Tonight was UW-Eau Claire night at the Metrodome. This means that the wonderful a capella group, The Singing Statesmen, sing the national anthem. There are coupons for hotdogs, and some minor administrator throw out the first pitch. Since the Twins are in the tank, the game means nothing except to those who love baseball no matter who's playing or what the standings show.
The Oldest Living Graduate Student (OLGS) took 15 of his freshmen students to the game. They sat around our backyard, being polite, not drinking the soda or eating the chips. Most of them are from small town Wisconsin, although two were from Minneapolis suburbs. One of them, son of stiking Northwest employee, flew in from Eau Claire. The suburban parents came along, too, helping drive the kids from Eau Claire and back. A couple of the students had never been to the Twin Cities before. After the game, OLGS plans to have them ride the light rail line (LRT) to the Mall of America where they will catch their rides back to Eau Claire. Hope they like the big city.
They seem like nice kids. However, they made me feel ancient because I had to explain who Rod Carew is--the first 10,000 attendees at the Dome get a bronze statue of Rod. The kids didn't have a clue. This speaks not just to their youth, but to the decline of baseball as a central cultural touchstone. I didn't even grow up in the midwest, but I know who Rod Carew is. And I'm a girl.
