Life After Graduation

Sadly enough, I have no plans yet for after graduation. As I mentioned before I am unqualified for a career in my field of choice. So what does that mean for me? It means I will be going back to work at a country club, a job never hated so much before. I will continue sending me resume to places in hopes someone will want me. If not maybe I can suffice by being a nanny because I just cannot stand waiting hand and foot on people who do not appreciate the help.

On the other hand, I feel like everyone else around me has these grandiose plans for the future, and that is really discouraging right now, but I am trying to be optimistic. I am going to miss all of those who are going away terribly -- I don't do well with change.

It has been a great four years and I can deal with a summer break, but I cannot yet deal with the fact that it will be over for good. I know alot of people share different views from mine and that they are so ready for graduation. And, in the academic part of college I am burnt out and over, but not the personal relationships I have made with those around me. So, I thank everyone for giving me the opportunity.

This past Sunday the Tiger SAAC Awards were held at Casey's Restaurant off-campus. Since its inception this event has taken place in the gym and has been catered through the school. However, the company that Wittenberg caters through, Sodexo, is overpriced and too expensive for the athletic budget. It was actually cheaper for SAAC to rent a room and buy meals at Casey's. While it is frowned upon to seek outside sources for events, it was urged by the athletic director to go off-campus. If anything I would think it would be cheaper to stay on campus and within house. But, we also did the same thing for our opening reception for our winter and spring Art shows. We bought and made our own food.

I found this very interesting after remembering Shelly's comment about Sodexo prices and Wittenberg taking more than a fraction of the cost. So who is really getting the money? And what is going on??

If anyone can shed some light on the subject I would be really interested in hearing about it.

Rain, Rain Go Away

April showers bring May showers...no, thats not right.

It has literally been raining for over a month straight and I am getting pretty sick and tired of it to say the least. Not only has it dampened my spirits but all of campus as well. It affected the location of the Wittfest concert and has the potential for ruining graduation. The forecast is not projected that far in the future, but the average has been about 71 degrees so I will keep my fingers crossed.

If graduation is moved inside I am worried I will not have enough tickets for my closest family members coming from out of town to watch me graduate. Each senior is alotted 6 tickets for the ceremony if it is held indoors. Unfortunately I need 13. And as if I am not already stressed about the situation my mom is FREAKING OUT! It would be the first graduation in a long while to have been held indoors so please pray to the rain gods.

April showers bring May flowers, and what do May flowers bring? HAPPY graduating seniors :)

I am all for religion, or organized thought however, it is really bothersome when someone tries to force their beliefs on you. Someone yesterday said they believe in a deity that believes in the goodness of people and that is what I think should be the foundation of religion. I grew up Catholic, but currently am on a path to find out what is right for me. I have found recently several hyper-religious people who feel the need to judge other people for their decisions or actions, and do so publicly via Facebook or other outlets. Do not scorn me. You have the right to believe what you want and so do I. Because my actions do not align with your beliefs does not make me a sinner.

These are the same people who live the Bible so strictly, they still believe gay people are sinners. That they are, and I quote, "giving into the temptation of sin." What sin are they committing? Is love a sin?

People don't understand that the world is always evolving and changing and stuff that might have been right thousands of years ago isn't what is right for us now. It is the same reason why laws have changed, to better suit our society.

Re: Tornado

About a week ago I addressed my safety concerns regarding tornado warning. Chief Loney sent us an email the following day with university protocol for such matters. This has been the only email students have received about what to do in the event of a tornado. However, it is not my concern of what to do. I have done tornado drills since I was in kindergarten: seek shelter, go to the lowest place, avoid windows, remain calm, etc. This is not my concern. My concern is that our only notification system is <150 character text message sent to only subscribers of the system. The university should have sent out a link informing students of how to sign up for such alerts. Also, just GIMME A DAMN ALARM! Then there wouldn't be any question as to what precautionary measures we should take. The university still has yet to confront this issue, after it was brought up during last year's storms.

Blah, Blah, Blogs

So, I haven't been so good about writing blogs for class. What's up with that?

Blogging is the new media outlet taking over. A blog is where one can post entries as often as wanted and viewers can follow and comment back to the writer. Even the ever popular Facebook and Twitter are like mini-blogs, where one can update short statuses that people follow. It has become such a hype.

I think it has honestly just become too much to follow. I enjoy the whole idea since it is becoming very mainstream in our culture. However, it becomes confusing to determine which sources are reliable, or which ones we even care about. I think blogs that work best that I would consider following would have a consistent theme (e.g. sports blogs, craft blogs, or food blogs) something that I could enjoy following, but wouldn't have to rely on for the facts. If I want the news I will pick up a newspaper or check and online news site.

Also, I feel that I have enough opinions that no one wants to hear me rant about what I have to say. Therefore, I feel like my blog is simply unimportant. To comment on what Shelly had written in her blog I agree that we should have discussed them more in class. Maybe pick three out a week to talk about so that we know our stories and opinions are being read. If they aren't being read maybe we can discuss how to improve them so they are more interesting or of value to our followers.

Having said that I don't really enjoy reading other peoples rants either. I think informative blogs work best, BUT it is nice to just get what you want to say out there every once in a while.

My Least Favorite Thing About Wittenberg

Remember when getting a degree qualified you for a job? Yep, doesn't seem to be the case any longer. I would think a BA Studio Art degree with a concentration in graphic design and photography would teach me the skills I would need to get a job in Advertising, especially when I have been paying 100 of thousands of dollars for an education. However, the required courses for this major have not prepared me for a career in my area of expertise. Sadly, enough.

The jobs I am seeking are graphic design positions. I am highly knowledgeable in the Adobe Creative Suites programs, which would make me fit for any print job. Then there is the whole realm of web design, which hasn't even been covered during my career at Wittenberg. I now am unprepared for the real world, because Wittenberg is short-staffed in the Art department. There are simply not enough teachers who have the knowledge to teach the information, let alone have the time to teach it to a class. There is one professor for all photography and graphic design courses. I would have to say this has been my least favorite thing about Wittenberg. I just wish someone would have warned me. Isn't that what advisors are for?