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Recruitment Weekend '07

The best thing about Recruitment Weekend is the department party and the chance to lie to the prospective students who are right then feeling pretty great about the fellowships they were offered. I should've practiced my lies in advance, though, because I froze. One of them asked me how I like it and all I could do was open my mouth and utter "uhhh" like one long car horn. I tried to cover it up, but they could tell. They even told me that it was ok. I didn't have to say good things, but yes, I did. Not so much to make the program look good but so that I don't feel like a loser for hating it. Yes, I blame myself for hating Purdue. But none of that mattered because we were at a party with ample chances to gossip, especially because of the locale.

Let me catch you up. Typically, we have the first department party in the fall at the home of the department head. Well, last September, we got the expected email inviting us all to a welcoming shindig, but it was at the home of one of the History professors who wasn't even American Studies affiliated. Our curiosity was peaked. It soon became apparent that our department head was having an affair with this other professor. This based on first-hand sightings of them making out in the driveway. Scandalous! Well, now that we've all seen them making out all over campus (and apparently the divorce is finalized?) it's become commonplace. None of us were surprised when the invitation invited us back to the home of the history professor that was now dubbed as "our home." We have affectionately termed it the "love shack," and it now sports photos of the two of them (on a beach!). So yes, plenty to discuss.

Spanke becomes a much better conversationalist when he's guzzling down 40 ounces.

While the alcohol flowed, the discussions grew more and more animated. Eventually, we had to take it to Cox's.

I love Cox's. Let's move beyond the obvious fact that karaoke is alway entertaining and just think a minute about who patronizes a karaoke bar in Lafayette, Indiana. A little bit of everyone. We had annoying undergrad girls, some cowboys, metalheads, and colorful locals. Yes, we even almost had a barfight, but luckily the bouncers acted fast to throw the disrupter out. He was still out there later, arguing with some girl about his girl who was at Cox's with another man... It was a full night of scandal!

So what does a Mormon do at a bar? Take pictures, of course. (You knew it was coming...)

Here's a cute couple, Tom and Cassie.

I think you'll get a better idea of how cute they are if they have a picture together, so I worked a little Photoshop magic and voila!

Here's British Kevin, looking tolerably British and terribly serious.

And these fellas put the "stud" in AmStudies.

Spanke was cracking me up. Erica has a great little video of him that I'm hoping she will upload to youtube and I can steal it to post on here, but for now I'll just post a series of photos. (If you scroll down quickly with your mouse, it just might look like a video.)

I enjoy this picture of Cristen very much.

And here's a signature self-portrait.

Kevin took some pictures of Cristen and me.

I never did end up singing a song, but I've decided that next time we go to Cox's, it's all about "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'."