Chess is like football...

Shooting chess is like shooting football--the game lasts forever with frequent stops, pauses and whistle blowing. But I really liked this shot of Chase Watters. I like the chess handbook and chess pieces in the foreground and also the focused expression on Chase's face.

A Slow Post from China...

My last week's post caught a slow boat from China. Well, actually, I kind of forgot to post it...but the subjects WERE from China.

Last week the Bently family spoke at ACU about thier ministry serving orphans in China. Lisa Bently is a former ACU student and she and her husband John have 6 children. Eric told me specifically that I was not to go ANYWHERE near them for fear of contamination so I positioned myself directly behind them at the Monday night forum in Moody. And of course, they were adorable.

Levi Bently in the arms of his father John

Levi is a burn victim adopted by the Bentlys through the orphanage they work with. Levi sustained serious burns over the majority of his body and the scar tissue does not grow with him. Every year this happy, healthy little boy undergoes major surgeries and skin grafts to keep his body from bleeding.

This young Bently was attempting to introduce himself to the students in the collesium but, alas, could not stop giggling.

Orly Bently, 8, tells Dean Bernard a joke

Orly Bently is also an adopted child from the orphanage in China. She told Dean Bernard a series of jokes after the forum and kept him in stiches. What I loved about this family is that they were all always smiling.

Have you ever seen Rent?

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon photographing members of Soulforce. For non-ACU readers, Soulforce is a group of gay rights activists who targeted a number of conservative christian and military schools to raise awareness about violence against gays. ACU was one of those chosen schools, and also the first school on the tour to welcome Soulforce on campus and actually listen to what they have to say instead of forcing them off campus with police escourt.

While I was taking pictures I met Angel Collie. I know this is going to sound bad, but he had a truly interesting face and I just took a few minutes to watch him and take pictures.

Angel Collie speaking with Blake Bond, junior biology major,
in an open forum

I really like the strange way his mouth dimples at the corner. Also, check out his ear...that's a lot of gauging!

sleeping through tennis (and other adventures)

Okay, admittedly I'm not a sports fan by any means. I did go through my brief tom-boy baseball obsession--though I was definately never any good--but I've never really had an interest in sports. This passionate dislike could possibly be due to the fact I am the child of the two least athletic people in the world. It could also be because I grew up across the street from our small-town high school, a school that placed a large emphasis on sports.

Our house faced the athletic side of the school: the baseball field, football practice field, band practice field (all three of which doubled as a golf practice field), and my bedroom specifically faced the tennis courts. I have a large collection of abandoned sports equiptment that somehow made it's way into my yard and spent the most horible midterm of my life holding my head and trying to think physics while a stupid tennis player with a purple Stingray blared rap music loud enough to shake the chair I was sitting in.

I am not a sports fan. And yet, I kind of had fun shooting it this weekend.

Like when, while watching home, I caught our team tagging the other team out with a "creative" play. I wish the background wasn't so busy, but I'm really happy with the action that I caught. Next time I will try to shoot higher.

And here's a friend I made at the game...a munchkin, chewing on her brother's hat. Isn't that what little sisters do while the parents aren't looking?

And here's my tennis shot--my first sports shot ever!!! And it actually ran in today's optimist (probably because they didn't have anything else to use).

And here is my friend from the tennis match. This dog is a guide dog for a child in the wheel chair to the left. We had the same oppinion of the game...but, we both did our jobs--I got my shots and he got a nap.