Eliot Blackwelder was the Chair of Geology at Stanford from 1923 to 1945.  His resignation meant an opportunity for the department to transform its complexion.  Its traditional interest in geomorphology (Blackwelder’s specialty) had ended with the hiring of its new chair who speciallized in petroleum geology and could thus grant the department lucrative relationships with the oil industry. 

Today, Blackwelder is primarily the temporary home of international graduate students picking up degrees in business, engineering, statistics, and management sciences, that will eventually afford them an avenue to a suburban office here or back home.  I’m organizing a talent show here.

Pijush, my fellow CA in the building, has warned me that Blackwelder residents "do not value creativity."  Like so much in Silicon Valley, perhaps it is a place that somehow does not foster superstitions, ghosts, memories, or even rumors.  A place in which one finds it hard to believe in anything other that one’s own demanding responsibilities.

Naively, I disagreed with Pijush.  On Monday, with only one person signed up, it seemed clear I had been proven wrong.  But I posted an add on craigslist about this talent show, inviting everyone in the Bay area to come perform for this busy dormitory.   

Now a breakdancing crew from Oakland, Lopsided Cirklz, wants to come over.  Barbara Sorensen from Chicago will give us at least two sing-along German folk songs on her acoustic guitar.  I also received an email from one woman saying she was a rhythmic dancer in the 2000 Olympics and she may come.  ‘The Donnas’ found out about it and they wrote me an email wishing me good luck with a dormitory jam in their old stomping grounds.  ‘Her Space Story’, now residing in Menlo Park, never responded to my personable email.

And from Blackwelder itself we got DC, who will drink a 2-liter of coke in one gulp; a woman will sing and dance a Hindi song while balancing plates on her head; a man will beatbox along to music coming from his laptop; a woman will demonstrate her vocal percussion; there is a possibility we will have someone play a traditional Columbian guitar.  The Molly McCoys will be banging flower pots and screaming.  And ChaRandle, on the piano, is going to write, on the spot, the Blackwelder theme song.

Blackwelder was named after a man who studied rocks.  And this Saturday, finally, Blackwelder is gonna get rocked.