I had one of those moments where everything seemed perfect. There were rays of sunlight filtering gently through the trees and birds chirping and crunchy leaves to step on, even. This moment of divine happiness occurred when I walked into the Burton-Judson courtyard and saw all the fall colors and blue sky and realized that while my econ midterm had been horrendous, it hadn't killed me.
But then somebody looked down from that cloudless sky and said, "No no no! You are mistaken! Today is going to be a shitty day just like every other!"
And just to make this fact inescapably clear to me, one of the so-called chirping birds flutters by, and takes a shit on my forehead. Today is no longer a good day.
29 October 2007
14 October 2007
Academic Crutches
I haven't devoted very much time to blogging lately, and since I don't really feel like finishing my homework, now is better than never.
I want to go jump in Lake Michigan. Again. Not because I enjoy freezing my ass off or sliding around on slimy rocks or watching my step for broken glass and hypodermic needles, but because that late night excursion to the "beach" was the most fun I'd had since coming back to school. I do wish that there weren't photos of it on Facebook, but then, I don't mind reminders of how much fun and vaguely rebellious that was. I also enjoyed Blues and Ribs--free food and several blues bands with lots of opportunities to show off my mad dancing skillzz. Actually, Ilana said I dance well. So there--bask in my awesomeness. Just don't try to dance with me, because I'll probably step on your feet.
Work this quarter is... eh. For Public Policy, I'm actually really enjoying Deborah Stone's Policy Paradox, but the rest of the class doesn't follow that book very much, currently focusing more on this really terribly written book (by my professor!) that's supposed to be about why the public and the experts disagree on environmental issues, but instead has strange logic-problem metaphors and inapplicable theories scattered around references to his other books that no one reads. Blargh. Econ is difficult and I have a midterm in a few weeks, but I think I'll survive if I actually study. Self, Culture and Society is a lot of reading (Rousseau, Adam Smith, Constant, E.P. Thompson) but it is mildly interesting sometimes. I'm not very excited about my midterm paper, though.
Art is kind of my anti-class. It is a lot more work than I anticipated--I have to write a paper with every project, as well as turn in sketches of random things unrelated to the main project every week, and do some readings--but I still get to think about art twice a week in class, and more often during late nights spent in the studio. Somehow staying there until after midnight the two nights before a project is due, zoning out with my iPod and getting covered in charcoal and acrylics and bits of foam insulation, is relaxing despite cutting into my sleep schedule.
My next project, due this Thursday, is to build a monument. A monument in any medium to whatever I deem worthy of memorializing. I admit I was pretty nervous last week when we had to present our ideas to the class--I waited anxiously to go last, and was thankful that time ran out and I just had to quickly summarize what I was doing for my professor after most people left. This student is making a monument to Consumerism, this one to Materialism, this one to Human Progress, this one to The Feminine Ideal, this one to Censorship. Lots of isms and Capital Letters. You know those dramatic ideas and heavy societal critiques, symbolic and profound and important.
Me? I'm making a monument to my summer job. And it's going to kick ass.
God bless and may your academic crutches support you for more than 2 weeks past graduation.
I want to go jump in Lake Michigan. Again. Not because I enjoy freezing my ass off or sliding around on slimy rocks or watching my step for broken glass and hypodermic needles, but because that late night excursion to the "beach" was the most fun I'd had since coming back to school. I do wish that there weren't photos of it on Facebook, but then, I don't mind reminders of how much fun and vaguely rebellious that was. I also enjoyed Blues and Ribs--free food and several blues bands with lots of opportunities to show off my mad dancing skillzz. Actually, Ilana said I dance well. So there--bask in my awesomeness. Just don't try to dance with me, because I'll probably step on your feet.
Work this quarter is... eh. For Public Policy, I'm actually really enjoying Deborah Stone's Policy Paradox, but the rest of the class doesn't follow that book very much, currently focusing more on this really terribly written book (by my professor!) that's supposed to be about why the public and the experts disagree on environmental issues, but instead has strange logic-problem metaphors and inapplicable theories scattered around references to his other books that no one reads. Blargh. Econ is difficult and I have a midterm in a few weeks, but I think I'll survive if I actually study. Self, Culture and Society is a lot of reading (Rousseau, Adam Smith, Constant, E.P. Thompson) but it is mildly interesting sometimes. I'm not very excited about my midterm paper, though.
Art is kind of my anti-class. It is a lot more work than I anticipated--I have to write a paper with every project, as well as turn in sketches of random things unrelated to the main project every week, and do some readings--but I still get to think about art twice a week in class, and more often during late nights spent in the studio. Somehow staying there until after midnight the two nights before a project is due, zoning out with my iPod and getting covered in charcoal and acrylics and bits of foam insulation, is relaxing despite cutting into my sleep schedule.
My next project, due this Thursday, is to build a monument. A monument in any medium to whatever I deem worthy of memorializing. I admit I was pretty nervous last week when we had to present our ideas to the class--I waited anxiously to go last, and was thankful that time ran out and I just had to quickly summarize what I was doing for my professor after most people left. This student is making a monument to Consumerism, this one to Materialism, this one to Human Progress, this one to The Feminine Ideal, this one to Censorship. Lots of isms and Capital Letters. You know those dramatic ideas and heavy societal critiques, symbolic and profound and important.
Me? I'm making a monument to my summer job. And it's going to kick ass.
God bless and may your academic crutches support you for more than 2 weeks past graduation.
06 October 2007
Remember
It's late, but remind me to tell y'all that today was awesome. Peach (and by Peach, I mean I) kicked some serious butt at Smash. And then I randomly decided that I wanted to go to the beach. So I said hey! Let's be spontaneous and walk to the point at 7:30 tonight. And people actually listened.
So we walked to the point and we climbed down a scary ladder and slipped around on the rocks. Then we found some sand and waded in and took really embarrassing photos.
It was hawt. And by hawt, I mean really really freaking fun. And super cold. But fun.
The end.
So we walked to the point and we climbed down a scary ladder and slipped around on the rocks. Then we found some sand and waded in and took really embarrassing photos.
It was hawt. And by hawt, I mean really really freaking fun. And super cold. But fun.
The end.
05 October 2007
Typical
Today was very busy, but a slight panic of business is good for me once and a while. I like having things to do, so I shall bore you with the details.
I had my first critique in art class this morning, and it went better than I anticipated. My late hours in the studio paid off, I guess, because my professor seemed to like my work. Fifteen representations of a framing hammer in all sorts of medium. I have to say that on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, it was rather amusing to walk back from the studio at 12:30 a.m. with an unusually heavy hammer in my hand. I like to think that people saw me and ran away scared, thinking I was crazy, but there was no one around to notice and I only had to walk one block.
Lunch today was fantastic because it was Cuko's Famous Burritos Day, which is essentially the dining-hall equivalent of Holy Week, only compressed into one delicious and heavenly meal. Every Thursday. I'm there.
I skipped public policy today because a) all my professor does is draw pictures and talk really really really quietly, and b) I had a paper to write (out of my rear end) for art.
But I did go to my Econ homework session. I swear, people at this school think way too much, and then proceed to sidestep the entire purpose of the problem (of their existence, too, I bet). Everyone wants to change the answer to something ten times more complicated. Assuming the ticket prices are the same, is it economically more expensive to see a concert here on campus or downtown? Sure, maybe you can bum a free ride to the city, and maybe you can read your econ textbook in the car so as not to waste any time--but the problem doesn't freaking say that, so hush. Details can be important, but they can also be completely pointless and completely a waste of time. Mmk, end rant.
After econ, I went straight to Calvert House to make bagged meals, which we took downtown to pass out on Lower Wacker and Michigan Ave. We actually had a hard time finding people today--I wish that meant that there weren't any to be found, but even I am not that optimistic. I kind-of think it would be interesting to research where homeless people live--have a map of the city with popular places marked in red so that food runs can be more efficient. Also, Fr. Pat tells me there's an ASP-like trip over spring break, so if I can't go with Habitat, I might try to join them instead.
I got back around 7:45 and had to shower, bake cookies for Habitat's bake sale tomorrow, help decorate Katie's door (it was my idea to put Marx on a beach, but unfortunately all I had time to do was make the sun), and finish my bullmush art paper. I also ate Katie's brownie cake and jumped up and down on a sheet of bubble wrap from Katie's present. Good times :)
Even in the midst of friends and work and whatnot, there is a different kind of loneliness and a different kind of boredom, like standing still.
I had my first critique in art class this morning, and it went better than I anticipated. My late hours in the studio paid off, I guess, because my professor seemed to like my work. Fifteen representations of a framing hammer in all sorts of medium. I have to say that on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, it was rather amusing to walk back from the studio at 12:30 a.m. with an unusually heavy hammer in my hand. I like to think that people saw me and ran away scared, thinking I was crazy, but there was no one around to notice and I only had to walk one block.
Lunch today was fantastic because it was Cuko's Famous Burritos Day, which is essentially the dining-hall equivalent of Holy Week, only compressed into one delicious and heavenly meal. Every Thursday. I'm there.
I skipped public policy today because a) all my professor does is draw pictures and talk really really really quietly, and b) I had a paper to write (out of my rear end) for art.
But I did go to my Econ homework session. I swear, people at this school think way too much, and then proceed to sidestep the entire purpose of the problem (of their existence, too, I bet). Everyone wants to change the answer to something ten times more complicated. Assuming the ticket prices are the same, is it economically more expensive to see a concert here on campus or downtown? Sure, maybe you can bum a free ride to the city, and maybe you can read your econ textbook in the car so as not to waste any time--but the problem doesn't freaking say that, so hush. Details can be important, but they can also be completely pointless and completely a waste of time. Mmk, end rant.
After econ, I went straight to Calvert House to make bagged meals, which we took downtown to pass out on Lower Wacker and Michigan Ave. We actually had a hard time finding people today--I wish that meant that there weren't any to be found, but even I am not that optimistic. I kind-of think it would be interesting to research where homeless people live--have a map of the city with popular places marked in red so that food runs can be more efficient. Also, Fr. Pat tells me there's an ASP-like trip over spring break, so if I can't go with Habitat, I might try to join them instead.
I got back around 7:45 and had to shower, bake cookies for Habitat's bake sale tomorrow, help decorate Katie's door (it was my idea to put Marx on a beach, but unfortunately all I had time to do was make the sun), and finish my bullmush art paper. I also ate Katie's brownie cake and jumped up and down on a sheet of bubble wrap from Katie's present. Good times :)
Even in the midst of friends and work and whatnot, there is a different kind of loneliness and a different kind of boredom, like standing still.
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