...a call to all USAFA artists, in case you're not my friends on FB and you didn't catch this there:

"People.

If you're like me, and you enjoy any form of lifeexperiential that isn't spoon-fed to you over Big Voice and through drugs in Mitch's poultry, you know we need this. There's a group of us who have tried in various different ways and forms to institute a cadet art club at USAFA, all of which have taken a metaphorical beating from the system over and over again. Whether we WANT one or NEED one is up to the individual, but I believe we DESERVE one anyhow. You feel me?

I mean, heck, we even have a Magic: the Gathering & Yu-gi-oh card club. Why on earth should it be so hard to make an ART CLUB?

Some ideas have been volleyed back and forth amongst this desperate group of art junkies...some of which are earnest, some of which are illegal, but all of which revolve around the nonlinear progression of human understanding and the glorious expansion of the mind and soul. Or something thereabouts. In any case, these ideas have one blessed commonality that may save us all: at least at USAFA,at least now, there is no rule against meeting in large groups in our spare time. Although I've heard that may constitute a conspiracy at other prestigious institutions.

Conspiracy not-withstanding, they can't stop us from getting together and rejoicing in the world of art on our own. And as with all lemming behavior at this place, the more the merrier.

I propose the informal institution of a Cadet Art Club, or CAC as it has become equally informally known, a sort of Dead Poets Society of the Cadet Wing (kudos to Neco for the recommendation).

This has been extremely thinly thought-out, since I'm writing this in immediate response to a cry for justice from a friend (to whom this meant a lot). Instead of writing my 10-page history paper that's due on Friday. Some ideas I think we can play with are collecting a minimal fee from interested parties if the board supports it, which can be used to put together evenings out or, even better, food. Even without funding, we could...have movie nights in the Winchester (don't ask)...showings of art films...going to cultural/art festivals...attending local seminars...enrolling in weekend pottery classes...organizing trips to the Denver Art Museum (which entails fabulous cuisine)...recruiting guests/local artists to teach us nifty tricks...learning to cook in the Oasis...and, of course, exhibitions/get-togethers/general-camaraderie with just us cadets.

Last year we even tried issuing a weekly assignment to encourage people to participate...because, as we all know, the only way to get cadets to do anything is to send out a syllabus. And even that often doesn't work.

Ultimately, this has been a long, drawn-out, Monster-fueled call to anyone who feels that their life here may be missing some abstraction. Comment if you'd be interested and willing to join the USAFA non-official cadet art club. The Dead Poets Society/Dead Pilots Society of the Hill...hey, we got a new coffee shop, now anything's possible.

...now MAKE IT REAL."