PC|Bluestocking

A new improv show is coming up from our very own Improv Underground.  There’s a twist, though, the entire performance will mostly consist of the newbies (Ellison, Megan, David, Wilson, and Rebecca–Tyler, another newbie, will not be there due to prior commitments).  This is partly to introduce you to the cast of next year (since many of the vets–and Ellison–are seniors), but partly because the vets want to laugh at other people for a change.  The show is this Saturday (that’s March 20, 2010) at 7:30 in MFB like most shows.  Come out to show your support for the fresh meat–or maybe tenderize them a bit.  Either way, it should be fun and you all will be seeing more of them (except Ellison who will be missed) next year.

There will be a show from our very own Improv Underground this Saturday (that’s March 13, 2010).  It will again be in My Friend’s Bookstore.  The show will have a small cast compared to usual, just Maggie, Rachel, Josh, and Tyler with some help from the always delightful Master of Ceremonies Christian Bell (also known as Batman).  Tickets are three dollars, as always.  Please come, much fun will be had by all.

This week there are two chances to register to vote with College Republicans and PC Democrats.  The first was Monday (sorry for the belated article, there was trouble publishing) and the second is Wednesday (February 24, 2010).  You can register at Greenville Dining hall and Springs.  There are forms for those from North and South Carolina, as well as Georgia, but you can fill out an online form on a nifty website which will email you a completed form to print off.  The best part, is that you don’t have to mail a thing.  The PC Dems and C Reps will take care of it for you, saving you stamps and seconds.  While you’re at it, pick out a neat T-Shirt from PC Dems.  They cost $12 dollars, and you can look at  the design before you make up your mind.  Just ask about it.

Who doesn’t love Mardi Gras.  It’s one of the few Christian traditions that does not have a pagan date.  Basically, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.  Since people traditionally use Lent as a good opportunity to hunger strike (or fast), it makes since to store up those fat reserves the day before.  And even if you’re not going on a hunger strike (or fasting), it’s a good opportunity to revel in sin and debauchery before the solemn traditions associated with Lent.

Well French Club and Carol International House have teamed up for an extravaganza involving sin (gluttony), debauchery (mask making and activities), and obesity (see gluttony; also jumbalaya and king cake).  King cake, for those who don’t know, is a giant circular “ring” cake with colorful frosting and decoration on the top stuffed with a representation of a baby (pro-lifers still welcome).  The party starts next Tuesday (for those who don’t know, this is Mardi Gras) at 8:00 PM in the CIH lobby.  It will end around 10:00 (PM or AM…I don’t know).  Much fun will be had by all.  Also, you might learn stuff about the culture associated with it, but the sin and debauchery is more important, right?

If you always wanted to learn, but never had the chance to move your feet at the rhythm of salsa, this is your opportunity!

On Thursday the 11^th, free salsa lessons are going to be directed by international student from CIH.  The party lasts from 8:30 till 12:00 pm. at Senior Garcia and everyone is invited!

So remember, even if you don’t like to dance, you can always go and have some good Mexican food or simply laugh about other’s attempt.  Bring your couple or find a couple and celebrate Valentine’s Day earlier!

Spectrum, which you may or may not know, is the organization on campus that is dedicated to closing the chasm between heterosexuals and homosexuals as well as promoting the fair and equal treatment of members of LGBT community.

So saying, Spectrum would like to announce that it will be having a movie night both this Thursday (January 28th) and next Thursday (February 4) at 7:00 p.m. in the CIH classroom featuring the critically acclaimed miniseries Angels in America.  This Thursday’s portion of the movie will feature the series’ first part “Millennium Kingdom” while next Thursday’s will feature the finale entitled “Perestroika.”  The film focuses on “…several individuals struggling through the ’80’s with the shadow of AIDS hanging over them.”

RAs get the coolest jobs.  They essentially get paid very little compared to other colleges to resolve crises, be on-call on certain nights, and do rounds.  Okay, okay, so I may be selling it quite short, and I’m told it can be a rewarding job.  It’s not a cushy job, yeah, but it’s a good one to pad your resume with, and you do get paid $1,452 a year for newbie RAs and $1,507 for veterans.

So RA paperwork is due soon, next Monday (the 25th of January) to be specific.  I’m told there are around 30 RAs on campus, and the highly intense selection process begins on that Monday with applications and recommendation forms due.  Returning RAs get interviewed sooner (January 28) and then newbies get their turn on February 5th.  The next day, the decisions are made and you have a week to decide whether or not you want to work where you’re assigned (the other option being to decline the job).  Obviously, not everybody will go where they want to, but I’m told the office tries hard to satisfy everybody.

Applications and recommendation forms are on the PC website (go to campus community than residence life then RA forms) so go out there and apply.

I remember the CIH programs last semester, and even though some of them were good, nearly all of them were as empty as the space between my ears.  So, to rectify that, and do my job, I’ve decided to alert everyone about the CIH program coming up.

Telling you where it’s going to happen would seem awfully redundant (it’s in the classroom) , but for those of you who do not know where CIH is, it’s behind Browns Commons which is between Baron and Grotnes.  That probably won’t help, but I don’t care.  The when, is more important.  Next week, at 8:00 Thursday is the when.

The program will be about stereotypes, and every country represented by the last CIH headcount will be represented in the program including: barbecue eaters, cheese caters, bratwurst eaters, chimichanga eaters, and potato eaters, and rice eaters–er I mean the US, France, Germany, Chile, Ireland, and South Korea.  In addition to presenting on stereotypes, food will be served as well.  I’m told it’s stereotypical food but I don’t really know.

Since I’m such a loquacious writer, I’ll recap.  CIH Classroom at 8:00 next Thursday.  A CIH program on national stereotypes with food.  Come.

The deadline for the erotic short story contest is rapidly approaching, and the lazy bum in charge of it has taken his sweet time coming up with the award categories.  At the risk of getting censored by the college, here are the categories for the 3rd Annual Erotic Short Story Contest.

Best All Around

Best Heteroerotic

Best Homoerotic

Best Written

Most Artistic

Most Innocent

Most Outrageous

Funniest

Most Provocative

The intention is to have everybody walk out with an award, so there’s an award for everybody (who submits!!!).  If there are too many submissions, more will gladly be made up (there are, in fact, a few that could be drummed up in a crunch).   Remember, the deadline is February 26, 2010 and all submissions are to be given to Mr. Stutts, whose room number escaped the lazy bum organizing the contest.  He’s on second floor Neville, if that helps.  If you have any questions, sign up for the Facebook group (Erotic Short Story Contest 2009-2010) or email the lazy bum himself at dvndroog@gmail.com.  So get excited and get kinky.

Many people may be wondering what cornhole is and to be honest, the very same question crossed my mind today when I saw the sign-up sheet in Springs this afternoon.  Was this some sort of newly created game made by creative PC students?

Actually, it wasn’t.  As Rachel Genrich and Steven Smith soon explained, the game of cornhole was not the brainchild of some innovative PC student.   Apparently the game of cornhole (also known as Corn Toss), is an established game played for quite some time.  Even the ACA, also known as the American Cornhole Association, is a bit fuzzy on the details: “It has been said that the game originated in Germany in the 14th century, and then was rediscovered in the hills of Kentucky over 100 years ago. The truth is, who really knows, but the game is great fun for all ages and can be played anywhere!”

So what is cornhole and how is it played?  The simple explanation given by the ACA is as follows:

“Cornhole or Corn Toss is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the platform scores 1 point.

Scoring can be swift and the lead may change hands several times in a match before the winner is decided.

The game is generally played tournament style with an individual or team being named the champion at the end of the tournament. “

The game appears to come in two varieties: fun and hardcore.  The “fun” version is played with loose rules with the intent that the simpler the rules, the more people can enjoy it.  The “hardcore” version is the one played in most official tournaments and features ACA rule mandates on everything from cornhole size to the setup of the field.  Full rules and official tournaments can be found on the ACA website.

The important fact is that this game will be played by PC students this Saturday near New Bailey Stadium at 10:00 tomorrow morning.  Interested students are encouraged to sign-up in two-person teams for the mere intro fee of $20 a team.  Prizes include gift certificates to local businesses and bragging rights around campus.  All proceeds from this event, organized by PC’s own Stacy Dyer, will be donated to SEE, PC’s Students for Environmental Education.

So be sure to check out tomorrow’s game if you have the time.  After all, how often does something like this happen on campus?  Hopefully there will be no “cornfusion” during the game.  Before anyone groans thinking that I made a bad pun, the word “cornfusion” is an actual cornhole term for when participants can’t agree on the scoring of an inning.  Yes my friends, this game is so well established it has its own lingo.

Links and Source Information:

http://cornholetips.com/cornhole-lingo/

ACA Official Website: http://www.playcornhole.org/

Photos by Akeem Favor