A Letter to Marvin

Dear Marvin:
May we have a word with you?

Our folks, well, they are an interesting bunch.
They are always putting cameras in our faces and seeking out good light and the best angles. They get really bossy, tell people where to stand, what to do and to tilt their chins up. A few of our parents (and we won't name names) like to throw parties and cook slabs of meat outside on the hot thing. We don't know what that has to do with you but it's pretty serious.

We've heard a lot about something called "Cable 8." Whatever that is kicks our parents into fits of nostalgia. It's like they act like kids again and we should know. They talk about "Rico's", "directing the news" and "Murrow"--whoever that is.

Sometimes after they've had enough of "daddy's water," they even start singing this ridiculous song about "fighting" and "crimson and grey" and then they spell a lot of words--it's horrible. What kind of a song is that?

Anyway, we figure it all comes back to you, Marvin. They always mention your name with a wistful look in their eyes. Lily's daddy had something to say about it just the other day...



We figure you were the one who started all this so with your benevolent influence, please don't let them embarrass us when we become teenagers. There's a few more years to go but we suspect this is only going to get worse. The number of pictures Sidney's mom has and the infamy of their stories could keep them going until they are even older than you. Hard to believe.

Please help,
Sidney, Lily and Tegan

[Marvin Marcelo: Associate Dean of the Washington State University Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and Instructor of Broadcast 455--and much beloved professor]

Party School

I just finished listening to a recent This American Life podcast about Penn State and it's status as the #1 Party School in America (Princeton Review). It chronicles the rather large problem of excessive binge drinking and all the delightful behavior that comes with it. ("Excessive binge drinking"--is that redundant?) Anyway having attended what most people consider a party school (WSU), I recognized the scenarios in the story (drunk kids peeing on lawns of local townspeople), student "types" (obnoxious drunk girls & spaced out guys) and the tragedies (a student falls to their death or dies of alcohol poisoning).

Drinking and college go hand in hand--there's no way around it and I won't deny that I had a great time. Maybe I was lucky or smart or a little of both but nothing regrettable happened in my college experience where alcohol & partying were concerned. I knew I was there to learn & work toward a career so the social aspect was a benefit not a requirement. But I developed a partying strategy to successfully navigate the scene:

1) Act more drunk than you actually are. This was not difficult for me due to the Asian Flush. Within one drink, my cheeks would be lit up like a Christmas tree. Still, you can maintain control and have a good time.

2) Leave before the downturn. There is always a point in a party/gathering where the fun climaxes and then everything/everybody gets ugly. Leave before then and keep your happy memories.

3) Have backup. Especially as a gal, it's unwise to go alone to a frat house or a party where you don't really know the people very well. Also avoid walking around late at night on a college campus by yourself.

4) Know your limit/pace yourself. Why do you need to do 5 shots in 5 minutes? What is the point of that? Do college kids think that despite a virtually endless supply of alcohol available in a college town that they might be capable of drinking it all? I never understood that.

I guess I'm feeling sort of apprehensive about this now that I have a kid and I'm squirreling away money for her college education. All of a sudden this isn't all fun and games anymore, college students can get seriously messed up or dead from binge drinking or activities stemming from it. I would not want to deny her some raucously awesome magical nights in her future but it sure looks different from this side of the table now. And yes, I know I have a while before I need to seriously think about this but it's never too late to save so never too late to worry.

H1N1 Outbreak @ WSU

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2009809942_swineflu05m.html

This does not bode well. With WSU in town next weekend for an exhibition game @ Qwest and some get togethers with folks from there, I'm a bit nervous.

*******

Right now as a pregnant lady, I am a member of one of the highest risk groups for serious complications from the H1N1 (Swine) Flu. The vaccine will not be available until mid-October (after I deliver) so then my newborn will be at highest risk with no chance for a vaccine until 6 months of age.

From www.flu.gov:

Videos on what to do regarding H1N1

Page for pregnant women about H1N1

Coug Game @ Qwest Field

The Cougs had problems and Euge was not pleased.

But Jenny & Ted were there...

As were Sybil & Joel...

Don't forget soon-to-be homeowners Sean & Shannon...

So it wasn't all bad.

But what a sad start. Poor Cougs.

Murrow College

While I mentioned earlier that the Murrow School of Communication would become the Murrow College of Communication, it did not take effect until July 1st. So we finally celebrated it last Thursday when members of the staff and alumni got together at KING TV. It was also the night of Obama's acceptance speech and like the historic democratic party candidate, we cheered the beginning of our new status and took responsibility for our increased influence over the constituency of Comm grads and grads-to-be. (Pushing it for the metaphor, aren't I?) No event like this is complete without food (& drinking). While buffet appetizers were served at KING, we moved on to Tutta Bella for Italian gourmet pizza. Glenn Johnson was impressed by the various toppings. There was no pepperoni or Canadian bacon in sight. We thought it would be nice for the Eastsiders to get out and live a little.

And while I was responsible for planning this little gathering, I wished I would have used Evite. It can be a little challenging to get everyone coordinated but even though we exceeded our head count, everyone brought cash just like I asked them. See, Communication majors, they can follow (some) direction. I would also like to say that it is always a pleasure to spend time with my fellow alumni. Not since this crazy weekend in '06 have I had the pleasure to sit and chit-chat with Karen, Marcus, Scott, Jamie & Pat all together. I also found out that several of those folks are readers of this very blog, which warms my heart in a special way. I also met some other Murrow alumni who graduated after me who I look forward to hanging out with again at the next Murrow event.

Afterwards more partying at the Two Bells with special guest star, Sean Mantooth. He was in town coincidentally to work at the Penny Arcade Convention for his company.

More pics from that night...

Coug BB Romp

Last night we enjoyed a non-conference ("exhibition") game showcasing the green and flat-footed Citadel team against our favorite, undefeated, #6-in-the-nation Cougs. Annihilation ensued. It was a GREAT night full of laughter and stories with old friends. I learned where Brett "Jo-Jo" Jungbluth got his nickname (from a pencil eraser) and that Hampel thus dubbed himself "Hasselhoffigon" over 10 years ago in a mythology class. (Even now, I am still learning something about these crazy guys.) And Jenny was the first person to introduce me to Phad Thai and here we were eating it together 13 years later. Ah the memories. Sam's brother, sister-in-law & baby nephew, Kavi, were able to join us from Balimore and Kavi seemed to enjoy himself after he got settled. A fabulous night all around. I think this will become one of our yearly traditions.

Pullman Fatigue

The problem with a weekend like this, is that everything after it becomes shrug-worthy. Last weekend's jaunt to the wheat fields for Homecoming lacked that certain something. Seeing Kate, Ian, Dad, Austin, Marvin and other folks was great--don't get me wrong. But, I can understand why many of the alumni chose to stay home this year--for one thing the Cougs are definitely sucking. Here is what happy ASU fans look like: Here is what sad WSU fans look like: Ken looks more sad than me. Bless his heart, he really gets into the games and has become a full-fledged Cougar fan without ever having to experience the joy of a Pullman winter. He was frustrated toward the end of the game as losing became inevitable. That's why I don't like to watch the games, if I can help it. It's just too emotional. This time we stayed in Moscow, Idaho--which was a first for me. So we did a lot of driving back a forth. Pullman is a bit less cosmopolitan than Moscow, funny enough. But with that super glassy asphalt being installed for the Moscow-Pullman highway, I predict lots of speeding tickets. That new road is going to be fast. Maybe we will pick a different game weekend to go back on next year. Or perhaps we will sit it out entirely. But as long as Austin is in school there, I feel more of a draw to go back and make sure all is well in the Palouse.

Good Day for the Cougs @ Qwest Field

After a slow and scary start, the WSU Cougs emerged victorious against the San Diego State Sp(a)ztecs. (Someone who went there said that's what they themselves call the team.) The WSU receiving corp & the quarterback were phenomenal once they found their rhythm. In my many years of cursorily keeping track of this team, I have never noticed such a well-coordinated offense. Usually it's the defense saving every one's behind but this time the defense looked um, slightly overwhelmed. Shannon and I lamented that the Jaws theme + the ridiculous vertical clap that has become synonymous with Cougar defense is a confusing message to both the players & fans and should be retired as soon as possible. Anyway, it was a beautiful day in Seattle, perfect temperature and not a cloud in the sky. To kick things off, a six-member Navy SEAL parachute jumping team LANDED on the field. Amazing. More pics of that in the album and this guy barely made it around the roof edge. But these are experts--I'm sure it was not as close as it seemed. Dad secured some excellent seats down low on the 50-yd line. Among other friends of Dad's, Sean & Shannon joined us for their first Coug football game in a long while. They visited WSU West and got some new Coug Gear. They look very stylish just in time for the game and for Fashion Week. The pretzel completes the ensemble, don't you think? And let it be said that the Huskies had a good day yesterday as well, (surprisingly) beating the #22 team Boise State. Since that game ended prior to the start of ours, I can only surmise that this death-wish prone Husky fan strutted through the student section due to sheer boredom and abject stupidity. He attracted a lot of attention as cups, food and other things hurdled toward his head. Overall, a fabulous day all around. Maybe next year we'll make arrangements to do some tailgating since this game brought a bunch of other friends out. So put it on your calendar: Cougar Gridiron Classic 2008 (what they call this annual exhibition game now) is on August 30 versus Oklahoma State. Can't wait! Full album HERE.

What I learned in college

Ten years ago I graduated from Washington State University and my father asked me then, "Now what exactly are you going to do with Communications Degree?" I'm sure all Comm grads get that question. You have to understand that I had flirted with the idea of actually being an Engineering Major when I left high school and I think I set him up for some initial disappointment.

"Just think, if you major in engineering, as a minority and a woman, they'd be lining up to give you scholarships and job opportunities," he said.

It was a decent plan which leveraged my interest in science and paralleled the aspirations of my inseparable high school twin/friend, Amy (Ramer) Florence. She actually graduated from University of Portland with a Mechanical Engineering Degree. As for me, I jumped the tracks not long into my freshman year and plunged heart and soul into the world of broadcast communications. A choice that mystified my father for years.

My fellow Comm grads are some of the hardest and longest working people I know today. It is a play now, pay later system. If you've ever talked to someone who works on a TV/Movie production and they can normally put in 16-hour days, 7 days a week or in News that can happen 24/7 and it doesn't matter if it's your kid's birthday or Christmas Day. And is the field competitive? You bet. There will be 5 people right behind you willing to stay longer, do more and get paid less.

But I couldn't have been more pleased when I saw two Murrowites who took it upon themselves to show the world what a Murrow (School of Communications) Grad can do and that a Comm Degree does not subjugate one to a life of waiting tables or operating carnival rides.

Kate Yeager & Steve Thorpe sojourned from Pullman to LA by way of Seattle (in a Prius!) to interview and get some perspective from Broadcasting Comm Cougs who made good. Their blog features on-camera interviews with some dear friends: Chris Hampel, Ian Kennedy, Pat Sheehan & Doug Cheney. Also Greg Copeland NWCN anchor, who I didn't know so well in school but admire his professionalism and poise for such a young anchor. They tackle the affirmation on their blog: With a Degree from the Murrow School you can go Anywhere. Check it out.

Just Fix It....

OUTRAGE!!!

Hey Cougs,

Take a look at this t-shirt on the CBS Sport Store. Can you find the Cougar Logo?

No?

But can you spot the UW "W" in the lower left quadrant?

That's funny because the Huskies aren't even "on the road to the Final Four." They're not in the NIT either.

Would you like to express your outrage to CBS Sports?
Make your feelings known via Email or Call: 1-866-690-2381.

Much love,
Kali


P.S. Congratulations to the Cougs who won today against Oral Roberts University--consider it a spiritual win also.

Good luck on Saturday against Vanderbuilt!

Cougar Pride, go vote!

UPDATE: Wouldn't you know it, but they closed voting today.

The Columns March Vote was completed at noon on March 15th. At that time, the
vote was a tie, with 50 percent voting for the Huskies and 50 percent voting for
the Cougars. With more than one million votes, we have found that there have
been multiple votes cast from several unique computer addresses. Both Huskies
and Cougars have taken advantage of loopholes to cast multiple ballots.

How convenient of them to stop the poll when there was a 50/50 tie.

----------------------------------------------------

To my fellow WSU (Cougar) alumni, students, friends and blog readers....

It's fun to embarrass the Huskies. Go vote for the Cougs!!!!

Please go vote on the Coug vs. Husky Pride Survey that the UW (Husky) Alumni have going on on their site: http://www.washington.edu/alumni/survey/

When it first came out, the Cougs were winning by 70% vs. 30%. This survey was featured in the Seattle Times a few days back.

Apple Cup, pt. 2

Let's say the first song you ever learned was the WSU Fight Song,
and from birth through age 23, your family's social calendar revolved around this,
and on your first day at college, your father personally introduced you to the WSU President, the Vice-Provost and Alumni Center Director so that if you screwed up he would know,
and that despite living in Seattle for 10 years, every time you see Husky Stadium you can't help but sneer.
Welcome to my Cougar-ific world.


Here's more on the Apple Cup...


Every Coug knows how bad it feels to lose a game that should be yours, especially to the Huskies, because it happens a lot. As a result, somebody came up with the term "to Coug it." (And, there is even a Wikipedia entry for it HERE.) The key concept: 'snatching defeat from the almost certain clutches of victory.' You'll know it when you see it. It begins innocently enough as a pin-prick of doubt, a tiny seed of insecurity that soon takes over and the team begins to fall apart. As the team misfires and the Huskies capitalize on mistakes, the mood of the crowd turns from elation & surety to unmistakable dread. The longest moments of your life can be spent watching the second half of the Apple Cup.

To find out more about why it's come to this, here's a little something about the Huskies. Their campus is unparallelled in showcasing the beauty of the region with views of mountains and waterways, anchored by a majestic fountain and dotted with nostalgic ivy-covered brick buildings. The metropolitan nature of Seattle attracts students looking for cultural offerings and a chance to experience the big city while in the safety of student life. With all the distractions, the students don't really have to interact with each other unless they are Greek (frat/soro). The alumni are usual wealthy and those who stay in Seattle go on to be tech-savvy nerd geniuses or golf-shirt-wearing sales people.

Pullman on the other hand boasts acres of wheat fields and a handful of mediocre restaurants. The nightlife completely revolves around the students, reaching the heights of sophistication with a keg of beer, a 5-disk CD changer and bowl of Doritos. The students don't let their renown music program marked by the Lionel Hampton Jazz Fest, their usually ranked women's sports teams & a to-die-for recreation center distract them. They have a lot of time on their hands and there's nothing like boredom and a desire for mischief to bring people together. But after they leave, WSU alumni top the list for percentage of contributing alumni for a public university (nationally).

But no question about it, the Apple Cup is about inferiority. It is an exercise in the mental gymnastics of worthiness. No matter how well the Cougs have done in the season leading up to this game, there is a gut-wrenching, fingernail-biting anguish surrounding this 3-hour bookend of potential glory. It is an event to replay and stew over for 8 months until the next football season starts. Not surprisingly, many WSU players say that this game means more to them than a bowl berth because of the legacy of redemption and the pride at stake.

Cougs may be inconsistent in their football but they are loyal in their being. Take a close look at a Coug and you'll see a gleam in their eye hoping that next year could be the year to teach those Huskies a lesson. We just have to believe we deserve it.

Apple Cup, pt. 1

This sums it up for now... More analysis tomorrow. Photo from Mark Harrison of the Seattle Times (here).

Cable 8 turns 20 in Style

Let me just say that the Alumni of Cable 8 (with the help of the current Cable 8'ers) whooped it up this weekend in what can only be described as a series of hilarious hijinks, coupled with an epic drink-a-thon, the likes of which Pullman has never seen. All of it powered by the delusion we can still party like we're 22. Friday night kicked off the festivities as we paid homage to a very special organization which effectively gave us all a spring board into our careers and social lives. A huge thank-you to Marvin, Monique, the current board and students of Cable 8 for a fitting tribute. Fantastic job all around!

This weekend was also an exercise in reliving the lost college years:

1. watching Cougar Football,

2. eating greasy food

3. drinking out of pitchers

4. cage-dancing (believe it!)

5. more cage-dancing
6. and of course, hanging out with some of the coolest people on the planet.

One of the best weekends of my life. Truly and for sure. Thanks again to every one who made it to Pullman and special thanks to Ken, who just rolled with it all. See a bunch more photos from the weekend on Flickr CLICK HERE. Enjoy!

F.A.Q. What is Cable 8? A student run cable network at Washington State University that produces programming and is structured like a real-world cable broadcast station. Students volunteer to direct, produce, crew and cast shows ranging from entertainment, sports, news magazine, long-form, soap opera, reality-based, etc. The productions are overseen by an advisor (currently Marvin Marcelo, originally Neal Robison) and a student elected board of directors.
When I attended WSU, I was a show director for Coug Stew & the ASWSU Debates my junior year and the Executive VP of the board my senior year.

Why is it significant? In a nutshell: Hands on training for real world TV production and friends for life.