Did I mention it’s near Canada?
I’ve been fairly mum about my most recent round of grad school applications, in the off chance that someone from an admissions committee somewhere decided they wanted to Google me; it’s not a giant leap from inputting my full name in Google to here, so better safe than sorry, right?
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I accepted an offer to enter the PhD program in American Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University.
In Bowling Green.
Ohio.
(The Midwest)
Surprisingly, though, I’m not really too concerned about the region; this probably has to do in large part with the false sense of security I’ve been lulled into by living in Northampton (Lesboville, USA) and then San Diego (which, while very conservative, has at least FIVE OTHER GAY PEOPLE. I’m serious, I’ve met some of them!). C and I are looking forward to moving closer to her family, being in a much smaller town, and finally being able to experience seasons again, and it’s a combination of these things that has made Bowling Green seem almost surreal in its perfectness.
Oh, and, uh, the program isn’t too bad either. By which I mean, of course, that when I got the email about it I nearly fell off of my chair, hiccuped, transcended several planes of existence and then a choir of angels sang to me from the heavens. Anyhow, I’m excited to be heading there.
So, what’s in store for me in this “Midwest” place? Well, first, there’s a building there called “Shatzel Hall“, which is just close enough to “Shatner Hall” or just “The Shat” to be awesome. “Main Street” there looks eerily similar to the Main Streets in my beloved Northampton, Amherst and Easthampton, so that’s a plus. The department’s robes (hood?) are pretty styling, which as Jenn can tell you had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS MONUMENTAL DECISION. Why on earth would I consider something as trivial as my duds? No, I certainly did not.
And, if none of the rest of that was true - if it wasn’t an awesome program in a town that’s comparably progressive for the state it’s in, even if the robes weren’t totally suave - it’s close to Canada, my beloved, beloved Canada. I tried to get a google map to link to, but apparently you can’t just map “Bowling Green, Oh to Canada,” nor can you map “Bowling Green, OH to Canada, Sweet, Mountie-ful Canada.” or even just “Canada, Canada,” so you’ll just have to take my word for it. It’s close to Canada.
Leave a Comment
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
The criticisms of my students would serve as a good warning to visitors of Seeworthy: she talks too fast, she's too hard on us, she assigns too much work, and you have to be a dyke to get a good grade.
In other words, I'm a big, fat, queer, feminist meanie, and I am totally out to get you. Graaagh!
Holy whoa friggity awesome! CONGRATULATIONS!
Other perks:
1) ASDAH was started at Bowling Green, so there ARE PEOPLE THERE FAMILIAR WITH FAT as a social issue!
2) Bowling Green has the absolute BEST Dairy Queen EVAR EVAR EVAR. They have the most variety and Exhibit A: These are “regular” Blizzards.
3) BG is also not all that far from Chicago, meaning perhaps you could join us at COFRA Think Tanks!
4) I also live comparatively close AND I’m FROM Ohio. I will get to meet you live and in person!!!
Okay, this was supposed to be Exhibit A:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2067/2398970887_bb2d7ee3f4_o.jpg
Bwahaha. I LOLed at your DQ pictures.
1: Awesome! I know there are others there who are into fat stuff, so that makes me feel extra reassured.
2: Yikes! This presents the very large problem that I don’t really eat at DQ/haven’t in years! What to do, what to do…
3: Totally did not even think about that, but yes! I could! The four hours seems like a *bit* of a trek, but I’m sure I could make it to at least one or two.
4: Woot! Where in OH are you? Is the Midwest really as bad as it seems to us non-Midwesterners?
Yay! That’s an amazing program and Bowling Green seems like a nice town, with weather.
Congratulations!!
I got my M.A. in College Student Personnel at Bowling Green. They had a very strong GLBTA association at the time and we collaborated on a bunch of programs while I was there. Every now and again I think about going back for a PhD.
And it’s very close to Canada. And Detroit. Not as exciting but wonderful Greek food.
Ohio is an 8-9 hour drive from Canada; I don’t really see that as being ‘close’ but its’ closer than you are now, so yay! Congrats on getting into a school that’s going to suit you so well.
The I-75 will get you from Dayton to Canada in about 8 hours; I used to have an aunt who lived there we’d go visit (Yup, I’m Canadian. 
)
http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=Bowling+Green,+OH,+USA&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title
Google says about 90 minutes to Windsor.
Not necessarily the very best that Canada has to offer, but Canada all the same.
Congrats!
WOOOO Bowling Green! BGSU also has a Canadian studies program and its own intramural curling team! As an alumnus of BGSU and someone who lived in Bowling Green for several years, I can vouch for it being a nice place.
Things to know:
- The Dairy Queen is, indeed, awesome.
- Easy Street has some of the best burgers around.
- Mr. Spots does a very good fire steak sub (read: spicy-ass beef grinder).
- There are two Big Boys in town–only one has a drive-through.
- Bowling Green is home to the National Tractor Pulling Championship (yes, there really is one and it’s a whole weeklong event that is loud, obnoxious, and draws some of the strangest stereotypes of redneckery ever).
- Finders is quite possibly the best independent music store I’ve seen in a small town.
- Also, if you get bored with fried, greasy, or ‘Mercan cuisine, Toledo is extremely close and has some of the best Lebanese food. Perrysburg is even closer and has the best Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to (El Vaqueros).
God–I just realized that most of my best memories regarding Bowling Green deal with food. And it makes me hungry for a blizzard.
I’m from a small town north of Dayton that’s about 2 hours away from BG. I always kind of wanted to go to BG. I thought about applying to their grad school, but their soc department doesn’t have a gender area. So now I live in the middle of Indiana, about 2 1/2 hours S of Chicago and about four hours from BG.
Now, having lived in Ohio and then moving to Indiana…I can tell you one thing: OHIO IS WAY BETTER. You would NOT want to move to Indiana…the conservativism and bored-out-of-your-mind levels shoot through the roof. Seriously, I thought Ohio was boring until I moved here. Now it seems like a mecca of fun and culture (well, kind of). Of course I live in a fairly small college town. But back in Ohio the much smaller town I lived in was also MUCH closer to a decent city. You will be near Toledo (and Canada), so you will be fine. You will definitely like that things in Ohio ARE SO MUCH CHEAPER than in California. So. much. cheaper.
I really hope that you go to BG and have a great time living there and a great experience in their program. Ohio is certainly not a progressive mecca, but hopefully it will be a decent fit.
This Jen character is a crazy person, and mrs.millur is… correct. One can go Windsor to Toledo in an hour, if you speed.
It’s like we’re neighbors! When do you make the move‽ [that last character is supposed to be an interrobang, should Wordpress garble it]
Holy Ohioans! I make one post about the Midwest and you people come out of the woodwork! (yay
And Steven: the plan, so far, is to go out in early August. We hope. I’m still trying to figure out moving costs/what all we can actually afford to move/how on earth we’ll be able to gather enough to get an apartment, but assuming everything comes together, figure… around the 9th-15th?
Dear Sheana,
On behalf of Canada, I would like to extend sweet, Mountie-ful Canadian love to you.
Let us not lie to ourselves - it was TOTALLY ABOUT THE ROBES.
Congratulations! That means you’re a lot closer to Chicago, too!
Congratulations. It’s a great program, and Bowling Green is a decent place to live, especially when compared to some other locations in the Midwest.