shuttle busses
proposed for
school trips

Recently there has been talk about proposing transportation shuttles for class field trips. John Ploof, a teacher in the art education department, is willing to work with students who are interested in pursuing this venture. He is in strong support of the idea and points out, "At SAIC, the biggest resource is being in the middle of a metropolitan city. We need to look at how we utilize or do not utilize this resource through programming and through the way we incorporate the curriculum into the fabric of the city. The question is: how do we get there?"

Ploof acknowledges that students and faculty have access to public transportation, but also discusses how difficult it is to get the whole class to the site at the same time; the responsibility of keeping the whole group together while traveling from one place to another can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. Ploof sometimes tries to combine classes in order to get a larger group to rent a bus, but says that after a while, that becomes expensive. Ploof says, "How we work in the city and how we might reenforce the ability we have through certain facilities, transportation is limited."

illustration:
m. schreiner

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When the department of the First Year Program was asked about this idea, Jesse Wyss said, "That would be great [to have transportation shuttles for field trips]. It would help in terms of students and being able to go to Creative Reuse. It could help classes out and help the students figure out where they are going."

Students have mixed feelings about this proposal. On one hand, some students believe the school should have shuttle buses for field trips. It would be faster to get to certain locations with big groups. Class time would not be wasted on waiting for people who may have missed their bus, etc. Also, it would be easier for students who have to carry large sketchbooks or canvases.

According to junior Meg Caswell, "The way it is now makes it more of a class excursion than a learning process. Also, it puts the teachers at a disadvantage since they are responsible for the students while on the field trip. And it limits places we can see." Another student thought it would be a good idea, but also had the concern that getting shuttle transportation for field trips would raise tuition and that tuition is already expensive as it is.

Yet on the other hand, other students do not think it is so necessary to have transportation shuttles for field trips. Freshman Mike Kraus said, "It wouldn't be too useful because we have the U-Pass unless we go out to the suburbs. This is what the CTA is for." Another student believes it would cut down on the spontaneity of going on field trips. Freshman Linda Lee states, "Some classes need field trips. Some classes take too many field trips whereas some classes don't take any field trips at all. It just depends on the class." If anyone is interested in making this proposal, you can contact John Ploof at: (312) 629-9487 or [email protected].

road luge

For those individuals who are bored with regular old skateboarding or rollerblading, who need a more exciting way to get a thrill, there is the sport of road luge.

Road luge, also known as street luge, is the sport where people lie on skateboard-like wheeled sleds and race down mountain streets. The trend has increased in interest and formalities since it began in the early '80s. In 1990, the Road Racers Association for International Luge was started in Los Angeles. RAIL, as the organization is known, expanded in 1997 to include a home in Asheville, North Carolina. Known as RAIL East, the NC branch is now in control of US competitions and racers east of the Mississippi River, while RAIL controls everything to the west, including Alaska and Hawaii.

RAIL and RAIL East now proudly boast over 100 racing and non-participatory members. This may seem like a rather small number, but when one thinks of what road luge participants actually do, it's suprising that there are even a handful of people who make it such a dedicated pastime.

Road luge pilots come from a diverse and varied assortment of backgrounds. Some, but not all, were at one time extereme sports athletes in other fields. Yet they al have the common attribute of being "adrenaline junkies." It seems one would have to be. The logistics of the sport are that you lie on a flat board or sled only inches off the pavement, feet pointed forward, dressed in a thin leather suit and a crash helmet, and race down steep, twisting mountain roads. Miniscule shifts of weight in the hips and shoulders help steer, and sitting up and putting your feet down slowly will cause you to stop. All in all, on average, speeds of over 70 miles per hour are reached.

The sport's interest has increased from individuals riding down their own backyard hills to international competitions in both pro and amateur divisions. Races take place on the back roads of steep mountains. There are corporate sponsors for professionals, and races are widely broadcast on cable sports networks--usually under the category of extreme sports.

All of this public attention has lead RAIL to develop SLED, Street Luge Education and Development. Dedicated not only to racing, but also to training enthusiasts and emphasizing safety, SLED offers classes that introduce students to the key elements of road luge, and eventually to riding on today's most efficient sleds and rails. There are SLED racing schools where individuals learn from the world's top racers. Classes are held monthly and end with the chance to compete in a SLED Racing Tournament. Top prize in these tournaments is a SLED manufactured board and a one-year free membership to RAIL.

The best web site to check out for more information on road luge is: www.roadluge.org. It includes links to other, more specific sites and locations of upcoming races. There are also personal biographies on pro and amateur pilots and information on joining RAIL and SLED classes.

Next month's sport: Badminton.

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zaha hadid

When Zaha Hadid stepped up to the podium at her recent SAIC Visiting Artists lecture concerning the museum of the 21st Century, her eyes shone like two large, glistening orbs surveying all with an air of confidence and experience.

The crowd in the Columbus Drive auditorium was easy to explain. Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid is, at age 50, quite simply one of the most respected and interesting Architect/ Designer/ Interior Architect/ Painters in the world today. Currently based in London, she has headed her own internationally-successful firm since 1979. Her resume includes projects done in conjunction with cultural stars as diverse as architect Rem Koolhaas and Brit-popsters the Pet Shop Boys.

When Hadid, dressed in flowing black, began her lecture, it was clear that this was not going to be a "stare at slides between zzz's" affair. She began by barking about the slide projector and the microphone, grumbling that, "In these areas, technology has been slow to advance." As soon as those problems had been sorted out (her troubles with the slide projector never did subside), she was on her way.

With the precision and command of a field general, Hadid swooped through her past and led the advance into her future, clearly out-flanking many of her contemporaries on the way to seizing tomorrow. She changed slides and spewed ideas and concepts at a furious pace, causing some in the audience to cry, "Slow down," but Zaha Hadid did not heed their cry.I must say I'm glad that she didn't, for her presentation of quickly moving images created a feeling of urgency akin to seeing a film designed to incite revolution. Down with the architecture of old!

Hadid's eyes see things, things that can't be seen with the average pair of eyes, and she is talented enough to bring those things to life. Although her lecture was a challenge to keep up with, the work she addressed was amazing: from beautiful color slides of sharp abstract paintings, models from competition entries, and projects such as the Vitra Fire Station in Weil, Germany, to her current undertaking in Cincinnati, Ohio (her first in the U.S.).

When Hadid spoke of creating spaces, she used words like "circulation, terracing, and flow," all words that support her idea that a space should be fluid and open to air and light in its design. "The line between interior and exterior is thin," says Hadid, a belief that carries through to her view of museums. "Large museum rooms," she explains, "should be an extension of civic life... People spend a lot of time there so they should have an interesting experience."

Long and dense, while thorough and inspiring, Hadid's lecture nonetheless lacked the fluidity infused in her work. I found myself Desperately Seeking Zaha--the person.

Hadid's eyes aren't laughing. When the time came for the question and answer portion of the lecture, Hadid was as open and fluid as any of the spaces she's created. Answering questions in a trademark fast-talking, frank manner, it was clear to see that the real Zaha Hadid had arrived. Yet I had the feeling that should someone upset her with what she considered to be a foolish observation, she might just walk out into the audience, grab the person by the scruff of the neck, and let those eyes burn holes into them.

When asked about the average amount of time she took to design, Hadid replied, "It's not about a clock." When asked about her feelings on corners in her buildings, she answered, "I don't think about a corner," and it was on to the next question. One student was then heard to say, in a favorable way, "Can you please address the apparent lack of history in your work." And with a chuckle, Hadid said, "I'm Iraqi, I have 10,000 years of history so I don't need to wear it around like a shawl." And while everyone else joined in that chuckle, it was obvious that Hadid was contemplating her next response, because Zaha Hadid is serious about her art--you can see that in her eyes.