This is What I Do

I haven't been very consistent in my blogging as is obvious from the amount of posts from the last several months.  I guess I just let life get in the way too easily.  I'm not going to promise that things will change, as this blog isn't one of the more exciting things in my daily life.  Sorry.

So, the past couple of months have been eventful to say the least.  First and foremost, over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Utah and see the girl of my dreams:

It was so much fun.  Spending time together and doing the most random things.  It really solidified my feelings and is making the whole long-distance aspect of the relationship tremendously easier.  She's awesome, nough said. 

After that, I guess the next notable part of my life would have to be my involvement with Low Key:

Fro those of you who are unaware, Low Key is a coed a capella group at James Madison University.  We are sick, no lie haha.  It's an auditioned group that sings popular music a capella.  It is all student-run, which is truly a feat when you consider the amount of work that goes into arranging and performing music.  For this year, we were featured on Best of College Acapella (BOCA) 2011.  This is a compilation CD of the best college acapella groups in the United States.  We were lucky enough (or talented enough) to be selected for the second time since the groups inception in 2001.  It really has become a family for me.  A group of likeminded individuals (and I do stress individuals) who can just have a great time singing and partying together.  I know I can trust each and every one of them.  Oogs for life baby. 

After that, probably the end of the semster, the end of finals, and the beginning of winter break (which, unfortunately, is drawing to an aprubt close).  Winter break was amazing, probably the best I've ever had.  I was so so lucky to have Kelly for a couple of weeks (now she's back in Utah :/).  I must have spent every single day with her.  We did the most random assortment of activities haha.  But it really didn't matter, just being with her made me ecstatic.  Just a few pictures of our conquests:

We spent a lovely day in DC, made delicious cupcakes, watched several movies we had promised each other to watch, worked on the piano that we're hoping to restore into a useable condition (so much fun), introduced her to family of mine, and so many other little randomocities.  All in all, it was a great break and I can't wait until summer time, when I can see her again.  We've already started making plans for it haha.

After she left, i really wasn't sure what i would do with my time.  Obviously, I was tremendously sad that she left, but luckily, I had mis amigos there to distract me.  We spent a couple nights at my place just hanging out and really doing nothing haha.  But we decided that we should take a snowboarding trip.  My apartment at school is roughly 10 minutes away from the best snowsports mountain in Virginia (not saying much, but its what we got haha).  So, we took a road trip out there and spent a couple days hitting the slopes and hanging out at my apartment.  We really had an amazing time.  We decided while down there to make it an annual trip.  Just the four of us (Matt, Nick, Allen and myself), no adding or dropping of people.  And so began the first annual Brotrip:      

Anyways,  thats about it for now.  Hopefully i'll be able to keep up with this whole deal in the future.  Not that I have many (or any to my belief) subscribers haha.  

Irksome

Gahh...Editors

So, as you may or may not know, I am a writer for the Breeze, a student-run newspaper at James Madison University.  I recently ran a story on an emerging HIV/AIDS Alliance on-campus.  I spent several days interviewing and researching in preparation for the final edit of the story.  I spent countless hours contacting the right sources and filtering out the appropriate information.  I kept in very close contact with my editors to ensure that what I was putting together was to their specifications.  I found a compelling angle, stuffed it with facts, and wrote it brilliantly.  I mean, this was some front page work they were dealing with here. 

So, in anticipation of the article coming out, I told all of my friends to grab an issue and look for my article, that it would be some good stuff and a fun read during class.  So, Tuesday morning, I grab an article, as I always do, but this time was different.  I was finally looking for my work on the front page.  Instead, I found "my" article pushed away in a corner, edited to a mere fraction of my previous writing.  The article lacked any sort of flow and little to no transition between ideas.  My editors had cut so much out in order to fit my article to the designated page that I couldn't even tell that it was mine.  I had lost all sense of ownership to the piece, it was now a product of poor editing and bad choices.  Furthermore, I felt awful towards those who I had written the article about.  I informed them that I would be putting my best into the article, and that they deserved nothing less.  These are good people, who truly believe in what they do, and I wanted to portray that in my article.

Its a tough position to be in however, because you can't really question the editor.  Their word is final, and there is no way around it.  Recently, however, I have been entertaining the idea of becoming an editor myself.  I would like to think that I would mend this fundamental error in the Breeze's editing staff, but it is hard to say.  I realize that the position puts you in a position of relative responsibility and that the integrity of some stories may have to be sacrficed for the overall flow of the paper, it's just unfortunate that it had to be mine. 

As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit.

Emmanuel Tenny

Solid

My School.  It's Quite Lovely

It's intriguing to think about educational universities.  I was sitting in class today, scribbling notes down diligently, as always.  And amongst the drone of the lecture, the chatty freshmen the row behind me, and the 26 year old, 5th year senior drumming on the his desk in what seems to be a pathetic attempt at a beat; I thought about where I was at.  School.  its funny to think that we pay thousands of dollars for somebody to judge us and mold us into the "perfect citizen."  If this is the case, which in cases it is, then are we truly paying for an education, or are we just paying for a degree.  Thats a topic for another post, though.  It's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining and outdoor activities are calling my name.  And I'm sitting in a stuffy lecture with almost no motivation to even blink.  Don't get me wrong, I love school.  I love its concept and its design.  It is quite the step up from the high school scene, where the teacher seems more interested in passing their quote of a seventy percent passing rate, or something to that effect.  But I think, even at the college level, education has lost its drive and its motivation.  Dont get me wrong, there are professors who know how to teach, and those who have a lot to learn.  So, as such, I have created a brief guide to classifying and choosing the ideal professor for any class. 

1.  The Young Guy

This guy is, like the title suggest, young.  He's happy, he's energetic, he's nice.  He could even be cute.  He'll know about current events and he will be able to relate them to the topic you study.  He can laugh with you, he can joke with you.  For all intensive purposes, you will love this teacher.  But as the end of the semester nears, so comes the menacing shift in personalities.  He'll realize that he has taught you very little over the semester because he has spent too much of his class trying to relate to the students and become their friend.  So, in the closing weeks of the semester, when he realizes that he hasn't had enough assignments to truly evaluate a just and fair grade, he'll pile them all on.  Tests will be super hard, papers will be long, but there will be little time to complete them.  This man is like a venus fly trap; he lures you in with his kindness and demeanour, but you're dead if you let that influence you.  

2.  The Math Teacher Straight Outta East Asia

This person is almost always one of the most brilliant people at the University.  they have sound theories which are supported by solid logic.  They are very kind and are easy to interact with...assuming you have a legitamate grasp on Mandarin or Japanese.  You can't rely on the one year crash course in English to guide you through your mathematical ventures in school.  These teachers may be smart, but unless you have a Chinese 300 level pre-requisite, you're toast.  Don't assume tjust because their last name is Lee or Li, that they will be able to get you through statistics with flying colors.  Strong communications with your teachers is a necessity in college. 

3.  the Overly Liberal Hippy

Almost every college student has had this teacher.  This is the one that makes you turn your head to the side and rub your eyes in disbelief.  This professor, male or female, is typically dressed in an odd fashion, may always look a little disheveled and out of it, and will always want to "think outside of the box."  They will have "creative" activities for the class and will make an emphasis on sharing.  He/She will suggest the creation of a journal, or, for those who are so inclined, a blog.  

4.  The Dinosaur

Of the teachers to avoid, this is probably my favorite.  They have a wealth of knowledge and are willing to share, but their overall state of senility causes them to lose focus quite frequently and confuse themselves in the end.  Their teachings will be worhtwile and interesting and filled with real life examples, but the assigments will make little to no sense to any sort of reader.  If you like to ask questions, this ptofessor is for you, cause you will need to ask them just to get by.  However, they are always willing to help a student in need, so office hours are a key to pass the class.  They often forget names, so if you like to be remembered, I apologize.  

5.  the Teacher's Assistant

STAY AWAY!  They are hungry with their new-found power and having a craving for undrgrad failure.  They will typically be very shy at first, and you will be able to see it through their unwillingness to speak to the students outside of class and the noticeably shaky handwriting on the chalkboard and on returned papers.  They will be very smart and can truly be useful tools if used correctly.  Your TA will spend a lot of time telling you how successful they were when they were in your position, which can get quite annoying.  they really have no real world experience, so a lot of what they will be telling you is froma purely academic standpoint.  

Final Notes:

That's my brief list of teachers you should likely avoid.  While my advice is not true in every case, I would imagine that in quite a few, nothing could be truer.  Your ideal bet would be the middle-aged, awkward, nonchalant nice professor.  He/She is very humble and down to earth, but has a grasp on the university's system and requirements.  they will not only serve as your instuctor for that course, but can help you in any area of your academic career.  They are very knowledgeable and have obtained a degree from an accredited university to prove it.  Their primary goal is the success and well-being of their students and they let very little get in the way of that goal.  They are typically well-versed and have no problems in explanation.  

The best advice I can probably give you is to ASK THE STUDENTS.  Ask friends that have taken the course.  They will, for the most part, be able to tell you about the course, the professot, the tests, and the workload.  Ideally, you should find a friend that is somewhat like yourself, but that is not always necessary if you can judge the person you're talking to.  Sites like ratemyprofessor.com can be quasi-helpful, but only to a degree.  For the most part, this site is filled with students complaining about their teacher and the grade they recieved.  

   

Sincerely, Me

I'm feelin' a little image-happy at the moment.  So, if you feel overwhelmed by the amount of images I may or may not be posting, then please turn your head and continue scrolling.  If you're unwilling to do this, there is no more I can do for you.  Please exit the window and read a less interesting blog. 

What a side-splitter.

I like to pretend those arms are around me.

It's hard to imagine that any one person could know more about yourself than even you do.  Obviously your family will have a leg up on the rest of the competition, but it's a shocking moment when you realize that another person can read you like a book.  They can break down your walls and see right into you.  A scary concept I know, but I guess sometimes you just have to trust a little, and let em in. 

A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.

William Arthur Ward

Made Me Laugh

Not entirely positive as to why I added it, but it did make me laugh out loud.  And yes, I mean this literally, not like a thirteen year-old girl sending a text to a cute boy in her enligh class.  I honestly thought it was funny.  Found it on stumbleupon.com, which, for those of you who are unaware, is possibly the most intriguing site on the web.  Check it out if you don't believe me!

I Have No Clue

Can't say I have ever ventured into the world of blogging, but I must say, designing the blog, choosing a template, etc was quite entertaining.  That could also be becuase I'm easily amused.  With video games, for example, I have always had so much more fun in designing my characters than actually playing the games.  does that put me on the feminine side of sexual frustration, I really have no clue.  I would hope not, I would imagine my girlfriend would probably hope the same, but I can't necessarily speak for her.  She could be the reason I set this up in the first place.  I saw hers not too long ago and thought the prospect was pretty interesting.  As a college student, I think the prospect of being able to write without boundaries, write with pure passion and emotion; or with no drive or sense of purpose, is quite entertaining.  Nobody is grading this.  Nobody is checking my grammar, my syntax, my use of style.  Nobody cares if I'm following a rubric, there is no page count, no word count.  It is literally me, a keyboard, the annoying sound of clicking, the several hundered fruit flies because me roomate refuses to throw away that week old pie, and my thoughts (as uninspiring and uninteresting as they are).  Then again, i would imagine that nobody is reading this in the firt place, so the aforementioned probably isn't even a possibility. 

So, I'm still not 100 percent sure what compelled me to create this exaggerated journal.  Maybe I just like to look at the words in my mind, bleeding out onto page.  Whatever the case, I can't say i regret it.  Sometimes I just feel like my mind is filled with so many thoughts and ideas, but I have no creative outlet to vent my frustrated mind.  I guess this is a way for me to satisfy that innate need to just blow up.  I must say, this has got to be a whole lot safer than free-climbing or some other idiotic venture that would almost ensure me laying on the ground somewhere with at least three broken limbs.

This post seems to bleak.  I'm not quite sure why, but i can assure you, I am a very happy person.  i have a loving family, a loving girlfriend, and loving friends.  I guess I'm just in one of those moods.  One of those "why the hell did I even get out of bed today?" moods.  And honestly, I have no clue why I even did.  I've done absolutely nothing productive today, which probabaly makes me the stereotypical college student, so I'm not too torn up about it.  Got out of bed at around noon (anything before that would just be insanity) and have been laying on the couch watching the complete first season of "East Bound and Down."  Contemplating getting a shower the whole time, to no avail.  I feel justified, however.  After a long week of school.  A long week of briefs, of papers, of quizzes and of tests will do that to ya!  

This being my first entry and all, I would imagine that I should probably put in a little tid bit about myself.  So, here it goes.  I am a Sophmore at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  This was probably one of the greatest decisions in my life.  This University, the campus, the staff, the people; is amazing.  I have never had a bad experience here (minus the occasional exam grade) and would repeat my choice all over again if I could.  I am a very active person at my University and like to stay involved.  Like I said, my mind is filled with so many thoughts and ideas, I need countless outlets so i dont blow up.  I am involved in student government, writing for the school newspaper, club soccer, A capella and quite a few others.  I am a information analysis and political science double major, which makes me the least intersting person at JMU.  I went to high school at Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Virginia and loved every minute of it.  I'm not going to delve too deeply into that, I'm more of a forward thinker, I don't like to live in the past.  I am an only child, which means that anybody reading this probably thinks I'm some sexually frustrated, wanna-be-artsy, the-whole-world-revolves-around-me, little rich kid.  But please people, c'mon.  Not every only child has been raised the same.  Don't pass judgements, nothing makes me angrier.  I love my family, they mean the world to me and I would do anything for them.  I am in a long distance relationship and it's one of the toughest, most beautiful things I have ever had the pleasure of enduring. 

Anyways, i'll leave it at that.  As tired as you are reading this nonsensical blrub about nothing, I am quite tired typing it. 

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities." Theodor Geisel