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Story Subject Category: Hobbies
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Odyssey of the Mind is an international competition centered around creative problem-solving for students from kindergarten through college. But researchers at the University of Illinois are using those same brain teasers, stage performances, and long-term problem solving challenges to study the possible benefits these types of activities might have on the minds and overall well-being of older adults.
Segment duration: 07:46
Story links:
- Senior Odyssey
- Dr. Elizabeth Stine-Morrow, University of Illinois
- Odyssey of the Mind (International Program)
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Steve Drake and Tristan Riddell
This segment is filed in these categories: Hobbies • Science/Nature • University of Illinois • University of Illinois • Urbana
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The art of storytelling has been with us since before written history. When most people think of storytelling today, they think of someone simply reading a story aloud from a book. But traditional storytelling actually involves much more than that. We caught up with storytellers Dan Keding and Kathe Brinkmann to get the story straight from the storytellers themselves.
Segment duration: 11:01
Story links:
- Champaign-Urbana Storytelling Guild
- Tim Sheppard’s Storytelling Resources for Storytellers (UK)
- International Storytelling Center (Jonesborough, TN)
- Dan Keding: Storyteller, Author, and Folk Musician (personal website)
- Kathe Brinkmann: Storyteller (personal website)
Producer: Steve Drake and Virginia Steffen
Editor: Steve Drake and Tristan Riddell
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Folklore • Hobbies • Literature • Champaign • Urbana
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The Red Bull Flugtag is a competition were teams design, build, and pilot their own, entirely human-powered flying machines. Since the event began in Vienna, Austria in 1991, more than 70 Flugtags have been held around the world. The most recent one in the Midwest was held at Chicago’s North Avenue Beach. Series producer Steve Drake joined a number of central Illinois teams in Chicago and rooted them on as they showed off their vehicles, pre-flight comedy sketches, and often even funnier dance moves.
Segment duration: 10:36
Story links:
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Steve Drake and Tristan Riddell
This segment is filed in these categories: Hobbies • Sports • Chicago
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Have you ever seen a neighbor, friend, a loved one, or maybe even yourself, cruising around his front yard on a riding lawn mower? Maybe they seem to be having a little bit too much fun to be considered yard work. With a little mechanical expertise and a lot of courage, you can have even more fun on a lawn mower. We catch up with a group of enthusiasts in Metamora, IL who have taken their love of racing, and the riding mower, to all new extremes.
Segment duration: 8:02
Story links:
Producer: Steve Drake and Brian Paris
Editor: Steve Drake and Tristan Riddell
This segment is filed in these categories: Automotive • Hobbies • Sports • Mendota • Metamora
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Twenty-five years ago, professional disc jockey David Lee Allen bought a single piece of Coca-Cola memorabilia. Then he bought another one. And another one. His collection grew so large that he’s created his own museum dedicated to his favorite soda—David Lee’s Cola-Zeum. Showcased in the museum at the Hickory Point Mall in Forsythe, IL, are a full-size Coca-Cola denimachine van, a R2-D2 cobot (Coke-robot), and many other iconic Coke emblazoned items.
Segment duration: 9:07
Story links:
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Antiques/Collectibles • Hobbies • Forsythe
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Yu “Ian” Wang is an avid collector of local artists. He was born in China’s southernmost province of Yunnan and immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. Although he lives in Champaign and works in Rantoul, Wang has always kept his ties with his Chinese homeland. Collecting artwork from his hometowns takes him not only across the Midwest, but across the globe. His collection is a combination of traditional Chinese water-ink painting and modern Western abstract art.
Segment duration: 9:11
Producer: Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Antiques/Collectibles • Arts/Culture • Ethnicity/Culture • Hobbies • Libraries/Museums/Cultural Centers • Champaign • Rantoul • Urbana
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We meet Runway, a group of young fashion designers from Urbana-Champaign who have joined together to create high fashion from other people’s cast-offs. Using recycled materials, the Runway designers put on a fashion show that highlighted not only their creativity and ingenuity, but also the need to conserve and re-use many the things that people throw away. Jared Collins got a front-row seat for Runway’s fashion show.
Segment duration: 07:09
Story links:
Producer: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
Editor: Jared Collins and Steve Drake
This segment is filed in these categories: Arts/Culture • Environment • Hobbies • University of Illinois
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For 6,000 years people have been practicing yoga. Its roots are religious, but outside of India, most people practice it as a form of exercise. Producer Virginia Steffen examines this ancient practice and learns that it’s something anyone can do.
Segment duration: 08:49
Story links:
Producer: Virginia Steffen
This segment is filed in these categories: Hobbies • Champaign
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A group of baseball players in Macon County is preserving the old days of baseball. The Rock Springs Ground Squirrels play the game by 1860s rules, which don’t allow swearing or gloves. Producer Julius Bolton takes viewers to the Macon County Conservation District to enjoy a bygone era from our national pastime.
Segment duration: 06:02
Story links:
- Vintage Baseball Association--Rock Springs Ground Squirrels
- Rock Springs Ground Squirrels Vintage Baseball Site
Producer: Julius Bolton and Jeff Bossert
Editor: Tim Hartin
This segment is filed in these categories: History • Hobbies • Illinois Culture/History • Sports • Decatur
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By producer Alison Davis Wood
There is something about the idea of defying gravity that is really addicting to people. Why do people always want to attempt flying through the air? Probably the safest way to explore this desire is by learning to fly model aircraft. At least then when you are learning to fly you don’t have to leave the ground.
Champaign-Urbana has a large number of model aviation enthusiasts because the twin cities are home to two of the largest manufacturers of model planes. These companies even have professional flying teams which travel around the world testing and racing company products. The members of the local club are just as serious about their hobby. Their model aircraft airport is immaculate and I’m sure it is one of the best in the country.
My first time seeing model planes fly up close was when I was taping this story. Videographer Julius Bolton and I attended the CCRCC’s “Giant Scale Fly-In.” The planes were awesome in their size and resemblance to actual aircraft. In our quest to get the best shot, we asked club members if we could get out on the runway to get closer to the planes. Normally they would have said absolutely not, but today professional flyer Frank Noll was on hand. They said he was such a skilled pilot, they felt confident that we would not be struck by his six-foot plane.
So Julius and I headed out to the prairie grass on the far side of the runway. I think Frank liked the challenge of having human obstacles and he wanted to get us the best shot. Before I knew it his incredible plane was hovering just feet away from us. It was amazing and a bit frightening, as we had just heard stories how the propellers on model aircraft can cut off fingers. We wanted to get home with all our digits and limbs intact! But we didn’t need to worry. Frank had complete control of the plane and he swooped it by us several more times before taking it in for a perfect landing.
Remember you can learn to fly a model plane at the club’s free instruction nights. These happen every Thursday in good weather.
If you want to experience model aviation for yourself then don’t miss Great Planes Model Manufacturing’s E-fest, Feb. 9 and 10, 2008, on campus at the University of Illinois. For more information visit http://www.gpe-fest.com Saturday is THE day to be at E-Fest because they have open flying all day with pylon races, ultimate combat and a unique “blackout” where pilots trim their planes with lights and fly in the dark.
Segment duration: 07:09
Story links:
Producer: Alison Davis Wood
Chief Camera - Segment: Julius Bolton
This segment is filed in these categories: Hobbies • Champaign County
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