it’s the spirit of aggielaaaaaaand

So I was going to write a blog about my chronic problem of going so long without doing laundry that I end up buying packaged underwear from Wal-Mart. Read more…

Why A&M

With graduation being only two days away, I started thinking about my experience here and all the things I will miss.  Over the past few years I have learned a lot both inside and outside of the classroom. I figure in the end you always think back to the beginning. I remember one of the first people I met in the student I.D. line. He was exactly what I expected an A&M student would be like. He was from a small town, the sweetest most well-mannered guy, whose ambition was to be a rice farmer. Ashley sure isn’t in Dallas anymore! As time went by I realized there isn’t a stereotype here, rather there are people from all walks of life. Read more…

Skipper

Today, I was definitely a Skipper.

And I don’t mean the portly fellow who hazed Gilligan and made the Professor look intelligent by comparison, I mean a class-cutter. An absentee. One who plays hooky. It’s true that this is a regular occurrence for many college students, but I find missing class downright stressful, rather than liberating, so I’m usually in attendance.

But not today.

This morning, despite the fact that I’m not exactly swimming in leisure time, I woke up early. I didn’t wake up to study, or to make a class. I woke up to work on one of my projects: something enjoyable, rather than something written in iambic pentameter. Instead of parking in my assigned lot, I pulled right up to the ‘Bucks. I don’t make a habit of parking at a meter, but at 25¢ an hour, it’s an affordable luxury. A half hour and an Americano later, I had already found it; I was cranking out pages almost too quickly, and then, just as I was ramping up to a new level of keyboard-splintering productivity, the unthinkable happened: a freak Starbucks-closing.

I won’t cover the details of said shut-down, but I will say that, at this point, I had a choice to make. I had about 45 minutes before my class would begin: not quite enough time to re-locate, re-focus, and re-caffeinate, but a bit too much time to continue working in the passenger seat of my car. And that’s when I became a skipper.

I called a friend of mine, and we hit up a certain bookstore in town where an ersatz-Starbucks dominates at least a quarter of the store. A dozen old women nattered at a table behind us: a geriatric Jesus and His disciples enjoying a Last Breakfast, and the whole place smelled like cinnamon and grandmother. Pleasant, if you ask me. We sat down, and I started to work. And, if you knew me, gentle reader, you would know that what you’re about to see me do is my version of completely cutting loose. I ordered the usual Americano with two pumps of hazelnut. And I kept writing.

The moral of the story is this: sometimes, it’s important to do small things for the sake of your own mental health.  College, if you’re not careful, can get heavy on the stress, and light on the spontaneity. If you’re feeling less than great, try mixing it up in a small way.

But go to class. Always go to class.

Creativity (Is Not For Titling Posts)

“…and the sight of her creating in a different medium from his own would so quicken his creative power that insensibly his sterile mind would begin to plot again, and he would find the phrase or scene which was lacking when he put on his hat to visit her. ”

– Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

It’s true she’s a feminist, but, contrary to popular opinion, she is not, in fact, a feminazi. So we should all lend her our ears, because, generally, she has some really lovely things to say. This one, in particular, has always been a favorite of mine. It’s a truism for me that my “regular work” (read: boring) is better when “creative work” is a part of my day. If I start the day off with a bit of poetry (reading or writing), my essays are better. Heck, my e-mails are better.

And, for those prospective students who follow the blog, take your college and scholarship applications seriously. And by seriously, I mean put down the Wii, and pick up something that inspires you.

If you’re stuck, listen to some Maria Callas, or read some Toni Morrison, or leaf through a book on Art Noveau, or learn about Gaudí. Make something out of sticks! It could be just the boost you’ve been looking for. It’s time we started being a bit more creative with our creativity.

Breathe in, Breathe out

A quick update…

I HAVE A JOB. I will be working at the School of Rural Public Health for the next year or so while I apply for graduate school. The funny thing is, I am a communications major but, I am going to be serving as our webmaster/website guru.

Sort of funny how things go… my hobby is my job and my major just helped me get the student worker position. I still have a couple of interviews in the next week… I am going to Anadarko and a printing company called CGX in the next week to see more about the hiring process.

Yet, now I have moved on to other things like.. car insurance, health insurance, and the fact that I am slowly beginning to find out how expensive I am.

So, I am in transition, and I cannot wait till I am completely and fully a grown up.
Well, I mean I can still play these next couple months

To Come: Campaign season, Graduation, and funny stories in between…