Soul of Athens Blog

I never realized that the Happy Cat was such an anomaly. At least not until last Monday when the producers of Soul of Athens, our guru Brian Storm and I gathered at the multimedia conference room to discuss Soul of Athens. Producers from each section: Creativity, Spirituality, Environment, Characters and Youth updated the team on the status of their most promising stories.

Here was the initial dialogue:

Brian: “How’s it going?”
Producer: “Well it’s practically done (laughs). No…We’re a big step ahead from when you were in Athens last time.”
Brian: “What’s the process now?”
Producer: “I think the key now is that we actually have a plan, which I find very comforting (more laughs).”

Aside from going over the plan in-depth, some light was randomly shed on the miraculous creation called the “drive-through.” Unbeknownst to me, the drive-through is a rare convenience only found in Ohio. New York city-slicker Brian referred to the local drive-throughs as “epically cool,” as we all imagined taxis picking up a six-pack at the drive- through on 5th Avenue.

Most importantly, the topic of the drive-through led us into a thought-provoking discussion on drinking in Athens.

It is no secret that Ohio University has a renowned reputation as one of the greatest party schools in America. And “quite frankly, drinking is a really big thing here,” one producer said. However, the attention that Ohio University has received on the issue is not always desired, specifically by the school’s administration.

The discussion stirred in the group many reactions about why the Soul of Athens cannot cover drinking in Athens, “which seems to be a big story here,” added Brian.

Enter Zach Wise: “Drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll? Fine. Drinking? Not so fine.”

I was relieved to know that, PBR aside, footage taken at the Union, as well as my juicy blog entries, would be acceptable by those concerned at Ohio University. In many respects, it’s difficult to deny the presence of such provocative elements when encompassing soul in Athens. To close a blind eye to important issues may lack as much sense as a cement mixer.

But with that said, despite the school’s reputation, many sober people actually do exist. Some are straight edge, some are recovering alcoholics, some have healthier things to do with their time. And their stories juxtaposed to the surroundings, we agreed could make for enlightening visual journalism. Thus, more brainstorming with Brian Storm ensued:

Producer: “If we show a personal story and not speak for the whole of students at Ohio University…people might tolerate it. Plus, the story could give a perspective that would be interesting to hear…”

Whether a new story would come of the debate, we have yet to know, but our minds were brewing like Jackie O’s.

I’m pretty sure Zach Wise just called me a bigger geek than him.

Although, the truth is, you don’t have to be particularly geeky to enjoy the virtual trip, the alternative world, the parallel universe that is Second Life. With Ohio University leading the nation’s universities in development and design in Second Life, it’s natural that the Soul of Athens team would want to delve deeper into the newest wave in the realm of online communities.

Student organizations, community programs and Athens residents can now engage on OU’s virtual campus, where the picturesque environment, from the gate to the bricks, has been re-imagined in a world where anyone can explore it and learn about everything that OU and Athens has to offer.

While I didn’t exactly convey the perks of Second Life to Zach or Ryan Navaroli, it didn’t matter, they were already convinced. Before I knew it Zach was pulling out a notepad and asking for my name. But he didn’t want my First Life name.

“My Second Life name is Meghan Gildea.” I proceeded to spell it out.

As Zach was writing, Ryan chimed in, “My name is Blargo Swindlehurst.” He said it with a smirk, prompting me to explain my lack of creativity.

“I didn’t realize you could pick a fun name when I chose it!”

If most of this post has sounded like complete gibberish, then clearly Second Life needs some explaining.

Simply put, it’s The Sims on crack.

It’s also a little bit of Athens: uninhibited, unpredictable, a place where there are no limits to your imagination, even if it is a tad creepy, at least at first.

Ryan sat back, relaxed, as we discussed ideas for exactly how to approach this project, in a realm almost unknown to most of Athens’ population. Yet, it’s one that would infect them soon enough, we just didn’t know how. As I left, however, I was sure Blargo would come up with an answer.

To learn more about Second Life and how to sign up for a free account go to http://secondlife.com. Just remember, once you pick a name, it’s yours forever. See you in World.