Ra Ra Spirit!

In the three years that I went to CSUSB I wasn't big on attending school events. Other than theater work I just couldn't be bothered to find the time for school related activities. But that was mostly because at a commuter school like CSUSB, unless you're in the club or really really active in ASI it doesn't seem like there is a lot of participation. Not to mention the fact that with a school of over 10,000 it's hard to truly achieve any kind of mass involvement. At a UC maybe it's a little different. Most are on campus, after all. But at CSUSB where the majority of students are either working a job in addition to school or supporting a family in addition to school, it just didn't happen.

But in ESSU-Maydolong? In the Philippines in general? School spirit and involvement is one of the things that keeps students in school. You add the natural camaraderie of a small town with the strength of a batchmate's bond and it's easy to see why events like Founder's Day and the Intramurals are fun events for the school.

The Founding Anniversary

  

I had no idea about the Founding Anniversary was even coming. When I saw it on my Academic Calendar I figured it was one of those things that was acknowledged and that maybe there would be some free things at school to celebrate. But otherwise classes would resume as normal. Boy, was I wrong. 

There were no classes. Instead there were special presentations by different groups of students as well as teachers, mostly dances which is fun for all students as they support not only their peers...

but their teachers too.

 

I, personally, got excited when I would see students of mine participating. Strangely proud of them in a way that I couldn't explain. It reminded me of all the times I would go see the Youth at their schools performing and I had this urge to do my Mama Aarika cheer, but I refrained. We had only known each other for two weeks.

But anyway, then there was the much awaited "Gay Marathon"

No. I didn't stutter. "Gay Marathon".

"What's a Gay Marathon?" You ask, well...I asked as well and I don't think I really grasped what it was until I saw it for myself, but basically it is when a male representative from each department: BSIT, BSED, BEED, and BS Criminology,  is chosen to dress in their best gown and heels. They parade in front of the entire school from one end of the campus to the other and then RACE each other back. They actually run, in their heels and dress and whoever wins...well...wins. Haha.

It was probably the most bizarre, hilarious, and exciting races I had ever witnessed in my life and I wish I had been more prepared for it, but all in all it's one of those things that I will remember for the rest of my life. I'm dying to post more pictures and a few choice videos, because I have so many. But internet is so choppy right now that it would take me an entire day to try. The hard thing about trying to be a consistent blogger is that, in spite of the fact that I have internet, the internet is not very reliable. It takes me hours to upload three to four pictures so I've turned to leaving my computer on at night to let it load properly.


But I will try again. So try not to be too disappointed.


Until next time.
-Aarika

Eastern Samar State University

Don't ask me why ESSU is called Eastern Samar "State" University when clearly the Philippines is not divided into "states" but eh. They shall do what they shall do. 

Anyway, if you've been following my scattered thoughts and journal entry-blogs you'll know that the High School English Teacher position that I had originally secured fell through upon my arrival in the P.I. Which led to about two and a half weeks of what I like to call the "limbo state" until finally one of my relatives heard my sad sob story and spoke on my behalf to the local University: ESSU-Maydolong. The main campus is in Borongan, but ESSU-Maydolong is a branch located less than three miles from my house. Also, it happens to be the school that my cousins go to so...it was an obvious choice seeing as Joey, Kimberly and I could go to school together and I wouldn't feel so...alone. =] Add into the mix that a lot of my new friends from CYF are upperclassmen as well and I was pretty much set to be eased into my new life.

 

So, in comparison to ESSU-Main, which looks like a Cal State School, ESSU-Maydolong is a relatively small campus with a population of maybe 1,000 students. It was a high school the last time I was here, but since I've been away it changed from an Agricultural High School to a University offering degrees like: BE-ED: Elementary Education, BS-ED: Secondary Education, BS-IT: Information Technology, and BS-Criminology.

It's a relatively "simple" school, much like everything here in Eastern Samar. I first came to visit with Kimberly during her registration where she and many other students had to sit for close to half an hour filling out eight class schedules by hand, which were already assigned to all third year students (they don't pick their classes), to be distributed to different administrators on campus.

Back home we're so spoiled with all of our computer systems and everything is automated, as well as the vast array of classes to choose from. Students at ESSU don't choose, they are given the classes required to graduate, which...makes me wonder who has the better system seeing as most of the DO graduate in four years. (Save for the few who can't afford school, get married, or get pregnant and can't finish.)

 

 It's a nice change from the massiveness of a Cal State school. It almost feels like a private school and holds it's own quaint charm. For instance, every Friday, there are no "classes" but all students are required to come to campus for "classwork". Now, when I first heard this I thought Joey and Kimberly had to go to school to do homework stuff, but...no. It's Compulsory work. They go to campus to clean the campus. Sweep up the leaves, clean their classrooms, etc. etc. Granted, it's not all work, once they are done most students stay on campus with their friends, but if you don't go, it's a fifty peso fine.

Which reminds me...

The trees are mango trees, so towards the end of the school year there are a lot of mangoes to go around, though the students are discouraged from picking them off the tree (it's also a fifty peso fine). And the machine that keeps the grass trim and tended to? Carabao and goats.

Moreover, during actual classes in the week, the students don't actually move around from classroom to classroom, the teachers do. So, unlike a Cal State campus where you sometimes get stuck in a class with people from other majors that you don't know, all of my students spend all day together in the same classroom with their batch. They even have class officers and daily sweepers.

Imagine my surprise, the first day, when I said, "Alright, you're dismissed," only to be told, "Ma'am we stay here, in this classroom." I laughed it off, completely baffled and replied, "Oh, then I guess...I'm dismissed..." Yeah. A real comedian I am, though to be fair I was battling about five hundred butterflies in my stomach.

Which brings me to my students. I teach English courses: Effective Writing for BS-ED Second Year and Study and Thinking Skills for BS-IT First Year. Most of my students are around my age or...around the age of the CFBC Youth, so they are easy to get along, in addition to the fact that they are bred to be respectable and hospitable, but I won't deny that we were and...still are...a little more than fascinated with each other.

Recently, I spent some time with a few of my BS-ED students outside of class and learned that when I first walked in they all thought I was one of them. They all assumed that I would take a seat beside them and silently wait for the teacher. They watched me in complete surprise head over to the podium and proceed to nervously meander through all of the things in my bag. I was their teacher. I was the "Ma'am".

Currently I'm writing a narrative of that first experience, but I praise God for my 2nd year class. They are very different than my 1st years and remind me of home. They remind me of CFBC and the youth.

 

(I'm missing maybe ten of them in this picture, but overall they are an incredibly welcoming class.)

My 1st years are a little different. They can be successfully separated into two groups: the more vocal and more reserved. I have a lot of male students are very quick to compliment. The fact that I am twenty-two and a US citizen adds to my appeal of course, but they all listen during lecture and all participate to the best of their abilities.

I think the difficulty with this class is that, I wasn't their teacher on the first day of classes. I spent Monday, June 4 on a van to Borongan to meet with the President of the ESSU schools and get proper clearance to be taken on as a teacher. I came to them on Wednesday after they had already Ma'am Gemma and, because I hadn't been given their syllabus yet, we were a standstill haha. Every day it gets better, though sometimes I feel like there is only so much i can tell them. I learn more and more from their writing, as well as who does and doesn't do the work, but....even if they underestimate me now, they won't underestimate me once the semester ends. I remember who leaves class and who doesn't come back. I remember who pushes off the work to someone else. I know. I may be young, but I'm not stupid. Haha.

Overall, teaching is one of those experiences where you go into it with a game plan, just to throw it out the window. And yet, I do enjoy it thoroughly. There is something to be said about being this kind of observer. I don't think they realize how much I learn from them and how...it's, hopefully, just as much as they learn from me.

ESSU-Maydolong has never had a volunteer teacher before. So, I think it's safe to bet that this will be something my students remember. I can only hope that they'll remember more than the novelty of a teacher that was younger than them, or a teacher that was from California. I hope that they remember me and everything I tell them about writing and reading and understanding the English language. I pray that God uses me to do more than just lecture. I want to teach. That's why I'm here. So, let's hope and pray that I do God proud and make a lasting impression. =]

I'll hopefully be able to blog more within the next few days. In addition to introducing my new cousins and friends, there are a lot of school events and town events that I'm looking forward to writing on. For instance: The ESSU-Maydolong Founder's Day Anniversary and the impending Intramurals. We don't have stuff like this back home...but man...it should have a come back. Haha

Until next time.

-Aarika

I reassert that Stephen King is both inhuman and a genius

"A short story is a different thing all together - a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger."

So, if you haven't heard yet, I'm trying to be a writer. Okay. let's scratch that. I am "aspiring" to be a writer. And so, my last few years here at CSUSB have been chock full of fiction and literature classes that give me the suitable deadlines I need to give birth to some of my most painfully pushed out work. It also has allowed me to produce some my best. (in my opinion of course) And so, in my attempt to write another story, this time focused in on the "Ghost Story" genre, I look to one of the most creatively sick geniuses this world has to offer. Mr. Stephen King, who elevated himself to a 100 on my awesome scale of 1 - 10 (100 because he has already well surpassed the highest standard) with this comment:

"Both Rowling and Meyer, they're speaking directly to young people. ... The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephanie Meyer can't write worth a darn. She's not very good."

- Stephen King

What can I say? The man knows his stuff. And if God can bless me with at least a fraction of his good fortune. I might just be able to fulfill my life long dream after all.

realizations as i sit in class...

Spring Quarter 2011

I wasn't planning on a MWF schedule, I've been strict on my Tuesday/Thursday schedule for the past three quarters. But when I failed to register in time for the Playwriting class I have been dying to take, only able to creep onto the wait list, one of my favorite Professors told me:

"I would never wait list you."

So I signed up for two of his classes. Haha. I don't know. God planned it this way, because the two classes he is teaching are two that I need, so, I'm just gonna go with it

So, here we go.

English 511: Creative Writing in the Classroom

Basically a field study for teaching English to high school students

Humanities 344: Ideas of American Culture

one of the last pesky GE's I've got left.

English 385: Literary Theory & Criticism
you should see the book for this thing. 8pt font. 2067 pages. Yeah.

English 513: Advanced Creative Writing in Specialized Genres
Ghost Stories. oOooOooOoo

phew.

today marks the last day of regular classes.

hmmm. kinda feels nice.

though i will admit that i miss those times when you had spent so much time with your teachers resulting in the both of you being genuinely glad for the time that you've spent together and the relationship that has come out of it.

lately it seems that you've got to have been in a few of your professor's classes before they genuinely start to care about you, but all the same, it still feels nice.

*sigh*

so this is my breather.

before the impending storm brewing.


haha. not yet. though i better get myself some floaties. because by next wednesday evening this will be me:


pray that all goes well.

watching as they tread the proverbial boards

So...it's come around again: my return to the theater.

=D

I can't lie...I really did miss the work. Despite the late hours and the fact that I've had to miss some pretty important events, I can't be too upset about it. God allowed me to sign up for this class year for a reason...and just like choir...coming back as a returner is different and more exhilarating.


This time around, I'm a "spot op" which basically means I maneuver the spotlight on characters and different things throughout the show.


It's harder than my last job...but, I like it. I think I would enjoy anything I would be asked to do (just short of acting) haha.

Praise God for new opportunities and also for old reminders of what's been pressing into my heart for a while now.

Proud mama.

last night was Cassie's last choir concert ever and she completely rocked it. =D

It's strange to think that four years have passed by in such a flash. When I think back on it all it is just too crazy for words sometimes....

But getting to watch Cassie take that stage as a senior, as a Madrigal, as a four-year choir member, and being able to do it side by side with her best and closest friends in the world made me choke up a little.

I've always been pinned as matronly. Motherly I guess. I have a bad habit of being a mom to everyone, but I just can't help it. I have a habit of getting involved and I believe everyone needs someone to be proud of them sometimes, and yet not everyone has somebody.

Granted, my sister and her friends all have great support systems and a great number of friends who are all proud of them. But that doesn't erase the fact that I am to.

I am very proud of all those high schoolers who have accomplished four years of hard work. I am proud that they ended strong that they have grown so much, with so much in store for them in the future. And I'm also glad that I got to watch them do it. I love you guys.

To my sister, even though we don't get along sometimes. I am so proud of you. And I love you.

yup. that's what i meant:

So, this is my monday/wednesday schedule:

5am-8am:
Work
[yuck.]
9:20-10:30am:
Theater Arts 260
[i am officially in LOVE with this class]
10:40-11:50am:
English 301B
[poetry class]
11:50-1:10pm:
My Lunch Break.
[campus is expensive]
1:20-2:10pm:
Psych 115
[it's my "feelings" class]
2:40-3:50pm:
English 418

[fiction writing]
4:00-5:50pm
My Nap time
[my car needs to get more comfortable]

6:00-9:50pm
Art 123
[Art & technology]

And it is OFFICIALLY
a new quarter.Honestly? I've never been so stoked for school before.

The first day is ALWAYS the first impression and, for me, it's when I realize whether or not I'm going to be pulling my hair out by midterms or consistently excited to start my days.

Now, in starting ANY new school term, there are 3 Important Factors that I ALWAYS consider:
1. Interest in the Subject
If you go into a class with the mindset that you DON'T want to be there, you are totally and completely setting yourself up for failure. A class you don't want to be in will always stay that way, so you will be prone to bow out, either early or entirely, or you'll just be mad the whole time and not get anything done. Granted, there will always be those subjects that you can't avoid. Classes you HAVE to take for GE credit or as a prerequisite etc. etc. It's a part of college, but...that's why this next one is SO important:

2.Professor
If don't like your professor, you will NOT do well in the class. A disliked Professor is one that is easily tuned out and, though it can be their fault for being uncharismatic and boring, you've got to work with it. Partner an uninteresting subject with an uninteresting professor and you've got a high risk Fail in the making.

But a GREAT Professor can make even the most boring subjects bearable. I hated taking Biology, especially when I learned I had to take capstone class, I was ready to cry. But my teacher was awesome and she made everyday fun and easy to understand and she was prone to cutting class short. Therefore? I got an A. Perfect example. KNOW YOUR PROFESSORS.

and
3. Familiar Faces

Being alone in a class that you don't want to be in or in a class where you have a professor that you don't want to be with is extremely uncomfortable. That's why it pays to make friends in your classes, and in your department. This way, even if you suffer, you have someone to do it with. And when you need to study, you don't have to make awkward advances towards classmates you have never met. When you've got a partner you are set. ESPECIALLY for those taboo moments like: Group projects [bleh]

So, always try to find someone you know in class. If you don't, then obviously it's time to make a friend, because I promise, having a partner to sit next to and to study with makes midterms, finals, and quizzes a LOT more enjoyable.

Take for example my French 102 class:

I am NOT great with Foreign languages, and during French 101, I was blessed with a very forgiving Professor who liked me. Therefore, she helped me a lot. BUT I was concerned about when I went on to 102. What if this teacher didn't help me? And what if I failed! Thankfully, not only was Professor Wolfgang really nice, I was in the class with about 1/2 of my French 101 class. Having them all there, made it a lot easier to talk freely and without nerves. They weren't judging me because they knew what I was going through. They were my class friends and now, I see them outside of French in OTHER classes and we suffer through THOSE classes together now to.

So what's my rating of this quarter when considering my THREE very important factors?

Well,
I don't know who this baby is, but he's got the right idea.
HAHA

Two thumbs up.
This quarter rates high on the awesome scale.
Not only do I have an immense interest in all of my classes,
(especially my theater and english classes)
I also love each of my professors.
I don't get bad vibes and they know their stuff. Granted there may be one that will flip on me throughout the quarter, but I can roll with the punches.
And of course, in each of my classes, save for one, I have at least one buddy from last quarter.

In the words of Miley Cyrus
[who's new movie my sister is begging me to take her to]

"Mix it all together and you know you got..."
what?
HAHAHAHAHA
woot. As corny as it is...let's pray it stays that way.
=D

been ready to snap for days...

Sometimes it feels like I'm slipping.
"But I call to God, and the Lord saves me."
Psalms 55:16

the dreaded finals week

Oh gosh. it's finally here.
One of the most stressful times of anyone's college career
All summed up by one word that occupies every student's mind from day one until graduation:

FINALS

DUH DUH DUH...

-_-x <-- See? Even my emoticon has a headache

wish me luck people. This has been me the last few days:

And it will be for the next week until next thursday when my last final ends at 4pm

From now until then, it's five essays, one journal, one (early) written exam, an oral final, and a workshop conference.

joy.

But at least I have a week. To those of you going through it right now?
May God's grace be with you. Haha.

-aarika

Letting God write my love story...

i am a lover of words.

From books to lyrics to scripts to quotes, I find that, despite there being times when it feels like there are no words, saying that "there are no words" is enough.

Those are the words.
And therein lies my absolute favorite paradox.
=D

Anyway, moving on. Despite my love for words, I will admit that at times I can utterly loath the sight of them. It's what happens when you live the life that I live since after most nights this is me:yeah. real attractive right? But what can I say? Even an English Major has trouble keeping up with reading. And yet...I still find solace and comfort in reading.

I want to spend the rest of my life surrounded by books even though, at the present time, I loathe them. Hah. Another paradox. But this is how I imagine my life to be:

With my own personal library
Stacks and stacks of books
And I do mean Books EVERYWHERE.
(these stairs are so awesome)
Even in my bedroom
And in my bed. (HAHA)
So, despite my overwhelming reading list, I still love reading something new.
And I suspect I will always be that way.
God is so good for the love and passion He has given to me.
And one day, God-willing, my dream of contributing my words
to the words of the greats
will be fulfilled through His mercy.
This is what I think God is telling me:
And who am I to question Him?

Currently reading:
The Bible
"Seek ye out the book of the Lord, and read." Isaiah 34:16

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
"Eccentricty had flowered into madness."

The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang
"With new freedom and opportunities
came new crimes. There would be much that
she could do."

Fearless by Max Lucado
"Fear corrodes our confidence in God"

When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric and Leslie Ludy
"Being single is an opportunity to discover who God has made us to be and what He has called us to in this life"

Have A Little Faith by Mitch Albom
"It is more comforting to think God listened and said no, then to think that nobody's out there"

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
"I probably got more from that dream and not accomplishing it than I got from any of the ones that I did accomplish."

Gotta love it.

To Be Fearless

Some people fear of being great, but I've always been afraid that I would never get there. And so when the prospect of being workshop(ed) in my Intro to Fiction class came up I knew that I wouldn't be able to breathe for weeks.

For the first time ever, I was going to be critiqued on my fiction. My fiction, which I have worked on for nearly fifteen years to perfect and still have trouble believing is good. Decent maybe. Sometimes good. But great? -_-x not so much.

(i wrote this a few years back for another creative writing class)

what holds me back?
arrogance,
yet also
a lack of self-worth.
To be unsure of your ability,
at something you know you are good at.
is a curse in itself.

it's true.

I am good.
But I'm not great.

there is also self-induced pressure
of what I must live up to,
what i must mirror,
in order to, at the very least,
honor my predecessors.

With my writing,
How can I compare to that of Poe?
or Faulkner, or Salinger?
How can I live up to such names and be everything I want to be?
Everything I'm expected to be?
I am good at what I do. Yes,
But I am not great.

And in music...
Music is breath, music is life,
But to do my family justice,
Music is so much more than that.
It is passion and music is work.
I may be considered good
But again, I am not great.

So can you see now, just how terrified I was?

I mean, what if I submitted my piece and the truth was it wasn't great and there was no chance of it ever being great? Or worse! What if I've been lying to myself for years and I'm not even decent?! GAH! What if all my letters came back with one note back saying in horrible editor red:

"You suck. Change Majors."

-_-x oh goodness. I think I would just drop dead right there.

Because as I've said before and I will continue to say forever and ever. This is what I'm meant to do. I can't imagine doing anything else with my life and I have to believe that God gave me this passion and this gift to do something with it.

But. I should know better than to doubt God. I mean...didn't I just learn that from the book Kristine, Lidia, and I are going through? Fear corrodes confidence in God and that we have to remember God's resume when we start doubting if He's there.

I should know better and God smacked me in the face with it today, during my workshop.

God used my teacher, this published Author, someone who is pretty much living the dream right now, (or at least a part of it) to open his letter to me with this:

"The story has enormous potential, and is already quite impressive. You have real talent."

and ended his letter with this:

"This could be a fantastic story, Aarika. You definitely need to keep writing."

Grade? "A-"

Holy crap. I had to actually pinch myself when I read this. Like seriously? I could cry.

I have talent? *haha* I know I've been told that before but...like...I've always been told by friends and family. They are supposed to say stuff like that aren't they? That's what they do! But...this teacher, who I've only known for a few weeks and who probably won't remember me much when I move on tells me that I "need to keep writing". How can that not be a sign?

How can that NOT be the grace of God?

*sigh* Lord I praise you for your faithfullness to me. Even in the midst of my doubt and my fear which corrodes my confidence in your greatness, you continue to be great. And you continue to embrace me with the reality that in You, I can be great too.

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13

interesting couple of days.

so this year i decided to take up the request of a few friends of mine as well as the request of my high school choir director and venture back into time through the hallowed hall that holds Elizabethan Dinner. Not as a guest this year...no. As the help.

Haha it was an interesting experience. One that I wasn't sure if I really wanted since I'm very adamant about the fact that, as much as I enjoyed high school, I would not do it again.

But as the days have progressed I find myself realizing, once again, that it was never the experience that I missed but the people I experienced it with. Granted, those who are left behind are older now. Filling the shoes of those of us who have passed on (that makes it sound like we died haha). But still, they are the same people. The same kids who I remember meeting when they were freshman. Before they were new and wide-eyed but now are veterans of the era and are reveling in the spoils that come with the ever coveted and highly valuable "seniority".

I was asked last night and I have asked many of my own friends this who are similarly involved, "Is it weird being back?" And the answer is: "Always. But it's got a nice vibe to it." So, the fact is it's nice being back because at least it's not totally back.

I mean, as an alumni I can honestly go about my business with the secure knowledge that I am an adult and am here to consult and execute not be told and follow orders. I am no longer a student but a member of our psuedo-"staff" and that's always fun. There is a sort of power in that which I had a taste of back in senior year, but ultimately there was no bigger picture back then. It was all cut and dry. Perform. perform. perform.

Now, on the other side it's just a lot more than that. The work may be a little harder but the reward is a justification of it. And what is this reward you ask? It's the fact that I get to see my sister, who has worked for three years to make it into the Madrigals, finally be up there on stage in a royal court dress. My sister, who achieved what I couldn't and was not able to do. Who has always been a better singer than me and is now being recognized for her talent. My sister who gets to sing the ever famous "Silent Night" in the Elizabethan Dinner show and be a part of the magic that can change a lot of kids' attitude towards choir.

And also it's getting to see my brother. My little brother who is just starting off on his choir adventure. Who is being forced to serve food to guests because he has no seniority, but in the process building bonds with boys and girls who will be there throughout his high school career and most undoubtedly help shape him as a performer.

The reward is being able to experience something with both of them at the same time. It really is nice to have this one thing, since (because of the age gaps) we haven't been involved in a similar school since elementary. I can't even tell you how much I praise God for the experience and also the opportunity to bond with my siblings over something that has shaped both the lives of Cassie and I and will shape Garrett's life in the future. This is something we all share that isn't family related and for the first time in years I feel the age gap getting smaller and smaller.

My siblings and I have never been as close as I would hope. We fight a lot. We hurt each other a lot. We try to pull the wool over the other all the time. But we still love eacch other. That's never going to change and this time together has just reaffirmed that. We are family. No matter what.

close encounters of the academic kind...

so the new quarter has started and I find myself with 3 on-campus classes, one lab on a different day than all of my other classes, and an online class. 17 units in all to add into the mix with my two jobs and crazy inability to say "no, sorry, I don't have time". In all honesty, looking back on my last post, I think I was more stressed with the idea of the impending quarter and the uncertainty of if I could deal with all of it. I was more inclined to believe that I was biting off WAY more than I could chew. But now, as I slowly inch forward day by day, it doesn't look so bad...and it could be worse. =P.

Anyway, to recap on my life thus far: I couldn't take 102 Japanese because I haven't taken 101 so I switched into a 101 French Class where my teacher is black with a british accent that disappears when she speaks french. She also likes to dance as she talks as a way to help us with our memorization.

I find the french accent and pronunciation hard because it requires you to lose some consonants while changing the sound of most of the vowels. WEIRD.

And to top it off, it's an 8am class. Hopefully that won't come back to bite me in the butt.

Anyway, then there is my Geology class with my motorcyle driving professor leatham who looks like Jeff Foxworthy (to the left) with Shawn Wallace's voice (to the right). It's really hard to concentrate with him because, not only do I keep thinking about what a weird mix of them he really is, he is also just WEIRD in general. In class today he totally ate chalk. He was trying to make a point...and I got it...but come on! CHALK? Haha.

And of course there is my subsequent Geology Lab with my very very VERY Canadian Professor Ross, I say that because he has got to have the thickest GENUINE Canadian accent I've ever heard, with "Eh?" And "aGAIN." It's so crazy...and I have weird flashbacks of Degrassi and Anne of Green Gables.

My online course is a MUS 180 class that's basically vocab and definitions submitted online as well as required attendance to 5 concerts this year. I really really REALLY want to go to the B.B. King Concert later in November, but it's expensive...I'll just have to pink up two extra shifts to pay for it. mMm good. I can feel the exhaustion now. =D

Finally there is my Creative Writing Class, the focus being poetry. My teacher is nice, as are my classmates, but I have to say it is truly an experiecne not being the only one in my major. It's downright foreign if you ask me. Why? Well, because for the first time, I'm not alone, and...I'm not that special now. Haha, i know, it soudns kind of petty, but you have to understand, I've always been the only one that's been a creative writing major with the goal of being a writer. There has always only ever been me, and now I'm in a class of 23 where more than 50% is the same. It'll take some getting used to...and I think once I prove not just to them but to myself that we actually are not the same, I'm distinct and different, then I'll be able to get ouf of this writing funk.

And that is my school career as of now. We'll see how it progresses over the next ten weeks.

Until next time
-later days

Stump The Professor

Thursday was National Prayer Day and Campus Crusade for Christ at my school had Jon Rittenhouse come for an open discussion about any questions people had about God, religion, the Christian faith, ANYTHING! And he was giving away gift cards.

So I went. Skipped my Chem class for it and sat in a room that's maximum capacity was over 300.

There was about 15 of us. =P But that's 15 lives that God compelled so that's good enough for me.

Anyway, there was a Professor sitting down the row from me and I could tell he was there purely because he was very skeptical and he brought up the question, "What do you mean by Atheism isn't the best intellectual position?"

And Prof. Jon Rittenhouse, who is a Philosophy professor at Biola said this:

"Atheism, when broken down is "A" which means "without" and "Theism" which means "God" therefore, "Atheism" is the belief that there is no God. But the statement that "there is no God" is a universal negative and to back it up you would have to ensure that there is no evidence to refute it. One piece of evidence that points to God would refute the entire thing. Now if we say that God is within the universe, (I believe He is also outside the universe, but for this example let's say he's within.) To ensure the truth of that universal negative you would have to examine 100% of the information of the universe. Albert Einstein, a genius, was reported to know 2% of the world's knowledge. So, is it possible for there to be evidence pointing to God in the 98% of unknown information?

The answer? Yes.

And the only person who is capable of knowing 100% of the Universe information is God, therefore He is the only one capable of stating: "There is no God." Though, I highly doubt he would say that."

Hah. It was a good talk. There were a lot questions that came up and he had an answer for everything backed with incredibly amounts of Biblically Historical information. I was impressed and very glad that I skipped Chem.

There were a few things that I didn't know if I agreed with him. Some of his statements on free will and also a theory on whether or not young children will be raptured, but that just fuels my own desire to research.

One piece of information I did find extremely interesting was this:

85% of people in America believe in God
95% of people in America believe that Jesus is coming back

How the heck does that happen?

Well, I'll talk more about this later. I got kids to babysit. =P
I miss Bible Study already.

Going Back

so here's how it went:

"hey dude i missed you."

"i just like hanging out."

"where do you want to sit?"

"ours was better"

"they are so much better than us."

"ditcher."

"i'm a proud mama"

"woot."

"has he always been so masochistic?"

"didn't you hear the whistling?"

"answer you're question?"

"what question?"

"that was not your question."

"you're right."

"this is so over."

"star trek"

"i thought you said you weren't going."

"later. i'll call you, we'll hang out."

from there voices dimmed
as did the lights
and there faded the choir career of 74 seniors
some happy. some sad.
some nostalgic. some ready to break out.

in the end as i pulled out of the parking lot--
i realized what it was i missed about high school.
it wasn't the music. and it wasn't even the times with people i had graduated with.
it was more like the people i left behind.
now would i go back?
heck no,

but thankfully i don't have to.
thankfully...they all seem to be coming to me.

ahbooyah.