe for everybody!

Think about it, when it's drizzly outside, you think to yourself... I better take my time around all this Precipitation. It's all a Mind Game!!! Imagine what happens when the UIS Precipitation marches in against The Cougars or whatever...

WHAT? Now it's too generic? Man you guys are really testing my patience. Okay, how about this? Yes... This fits Springfield, our beloved hub of politicians to the tee:

Exhibit 3: The UIS Corruption

Why yes, our Land of Lincoln is famous for its corruption and politicians with their own agenda! Why not celebrate our days of political in-fighting by splitting our arena into two sections: The Left Wing and The Right Wing! That way we can all chant: LEFT WING SUCKS! RIGHT WING SUCKS!

Half time can be celebrated with a guy in a police costume chasing down a criminal in a suit... much like Carmen SanDiego!

Brilliant! Yes, this most definitely will work, and I will submit this to our campus leadership!

Okay... Okay... you don't have to tell me. I know that logo will never pass. So, let's find something tame and historic... Something to instill pride... hmm... Springfield... Pride... Oh. I got it.

EXHIBIT 4: The UIS STOVEPIPE HATS

In an effort to appease history, pride, and tradition, I give to you The Fighting Stovepipe Hats!

Lincoln, Springfield's Son, never gave up, and neither will we! We are UIS! We are strong, and we will fight to the bitter end! No matter if we lose, we will not pack it in!

I believe with this last idea that we will have enough logos and mascot ideas to fully represent our school with pride.

I really would appreciate your comments on this, and remember,
GO STOVEPIPE HATS!

Day of Dialogue - A great start.

2007-01-30T13:12:00.000-06:00

Note: During this week and the next, I will post questions related to diversity that I hope you will answer.

Welcome back, UIS! This probably would have been more poignant if I had posted this a week ago, but nonetheless, welcome back! This semester is my last one here at UIS - unless something goes terribly wrong. With that said, I have a lofty agenda ahead of me.

It took me a semester for me to realize the real opportunity I have to share some thoughts with you. In the coming weeks, I will be writing articles that will hopefully be uplifting, motivating, and sometimes... enraging. I want you all to take a read and post - either through Facebook or my blog, and let me know what your thoughts are on certain topics.

The first set of my blogs will be dedicated to diversity - not just the normal melting pot of cultures, but also creeds and lifestyles as well.

This first blog is a retrospective on the Martin Luther King Day of Dialogue that transpired on January 19th. It was quite exciting to see so many fellow students - graduate and undergrad alike - sitting down and discussing issues of how we have come so far from the days of oppression, and how we are so far behind on where we should be on making this country - this state - this city - this university a safer place for all cultures, creeds, and lifestyles.

I feel that this Day of Dialogue is important. However, I feel that the Great Room at LRH should have been filled to the brim with students who wanted to talk and learn about diversity. I know we can't force feed you diversity, it won't take. But imagine sitting down with people of different cultures - cultures you may or may not know anything about - and just discussing your comments or concerns! Learning that people aren't just stereotypes helps us mature and grow in ways that enrich our very lives.

At my circle, I was lucky to have such an amazingly diverse group. Among the group members were two other UIS Bloggers, Shana and Shannon. Just hearing perspectives from everybody at the group made my pulse quicken with excitement. Imagine if we all just aired out our frustrations about perception!

Be honest with me for a minute. Not just because I'm a minority, but I was thinking back on our civil rights era.

Why was there so much oppression? It's preposterous to even imagine something like this happening today, but it is.

Our discussion group came across this answer: People are so in love with the status quo, having something upset their sense of normalcy shakes them to their very core. Is this right? Is this fair? No. Does it happen? Yes. I am appalled that we treat people like second class citizens.

Our country is plagued by stereotypes... the same stereotypes that make people shudder when I walk on an airplane, or some people to lock their doors as their driving when they go into a neighborhood where blacks and other minorities are present. We are plagued by social injustices where we ignore the travesties and tragedies of racial and lifestyle oppression.

We are all human. Why is this so hard to comprehend?

Why can't we hold hands with our Caucasian, African, Latino, Indian, Asian, gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and persevere through life together?

How can our society, our species, advance if we're so caught up in the oppression of people, just because of their color, creed, or lifestyle?

I want to see the eradication of tension between people because of their race, creed, or lifestyle. I want people to just be people.

I want us to be like children playing in a sandbox. I want us to not know what hate is. I want us to accept each other for the content of our character rather than the amount of money in our wallets.

I want us to be able to get a job based on our merits.

I want us to be able to fall in love with whoever want.

I want us to be able to afford quality education rather than being barred because of monetary restrictions.

I am living the American Dream, and I want all of us to feel that we're living it too.

Like Dr. King, I can't just be a dreamer, I have to put actions to words.

Can you?

Stay tuned this week for questions. I want to hear what you have to say. From this point forward, this UIS blog becomes about you.

-S

How to buy textbooks without applying for a loan.

2006-12-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, the Holiday season, time for goodwill and cheer. However, if you were at the UIS bookstore, you saw absolutely none of that this year. While I'm happy that we have such a good bookstore on campus, book prices have always been absurd... since the beginning of time. So absurd, in fact, that before I took classes this semester, I wandered to our bookstore to price some books, and I was in shock to see that 4 books would cost over 600 dollars! I'm a grad student, nay, I'm a full time grad student. I don't have that kind of scratch!

Who does? So, this blog is going to help you buy books without having to end up on the street corner with a coffee cup begging for change. Each option will get more and more ludicrous, so be warned.

1)Start Early- Before you go to the bookstore, either ask your professors or check Blackboard for the required texts for the class. Usually the bookstore will have all the books for your classes before classes start, so get a week's head start. You still may want to check 2 weeks before class starts because this will give you a major head start in pricing books.

2)Do your Recon - That's right, release your inner Harriet-The-Spy (Oh yes I did), and go to the bookstore to see what the prices are for each book. Professors love shiny, pretty new editions. What they fail to grasp is that this costs you a ton of money because there are no used books for that class. I'll get back to the "How to Buy New Books" later, but in the case where your class has USED books, we have a couple of options:

OPTION 1: If the class has used books, and you want to sell it back:
By all means, by the book from the bookstore. The Bookstore does a pretty good job of getting you at most 50% buyback on your used book. Don't ask me why this works this way, but buying a used book and turning it in actually gets you more money than selling back a new book you bought from the same book store.

This makes as much sense to me as installing screen-doors on submarines. (For the wit-deficient, it means it doesn't make any sense at all).

OPTION 2: If the class has used books, price the book to see if the price is reasonable.
If the price is reasonable, then go back to option 1. Otherwise, stay tuned for the other options... we're going to use this magical tool called... THE INTERNET.

Why yes! The Internet!

Buying New Books or Buying Used Books over the Internet

Going to websites such as half.com or even just searching manufacturer's websites you will either find the latest copy of the book or an International version. Make sure you know the exact name of the book, the ISBN, and the authors.

In the case where you see a cheaper earlier edition, ask the professor how much is lost if you revert one issue. If the only thing different is homework assignments, you may do well mooching off one of your friends shinier copies for a quick Xerox.

Ask your professors if going to an earlier version is a huge problem, chances are that it really isn't... unless you're dealing with modern science or perhaps History, but in the case of Math, Chemistry, and Bio, you're pretty okay. Or even all the books you need for Business Administration.

Don't just sit back and take outrageous book prices... there is usually a way out! If you know of ways, let me know too!

Hope you're enjoying your holiday break!

A Very Special Charlie Brown Christmas.

2006-11-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

I know all the Christmas Specials are coming down, but when I saw this, I couldn't stop laughing. It's old, but it's my favorite for two reasons:
1) Who doesn't love Peanuts?
2) Who doesn't love Outkast?

Giving Thanks (an Impromptu Poem)

2006-11-25T10:14:00.000-06:00

Being a special vacation holiday, I have decided to stray from my normal prosaic fashion and attempt a special Thanksgiving poem that will pay homage for the things that make me happy.

A Thanksgiving Break Ode

Here's to our family
Here's to our friends
Here's to the Black Friday Checkout Lines
That never seem to end.

Here's to the stuffing and cranberries
Here's the gravy being extra murky
Here's to green beans and sweet potatoes
And a just-perfect Turkey

Here's to the X-Box 360
And the Nintendo Wii
Here's to the rich punks who can afford
A Playstation 3

Better yet, here's to the discounts
For the Playstation 2
Here's to the parents buying these games
Who don't have a clue. (WHY WOULD YOU BUY PIMP MY RIDE: THE GAME?)

Here's to golfing!
In the 70 degree Thanksgiving Weather
Here's to all our ill friends,
May they get better.

Here's to decorating your rooftops
With Holiday Lights
Here's to sense of accomplishment
When they're put up right.

Here's to football
With our butts firmly seated
Here's to the Rams and the Bears!
(And next year the Illini will be UN-DE-FEAT-ED)

Now winter's approaching
So break out your heavy coats
Say hello to hot chocolate or coffee
To prevent the sore throats

Be thankful for those of us here
And for those you are thinking of
Here's to you and Thanksgiving
And here's to all of those we love.

Autumn Splendor: Rediscovering Allerton

2006-11-16T01:58:00.000-06:00

Monticello, Illinois

Sometimes I really believe that this year is moving way too fast. I believe those of us about to graduate feel either relieved or stressed that in a semester we'll be turning tassels and flipping hats. But until then, let's try to enjoy the time we have here.

They say until a person is immersed in nature, they can never fully understand themselves. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, the skies were exceptionally bright. Perfect for an adventure some might say.

With that in mind, Chelsea and I hopped into the car and we headed due east towards Champaign... but that was not our first destination. Along 72 East, there is a small town named Monticello, and if you turn in, you'll find some brown signs for University of Illinois: Allerton Park.

Aside to some readers:
Now for those of you who know what Allerton, keep on reading anyways... you should most definitely post your feelings about this place (and if it means anything to you).

I haven't been to Allerton in a while, most certainly my footsteps were long erased long ago, but still, when we started our journey, it became something more than just an immersion in nature... it became an immersion of self-discovery.

Pathways at Allerton

The existing of Allerton Park is somewhat of a whimsical and simultaneously riveting story, but this is not the story I want to tell you. I encourage you to learn more about it... what I'm here to talk to you about is witnessing Autumn in all of its magnificent splendor.

Allerton, to me, is the amazing mixture of cultures coexisting in one self-contained world. Jubilant Chinese statues celebrating the love of music, Greek monuments, shrines to Buddha, and a terrifyingly amazing tribute to the death of Earth's last Centaur.

These musicians greet you as you enter the Sunken Garden

As you first enter Allerton at the parking lots, you will see a mansion and a pathway to ornately sculpted foliage. So delicately and deliberately sculpted - these maze gardens and wall hedges lead you to a pathway designed for the glory of Fall. Passing by the Chinese musician statues, I could close my eyes and imagine myself hearing their invigorating fanfare.

The sculptures paled in comparison to what we saw next. Miles of trees... not groves - groves are sculpted. Trees interspersed to grow at their own whim, to be the homes of squirrels, leaves... As the crisp breeze blew, you saw the trees dance ever so slightly, bending, yet standing firm in its majestic stance. "We should take lessons from trees. Look at them, so tall and sturdy, yet they bend slightly when the wind touches them," said Chelsea.

She was most definitely right. As we traversed the leaf-strewn pathways, I fondly remembered the transformation of what Allerton did to me. Imagine the revitalization of your very existence. Close your eyes and all you hear is the soft rustling of the newly fallen leaves as they find new resting places in the slightly damp path.

Chelsea and I at the Centaur monument

Pay homage to the sculptures and statues thrown intermittently between miles of pathway. Take a minute to lie on your back and stare towards the endless sky. In the case where you are taking your life just a little too seriously, just sit back and enjoy the amazing renaissance you will discover by letting nature take you over just as it had taken Allerton over.

Salutations (and farewell) to another beautiful day

If you took the same pathway as we did, you will find the entrance to this large grass circle, and in the middle is this celebratory man with his hands raised, trying to put the magnificent sun within his grasp. It was 4:00 PM, and the sun was just over his hands, and as luck would have it, we were able to capture just a small moment - and pay homage to the Sun Singer.

Please believe me when I say that pictures do not do Allerton justice. I was hesitant to even put pictures up, but I implore you to go there and enjoy what you see. Let me know!

Until we meet again,

Suraj

This Post comes 13 Years too Late

2006-11-06T03:15:00.000-06:00

Please bear with me on this post because frankly, it's 3:00 in the morning, and sleeping is the furthest thought from my mind right now. What caused my insomnia? If I told you Captain Planet and the Planeteers, would you believe me? Well, partially. Do you remember that cartoon from the early 90's? I know a couple of residents at LRH who will make me feel really old by telling me they were 2 or 3 when it came out in 1990.

*Shudder*

Even then, it was in syndication for the longest time... and now, my memories come back to haunt me. I can deal with the love interest between Linka and Wheeler. I enjoyed how Gi and Kwame were always so gung-ho and goal oriented. My nightmares revolve around the fifth Planeteer... and his USELESS power.

Ma-Ti. As the image from Wikipedia says, he's the youngest Planeteer who knows a load about the Rainforest. This means that he's good for maybe 2 episodes.

Actually, I have no problem with Ma-Ti, just his power and the justification for such. Wheeler gets to Burn things! Linka can hit you with a gale force gust of wind! Kwamee can stone you! Gi could lead you to a watery grave!!!

What is Ma-Ti going to do? Make you feel bad?

This is why Gaia didn't give me his ring. I would have definitely made the show a lot more interesting. Actually, don't you think it's bad giving a pre-pubescent kid this power? What happens when Ma-Ti has his first crush?

That would have made the show a lot more interesting. Now don't get me wrong, I love the message Captain Planet sends to the kids... and the world! Recycle! Make the world a greener place to live! Drive Geo-Metro's! Hey... wait...

The Power of Heart. I would have HATED to be in that boardroom while they were sitting down discussing the powers of the Planeteers: Let's see how it would go:

BOSS: Okay team, let's hear it, what should we do for these "magic eco-rings?"
Guy 1: We need the elementals! Earth, Wind, Fire, Water!
Guy 2: Yeah That sounds good, but we need a 5th one. That Voltron has the market cornered on 5 people making a super hero.
Guy 3: Well... what should the 5th power be?
---Silence----
BOSS: How about the power of Heart!
Guy 1,2,3: YES! You're a genius, sir!
BOSS: Thank you, you may keep your jobs.

You gotta be kidding me.

Not to make the kid even more lonely, they gave him a blinkin' monkey! My folks are from South America, they didn't have a monkey following them around. I call shenanigans. This is a travesty.

Well, this post took me 30 minutes to write, and frankly... I think it was worth it.

No Clip of the Day Post - I want you to think about this.

Give me a real use for Ma-Ti's power... I'll dedicate my next blog to the person who does that.

Good night/morning.

Reunited and it feels so Good! (Halloween Story Concluded)

2006-11-01T16:16:00.000-06:00

I just want to say, "thank you" to those of you who expressed your concern. Ghostnapping is a very real threat, and being a vigilant blogger, it is my duty to inform you of the gross travesty.
For those you concerned, my kidnapper and I came to terms, and I got my baby back.

Suraj & Ghost FOREVER! (at least until Halloween is over)

I will resume my normal blogging tommorow :-) I hope you all learned a valuable lesson.

It is NOT NICE TO KIDNAP GHOSTS.

Bring Back My Ghost!!! - A Halloween Story

2006-10-31T13:15:00.000-06:00

It was a warm night for October... unusually warm one might say. The streetlights illuminated the parking lots at UIS as nightfall approached, and it was eerie... too eerie to imagine on the eve of Halloween. It was quiet... almost too quiet. I looked forward to getting back to my place and plugging in my awesome Halloween Ghost.

As I returned home after a long night of ... we'll just say studying, I see this strange orange glow eminating from my apartment porch. My pulse quickened, I peered left and right looking to see what was happening.
And then I saw it. This is ridiculous! Somebody has kidnapped the Spirit of Halloween and replaced it with this glowing Jack-O-Lantern! I was distraught! And much to my dismay... things got significantly worse.

Exhibit 1: The Ransom Note

This wasn't a hoax... a joke anymore... my poor Ghost was Ghostnapped!!! I did indeed sleep with one eye open. My sleep was restless. I didn't know what to do! Thoughts of the times my Ghost and I spent together went through my tortured mind: frolicking through the parking lots, illuminating my porch, and the deep conversations through many cups of hot cider.

I couldn't believe it.

WHY

WHY!!!!

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Here's the story.

I'll do whatever it takes... just bring my ghost back to me. Please. She's done you no wrong, and I miss her. If you see my ghost... tell her I miss her. Tell her that I'm fighting for her.

To My Kidnapper:
The authorities have not been contacted... just meet me outside... high midnight, under the crescent moon. We'll make this work.

Making a Difference, One Cup at a Time

2006-10-30T00:55:00.000-06:00

Behind every creative idea lies a creative mind. In this case, there were many creative minds putting their collected ingenuity together to create an event that would bring UIS students together as well as spreading a message that needed to be heard. Thanks to people like Ashley Rook, Vera Leopold, Nicole Cudiamat and Justin Sams, SAGE and USAS made my day with just two beautiful words:

Coffee. Pong.

Oh, look how quiet and peaceful these cups look.
Soon... soon, many students will disrupt this tender peace.

Coffee Pong? How genius is this? My friends, it's brilliant. Using Fair Trade Coffee, the folks at USAS (Students against Sweatshops) and SAGE (Students for a Greener Earth) helped to get students together to understand the benefits of fair trade. I'm going to supplemental post here later with more information, so just read under this post.

But in the meanwhile, students from every year - undergrad and grad alike, came out in full force to put their Coffee Pong skills to the test. With teams named "Team Awesome" and "The Indo-Semitic All-Stars," you can only expect the best in this outstanding tournament.

Freshman Luke Runyon wills a ball into a cup

I decide to show these kids how a real team plays.

When Grad Students Attack...

Julian showing some mad Pong skills

With hosts like these, who DOESN'T Love Fair Trade?

And, if I left anybody off who deserves the credit for this event, please let me know... you guys did an awesome job. Even though Noah and I didn't make it to the finals, we learned something very important.

Heroes are made... one cup at a time.

I don't feel right about this. I don't.
Just here.

I'm sorry.

The Stress, The Stress!

2006-10-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't written in a couple of weeks, and I'm sorry about that! As you know, Midterms are rolling by and undergrad students and grad students a like are putting their noses to the grindstones.

I find this tool useful

I will be posting a TON of pictures and stories after this week, so stay tuned!

Suraj

High Fives All Around!

2006-10-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Thank You for your help!! By helping me win the second competition, I will make good on my promise, and I will be distributing the High Fives on Campus at the following hours:

Monday - Thursday: 8:30 - Noon, 6:00 - 8:30... or by appointment.

The Facebook Pokes will also be distributed during the week.

It's not over yet!!! There is one more competition where I'll need your help!

The "Suraj Thumbs Up Picture" will be ready to go this week.

So, mass props to you, my awesome readers!

Peace out!
Suraj

Vote For Me! Daddy needs a new Laptop

2006-10-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

Hi there!
I should be talking about the SGA Elections, but I have a contest that needs your vote :-)
The Career Services department is throwing a contest called Career Pursuit. This contest is the fashion show contest, and I need your vote!

That's right, I'm in the CareerPursuit Contest!

So, if you haven't voted for Gretchen or Demetrius already, Drop a vote for your Buddy Suraj!

Why You should vote for Suraj

I look good in a suit.
Okay, seriously... I look great in a suit.
The further I get into the contest, the better chance I get to trying out my dream job!
I really, really need a job after school gets out.
If you vote for me and let me know, you'll get

Your very own "Poke" on Facebook! (You must be on Facebook)
A Picture of Suraj giving you the "Thumbs Up" Sign
A Guaranteed High Five! That's right, I will give you a High Five.

So, I'll actually post a legitimate blog later on about the Bonfire on Wednesday or Thursday, but until then

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ME! (Go to the bottom of the website, and thank you!)

Thanks

Suraj

Wake me up before September Ends

2006-09-29T20:49:00.000-05:00

Did you like how I changed that up? You did, didn't you? You see, that's why I like you. No, I haven't gone insane... I'm just in a great mood. Ever since I was a kid, I have to say that September is my favorite month of the year.

Kickapoo State Park - right when the leaves start to change.

Now, because we live in the middle of cornfields, we don't get to witness the leaves changing in dramatic form... but if you take a drive on 55 south to 255 south, you get to see the beginning of the Bluffs. In about 2 weeks, a wall of trees, several miles long will start to show their fall colors - as most deciduous trees do.

So, it looks like we have a great weekend - one of the last good warm ones of the year! I'll be on the golf course tomorrow - I know, life's tough!

I'll be back Monday or Tuesday with another post.

If you haven't seen Weird Al's cover of Cha-Millionaire's Riding Dirty...

Click HERE.

Do it. Do IT NOW.

Recording at 6200

2006-09-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you wonder where today's famous artists got their start. Well, it's something I wonder about. Some people get their lucky break - like Carrie Underwood on American Idol... Others get "Discovered" like Boys II Men on a street corner in Philly. Some people have a famous dad like Jacob Dylan and Bob Dylan. Some people just get lucky - David Gray, an Irish troubador.

So, if you ever Facebook stalked me - or read my profile here on Blogger, you will find out that I love music. I love writing music, and while I'm no prodigy, I do find some release in it.

I started writing music at the age of 15... most of the songs were instrumental. I wasn't very good at putting lyrics to piano quite then. Also, during the late 90's there wasn't much of a solo piano singer popularity basis on the radio. Today we have Five for Fighting, Ben Folds, and The Fray.

So this leads to the Recording Sessions at 6200. I have recently learned how to play about 10 chords on the guitar, so this automatically makes me an honorary pop artist. But, thanks to a good friend from my undergrad days, Jesse Rathgeber, I have had a resurgence in my creative thoughts.

Earlier this semester, Jesse stopped by with his guitars and recording system, and we plugged it into my MacBook Pro.

Now, later on this week or early next, I'm going to post some of our works, but Jesse has one of those minds that make you marvel at the creativity that he posesses.

Jesse has the qualities of a modern day troubador. He has the ability to evoke thought into his lyrics, and what makes it even more amazing is that he has the outstanding talent to make the listener really contemplate what he's saying in his lyrics. But from a thousand mile view, he can really make a song sound amazing.

If you look at the picture above, you'll see the first glimpses of my apartment... mind you it was cluttered with all sorts of wires and microphones. You see Jesse to the left, the 8 track Alesis system attached to my MacBook Pro. You'll also notice a set of Tablas in the background. Currently we're working on a hybrid of American melodies with Indian rhythms. So far it sounds really good.

The one hard part of doing track recording is that you have to do one instrument at a time to get a really clean sound. From now on, when I say clean, I mean absent of white noise or other background noises.

Take a look at the picture at the right. Jesse has a series of microphones directly focused at the guitar.

Unless you're a perfectly trained musician, you usally will re-record a track 3 or 4 times until you get it completely right.

The songs that I've been recording recently have been taking more than 3 or 4 retries, but you get the idea.

So, usually, the final stage of recording is vocals. Doing vocals last is probably the best idea because of the constant re-recordings you have to do to ensure that you got everything completely right.

If you watch American Idol, you'll hear Randy, Simon, and Paula say, "You're pitchy, you're flat, you're sharp." And when you're recording, you are the most conscious about it. You can hear every little tweak and wrong note. It is most definitely an excercise in frustration, but through a lot of perseverance, you can really come through and put together a really great song.

Recently, I started recording a couple of songs that I've been working on for a couple of weeks. Passing the MP3's around the UIS community, I found some interest from some of the folk there who wanted to have their shot at recording. Since my studio is very easy to set up, I said why not!

A couple of friends from the UIS Choir, Sarah Quigley and Katie Salter, stopped by and did some harmony recording on my song "Forever I Do."

The song is still in pre-production... meaning I'm too embarrassed at my own voice right now to send it out online, but you can always drop me an email if you want to hear it.

Sarah Wiesner stopped by and recorded a track on another song I'm writing for a friend's wedding, and she's been nailing the part, so when that track's good and ready, I'll post it up too!

I'm sure you're wondering where's my picture, but I didn't have the foresight to ask someone to take a picture of me recording... but rumor has it that I have to make a VLog... yes a Video Blog, so you'll get to see it then.

So, until next time, I really hope you enjoyed reading this crazy long blog - and if you have some sort of musical instrument or vocal talent you'd like to share, drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you!

If you have a copy of iTunes, click here to download Jesse Rathgeber's awesome song, "No, You're Right"

Sometimes, you get some heroes in a last minute basketball long shot. In this clip, I'm afraid... you don't.

So, Click here to check it out!

Robert Bly is coming to UIS!

2006-09-18T13:43:00.000-05:00

The one nice thing about going to a good university is the chance to meet legendary people. If you get the chance, I strongly encourage you to go and see the brilliant Poet, Robert Bly!

To see a sample of his poems, click here!

Be there!

Suraj

She's just a small town girl... living in a lonely world

2006-09-18T01:12:00.000-05:00

You're wondering, why did I start this post off with some Journey? Several reasons, actually - and I'll get into every single one. The most important reason that I did that was because I found out how old I was last week when a girl said, "Who's Journey?"

I don't think I've ever felt older. Ever.

With that said, last week was a great week. I purposely didn't post anything last week because I was getting a ton of responses on the 9/11 post. Once again, I thank you for your stories and support. There a LOT of good stories in there - so if you haven't read my blog yet - GET TO IT!

As classes wind into full swing, the MBA students were busy with homework or trying to figure out what the homework was!

Wednesday was the Grad Student Fair - an expo where UIS students could see what UIS could offer for higher education.

Brad Weber, a student in the POS department was looking for opporunities in the GPSI program.

In case you missed the fair, there were a ton of resources for you see - all in one place. Don't worry though, if you go to the Grad Student Section of the UIS website, you can find all the info you need.

I know that my readers on the website ask, "Hey Suraj! We never see you in PAC!" How wrong you are! If you were there at the fair Wednesday, you might have gotten a handshake and a "MBA Chocolate Bar!"

Why yes, an MBA can change your life! Have a candy bar.

The Grad Fair could have had better attendance, but I think that once the year progresses, a lot of students are going to get some interest about how great the Grad programs are here. Why else would I get my MBA here? If you were thinking about your MBA, drop me a line, and I'll gladly talk to you about it.

So, it was Wednesday night, and a group of us MBA students decided to go into town for the evening to catch up on things from class and our lives.

MBA's relaxing for the evening

What I love about the MBA program is that there are so many students with a lot of various experiences. Some came right out of school, others worked a couple of years. One student joined the Armed Forces, and some decided to come back to school after years of experience. We usually get a lot of people out on Wednesdays, and it's a great time!

This will be on the cover for UIS Grad Students in 2007.
(probably not)

So, there was a great cover band there, so they asked the crowd if anybody would sing. This is where the Journey story comes back into play. Next week, I'll sing "Your Love," from Jesse and the Outfield, but for now, I got up and sang "Don't Stop Believin'"

"Streetlights... People... Whoooooooooooa"

Well, that's it for now - but this week we're going to talk about Where To Park on Campus.

But now, it's time for:

Now, I've made you listen to Chacarron, by El Mudo...
I've made you listen to a song by David Hasselhoff...
But now...

I'm not going to do any of that...
I was watching this Burger King Commerical with Drew Rosenhaus, and the ending cracked me up. From now on, if you ever see me point to my eyes, this is where I got it from.

Next Question

Until Next time, Stay Classy, UIS!

A Quick Thanks

2006-09-12T09:40:00.000-05:00

I just want to say, the comments that I received yesterday on yesterday's blog was great. If you haven't gotten a chance to read them, I encourage you to read some of the stories left from the students, former, current, and those from different campuses. My cousin, Tosh, from New York, recounted the events that transpired. If you don't have a connection to anyone from New York, take a read on her comments.

I didn't realize that so many people read my blog, but I had people stop me at UHall, at the UIS Gym, and even on the Quad! Now that I know that I have a good readership basis, I'm going to keep it up!

I'll get something worthwhile up for you on Wednesday - I'm trying to update this blog around 2 or 3 times a week. If you don't see one, holler at me anyway you can.

So, like I said earlier, if you haven't read some of the Student memories of 9/11, please go to the comment section of the last post (Or just click here). It's located below my post in case you can't find it.

Thanks again!

September 11th, Retrospective.

2006-09-06T18:37:00.000-05:00

I just want to let you know, that this post is something different. With 5th Anniversary of 9/11 upon us, I would like you to share your memories with me about the tragedy that shook our nation, and how that same tragedy brought us closer together as a nation.

9/11/2001 8:30 AM - Urbana, IL
I remember waking up in my dorm room, groggy, but awake. As a kid, I have always loved the month of September, not because of classes, but the weather. Every day would be a wonderful day to be outside - not quite hot, not quite cold. As was my morning routine, I turned on the TV to the "Today" show as I got ready for my CS 257 class. I was going to be late... again.

As I turned on the TV, I saw the "Special Report" bulletin flashing all over the screen, and so I sat down to watch and see what was happening. Laughing to myself, I thought it was a kitten stuck up a tree - because that's how the media was, making a big deal out of nothing.

This time, however, I wish it was just a kitten up a tree. On TV, I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center as they were speculating whether the first plane against the building was an accident. The sinking feeling in my stomach reinforced what I was thinking: No accident could ever have been that blatant. About 4 million thoughts went through my mind, and 3 million went towards my family - the majority of them lived in New York City and its surrounding burroughs.

As I tried to make a call over there - to a cell phone or a land line, I got the "All lines are currently busy" message from my cell provider. I could only imagine the chaos going on over there to my family in the Bushwick region of Brooklyn. When I talk to them today, they sat back and remembered the chaos, the worry, but thankfully they were safe.

If one word could describe how I felt, that word would be "Surreal." I was in the middle of a cornfield, and 1800 miles away, there was chaos.

The weather outside couldn't have been more perfect. The skies were a deep blue with bright white clouds, and it was about 75 degrees... in my imagination, a day like 9/11 would have been significantly more hellish. But when I looked on TV in New York, the skies were the same blue, but there was a blot - a massive amount of smoke and rubble rising towards the heavens.

This picture was ingrained in my mind

People were filing out of Manhattan, walking on the bridges en masse, it was something straight out of a movie. Everything felt like a bad dream that would just go away, but I know that the cold reality was that our lives, all of our lives would change in a very different way.

I was a resident advisor at the Florida Avenue Residence Hall in Urbana, and they jokingly called our buildings the Twin Towers. Living on the 11th floor, I felt somewhat unsafe - and I know that was silly, but the safe secure world we lived in was turned upside down. I started to wonder of the well-being of my residents - I had one from New Jersey, and one from Egypt. I worried for both of them - my guy from New Jersey had family who worked in Manhattan, and I was worried about Ahmed because of potential retaliation because of the terrorists in mind. While I knew that we wouldn't have the same issues as interment camps back during WWII, I knew there would be backlash against Islamic people - I expected the worst, but hoped for the best. I was pleasantly surprised. Students at the University acted in swift motions to embrace students of Islamic faith and also those who may be misconstrued as a "Terrorist." In the next days, we held round-table meetings, open discussions trying to educate those who wanted to learn more about the cultures of the world.

From that day forth, I was watching MSNBC and FOX News non stop, my mind was just transfixed on how the US would act. Still very much in shock to the loss of life, I started focusing on what was important in my life. I remember Ground Zero and how it looked the day after all the smoke cleared.

Remains of Tower 2

So, what's the purpose of this post? REMEMBER. It's so easy to lose perspective after 5 years but don't. While most of us here didn't have anybody remotely connected to the tragedy at 9/11, just spend a moment today and think about the lives lost and how our nation put differences aside to come together. Sending flowers, memorials, prayers, and a constant flow of love healed wide open wounds. People living in fear could smile again. That ability to come together is what makes this country the greatest country in the world.

5 Years later, it doesn't feel like the end of the world anymore, life has returned to some semblance of normal. Mind you, we have higher gas prices, a Department of Homeland Security, and our Armed Services overseas helping establish democracy in countries that somehow forgot what it was like to live with the freedom and liberties we enjoy. So today, my my thoughts and prayers are for those whose lives changed that fateful day - the families of those who died, the survivors, the brave First Responders who risked their lives to save others, and our Armed Forces and their families.

I will close with this link of a tribute video of the events of 9/11.

Beacons of Hope

So, if you have a chance, and I hope that you do - please drop me a comment - let me know what you were doing on 9/11. I believe that remembering brings us closer together.

Thank You,

Suraj

When Facebook Changed Our Lives - A Rant

2006-09-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

When I woke up Tuesday morning, I had no clue that life as I knew it would change. I'm a simple guy, wake up, watch some ESPN, check my email, read some news, and check my Facebook! Good old trusty Facebook. A way to connect with my old classmates at UIUC and my new friends here at UIS! I can get Wall Posts - basically a post all my friends can see when they look at my site, private messages, like Emails, and the occasional poke!

Then... everything changed.

While it's true that we live in a society dependent on information, and while we occasionally troll facebook to see if that girl we crushed on is single yet, we didn't expect that Facebook would do all that work for us!

Is it a case of "Big Brother?" Or is it a new Innovation?

Facebook completely overhauled it's front page, greeting its logged in users with the goings on of their friends. While it's cool to keep up with what your friends are doing, I usually recommend that you call them to see what's up.

Yesterday, 2 of my friends got into relationships, 1 broke up, and tons joined a new Facebook Group saying "I'm Scared of the New Facebook!" Yes, it appears that "Big Brother" is after us, but is it really that bad?

What the new Facebook looks like

"Yes! Facebook has now added another way for people to stalk us!" - H.G.

"No! People are already posting their likes/interests and whatnot on the site, Facebook just found a way to have a competitive advantage over "MySpace!" - K.W.

"It really invades my privacy" J.J.

"What if I don't want people to find out that I added "Juggling" as one of my favorite activities" R.B.

Wait, Juggling? Really?

I'll stop there, but as you can see, it really is a concern among most students! But is Facebook really infringing on our privacy? Facebook does allow privacy settings to allow people what others can see or not see. In a way, what I'm saying is, that while change is good, informing students about a new change in the software might have been better for facebook without all the backlash of just updating without informing.

My 2 Cents
Like I said earlier, I really don't want to find out whether Susie and Jimmy have decided to end a relationship! I honestly think while it's information overload, that people are eventually going to come around to the new look of Facebook. Either that, or Facebook is going to have to succumb to the backlash. I'm still undecided, but I definitely understand when people say that their privacy is being invaded. However, it all has to do with privacy settings. In the long run, I really think that what Facebook has done here will become the norm.

I really want to hear what you have to say about all of this

Because I love you all, here's a David Hasselhoff's music video, Jump In My Car

"The Hot Mess on the Quad" - A Rant

2006-09-06T12:19:00.001-05:00

Hey all!

I have a couple of posts coming to you this week, I'm just having a heck of a time loading all the pictures. So, while I wait for my pictures from my field trip to the Zoo and the Car Show, I'll talk about an issue that many folks here on campus have brought to my attention. We have, what some have termed, a Hot Mess on the Quad!

This photo, graciously edited by an anonymous student, is the logo for the Facebook group protesting the Hot Mess.

Now, before the hatemail starts, let me first say that I love art and The Arts as a whole. I do like sculptures, and I do think that many are tasteful. With that said, I think that the sculpture sitting on our quad is possibly one of the ugliest things I've seen in my life! So, if anything, I'm writing this blog to promote discussion - for this is my opinion (and the opinion of others).

Because my artistic ability only lies within writing and music, I appreciate the tenacity of the artist to put the time and thought into such a work, but frankly, it's not aesthetically pleasing.

So, let's look at it!

Not just a Shopping Cart, Not just a Birdcage!!!

While it is indeed "Sculpture Art," does it have to be on our Quad? One reason why art exists is for people to critique it, so, I took a moment to talk to many of our students to find out what they think. I'm using initials to protect the innocent.

"I think it needs to go to the Art Graveyard [where the other sculptures are], where bad art goes to die." -B.S.

"He obviously put a lot of time in this sculpture. Now, if he was to put the same amount of time into art that isn't so [bad], then, and only then, he might make something tolerable. -DV

"I suggest that we find a car to park nearby... the nicer the car the better. The logic being that if a nice car is in a parking lot, odds are it will be hit by a renagade cart. Hopefully, this Cart will take its directions and run with it... " R.A.

"It looks like some giant cart that a giant homeless guy would push around. Maybe we could get him to push it some where else? Maybe off a cliff?" A.H.

"There is a reason the other two pieces of modern art that used to be on or near the quad were sent to the "Island of Misfit Modern Art", proudly on display for everyone driving into campus, yet still hidden by some trees. " -B.B.

With that said, I applaud artists across the globe, and I hope that one day we see the next Picasso, Van Gogh, or DaVinci. But for the time being, there are a group of students who can't wait until October 28, when this monstosity leaves the Quad.

Today's Clip: Gymnastics Bloopers

I can't find the clip that I want yet, but after looking at these clips, I assured myself that I made the right decision, when I chose piano over gymnastics!

Enjoy!

Stay Classy, UIS!

September already?

2006-08-31T23:44:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast time is flying right now. 2 weeks of school are already over, and that means the hard work is ahead. What that really means is I have to cut down on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air marathons and start working on some homework.

On that note, I decided to start September on a positive note. All... okay most of my homework is done, my fantasy football league has had its draft, and most importantly I just got some patio furniture for my apartment.

I have to let you know that I love September, and let's see why:

1. The Cardinals are close to clinching another playoff berth. Okay, so our pitching isn't as lights out as it used to be. To be honest, I just think the pitchers are just trying to get our hitters to score more runs seeing that when we hit the playoffs we lose the ability to do so in the NLCS or World Series.

Yes, even our backup catchers can have walk-off homeruns.

2. The Cubs are mathematically eliminated from next year's playoffs (as well as this year). I'm not a Cubs-Hater, per se, but I'm just tired of hearing Cubs fans say "We whooped the Cardinals in Chicago." I know that a Cubs-Cards matchup is the closest thing to a World Series to Cubs Fan, but give me a break!

The last known picture of a healthy Mark Prior and Kerry Wood

3. Football Season Starts! Frankly, I'm just excited because I can't wait for Stuart Scott to say "Booyah" on Sportscenter!

As cool as the other side of the pillow. Booyah!

4. The Illini start off Undefeated in Football! I don't Care if we're playing high school teams for the first two games! PRIDE is PRIDE. And they will at least win the first game. (maybe.) Wait for the Illini - Ohio State Game. If the Illini score at least a Field goal, I will consider it a win.

Un-De-Feat-Ed (clap clap clap-clap-clap)

5. Dave Coulier is coming to the Funny-Bone September 8th! I don't know why, but I really think I'm going to go to this. For you students new to the area, Springfield has a pretty good comedy club here! Cut - It - Out!

Not exactly Dave Chappelle, but hey

Okay, next week, I'm going to talk about parking alternatives for those who commute to UHB, and the Hot Mess on the Quad. If you have some ideas for other things for me to cover, let me know!

But now, it's that time of the post!

Today, on a very special "video clip," I want all of you to have this song in your head. Not just because it was the #1 song in Brazil earlier this year, but because it's been in my head since March. It's also in the heads of anybody who took BUS 502 last semester too.

As usual, don't play it if you're at work (unless you work at home).
I'm not responsible for ANY loss of IQ (or your job).

The song is called "Chacarron" by El Mudo.
I want your feedback.
Here's the link

Until, next time, Stay classy, UIS!

One Week in the Books! (Pt. 2)

2006-08-27T23:44:00.000-05:00

Hey There!
If you haven't read my first post (Same Show, New Faces) yet, move on down then read this one!

I can't believe the first week is already over! I was looking over all the pictures I took for the week, and I can't believe so much stuff happened in just 5 days! You saw my pictures from the first two days, so here are some more from the Chancellor's bash and the first day of school!

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

There were a ton of students there at the Chancellor's Luncheon, and it was good to catch up with friends I hadn't seen since May. While most of the MBA's stayed near campus in the summertime, others had more interesting lives.

Thursday officially kicked off the new semester for the MBA students with their introductory course. It was packed!

Yes, Ladies, Jack Rakers is getting his MBA here!

As opposed to to the 12 of us who started our MBA's last semester, it was good to see our program grow!

After one of our classes this week, a bunch of the MBA students decided to go to Bootleggers to relax before the semester really got underway. For grad students new to the area, there are a lot of great places to go off campus!

A group out at Boots!

While watching me play pool is funny enough, I actually didn't hit the 8-ball in right away to get the misery overwith!

We were stripes, and yes that ball did go in.

So, I guess that wraps up this week, but before I go, you guessed it! It's time for:

Suraj's Video Clip of the Day!
This may perhaps be the funniest thing I've seen in a long time!
In the next post... you'll get my take on the Cardinals Sweeping the Cubs this past weekend!

Until we meet again, Stay Classy, UIS!