SJC Student Blogs

Today was my last day student teaching.

Surreal...
Seventy days ago, I started and swore it would never end.
Now here I am on the other side, reflecting on the good and the bad.


I complained about student teaching quite a bit over the past few months. I've tried to keep it off the blog because no one wants to hear me whine, but now that it's done, none of it seems important. A couple of bad experiences will make great stories when I sit down to write some more stand-up, but all-in-all, it's been grand. I'm really going to miss some of these kids.



I wish I could say that my semester is done, but there are still three weeks of classes at the College and I'm taking two, so I'm still going to have to be productive. Although, now, I'm going to be able to sleep in. I'm excited, to say the least.

This evening, I'm leaving for Rocky Mount, North Carolina. For the past eleven years, the SJC chapter of Habitat for Humanity has gone to Rocky Mount. We started going because they were hit very hard by a hurricane, and we still go because they always need help. We've developed a great relationship with the affiliate there and they look forward to us coming every year. I went on this trip last year and I'm super excited to be going again. My goal is to write at least one blog (with pictures) about the trip, so check back next Tuesday or Wednesday, and I should have something up.

Right now, I need to go because I've yet to pack for North Carolina and we leave in a few hours.

It's done.

I turned in my Teacher Work Sample at 6:48 p.m. this evening. It was twenty-eight pages of text, plus a table of contents, reference page, and a collection of artefacts from my classes.


This is the first time I'm going to sleep on this side of midnight in a month, and I can't wait to get there. I'm going to fall asleep to my core reading, then finish it tomorrow sometime.


Also, I haven't mentioned it before (I don't think), but I am going on the Thanksgiving Habitat Trip to Rocky Mount, North Carolina again this year. So you've something to look forward to as far as good blogs are concerned.



Goodnight...

So, my weekend has proven one thing.
I am worthlessly unproductive.

Friday, SUB sponsored a karaoke night. I was going to go to help set up at 7:30 and make sure things were running smoothly, then return to my room and work the rest of the night on my Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Well, it was a wonderful success, and everyone was having tons of fun, and so I ended up being there the entire time. And so when it wrapped up (around 1:30 a.m.), instead of simply cleaning up, we decided to have some fun with the music on our iPods; I rapped a fantastic rendition of the Lonely Island's "I'm on a Boat". I got back to my room around 2:34...

Then Saturday was a Discover Day, so I was working my Admission job talking with prospective students and then giving tours. I was up by 8 a.m. and was there until almost 2 p.m. Then, by the time I got back to my room, I needed a nap before I could even hope to be productive. I did eventually get started on a bit of work in the afternoon and evening hours. But it wasn't productive work; it was the type of work where you'll find anything to instead. In the evening, a friend came over and I forced her to watch Tropic Thunder because she'd never seen it, and I decided that was unacceptable. For the record, I believe Tropic Thunder is the funniest movie I've ever seen. I can honestly say I've never laughed harder at a movie than I did at Tropic Thunder. I actually saw it in theaters a year ago here in Rensselaer. I talked a group into going with me to Fountain Stone when it came out. My girlfriend at the time actually turned to me in the middle of the movie and asked me to stop laughing so loudly because I was (and I quote), "ruining the experience for others with my laughter". So yeah, I think this movie's fantastic. I watched it with my friend and worked at the same time because I've seen the movie more times than I can count. I bought the DVD the day it came out from the WalMart across the street from the College (haha! There's a really good story there too!)

After the movie, I couldn't work anymore because I'd spent the last third of it fighting with Excel, trying to make a proper graph to present some of my data. So I went to my friends apartment because it was his 21st birthday, and he was having a 21-and-over toga party in celebration. I'd always wanted to go to a toga party as one of those quintessential college experiences; I blame Animal House. It was a good time, but I wasn't drinking because by the time I got there, it was nearing midnight, and I decided that was too late to try and play catch-up. I guess I'm not your typical college student in that respect. I don't hold a great deal of stock in needing to drink to have a good time.

I left there and stopped by Gallagher because some guys were up playing Beatles Rock Band until the RA was off-duty, and I'm a sucker for Rock Band. I'm not very good at it, but I enjoy it quite a bit.

Sunday has proved to be as unproductive as the rest of the weekend. After mass, rather than working, I took another nap--I know, I really am awful--and woke up just in time to go to the choir concert. The concert choir performed "Carmina Burana" and I wasn't going to miss that for the world. If you aren't familiar with the song, google it and you will be. Even if you don't recognise the name, you've heard part of it before. It appears in commercials and movies all the time. I enjoyed the concert very much. But since then, I've been back here in my room avoiding my homework like I'm on the playground playing tag.

Even now, I decided that I should write a blog rather than work on the darn thing...

Scratch Track


Listen to that band. Period.

They were here this evening performing. SUB brought them and they were fantastic.

That is all.

Last week was a long and dramatic week.

That's really the only way I can describe it. It had its ups and downs, but all of them were just ridden with more drama than the NYU theatre department.

That is one thing about SJC that's bizarrely unique. There are only around six-hundred students on campus, so it's a wonderfully close-knit community. But with that close community also comes more gossip and drama than you can shake a stick at. I do everything I can to stay out of it, and this semester I've been pretty successful at it because student teaching has kept me away from campus for the majority of the day. However, the nasty-faced diva that is SJC Drama caught my by the nose (which still hasn't healed from when Life had hold of it) and dragged me through the remaining mud from last week's rain.

As an aside, I do wish I was more of a sociologist, because I think a fascinating study could be made of SJC and the dynamics of student life as they reflect through the underbelly of gossip.

This was my last week fully in-charge of my classroom at school. I've two weeks left before I'm finished, but I'm no longer responsible for a full day of teaching everything, so that's exciting. It means that I'll have less work to do after school. HaHa! That's not true... Our Teacher Work Sample is due on the 18th of the month and I've barely started it yet. The TWS is the giant culminating project that coincides with what we've done as student teachers. It's a monster of a project, so I have to work on that from now until the 18th to make it perfect.

On Thursday night, SUB brought a magician to campus. Frank the Magician is his stage name, and he's a riot. He came here my freshman, when I started working for SUB, and I loved him. He's a super-cool guy, and his show's tons of fun, so I pushed to bring him back. Meeting him again on Thursday was a delight. He remembered me, which was a humbling experience because he's probably been to a thousand schools since the last time he was here. His show is set up around the idea that he is "your girlfriend's favourite magician" and his show is probably rated PG-13. There are a couple of silly and inappropriate things he does on stage, but the students loved it. He did card tricks in the Caf before the show to get more students to come, and the total was around 200, so it was a FANTASTIC turn out.

Thursday, after the magician, was our first senior event of the semester. As senior class president, it's my responsibility to plan events [with the rest of the class officers, I can't take sole credit... I have three lovely ladies I work with, and they're wonderful]. Senior Bowling is a tradition at SJC. We get the bowling alley for the evening with bowling, shoes, pizza and soda. Also, there are drink specials at the bar for anyone wise enough to bring their ID. It's a good time to be had by all.



Anyone who doesn't listen to Regina Spektor should. I'm sorry if that's random, but one of her songs just came up on shuffle, and I thought I'd share.

AH!


So I meant to write this blog on Monday, because I wanted to talk about Halloween, but Life decided to grab me by the nose and pull me around, doing it bidding. Then, I wrote this blog once, and for whatever reason, it didn't publish. And so now I'm rewriting it in a state of bitter disillusion. So I'm sorry if some of this seems short or snappy... but the first, wonderful draft is gone...

Halloween was Saturday, right? Well, it was also the final football game of the season, which means it's senior day. Robb, the band director, has always said that if there was a home game on Halloween, then the band could dress in costume. So we got to dress in costume and be recognised by our parents. The morning of, when I awoke, I still didn't have a costume. Everything I wanted to do ended up not happening or was too inappropriate to be outside and recognised with my folks. My father doesn't appreciate it when I'm outrageous and awkward. So, in the end, I dug through my closet and put together an ensemble for a "geek" costume. And yes, everything I wore are things from my wardrobe were things that I actually wear on a regular basis... I know what you're thinking, and don't judge me.

It was really nice to see my folks. I haven't seen them since I left for school in August. After the game, we went to Rico's for dinner. It was nice to catch up and spend some time with them.

I had already promised myself that I wasn't going to go anywhere. I didn't matter that it was Halloween, because it was still a Saturday night when I had a lot of work to do. I worked productively from seven until ten. Around ten, cabin fever set in, so I went out; I caved to the peer pressure of text messages from people discouraged that I wasn't out enjoying the evening with them. I was costumeless again because I wasn't about to gel my hair like I did for the game. So, instead, I walked down to Cup O' Joe wearing a pair of boxers and a big sign reading "nudist on strike". Like I said, I'm good at awkward and outrageous. People just wearing a sign like that with all their clothes is cliche, so I decided to make it my own, which meant outrageous and awkward.

After a while down there, a group said they wanted to go to a bar, and when we got there, I realised my costume, in all its silliness, didn't allow me to carry my ID with me. I took that as a sign from God that I should continue to be productive, so I went back to my room and fell asleep working on my Core reading.


Like I said, me and Halloween don't get along. And that was the Cliff's Notes version because I spent too much time working on it the first time, and I need to work on some homework yet this evening.


And the photos below are from the game! They come from Father Tim's website and are wonderful. If you're ever in need of a visual documentation of campus activities, go to his website; it's so great.

So, a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was interviewing the President of the College for our campus newspaper (of which I'm the editor-in-chief). That issue went to print and was pretty successful, and I thought to myself, "Hey! Why don't I post that to my blog so that more people can enjoy it. It'll probably add a fascinating dynamic to what I'm writing about."

Yeah, I don't know why I talk to myself in such a superfluous manner, but I do. So below is the interview. There was a large-print intro on the page as well that was littered with bad presidential puns because Dr. Riegelnegg's initials are FDR. The headline even read: "A New Deal for SJC". Pardon some of the awkward formatting, but I copied and pasted it from word, so not everything translated properly. I tried to fix what I could... And the picture at the bottom was one that we took for the newspaper, but ended up not needing because the article filled the page. Enjoy!




Being officially “installed” a month ago and his first 100 days come and gone, Dr. F Dennis Riegelnegg is adjusting to life in Rensselaer nicely. Before starting at SJC on July 1, Riegelnegg spent 13 years as Vice President for Student Development and Community Development at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. While there, he was also responsible for enrollment management. While he has not received a Nobel Prize for his efforts, his presence on campus has already been felt by the students and staff alike. It has been remarked that he is the most accessible and personal administrators the College has ever seen.

“I think that, already, having someone with a student development background is already having an impact, from the student perspective,” senior English major and Student Association President Joe Stewart said. “In particular, he and Mrs. Riegelnegg have been exemplary in hospitality and possibly above all else, a genuine concern for the students of SJC is a major part of the way that Dr. Riegelnegg operates.”

Because of these feelings, the Observer decided an intimate sit-down with the man would be a wonderful way for more students to meet and get to know Riegelnegg. I got a chance to sit down with the seventeenth president of SJC in his office on a gloomy Friday afternoon, after most had gone home for the weekend to talk about going green and not worrying about eating a salad.

First, why SJC?
I wanted to work at a small institution. I would prefer that institution to be Catholic. I also was really looking for a place of community. I consider myself to be the best leader in a place with a powerful and meaningful community. One thing I noticed when I visited and spoke with students, they used the word “mentor” instead of the word “advisor” when talking about their professors. I’ve noticed that more so here than anywhere else I’ve ever been.
In the end, I have found that Saint Joseph’s College has become the perfect fit, just the same as it must be for the students.

Well, I wanted to start off right away with a hot-button issue on campus—something that rouses quite a discussion among students. Quite simply, should SJC be greener? What do you think Saint Joseph’s College can improve to do its part in the stewardship of planet Earth?
I think that the College has made steps in the right direction, but more can always be done to become greener. I think it’s obvious that the most striking about campus is the heating system. It is dated and not environmentally friendly. I’m not sure how soon something like that could be updated or the most effective way of going about it, but I feel it’s something that must be considered as we more forward. I would also like to see the College become more involved with the sustainability movement. We should really try and put more effort into thinking and fitting into it where we can—big or small, I believe it all will make a difference.
For example, I have noticed that there have been substantial savings to the College with the various conservations efforts taking place around campus. It is very refreshing to see something like that taking place and being so successful. We all can be involved in something like this to make it even more effective
Also, when we have trees removed from campus—which obviously happens because trees don’t last forever—I’ve asked Physical Plant to think about replacing them and giving back to the environment is some way.

What is your stance on SJC’s expensive price tag, particularly in the middle of a recession? Are there new or different things being done in the light of the current financial crises?
We have begun to study the strategic uses of finance; we’ve also started being more conscious and selective to the spending going on at Saint Joseph’s College, on all levels. It is still too early to say any specifics, but we must begin to have the discussions about spending. I can’t promise any solutions, obviously, but I can say it is something we are looking into.
I believe our ultimate goal is to provide the greatest amount of services for the money. We want to try and save money without sacrificing any services to the students. Filling lecture halls with over 5,000 students is one way to help solve the problem, but it’s not something we really want.

That being said, earlier in the year there was a multitude of removals and firings on campus. A lot of the students and staff were rocked by some of the decisions made. A lot of persons around campus really began to question the job security on campus.
Well, as I said, I believe the College’s greatest service and most powerful resource on campus is the people we employ on all levels, from the professors to campus life, from the housekeeping staff to campus security. We need to do everything we can to retain the faculty and staff to continue building the services that I believe are so vital.
I was not here when a good number of the terminations occurred, so I cannot speak to them specifically, and with the recession and unknown future ahead of us, I cannot promise it will not happen again. However, if it does, it will be something people will be aware of; it will be discussed. Terminations of that nature should not ever come as a surprise. I believe that how we do things is as important as what things we do.

The students wanted to know if, in your time here thusfar, you have found any particular programs or departments you would like see receive more support. Also, where does the most work need to be done?
Generally, I am very pleased with the academics. I think the future of most school programs, here or elsewhere, will be determined by what students want and will want. We want to look for programs that we do well and niche programs. Business is a program that will continue to be popular with students; however, some of our other programs shine because of other merits. The science department continues to draw a multitude of students because regionally, we have the best and most to offer. We want to look at it the same way as our business strategies. We want to maximize effectiveness while providing the students with the best we have to offer.

What about the Core program? Does that need more support?
The faculty takes it upon themselves to review and reevaluate the Core program. It’s very distinctive; we rely on it for our general education. It is most important to work on reviewing it and all other programs to insure the best for students.

Okay, so the last humdinger of a question I have from the students is in regards to faith at SJC.
[Laughs.] Humdinger? I don’t believe I’ve heard that word in over a decade…

[Laughs.] Sorry. My grandfather’s lexicon is rather dated, and sometimes it rubs off. But, in regards to faith, what role do you believe Saint Joseph’s College’s Catholic history will play in the College’s present and future developments?
Well, we are a Catholic institution. Plain and simple. That provides a foundation for how we live, how we work, and what we do here at SJC. That faith must also continue to be important into the future. However, remaining an open and welcoming place for all students, regardless of their personal faiths, is something that has always been a part of the SJC mission and should remain that way if the College wants to grow and develop.

So I was told I have to ask you what the ‘F’ really stands for?
[Laughs.] Frank. My grandfather was names Frank. My father was named Frank. But, for whatever reason, my mom capitulated to call me Dennis.

The students want to know when you’re not being The President Of Saint Joseph’s College, what do you do with your free time?
Well, I’m a pilot. I love to fly since I don’t do “young guy” sports much anymore. I still shoot hoops, but I guess aviation would probably be the closest thing I have to a hobby. I do enjoy in-line skating, still. [Laughs.] I guess it’s not called that, anymore. I enjoy rollerblading, then.

When did you start flying?
Actually, it was something I did probably five years ago now. Yes, it was five years ago I went out and got my pilot’s license. [Pauses.] I still need a cool plane, though…

Okay, so this next question is a bit trite, but I was told I had to ask. If you could have dinner with any two people, dead of alive, who would you choose to dine with?
My first choice is obvious. Without question, my first choice is Jesus. How could you not take that kind of opportunity?
[Pauses.] As a former Political Science major, I believe my second choice would be [Niccolò] Machiavelli. [Laughs.] It’d probably be a scary dinner, but it could be fascinating. When I studied him, I always found his work to be interesting. I guess as long as I wouldn’t have to have dinner with both people at the same time. Now THAT would be a scary dinner.

If you could steal a smooch from anyone in Hollywood, who would it be?
[Groans.] I am probably going to show my age with this answer. I am going to have to pick Raquel Welsh. She’s a big crush…

If you could teach one class here at SJC, what class would you like to teach?
Does it have to be a class I’m qualified to teach? [Laughs.] I still love Political Science. I really enjoyed my political philosophy class that I took as an undergraduate… Now that’s a boring answer, huh?

Alright, now if I told you that you had to pick your last meal right now, what would you put on the menu?
Well, without a doubt I’d have some Filet. I’d want fries. [Laughs.] No salad, though. If it’s going to by my last meal, why bother? Let’s see, for dessert, it’d have to be a nice piece of coconut cream pie.

Just as long as your last meal isn’t the one with Jesus and Machiavelli, right?
[Laughs.] Definitely!

Well, I had meant to sit down and write this sooner, but I'm apparently completely incapable of being productive while the sun is up...

So it was Fall Break this week at the high school, so I've actually had both Thursday and Friday off to catch up on my sleep and get some extra work done. Guess how much of each I've done. That's right, none of either. I kinda feel like a failure sometimes when I'm so worthlessly unproductive. Although, it's been a fun two days. I have forgotten what it's like to be a college student because I'm never on campus during the day, so the two days were refreshing in that sense. For a couple hours on Thursday, I just loitered in the Core building talking with all of the professors who I miss because I'm never on campus.

Then, today, there was a football game. We demolished the other team, but the weather made the game less-than-enjoyable. We have big purple parkas we wear over our band uniforms to shield ourselves from the weather, and we needed them today. It was windy and rain/sleeting for the first half of the game. It was rough. But by the end of the game, the wind stopped and the sun emerged from behind the clouds, so it wasn't bad. After the football game, I had meant to go out to the rugby match, but got caught up cleaning my room. Now, it's in the early evening and I'm trying to tackle the mountain of things I should have done on Thursday and Friday. Alas...

I wanted to go to the play again tonight, but I find myself with too much to do. I went Thursday to opening night. The Colombian Players put on Crimes of the Heart. I really enjoyed it and wanted to go again this evening and show my support to my friends on stage, but now I've felt the urge to be responsible and productive. What a drag...

The highlight and lowlight of this week both actually took place on Wednesday evening. SUB brought another comedian to campus; his name is Josh Sneed. Josh Sneed is one of my favourite comedians ever. We brought him to campus my freshman year and I convinced the group to bring him back again. It was a really well attended event and Josh is ridiculously hilarious, so it was a good time to be had by all. One of the perks about working with SUB is that we get to provide meals for the artists after their shows, and getting to hang out with him after the show was great. Admittedly, one of my pipedream jobs would be to be a stand-up comic. I live to make people laugh, and so I enjoy talking to the comics we bring about their craft, and how they do what they do.

Also, on Wednesday evening, I officially became the Dan Marino of Intramural Ultimate Frisbee.
Allow me to explain...

First, there is a wonderful Intramural Sports programme on campus. It's incredibly popular with a good portion of the student body because it is a fun opportunity to play organised sports--and the other draw for students is that the winning team gets free championship t-shirts. Who doesn't love free t-shirts?? I'm not really the athletic type. I ran track and cross country in high school because I really lack coordination to participate in other sports. However, with running cross, I developed a knack for Frisbee. When I got to SJC (now three and a half years ago... wow), I suggested to the Coordinator of Intramural Sports that he add Ultimate Frisbee to the roster of games played. Well, he did. I put a team together and we did really well. We got all the way to the championship game and lost. No t-shirt for me. Then, sophomore year, I was picked up by a group of guys who play every sport, but they wanted a wringer to come in so they'd have a shot at winning Ultimate Frisbee. Well, we did pretty well and made it to the championship game, but lost. Last year, they asked me to play again, and they also picked up another disc player. We were stacked. We went undefeated. Then we got to the championship game. We lost in overtime because the refs decided to make it a sudden death overtime rather than a timed overtime. We lost the toss and had to play into the wind. We didn't stand a chance. Needless to say, I was crushed. I desperately wanted a Ultimate Frisbee Championship t-shirt. Well, the team that beat me both sophomore and junior year had most of their players graduate. This year, senior year, was finally my year to win Frisbee and get my shirt. I put together a team with guys I'd played with over the previous three years. There were only four Ultimate Teams this season, so it was pretty short. Tuesday was the playoff game, which we won 13-4. The championship game was left and that took place on Wednesday. We'd played our opponents twice. They beat us once; we beat them the other time. I didn't know what to expect.

Before the game, I was chatting with my brother on AIM and he told me that if I don't win, he'll call me Dan Marino until Christmas. For anyone unaware, Dan Marino was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. However, he'll forever be known as the greatest quarterback to never win a Super Bowl.

Well, now, thanks to an 8-6 loss, I am the Dan Marino of Intramural Ultimate Frisbee. I lost in the championship game every single year. I can't believe it. The game itself was a decent one. We were behind the whole game. I played pretty well through most of it. About a third of the way through the second half, a guy tripped me and I got frustrated, so I started playing like poop, but I calmed down eventually. My play of the game was an incredible bomb to the endzone with ten seconds left in the first half. I caught it about seventy yards from the endzone. I've a decent arm, but nothing like that. However, I had the wind going with me, so I just told a couple guys to go and I'd see if I could get it to them. I hurled it like my life depended on it, and it sailed beautifully to the endzone, and Dan leapt up and caught it like it was his job. Well, it kinda was. Dan's 6' 5.5" and build like a wall. He's one of the better rugby players we have, and enjoys playing disc. He and I have been on the same team all four years, and so we really both wanted to win. We had fun; it was a good game. I can't be a sore loser about it. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed.

I had one of my dear friends take some photos of our game to upload here. I wish I could show you the pictures with a sense of joy, but it's still documentation of a good game... I'm trying to figure out the best way to display them here, but they're so large that only the thumbnail is working... Okay, I've got them linked so if you click on them, you can see a full version of the shot.

huzzah!
The blogs are working!!


Sorry, I wrote all of my introductions before they were being published, so I was worried that it would be awkward because I was writing and writing without any of it seeing the light of day. No longer!

I sit here in my room, listening to Tokyo Police Club enjoying my first Saturday since school has started. This is the first Saturday I haven't had anything to do, and it's odd actually having this time for myself. The reason I've got this free time is because it's Fall Break. No one is on campus this weekend. However, that's probably for the best because if there were people on campus, I wouldn't be nearly as productive as I have been today.

Because I'm student teaching, I only get time off if the high school has time off. So when everyone left campus on Thursday, I hung out and kept working. Midterms are due for the high school next week, so I've had hours of tests and homework to grade every night this week. So when Friday came, I crashed after school. I've been up until three every night this week working on things, so it was nice to nap. Then, Joe called me for dinner. Apparently the Board of Trustees was having dinner and there were some open spots that the President wanted to fill with students. So I got dressed up again and ate dinner rubbing elbows with the people ultimately responsible for keeping SJC afloat. The dinner was fantastically delicious (and free)--so it was a good night. I went to bed early because I'd missed so much sleep during the week.

I gave a tour to a prospective student today. I've been a tour guide on campus since my freshman year, and I absolutely love it. I enjoy getting the opportunity to meet and talk with a variety of people, and telling them about "the Joe" is something I think is really important. I try to give people the most honest portrait of campus I can. I also then like to pretend that I had something to do with the student coming here if I see them on campus as a Puma. I gave Joe Karpiak a tour last year, and he's here now.

::heavy sigh::

I'm just trying to recoup from the week. It felt like the past week would just never end. It was one of those weeks where you wonder if you'll ever have a life again. And on top of that, I've been reeling with my quest for a Halloween costume. I always have a great Halloween costume, but I've not been able to come up with one. However, a suggestion was given to me that everyone has reacted with some intense elation for... Bruno. I don't know how I feel about that. I mean, everyone thinks it'll be funny, and I'm sure it will be, but it was such an awkward movie. I've found a pirated copy I'm watching to do some research as to whether or not I could manage to speak with that awkward accent. If I can pull it off, it'll be good. And don't worry, there won't be any pictures of that surfacing here. They told us they want photos, and I intend to get some great ones to upload, but I don't want anyone vomiting at the sight of me in some flamboyantly awkward short shorts.

Haha! Now that I've probably terrified anyone reading, I think I'll conclude this and return to my core reading...

Cheers!

So all day today I was working Lil' Sibs, but it concluded this evening with what I really want to talk about.

This evening, for the Lil' Sibs, the campus improv club put on a show for everyone to enjoy. I LOVE doing improv. It's another club I've been involved in since freshman year, but this one's something special because it's performance-based. We, as a club, meet weekly and just play improv games and practice. Improvisation is such an incredible thing. I started doing theatre when I got to SJC. I befriended one of the typical "theatre kids" and he talked me into auditioning for the first play our freshman year. Much to my chagrin, I was cast. I'd never done theatre before in my life. However, at that point, I was hooked. I loved it. And then, one night after rehearsal, I found there was another group of kids meeting and having a lot of fun being hilarious.

I found out later that improv has NOTHING to do with being hilarious. I've been doing since then, and I'm still learning. John Rahe teaches an improv class every so often, and the last time he offered it I took it. It was so incredibly worthwhile because it really explained a lot of different rules and nuances about what good improv really involves. I know! I never thought improv was something so complex either. But it is, and doing it makes me feel wonderful. What people don't realise is that it's not about being funny, it is about being honest.

The theatre department here has been one of my home-away-from-home spots on campus because I've become active in both the improv club as well as the theatre club. I adore them both.


The show this evening was a decent one. The highlight of the night was when I broke a chair on stage... yeah, I'm smooth. We were doing a scene, and for whatever reason, I ended up being Harry Potter and I was supposed to be getting onto a hippogriff. So, there was a chair there representing the hippogriff. I pretended I was in one of those old cheesy Westerns where they mount the horse from jumping up behind it when I was getting on the animal. So when I did this, I committed to leaping into the air, similar as the old cowboys used to do. However, when I landed on the chair, I may or may not have busted it out to the floor. It was ridiculous. Then, later in the scene, I had to sit in the aforementioned chair, and so my butt busted it out further. It was such a farce; but people laughed a lot, so that's good enough for me.

UGH


So I'm exhausted... It's Lil' Sibs Weekend on campus, and SUB is responsible for organizing most everything that goes on because of it. So that's where I was all evening, after my interview with the president.

I'm going to forgo more introductory things this evening because I'm so exhausted. I like little kids, don't get me wrong, but now I remember why I didn't go into Elementary Education.

Another outlet of mine on campus is the student newspaper. I am the editor-in-chief of the Observer. When I was in high school, I was a big journalism geek. I loved writing for the school paper, and so I easily persuaded into writing when I got here. The school paper here isn't the most serious paper on the planet, but that's okay. There's not a journalism programme on campus, so everything dealing with the Observer is on a volunteer basis. That is nice in some respects, and frustrating in others. However, I'm glad to do it.

Actually! Tomorrow, I have an interview with the new President, F. Dennis Riegelnegg. He agreed to sit down with me and to a serious and intimate interview that'll run in the next issue of the paper. I'm really excited he agreed to do this for me. I was beside myself when he agreed to do it; it was a whimsical idea I had that I never thought I'd actually see come to fruition. The President, in all of my encounters, seems like an incredibly welcoming and genuine individual. I'm really glad he's at SJC.

Sorry this is going to be such a short post. SUB brought an incredible band on campus this evening and I'm really worn out.

So I just got back from the Ritz. The Ritz is a movie theatre in town that shows the "not-so-new" releases, where the film is no longer in major cinemas, but not out on DVD yet. It's a wonderful place, and this evening, there was a free screening of The Hangover for the winners of the Homecoming Dorm Wars Competition. I got to go because I'm involved with SUB, who helped sponsor the event. It was a grand time. I'd never seen the film, but everyone told me it was hilarious. I would say that's a fair assessment.

So, my cheesy transition from the previous post was so that I could set up what I wanted to talk about this evening. One of the other things that you must know about me is that I spent the second semester of my junior year studying in London, England. Without doubt, I can say that it was the most incredible thing I will probably ever do... ever! I studied there through Central College of Iowa, who has a partnership with SJC, so SJC students can travel through their programmes and it's totally cool.

So I spent five months over there studying and traveling and making the most of the opportunity. I've got a personal blog that has all of the blogging I did while over there. So if anyone wants to read a lot of starry-eyed hyperbole from someone completely wrapped up in all things amazing, feel free to go and find my travel stories. I've got some really great ones. I don't really want to write anything terribly long, so I'll leave it at that in regards to my adventures.

However, I will say that I do believe EVERYONE who attends a four-year undergraduate institution should take a semester and study abroad--EVERYONE. Seriously... everyone. First, it is hands down the greatest thing I'll ever do. Second, your college years are the best to do that kind of serious traveling. You're young and so you can sneak by being thrifty. For example, I almost had to spend a night in Paris on a park bench because I didn't have anywhere to stay one night. Third, did I mention that it's the most amazing experience one can ever hope to have? And I don't believe money should be a hindrance. As I explained, I obviously don't have real money issues, but I can say that it would have been totally worth taking out a loan to help pay for it. Honestly, I'll never forget my time abroad. I loved it so much.

Okay, so now I'm going to get awkwardly sentimental... Tootles for now...

So that last entry was a bit more of a tangent than more formal introductions. My apologies.

If you ask anyone on campus about me, once you clarify that I'm "that boy with the hair", they'll associate me with SUB. The Student Union Board (SUB) is the campus' activities board and is basically responsible for planning things to do on campus. One of the huge things SUB does is book performing acts to come and appear on campus. It's something I do really really love because it gives me a chance to meet all of these different people who spend their time traveling around the country, going from college campus to college campus. SUB does a lot of cool things for the students on campus. There are various contests that run throughout the year. Hopefully, later on, I can get some photos of some of the various SUB events up here for everyone.

Another club that I devote a lot of my time to is Habitat for Humanity. There is a chapter on campus, and I think it's the greatest. I've gone on three work trips in my three years here, and I'm going to go on two more this year, as a senior. My freshman year, I went on the Spring Break Trip to Covington, LA to help with Katrina relief. It was, hands down, one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life. I LOVED it. Sophomore year, I went on the International Trip to Tecpan, Guatemala. We spent fourteen days in the country building a house for a family. It was incredible. I didn't know much Spanish, which made the trip more exciting. I could write a book about all of the wonderful things I did and experienced while down there. It was also the first time that I ever really traveled outside of the United States. So it was really when I was bitten by the travel bug...


(I'm going to end this here and it'll be a beautiful segue into tomorrow's introduction)

Well, tonight's entry is going to be a short one because I've found myself overwhelmed with homework.


I said I wasn't going to make a list of the activities I'm involved in, but I've decided against my initial judgment and am going to talk about a couple here.

I'm in the band here at SJC. Band is something a lot of people are in because they are awarded some sort of performance scholarship. They get a small chunk of change for playing their instruments. I'm not one of those people. I am in band solely because I love to play my saxophone. The reason I'm not receiving a performance scholarship is because I am attending SJC for free.

I wasn't sure if there was a tactful way to explain this without sounding pretentious. When I was a senior in high school, I applied for the Presidential Scholarship. I was awarded that, which is a full-tuition scholarship. Then, I was also a Lilly Endowment Scholarship winner. This was another full-tuition scholarship (plus an $800 stipend for books). When I called SJC and tell them they could give the Presidential Scholarship to someone else, they informed me that it will instead simply cover my room and board charges. So long story short, I'm getting a four-year education for free. I thank my lucky stars everyday. I'm forever grateful for the opportunities I have here because I realise if I wasn't lucky, I wouldn't be here at all. The pricetag for the school is steep. There's no sugar-coating that fact. However, I can honestly say that I don't know anyone who actually pays the full price to attend the institution. The school will give students money like they're on one of Oprah's give-away shows.

Well, that tangent shall wrap it up for now. I need to keep working.