This is a wordle based on the blog’s contents. Oddly enough, it seems we talk about students a lot. And bathrooms.

Below is another one, for the Talking Stick:

Thanks to Josh Goldman, Senior Director at the Central Office, for sending these to me!

ACUHO-I Conference Romance Ends Abruptly

If you feel like you didn’t represent yourself well, this article may be helpful:

Blistex Executive Makes Fool of Himself at Lip-Balm Conference

Airport Transportation: ACUHO-I has arranged for a 10% discount with SuperShuttle.  Look here for more information. Taxi fare will run you approximately $25 one-way, so SuperShuttle will definitely be the most economical choice. Reserve a spot online and then check in at the counter next to Baggage Claim #1.

Evening Activities: don’t forget to buy tickets now to the shows – this the only way you’ll guarantee to get in.  Check do512.com for a list of events happening over the next few days.  I’ve also added some events to my list on Google Docs and will keep adding to the list as I hear of new events.  Once you get to the conference, your complimentary copy of The Austin Chronicle will help you find fund stuff to do.

Conference Updates: There are two ways that you can get important conference updates.  1) check the electronic newsletter on the plasma screens in the Hospitality Lounge and outside Room 18, and 2) follow #acuhoi on twitter.  This is where we will post information about upcoming conference events, program changes and other news.

Learn More about Twitter: Our “twutors” can help you get started using this valuable networking tool! The twutors will be available in the Hospitality Lounge during the following times: Saturday (12:30-5:00), Sunday (12:15-2:15), and Monday (12:15-2:15). Then join us for the 1st Annual TweetUp on Tuesday after the Closing Reception.

Hop On the Bus, Gus: This falls into the category of “things I wanted to blog about, but didn’t get around to it.”  The #4-Montopolis Capital Metro bus runs east-west through downtown and can get you to some really great places (BookPeople, Waterloo Records, Whole Foods, Bess, Z’Tejas, Star Bar, Katz’s . . .). One-way fares are $1.  But: I’ve got a pair of 7-day bus passes to give away! The first registered conference attendee to email the phrase “another one rides the bus” to lellison@americancampus.com will win the pair! But hurry – the giveaway ends on Thursday, June 24th at Noon.

Take a Tour: The Division of Housing and Food Services at UT has graciously arranged tours of the Jester Center and San Jacinto Residence Hall for ACE attendees.  The tours will take place Saturday during the Opening Reception and will depart from the Alumni Center. If you aren’t able to attend the tours on Saturday, you can join in on the regularly-scheduled tours during the week.  The tour schedule will be available at the Local Arrangements Kiosk.

Hot Town, Summer in the City: And the back of my neck is definitely getting dirty and gritty.  The 10-day forecast for Austin: high in the mid-90s, sunny, 0% chance of precipitation.  Keep in mind that the indoor venues could get quite chilly, so plan to bring a light wrap in case the A/C is a little too much for you. And, the weather could change on a dime, so check before you finalize your packing.   As the old saying goes, “Don’t like the weather in Austin? Wait 10 minutes.”

Buy the Book: Sale prices all conference long in the ACUHO-I bookstore, on the 4th floor in the Hospitality Lounge. Add some titles to your student affairs library.

That’s all I’ve got, folks!  Be sure to stop by the Local Arrangements Kiosk on the 4th floor of the Convention Center for even MORE fabulous information about Austin.  The Local Arrangements Committee will be easily identifiable each day by either an official conference polo or tie-dyed “Keep Austin Weird” t-shirt.  Please feel free to stop us and ask a question or simply say “howdy”!

SAFE TRAVELS!  See you all in a few days!

It made me think a recent interview of Anthony Bourdain. You’re likely familiar with Bourdain. He’s the “bad boy” chef who has defected from the Food Channel, insulted various food celebrities including Rachel Ray (I happen to agree with him on that; I mean, Ritz crackers may be edible, but they are not food) and sneered at vegetarians. His Travel Channel show, No Reservations, features Bourdain journeying to exotic places, eating the local grub, and  having an epiphany by the end of the episode. It’s entertaining, fascinating and positively pornographic for foodies.

Whatever your opinions on Bourdain are, he’s at least given you good grounds for them; he’s forthcoming on any topic.

In this interview, Bourdain seems to have mellowed a bit (Though lately he’s been involved in a war of words with GQ food writer Alan Richman, so maybe not.) He discusses the value of being wrong, including about yourself. This really struck a chord with me. What about you?

But, first, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page in terms of what “barbeque” means. According to Wikipedia there are five kinds of Texas barbeque: (Editor’s Note: I’m still trying to figure out if we should spell it “barbeque” or “barbecue” and now you tell me there are different kinds?)

East Texas: The beef is slowly cooked to the point that it is “falling off the bone,” typically over hickory wood, and marinated in a sweet, tomato-based sauce.

Central Texas: The meat is rubbed with spices and cooked over indirect heat from pecan or oak wood.

West Texas: The meat is cooked over direct heat from mesquite wood giving it a somewhat bitter taste.

South Texas: Thick, molasses-like sauces that keep the meat very moist and barbacoa (often prepared with parts from the head of a cow, such as the cheeks).

In Austin, you’ll see mostly Central Texas barbeque. I’m not usually a dry rub fan, but if the barbeque is cooked well, the meat is so moist and the dry rub provides just the right amount of flavor to the beef . . .  Sorry – I got distracted. Anyway. Barbeque is typically sold by the pound and can include brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage links. For me, Texas Barbeque means “brisket.” The brisket is sliced as it’s ordered, so it will still be incredibly juicy. At the old-skool joints, they’ll just toss the barbeque and a couple of slices of white bread on some butcher paper and hand it to you. Then, you’ll pick up some sides such as beans, potato salad or slaw. Notice I haven’t mentioned sauce yet. Sauce is available on the table, but I often find that I don’t need it because the beef is so juicy and flavorful.

Now that we’re all hungry, I’ll highlight some places around the conference hotel where you can get some good barbeque, as well as some great places in surrounding towns that could be well worth the price of a rental car.

Downtown:

• Iron Works (2 blocks south) – features plates and by-the-pound.
• Stubb’s (3 blocks north) – great BBQ and a great live music venue.  Each Sunday, they host a Gospel Brunch with seatings at 11am and 1pm (reservations recommended)
• Lambert’s (9 blocks southwest) – I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard good things

Rudy’s BBQ (6 miles east): home of “the worst BBQ in Texas” (their words), Rudy’s is, in fact, quite tasty.  They sell their ‘que by the half-pound and sell their wonderful sauce in bottles (but, again, the brisket is so tasty, you don’t really need it).  In case you’re wondering, this is where I’ll be stopping tonight on my way home from work tonight (1/4-pound of moist brisket with potato salad, cream corn and banana pudding). There’s also a Rudy’s in New Braunfels (“home of the ‘wurst’ BBQ in Texas”), so if you’re heading down there to do some tubing, it’s easy to make a stop.

The County Line (10 miles east): Many people name The County Line as their favorite barbeque place around.  I respectfully disagree (see below).  However, The County Line is very good, and it’s location in town will make it more accessible to you if you don’t have a rental car.  There’s a location on Town Lake that is absolutely beautiful.  The County Line serves all-you-can-eat Country Style as well as platters.  They also have a location down at the River Walk in San Antonio.  And now, to my favorite . . .

The Salt Lick (20 miles SW or NW): there’s a new location of The Salt Lick in Round Rock (north of Austin), but if you’re going to drive that far anyway, might as well go out to the “real” one in Driftwood.  This is where I take out-of-town visitors for some good barbeque.  The drive out through the Hill Country is beautiful and the food is totally worth it. It’s so popular, that during peak times, they hire off-duty Hays County sheriffs to control traffic into the parking lot (but don’t let that scare you – it’s a large place).  Once you step out of your car, you’ll be hit with the aroma of smoking brisket.  Go to The Salt Lick VERY, VERY hungry – you’ll want to get the family-style meal, where they keep bringing you brisket, sausage, pork ribs and sides until you beg for mercy.  Then, they’ll have the audacity to ask if you want some cobbler.  And, even though you think you’ll blow up like that guy in the Monty Python movie if you eat one more bite, you order some (1/2 blueberry, 1/2 peach with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream on top).  If you like to enjoy certain malted beverages with your barbeque, The Salt Lick is BYOB.  It’s also important to note that it’s a CASH ONLY establishment. If you still need some convincing, check the “press” section of their homepage.  Maybe you’ll believe Bobby Flay and Chef Duff. If you just can’t swing a trip out to Driftwood, don’t worry – there’s a Salt Lick in the airport near gate 12.

Lockhart, Texas (30 miles southeast): When folks talk about Central Texas barbeque, this is usually the place mentioned as the best. Home to three world-class joints, it’s also home to some world-class family drama. Kreuz Market (pronounced “krites”) and Smitty’s once started as the same place – Kreuz Market, owned by the Schmidt family. When the patriarch of the Schmidt family died in 1993, he left the business and the name to his son, but the building and the land to his daughter. Unable to agree on the next step, the son moved Kreuz to a new building up the road and the daughter opened Smitty’s in the original location. Both are excellent, but be warned: if you go to Kreuz’s, you won’t get sauce or forks (at all). Trust me – you don’t need ‘em. Not to be forgotten is Black’s – the oldest joint in the state to be run continuously by the same family.  Check out this video for a great history of Central Texas barbeque in general and Kreuz Market in particular.  (WARNING: don’t watch if you’re hungry, as I just did. Big, big mistake.)

Most of the places I’ve listed above will ship all over the US. I’ve had a brisket from The Salt Lick shipped to my parents’ place in Alabama and it tasted just as good as the ones I’ve had in the restaurant.

That’s it for this week – it’s lunch time and I’m so hungry I could eat . . . Well, a big heaping pile of barbeque (on butcher paper, no sauce)!

Fluff-Up at Reed College Over Chicken Dinner During one week at the beginning of spring semester, Reed students can offer and take brief no-credit courses on any topic of interest — striptease, pool, or chokin’ the chicken. No, not that kind of chicken-choking; get your minds out of the gutter! A college senior who raises chickens for eggs and meat, proposed to demonstrate how one of the birds is slaughtered and dressed for dinner. Some students and organizations raised a ruckus, however, because of their distress that ” Reed students are taking part in the killing of live animals.” (I’ve heard it’s really hard to kill dead animals, though.) The course was ultimately canceled.

A Wily Chicken at Glendale Community College An apparently unnamed black chicken at Glendale Community college poses for pictures and accepts food from student fans. But when animal control stops by, he or she (they’re not sure which), crosses the road–natch!–and evades capture.

Turkey Overstays Her Welcome at Harvard Business School This is so ripe for jokes, I’ll let you think of them yourself. Nicknamed Turk Turkee, the wild bird was initially welcomed into the Harvard community, but her esprit de corps is lacking; attempts to roust her from napping in the dean’s garden (a favorite spot) results in pecks and snaps. Her, um, fowl-ness seems to increase when observers don’t offer food. She’s also vain; she’ll stare at herself in the clean, reflective windows of the business school buildings for hours. Some students find her cranky presence entertaining; others have created an “HBS Students FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE TURKEY” Facebook group. Massachusetts state laws regarding wild turkeys make her removal problematic.

Concordia College Chicken Put to Work A poster on Inside HigherEd offered up this chicken story, with a happy ending (for the college and the chicken). “Rocky,” a small, white hen, selected Concordia College as her home in the summer of 2009. Unlike Turk Turkee, Rocky was a good ambassador, welcoming students to campus in the fall and amassing a number of fans. But as winter neared, Concordia officials worried for Rocky’s safety; they also feared a larger predator would make a chicken dinner of her. So they found her a new home, where Rocky can continue her public relations work in safety.

Has your campus adopted an animal, avian or otherwise? Tell us about it!

We’ll see you in 2010!

Note the hospital’s librarians (squee!) gettin’ down at 1:14!

Have you collaborated with your students on a project such as this? Was it good for raising awarness? Tell us about it!