August: August was very much a continuation of July. While I was technically on break from the University, I continued to have bi-weekly meetings on the upcoming debate events. It was during this time that the specific requirements of each event came into clearer focus and small details like where to park generators and satellite trucks (that somehow escaped everyone but myself) came to the forefront of the discussion. Having a plan in place for the labor needs of each event (assuming the students were available and willing) we began to plan specific times for load-in / out as well as rehearsal as needed. The people who I was coordinating with were in way over their heads (even more than I was). The office that had been put in charge of the coordination of all fifty four pre-debate events (we only had nine in our building – the nine largest) were used to coordinating one off parties for donors. They knew catering. They did not know generators. Again, I was questioned about the amount of time necessary for a smooth load-in, the necessary rehearsal time, camera blocking time and the like. In most instances the 23 people in these meetings, most of whom are much higher in the University food-chain than I am accepted my recommendations, if reluctantly. However, when it came time to discuss the practicality of the installation of the new sound system in Fulton Chapel my input was squelched by the Vice Chancellor (wayyyyy above me on the food chain). I had written a proposal for a new system in October of 2007 and we received funding from a private donor. I built system designs and gathered quotes for the rest of the academic year and contracted with the installer in July. We thought that we were in place to have the system completely installed by mid-August. However, I received an e-mail at the beginning of the month from the installer that the speakers (which were being custom built) would not be ready until mid-September. By mid-September we would be in the thick of the events as well as opening our first show in our secondary performance area. I could not start installation (working largely overnight when classes are not in the space) at that time. I received this message one hour before I had a meeting with the full debate committee and had to fill them in on the news. Upon hearing the situation I was informed that there would be a new system in place. Period. As soon as I walked out of the meeting I contacted the installer to see what options we had. Understanding the situation (and not wanting to lose the contract) he loaned us a temporary system which was not as fleshed out as what we were purchasing, but that was far superior to what we had in place and would be plenty sufficient for the events.
Two weeks before classes began I gathered what labor I could for the installation and proceeded to spend four days and nights overseeing the initial phase of installation. It was a grueling process. The week before I had been called in to clear out my classroom by the end of the day so that they could begin construction on my new office. My classroom is pretty big, housing the computer lab, the light lab as well as drafting / table space. I called in some students and ten hours later it was cleared. I told them that we would move everything back as soon as everything was completed (they were only putting up one wall to create an office out of the classroom along with the requisite wiring). I assumed that it would be completed within two weeks and the students who helped would receive the remainder of the payment at that time. I subsequently went upstairs and packed up my office in anticipation of the move.
So, I was doing a lot of work during this non-contractual time and I was a little frustrated by it. I am a creature of habit. If I get into the habit of working on something, I can get it done. However, if it is constantly broken up with ancillary tasks (such as cleaning out the classroom or working on the debate) then I get out of the rhythm and have difficulty getting back into it. Therefore, the research that was supposedly being accomplished during this time period simply did not happen. I would get started, get rolling and then lose several days with this outside work. It is my fault for not being more structured, but that’s where I am at.
At the end of the month the school year began. On day one we began the hang for the debate events. It took some doing as we were hanging lights where I had never hung them and there were no circuits available. The stage was built out 16 feet downstage from where it typically ended. This meant, especially for televised events, I needed to move the lights back quite a ways. In addition to creating these hanging positions, we also had the challenge of finding all of our equipment. The Oxford Shakespeare Festival takes place each summer and uses one of our theatres. I had given them an inventory of available equipment which they largely ignored. Therefore, there was equipment scattered across campus that I had to locate and transport back. We had a week to hang and focus the equipment for the events. The first one was the Tuesday after we started back (Monday being Labor Day). It is a challenge to mount a production of this scope in the first week of classes when the students are slowly trickling in from summer jobs, and we are still assessing their skills. However, we got it done and were ready for the Naturalization Ceremony that kicked off the debate season on campus. More on that in September!
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