80 +/- steps and 45-50 seconds?! Come on, America!!! >:(

Every Monday and Wednesday I have a class on the fourth floor of Brookens. The stairway is a rather oddly angled set of three flights per floor, with only two floors to climb as the second floor is ground level.

After seeing an unbelievable amount of fellow students take the elevator before and after class to get to the ground floor, it led me to experiment and see just how much further and how much longer walking would take to get to my class.

My results for going both up and down the stairs netted the same "ballpark" (I just love baseball!) figure (which are also in the subject line): it takes me, a 31 year-old, 150-pound male carrying a 20-25 pound backpack on a 5'4" frame all of 45-50 seconds to walk the 80 or so steps to fourth floor.

Now, is it just me, or does that 45-50 second NOT REALLY MATTER?!?!?! Seriously, have we become so lazy that we outright refuse to walk up a couple flights of stairs?! Oh...it gets worse!

I've seen the same behavior occur with students going up ONE floor in UHB (tests for this building have not yet been conducted).

But it makes me sick to think about how lazy we are becoming as a society. People need to start getting out a little more often and spend less time in front of the TV and more time...exploring, or doing something active for crying out loud.

There. I'm done. And I'm stepping off of my soap box. Thank you for hearing me out.

I'm curious what others out there think about American youth and their behaviors--especially those from other countries who stumble upon this entry. Do note that if you care not to be indentified, you can always be anonymous! :)

Until next time...

~ N.

Pulled!!

Well... where do I begin? I found out from a fellow classmate that my blog has been taken off of the UIS Bloggers. I can only deduce this was done for 2 reasons:

1) They want to get some new faces to represent the university.

2) Blogging has recently become a paid position at the university. As such, it would be a HUGE added incentive for those who CAN be paid by the university to blog even more than a volunteer might. Unfortunately, I cannot assume this paid position because I'm already being paid by the university.

Well, what can I say? I had been a volunteer blogger for the better part of 3 years; it's been a good run, and I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of this program. Furthermore, this new found "freedom" allows me to blog about what I want to blog about, rather than continuing to find things regarding the university to blog about.

The blog title will remain "Student Life..." as long as I am a college student. Once this chapter in life is complete, the next chapter shall receive a new title.

I suppose there is not much else to say, really. Here's to blogging of a more personal nature! :) I hope all is well with you all, wherever you are in the world.

Cheers!

~ N.

*Positive* Pranking?!

The other day, I finally decided to use my "seniority" as a...senior to pull a fast one on an unsuspecting freshman.  While the event was fun and lighthearted (and, quite surprisingly, WORKED!), that was it.  The one time I will be mean to another student has come and gone.  But it left me wondering: do I just not do ANYTHING anymore with regard to interacting with other students or the campus community as a whole?"  Oh no...there is something I can do:  Positive Pranking!

While taking a break from my homework the other day, I decided to catch up on my Youtube subscriptions; I never thought I'd be so inspired by watching a Youtube video, but nevertheless, it happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJYveUp-MU

(Apparently, embedded videos do not fit on the blog screen. BLARG!)

I have a couple of ideas which I may try, but I am curious about what you think out there in Internet Land.  Have any of you out there tried something like this?  Any suggestions?  I'd be interested (as would John Green) in hearing about any positive pranking results you get if you decide to try it!

Take care, all.

~ N.

P.S.:  The next blog will be about the Stars Lounge...I promise.  :)

Who's Missing From This Picture/Who's Missed?

My wife was invited to attend a girl's weekend with our good friend Melody and several of her friends at Lake of the Ozarks.  I urged her to go, have fun and get out of the area for awhile.  This would also make me feel much more comfortable working a double-shift in an effort to earn some extra coin and comp. time.

What I didn't realize is that she was going to leave on Friday afternoon vice Saturday.  Mind you, she was the one who was a little hesitant on going; yet, as she was leaving and after she left, I felt suddenly saddened.

I guess sometimes you don't truly realize how much you love spending time with someone until they're out of the picture.  The sad thing is, it's ONLY 2 DAYS!!!  Still, when I went to bed last night, it took a very, very, very long time for me to get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

All this to say that I miss my wife terribly and look forward to seeing her tomorrow afternoon when I wake up!  Missed you, honey.

~ N.

P.S. - I haven't forgotten about the Stars Lounge blog...that's still coming, ya'll.

Cheap Food is GOOD Food!! (Part 1 of 2)

Okay, so they may not look like much, but these bad boys are DELICIOUS!  What are they?  Pepperoni Pizza Bosco Sticks.  They are new to campus this semester and taste every bit as good as the original (slightly boring) mozzerella-flavored ones.  But wait--there's more!

Apparently, there's a bit of a disparity regarding the pricing of food across campus.  Food is more expensive at Founder's than the Eastside.  For, I believe, $1.50, you can get *1* normal bosco stick at FRH, whereas, if you can walk your happy butt across campus to the newly revamped Stars Lounge, you can get 2 normal bosco sticks for $1.25.

The new pepperoni Bosco Sticks are smaller, but you're given more (like, 3 or 4) so it pretty much equates to that of two regular Bosco Sticks.

The new Stars Lounge has a lot going for it as well!  For instance, there are now 4 or 5 Xbox 360's in the spot where once 3 or 4 ludicriously slow computers were.  There's more on the Stars Lounge which I'll share with you all soon.

For now, there are other food items available at the Stars Lounge which are cheaper than other places on campus--including the vending machines!!  So if you'd like to save a buck or two on snacks--the Stars Lounge is a great place save!

I'll be talking more about the Stars Lounge here in a day or two...

Until then...

~ N.

The Army in the Sky

I'm going to stray from UIS just for moment--unless you're in the photography class!  :)

I was thinking during my drive to work today that it would have been an awesome day to take pictures.  Why?  What made today so special?  Was it sunny?  Well yes...and no, but that's not it.  Was the air clear and haze-free?  Well yes, but that's not it either.  The reason why is that the clouds looked amazing--like a never-ending army of oval-shaped, globular cloud-tanks were driving towards the front.

And then I thought about how amazing it is that something so simple--water vapor--can look so amazing.  A scene taking during a clear day is nice, but for some reason, if you splash a cloud or two in the sky, it changes the whole scene for the better (in my humble opinion).

Below is a picture I took during our last family vacation.  It is not what I would classify an "awesome" picture, but it proves the point (FYI: the reason why I took this picture is that it was literally straight down to the rocks, but you can't really tell).  Imagine, though, if there were NO clouds in the picture.  It would look okay...but because they're there, it adds depth and color to the photo, no?

What do you guys think?  I'd love to hear...

Anyhow, my advice...the next time you go out taking pictures of friends or of nature (or of friends IN nature), pay attention to the army in the sky: they could be a great ally!

~ N.

Classroom Etiquette 101

Okay, everyone.  I've about had it...especially with those freshmen who are straight out of high school.    Not *all* freshmen, but the ones who have no respect for their professors.

Our professor in one particular class tends to fly by the seat of their pants, which can be interpretted as being unorganized.  Furthermore, we are still at the beginning of the class, so the information being put out might be overly simplistic.  Whatever the case may be, the professor is STILL TEACHING THE CLASS!!!

So! Whenever the professor would change direction and approach the topic from another angle, one particular student would put his head in is hands as though to say, "This professor is SO STUPID!"  Not once did the student make eye contact with the professor during the class; rather, they were continuously online or texting.  They did not take notes or give any inclination they were paying attention (aside from the head-in-hands gesture).

This.  Drives.  Me.  Nuts.

We are NOT in class to goof off and/or not care.  For crying out loud, the class is only 75 minutes long.  Surely you can live without your buddies for that long.  I'm just saying, people: give the class your best for the short while you're there--it's the least you could do to show respect for those teaching it.

Attention Criminal Justice Majors!!!

(My thanks to Jessica F. for the inspiration for this post)

Okay, it has been my observation that many students majoring in criminal justice are doing so because they intend to become a police officer.  Here is my question to those students: is criminal justice your passion?

If studying about criminals is where your heart is at, then by all means: go for it!  However, if you're majoring in criminal justice because you feel you'd have a better chance at getting a job post-graduation, I think you're doing yourself a huge disservice; Everything you need to know about criminal justice will be taught at the academy, during the job, or at supplemental training while at the job.  While you're in college, why not study something that you love??

Whenever I tell people my major (Mass-Media Communication) they often ask, "Well, what are you going to do with that?"  Honestly, I haven't the foggiest doggone idea.  But I do know that I'm majoring in something that I enjoy.  There is a pretty good chance that I will not end up in the field of mass-media communication, but at least it's a degree.  That's what most companies are looking for--a degree.  Unless it's an extremely specified position, any degree is a good degree.  I believe that a degree simply shows that you took the time after high school to continue your education and you didn't give up.  That's it.

The status quo these days is that applicants to jobs have a B.A.  It used to be that exceptional applicants had B.A.s--this is not the case anymore.  Instead, exceptional applicants nowadays have an M.A. or a Ph.D.

I suppose this could also go to all students:  I understand that a "business admin" degree will "get you places".  But my point is...if you're not going to be happy at that point, then why even attempt to get there?  Study what you love and enjoy that, instead.

I wish you all the best.

~ N.

A Special Informational Session by UIS for Veterans = Amazing Thoughtfulness!

Dean Korte laughs as Becky entertains.  Meanwhile, Janet speaks with Jeff Young.

On Wednesday afternoon, a special informational session was held in PAC Conference Room C by various departments for veterans and those still in active-duty status.

John Ringle from housing, Rebecca Prather from Financial Services, Karen Willard from the TRAC along with several others from Counseling, the CTL, and Center for First Year Students were on-hand to entertain any questions servicemembers had.

The information provided was incredibly helpful, and meeting the people behind the departments face-to-face certainly helped to open doors that otherwise may have been ignored.

However, I left the conference feeling a little bit...concerned: less than 5% of veterans and servicemembers enrolled at UIS attended the conference.  I feel that had more shown up, it would have done us all good to forge relationships and support with one another during our collegiate careers.

One veteran--a woman named Becky--talked about starting up the Military Veterans Student Organization again this year.  A meeting is slated to be held with Dean Korte next Wednesday.  We'll see what happens.  I'll keep you all posted.

Until next time...

~  N.

The TRAC is Back...and Whack.

Recently, when I walked into the TRAC to inquire of their different facilities, a question was immediately posed by a staff member: “Do you have another pair of athletic shoes?” I was initially rather aback as I hadn’t had time to ask my question. My response was in the negative and I asked how new this policy was and why it was implemented.

The staff member advised that it helps keep the TRAC generally cleaner. While I understand that aspect of the policy, I couldn’t help by wonder, “Where am I supposed to put the shoes I have on now?!” I found out there are free locker rentals to store away "street" shoes; however, I think the policy is overkill just to avoid having to sweep a little bit more. It's especially cumbersome for those who live off campus to remember to bring a pair of shoes with them.

I am not a fan of this new “clean shoes” policy--I think it's rather finicky. As such, I am not a fan and shall shoot baskets outside, go for a jog around University Drive, or hit baseballs on the field across from Pennyroyal/Foxglove. If my shoes get dirty, well, by God, I’ll wipe them off on the mat before entering a building--it’s not that difficult of a concept…

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear. Until then...

~ N.

A Senior in a 100-Level Class

So, I’m signed up for POS-171: Comparative Political Cultures. The course is taught by Adriana Crocker—a woman of small stature who has a sincere desire to make her class interactive and fun. When she asked how many students in the class were freshmen, a vast majority raised their hands; this was a rather strange thing to see, and I had a sudden realization: most of the students I’ve known have graduated. In fact, I know of only one other student in the class of 35, and she is a senior, too.

The lower classmen seem to be a little nervous. It’s kind of fun to put myself in their shoes and remember what my first college courses were like. However, I’m actually on the other side of that coin and am aiming on enjoying the easier course so late in my college career.

The best part so far? We get to play a game—a simulation aimed on getting students to think about how to solve problems politically amongst neighboring countries in a fictional world.

As for learning about the different types of political cultures… instead of learning about the history of different countries, we’re going to learn about topics (gender inequalities, sweatshops, etc). This creates two things: classroom interactivity and a modernized class environment with a unique teaching technique.

The class should be fun. It’s offered semiweekly and is only 1 hour and 15 minutes long. If any students out there have any questions about this course, I’d be more than happy to answer them.

I’ll be blogging this semester’s fun class, “Introduction to Music Technology,” next. Until then…

~ N.

A Full-Time Job AND a Full-Time Student?!

Well, I finally did it: I landed a full-time job outside of the military. I am a full-time police dispatcher for…the University of Illinois at Springfield. It was a tough decision to accept the position, as I realized that a LOT of my time will be spent either at work, in class, or doing homework.

My wife and I are still living in the booming metropolis of Carlinville—a 45-mile/45 minute drive south from UIS, and I would l-o-v-e to move up to Springfield. However, with my current pay netting me a little less than $20k/year, we would end up scraping by. Still…it could be an adventure, couldn’t it?

A Potential Problem:

With regard to my job, I’m slated to work the overnight shift for the next 2 weeks—from 11pm till 7am. Thankfully, this isn’t as bad as it could be…but Mondays may end up being less than desirable once training is over. Here’s why:

At some point, my shift will have me work from Sunday at 11pm until Monday at 7am. My first class starts at 2pm. If I drive home, I’d be home from 8am till 1 in the afternoon—then I drive back up for classes followed by work again from 11p – 7a on Tuesday. However, that’s when I go home until class on Wednesday.

It’d be a lot of wear ‘n tear on my car, but it is all highway miles. (sigh)

I have no idea how things will end up…but I know I will certainly give it my best!!

To the new freshmen on campus: Welcome to UIS!!

I'll be blogging about my classes here, soon! Until then...

~ N.

The Life-Changing Video

In June 2007, I was invited to attend my Uncle’s wedding to my now-aunt Inday in the Philippines. Driving through the town Inday grew up in (Bacolod in Linao Del Norte), I soon saw the house I was to stay in: a nice, new, sturdy red brick building. It was far better than any other house on the street—nay, far better than any house within many blocks. And when I went to Camiguin Island, I stayed in a fairly decent hotel. However, there were little mini villages consisting of about 15 – 20 buildings on each side of the road. There was nothing but forests between the villages. It is within these “mini-villages” that I witnessed what I thought was extreme poverty. The houses were incredibly small and not built well. Most of the children were wearing minimal clothing. One thing’s for certain—they didn’t have much.

I came back from the wedding a changed man—or so I thought. My intent was to be thankful for what I have, and to not want the next best thing…, that what we had was more than enough, and that perhaps I should get rid of what excess material wealth I have. It lasted maybe a week…

Fast forward 3 years.

In my cultural geography class, we watched a movie about the Kibera slums located just south of Nairobi, Kenya. This place was by far the worst place I have ever seen. How hundreds of thousands of people can live in these conditions is just mind-boggling. Running water is virtually non-existent, the equivalent of $4 per day (or maybe it was per week) was considered good pay. Here’s the worst aspect: there is one toilet per 1,100 residents—with no running water or sewer system. Indeed, people are hired to manually clean out them out with buckets.

When my family first moved into the apartment where we’re still residing, the water pressure would drop so that our showers would consist of a little dribble. I’d complain and say things like, “Really (I can’t get a true shower)?!” You will never hear me complain about low water pressure ever again.

When I have the ability to leave the college life and afford to go elsewhere, I pray to God that I will be able to make a change for at least one family living in poverty. Not just by way of donating money to an organization, but to physically go to those places and help out. Until then, I’ll pray for us all…that we would choose to become more aware of what’s happening elsewhere on our planet, and not just within our own lives.

ECCE: Cultural Geography (GBL 331)

When signing up for my final ECCE requirement (another topic which shall be discussed soon), I found a class which would fit my schedule, but was a little hesitant to sign up for it.

GBL 331 is taught by Dr. Frost-Kumpf. At first glance, I thought SHE might be German, and that her accent would be nearly impossible to decipher. Normally I enjoy trying to break down communication barriers, but in a class where your grade is dependent upon understanding the material, I haven’t the foggiest as to how I’d fare with a thick-accented professor. As it turned out, it was her married name (whew!). Professor Frost-Kumpf is a woman of short stature who, through her abounding energy and wealth of knowledge pertaining to the subject, keeps the topic of cultural geography at least interesting.

The hard part is reading the textbook. Nearly every chapter in the book consisted of 30+ pages. This may not sound like much, but if you have other classes with the same type of textbook, you’ll probably be spending the bulk of your semester reading. And to most students, reading textbooks is not a fun task. Furthermore, the 5 themes of the course (region, mobility, nature-culture, globalization, and cultural landscapes) are repeated so often, there were times when I didn’t know where to look in the textbook for key terms.

Another difficult aspect of this class was the midterm…but not for the reasons you might expect! The midterm offered by Professor Frost-Kumpf encompasses everything learned from the first day of class—from lectures and textbook readings to videos and audio files watched and listened to both inside and outside of class. If you simply pay attention, you’ll do fine. Prior to the test, we were given a full class day to review and get us geared up for the impending exam.

The difficulty was that most of the questions required short, short essay, or long essay answers. My problem was that I tended to write slowly, and I only had an hour and fifteen minutes to complete the test. However, she stated at the top of every page exactly what she expected answer-wise. I ended up getting 78%, but had I completed the three questions I didn’t get to, I conceivably could have had a 92%. Point is: write fast! NONE of the questions on the midterm or final are worded to trick you—they are all straightforward. Plus, there are opportunities to get a good 5 points or so of extra credit!

The papers required (a 1-2 page video recommendation and an 8-10 page current-events paper) are not that difficult to write if you allow yourself time to do the work. Get started early, FOLLOW THE RUBRIC, and there is NO reason why you should end up with anything less than an A.

While I felt at times that the course material tried too hard to show that cultural geography is relevant and necessary in life, a video watched during class has forever changed my life. But I will write about that tomorrow. For now, as long as ECCE is required, I’d recommend this course.

Photography = A LOT of Me!!

Photography I (COM 315) is taught by Professor Duvall—an expert in the subject of photography who has developed a definitively performance-based grading system (vice the “normal” grading of papers, exams, etc.). He truly wants his students to work hard in order to succeed, and, in order to achieve this, grades students on a progressively stringent scale. The pace of the class is not to be taken lightly; while assignments may be turned in “late,” the late assignment must be turned in before the next assignment can be submitted.

At first, the class may be frustrating. Learning how to “reel” film in a pitch black environment is not an easy task. This act followed by the near 40-minute process of developing a roll of film (hint: develop 2 at the same time!) only achieves the most basic function: to see if your negatives turn out.

However, sight can be deceiving! In order to truly see if a print can be made out of the negatives, another 12 minutes or so is needed to develop a contact sheet.

Overwhelmed yet? Don’t be. The old adage “practice makes perfect” is essential to this class. Last week, I spent 8 hours in the darkroom making 4 prints (plus a couple extra “just-in-case” prints). Monday, I spent 6 hours making 6 prints plus a couple extra prints. Last night, I spent less than 4 hours making 8 prints.

Like I have told my friends and family, I learned more about my camera in one day of class than in the 7 years I have owned it. Sure I knew which setting “automatic” was, but you can do so much more by manipulating the camera yourself.

So, what is the ultimate benefit of taking this class? Knowing that the hard work you put in to shooting and developing a roll of film is all yours. On my kitchen counter sits my very first print in a frame. Is it perfect? Heck no! I know that I can either reprint or retake that shot much more effectively now. But I saw, took and developed that picture...and I will cherish it forever.

Of course, the journey doesn’t stop here! Oh Lord, no! It’s not even halfway through the semester! And what’s after this? Oh, you better believe that Photography II exists and that I will be taking it this summer!

Any questions, comments or concerns about this class? Please do feel free to ask away! Until next time...

Best,
~ N.