Song of the Day

This is one of my new favorite songs. It helps me feel good.

"Everything" by Michael Bublé

Song of the Day

I've been saving another song for a long time to use for Song of the Day but I feel like I need to make fun of myself a bit here so...

"Anxiety" by Pat Benatar

Apologies

I am going to apologize right now for any further blogging that has to do with me slipping into my shell mode, panicking about college, or missing home. I'm sorry. That's just what I do.

Falling Behind

I'm trying so hard to stay in control of my emotions here. I took my math placement test this morning with high hopes that I wouldn't have to take any more math and that I would finally be done messing around with my schedule. I was foolish to get my hopes up. It turns out that because I took business math last year I'm still technically a full year behind and now have to math a science math series. Last year was apparently a waste of time and money. I'm so pissed off.

Now I have to drop my biology class and try to sign up for my a math class, return my biology books, and try to decide if I can handle taking 18 credits each term. I also might have to go to school for an extra year. NO! I hate this. I don't even want to be here right now let alone 4 more years.

I also didn't realize that the saying "up hill both ways" could actually be true, but it is.

I just want to go home.

Now A Viking

It's been a long time AH readers, but I'm back. Over the summer I found it increasingly difficult to use my Internet and somewhere in the middle of July I gave up. Now that school has started I will be able to use a decent service and go back to my normal blogging habits.

I moved into my dorm today and am now mostly unpacked. I have yet to make the space mine, but am doing it slowly.

I had a quick goodbye with my mom and sister so as not to drag it on like last year. I called her about an hour ago and it was rough. Even now thinking about it is impossible to do without welling up. So, moving on.

My roommate is from Taiwan and speaks English quite well. I have met only one of my other two suite mates and things went fine.

I'm not sure if I'll make dinner tonight because I wish just informed by my suite mate (who works for Dining Services) that the dining halls close at 6:45, convenient. I was going to meet a friend for dinner at around 7:30, but now I don't know. It'll hopefully be fine because I had a big lunch and am not hungry, so no worries.

Tomorrow I will be taking a math placement test in the morning. I would have done it sooner, but because I changed my major in the middle of the summer I didn't know to take it during "Transitions." I will also be exploring the campus, meeting up with a friend or two, and going to declare my new major.

For now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping things go smoothly this year.

So much for a break

A fire broke out near a couple apartment complexes around 3:30. The editor, managing editor, and I happened to be in the newsroom when the call came in on the scanner and drove to the scene. There were several natural fire breaks so only about an acre of field was burned. In the photo I'm waiting to talk to the head firefighter. I had already interviewed several people watching.

A week well done

While Pullman is by no means a bustling metropolis, I'm a firm believer in making the best of things and moving forward. So while the Communication School has thus far been a disappointment, I console myself and am made happy through working at the newspaper.

Similarly, while I sometimes miss Olympia's downtown, it is possible to spend an afternoon just as pleasantly in Pullman. After our noon class where we watched an episode of Law & Order (it's a Criminal Law class) the editor and I walked to a nice little thrift shop, hidden among a throng of fraternity and sorority houses. I couldn't resist picking up what at the time I thought to be a rather tacky tie (now I think it's just more ugly) for a collection, and two old books.

After our adventures at the thrift shop, we returned to the newsroom and picked up the managing editor for another trip to Ferdinand's for ice cream. As today was surprising warm, the walk was pleasant. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Farmer's Market in Moscow, ID.

The relaxing and laid back day was all too welcome after a week full of breaking news due to the sexual assault incident on campus. I also had two tests this week. I'm proud of the way we covered the incident but am looking forward to things dying down a bit. I skipped a class on Thursday and spent the afternoon at the courthouse with the copy chief to get an update on the Russell case also.

The week has been a busy one and though I'm a bit tired, it's nice to have busy week once in a while. It makes you feel like you accomplished something. It also makes me appreciate a day like today that much more.

A Cold Day

It is quite cold out this morning. This did not matter to some.

Girl 1: Tank top and T-shirt with a mini skirt and flip flops.

Me: Long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and a sweater.


Girl 1: Shivering and covered in goosebumps.

Me: Perfectly comfortable.

Did you find it?

If you find this, and you know who you are, my favorite posts are my stories from working at the plywood plant. Most of them are under the label work. You'll have to sort through them. Some are much better than others.

Also, you should refrain from negative judgements. They aren't nice.

First Home Football Game

At least 90 percent of the campus is wearing red. It's amazing and in some ways, creepy. That's Cougar devotion. At least 5 percent of the remaining 10 percent is sporting grey. As I said, I am amazed.

Don't ruin the holidays

Why?

Why are there Halloween cookies on display at Safeway?
It is not yet October.

Why?

Why was Christmas Vacation playing on the T.V.?
It's not even October yet.

There should be no Halloween references* until at least October. There should be no Thanksgiving references at least until after Halloween. There should be no Christmas references until after Thanksgiving. Everything has a time and place. It should be kept this way. Part of what makes the holidays enjoyable and special is that you have to wait for them. They aren't supposed to be around every day.

For shame.

*References include decorations, music, television, print, and casual conversations. This post is excluded.

Like eating ice cream

Eating an ice cream cone is like working at a newspaper. You have to constantly watch the edges of the cone for any possible drips. Sometimes a drip comes really close to falling off the cone because your attention was on another drip, but you catch it at the last minute. Other drips get on your clothes. The end of the cone, when ice cream starts melting out the bottom, is like deadline.

The above is a discussion I had with the editor-in-chief as we walked back from covering an event while eating Ferdinand's ice cream. She made the comparison.

Flushed Away

I never thought Jacques would come to mean much to me. I never really had a desire for a fish; I bought him on a whim. He wasn't the prettiest beta, more of a dull pink than a vibrant blue or red. He almost never became mine. I was interested in a small sapphire blue female when the swish of his tail caught my eye. I grabbed his plastic cup and he immediately proceeded to throw himself against the edge of his container like he was having a seizure. He was a psychotic fish. I knew he belonged with me.

I bought him a few plastic plants and an octopus holding a sign reading, "No Fishing." The first few days were a bit strenuous. I learned betas can puff out their necks much like a frilled lizard or cobra snake. He didn't like light, fingers, or pencils. He puffed up at them all. After a while, we got used to each other. Last year, while I sat at my computer working on homework, I could look out of the corner of my eye and see Jacques watching me. It was as much comfort as a fish can offer.

As I was preparing for bed this evening, I went to tell Jacques goodnight. I tapped on his bowl as I often do. He was sitting on the pebbles at the bottom as he often does. Tap. Tap. Tap. Slowly, his body floated to the top of the water. His fins were still, eyes glazed over.

He had already survived two nearly fatal accidents. Our cat at home tipped over his travel cup, then pounced on him, and as I was preparing him for his journey back to school, I poured him down the sink. Luckily, he got caught in the drain. I was so shocked tonight to see his spunk had finally run out.

Jacques is gone now. I can only hope, gone to a better place where the bowls are bigger and there are no pencils or sinks or cats. I feel guilty about his passing. I don't think he knows I did become fond of him. Lately I've been spending much more time with the newsroom fish. The newsroom is where I do my homework now. Jacques had no one to connect with. I left him with only Ollie his octopus for company. I was busy, but I didn't forget.

I never thought Jacques would come to mean much to me. He was just a fish after all, something I could never envision myself becoming attached to. But over time he wasn't just a fish to me. He was my first fish, my big-lipped study buddy. He was a comfort. I'll miss seeing him perk up when I tap his bowl. I'll miss him watching me work.

Jacques was a good fish. Slightly neurotic perhaps, but that made him all the more endearing. All future aquatic pets shall be judged against him.

A rant about direct relationships

The more time I spend sitting through college classes, the more fond I become of my years in the International Baccalaureate program. A large part of the problem arises because I am still in required lower-division courses. The classes are ridiculous. I constantly feel like I am being spoken down too and that professors purposefully draw out lectures to fill the entire class period, even when they could finish them in half the time.

The I.B. program was a good program because more than being challenging, the teachers expected things of students. Perhaps I have become disillusioned during these years I haven't been in high school. I didn't like all my classes, but save for a single instance (a horrible zero hour class) I don't remember constantly feeling like my time was being completely wasted.

It's not that I know everything already. I.B. prepared me well, but I still have much to learn and am eager to do so. The classes introduce new material, they do, but it is presented in such a way that it's better for me just to read the over-priced textbook. It bothers me that the lectures aren't really necessary.

All throughout high school, we were warned. College will be different. It is different, but not in ways I had hoped. I miss the challenge. I miss having more expected of me, than merely showing up. I suppose I may take all this back when the first set of mid-terms come around, but somehow I doubt it.

I'm not suggesting classes should be made unnecessarily difficult, but I want to gain something from them. I sincerely hope upper-division courses will be an improvement.

A few words and random quotes

Being news editor is different than I thought it would be. It also keeps me busier than I expected. Still, though I practically live in the newsroom, I am enjoying myself. As I enter the third week of the job, my staff is finally beginning to come together so I have a moment to type these few words. Ariel will return to school soon also and with a better internet connection, I expect the frequency of her posts to increase as well.

As I have not posted in a while, I wish this post to be at least a little entertaining. I've decided the easiest and most efficient way to accomplish this is to share quotations from the newsroom quote board, my profs, and the paper's "Overheard in Pullman" feature.

Newsrooms are special places.

"If I ever get married, I want my wife to give birth to a puppy." - He dislikes children

"This is like eating rainbows." - In reference to a Scooby Doo push pop

"Stop copy editing the people."

Professors

"How do we know Angelina Jolie is a liberal?"
"Because she cares about poor people." - Student response

"Their grooves are hellaciously deep." - referring to the schemas of bigots

Overheard

"My poli sci class is such a joke. My professor kept talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis. What the hell is that?" (This was my poli sci class. Thanks to I.B./my H2O class and my literacy, I knew what the CMC was.)

"You can't have a memorial service without Hawaiian Punch." - mourning the death of Weekly World News

"I will not carry two half-gallons!"
"You WILL carry two half-gallons!" - arguing over vodka transport

It's going to be a good day.

A bee landed on my arm as I walked to the office today. I felt the smallest prickle of its tiny legs on my arm. It did not sting me, just sat for a second and was then on its way. It made me feel lucky.

Only moments later, a flash on the ground caught my attention. It was not a heads-up penny, but an entire quarter. Bright and shiny, Washington faced me. I'd already had my luck for the day so I left it on the ground for someone else to discover. I hope it makes them happy.

Classes - Fall 2007

Classes have begun. I had one yesterday and four today.

1) Criminal Law - This class has great potential to be interesting. I hope it lives up to it. Two other Evergreen editors are in the class also.

2) International Relations (a.k.a. Pol S 103) - The instructor is fascinating. Unfortunately, I spent the first class period sandwiched between two frat boys who used the hour and 15 minutes to catch up on summer doings. Phrases like "Yo, dude" and "Way, cool," and "O, I was blacked out that night," floated back and forth above my head the entire class.

3) Logic and Reasoning - Picture a short, nearly bald man with thick glasses. Imagine him speaking like the teacher from Charlie Brown except, every few minutes, insert "Conversely," into the mwah mwahmp mwah.

4) Communicantion and Technology - This course is lab and lecture with the lab being today. It is my TA's first time being a TA. I have a horrible time understanding accents and he is Korean. To make matters worse, he was confused about the attendence sheet and read off first and middle names instead of first and last.

5) Language and Behavior - The instructor is very enthusiastic. I enjoyed his lecture, and found him funny. But not as funny as he found himself.

I haven't really given much thought to classes so far because I've been focused on the semester. All of my classes are required but I am excited about 1,2, and 5. I don't think the semester will be unsatisfactory.

Officially Awake

The Josh Groban "Awake" concert was last night, and it was needless to say AWESOME! I. Love. Him.

We were going to stop at Pike's first to kill time, then head over to the Center, but we were unaware of the fact that it was the hemp festival yesterday on the piers. So, instead of continuing to try to find parking (impossible) we went to the Seattle Center hours ahead of time. It turned out to be fine, but while we were trying to eat I was having trouble sitting still because of my anticipation. Then after the meal I developed at stomach ache from my inner excitement. Please do not tell me how pathetic I am because I already know.

We walked around for a while then decided we might as well get some Starbucks. Then a little while later...we got in line! The quotation from me that made all the people around laugh "Mommy, I'm totally excited! Are you totally excited?" Please note that I said that super fast with a Starbucks in my hand.

We got in to Key Arena and made our way to the souvenir stand nearest our seats. I purchased a Josh coffee cup, key chain, and poster. Then we excitedly made our way to our seats, which were again AWESOME! Naturally then, I called Christina.

When I concert started I was literally shaking uncontrollably (and not from the coffee). When the first song started Mom leaned over and said "that's really him singing...not a recording. It's Josh!" About halfway through the concert Josh disappeared from stage and reappeared IN THE CROWD! My sharking intensified. He was on the other side of the arena, but he was coming closer..."Burn this into your memory," Mom said.

All I could think was "Oh my God. This is it." I was ready to spring like a cat if he came our way. Now he was walking strait for me...my heart began to melt...just keep coming...but no. At the last second her turned and went up the center aisle...sorry I just dazed off.

OH MY JOSH! I am now trying desperately to cling to the already fading memories.

Outside my window

... the red glow of the clock tower peeks through the leaves.

... nearby buildings are dark, but for the occasional frame of light.

... an airplane flies low overhead, leaving silence in its wake.

... poorly placed sprinklers make puddles on the sidewalks. There is no other movement, no wind, no creatures. Just the splatter of water drops.

One issue and week down

Our very first issue of the semester was released yesterday. It was 48 pages long, but I made it through. My job was actually finished a lot sooner than the other editors, but I stayed around in case I was needed. Now I just have to come up with content for the next set of five issues, beginning on Monday. Then there's the week after that and the week after that, but I'm trying not to become overwhelmed.

Yesterday I spent the hours between 10 and 2 at the all-campus picnic trying to recruit anyone and everyone who even momentarily hesitated as they passed by our booth. We actually did get a few interested students and I hope they follow through. I also forgot to put on sun screen and it was during the worst possible hours of the day. I was wearing a T-shirt so I have an awkward farmer's tan sun burn on my arms and my face is also quite red. Poor nose.

I installed my T.V. in my room last night, only to discover the university significantly cut its cable package and now only provides 13 channels. I was quite disappointed.

I'll try to keep up posting throughout the week, but with classes starting and my first full week of newspaper, I don't even want to think about how busy I'll be. Another update might have to wait until next weekend.

I'm off to find some aloe vera gel.