Fall view of MMU Warde Hall cupola. With blurry birds.
A student of mine in a one-on-one directed study is doing a student media project—he is building a new web site for the campus newspaper, using an online template.
The site he’s posting to uses banners on pages—very cropped, horizontal images. For that use, and for other possible random use on the site he is creating, the student wanted a variety of images of the Mount Mercy campus.
Over the years, I’m sure the student paper’s photographers have shot the campus many times, but mostly those images are narrative—they are part of telling a specific news story. They aren’t background or scenic, so were not the kind of image he wanted.
I, on the other hand, sometimes waste my time by shooting stuff just because I think it’s pretty. And the student wanted lots of campus shots showing pretty views, some MMU icons and the campus in a variety of seasons. So, I did a quick scan of recent (past two years or so) Facebook photo galleries of mine, and came up with these images.
I liked the results. I was surprised I didn’t have more pictures of the Grotto or Chapel of Mercy, and I am sure over the year I have more of those pictures, but again I was sticking only with recent images.
Sit back, relax and enjoy what I hope is pleasing look at some of my recent images of the pretty Mount Mercy University campus:
Another view from fall.
Sister Mary Frances Xavier Warde. Often called Sister Frances Warde.
Wall of Sisters of Mercy University Center.
Oldest image in this set--I think this came from inauguration of current president. The MMU Mace carried at key ceremonies by a senior faculty member.
Sun shines in Chapel of Mercy.
Spring at Warde Hall is announced each year by magnolia bush.
Daffodils in Our Lady of Sorrows Grotto.
Cheers at Plaster Athletic Complex.
Mustang Sally.
Iowa hawk eyes campus from Warde Hall.
Several sky images--MMU is on a hill and is one of the prime places in Cedar Rapids to watch the sunset.
Rohde Family Plaza.
Central campus at twilight.
And, of course, tunnels!
Walking in late afternoon light, Basile Hall in Background.
The woman, the legend, the mother of us all--Sister Catherine McAuley.
Blue winter sky.
Ceremony on plaza.
Cupola.
Green space turns many colors.
Inside the Sisters of Mercy University Center.
School colors held by Sister Catherine McAuley.
Final view--top of cupola of Warde Hall framed by leaves.
I’m not a movie reviewer. But a Facebook friend of mine was recently gushing about “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, too.
For me, it was possibly nostalgia. I have several Queen albums in vinyl from my teen years—and I horrified a college newspaper crew recently by playing for them a song they had never heard from "Sheer Heart Attack,' still my favorite Queen album.
But one surprise to me is how many younger people with no memory of the heyday of Queen are also into the movie. The Facebook Friend is in her 30s, which means she was born back in the 1980s. The movie is a bit of a family affair for me, with my youngest daughter recently seeing it and saying she liked it, too. My wife and I saw it twice in the theater—a thing we rarely do (repeat a movie), and we took our youngest son the second time. He liked it.
I don’t think it’s a great movie. It’s a little manipulative, setting the stage for the Live Aid appearance of the band and perhaps overselling their impact there. But the story it tells was still well done, and I really enjoyed it.
Locally, the movie is playing at the Collins Road Theater. If you have not yet, you may want to check it out—with its sometimes-lush visuals and its rock and roll soundtrack, I think this is a good movie for the theater experience.
I don’t know much about music, but one aspect of the movie that I especially liked was the montage where the band was working on “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The peek at the creative process was interesting. And it was also interesting too that, for a band that was so into tricks in the studio while recording, Queen was also oriented to live performance.
If you’re like me and you were a Queen fan back in the day, you’ll like this movie because it will make you feel briefly young again. And if you are too young to recall those days, apparently the movie still will rock you.
The mid-term election unleashed the monster Trump, it seems. Banning reporters on trumped-up intern harassment scandals, firing an attorney general, claiming great victory in the face of pretty substantial Democratic gains—Trump seems to have become unhinged.
I shudder to think what he would have been like if the GOP retained the House.
So, I want a break. And here is what I have been listening to when I want to boost my mood. First of all, a couple of songs by the Cranberries, just because they’ve been in my ears a lot recently:
Randomly, on my You Tube recommended list, a video from a youthful LA punk band The Regrettes showed up. They can sure cuss up a storm, but they rock it too, and I confess I’m enjoying their in-your-face teen angst attitude:
I don't think I should post a female-dominated playlist without some Tessa Violet. Her latest has kind of grown on me. I think seeing her do a version of it with Hank Green maybe helped (Vlog bros fans hang in there, Hank shows up about 2 minutes into the second video, the Disneyland one):
Finally, a nice one from Garbage, because who doesn’t need some Garbage now and then? And it sums up my post-election mood:
