Hell Week!

I finally get to experience my first hell week in architecture, and let me tell you there is only one word to describe this... hell. All of our projects in Studio and DCM (our drawing class) have been compiled into one and are all due on the same day. I thought that maybe it wasn't going to be too bad because I have caught up on a lot of my drawings and projects, but every day we have class... a new addition to each project is added. This is the first time that I am actually starting to get nervous and maybe (as much as I hate the word) stressed. All year, I have never had this much work to do at the same time. I feel like i just went outside in my swim-trunks with a towel to lay out, and all of a sudden it started to rain. This major is just on a whole new level when it comes to finals, and at first - I was excited and enthused about the prospect of having no finals to study for, just projects. But now I see why, and I have now come to fully understand how it feels to endure the week that is hell week.

My Blog & the Blogosphere

When you look at my blog you’ll see a variety of topics most of them dealing with college life or some aspect of it. And as I think about ideas of what I want to write, it usually ends up being a current topic or current situation that I am going through. Most of these topics, I think are interesting and can appeal to a lot of readers. Some of the subjects are transferring, spring break; trips back home, wanting school to end, current movies, vacations, etc. My posts relate to people who read them because the people who do read my posts are usually college students, people who are in the same situation as me. They are either going through the same situation, have been through it, or might experience it sometime in the near future. And my blogs provide direction and guidance and feeling to these particular situations.
Now when you look at my best post, it would probably have to be the transfer post… about transferring to a different school. There is so much passion and detail and description in the explanation that I feel it is my best post. Not only does it give the reason for wanting to leave, but it also backs it up with full proof and evidence, letting the readers know what is going through my head. The organization and the persuasion are the best parts about it because without persuasion all it would say is I want to transfer because I don’t like it here. That is not going to persuade anyone who reads it that they or I should transfer, not even my 10 year old sister. There is emotion and passion in the writing that rubs off on the reader, helping to persuade their decision. Ultimately, I think that it is a great post with lots of details why and the emotion and passion to persuade anyone to transfer were they in my position.
The last and finally peace of the puzzle is the blogosphere. The blogosphere is a collective term encompassing all blogs and their interconnections. It is the perception that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social network. I think that it is almost like a virtual community that helps people around the community together by reading other people’s thoughts and words. It is the start of a new era, a connection between the world without pen or paper and without visual contact. It is nice because you can track different subjects through hypertext links that travel from blog to blog, interconnected by their subject matter. It just makes everything easier almost, making it simple and easy to track different subjects rolling through the blogs and track and follow those who are close to you or those that interest you. Ultimately, it is a great invention that will surely stick around and be added on from here on out.

New Car

So, a few days ago, I finally convinced my mom to start looking for a car for me. Of course, she has to get it from somebody that she knows because she is a nervous wreck about everything. One of her good friends owns a dealership in Evansville (my home town), and so she got in contact with him and started searching. At first she limited me to $7,000, but after seeing some cars for a little more money, she started to lean towards that few extra thousand for a much better car. Here are the choices. My dad bought a 2008 Honda Civic last year and whenever I'm home, I always get to drive it because I don't have a car. My dad wants to give it to me so that he can get a new car, but my mom is the boss, so it is ultimately her decision. The second choice is a 2003 honda accord. I guess I'll just have to wait and see the end result when I get home

When is School Going to End?

School is really just getting old. I'm tired of going to class, I'm tired of doing stupid things that don't even matter as homework. Most of the tedious homework that I have to do now, I'm not even going to remember by the end of the summer because mainly they don't matter. Architecture is starting to get to me and I honestly just need a break from the college life. I just want to go home and hang out, do nothing and see my friends. I miss high school, where we skipped class to wonder around the hallways, where people actually cared and you could put a name to every face that you walked by. I'm not saying I don't love college, I just need a break because I'm ready for summer. Muncie really sucks too, and it is so bland and boring that I find my daily moods replicating my distaste for Muncie. But thankfully there are only 4 more weeks left until freedom and home! Hopefully, I can make it through and come out on top.

where to work?

I have been thinking recently, about where I wanted to work. I haven't worked thus far in school because I wanted to focus on school and grades. I have done well so far... and I am also broke. I picked up an application at Texas Roadhouse, and had an interview today. They told me though that to be a waiter/server, you have to be 21. In Indiana, you only have to be 19 to be able to serve food and serve alcohol, its just that with the corporation of Texas Roadhouse - you have to be 21. I've been thinking of other places, and I have come to the conclusion that I want to be a waiter for sure. I think that it would be so much fun to be in an intense atmosphere with people and life and culture. People go out to eat to have a good time, enjoy their money, and I want to add to that opportunity of fun and relaxation. Not only that, if I am good - I can make great tips. I've been thinking about some other places too. I have a friend that works at Outback Steakhouse, which could be a good option - especially since I don't have a car. Other options are Chili's, Applebees, and Cheeseburger in Paradise. I still have to go to those places to pick up applications and see about interviews and all that jazz, but hopefully one of these will work out because I know for sure that I am broke.

Band

I love to play guitar and piano and sing, and any other musical aspect that you can think of. Today, I got the chance to meet this band that might be playing at our fraternity party tonight? How amazing would that be? Not only did I get to meet them, they also play and perform the same music that I like to play and write. It is a real inspiration every time I get to run into a successful musician or go to a concert because it gives me the motivation to keep recording and writing. I have written a few songs and everyone really likes it, maybe someday something will happen... but who knows. My dream would be to move to Nashville or LA and have someone "find me" so that I could eventually become famous. But that is just a dream, so until then... I'm just going to have to keep writing these blogs and doing my architecture projects. Maybe someday...

Spring Break... The After Affects

So I get back to school early Sunday night, and it is the last place I want to be. It was the first time that I had not gone to Florida for spring break because we went snowboarding, and so when I came back to school it felt weird because I had not been to the beach yet. I felt as though something was missing, a part of me or an annual event that I go through every year... and this year I did not. Although the snowboarding trip was amazing, and I had a really good time, something like going to Florida every spring break becomes a part of you when you have been there since sixth grade. I know Destin like my own home town. I know all the shortcuts, the best places to eat, the nicest and cheapest places to stay, the best beaches, etc. Thankfully though, we might be going there this summer with all my friends from high school so it will work out.
But as for the affects of just coming back to school after spring break in general, it was terrible and all I wanted to do was sit and do absolutely nothing. The first day back, I skipped my morning classes, came back and took a five hour nap, woke up and ordered pizza, watched TV, and went back to sleep. I was in a slum and didn't want to work or put forth an effort in anything, it was really bad. Slowly as due dates loomed closer, I have gotten my act back together and am now starting to focus on school more.

Definately, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe is a romantic comedy about a man with 3 women who come in and out of his life. It starts in the beginning that has daughter wants to know the story of how he fell in love, but instead of giving her the real names… he makes them up and turns the story into a sort of love mystery.
Will's story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the Clinton campaign. For Maya (Will’s daughter), Will relives his past as a idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big city politics, and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women.
The first woman is his college sweetheart, Emily, but upon graduation, Will decides to head to the big city of New York to work for Bill Clinton. Emily stays behind and their love eventually fell through due to the distance.
The 2nd woman and my personal favorite is April. She is the copy lady at Will’s work in New York, but soon something more comes between them, even while Will is still with Emily. They kiss, and Will leaves, but they keep being friends. Will plans to propose to Emily just before they break up, and is practicing on a New York City rooftop with April as the dummy. This is my personal favorite part of the movie because this is when April officially falls in love Will. As he rehearses on the rooftops and officially sucks it up, she tells him how bad he sucks and he tries again. He says this, “I want to marry you because you’re the first person I want to look at when I wake up in the morning and the only one I want to kiss goodnight. Because the first time that I saw these hands, I couldn’t imagine not being able to hold them. But mainly, when you love someone as much as I love you… getting married is the only thing left to do. So, will you… umm, marry me?” She responds with, “Definitely, maybe.” I think that is such a key moment in the movie, a kind of realization for the audience that there is a strong connection there, and although Will doesn’t see it at the time, it is so obvious in April.
The third and final girl is Summer. She is from New York, and steals Will’s heart after the breakup with Emily. After she screws him over by writing a controversial article about Bill Clinton, their relationship comes to an end.
Maya, finally comes to the conclusion that Emily is her mom, because the two of them meet back up in New York, and Will talks about how Emily brushes his head and hair and she does the same thing to Maya to make her feel better. The three of them then venture off to the zoo in an attempt by Maya to bring the family together.
At the end, Maya asks why he changes all of the names except for April… and somehow they end up at April’s doorstep. At first, she doesn’t let them in, he counts to 30, and the two of them start to walk away. A few seconds later, she runs out and he explains everything. They go inside, and the two of them kiss as the movie draws to a close.
Ultimately, I thought this was an amazing and rich story that really can relate to a lot of people. I know that it affected me personally because it made me think that maybe, one day, I could end up with someone I’ve always been close to. The movie really made me think, and almost brought me tears at some point. I would give it 4.5 our of 5 stars, essentially brilliant.

Spring Break Looms Ahead

So here we are on this dreary day, and all we can think about is the week that lies ahead to play. A week of no work, where we don't have to worry, a week without school on our minds and hopefully no chance of flurries. That's right, spring break is only a week away! Obviously it has been on our minds since we started school back up again in January, but it really hasn't settled in or grabbed our attention until now. Spring break has always been that kind of barrier during the second semester so that the semester doesn't seem so long and so terrifying. It is right in the middle, so we can look forward to the break and not worry about the future, but when we get back, not too far off ahead, lies another break... summer. So ultimately, this is the ideal vacation for every college student. And as I sit here in the tower cell of the architecture building looking outside at the dreary weather as the clouds roll over and the rain pours down, I begin to imagine in my head where I will be on this same day during the break. For me it is a trip up to Northern Michigan to go snowboarding and relax at this huge resort, drink some beer, and enjoy a week off from the hectic life of the not-so-typical architecture student.

Transfer

Something has been on my mind for a while and I really haven't mentioned it to anybody. But besides from the architecture program here, the school sucks. It's so average, boring, and bland outside of architecture that it’s starting to get to me. There's no school spirit, there's no pride, there's no culture here. I feel like I'm missing out on some of the best experiences of college, the things that you tell your grandchildren about. I know that college is to get an education and that's the only reason, but if I don't feel at home, if I'm not enveloped in the campus and its activities and PROUD OF IT, then is it really the place I'm supposed to be at? The football games are mediocre, kind of like a big high school game, no one goes to the basketball games, and no on really cares. I want to be somewhere where school pride is more important than most other things (except academics of course), where going to a football game is exciting not only because we're good, but because of the tradition that stands before me and the tradition that I can be proud to say that I am apart of. I remember the first Purdue football game that I went to... it was one of the most breathtaking moments I have ever experienced. To walk out into that bowl and be apart of the cheers, the people, spirit, the tradition... to be a part of something bigger than myself... that was a special moment for me, a sort of realization I guess of what college should be. I don't know if this is a legitimate reason to want to transfer, but it’s obviously been on my mind for a while, so it's legit enough to have been thought about. And you might say, well maybe its good that there's not much else going on so that you can focus on your school work, but I want to experience college to its fullest because this is supposed to be the time of my life. But how can it be when the best part about the school.... take that back... the only good part about this school is the architecture program? I want to be able to make that decision though because that is what college is about, making decisions and learning from your mistakes. How can I learn from my mistakes if the choices presented are slim to none?

Late Nights in Studio

Why is my background black? I don't know, maybe because I am sitting in studio right now working on another architecture project. This windowless room, up here on the 6th floor is more "home" to me than my dorm room because I honestly spend more time up here than in my dorm room. The reason it is black is because that is usually the color of the sky the majority of time that I am in here. Now don't get me wrong, I am absolutely infatuated with architecture, the processes, the details, the freedom, but the hours are not so hot. I have to be in here for class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from one to five. And each week, we get a new project statement, and each week that new project is due. So hours upon hours are spent up here late at night because during the day, I don't have the time to come up in here and work. The word "sleep" has found itself outside of my everyday vocabulary due to its non-existence. I don't have time for sleep when I have architecture, soccer, a job, and a life. Especially with our first-year projects, which are abstract, busy work, and so time consuming that I sometimes get really frustrated. But all I can do is look to the future, to the prospect of using computers and not exacto knives. So, now I have to get back to my project and the cave that I live in.

The Dark Knight

With reviews such as "Heads up: a thunderbolt is about to rip into the blanket of bland we call summer movies," and "Nolan's sequel surpasses the original with an intense, disturbing masterpiece," The Dark Knight is slowly making its way into history. From the first time that I saw this movie in I-MAX, to when i watched it yesterday in my dorm room, it has never ceased to please. The plot is already set from the first movie, but I'm not sure if anyone expected the joker to steal the show. Keith Ledger played the role of the infamous Joker and grabbed the crowd's attention with his cut up lips, his painted face, and more famous quotes as he ravaged through the city of Gotham. Now what makes the Joker the ultimate villain is the fact that he wants nothing more than to see the world burn. He really is crazy and insane and due to his lack of motive, he creates havoc throughout the city... for fun. And ultimately, it is the complete action packed story line, the joker and Ledger's outstanding performance, and lastly - the Batman's ability to overcome evil that has made this summer movie into a classic. But something that most people don't realize or see in the transition of the story line is Harvey Dent. He starts out as the white knight of Gotham, and by the end of the movie, due to the fact that he has lost his girl and half of his face, the only thing on his mind is revenge. He turns into a monster, but only because the joker brings it out of him in that quiet and lonely hospital room. And so, Batman becomes the Dark Knight because he can take it. I cannot wait for the sequel to this "soon to be" legendary trilogy of one of the most famous superheroes ever to have existed. And what puts the sugar coating on top is the fact that when I was little, this was my superhero and my show. What better way to be brought to life than as one of the best and most anticipated movies of all time? It is a dream come true.

1st Trip Home

So tomorrow, after a month of living back at school again, I will traverse that flat land of Indiana and head south to Evansville. I am not going to lie, it has been hard on me coming back for a full month with no contact with those that I care most about at home. I spent three weeks at home during Christmas break, and I think that three weeks is the perfect amount of time to fall into routine. I was used to doing nothing except for hanging out with my with friends, working at an athletic club, eating, and hanging out with my family while they were in town for the holidays. It was a wonderful side-step from the uphill battle of college and life out on my own. So coming back after falling into routine of a life once lived and gone was really tough for me. I wanted to do the things I did on break, and the first week back, I thought about home constantly. A month later, it is now time to head back home. I am really excited to see a lot of my family, my friends, and feel the ease of the familiar landscapes and buildings that bring that comfort and contentment of a hometown. I think that this is probably the only time I will make it home this whole semester, so I want to make the most of it while I have the opportunity. Excitement is already starting to build as I think of the light that will come out of the architecture building windows early tomorrow morning as I (hopefully) am finishing my project. There is some serenity about it, a comfort and relaxation that really cannot be found anywhere else but within you and that special place that is always given that stereotypical name... home.

Now there is nothing better than waking up on a cold, winter morning in the middle of the mountains of Colorado, with a fresh coat of powder to top it off. The earlier you rise, the more "untouched" your runs will be... and nothing can beat a fifteen to twenty minute line of nothing but you and the untouched powder covering the mountain. Now after a few minutes of sitting on the ski lift to get to the top of the mountain, climbing at least a thousand feet, I was short of breath - not only because of the drastic change in altitude - but also because of the indescribable, three hundred and sixty view of some of the most beautiful, snow-capped mountains of the Rockies. After strapping in, bundling up, and turning on some tunes to enhance the experience, I turn the board and take on the 60 degree slope of the bowl at the top of the mountain. There is nothing like carving up the untouched powder, flying at 30-40 miles per hour, and feeling the adventurous beat of your heart as it races in anticipation of what's to come. It was a fifteen minute ride from top to bottom, weaving through trees, carving up the untouched powder, and finding the natural "playgrounds" that exist everywhere to utilize and experiment with the whole way down. That was only the first run... imagine 3 or 4 days of nothing but that, then going back to the resort afterwards to enjoy the peace of the mountains, swim and relax in the hot tubs and pools, and enjoy nature to its fullest... in a "man-made" way.