I took my last exam for the semester this morning, and am finally finished. Hoping for 4 As and a B this semester, but we'll see what happens. I'm taking the rest of the day off; might go see The Avengers tonight. Been packing for a while now, cleaning up my room and throwing away quite a bit of built up junk.
I still have no idea what I'm doing this summer. ODOT hasn't gotten back to me, and according to what they told me, that means I'm not being hired by them. J&S hasn't gotten back to me, but I was told that I'd be informed either way. I'm going to call again on Monday morning to get a hold of my contact personally, and if he still doesn't know, I might just take the other offer that I have, which is with a startup web company.
I've been sick for the past week, but yesterday I was finally on the upswing and last night I slept well for the first time since last weekend, so I think I'm mostly over it.
It's strange, knowing that if I wasn't taking extra semester, I'd be graduating college. I'm not sure I'm ready yet for that, so I'm glad that I've got one more. Goal now is to get through this summer, make some money to help pay for next semester, and then get done.
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Almost Done
Seems that hell week went well, I've gotten back grades for all but one exams, and so far I'm standing at 2 As and a B. Plus two 100%s on quizzes. That said, some of the more recent material for construction as well as soils has been difficult, so over the next week I'll probably be spending more time in office hours getting help.
Finally found a class buddy to work on soils homework with, and she's been a godsend. I most certainly wouldn't have done well on the last few homework assignments, or the exam, without having someone to bounce ideas off of. If you out there ever get a chance to study with a partner, jump on it! It's very useful.
Dead week and finals are all that's left of the semester, and I still don't know if I have an internship for this summer. My interview with Janssen and Spaans went really well, but they still haven't told me one way or the other. I've got a phone interview with the Oregon Dept of Transportation this week though, so hopefully I'll have a backup.
Catstache is moving. Slowly, but it's moving. Hope you all enjoyed the look at it, though since I posted the last update it's changed quite a bit. I'll post an update in the next few days. With the design nearly finalized, I'll be able to move it over to WordPress soon, and get it up and running. Then it'll be time to start finding clients. The first two we had lined up have both basically canceled, unfortunately.
Finally found a class buddy to work on soils homework with, and she's been a godsend. I most certainly wouldn't have done well on the last few homework assignments, or the exam, without having someone to bounce ideas off of. If you out there ever get a chance to study with a partner, jump on it! It's very useful.
Dead week and finals are all that's left of the semester, and I still don't know if I have an internship for this summer. My interview with Janssen and Spaans went really well, but they still haven't told me one way or the other. I've got a phone interview with the Oregon Dept of Transportation this week though, so hopefully I'll have a backup.
Catstache is moving. Slowly, but it's moving. Hope you all enjoyed the look at it, though since I posted the last update it's changed quite a bit. I'll post an update in the next few days. With the design nearly finalized, I'll be able to move it over to WordPress soon, and get it up and running. Then it'll be time to start finding clients. The first two we had lined up have both basically canceled, unfortunately.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Ups and Downs
In the true form of Karma, last week and this are polar opposites. Last week was an easy cruise. Not a single homework assignment due the entire week, no exams, no quizzes. Nothing.
This week however, I have a grand total of: 2 quizzes, 4 midterm exams, and several homework assignments. So far I've taken one of the quizzes and two of the midterms, and I'm feeling pretty good about them. The first midterm was in psychology, and was pretty easy even without much studying. The second, which I just took, was in surveying. Not much more difficult, and it certainly took a lot less time. It was just several problems to solve, and we knew ahead of time what kinds of problems we'd be tested over, so it was easy to study for it.
I did have some pretty great news this week as well. Very last minute, I heard that Janssen and Spaans was looking for an intern for this summer, in their Indianapolis office. I sent my resume over last Friday, and they want me to come down tomorrow morning for an interview! Instead of leaving here at 6am, I'm just going to drive down to Indy this afternoon and spend the night with the parents, who live only 20 minutes away from the Janssen and Spaans office.
Additionally, the Oregon Dept of Transportation called me and asked if I was still interested in a traffic internship with them this summer, and we set up a phone interview for later this April. Two in just a week! I'm not sure which I'd really like best, because living at home would save a lot of money, but living in Oregon would be a cool experience; getting out of the midwest for the first time in my life. We'll see what the offers are, pay, hours, etc.
Later today I have a midterm in soils, which is going to be difficult. It really doesn't matter however, because it's one of two midterms, and the lowest is thrown out. I got a decent grade on the first exam, so even if I utterly fail this one, I still have a decent grade. I've studied for it, but I'm not freakin' out about it.
Then I've gotta call Enterprise around 3, after bowling gets out, and get my car for the day. Turns out they charge by the day, and a full size is only 10 bucks more than a compact. Might as well go full and drive down to Indy more comfortably. Then back here tomorrow afternoon, and another midterm exam on Friday, to finish up the week.
Two more weeks after, and finals, and this semester is done!
This week however, I have a grand total of: 2 quizzes, 4 midterm exams, and several homework assignments. So far I've taken one of the quizzes and two of the midterms, and I'm feeling pretty good about them. The first midterm was in psychology, and was pretty easy even without much studying. The second, which I just took, was in surveying. Not much more difficult, and it certainly took a lot less time. It was just several problems to solve, and we knew ahead of time what kinds of problems we'd be tested over, so it was easy to study for it.
I did have some pretty great news this week as well. Very last minute, I heard that Janssen and Spaans was looking for an intern for this summer, in their Indianapolis office. I sent my resume over last Friday, and they want me to come down tomorrow morning for an interview! Instead of leaving here at 6am, I'm just going to drive down to Indy this afternoon and spend the night with the parents, who live only 20 minutes away from the Janssen and Spaans office.
Additionally, the Oregon Dept of Transportation called me and asked if I was still interested in a traffic internship with them this summer, and we set up a phone interview for later this April. Two in just a week! I'm not sure which I'd really like best, because living at home would save a lot of money, but living in Oregon would be a cool experience; getting out of the midwest for the first time in my life. We'll see what the offers are, pay, hours, etc.
Later today I have a midterm in soils, which is going to be difficult. It really doesn't matter however, because it's one of two midterms, and the lowest is thrown out. I got a decent grade on the first exam, so even if I utterly fail this one, I still have a decent grade. I've studied for it, but I'm not freakin' out about it.
Then I've gotta call Enterprise around 3, after bowling gets out, and get my car for the day. Turns out they charge by the day, and a full size is only 10 bucks more than a compact. Might as well go full and drive down to Indy more comfortably. Then back here tomorrow afternoon, and another midterm exam on Friday, to finish up the week.
Two more weeks after, and finals, and this semester is done!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
The Final Week - Finals
Well hell week is done. Thermo, DiffyQ, Soils, Pavement ... all finals and all unpleasant. But all finally finished.
I woke up early Monday to take the 8am Thermo exam, and did well. I got a 74%, which when added up gives me an A in the class. Pretty excited about that. Then I had a couple days off, and on Wednesday night, I took DiffyQ. I holed up in the Math Library for a good 7 hours leading up to the exam, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Then back home and right to bed, because I had the soils exam early Thursday morning. That one I'm also feeling pretty good about. I actually finished it, which is saying a lot for that class. It's not terrible material, it's just that the professor doesn't understand the concept of time, and her exams are always too long. But maybe she took our feedback into account, since I was able to finish the final.
I had the rest of Thursday to study for pavement. It was an open-book open-note test, and I went all out, I printed out every single packet of notes we'd had for the entire semester. And it's a good thing I did. Most pavement design problems require tables and charts. In other classes, those would be provided. But when he said open-book, open-note, he meant that he wasn't providing anything. So, good thing I the notes and tables myself. With it all, I'm pretty sure I got an A or B. Without, it would have been something like a 10%.
I woke up early Monday to take the 8am Thermo exam, and did well. I got a 74%, which when added up gives me an A in the class. Pretty excited about that. Then I had a couple days off, and on Wednesday night, I took DiffyQ. I holed up in the Math Library for a good 7 hours leading up to the exam, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Then back home and right to bed, because I had the soils exam early Thursday morning. That one I'm also feeling pretty good about. I actually finished it, which is saying a lot for that class. It's not terrible material, it's just that the professor doesn't understand the concept of time, and her exams are always too long. But maybe she took our feedback into account, since I was able to finish the final.
I had the rest of Thursday to study for pavement. It was an open-book open-note test, and I went all out, I printed out every single packet of notes we'd had for the entire semester. And it's a good thing I did. Most pavement design problems require tables and charts. In other classes, those would be provided. But when he said open-book, open-note, he meant that he wasn't providing anything. So, good thing I the notes and tables myself. With it all, I'm pretty sure I got an A or B. Without, it would have been something like a 10%.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
You Know You're in College When ...
Back before Facebook overhauled the groups function, I found one called You Know You're In College When.... I was quite amused by the list, so I joined the group. I was going through and cleaning up my groups recently, and saw that said group was about to be archived and removed. So I figured I should grab the list before is disappears, and share it with you all.
1. High school started before 8am, but now anything before noon is considered “early."
2. You have more beer than food in your fridge.
3. Weekends start on Thursday. No... Wednesday.
4. 6am is when you go to sleep, not when you wake up.
5. You know many different ways to cook ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese.
6. The health center gives out free condoms, and people take them… just in case.
7. Instead of falling asleep in class, you stay in bed.
8. You know how late McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Qdoba, etc. are open.
9. You think it’s the weekend on a Wednesday and you don’t know what month it is.
10. You can't remember the last time you washed your car.
11. Your underwear/sock supply dictates your laundry schedule.
12. You check Facebook/Myspace more than once a day.
13. You get drunk dialed on any night of the week.
14. You wash dishes in the bathroom sink.
15. You’ve fallen off a loft bed.
16. You talk about beer pong like it’s a sport.
17. Finding random people in your house is perfectly normal, and you even sympathize with them... sometimes when you wake up you have no idea where you are.
18. Your primary news sources are the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.
19. You open a beer at 10 am and your roommate asks you if there’s more.
20. The standard of meals per day falls to two, sometimes just one.
21. Your trash is overflowing and your bank account isn’t.
22. You go to Target or WalMart more than 3 times a week.
23. You wear the same jeans for 13 days without washing them.
24. Your breakfast consists of a coke or cereal bar on the way to class... anything with caffeine will do.
25. Quarters are like gold.
26. Your idea of feeding the poor is buying yourself some ramen noodles.
27. You live in a house with three couches, none of which match.
28. You try to study but seem to procrastinate by eating, going to study breaks, talking to people, etc...
29. You talk to your roommate on instant messenger when you’re both home.
30. You ask people what YOU did last night.
31. Certain things are now deemed "facebook worthy." When friends take pictures of you, you wonder how long it will take them to post them.
32. You’ve seen a hit and run involving a bicyclist/pedestrian.
33. You see people you know you’ve met but can never remember their names or how you know them.
34. You sleep more in class than in your room
35. Your idea of a square meal is a box of Pop-Tarts.
36. You've traveled with bags of dirty clothes.
37. You go home to do your laundry because you're too poor to pay the $2... or too lazy to go to a change machine.
38. You pay $100 for a book you don't read once, return it four months later, and get $7.
39. More than 20% of your household furnishings are made from milk crates.
40. You recognize the meat in the dorm soup as yesterday's meatloaf, and thus decide to eat a nice bowl of cereal - a safe bet for any meal.
41. You use words like "thus" (see #40).
42. You throw out bowls and plates because you don't feel like washing them.
43. Your beer pong table is nicer than all your other tables.
44. It takes preparation... and 3 people... to take out your garbage.
45. Going to the library is a social event.
46. You wear flip flops in the shower your freshman year... you know why.
47. You start joining clubs because of the free food.
48. Visits home depend on how much money you have for gas.
49. You skip one class to write a paper for another.
50. You have no idea where your tuition money is going... technology fees? I think not.
51. Bicycles don't seem as lame as they did in high school.
52. You stay up late to finish homework then sleep through the class in which it was due.
53. Girls: You've balanced your foot on a shampoo bottle to shave.
54. Your backpack is giving you scoliosis.
55. You've written a check for 45 cents or stopped to get $2.00 of gas.
56. Your bill in the bookstore will be comparable to tuition.
57. Going to the mailbox becomes an ego booster/breaker.
58. Most of your T.A.s are foreign...what's the deal?
59. You never realized so many people are smarter than you.
60. You never realized so many people are more dumb (aka "dumber") than you.
61. Western Europe could be wiped out by a terrible plague and you'd never know, but you can recite the last episode of your favorite show verbatim.
62. Care packages rank right up there with birthdays.
63. You craft ways to make any game into a drinking/stripping game.
64. You meet the type of people you thought only existed in movies.
65. Printers break down only when you desperately need them.
66. Anything can be cooked in a microwave.
67. Two words: bike cops.
68. You have Safe Ride programmed into your phone.
69. Old school Nintendo... and guitar hero... are pretty much the best things ever.
70. Going to the grocery at midnight is completely normal.
71. You call restaurants that deliver more than you call your own family.
72. You've paid bills over $5... in coins.
73. You can't imagine life without your computer/cell phone/ ipod.
74. Hoodies and sweatpants become the norm - jeans are considered "dressy" at certain occasions... like school.
75. A canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas.
76. Taking a nap in the library is perfectly acceptable.
77. Your professors speak English... as a second language.
78. Your teachers swear in class and no one cares.
79. Candles in your dorm room are considered contraband, but cigarettes are ok.
80. You take condiment packets and napkins from fast food restaurants - hey, they're free.
81. Betta fish are like your family.
82. You bring back socks from the laundry room that may or may not be yours.
83. You know what people carrying suspiciously heavy backpacks after dark are doing...
84. The elevators take forever but you'll wait 10 minutes just so you don't have to climb stairs.
85. Your roommate asks you to check the weather on your computer when they're standing 5 feet away from the door.
86. Showers become more of an issue.
87. You press the automatic door opener instead of simply grabbing the handle when you approach a door.
88. Christmas lights seem to be acceptable all year round.
89. Class size doubles on exam days.
90. You donate plasma even though you know it's pretty sketchy.
91. You are no longer thankful that fire alarms are here to protect you.
92. You've bought Christmas presents from the book store and charged it to your student account so your parents pay for the gifts because you're too broke.
93. You begin to include ketchup on your list of acceptable vegetables.
94. You stay on campus for hours in between classes when it's too cold to walk home.
95. People have to help you kick the vending machine just so you can get your 50 cent bag of chips.
96. There's always a "question kid" in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to shut the hell up.
97. You steal dishes from the cafeteria so you don't have to wash your own.
98. Laundry is an all-day event.
99. You no longer find it uncool to take naps. In fact, you quite enjoy them.
100. It's illegal to drink in the dorms yet they sell an assortment of shot glasses, beer mugs, tankards, etc. in the bookstore.
101. You find your list of acceptable napping places expanding daily to increasingly uncomfortable locations.
102. You fill out credit card applications for the free food.
103. You've eaten cereal out of a cup... with a fork.
104. Dressing up for Halloween becomes cool again.
105. You know at least one person who has dropped his/her cell phone into a toilet.
106. You hang multiple shirts on the same hanger to save space/money.
107. You become increasingly annoyed with the "old" people in class - props to them for going back to college but they generally ask really, really annoying questions.
108. You admire people's alcohol bottle shrines.
109. You set your clock 5-10 minutes ahead so you can potentially make it to class on time.
110. You eventually realize that setting your clock ahead makes no difference to you and you're still late.
111. You check ratemyprofessor.com (or something of the like) before choosing your class schedule.
112. You text faster than you type.
113. You only find out a class is cancelled after you get there and sit for about ten minutes.
114. You actually start using coupons, especially those school coupon books.
115. You open canned food and eat it... out of the can.
116. You run out of black ink and, instead of buying a new ink cartridge, decide blue is a nice substitute... adds a little flair.
117. You have numbers in your phone with labels like “Sketchy Steve” and “Alcohol Guy.”
118. The food in your fridge may or may not be older than your little brother.
119. The words "google" and "wikipedia" have become verbs. And you use them... quite often.
120. The names Morgan, Jim, Jack, and Jose could aptly describe either who you were with last night or what you had to drink.
121. You fill your empty two-liter bottles with pop from the school cafeteria.
122. You have a drinking buddy who can hold the most intellectual, deep conversations when drunk. Unfortunately, neither he/she nor you can remember most of it later.
123. Your floor has been dirty to the point that you've had to brush your feet off before putting on socks or getting into bed.
124. You're all for the free samples at grocery stores.
125. Energy drinks become your new best friends.
126. You realize that taking summer classes pretty much negates the fun connotation of "summer."
127. You know exactly how much food will fit into a mini-fridge.
128. You realize that said mini-fridge does NOT freeze ice cream.
129. You've made a sandwich on or eaten food off of your $1500 laptop.
130. Your scar stories involve alcohol and/or hearing what happened to you from your more sober friends.
131. It is completely acceptable... and encouraged... to party on weeknights. What would life be without Wasted Wednesdays or Thirsty Thursdays?
132. Most of your textbooks remain unopened (possibly still shrink-wrapped) the entire semester.
133. Waking up in the morning and driving somewhere to get a friend's (or your) car becomes a norm.
134. The local supermarket sells ping pong balls... right next to solo red cups. Coincidence?
135. You go home for winter/summer break and suddenly your life back at college seems so exciting...
136. You smell the clear liquid in your water bottle before you drink it... just to make sure it's actually water.
137. You discover new bruises on your body and wonder where the hell they came from.
138. You find alternate routes to class in order to avoid annoying organization booths and/or the preacher on campus.
139. Two (more) words: Power Hour.
140. Lunchables are cool again.
141. People make snow penises instead of snowmen.
142. You know at least five people who've burned popcorn.
143. You wonder why dorms stop serving breakfast at 11am. What gives?
144. You attend insanely boring seminars because your professor offers extra credit. Hmm, maybe there will even be cookies or something...
145. You can't sit in the front row because of all the 'non-traditional' students.
146. You finish reading this and wonder how you can procrastinate next.
1. High school started before 8am, but now anything before noon is considered “early."
2. You have more beer than food in your fridge.
3. Weekends start on Thursday. No... Wednesday.
4. 6am is when you go to sleep, not when you wake up.
5. You know many different ways to cook ramen noodles or macaroni and cheese.
6. The health center gives out free condoms, and people take them… just in case.
7. Instead of falling asleep in class, you stay in bed.
8. You know how late McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Qdoba, etc. are open.
9. You think it’s the weekend on a Wednesday and you don’t know what month it is.
10. You can't remember the last time you washed your car.
11. Your underwear/sock supply dictates your laundry schedule.
12. You check Facebook/Myspace more than once a day.
13. You get drunk dialed on any night of the week.
14. You wash dishes in the bathroom sink.
15. You’ve fallen off a loft bed.
16. You talk about beer pong like it’s a sport.
17. Finding random people in your house is perfectly normal, and you even sympathize with them... sometimes when you wake up you have no idea where you are.
18. Your primary news sources are the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.
19. You open a beer at 10 am and your roommate asks you if there’s more.
20. The standard of meals per day falls to two, sometimes just one.
21. Your trash is overflowing and your bank account isn’t.
22. You go to Target or WalMart more than 3 times a week.
23. You wear the same jeans for 13 days without washing them.
24. Your breakfast consists of a coke or cereal bar on the way to class... anything with caffeine will do.
25. Quarters are like gold.
26. Your idea of feeding the poor is buying yourself some ramen noodles.
27. You live in a house with three couches, none of which match.
28. You try to study but seem to procrastinate by eating, going to study breaks, talking to people, etc...
29. You talk to your roommate on instant messenger when you’re both home.
30. You ask people what YOU did last night.
31. Certain things are now deemed "facebook worthy." When friends take pictures of you, you wonder how long it will take them to post them.
32. You’ve seen a hit and run involving a bicyclist/pedestrian.
33. You see people you know you’ve met but can never remember their names or how you know them.
34. You sleep more in class than in your room
35. Your idea of a square meal is a box of Pop-Tarts.
36. You've traveled with bags of dirty clothes.
37. You go home to do your laundry because you're too poor to pay the $2... or too lazy to go to a change machine.
38. You pay $100 for a book you don't read once, return it four months later, and get $7.
39. More than 20% of your household furnishings are made from milk crates.
40. You recognize the meat in the dorm soup as yesterday's meatloaf, and thus decide to eat a nice bowl of cereal - a safe bet for any meal.
41. You use words like "thus" (see #40).
42. You throw out bowls and plates because you don't feel like washing them.
43. Your beer pong table is nicer than all your other tables.
44. It takes preparation... and 3 people... to take out your garbage.
45. Going to the library is a social event.
46. You wear flip flops in the shower your freshman year... you know why.
47. You start joining clubs because of the free food.
48. Visits home depend on how much money you have for gas.
49. You skip one class to write a paper for another.
50. You have no idea where your tuition money is going... technology fees? I think not.
51. Bicycles don't seem as lame as they did in high school.
52. You stay up late to finish homework then sleep through the class in which it was due.
53. Girls: You've balanced your foot on a shampoo bottle to shave.
54. Your backpack is giving you scoliosis.
55. You've written a check for 45 cents or stopped to get $2.00 of gas.
56. Your bill in the bookstore will be comparable to tuition.
57. Going to the mailbox becomes an ego booster/breaker.
58. Most of your T.A.s are foreign...what's the deal?
59. You never realized so many people are smarter than you.
60. You never realized so many people are more dumb (aka "dumber") than you.
61. Western Europe could be wiped out by a terrible plague and you'd never know, but you can recite the last episode of your favorite show verbatim.
62. Care packages rank right up there with birthdays.
63. You craft ways to make any game into a drinking/stripping game.
64. You meet the type of people you thought only existed in movies.
65. Printers break down only when you desperately need them.
66. Anything can be cooked in a microwave.
67. Two words: bike cops.
68. You have Safe Ride programmed into your phone.
69. Old school Nintendo... and guitar hero... are pretty much the best things ever.
70. Going to the grocery at midnight is completely normal.
71. You call restaurants that deliver more than you call your own family.
72. You've paid bills over $5... in coins.
73. You can't imagine life without your computer/cell phone/ ipod.
74. Hoodies and sweatpants become the norm - jeans are considered "dressy" at certain occasions... like school.
75. A canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas.
76. Taking a nap in the library is perfectly acceptable.
77. Your professors speak English... as a second language.
78. Your teachers swear in class and no one cares.
79. Candles in your dorm room are considered contraband, but cigarettes are ok.
80. You take condiment packets and napkins from fast food restaurants - hey, they're free.
81. Betta fish are like your family.
82. You bring back socks from the laundry room that may or may not be yours.
83. You know what people carrying suspiciously heavy backpacks after dark are doing...
84. The elevators take forever but you'll wait 10 minutes just so you don't have to climb stairs.
85. Your roommate asks you to check the weather on your computer when they're standing 5 feet away from the door.
86. Showers become more of an issue.
87. You press the automatic door opener instead of simply grabbing the handle when you approach a door.
88. Christmas lights seem to be acceptable all year round.
89. Class size doubles on exam days.
90. You donate plasma even though you know it's pretty sketchy.
91. You are no longer thankful that fire alarms are here to protect you.
92. You've bought Christmas presents from the book store and charged it to your student account so your parents pay for the gifts because you're too broke.
93. You begin to include ketchup on your list of acceptable vegetables.
94. You stay on campus for hours in between classes when it's too cold to walk home.
95. People have to help you kick the vending machine just so you can get your 50 cent bag of chips.
96. There's always a "question kid" in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to shut the hell up.
97. You steal dishes from the cafeteria so you don't have to wash your own.
98. Laundry is an all-day event.
99. You no longer find it uncool to take naps. In fact, you quite enjoy them.
100. It's illegal to drink in the dorms yet they sell an assortment of shot glasses, beer mugs, tankards, etc. in the bookstore.
101. You find your list of acceptable napping places expanding daily to increasingly uncomfortable locations.
102. You fill out credit card applications for the free food.
103. You've eaten cereal out of a cup... with a fork.
104. Dressing up for Halloween becomes cool again.
105. You know at least one person who has dropped his/her cell phone into a toilet.
106. You hang multiple shirts on the same hanger to save space/money.
107. You become increasingly annoyed with the "old" people in class - props to them for going back to college but they generally ask really, really annoying questions.
108. You admire people's alcohol bottle shrines.
109. You set your clock 5-10 minutes ahead so you can potentially make it to class on time.
110. You eventually realize that setting your clock ahead makes no difference to you and you're still late.
111. You check ratemyprofessor.com (or something of the like) before choosing your class schedule.
112. You text faster than you type.
113. You only find out a class is cancelled after you get there and sit for about ten minutes.
114. You actually start using coupons, especially those school coupon books.
115. You open canned food and eat it... out of the can.
116. You run out of black ink and, instead of buying a new ink cartridge, decide blue is a nice substitute... adds a little flair.
117. You have numbers in your phone with labels like “Sketchy Steve” and “Alcohol Guy.”
118. The food in your fridge may or may not be older than your little brother.
119. The words "google" and "wikipedia" have become verbs. And you use them... quite often.
120. The names Morgan, Jim, Jack, and Jose could aptly describe either who you were with last night or what you had to drink.
121. You fill your empty two-liter bottles with pop from the school cafeteria.
122. You have a drinking buddy who can hold the most intellectual, deep conversations when drunk. Unfortunately, neither he/she nor you can remember most of it later.
123. Your floor has been dirty to the point that you've had to brush your feet off before putting on socks or getting into bed.
124. You're all for the free samples at grocery stores.
125. Energy drinks become your new best friends.
126. You realize that taking summer classes pretty much negates the fun connotation of "summer."
127. You know exactly how much food will fit into a mini-fridge.
128. You realize that said mini-fridge does NOT freeze ice cream.
129. You've made a sandwich on or eaten food off of your $1500 laptop.
130. Your scar stories involve alcohol and/or hearing what happened to you from your more sober friends.
131. It is completely acceptable... and encouraged... to party on weeknights. What would life be without Wasted Wednesdays or Thirsty Thursdays?
132. Most of your textbooks remain unopened (possibly still shrink-wrapped) the entire semester.
133. Waking up in the morning and driving somewhere to get a friend's (or your) car becomes a norm.
134. The local supermarket sells ping pong balls... right next to solo red cups. Coincidence?
135. You go home for winter/summer break and suddenly your life back at college seems so exciting...
136. You smell the clear liquid in your water bottle before you drink it... just to make sure it's actually water.
137. You discover new bruises on your body and wonder where the hell they came from.
138. You find alternate routes to class in order to avoid annoying organization booths and/or the preacher on campus.
139. Two (more) words: Power Hour.
140. Lunchables are cool again.
141. People make snow penises instead of snowmen.
142. You know at least five people who've burned popcorn.
143. You wonder why dorms stop serving breakfast at 11am. What gives?
144. You attend insanely boring seminars because your professor offers extra credit. Hmm, maybe there will even be cookies or something...
145. You can't sit in the front row because of all the 'non-traditional' students.
146. You finish reading this and wonder how you can procrastinate next.
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Home Stretch
I always enjoy these last 3 weeks after thanksgiving break. One regular week, then dead week, and finally finals. Normally labs are canceled or easy, and homework is not as intense. Instead we've just got to study study study. Finals can make or break one's grade, and by the second half of dead week, the prepping gets intense. Still, on average, these 3 weeks have a more relaxed mindset than the weeks immediately before break.
Additionally this is coming off a pretty good end to break, for two reasons. The first is that I bought a TV! A 32" Coby. It's only 720p, I'd have preferred 1080p, but it's not a big deal. It's 60hz instead of the new 120 or 240, but that I'm actually a fan of. I don't like the higher refresh rates, movies look ... weird, I guess. Hard to describe unless you watch one yourself. Hyperreal? And the TV was only $230 from Fry's Electronics. Ironically, it wasn't Black Friday OR Cyber Monday, it was on Saturday during Fry's' after thanksgiving sale.
Second and even better thing is that I had a hot date last night. Hot and nerdy. 8) We grabbed food and then watched Lord of the Rings. Yep, you read right. It, was, epic.
This next week looks to be pretty nice. I'm in between jobs at the moment, hopefully starting a new job at 10 bucks an hour, working for a CIVL professor. But until I start, I've got so much time. Plus lab for soils this week is going to have no take home work. It'll give me time to catch up on some shows. South Park is done for the season (Thanksgiving episode was amazing, go watch it), but Supernatural is still going, as is Walking Dead and Boardwalk Empire. I'll leave you with a taste of Walking Dead, a cool video about the special effects.
Additionally this is coming off a pretty good end to break, for two reasons. The first is that I bought a TV! A 32" Coby. It's only 720p, I'd have preferred 1080p, but it's not a big deal. It's 60hz instead of the new 120 or 240, but that I'm actually a fan of. I don't like the higher refresh rates, movies look ... weird, I guess. Hard to describe unless you watch one yourself. Hyperreal? And the TV was only $230 from Fry's Electronics. Ironically, it wasn't Black Friday OR Cyber Monday, it was on Saturday during Fry's' after thanksgiving sale.
Second and even better thing is that I had a hot date last night. Hot and nerdy. 8) We grabbed food and then watched Lord of the Rings. Yep, you read right. It, was, epic.
This next week looks to be pretty nice. I'm in between jobs at the moment, hopefully starting a new job at 10 bucks an hour, working for a CIVL professor. But until I start, I've got so much time. Plus lab for soils this week is going to have no take home work. It'll give me time to catch up on some shows. South Park is done for the season (Thanksgiving episode was amazing, go watch it), but Supernatural is still going, as is Walking Dead and Boardwalk Empire. I'll leave you with a taste of Walking Dead, a cool video about the special effects.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
My Second DiffyQ Exam in the Style of Henry V
Before an exam I always update my Facebook status with the quote, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends", a line from the Shakespeare play Henry V. Henry uttered the words as he and his men were beginning another battle, breach referring to a break in the defenses he was attacking. I just took my DiffyQ exam, and so this morning I again placed that as my status. This time, I'd like to continue it into a story of the exam itself, in the form of that quote. So I present, My Second DiffyQ Exam in the Style of Henry V
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends", I yelled, and we charged. My troops were trained as if to a polished sword from weeks of drilling, and I was confident my ability to win the day. We swept through the breach and into enemy territory, but things were eerily quiet, and I felt a nagging sensation in my gut. It lasted only a moment before the first arrows swept through the fog from our right, slicing mercilessly into our unprotected flanks. "Damn", I muttered, as we'd trained over and over for a front facing assault, and now things were being thrown at us from the side, completely unexpectedly.
I called out orders and we tried to react, but movement was sluggish as we were still shocked from the first blinding losses. One thing I've learned though is that no matter what, always keep moving. If you get bogged down facing one problem, the rest will close in and you'll never finish off the enemy before time runs out. We kept moving, barely.
Suddenly we ran into their forces, and our training started to pay off. 1, 2, 3 ranks we ploughed through almost easily, my spirits started to rise. The keep was before us, the last large bastion of resistance. And then suddenly the whole world exploded in flames. They'd laid pitch [pitch is oil that is laid on the ground and then lit on fire] all over the inner courtyard! We troops didn't break, but were stalled, spending time trying just to stay alive, all forward progress stopped.
After what felt like forever but was probably only 15 minutes, I ordered a retreat, we skipped past that keep and on to less important areas. Slowly painfully we worked through them, and finally ended up at the keep again. Our losses had been terrible and still the keep resisted us. With timing running dangerously low, I called a general retreat, and with heavy heart we fell back, leaving so much meaningless death.
Will they call it a victory? We leveled most of the place, but couldn't finish the job as time ran out. And we debatably didn't even do a good job on the parts we did complete. It was all the unexpected challenges that kept getting thrown at us that really caused the problems. Nothing in the earlier smaller battles could have prepared us fully. So will they call it a victory? We'll have to wait and see.
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends", I yelled, and we charged. My troops were trained as if to a polished sword from weeks of drilling, and I was confident my ability to win the day. We swept through the breach and into enemy territory, but things were eerily quiet, and I felt a nagging sensation in my gut. It lasted only a moment before the first arrows swept through the fog from our right, slicing mercilessly into our unprotected flanks. "Damn", I muttered, as we'd trained over and over for a front facing assault, and now things were being thrown at us from the side, completely unexpectedly.
I called out orders and we tried to react, but movement was sluggish as we were still shocked from the first blinding losses. One thing I've learned though is that no matter what, always keep moving. If you get bogged down facing one problem, the rest will close in and you'll never finish off the enemy before time runs out. We kept moving, barely.
Suddenly we ran into their forces, and our training started to pay off. 1, 2, 3 ranks we ploughed through almost easily, my spirits started to rise. The keep was before us, the last large bastion of resistance. And then suddenly the whole world exploded in flames. They'd laid pitch [pitch is oil that is laid on the ground and then lit on fire] all over the inner courtyard! We troops didn't break, but were stalled, spending time trying just to stay alive, all forward progress stopped.
After what felt like forever but was probably only 15 minutes, I ordered a retreat, we skipped past that keep and on to less important areas. Slowly painfully we worked through them, and finally ended up at the keep again. Our losses had been terrible and still the keep resisted us. With timing running dangerously low, I called a general retreat, and with heavy heart we fell back, leaving so much meaningless death.
Will they call it a victory? We leveled most of the place, but couldn't finish the job as time ran out. And we debatably didn't even do a good job on the parts we did complete. It was all the unexpected challenges that kept getting thrown at us that really caused the problems. Nothing in the earlier smaller battles could have prepared us fully. So will they call it a victory? We'll have to wait and see.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Exams, Exams, and More Exams
Exams and more exams. Tomorrow morning I've got my second DiffyQ exam, and I really have to slam it hard. I've studied quite a bit, so I'm feeling okay, but I felt great about the first one and got a 60%. So we'll see. Then Wednesday evening I have my second Soils exam. I'm feeling better about it, but still not Great. I've got tomorrow night to study though.
After Wednesday, it'll be pretty smooth sailing. I'll need to study a little for a thermo exam next week, but besides that it's pretty much done until Thanksgiving break. After Thanksgiving, we've got 2 weeks and then finals. This semester is basically gone already.
After Wednesday, it'll be pretty smooth sailing. I'll need to study a little for a thermo exam next week, but besides that it's pretty much done until Thanksgiving break. After Thanksgiving, we've got 2 weeks and then finals. This semester is basically gone already.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Resume Update
I applied for an interview with Kittelson & Associates yesterday, and in preparation, updated my resume. One of my co-workers pointed out that previously, it looked like it had been designed in MS Word. It had. He suggested using Adobe InDesign and redoing it from scratch. I think the new version is an improvement. Thoughts?
Old:
New:
Thursday, October 27, 2011
I'm Sorry, Murphy
I must have offended Murphy, because so far today everything has gone wrong.
It was all great yesterday. I spent 9 hours working on homework. I got my math homework done, my math project done, and a good start to my soils homework. I went to bed late, but I set two alarms to wake up at 8am, get to office hours at 8:30 for soils. I'd work through the rest of it there in case I needed help, get it done, then go to math at 10:30, turn in my homework and project. Finally I'd have work from noon to 5pm to do my souls lab report for next week.
Everything went fine up until this morning. First, I slept through both alarms. I woke up at 11ish, instead of 8. Missed the office hours completely, and when I woke up, math was half done. I got dressed and biked over to math class, which is about 10 minutes ride away. Got there at 11:25. (Class ends at 11:45). Then I realized, I didn't have my backpack. I checked my steps back to my bike and it wasn't there. So, I got back on and rode all the way back, made it in just over 5 minutes. Awesome, right? Well, I got to my room, and realized I didn't have my keys. But I had had them when I started the last bike ride. Which meant that they were lying on the ground somewhere between here and there.
I was undecided on what to find, backpack or keys. Since I was at Cary though, and the keys could be anywhere between it and math class, I went for the backpack. Luckily my suitemate was in his room and heard my knocking. He let me in and I grabbed my backpack. I then rode down back towards math class, looking for my keys.
Turns out, they'd slipped out of my pocket right in the middle of a bloody intersection. But, I finally got a break. No one had run over them (or my flashdrive attached is the most sturdy thing imaginable.) Either way they were unharmed. I rode back to math class, got there at 11:40. Turned in my homework at the end of class and got told that it was due at the beginning, but this one time she'd take it. Which is good, because if after all that she didn't and I got a zero on project 1, I may have just quit.
It was all great yesterday. I spent 9 hours working on homework. I got my math homework done, my math project done, and a good start to my soils homework. I went to bed late, but I set two alarms to wake up at 8am, get to office hours at 8:30 for soils. I'd work through the rest of it there in case I needed help, get it done, then go to math at 10:30, turn in my homework and project. Finally I'd have work from noon to 5pm to do my souls lab report for next week.
Everything went fine up until this morning. First, I slept through both alarms. I woke up at 11ish, instead of 8. Missed the office hours completely, and when I woke up, math was half done. I got dressed and biked over to math class, which is about 10 minutes ride away. Got there at 11:25. (Class ends at 11:45). Then I realized, I didn't have my backpack. I checked my steps back to my bike and it wasn't there. So, I got back on and rode all the way back, made it in just over 5 minutes. Awesome, right? Well, I got to my room, and realized I didn't have my keys. But I had had them when I started the last bike ride. Which meant that they were lying on the ground somewhere between here and there.
I was undecided on what to find, backpack or keys. Since I was at Cary though, and the keys could be anywhere between it and math class, I went for the backpack. Luckily my suitemate was in his room and heard my knocking. He let me in and I grabbed my backpack. I then rode down back towards math class, looking for my keys.
Turns out, they'd slipped out of my pocket right in the middle of a bloody intersection. But, I finally got a break. No one had run over them (or my flashdrive attached is the most sturdy thing imaginable.) Either way they were unharmed. I rode back to math class, got there at 11:40. Turned in my homework at the end of class and got told that it was due at the beginning, but this one time she'd take it. Which is good, because if after all that she didn't and I got a zero on project 1, I may have just quit.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
RAWR
I'm working on a project for DiffyQ right now, that's included in this homework this week. During the class, we have 3 such projects. They consist of opening Matlab and writing programs to solve differential equations. Sounds fine.
The problem is that we haven't done anything with Matlab in 3 years, back in FYE. And this isn't basic Matlab, it's pretty complex stuff. That too would be fine, if they taught us how to do it. But, they don't. At all. It's not even mentioned once in class.
On the website with the assignments, there are a few tutorials. The problem is that they deal with different types of problems that what we have to do. Office hours are the only solution. But, my teacher has two office hours each week. One is in the middle of the day when I'm in class, and the second is from 6-7 pm at night, when I'm at work, which doesn't really help. Damn you School of Mathmatics of Purdue!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Interesting Homework
For the first time in quite a while, I had a homework assignment that was actually kinda cool. I had to go out and find two pavement problems around campus. Take a picture of each, and classify it. Since I bike around campus regularly, I didn't have to go find any, I just stopped by two places on one of my regular rides.I think the pictures are pretty interesting, so I'm posting them here.
The first is quite obviously a pothole. As cars drive over weak spots in wet pavement, the compression from the weight of the car forces water out, and the water pulls out some asphalt/concrete particles as well. Over time, a hole builds up under the surface where those particles used to be, and eventually it collapses down, forming the pothole.
The second is a longitudinal crack, which is a crack going along the lengthwise direction of the road, not crossing it. This one is actually pretty terrible, it's as wide as an inch in some places. If you also notice, the pavement isn't smooth at all, you can see lots of tiny holes and gaps. It's a pavement that is old and needs to be repaired or replaced, soon.
The first is quite obviously a pothole. As cars drive over weak spots in wet pavement, the compression from the weight of the car forces water out, and the water pulls out some asphalt/concrete particles as well. Over time, a hole builds up under the surface where those particles used to be, and eventually it collapses down, forming the pothole.
The second is a longitudinal crack, which is a crack going along the lengthwise direction of the road, not crossing it. This one is actually pretty terrible, it's as wide as an inch in some places. If you also notice, the pavement isn't smooth at all, you can see lots of tiny holes and gaps. It's a pavement that is old and needs to be repaired or replaced, soon.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Busy, Busy, Busy
This semester isn't going to be a fun one. I'm taking Thermodynamics, which is universally (among Purdue CE students) considered the hardest class in our School. I'm actually working on homework right now, and it's not terrible, yet. But it's time consuming.
The professor is very angry man. He spends a quarter of the class each day ranting about how terrible the English system is (which I agree with 100%), but then gives us homework in it. At one point he threatened to leave and let us learn the material ourselves because people in the back were talking. He's also the only professor I've ever heard say "well, sucks to be you then". The most annoying thing though, is his attitude towards questions.
We got back our first quiz last class, and the average was around 50%. (I got a 13/15, woo hoo!) He gave us a speech about how this is unacceptable, and that is there anything wrong? If you don't understand something, you need to stop me and ask. So later that period, I wasn't sure about an example he was doing, so I asked a question about it. He explained, but then added about 10 seconds worth of yelling at me for not paying attention because he'd already said it once. Sorry, prof, you said ask questions, my bad, I thought you meant it.
He has some redeeming qualities though. He said that we might see him at the Cactus (local bar/club) on thursday nights.
So yeah, been busy with that. And also with DiffyQ. Yes, I said DiffyQ, a class I took a year ago, during that terrible fall semester. I'm retaking it because I got a D+, which isn't passing in the eyes of CIVL.
You might remember that as I got the D+, I failed hydraulics, which I then retook last Spring. I ace'd it the second time, which is because the material itself wasn't the problem. The problem was the professor, one Professor Lynn, who is the worst teacher I've ever had, at Purdue or elsewhere. Exam averages rarely were higher than 50-60%, and many times lower. When I retook it, I had a new professor, and I breezed right through the class; almost an easy A.
The problem with DiffyQ though, is that the reason I did poorly in it wasn't the professor, it was that I had a hard time with the material itself. And the material hasn't changed. I've got a slightly leg up because I remember some of it, but even so I'm already struggling. Gotta say, office hours are a godsend.
With those classes as well as pavement design and a soils lab, not to mention CESAC work, this semester has been extremely busy. Don't be surprised if my entry rate on this blog slows way down.
The professor is very angry man. He spends a quarter of the class each day ranting about how terrible the English system is (which I agree with 100%), but then gives us homework in it. At one point he threatened to leave and let us learn the material ourselves because people in the back were talking. He's also the only professor I've ever heard say "well, sucks to be you then". The most annoying thing though, is his attitude towards questions.
We got back our first quiz last class, and the average was around 50%. (I got a 13/15, woo hoo!) He gave us a speech about how this is unacceptable, and that is there anything wrong? If you don't understand something, you need to stop me and ask. So later that period, I wasn't sure about an example he was doing, so I asked a question about it. He explained, but then added about 10 seconds worth of yelling at me for not paying attention because he'd already said it once. Sorry, prof, you said ask questions, my bad, I thought you meant it.
He has some redeeming qualities though. He said that we might see him at the Cactus (local bar/club) on thursday nights.
So yeah, been busy with that. And also with DiffyQ. Yes, I said DiffyQ, a class I took a year ago, during that terrible fall semester. I'm retaking it because I got a D+, which isn't passing in the eyes of CIVL.
You might remember that as I got the D+, I failed hydraulics, which I then retook last Spring. I ace'd it the second time, which is because the material itself wasn't the problem. The problem was the professor, one Professor Lynn, who is the worst teacher I've ever had, at Purdue or elsewhere. Exam averages rarely were higher than 50-60%, and many times lower. When I retook it, I had a new professor, and I breezed right through the class; almost an easy A.
The problem with DiffyQ though, is that the reason I did poorly in it wasn't the professor, it was that I had a hard time with the material itself. And the material hasn't changed. I've got a slightly leg up because I remember some of it, but even so I'm already struggling. Gotta say, office hours are a godsend.
With those classes as well as pavement design and a soils lab, not to mention CESAC work, this semester has been extremely busy. Don't be surprised if my entry rate on this blog slows way down.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Consequences of Bullying and Intolerance
Imagine you are a college freshman. You are finally out into the real world, away from home. As someone who was in that position 2 years ago, it was fun, but definitely intimidating at the beginning. All the new faces plus a lack of familiar ones, added to an increase in responsibility. According to American College Testing (ACT), more than 1 in 4 students drop out before completing their sophomore year. And that number is a broad average, for all students.
Tyler Clementi had to worry about all the normal stresses of being a new college student, plus the stress of dealing with intolerance and hate because of his sexuality. And he was doing just that, until one day his roommate decided it would be a good idea to use a webcam to record Clementi and his boyfriend while they were having intimate relations.
This could be looked at as a prank. It could also be looked at as a hatecrime. The problem is determining why the roommate did it.
Why is it so bad? People post sex tapes all the time, it's true. But posting one yourself is one thing. Having someone else post it without your knowledge or consent is entirely another. This is added to the fact that the video advertised to the world in a very graphic way that Clementi was gay, when it should have been his choice whether or not to tell people. Personally I think hiding it isn't a good idea, it makes it seem like it's a bad thing, but there's so much negativity surrounding the issue that coming out is difficult sometimes. Even so, it's still just a really bad prank, right? Yeah, until Clementi committed suicide because of it.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/01/new.jersey.student.suicide/
Now we come to the question of why. Why did he commit suicide? Quite obviously the invasion of privacy, the fact that his private relations were shown to the world (twice), had a large impact, because the suicide happened right after them. However, was it the only reason, or simply the last straw? Personally I suspect there were other things going on; other people he was afraid of. Think about it. If he asked his roommate for the room both nights, he had to realize that the roommate probably knew. Yet he didn't commit suicide after the first night, didn't even refrain from telling the roommate. IE, the roommate knowing didn't bother him, or not enough to commit suicide at least. It was only when other people became aware of the problem that he jumped.
Bullying is rampant throughout our school system, from K-12 through college. Obviously it varies in type and severity from school to school and from grade to grade, but if you look hard enough, it can usually be found. It's difficult though, because our culture idolizes people who can take care of themselves. for example: In the show Freaks and Geeks, at one point the main character, a younger geek, is being bullied, and asks a teacher for help. The teacher does help, but then tells the kid to be more of a man next time. I personally had a bully when I was in middle school, and my problem was that he was a year younger than me. Anytime I told anyone, I got a universal answer of, dude, he's a little kid, he can't be that bad. Finally one day on the school bus, he took an empty soda bottle and threw it cap first into my face. Bounced off my glasses. So I waited until he turned around and cuffed him in the back of the head. I got in trouble of course. The same teachers that wouldn't listen when I said he was starting things were happy berate me for attacking a child. (One year difference, what a 'child' he was). I got out of it with just a detention, and I noticed that afterward, despite the fact that the teachers were angry, I was left alone afterward, never got bullied again. Only because I hit someone though, which shouldn't be the case.
Schools always trying to cut back on bullying, but it's still always there. And it's orders of magnitude worse for LGBT students. Not only are the bullies vindicated by normal reasons of success and friends, they are also vindicated by their pastor preaching homosexuality is evil, their parent talking about the radical gay agenda, and the students around them casually tossing off the word 'fag'.
While bullying might be less prevalent on college campuses, if it does occur, it can be far worse. Most bullies grow out of it, but the ones who continue just get more dangerous. This is what I fear was plaguing Clementi. The day after he found out about the videos, he threw himself off a bridge. What could cause such fear? What could be worse than death? Obviously there was SOMETHING, or he wouldn't have done it. He didn't do it because his privacy was breached. he did it because of what he feared that would cause. Will we ever know what that was exactly? Probably not.
But we do know the both the direct (video) cause, and the indirect cause (hatred and intolerance). The first we can deal with by prosecuting the offenders under the State's Privacy Invasion laws. The second isn't a crime. But we can still fight it. Call someone out if they use the the word 'fag'. Challenge people who try to spread fear and hate. Mostly, be accepting of others, even if they have different lifestyles. Day by day, people are abandoning the hatred which Fundamentalist churches keep pushing. Hopefully we will live to see the day that we all abandon it.
Tyler Clementi had to worry about all the normal stresses of being a new college student, plus the stress of dealing with intolerance and hate because of his sexuality. And he was doing just that, until one day his roommate decided it would be a good idea to use a webcam to record Clementi and his boyfriend while they were having intimate relations.
This could be looked at as a prank. It could also be looked at as a hatecrime. The problem is determining why the roommate did it.
Why is it so bad? People post sex tapes all the time, it's true. But posting one yourself is one thing. Having someone else post it without your knowledge or consent is entirely another. This is added to the fact that the video advertised to the world in a very graphic way that Clementi was gay, when it should have been his choice whether or not to tell people. Personally I think hiding it isn't a good idea, it makes it seem like it's a bad thing, but there's so much negativity surrounding the issue that coming out is difficult sometimes. Even so, it's still just a really bad prank, right? Yeah, until Clementi committed suicide because of it.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/01/new.jersey.s
Now we come to the question of why. Why did he commit suicide? Quite obviously the invasion of privacy, the fact that his private relations were shown to the world (twice), had a large impact, because the suicide happened right after them. However, was it the only reason, or simply the last straw? Personally I suspect there were other things going on; other people he was afraid of. Think about it. If he asked his roommate for the room both nights, he had to realize that the roommate probably knew. Yet he didn't commit suicide after the first night, didn't even refrain from telling the roommate. IE, the roommate knowing didn't bother him, or not enough to commit suicide at least. It was only when other people became aware of the problem that he jumped.
Bullying is rampant throughout our school system, from K-12 through college. Obviously it varies in type and severity from school to school and from grade to grade, but if you look hard enough, it can usually be found. It's difficult though, because our culture idolizes people who can take care of themselves. for example: In the show Freaks and Geeks, at one point the main character, a younger geek, is being bullied, and asks a teacher for help. The teacher does help, but then tells the kid to be more of a man next time. I personally had a bully when I was in middle school, and my problem was that he was a year younger than me. Anytime I told anyone, I got a universal answer of, dude, he's a little kid, he can't be that bad. Finally one day on the school bus, he took an empty soda bottle and threw it cap first into my face. Bounced off my glasses. So I waited until he turned around and cuffed him in the back of the head. I got in trouble of course. The same teachers that wouldn't listen when I said he was starting things were happy berate me for attacking a child. (One year difference, what a 'child' he was). I got out of it with just a detention, and I noticed that afterward, despite the fact that the teachers were angry, I was left alone afterward, never got bullied again. Only because I hit someone though, which shouldn't be the case.
Schools always trying to cut back on bullying, but it's still always there. And it's orders of magnitude worse for LGBT students. Not only are the bullies vindicated by normal reasons of success and friends, they are also vindicated by their pastor preaching homosexuality is evil, their parent talking about the radical gay agenda, and the students around them casually tossing off the word 'fag'.
While bullying might be less prevalent on college campuses, if it does occur, it can be far worse. Most bullies grow out of it, but the ones who continue just get more dangerous. This is what I fear was plaguing Clementi. The day after he found out about the videos, he threw himself off a bridge. What could cause such fear? What could be worse than death? Obviously there was SOMETHING, or he wouldn't have done it. He didn't do it because his privacy was breached. he did it because of what he feared that would cause. Will we ever know what that was exactly? Probably not.
But we do know the both the direct (video) cause, and the indirect cause (hatred and intolerance). The first we can deal with by prosecuting the offenders under the State's Privacy Invasion laws. The second isn't a crime. But we can still fight it. Call someone out if they use the the word 'fag'. Challenge people who try to spread fear and hate. Mostly, be accepting of others, even if they have different lifestyles. Day by day, people are abandoning the hatred which Fundamentalist churches keep pushing. Hopefully we will live to see the day that we all abandon it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Morality
A few weeks ago, I left a lab manual for one of my classes in the room after I left, and it was gone when I went back for it. It's nothing incredibly important, but I does cost 30 bucks, so I held off buying a new one. I did yesterday get around to going to the lost and found of the building, and checking to see if it had been turned in.
When I got there, I found another lab manual, exact same as mine, and it was found in the very same room. However, looking through it, I saw the writing was not mine. So, regretfully, I told the person it wasn't mine, and she took down my name and number and what I was missing, to give to her boss who was out to lunch.
I left, figuring maybe sometime I'd get be contacted. However, I got an email today, informing me that they have a lab manual, and to come get it. Now, either one of two things happened. One, unlikely, another one was turned in in less than 24 hours. In which case, going to get it, it might be mine even, problem solved. However, the much more likely case is that the person I talked to didn't inform the person in charge that the one they have isn't mine.
Now, the question of morality begins. On one hand, it is not mine, and so I should not take it no matter what. However, there are other things to consider. First being, I have already told them once that it is not mine, and they are still saying come take it. Second, the lab manual they have has been their for about 2 weeks so far, and was brought in around the same time as I lost mine. Third, I lost mine in the first place, and so I wouldn't really be gaining something, I would be getting back to equal, making up what I lost. Also, since it was lost at the same time that mine was, and still hasn't been reclaimed, it suggests the possibility that someone just took mine instead of theirs, and still has it.
All of this suggests to me that I should in fact take it. However, none of that changes the fact that it is not mine, and so I'm not sure.
I faced a similar situation, ironically enough, just a few weeks ago. Last semester, I lost a calculator, just a simply scientific calculator, 20 bucks. A couple weeks ago, I saw one sitting on a chair, no people around. I immediately thought, hey, I should take this, it'll make up for the one I lost. However, I dismissed that because someone else would no longer have one, and I didn't wish that on a person. However, I didn't want to leave it, because I knew if I did, it would be taken by someone else, and the owner still wouldn't get it back. So, I sat down and waited for about 15 min, to see if he or she would show up. No such luck, no one came. So, I took it. However, I left in the same place, a note with my contact info, and a little explanation of how I'd found it and to call me.
No one did end up calling, but I know that I did make a legit attempt to get it back to the owner. What I would like is to find a solution to my current problem that is as good as that, where I get the thing, but without being immoral. However, I don't know if it is possible. I am going to talk to the lady today, and see if she did possibly find a different one or not. I'd love some advice, if you'd be so kind as to leave a comment.
When I got there, I found another lab manual, exact same as mine, and it was found in the very same room. However, looking through it, I saw the writing was not mine. So, regretfully, I told the person it wasn't mine, and she took down my name and number and what I was missing, to give to her boss who was out to lunch.
I left, figuring maybe sometime I'd get be contacted. However, I got an email today, informing me that they have a lab manual, and to come get it. Now, either one of two things happened. One, unlikely, another one was turned in in less than 24 hours. In which case, going to get it, it might be mine even, problem solved. However, the much more likely case is that the person I talked to didn't inform the person in charge that the one they have isn't mine.
Now, the question of morality begins. On one hand, it is not mine, and so I should not take it no matter what. However, there are other things to consider. First being, I have already told them once that it is not mine, and they are still saying come take it. Second, the lab manual they have has been their for about 2 weeks so far, and was brought in around the same time as I lost mine. Third, I lost mine in the first place, and so I wouldn't really be gaining something, I would be getting back to equal, making up what I lost. Also, since it was lost at the same time that mine was, and still hasn't been reclaimed, it suggests the possibility that someone just took mine instead of theirs, and still has it.
All of this suggests to me that I should in fact take it. However, none of that changes the fact that it is not mine, and so I'm not sure.
I faced a similar situation, ironically enough, just a few weeks ago. Last semester, I lost a calculator, just a simply scientific calculator, 20 bucks. A couple weeks ago, I saw one sitting on a chair, no people around. I immediately thought, hey, I should take this, it'll make up for the one I lost. However, I dismissed that because someone else would no longer have one, and I didn't wish that on a person. However, I didn't want to leave it, because I knew if I did, it would be taken by someone else, and the owner still wouldn't get it back. So, I sat down and waited for about 15 min, to see if he or she would show up. No such luck, no one came. So, I took it. However, I left in the same place, a note with my contact info, and a little explanation of how I'd found it and to call me.
No one did end up calling, but I know that I did make a legit attempt to get it back to the owner. What I would like is to find a solution to my current problem that is as good as that, where I get the thing, but without being immoral. However, I don't know if it is possible. I am going to talk to the lady today, and see if she did possibly find a different one or not. I'd love some advice, if you'd be so kind as to leave a comment.
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