Strike A Pose!

When I returned downtown Saturday from swim practice, 

I happened to see the entire Purdue University 

All-American Marching Band 
had been gathered for their official photo. 

The site was the south side
of the Indiana War Memorial, 
just about the only place with enough stairs 
to accommodate this large band. 

I watched the proceedings with a number of other 

interested on-lookers, as the band director 

(Of course, it was! Who else?) 

arranged this group of people to his liking; 

with each move he made, you could see the improvements 

in the spacing and line-up of musicians, dancers, 

baton twirlers, drum majors -- 

"Trumpets, I want each of you to move two spaces 

to stage right to fill in the line." 

"Flutes, I need for you to step down one row." 

"Dancers, I want you to move towards the center, 

taking out the two benches on the ends." 

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And then, "Strike a pose!"

The musicians held up their instruments, 

the baton twirlers smiled prettily in their sparkly outfits,

the drum majors looked officious, 

the dancers turned their knees towards the center, 

the flag bearers got the breeze to hold 

their colors aloft, and the World's Largest

Drum was the center of it all.

Here is a YouTube video of a Purdue AAMB 

pre-game performance

Rainy Spring Evening, Downtown Indy

Last night during my painting class, heavy rain swept through the area. 

The noise from the hail on the roof of the art building was alarming; 

stones the size of walnuts were reported in some areas. 

The rain has continued since, although reduced to gentle showers.

Thursday evening, as I walked downtown from 

the Indiana Landmarks Center to meet my bus, I enjoyed

seeing the the flowers on the trees beginning to bloom

and the lights reflecting off the streets, glistening from the rain.

Ooooh ... It's a Man In A Pit!

I really enjoy taking pictures of men at work, 

men who know how to do the tasks that keep a home, 

a building, a city functioning. So I was delighted to look

into a manhole at the intersection of Meridian and Ohio Streets

 to find an actual, real MAN IN A PIT! And in harness, too!

He's an electrician, so I assume he can change

 a light bulb and understands circuit breakers.

The downside to his job, other than the claustrophobic

pit and occasional rat, is the fact that he's standing in water. 
Cold Water. Eeeuuw!

There's hustle and bustle all around town, 

both the usual street work as well as preparations

for the 2012 Super Bowl. This crew was at work last week

polishing the marble and terrazzo floors, and shining 
the brass railings in the Indiana War Memorial.  

And there's a lot of it to be made spiffy.

Memorial

Shown above is the lighted Star of Destiny 

hanging from the center of the Shrine Room in the 

Indiana War Memorial. The Memorial forms the centerpiece

of the five-city-block Indiana War Memorial Plaza, and 

was designed and constructed to commemorate the 

men from Indiana who served during World War I.

The memorial was built as part of an agreement made 

in 1919 by the City of Indianapolis with the recently

formed American Legion, in order that the Legion

would establish their national headquarters in the city.

The national headquarters, the Auxiliary building 

and Cenotaph Square lie at the north end of the Plaza, 

with the Central Library just across the street.

To the south lies University Park with the Birch E. Bayh

Federal Court House just across the street. In 1994, the entire plaza

was designated as a National Historic Landmark District.

Construction on the Memorial was started in 1926

with dedication ceremonies in 1933. Over the years, 

financial resources slowed the construction and it was

still incomplete at the time of its dedication.

In addition to the Shrine Room, the building also 

houses the Pershing Auditorium,

 offices, meeting rooms and a museum

showing artifacts from conflicts dating from 

WW I, including Vietnam and 9-11.

One of the doors on the main entrance on the north side

of the Memorial, which opens into a foyer taking a 

visitor to the Pershing Auditorium, shown below.

Above the Pershing Auditorium is the 

Shrine Room, which was designed to allow

the visitor to consider the meaning of service.

While there is an elevator, the room can be approached

by a staircase, which is people-friendly with appropriately 

scaled steps and landings. 

The Shrine Room with its design and subdued lighting, 

is a quiet place for contemplation for one's role as a citizen 

of the world, to think over our relationships with 

the community at large, and to the sacrifices made by others

in service to ideals too often invoked by those whose

intentions are less honorable than the words they mouth.