Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Awesomest Job Ever? I Think So!
Yesterday I went to work at the Ashcroft Observatory for the second time, and this time we took a camera to attach to the telescope. Thought you all might like to see what we managed to capture of Jupiter and the Moon. Enjoy!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hail To The Chief Because He Needs Hailed and Why I'm Normal
Let's start with "Why I'm Normal." Two nights ago my friend and I were in my room watching part of Avatar: The Last Airbender when suddenly the air was filled with shrieks. And I mean SHRIEKS! Clearly it was our duty to go and investigate the source of the noise, and so we went dashing down the hallway to the living room in the middle of our floor. What we found there both shocked and amazed us.
Sitting on the table and couches of our living room where most of my floormates dressed most...peculiarly. They were sitting there (in all their psychotic glory) sobbing and flailing about "David" while speaking in Russian accents. From what I gathered they were madly in love with "David" and were fighting over which one would get his love. So I, being impish, told them that "David" was in the closet at the end of the hall (seeing as he is a made up person I figured he wouldn't mind). Wow. They went shrieking down the hall to pound on the door, and while they did that I bounced into my room across the hall from the closet to attach my friend's webcam to my laptop. The following video is what I caught right after clipping it on....Wow, my friends. Wow. I really am the normal one here.
~~~~
Today it also happened that President Michael T. Benson was instated as President of Southern Utah University. Exciting, no? Well, I decided to go to his inauguration (since I might not ever have that kind of chance again) and I was...amazed. Not only is my new president absolutely in love with the musical Wicked, which makes him cool, but he's a genuinely amazing guy. The plans he has for my school...Wow! The PVA is getting a new building and the Shakespearean Festival is getting a two block village! Pretty sure that's amazing stuff, that.
It seems SUU has made a turnaround with our new president, and I'm excited to see what happens. I've met the man and he's very, very nice. This should be one heck of an adventure!
Sitting on the table and couches of our living room where most of my floormates dressed most...peculiarly. They were sitting there (in all their psychotic glory) sobbing and flailing about "David" while speaking in Russian accents. From what I gathered they were madly in love with "David" and were fighting over which one would get his love. So I, being impish, told them that "David" was in the closet at the end of the hall (seeing as he is a made up person I figured he wouldn't mind). Wow. They went shrieking down the hall to pound on the door, and while they did that I bounced into my room across the hall from the closet to attach my friend's webcam to my laptop. The following video is what I caught right after clipping it on....Wow, my friends. Wow. I really am the normal one here.
~~~~
Today it also happened that President Michael T. Benson was instated as President of Southern Utah University. Exciting, no? Well, I decided to go to his inauguration (since I might not ever have that kind of chance again) and I was...amazed. Not only is my new president absolutely in love with the musical Wicked, which makes him cool, but he's a genuinely amazing guy. The plans he has for my school...Wow! The PVA is getting a new building and the Shakespearean Festival is getting a two block village! Pretty sure that's amazing stuff, that.
It seems SUU has made a turnaround with our new president, and I'm excited to see what happens. I've met the man and he's very, very nice. This should be one heck of an adventure!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The University Journal and the No Good, Very Bad Day
Today was certainly a most random affair, and I...don't quite know what to think about it. I suppose I had better go in a sensible order (mainly so I don't confuse myself). Had you asked me at one in the afternoon how my day was going I would have told you that today was a no-good-very-bad-day and that all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed so I could hide. Why? It seemed many strange things decided to happen just in the course of twenty four hours, and I was not in the mood to deal with it.
Here at college life is an interesting thing, but I have to admit my roommate drives me nuts. For the past two nights she hasn't been here. At all. The girl blows in once in a while to change clothes or pick up a textbook, but other than that she doesn't seem to exist. If that weren't frustrating enough....I can't seem to sleep very well because I never know if she'll come breezing in at one thirty in the morning (like she tends to do more frequently than I would like) and so I don't end up falling asleep until two in the morning.
When I woke up this morning I felt like I had what matched the description of a hangover, and Institute didn't seem like the most pleasant of ideas. Nevertheless I drug myself out of bed, got dressed, and all but crawled my way to the distant institution where my first class of the day was to be held. I sat through it quite neatly, speaking up only when and I had to, and near the end of class Brother Christiansen asked me to stay a few moments after class. I was freaked out. What on earth could he want with me? It turned out he was worried about me. Apparently I wasn't being my "bubbly" self and he was concerned that something had happened. I was...confused. People don't refer to me as bubbly, and yet in the past week I have been called that more than anything else. I'm not sure what to think of it, and I wonder if it's a good thing to be bubbly.
Anyway, after that I wandered over to Arts Retrospective for one of the last sessions of the Art History part of the course. The funny thing is that I don't think I would have ever said I enjoy Art History, but Professor Marvick is just...so awesome that I can't help but enjoy the class. I am sad that we're going to be having our test soon and switching to Theater and Dance with Professor Marotta. Gee, that's depressing that I wouldn't want to study theater.
By the time class was done I was so tired that I simply went back to Juniper and crawled back in bed, setting my phone to ring at exactly 12:15 so I could have time to grab lunch before Costume Construction. Pity I didn't notice I set it for 12:15 a.m. Luckily I managed to roll out of bed five minutes to one, run across campus, and make it to class just in time. I was not a happy person, and things did not seem to be looking up. During the course of two hours I managed to melt part of a table, get gunk on an iron that I got to clean up, had to cut some demonic material, and rubbed part of my hand raw on the scissors.
But! It seems from even the worst situations come the most interesting opportunities if we simply look for them. During class I got to talking with a girl by the name of Dana who is in another class of mine, and I was amused at how well we got along. Not only is she an English Major with a Theater Minor, but it turns out we have a good deal in common. Somehow my roommate came up and she mentioned to me that her roommate is moving out around Christmas and all but dying for someone to buy her contract. It would really be an ideal situation: a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and no Kitty for $800 a semester...but I hesitate. Even though I am uncertain about the girls on my floor and their motives I have become close to them in my own quirky way. Moving out would mean leaving them, and, even if I saw them around campus, things wouldn't be the same. Is it odd that I am so concerned about people I have only known for a month?
Another positive thing came from talking with Dana, though. I learned she works for The University Journal (the school's newspaper) and it proved to be an interesting topic. Somehow or another I landed in the all but hidden office for the Journal and soon found myself being introduced to "Captain" Goldstein and the various editors (and the pirate names). I was so amused that they all had earned pirate names, due to a strange pirate theme adopted by the newspaper team, and found quite quickly that I fit in with them. By the time I left I had my first assignment as a reporter for the University Journal and the offer to take pictures for them as well. Eventful much? I have until Monday at five to put together my first story, and I am excited. Dana is acting as my trainer, and by next year I could have a paid position with them! That would be exciting, no?
After that I went to the RHA Luau, which was fun. I got to talk to lots of fun people and do some hard work, two things that seem to go hand in hand with being on the RHA. Just a few minutes ago I went out to the floor lobby (partially due to curiosity thanks to the loud noises coming from there and partially due to a bathroom trip) and learned something odd. Here I have developed a reputation as being very honest. I think that is a first.
Apparently at college I am bubbly and very honest. Is that a good thing? I'm confused and I doubt myself a little...but I guess somehow I am going to pull through this. It should be interesting to see if I make it.
Here at college life is an interesting thing, but I have to admit my roommate drives me nuts. For the past two nights she hasn't been here. At all. The girl blows in once in a while to change clothes or pick up a textbook, but other than that she doesn't seem to exist. If that weren't frustrating enough....I can't seem to sleep very well because I never know if she'll come breezing in at one thirty in the morning (like she tends to do more frequently than I would like) and so I don't end up falling asleep until two in the morning.
When I woke up this morning I felt like I had what matched the description of a hangover, and Institute didn't seem like the most pleasant of ideas. Nevertheless I drug myself out of bed, got dressed, and all but crawled my way to the distant institution where my first class of the day was to be held. I sat through it quite neatly, speaking up only when and I had to, and near the end of class Brother Christiansen asked me to stay a few moments after class. I was freaked out. What on earth could he want with me? It turned out he was worried about me. Apparently I wasn't being my "bubbly" self and he was concerned that something had happened. I was...confused. People don't refer to me as bubbly, and yet in the past week I have been called that more than anything else. I'm not sure what to think of it, and I wonder if it's a good thing to be bubbly.
Anyway, after that I wandered over to Arts Retrospective for one of the last sessions of the Art History part of the course. The funny thing is that I don't think I would have ever said I enjoy Art History, but Professor Marvick is just...so awesome that I can't help but enjoy the class. I am sad that we're going to be having our test soon and switching to Theater and Dance with Professor Marotta. Gee, that's depressing that I wouldn't want to study theater.
By the time class was done I was so tired that I simply went back to Juniper and crawled back in bed, setting my phone to ring at exactly 12:15 so I could have time to grab lunch before Costume Construction. Pity I didn't notice I set it for 12:15 a.m. Luckily I managed to roll out of bed five minutes to one, run across campus, and make it to class just in time. I was not a happy person, and things did not seem to be looking up. During the course of two hours I managed to melt part of a table, get gunk on an iron that I got to clean up, had to cut some demonic material, and rubbed part of my hand raw on the scissors.
But! It seems from even the worst situations come the most interesting opportunities if we simply look for them. During class I got to talking with a girl by the name of Dana who is in another class of mine, and I was amused at how well we got along. Not only is she an English Major with a Theater Minor, but it turns out we have a good deal in common. Somehow my roommate came up and she mentioned to me that her roommate is moving out around Christmas and all but dying for someone to buy her contract. It would really be an ideal situation: a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and no Kitty for $800 a semester...but I hesitate. Even though I am uncertain about the girls on my floor and their motives I have become close to them in my own quirky way. Moving out would mean leaving them, and, even if I saw them around campus, things wouldn't be the same. Is it odd that I am so concerned about people I have only known for a month?
Another positive thing came from talking with Dana, though. I learned she works for The University Journal (the school's newspaper) and it proved to be an interesting topic. Somehow or another I landed in the all but hidden office for the Journal and soon found myself being introduced to "Captain" Goldstein and the various editors (and the pirate names). I was so amused that they all had earned pirate names, due to a strange pirate theme adopted by the newspaper team, and found quite quickly that I fit in with them. By the time I left I had my first assignment as a reporter for the University Journal and the offer to take pictures for them as well. Eventful much? I have until Monday at five to put together my first story, and I am excited. Dana is acting as my trainer, and by next year I could have a paid position with them! That would be exciting, no?
After that I went to the RHA Luau, which was fun. I got to talk to lots of fun people and do some hard work, two things that seem to go hand in hand with being on the RHA. Just a few minutes ago I went out to the floor lobby (partially due to curiosity thanks to the loud noises coming from there and partially due to a bathroom trip) and learned something odd. Here I have developed a reputation as being very honest. I think that is a first.
Apparently at college I am bubbly and very honest. Is that a good thing? I'm confused and I doubt myself a little...but I guess somehow I am going to pull through this. It should be interesting to see if I make it.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A Random Discourse on Theater
So I have decided to, once in a while, present my thoughts on a specific topic to you all. The excitement is unbearable, I know. Now I present to you my first discourse, which is on theater, that is largely due to my Survey of Theater class.
And before you ask: No, I haven't edited yet. Yes, I will be before I turn it in. Yes, you can leave your own opinions. No, I will not get angry with you.
~~~
And before you ask: No, I haven't edited yet. Yes, I will be before I turn it in. Yes, you can leave your own opinions. No, I will not get angry with you.
~~~
Theater is a magical place, and I have been lucky enough to experience both the art of being on stage and the world that is created when one is in the audience. This variety of experience lends me something of a reaction to the information found in Theater: The Lively Art and the quote by Ms. Ditor, and that reaction is that I somewhat disagree with Rachel Ditor's opinion that the question of what will next happen is the basis of the performer/audience relationship.
But, one may ask, why do I think so? It isn't necessarily the asking what is going to happen next, but caring about the character that is being presented on stage. If one were to sit through a performance of Taming of the Shrew they could easily wonder what was going to happen next as Kate and Petruchio argued in the second act without caring a wit about the actual performance. To truly create the dynamic chemistry between the audience and the performer the actor or actress must make them care about the story and make it vital for them to know what happens next. Taking our earlier situation from Taming of the Shrew, if the actor has done their job of making a believable Kate or a frustrating Petruchio then the audience will not just simply care what happens next (so they know when the end is coming) but they will begin to feel things for the characters.
It is more than a question of what when it comes to the magic of theater, but the ultimate chemistry of the who in theater. Theater can happen without making an audience feel, but when it does that is the greatest magic of all: the magic of true creation.
~~~
P. S. Ugh...I will edit in the morning. Must...fix...stupidity.Saturday, September 1, 2007
Keys to the Heart
So I was rather amused by a quiz, and I decided to take it. Just because I am that kind of mood I decided to post the results on here. o.O Why? ...er...Let me get back to you on that one.
***The Keys to Your Heart***
You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.
In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.
You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.
You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.
Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.
You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.
In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.
What Are The Keys To Your Heart?
http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/
****
Random, no?
***The Keys to Your Heart***
You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.
In love, you feel the most alive when your partner is patient and never willing to give up on you.
You'd like to your lover to think you are optimistic and happy.
You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.
Your ideal relationship is open. Both of you can talk about everything... no secrets.
Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.
You think of marriage something you've always wanted... though you haven't really thought about it.
In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.
What Are The Keys To Your Heart?
http://www.blogthings.com/keystoyourheartquiz/
****
Random, no?
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