The long drive home from Cleveland........

We are driving back to NC from Case and the drive is so boring that I’ve decided to put together some thoughts to post to our family blog the next time I have internet access.  I am probably the least articulate one in our family but I’m going to give this a shot.  The Gallup Family bubble has divided.  There are now 2 bubbles: the one containing the parental unit and the other one containing the cool college kids and their new Case Western environment (to be referred to as CRU (pronounced ‘crew’) from this point forward.)  I got that slang from one of the many orientation talks that Steve and I have attended over the last 2 days (one of the most useful bits of information for that matter).  If you ask me, the girls are living in the better bubble but I am hopeful that our bubble will soar to new heights; however, only time will tell.

It has been a very exciting and exhausting week.  On Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013, we moved our girls into their new living quarters.  We moved them in 3 days prior to the rest of the first year students converging onto campus.  The early move allowed us to avoid crowds but also meant that we received ZERO help during the process.  Whilst the other first year parents just sat in their car as all of their child’s belongings were hoisted away by upperclassmen, Steve and I and the girls got to move all of their stuff in with no hand truck (insert reminder here to bring one for next year).   At this point, I seriously questioned the decision of the girls living in different buildings.  Once moved in, the pre-orientation leaders whisked our children away for 3 days while Steve and I got to play in order to keep our minds off the impending ‘Goodbye’.

We toured the pro-football hall of fame on the 16^th where I learned that the Washington Redskins used to be called the Boston braves, then the Boston Redskins before moving to Washington to become the Washington Redskins and remained so until this day.  Ironically, there is now controversy over the name ‘Redskins’ as it is derogatory to the American Indians and so, the Redskins may have to change their name once again.

On the 17^th, Steve and I biked 32 miles with the Akron Bike Club up some very exhausting hills (or small mountains in my mind).  Halfway through the ride, we stopped at Howe Meadows Farmer’s market where we had some refreshments and then continued back up to the “mountain” to the parking lot.  Since we weren’t exhausted enough, we then toured the Stan Hywet mansion and gardens.  On the way back to Stone Gables B&B, we saw Brandywine Falls, proclaimed to be one of the largest Falls in Ohio.  The Falls were anticlimactic and not worth dragging along to have a gander.  Back at the B&B, we collapsed instead of going to Little Italy’s Feast of Assumption, which was the original plan.

On the 18^th, we checked in for parent orientation at Case, went to a welcome session and then toured Cleveland  on ‘Lolley the Trolley’ tour which was somewhat interesting.  We learned about cultural gardens in Roosevelt park, a hidden cemetery in University Circle where Roosevelt is buried, and how some Ohio high school students sold the rights of Superman for $147 – bet they are a little peeved about that. We were able to spend a little bit of time with Jasmine today but Sam was still riding back from Ohiopyle State Park.  Jazz told us all about her pre-adventure including the ‘Rite of Spring’ ballet that she was very excited about. Steve and I then had dinner at Alladin’s Café in Coventry Park.

On the 19^th, we listened to some mildly interesting orientation talks about student safety, health services, and Case cash.  A parent round table discussion never happened but an administrator that has a child entering Case as a Freshmen led an impromptu discussion amongst the parents in the room.  Afterwards, we finally got to sit down with both of the girls and it felt as if the Gallup Family bubble had merged once again.  The merger did not last long as we split again for the last 2 most boring sessions of the day.  We merged again after the last session, walked the girls back to their dorms where the Gallup bubble split permanently.  The parental unit went back to the library to drink heavily and try to forget about the split and the college kid bubble moved on to exciting events such as a barbeque and a Luau. 

On the 20^th, the parental unit bubble went to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame before departing Cleveland bringing us to the boring drive that I referred to at the beginning of this tirade.  I know that the girls will be fine in their CRU bubble but want them to know that their bubble is welcome to merge with our bubble anytime!!!  I will keep you posted on where the parental unit bubble goes from here…..

Pre-Orientation: The Story of A Very Weary Freshman

You know those days that are so long that...they sort of don't feel real? Like there's no way that everything you did could have happened within a period of 12 hours. It was just too much stuff. 

Today was one of those days. 

from Playhouse Square, downtown: 

The tour of The Palace Theater was the highlight of the trip--and I know all my fellow theatre geeks out there would agree with me. It was astounding. As implied by the name, it strives to be as luxurious and as opulent as a palace. And it kind of is.

Isn't it strange how history can make something special? A guitar played by John Lennon is more valuable than a guitar played by me. Any role made famous by someone is automatically a challenge to live up too. An original copy of any famous manuscript becomes part of a larger story--the story of its inception, creation, and evolution. 

The theatre was beautiful. The artwork integrated into it was fascinating and wonderful. But what really made that theater special was its history. The Palace Theater was a vaudeville theater first. It has been host to the likes of Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen. The Three Stooges have performed there. On a side note, I must say, I love vaudeville. It's an art form like no other-- a conglomeration of freaks and outcasts, making the most of their outrageous personalities by entertaining people on stage. It was like running off to join the circus--performing became a method of escape, an avenue for talent, and a popular public form of entertainment, all at the same time. Stand up comedy is similar to vaudeville in this way. Comedy is, and remains, a relentlessly effective way of telling the truth. 

After the Palace Theater was a vaudeville stage, it was a silent movie theater--complete with a specialized piano/organ for musical accompaniment to the films. After that, it became a venue for talkies, the piano surviving as an intro form of entertainment and a part time accompanist. After that, it was a derelict old building that was going to be torn  down before a determined teacher saved it and turned it into a playhouse. What was originally scheduled to be a two week run of "Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris," was so popular within it's first week that it went on to run for two and half years. 

Points to Cleveland. 
Fact of the Day: Playhouse Square is the largest theatre district west of New York City. 


from CWRU, University Circle:

We play ERS (egyptian rattlesnake screw-- no idea why it's called that)-- and toss around a football whilst kicking around a football. It's a insanely beautiful day. Not fall weather, but not summer weather either. Cleveland's picture perfect clear blue sky must be matched in intensity only by the devastatingly endless snow and rain that is winter during the months of November to April. 

We're learning about freshman tells. Their are--clearly--a lot of them. Some of them are pretty straightforward. Counterintuitive pronunciation of building names, for example. Thwing is pronounced Twing. The "h" is silent. Adelbrand is pronounced a-del-brand, like Adele the singer, with emphasis on the "del." Some others seem obvious: don't wear you key and ID card on your keychain lanyard (you know-- the one they gave you at check in for orientation?) They're all variations on the same new-kid theme though. Don't make it obvious that you don't belong here. 

It's a fun topic to think about, but in the end I can't help think that it doesn't really matter. I found myself speaking in cliches when I opened up to a senior friend of mine here about the experience of college. I find myself saying, "It's like...here you can be anyone you want to be--because no one knows who you are." 

Really, it's like you're starting over. A new school, new people, etcetera. It's strange though. I had a concept of what freshman year would be like, and this isn't it. After graduating high school, you're more yourself in your exploration of the world. I find myself taking chances more easily, speaking boldly more often, and taking confidence in my idea of myself. Being "who you are" isn't a challenge any longer--because I can be anyone. The last chapter of the book is blank. There are only my own expectations to fill. 

from Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom Music Center:
I'm on a bus. It's inelegant mode of travel for such an elegant destination. We're on our way to watch the Cleveland orchestra perform Rite of Spring, with appropriate ballet accompaniment--and I kind of feel like I've come full circle.

I've been hearing accidental references to Raleigh Charter all day, and they always hit me the same way. At first, I'm excited. There is an immediate leap of enthusiasm. The kind of enthusiasm you feel when you realize you are familiar with the topic of conversation, even when surrounded by unfamiliar company. The "I-can-talk-about-this-feeling." Confidence. Security. 

Then, a distant kind of melancholy, as I realize that I will have to struggle to explain my references. That I can't just say--"that reminds me of something I heard in Dr. B's class" and expect my fellow freshman to understand. I have to translate here. I think everyone in my group experiences the same struggle to communicate, at least initially. With uncommon backgrounds, it is difficult to be quick with your words. I can hear the pauses in the conversation, where my fellow freshman endeavor to find different ways of phrasing, or make pronouns into adjectives. 

I'm so incredibly excited that we're going to see Rite of Spring that I feel an immediate urge to tell someone who will really know WHY. Why I'm so excited. Why this entire trip seems like the missing puzzle price to me, in my experience of school, in my experience of philosophic thought, in my experience of Stravinsky. It is the completion of something.

I think I get why Sam is so attached to Band now. No matter where you go, you have a common base of experience and knowledge with other musicians. A very specific common base of experience. The girl on the trip who knows who composed Rite of Spring is a clarinetist. 

I think I'm underestimating my class. As I get to know them better, I understand that they're just as passionate, and smart, and FUN as any of the students at Raleigh Charter. I expect them to be the people I know--it's not particularly fair. This is the summer version of ourselves, after all. Classes haven't even started yet, and we still had a conversation about the morality and the effectiveness of the death penalty over lunch. These students are strong in their convictions. And then we went back to the commons and played ERS for an hour. These students are also both merciless and fearless in their jokes. 

Conversation is easy and physical presence comfortable. I think I'm gonna like it here.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship (Case Western Reserve University)

My roommate's nice, but it's no Raleigh Charter. That's the first thing that strikes me about the new school. There's really no way to compare, and yet...there kind of is. No one I've talked to yet has finished the required reading. To be fair, it's not really required--just an academic icebreaker but...they all seem to be downplaying their academic side. I love reading. I've brought with me an entire bookshelf of books. And it seems strange that no one else has.

From where I'm standing, my classmates are smart, fun and capable people. They're pretty cool. I guess I've just gotten kind of used to crazy high-achievers. I miss conversations in the hallways about Heiddegger.
I know. I never thought it would happen either.

Most of them are science majors. Biochemistry, physics. One guy I met is going to be an aerospace engineer. How do you know that about yourself at 18? The science majors outnumber the purely social science majors three to one. Still, I'm not alone! I was sitting next to a sociology major. That....counts. ;)  I've met two undecided's already. Uncertainty for the win!

I have become the "English major" to at least three science students, and I do beleive I will start a little side business where I charge people for essay editing. This is the next best business prospect ya'll. It's happenin'.

It's weird. I don't feel nervous. This doesn't even feel that unfamiliar, or new. I'm not worried about sleeping here tonight. 

It's my dorm room. All my stuff is here. I have some company, I have my music, and I have my computer. What more could a girl ask for? (In other news, text Sam, her roommate has not yet arrived, and she is playing music to fill some of the quiet). I feel like I belong here. And it's school. I can do school. I love school. I love the learning and the knowing people and the crazy club shenanigans. I feel almost overwhelmingly prepared for this. 

Sure, it might change in a couple weeks. I've never been away from home for longer than a month. I've never been away from my family for longer than 5 days. But I think I'll be okay. I'll have the lobby, where there will hopefully be movies, and social eating, and catcalling of the Daily Show (which I will steal the TV for every week). And I'll have the dorm, and Sam's dorm and the other pair of twins across the hall. And I've already met someone from the South, who misses sweet tea, and is (as I am) completely unprepared for the lake effect everything. So yeah Case, I love you. But really, couldn't you change your mascot?

The Spartans? Really?

PS: In other news, I got locked out of my dorm. First day. Locked out of my dorm. Go on, laugh. But know that there is a prize waiting for whomever out there can tell me the best joke about that really-doesn't-need-an-explicit-joke situation.

Also, Ohio is a swing state. Go Ohio!

Re: The Bubble

I vote impresario. To that effect, I have compiled a tentative first semester schedule for Case Western which will undoubtedly offer me more potential bubbles to become part of than I know what to do with. Already I feel the pain of letting some of them drift away from my electronic course registration shopping cart, off into the air, to face the harsh winds of the upper atmosphere. Here it is:

ANTH 102 - Being Human: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology
BIOL 114 - Principles of Biology
MUAP 121 - Principle Performance Area
MUAP 131 - Secondary Performance Area
MUTH 107 - Theory for Music Majors 1
MUDE 101 - Eurhythmics 1
MUEN 384 - Spartan Marching Band
FSSO 151 - Border Crossings (Seminar)

And all of this is only 17 credit hours, thank goodness. I'm cutting it just under the wire. I already miss those Gallup family bubble sponsored vacations; though hopefully Case will be sponsoring some in their stead in the near future, all in the name of academia.

Another thought that has been weighing on my mind recently: tomorrow, I'm going to send off my flute to Charlotte for perhaps a month of R and R (refurbishment and repair). Will I survive? Will I actually practice other things besides the flute? Will I ever finish reading "Angelmaker"? (That last question just tends to pop up regardless the subject at hand.) Only time will tell. Hopefully the end of this summer will feel more like the Enterprise setting out than a faceful of cold soapy water.

What Will Happen When the Bubble Bursts?

Because the girls will soon be leaving; they have been forced to deal with our overly maudlin displays of affection and devotion, including an unholy number of movie nights... together; family meals... together; and other various and sundry displays of love and fidelity... together!

In our adventures together; we enjoyed a trip to Asheville, including whitewater rafting near Hot Springs, NC, and a brief, but challenging, hike off of the Blue Ridge Trail. In another excursion; we went to Charleston, NC, where we enjoyed some shows from the Picolo Spoleto festival; and we did a little kayaking, shopping, dining, and sight seeing around the city.

In a trip to New York City; we stayed at a hotel in Brooklyn, and we saw a college in the Bronx; so we saw a few of the outer boroughs. Nevertheless; we returned to the ultimate borough, Manhattan, to revisit Times Square and the theater district. We all saw Harvey, featuring Jim Parsons (from The Big Bang); but we split up for showings of the revival of Anything Goes (Jasmine and Samantha), and the comic book spectacle, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (Steve and Dianne). For some new experiences, we went to Harlem for dinner and culture; and we went to the Warehouse District for a walk on the High Line.


With what seems to be the inevitable dissolution of the 'great and terrible' Gallup family bubble; it seemed prudent, this year, that Dianne and I should also become reacquainted. We took a trip, without the girls, to New Orleans; where we enjoyed some great Jazz performances, on Frenchman's Street, by John Butte', and by Kermit Ruffins; and some slightly less polished, but also less crowded, street performances on Royal Street. This was an awesome chance for us to spend more time together; and to spend some time with Lisa and Andre.

Back at home, Dianne and I have been looking at the prospects of preventing 'empty nest syndrome' by biking ourselves into oblivion! This past year we started biking on a regular, and fairly serious, basis. I decided to throw my lot in with a group of riders that have been departing from the parking lot of my office (and My Way Tavern!) every Thursday. I found that I had more energy (and less agony) after a bike ride, then I did after 90 minutes of full court basketball.

On Sundays; we have joined, from time to time, a group called Team CBC. We've upgraded our bikes and our gear so we can ride 15 to 30 miles a week. Personally, I've made some more ambitious rides of 50 miles and 60 miles, from which I barely returned; but I've become a stronger (but not obsessive) rider.

So, hopefully, when the weather warms up again; Dianne and I can get out there, and do something together that we both enjoy; knowing that even if our kids are super smart academically, or super talented artistically; we can still kick their butts, athletically.

What happens next has yet to be seen. Will Samantha be a concert flautist, a pit orchestra woodwind impresario, or a deadbeat jazz musician playing for tips? Will Jasmine write the next Doctor Who alternative universe spinoff, become a movie critic for Newsweek online, or write the operating instructions for the new kitchen blender model? Can Steve and Dianne live together in peace and equanimity... with their pets; or will Snickers and Orion be ruthlessly exiled from the domicile? Stay tuned. God only knows what will happen when the bubble bursts.

Leaving the Bubble

The writing is on the wall.  It's only a matter of time before Jasmine and Samantha leave the Gallup family bubble to join another bubbly institution (hopefully, an institution of higher learning).  Both girls have received offers of admission to college; and they will soon hear from other schools of interest. 

It won't be long before those hypothetical plans, those virtual tours, and those academic application essays; turn into real bricks and mortar dorm rooms, real room mates, real textbooks, real college food... real exhiliration, and real insecurity. 

I remember the feeling.

Maybe you remember it too.

As for me; I left my own family bubble, my hometown, and my childhood friends back in 1980, in 11th grade, when I left Broughton high school in Raleigh, to attend the School of Science and Math in Durham.  This year, 30 years later, I attended the reunion of both of those schools. 

Before the Broughton reunion; I decided to contact some of the friends that I had from childhood; kids... now adults... that I knew from the Five Points neighborhood, from Sherwood Bates Elementary, and from Daniels Middle School.  Ultimately, I was able to reach a lot of them by e-mail, and see a few of them in person.  These were essentially friends from my 'youth'; friends that share my experience in the Southern suburban culture of Raleigh in the 70s.

Although I share the same heritage and experience as my peers from Broughton; I still have a more unbreakable... a more cohesive connection with my cohorts from the School of Science and Math; my first home away from home.  Whereas I could mingle, reminisce, and recollect things with my friends from Broughton; it was hard to step outside of that bubble of time and of place.  Perhaps, if I continue to keep in touch with my earlier friends, then that ease and candor will develop; but I fear that those childhood connections, at the moment, are still somewhat eclipsed by the connections that I made as a young (but aspiring) adult.

And so... I imagine, things might develop in a similar fashion for Jasmine and Samantha.  They are already making connections of their own, in high school; and they will go on to make even stronger bonds in college.

Jasmine has shared in the crucible of a drama production, with her friends at Raleigh Charter, for Antigone and for The Importance of Being Earnest.  In Antigone, she was a part of the (Greek) Chorus... a literal, and figurative, cog in the machinery of the supporting ensemble.  In Earnest, she played a more central role; for which we give much thanks and credit to the drama teacher, Ms. Rasnick, and to Jasmine's own persistence and talent.

Samantha's connections seem inevitably to be associated with music.  For example; her pre-audition flute recordings were made with the help of a friend from the Davidson Summer Experience who is an amateur sound engineer; all of her parties and gatherings are attended by friends from the school band and from the jazz band club; and (to her great credit) she was accepted to the Triangle Youth Philharmonic orchestra, for the first time, this year.

Samantha is also a member of the RCHS volleyball team which exceeded expectations this year, and set a high bar for all of the Phoenix teams to come.  In her senior year, the team advanced to the state finals; winning difficult games against arch-rival, NCSS&M, and against Riverside, at home; and winning a semi-final game against Princeton, on the road; before losing to a perennial contender, Hendersonville HS, at Reynold Coliseum (at NCSU).

Now the time is coming to count down those days at Raleigh Charter; take those senior photos; buy class rings; send out graduation invitations; and prepare to leave for a new school and new endeavors.  Soon we'll be making new friends, taking new classes, trying new things, and learning to do things we never did before.  Like the Enterprise; we're setting out "to explore strange new worlds... to boldly go..." beyond our childhood bubble.

On the Bubble

Bubbles are fascinating phenomena.  Frequently they are formed when soap molecules surround dirt and oils, separating them from our clothes or skin, to be washed away by water.  Physically, bubbles represent a small volume of gas within a liquid or a solid, like the air within the translucent liquid membrane of a bath bubble.

In medical school, I learned that cells, in the human body, are somewhat like bubbles.  Cell membranes are composed of a phospholipid bilayer, which separate the liquid inside the cell from the substance and elements outside.  Proteins within the cell membrane allow molecules or ions to move from one side to the other.  Our bodies are composed of millions of self-replicating 'bubbles', with amazing properties that depend, in part, upon their ability to create a unique inner cellular milieau. 

In 2012,  we were less concerned with physical bubbles (or cells) then with the 'bubbles' of higher institutions.  In the deluge of college propaganda, we read about the "Haverford bubble", encompassing students at that institution, and allowing them unlimited creativity.  And, on a visit to Davidson, we heard about the "Davidson bubble" separating the students at Davidson College from the ideologically different residents of the outside community.  In fact, it seems that every college  community has a sort of effervescent semi-permeable membrane separating them from the world at large.

Metaphorically, bubbles represent things without permanence or substance.  Merriam Webster defines a bubble as, among other things, "something that lacks firmness, solidity, or reality".  So... it seems that, for the last couple of years, Dianne and I, and Jasmine and Samantha, have been looking around for a place that will provide an unsteady, fluid, and unreal experience that will ultimately make them more qualified to live and work in the 'real' world!


In our search for the perfect 'bubble', we took a trip to see some colleges of interest in North Carolina; ultimately visiting Duke, UNC - Asheville, Western Carolina University, Davidson, Wake Forest, and Elon.  We learned that Duke has the best stand up comedy routine by an admissions counselor; Elon has an audiovisual docudrama presentation that will make you cry; UNC Asheville is only a wise choice if you are physically fit; but the downtown area is chock full of restaurants of every kind.  Are these the factors that we should use to find a school?

In truth... we've learned a lot about the schools in our home state, and about schools from other states that we visited; like Fordham in the Bronx, and Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville. and the College of Charleston in it's namesake city.  But it doesn't really matter what we (as in, the royal 'we' of parents,) think about the school.  What really matters is what they (as in, Jasmine and Samantha,) think; since they will be the ones who have to live and breath the academic air, of their own academic 'bubble', for the next four years.

What I (speaking only for myself) have really learned; is that I was pretty naive when I made my own college applications; and even more naive and... yes... arbitrary when I made my college decisions.  I'm not as smart as I think I am (and according to Jasmine, I'm not as funny as I think I am).  In short, I've been living in a bubble of delusion for 30 years.  Well... I say we should embrace the bubble...embrace the crazy... and enjoy our time in the bubble of self deception as long as possible!