It's the greatest thing you'd ever imagine,

This is all depending on whether or not I participate in this immersive learning project, which is up in the air at this moment.

MONDAY
10-11 Communication Theory
1-2 Introduction to Creative Writing
6:30-9 American Constitutional Law

TUESDAY
2-3:15 Debate
3:30-5:30 Communication & Pop Culture (Starting February 16th)

WEDNESDAY
10-11 Communication Theory
1-2 Introduction to Creative Writing

Thursday
2-3:15 Debate
3:30-5:30 Communication & Pop Culture (Starting February 16th)

FRIDAY
10-11 Communication Theory
1-2 Introduction to Creative Writing

In addition to this, I'm doing an online project where I get"certified" in some programs like Photoshop and Dreamweaver and I'm doing my senior portfolio, which is basically a compilation of my term papers from the COMM department. Cake City.

Also, Constitutional Law is completely unnecessary. I can drop it if it looks like it's gonna be too much work.

What this schedule depends on is if I do this immersive learning project where we spend most of our time working at the Broadripple Charter High School. This would get me out of my Tuesday and Thursday classes. I should hear about this in the next couple of weeks, but I won't be too upset if I don't get accepted.

I continue to tell myself that I will learn my lesson. Procrastination just comes back to bite me in the ass. It always has, it always will. I'm miserable right now, and it's my own damn fault.

LIFE LESSON: Don't put anything off until the night before, especially a research paper over something you don't understand.

I hate South Korea.

Two and a half months since my last post. That's way too long, LJ. Way too long...

What to say, what to say. Going in, I knew this would be a busy semester. It might be my busiest so far, besides the campaign of course. Debate might have been too much of a commitment on top of everything else, but I'm done with it until January.

Plus, my connections through debate gave me an in with a project going on next semester. I'll most likely be spending half my time helping put together a speech team at Broadripple High School next semester. I'm pretty excited about that because I can get out of two classes that I wasn't looking forward to taking at all.

Also, I applied for graduation a couple weeks ago. After sitting down with an advisor for the first time since Freshman year, I was reassured that I will be graduating in May of 2010 with a double major in Political Science and Public Communication.

Now, what I'm going to do after I graduate is a completely different story. Someone wanna teach me how to bartend?

I took the GRE a couple weeks ago. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, so I'm gonna take it again. I'll also be applying to a few grad schools, just as some sort of plan. To be honest, the only school I'd be excited to attend would be Ball State's grad program for Communication. Not that I'm horribly excited to be spending (potentially) another two years in the beautiful city of Muncie, I just love the department here. I'll also be applying to IU's SPEA program (which I probably won't get into) and a couple other schools throughout the midwest (Wisconsin, Ohio State).

The CDIN is hosting their annual fundraising dinner in Muncie. Let me rephrase that. I'm hosting the CDIN's annual fundraising dinner in Muncie. There's gonna be about 500 people and Evan Bayh has committed to be the headline speaker. So, it's a lot of pressure. And I have no idea what I'm doing.

Howard Dean is gonna be here on Wednesday. Maybe he'll give me a job.

I went back today and read a few LJ entries from the beginning of my senior year. That was a bad decision. What I hate about those entries is that everything seems so insignificant in hindsight. I was so obsessed with Coldstone, Theater, Choir and any other bullshit. And my entries were riddled with typos. (To be fair, this one probably is as well.)

Any questions?

This is just fantastic. PLUS, Al Franken is in there.

EDIT: This was literally only on Hulu for a day. PISSED.

I've spent the past couple hours poring over Ball State's course catalog, trying to piece together a new schedule for the Fall. While I haven't changed my major or career path, I have added a second major; Public Communication. I can honestly say that I never thought I would be changing my plans for Ball State this drastically, but it all seems like it's for the best.

I've been taking these COMM classes since my freshman year when I took up my Campaign Communication minor and I really enjoy them. My GPA is actually a lot better in the COMM department than it is in the Political Science department.

There are quite a few pros and almost no cons to this decision.
PRO: As a double major, I would be a more appealing candidate for potential law schools and grad schools.
CON: I won't graduate in May 2010. I might be able to graduate by the end of Summer 2010, but I would have to bust my ass to do so.
PRO: I would have an opportunity to raise my GPA prior to graduation, also making me more appealing to post-secondary institutions.
CON: I have no idea when I'm going to graduate. This makes the grad/law school process or looking for work both a little difficult.
PRO: I love the classes I've taken in the COMM department. I think they're fascinating. This opens up to opportunity for me to go to grad school for Communication if I chose.

So, while I do have to seriously consider my options over the next couple of months, I also need to kick ass at this new major. Without further ado, here's the new schedule.

Monday:
10-10:50 - Classical Rhetoric
1-1:50 - Group Decision Making
6:30-9 - Presentational Communication

Tuesday:
11-12:15 - Introduction to Human Communication
12:30-1:45 - Intercultural Communication
2-3:15 - English Composition 2

Wednesday:
10-10:50 - Classical Rhetoric
1-1:50 - Group Decision Making

Thursday:
11-12:15 - Introduction to Human Communication
12:30-1:45 - Intercultural Communication
2-3:15 - English Composition 2

Friday:
10-10:50 - Classical Rhetoric
1-1:50 - Group Decision Making

A few months ago, I posted this entry which was my top played tracks from May 2008 until Election Day. First, I hadn't watched the video for #7, but it's fucking fantastic. Second, after many tough choices, I've finally narrowed down my top tracks from Election Day to May 2009. These songs, in chronological order, all come with a strong recommendation from me. (Take that however you wanna take it.)

1. Third Eye Blind - Semi Charmed Life
2. The Mountain Goats - You're So Vain
3. The Offspring - Nothingtown
4. Ben Folds and Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me
5. Royworld - Brakes
6. Against Me! - Thrash Unreal
7. Rufus Wainwright - One Man Guy
8. Paulson - Window Frames
9. The Avett Brothers - Will You Return?
10. Format - Tune Out
11. Tammany Hall NYC - Cindy
12. Say Anything - I Want To Know Your Plans
13. "Stoned" from the musical Passing Strange
14. Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time
15. Los Campesinos! - Miserabilia
16 Kanye West - Good Life

We had to write a short play for my Intro to Theater class, about two to three pages, so when the prof said to write what you know, my mind immediately went to politics. I haven't quite figured out a title for it, and it was thrown together pretty quickly, but I like the general theme of the play. 

 

( Tentative Title: The Presidential Voice )

 

Funny clip from Will Ferrel's one-man show "You're Welcome, America."

I have a lot of thoughts brewing. I've been thinking a lot about partisanship and parties, our dedication (or lack of dedication) to a certain party, reaching outside our own political sphere, testing our own beliefs and values.

I think this might have all stemmed from the project I'm working on for Political Communication. We have to craft a political situation and candidate, write a speech and another form of campaign communication.

Well, I decided that I would have former Vice President Dick Cheney run for President in 2012 and it's been one of the most eye opening things I've ever done. Although I'm probably not fully capturing the Republican outlook, I still feel like I'm being more open-minded.

I've got more things to talk about, so a longer entry might come later.
Bloomington this weekend. [SCRATCH THAT]
12 page paper due monday. 2 pages written.

Yeah, longer entry later.

I took this test and, damn, hit the nail right on the head. (my emphasis)
http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

Your view on yourself:
You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:
You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.

Your views on education:
Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own.

The right job for you:
You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:
You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.


So, it wasn't a real update. Whatever.

So much to say and so much to share, but I'll leave it with just one thing, for now. mc chris is a genius. The skit in this YouTube video is just hilarious.



I like it. A full update hopefully in the next few days. It might even come with some emo lyrics and vague, nondescript statements!

I didn't plan this, but it's gonna look like I did. These are just the classes that I NEED to take this semester, so this is how my schedule worked out.

Monday:
NO CLASS!

Tuesday:
11:00-12:15 - POLS 403 Negotiation and Decision Making
12:30-1:45 - POLS 432 The American Chief Executive
2:00-3:15 - POLS 345 National Defense Policy
3:30-4:45 - ENG 104 English Composition 2 (With Jaaaash)
7:30-9 - POLS 431 Legislation

Wednesday:
NO CLASS!

Thursday:
11:00-12:15 - POLS 403 Negotiation and Decision Making
12:30-1:45 - POLS 432 The American Chief Executive
2:00-3:15 - POLS 345 National Defense Policy
3:30-4:45 - ENG 104 English Composition 2 (With Jaaaash)

Friday:
NO CLASS!

I'm, at the same time, excited and nervous. Four classes in a row isn't that big of a deal on MWF when they're only fifty minutes long, but they'll be an hour and fifteen this year. *cringe* But, this is the schedule I HAVE to take, so it could definitely be worse. I could have an 8am on MWF or a 4pm on Friday. This isn't horrible.

This was a great year for me and my music. I fell in love with new bands and discovered old music all over again. But, I ran into a little problem. There were so many songs I wanted to save that reminded me of this year, I wouldn't have been able to fit them all onto one CD. So I decided to split them up into two CDs, from May to November of 2008 and from November of 2008 to May of 2009. Basically, the splitting point is at Election Day, because my life on November 3rd was drastically different from my life on November 5th.

So, long story short, here are the 14 tracks that I played most from May to November of 2008. (YouTube links included)

1. Streetlight Manifesto - One Foot On The Gas, One Foot In The Grave
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - She's Only 18
3. The Rapture - No Sex For Ben
4. Scouting For Girls - She's So Lovely
5. Clocks - Old Valve Radio
6. The Hush Sound - As You Cry
7. The Hoosiers - Goodbye Mr. A
8. Heavens - Patent Pending
9. Cold War Kids - Welcome To The Occupation
10. The Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1
11. Say Anything - Total Revenge
12. What Made Milwaukee Famous - Sultan
13. Bad Religion - Sorrow (Acoustic)
14. Matchbox 20 - How Far We've Come


And these aren't just songs that I played over and over. These songs take me back to the summer, driving to Old Navy early in the morning and staying in the Grotto late at night. They remind me of moving into the apartment, meeting all the fellow interns and campaign staff and all the work we did together over those three months. I can only hope that they'll continue to have the same effect on me for years to come.

I have a story to tell, but I feel that it can only be told in a particular fashion. I'm gonna give you the beginning and the end, then I'll fill in the blanks as we go along.

2:15 PM: I pick up John from his girlfriend's house in Danville. We leave for Muncie.
7:45 PM: We arrive at our apartment in Muncie.

What was the hold up? Find out...

( Below the fold... )

Because...whatever.

March 20th - I Love You, Man
April 3rd - Adventureland
April 10th - Observe and Report
May 1st - Wolverine
May 8th - Star Trek (not a fan, but that trailer kicked ass)
June 5th - The Hangover
June 19th - Year One
July 1st - Public Enemies
July 10th - Bruno
July 17th - 500 Days Of Summer
July 31st - Funny People
August 21st - Inglorious Basterds

Movies I'm Leaning Towards, but won't commit to:

Dragonball Z: Evolution
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Land of the Lost
Terminator: Salvation
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (Sorry, Collins)

I really like this one, so I stole it from Kelly...sorry.

I actually have a ritual everyday of grabbing the paper, taking out the boring stuff and folding it so that the crossword is on the front and the sudoku is on the back. Most days I do the sudoku first then get about halfway through the crossword.

But, they stopped running the paper on friday. This is 90% of the reason I don't go to my friday classes.

For my Political Communication class, we have to craft a political campaign and write a stump speech for a candidate. Yeah, I'm making Dick Cheney run for President. It's gonna be awesome.

I'm not fine at all. But seeing you all today/tonight (ALL of you) helped a lot. Thanks for a great evening!

Apparently nothing is sacred.

After long and careful consideration, I have finally come to a decision about my future. Trust me, this is serious business. I am now...

( Behind the cut... )

It's really fucking early.