I hark back to my long ago, semi-innocent days on the Paynes Prairie Plains of Gainesville, Florida.This photo captures the most important part of the University of Florida campus for me back in the day - University Auditorium and the tall, circa 1953, red brick Century Tower that was built next to the Auditorium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the university's beginnings.The University Auditorium was the special, hallowed place I walked to each day at Noon for a choral practice on risers with an excellent 60 member, mixed gender, acapella singing organization, THE U of Florida's University Choir.The exciting, difficult, high-brow, eight-part, close harmony music we practiced was later performed in concert on bus tours all over the eastern USA, up to Montreal, Canada for the World Expo '67, and in Washington DC's National Cathedral. Classical Latin church anthems, passionate Negro spirituals, Broadway play hits, Civil War era ballads, ... all were our specialties.But more importantly, singing each day helped me meet REAL WOMEN! -- since few coeds were studying engineering or dating nerdy engineer-wanna-be's back in that day. Think: thick eyeglasses in a plastic frame, a Shirt Pocket Protector full of colored pens and pencils, and an 8-inch engineering Slide Rule in a bright Orange Sheath on my belt.Awesome music, great director, good artistic friends, and my three unique, Gatortown Apartment roommates were all a part of the work and fun. I learned much about talented people and gained more personal confidence by participating on such a "special team".THE GATOR NATION IS EVERYWHERE - Both IN and OUT of "THE SWAMP"! GO GATORS!
Read more…
Comments