Sad News

Yesterday evening, just after dinner, I got a call from my dad. My grandfather passed away last night.

Daring To Be Passionate

Sometimes it really does rock to be an Honors student here at SUU. For those of you who have no idea what the Honors group is about I suppose I can give a quick rundown of some of the things we do, and I promise that it has a purpose.

The major thing that Honors is about is being passionate. But Kirstin, passionate about what? Well, that's the awesome thing; in the Honors program we are passionate about anything from changing problems at SUU to doing things outside of our majors to helping the community. One thing the Honors program is known for is what is called a MAD Lecture. Basically what we do is invite someone from the staff and faculty to come and talk for an hour about what they are passionate, especially on a topic they don't teach about. The last mad lecture, for instance, was Bob Ogie talking about Star Wars on a level beyond his usual lecture series, and before that we had a MAD Lecture about yoga. They're a really fun chance to see the people on campus get really excited about something, and if you watch around the school you can always see some sort of notice when one is coming up.

Another thing the Honors people are up to is actually happening this week. Every Thursday at ten o'clock at night The Grind hosts what is called "Vaudville," which is a variety show where people can do anything from dance to sing to juggle. This Thursday, however, Vaudville has been taken over by the Honors Program in order to raise funds. Now why on Earth am I bothering with mentioning this? Well, it just so happens they were daring to put me in the show performing a song with Amberle from a German musical called "Elisabeth." I don't know whether or not we'll be ready for the performance or not; so many things have been happening recently that life is just...I don't even know.

But hey, even if we're not perfect there are a number of kick butt acts from the Honors program that will be presented that night. If you're looking for a cheap date (it's only $3) or something to do with an otherwise boring Thursday night come to The Grind on Main Street at ten and enjoy a good show.

Spring Fever and House Hunting

You know, I never would have imagined that I could be this close to ending my first year of college. When you're growing up college seems to just be a distant phenomenon that happens to other people, but then it hits you over the head after the awkward period known as "life after high school." This year hasn't been the easiest--I've had to learn a lot about how college works and surviving the system that is so different from high school--but I wouldn't trade it for anything. The friends I've made, the experiences I've had, and the things I've learned are well worth all of the pain, mistakes, and time spent. In all honesty I think I can say college is one of the best things to have ever happened to me.

It's weird, but after Spring Break is over we'll only have a month left of school. And then what? May, June, and July will happen, and after that...BAM! School comes around again. Summer is going to be weird for me, that much I think I am certain of. I'm going to spend my time working and writing, and chances are I will be going insane by the time June 30th hits. I've gotten so used to being on my own and being able to just pop my head out of my door to find someone to go adventuring with that life at home is...foreign. My best friends from school will be either an hour to the north or south, and my friends from before school are also quite a ways away thanks to the move my family made this December. I don't know how I feel about summer, but I do know I am looking forward to the fall already.

And thinking of fall makes me think of the fact Amberle, Rachel, Kinsey, and I have been looking at places to live next year. Manzanita is being torn down over the summer, so there won't be as many options for housing because there is going to be something of a scramble as people try to find a place to live. That's why we've begun looking around now rather than waiting until April, and it's been...so fun. I mean, who would honestly think that going around looking at apartments and houses and duplexes would turn into an adventure? When I was growing up looking for a place to live was boring and scary, but this time around it has been so enlightening. For the first time I really feel like I'm on my own because living at Juniper wasn't a situation where I really had to fend for myself and find a place within my budget. The reason I mention this is because my friends and I today went to look at one place, and tomorrow we're going to look at another.

Holy. Crap. The one we looked at today is a brand new condo (I think it was a condo) that comes fully furnished with a dishwasher, a/c, washer, dryer, beds, and a master bathroom that is so beautiful that it nearly caused us physical pain. It was the most expensive on our list at $1,000 a semester, but when you sit down and do the math it's not so bad. We wouldn't have to buy beds or provide any furniture, which would save of us heaven alone knows how much money. I mean, it comes with a really nice tv, dining table, and everything. I wanted to move in today, but instead we took deep breaths and decided to look around. You see, bothering to keep your options open puts any other place you look at into perspective, and Dad always taught me to look around before really settling on a place.

I really like the one we looked at today, and I do plan on working both over the summer and during the school year so I don't think the money would really be an option. Besides, I could cook for myself which would instantly drop how much I was spending on food by at least 70%. Living on campus gave me great friends and great experiences, and I'm excited to see what awaits in the world of living away from the college. It should be exciting, and I hope I survive.

Beyond that... IT IS SPRING BREAK! Well, actually, I have to make it through one more class tomorrow morning, but after that I am free. Ah, the love of having a whole week where I can focus on my two ten page research papers and do a lot of just hanging out with my family. I hope to see some of my friends over the break, but I'm not going to hold my breath. All of the best laid plans tend to go very far astray. Hm, but it should be fun either way. I have to go pack, but I will let you all know just how much fun I had.

Stay safe, and don't do anything you'd regret.

A Nightmare In Red

Last night I went to the Faculty Dance Concert because my friend Christian was performing in it. He had mentioned that at the end was a thirty minute tribute to Queen, so I was more than willing to sit through a bunch of dances that would undoubtedly make no sense to my poor mind just to party out at the end. What I wasn't expecting, though, was to understand more than I expected to.

The first dance of the night was a ballet that told the story of two young people as they fought, wooed, and ended up together. That I understood this was amazing in and of itself, but during the dance I was...horribly distracted. Because of a set of red tights. Let's just say the lead male in the dance was wearing tight red tights and had way too much junk in his trunk. We came to the conclusion that his vanity got the better of him and that he stuffed. I don't think I will ever, and I mean ever, be able to think of that kid the same way ever again.

After that came a dance all about the different games people play. My favorite part was the Simon Says portion. Kara and Matt played Simon Says with Matt actually calling out commands and Kara dancing them. It made me happy. Oh, and the Red Light, Green Light portion made me pretty happy, too. Some of the dancing was a bit shotty in the beginning--something I notice because I am OCD about having everything perfectly timed--and I was afraid that I was going to have to suffer through the rest of the show.

And then in the second act a dance came along that fit one of the characters in my book's relationship with his first girlfriend so perfectly it hurt. The first time through the choreography they danced to words on the screen that displayed the girl's thoughts and the occasional speaking of certain phrases, and I noticed how she was constantly going off about loving him but he never really mentioning it. As her portion came to an end she got up and left, but the guy stayed. When they repeated the choreography it was to music, and it reflected the guys thoughts. At the end he left and walked out of the side door that is backstage. It was called Untitled (Regret) for a reason.

After that, of course, came awesome on a stick as we came to the last piece. Five Queen songs in a row with some of the silliest choreography made me happy enough that there weren't words. I wanted to get up and dance along, but figured they might have an issue with that so I stayed seated. The best laugh, though, was right at the beginning. Christian and all of the guys in the show came out in white tank tops, black spandex pants, and red sarongs and danced to "I Want To Break Free." Holy. Crap. Right at the end they were rolling over the floor trying to be sexyfine, and with the last notes of the song ripped off their tanktops. Amberle and I were laughing so hard it was difficult to pay attention to "Bicycle Race." Oh, and "Love of My Life" featured a point ballet piece that was absolutely gorgeous. I know the girl who did the dance because of Costume Construction Lab, and she's an amazing dancer. Even Laura, who could have danced with Ballet West if she dropped twenty pounds, said she did an absolutely fantastic job.

So even thought the night started out shaky with missed cues and dancers who couldn't seem to remember their choreography by the end of the night I was enchanted. Just, please, don't mention red tights near me or I might cry.

Finding Balance: The Seemingly Impossible Dream

Getting involved at college is a great thing, never mistake that, but getting lost in the rush of things that you get involved with is not such an amazing thing. Actually, it's quite far from it.

I learned that first hand this past week, and it came at quite the price.

This week I've been doing about ten million things, and all of it was pretty much my fault. My typical day this past week ran something like this: wake up, go to class, write a story for The University Journal, turn story in, go to class, edit story, go home and sit down for ten minutes, change into my techie blacks, hurry to get something to eat, run to the theatre, do costume crew for The Philadelphia Story, get home at about eleven or later, and try to slow down enough to manage to fall asleep. Crazy, no?

The ironic thing is that last Sunday I was asked to speak in Church the coming Sunday on a talk based on a talk called "Living a Balanced Life." At that time I thought it was a simple sort of idea that I had in the bag, but then the week actually happened.

By the time I got to Saturday night I had shadows under my eyes, one of my legs was threatening to give out, and I still had yet to write my talk. The next day I got up in Church and told the congregation exactly what my typical day was like, and then I explained that I had gotten something of a wakeup call thanks to the topic of my talk. I had forgotten to balance my life, and because of that neglect I was floundering.

As students and people we can get so caught up in all of the craziness we get involved with, and when we do that things manage to get out of control. We tend to worry so much about our employers, our families, and other aspects of our lives that we forget the duty we have to ourselves. Craziness, right? Isn't getting all of your work done and calling your family and helping your friend with their problems doing our duty to ourselves? Think about it, though. During your week did you take the time to take care of yourself? And did you do something that was completely spastic but made you happy? I know I didn't.

That's why in the coming week I am going to try to make sure I get things done but still have time to relax every once in a while. I'm going to take fewer stories for the Journal and get everything done at the first chance rather than waiting until the last moment. Now the challenge is what can you do to make your life a little more balanced?

That Look In My Eyes

Determination is a scary thing.

Those of you who know my really well know that when I get my mind settled on something specific strange things begin to happen. The first sign of danger is when I get "that look" in my eyes, which is usually followed by the dooming proclamation that I have an idea. What happens next usually varies depending on the situation, but suffice it to say that the trademarks are relatively easy to follow should you know what to look for.

I pity my friends here at SUU. The other day I got "that look" in my eyes.

Here at SUU I have found that making movies makes me a very happy person, and I have always been very disappointed that there are no real film classes offered. This Christmas, however, my family did a brilliant thing by giving me a video camera (an amazing one to boot) to make all the movies my little heart desired. Well, I got to thinking about what kind of project I wanted to do next, and that is when dangerous things began to happen. Enough with the short films, I thought to myself. I wanted to learn something more, and that meant kicking it up another level.


Currently I am working on writing the script for my first feature length movie, which I plan on filming this spring. Now usually this would seem like a rather crazy attempt since I am a poor college student, but I am planning on seeing if I can't get help on the monetary front. Here on campus we have the UGRAS program, which grants undergraduate students funding for things that will help them learn things and further their field. Since I am a directing major I can probably get at least some money from them after doing some budgeting and finishing the script. Epic, no? I'm also going to talk to my professors and see what help I can get by way of mentoring and advice, and I am also going to get all the help I can from the Media Center in the library.

My plan of action is clear, and look out! Before you know it I may be the next discovered director because I plan on entering my movie in several film festivals around the nation (supposing it turns out like I think it will). Wish me luck!

Life is a Party

Life is kind of funny. Have you ever noticed that?

For days on end we all go around living life, sometimes without even noticing what we're doing, and then something so entirely peculiar happens that shakes the world up. In my case a number of things have happened lately that just made me sit back and absolutely laugh at myself. And no, I wasn't just laughing at myself for no reason at all.

Recently things have been extremely busy for me, and if you have bothered to open the University Journal or looked on suujournal.com recently you will have noticed how often my name has been popping up in the past two weeks. That, my friends, is because I have been doing story after story for them. In the past seven days I have attended a concert, gone to a film festival, and learned all about the college's chapter of Habitat for Humanity (did you even know SUU had one of those?). It's been blisteringly busy, but I've been having so much fun that I consider the past two weeks something of a party.

Of course, getting the information together for the Habitat story was a bit strange. I had never really sat down and thought about what the organization did, and so I did some research on their website while I was waiting for my contact to arrive. It was intriguing, to say the least, and I was excited by the thought that SUU was going to help the community's poor by building housing. And then I got the depressing news. SUU's chapter is too small to start on that big of projects, but they do offer an alternative Spring Break where they go out of state to do work on other projects. I guess the poor of our community can only hope that eventually SUU's chapter will be big enough to start building houses, and if you want to help out more information is in the Service and Learning Center.

As for my adventures at the concert...Well, that is an interesting matter. The Angeli Duo, two very talented violinists, came to Cedar City and did a master class for local orchestra students before performing that night. It's really cool that the Cedar City Music Arts Association gets so many talented performers to come to Cedar City because it gives the PVA students a change to learn from some of the best in the business through the master classes.

My other assignment was...amazingly fun. I was able to go to the Parowan Film Festival, which is held once a year, and see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for the first time. It was an absolute blast to be able to see a movie like that on a big screen, and after I had written my story my friends and I went on a second quest back to Parowan for another night of the festival. Oh yes, I went to the sci-fi double feature and got to see Galaxy Quest and the original Planet of the Apes for only $2. Talk about exciting.

Life here in Cedar City is something of a party, and if you know where to look there is something going on every night. Whether it is a RAP activity or a local service project, the world is full of opportunities for new adventures and new friends. What are you going to do with what you've been given?