cars and balloons

Okay, I haven't blogged in awhile. Mainly because I've been reading a book and writing this paper about it for my Islamic Civ history class. Also, I've been playing Gears of War and reading Stephen T. Colbert's new book " I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!). " Lots has been happening though! These images are from the SIU Automotive Technology Labs in Carterville, part of the College of Applied Sciences. The whole SIU automotive program is out there. They have lots of cool cars and state-of-the-art equipment, but the buildings were built in pre-war 1930s and are crumbling on the outsides.

And, anything negative about SIU gets top priority at the DE so, STORY! I got to go out to the auto place and tour around with some professors/administrators and take pictures of the crappyness surrounding the place. It's a really great program (they get $250k worth of new cars donated to them to screw with/learn on every year) and it's a shame the facilities are so old and run-down. I would love to see them get paved lots, new brick garages with working doors and classrooms and offices with working climate control and plumbing.

There is this one building that used to be the welding lab, but it's so deteriorated that they can only use part of it for storage. The rest of the building is useless, because the ceiling's caved in and there's water everywhere and the walls are so soft you can put your fingers through them.


Most the cars that had been donated to the school were new or close to new, like this '07 pontiac solstice. They also had a nice '07 eclipse spyder that had been given to them because the factory didn't like its color scheme. Lots of newer hondas, fords, toyotas, just about anything. Almost makes me want to take auto classes. They don't offer a minor though, and the program's pretty tight. They only accept about 45 new students every year, and they've already had 70 some apply for next fall.
I think a picture from this story is running in tomorrow's paper.

This is Vanessa Webb. Vanessa had a son named Corey Williams. Corey died almost 8 months ago when he was struck by lightning on the Carbondale Community High School track. Today would have been his 19th birthday. They had a small memorial gathering in memory of him and sang happy birthday and released 19 balloons into the air with happy birthday messages written on them with sharpies. Vanessa said she's cried everyday since Corey was killed.

Vanessa cried as she spoke to reporters and students about Corey. This photographer, from the Carbondale Times, had apparently spent some of the day in the school and with Vanessa because she came out with her when they first arrived.

This is one of Corey's little brothers, who I believe is also named Corey, only Corey Webb instead of Williams. There were two little brothers, a little sister, and the mom and dad, along with 30 ish students at the memorial, which was held after school got out.

This is students writing messages on balloons, along with Corey's other little brother, who I think is named James. You can see Corey's little sister in the back right.
This is Vanessa handing out balloons just before letting them go.

This is 12 of the 19 balloons, floating away into space. Not a very good picture, I know, but just to show what everyone saw as they stood silently for a long time watching them go. It was a sad shoot. One of the guy's from the Southern Illinoisan had a really nice Canon HDV camcorder that I wanted to swipe and run away with. Not too much nicer than my A1U, couple grand or so.

In other news, I GOT AN INTERNSHIP! That's right! Got the call back today from Sandra at the Hutchinson News in Hutchinson, Kansas, and I'll be moving there in January to work 40 hours a week as their photo intern until May! I'll get 6 credit hours for it and take a couple classes online I think, So i'll remain a full-time student and keep all my financial aid moneys. 40,000 people live in Hutchinson and the paper serves 39 counties stretching across the Colorado and Oklahoma borders. So some travel might be involved! Good thing I have a new Camry. Also, January through May in south central Kansas might get me some awesome weather features! A great place to start real-paper staff experience I think and I'm so excited I wish I could move out there now.

That's it for tonight. I'm tired. Bedddd.....

TB