The Point that I Have I'll Get To It

My bike got stolen. That certainly doesn't sum up my experiences since I have gotten back to school, but it has changed things a lot. It was probably a week or two ago (I haven't been counting, I don't pay attention to the days particularly), but I still haven't found a replacement. Although I hadn't thought about it this is now a slight plea for relatives still in the Hutchinson-Wichita area: I am looking for a used road-bike. Nothing fancy or expensive it just needs to be rideable right away.

Places my bike has taken me

The internet is rife with creative writing ideas, and here's a favorite, the six-word story.

This dorm has an ant problem.

I have more room for activities.

I have avoided injury so far.

The writing lab, currently, is dull.

This past week was an odd one for the school, our "5th Annual Symposium on Democracy." For two days we had no classes and instead attended a series of lectures (War: An Inevitable Evil by Brigadier General McFarland, 14 Steps to a Successful Insurgency by Dr. Sean Gourley, Rwanda: A Study on Conflict Genesis and Resolution by Antoine Rutayisire, The Literature of Witness to War and Conflict by Carolyn Forche, and Pragmatic-Idealism by Secretary James Baker) and smaller sessions we could choose from in-between the larger lectures. Dr. Gourley, a statistician/physicist/entrepreneur, had presented before at TED and was a fascinating man with interesting insight into how insurgencies across the world work based on statistical data. A former Rhodes Scholar, when he got fed up with academia he trained for the Olympics before tearing his Achilles. Carolyn Forche's entire presentation was presented as though she were reading a poem, and I attended a second, smaller session after hearing her speak. Secretary Baker was a big deal for the school, but his speech was only okay.

Philosophy and Literature is an excellent class, I spend large (very large!) amounts of my time planted in front of my desk reading texts and writing responses before turning around and focusing my thoughts in my journal. I've begun tying together many of my individual thoughts and seeing a coherent whole emerge for the first time. Some of it is excellent. Philosophy and Literature focuses on the existentialists, the school I identify with the most (gratuitous Nietzsche quote: "Let us strive against one another like gods") and lets me interact with a group of people as interested and at the same level in philosophy as me. This hasn't stopped me from being late to it...

The night before (it was a Wednesday) Justin and I spent a long time discussion why I had to get up at 8 every morning for French when there was a 1-1:50 class I could have taken without interfering with Philosophy and Literature. I just kept repeating I didn't know why but I thought they had interfered with each other, that Philosophy at 2 would have meant overlapping classes. But, it clearly didn't. It didn't make any sense. So the next day I loaded up for class, plugged my earbuds into, cranked some walking music and left for class about 15 minutes early. A pretty normal time it seemed. Coming into to the building I could see Dr. Geenen talking to the class already, I thought it was a little weird but he's usually early. Push open the door, everyone's staring and my usual seat is taken. I hesitate, then yank my earbuds out and repeat, aloud and to myself, "Class starts at 1 doesn't it?" It does. Philosophy is at 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but on MWF at 2 I have Cultural Anthropology...that's why I couldn't take French and Philosophy. Nevertheless I spent the next hour after class discussing parts of the assignment with Dr. Geenen along with several other students--so no harm. Then the next day I was late to a writing lab meeting.

I'm also looking for a small recliner for my room, I have the space for it beside my desk and it would let me move around the room some. Currently I spend many, many hours sitting in my (rolly!) chair in front of my laptop, a change of scene would be nice. Even if it means staring at a poster of John Belushi in a "College" sweater. Justin and I also learned the price of our privacy, it's $40 each. For that price, $20 a semester, our dorm room is the demonstration room for prospective transfer students looking at "Triangle" where we live. We haven't decided yet if my stolen streetsign constitutes something illegal (the admissions department told us they didn't want to see "anything like a keg or bong") if it comes down than my side of the room will be really bare.

Also congratulations for making a splash Hutchinson!