The Jayhawk - KU's mascot

Now for all those who want to know about the mystical Jayhawk, there you are:

Mascots are believed to bring good luck, especially to athletic teams. KU is home of the Jayhawk, a mythical bird with a fascinating history. Its origin is rooted in the historic struggles of Kansas settlers. The term "Jayhawk" was probably coined about 1848. Accounts of its use appeared from Illinois to Texas. The name combines two birds-the blue jay, a noisy, quarrelsome thing known to rob nests, and the sparrow hawk, a stealthy hunter. The message here: Do not turn your back on this bird.

During the 1850's, the Kansas Territory was filled with such Jayhawks. The area was a battleground between those wanting a state where slavery would be legal and those committed to a Free State. The factions looted, sacked, rustled cattle, and otherwise attacked each other's settlements. For a time, ruffians on both sides were called Jayhawkers. But the name stuck to the free staters. Lawrence, where KU would be founded, was a Free State stronghold.

During the Civil War, the Jayhawk's ruffian image gave way to patriotic symbol. Kansas Governor Charles Robinson raised a regiment called the Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers. By war's end, Jayhawks were synonymous with the impassioned people who made Kansas a Free State. In 1886, the bird appeared in a cheer-the Rock Chalk Chant. When KU football players first took the field in 1890, it seemed natural to call them Jayhawkers. 

How do you draw a Jayhawk? For years, that question stumped fans. Henry Maloy, a cartoonist for the student newspaper, drew a memorable version of the Jayhawk in 1912. He gave it shoes. Why? For kicking opponents, of course.

In 1920, a more somber bird, perched on a KU monogram, came into use. In 1923, Jimmy O'Bryon and George Hollingbery designed a duck-like Jayhawk. About 1929, Forrest O. Calvin drew a grim-faced bird sporting talons that could maim. In 1941, Gene "Yogi" Williams opened the Jayhawk's eyes and beak, giving it a contentious look. 

It is student Harold D. Sandy's 1946 design of a smiling Jayhawk that survives. The design purchased from Sandy and was copyrighted in 1947 by the KU Bookstores. The University of Kansas later registered the design as its official service-mark and it is still one of the most recognizable and unique collegiate mascots in the country.

Today's lesson:

Jayhawks rock!

First days in Lawrence

The first night in McCollum Hall was really refreshing.... NOT! I think those beds haven't been changed since at least 20 years, if not longer, and so they seem to be more like a hammock than a bed.... Whatever...

Good to know: McCollum Hall is the most fucked up Residence Hall at KU!

The first day, me and my two future room mates (Jessica and Matthias) wanted to walk around the town, making some necessary purchases like an american Sim-Card for our cell phones. On our way around the beautiful little City of Lawrence, the first things we recognized were that KU's Campus is really nice and that it can be pretty hot (!!!) in Kansas! Americans seem to like building their colleges in a gothic look, that you would expect to find only with churches or old castles... It's anyway funny to see bricks with an inscription like 'AD 1997' in those buildings.

Downtown Lawrence is fantastic! Walking up and down on Mass Street (= Massachusetts Street, which actually forms the center of downtown Lawrence) you can always find some store or some people that help you waste your time..

The perfect end of the first day in Lawrence, after having walked the whole day, was introduced by finally reaching Wal-Mart Superstore... Man, this is really a super store!

Good to know: Wal-Mart is the perfect address for exchange student looking for cheap crappy stuff, that only needs to last for less than a year!

If you have a look at the prices of the bikes that Wal-Mart offers, I would say almost every german (usually at least a bit guality-oriented) person will start laughing. But it's as I already said: Perfect, if these things have to last for less than a year!! The price for my Mountain-Bike with a set of lights and a really heavy lock was in the end slightly more than $100.... And packed with some other things all of us three were just happy not having to walk home! Only this trip home after a whole day of walking would have been worth the price...

Good to know: In the US you can get bikes, footballs, guns and bow and arrows in one store...

Another funny discovery we made on that day was 'Fast Cash!'. This is a function of american ATMs, that helps you get your money real fast... The only thing with that is, that you do not have to chose the amount you want to withdraw, so that you receive a fixed amount of usually $40 or $50... But anyway, nice name for that! By the way: ATMs here are usually drive-thru ones...

Something really funny here in the US is, that those guys seem to never get tired of explaining things that you would expect everybody to know... I'm talking about things like handeling high temperatures or using a traffic light... Explaining how condensation on cold pipes for the air conditioning works when opening your window falls in the same category!

Another funny thing about Lawrence: No store can exist in this city without having at least a little corner with KU merchandising stuff. Depending on the store this corner can be more or less big. It is awesome to see how KU fanatic this whole city is! Everyone who is or has been at KU is called a 'Jayhawk', which is the mascott of our University. I will tell you more abou that bird within the next posts!

Today's lesson:
The inventor of basketball, James Naismith, was a Jayhawk!! (basketball is a big, big deal at KU)

How this blog came to its title...

Now here's a little explanation just for those who wonder about the stupid title this blog received from its creator:

'Flow' has been experienced throughout history and across cultures. The teachings of Buddhism speak of a state of mind known as the "action of inaction" or "doing without doing" that greatly resembles the idea of flow.

Historical sources hint that Michelangelo may have painted the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel while in a 'Flow state'. It is reported that he painted for days at a time, and he was so absorbed in his work that he did not stop for food or sleep until he reached the point of passing out. He would wake up refreshed and, upon starting to paint again, re-entered a state of complete absorption.

Bruce (Bam) Lee also spoke of a psychological state similar to 'Flow 'in his book the Dao of Jeet Kune Do.

'Flow' is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

Obviously this 'Flow' they are talking about must be pretty awesome... For those who became interested in that 'State of Flow' I just pinned the benefits that you can earn hereby on the side.

Take care!

The long and winding road to KU

Finally, after all issues concerning visa, flight and preliminary organizational stuff, had been completed, my parents took me on the way to the airport of Frankfurt... A quick breakfast was followed by saying good bye and passing all the (sometimes ridiculous) security checks.

Good to know: A leather belt is not a weapon...

The flight to my stop in New Ark was without troubles and on time, what shouldn't keep staying like that for the whole day. Of course I took the wrong counter at the immigration check-in and had to wait about 20 minutes longer than the other queues due to a nice idiot who hadn't got his immigration documents with him. At this moment I thought I had to hurry for my on-flight...

Immigration officers are really nice people looking like they wouldn't get paid for their job, always trying to leave you with the feeling that they don't care if you'd have to fly back home. The immigration check-in was followed by grabbing my luggage, having it checked again and giving it back... After all that running round the airport and passing some more security checks, I was told that my flight was delayed... Time for pizza!

Good to know: Pizza looks way different in the states, but they have IKEA too! (at least in New York)

With in the end almost 2 hours delay, I left ground with my flight to Kansas City (Funny fact: Every single one of the other german exchange students arrived in KC with a delay between 2 and 9 hours...). The plane was actually the smallest I've ever been on for such a long flight, with seats for about 40, maybe 50 Persons. I was happy to see, that my flight attendant seemed to be drunk and couldn't speak clearly anymore, which was even better because she was the only flight attendant on board. Because of the 2 hours delay of the flight the shuttle I booked to bring me from the airport to my residence hall at the university had already left. That meant another two hours of waiting for the shuttle in the very nice and very busy airport of Kansas City. I guess the delays are huge amounts of passengers they have to deal with...

Good to know: They do still care about 'The Wizard of Oz', even if Kansas City is not in Kansas (At least not as a whole. The bigger part is in Missouri if somebody is interested in that...)

But at 11:30 pm I arrived at 'beautiful' McCollum Hall, which I knew would be my home for the next week. Actually the room, that I was sharing with another guy from Stuttgart, was as charming as a prison cell... Unbelievable that one has to pay more than $300 monthly per person to just share your bedroom with another student. After that experience I was sure it was a good idea to search for a place to live off-campus.

Nevertheless, it was an awesome feeling to arrive at the campus of 'my university' of the next year!

Today's lesson:

The way to KU can be longer as one thinks...

See the related pictures!

Farewell Party

As I started already a bit late and a certain amount of time has passed so far since I took the flight over the pond, I have to catch up some things. Before leaving there had been two farewell parties, one with my family and one with my friends, that were both perfect! Thanks again for everybody who sweetened my last days and hours in good old germany and made my departure a little harder... Thanks guys!

 

And as I already started, let me also thank you all for all the fantastic and legendary presents you gave to me! I'll make a little shrine with all that stuff as soon as I have something to put it on it in my room...

Introduction

After all, I finally decided to start this blog as a site with two functions. First one is to keep everyone worrying about (or at least thinking of) me up to date with the latest news from the awesome University of Kansas. The second and maybe a little bit selfish reason is to keep a diary only for myself to track all the funny, interesting and stupid things I am experiencing during my time so far away from home.

I decided to keep all this in english to make it possible showing it to my new-made friends here in the states, and I am pretty sure, that almost anybody will understand my poor sentences...

So, thanks for reading or, if not, at least having a look at my pictures!

Greetz everybody,
Flow