We are back from our trip to Houston, Texas and Rice University.
Jessica enjoyed her visit to a Shepherd class and she came away impressed
with the music school. Jessica also
enjoyed her dorm stay. Rice is a “wet campus” and the girls who were
kind enough to host her were on a party hall. So, Jessica learned
two beer drinking games. One involved tossing pingpong balls into a cup
of beer and the other seemed to be a speed drinking contest. She said that
the students were chill and did not pressure her to participate beyond her
comfort.
At least a hall-wide drinking party meant that the students were
talking and enjoying each other’s company. It was better than her experience
last summer at U.C. Santa Cruz where the students just stayed in their own dorm
rooms and smoked. We need to wash her sleeping bag because of the fresh and
used beer that was on the dorm carpet. Even though she had fun, Jessica said she
does not want to be on a party hall when she goes to college next year.
We spent Saturday seeing something of Houston.
In the Museum District, the Menil Collection,
Rothko Chapel, and
Byzantine Chapel nearby are very impressive. The Rothko chapel in particular
is a remarkable space. As we sat in the dim light of the quiet 8 sided room, the
deep colors of the large canvases felt increasingly complex. The sizes, positions,
and relationships of the panels became more interesting. Those which were all deep
matt purple revealed their horizontal brush and vertical drip patterns while those
painted in glossy bordered rectangles shone softly under the skylight. The 14 paintings are presented in three sets of triptychs, one of which is set into an apse
or large recess, plus 5 panels. We were there on a cool overcast day . I imagine that
bright light and heat outside would make the chapel feel quite different.
Jessica has an audition next month for Lawrence Univ.
(the school is in Wisconsin but they hold regional auditions in San Francisco).
There are a number of schools to which she is re-sending materials she
submitted earlier which they can’t find. Plus, she has a few more interviews.
After all that is done, we wait until the college acceptance decisions
arrive in the mail on 1 April.
KatysBlog 