Again, this semester has had its fair share of peaks and valleys, but I am surviving. That is where the difficulty lies in these semesters. Sometimes, they feel long and frustrating--while other times they fly by and you don't even know what hit you.
Midterms have come and gone here at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and I am feeling good about myself. I have not missed many classes, though my goal of perfect attendance for the semester is unreachable now, I'm not hurt by the handful of classes I have missed.
CLASSES I LIKE
JRNL 311: Reporting & News Writing with William (Bill) Recktenwald
- This has been my absolute favorite class, so far. Mr. Recktenwald is a Chicagoland native who wrote for the Chicago Tribune in his heyday, and his experience in the newsroom is one of the reasons I like that class so much. Someone that can teach to you from experience is more valuable than anything a book can tell you. I could honestly gush over this class for days, but won't. Bill is the type of teacher (and this is the type of class) that helps me enjoy my journalism major.
- My "Journalism Law" class was one of those classes that worried me as the school year started, mostly because of my fear of the legal system. But Professor Hlavich does so much so her students understand what is going on, and it really makes the class interesting too. I've been quite successful in that class, which surprises me to be honest. It's educational and informative...AND can be applied to stuff I will need in the future.
ZOOL 115: General Biology with Prof. Nsofor
- I'd like to preface this by saying I hate science. Not as much as I hate math, but I hate science nonetheless. I'm not fond of the lecture in this class, though I'm doing very well in my lab section. But the lecture is quite unbearable. Nsofor's lectures are long winded, making paying attention difficult. Having the notes online is great, however, there is no substitute for a teacher that is well spoken and can simplify science for non-science people like myself.
- I am finding this to be the most difficult of my journalism classes, mostly because in this class I am unable to use my writing abilities to save my grade. The focus of this class is design--and that is not my strength. Everyone knows I can be sloppy and the fact I have no graphic design experience is of no help. I don't mind the lab with Heather Lose, who really simplifies things to the point where an idiot like me can make sense of the InDesign program. But Tommy, our lecturer, isn't on my happy side. Mostly because of the difficulty of the questions on his test and his lecturing abilities. He's not terrible, but he's not great either.
- Shocked? So am I. Everyone knows how much I love poetry, and that if not for poetry I'd likely be in an isolated mental state. My two poetry classes last year help me vent about my sophomore and junior year's at SIU in the best way possible. So maybe it's because I'm not the motivated mind I was last year (albeit motivation due to frustration.) Maybe because I've resolved some (but unfortunately, not all) of my issues that go back to sophomore and junior year. Maybe it's that prolonged writer's block that has been going on since June. Or maybe it's the fact that my teacher really ahsn't done anything to motivate me. In any case, I'm not happy with my poetry class (for several reasons.) I'm not motivated, the class is unorganized, it's taught by a teacher who had never taught a poetry class before....among other reasons. Still, the poetry is coming (though not at the pace it did last year.)
Now that I've got "Midterm Madness" off my brain, I decided I'd take a look back at what I was writing about this time last year and lo and behold we've got ourselves something that is worth a damn. As of now it's 11:56 p.m. on 10/17/07, and on this date last year I wrote this blog found at my old site.
In summary, I took a look back at a blog from 11/15/06 in which I referenced a conversation I had with my (now former) roommate. I referenced that note only because of what happened only hours before that post.
The Chicago Bears beat the Arizona Cardinals 24-23 on Monday Night Football behind three turnovers that turned into touchdowns and a game-winning punt return by Devin Hester. That game would go on to be known as "The Monday Night Miracle" and afterwards came my response:
"2007 JUST MIGHT BE THE YEAR! Maybe then MAYBE this can be my year too."
The next night, I would write about my epiphany. Unfortunately, that World Series Championship never came to fruition. Though technically I never said World Series--I said "championship." Damn! I should have been more specific!
So anyway, the point of that whole mini-rant was to prove how much I have changed. Even though those two posts aren't the biggest pieces of supporting evidence, there has been a significant change in my life.
No longer am I the bitter, frustrated young man that some people loved (while others hated.) No longer am I throwing my computer chair around my room in disgust. No longer amI beating my bed senseless with a baseball bat (mostly because I don't have my bat anymore, but that's besides the point.)
The point is that I feel like I'm moving forward in my life. And I'll be honest, sometimes I back-track. Sometimes I'll get into a state of mind where I'll just sit lonely and thing about "what could have been" or "what should have been." Sometimes I fall into the traps that got me down in the first place.
But then I'll have a happy moment, and all is right with the world.
IT DOESN'T GET EASIER
In closing, I'd like to take a short look at what I have ahead of me. (Hint: it's not gonna be pretty.) In order to graduate in Fall 2008, I'm gonna have to pull off the following miracle: 18 credit hours next semester, and 17 the semester after that.
The reason I have to do this is because of my sophomore year, which I consider the worst year in my life. It was the most tumultuous year, and what I mean by that is that I went through a period in which anything bad that could happen to me, did happen.
I honestly have difficulties finding silver linings in what happened that year. Not saying that there weren't any (because I can think of one in particular), but I say that because the bad outweighed the good--and it was a major setback.
Now I can take a look back at that and say that for the most part, I've moved on. And on graduation day I will be able to say, I survived SIU despite that. And if there is one thing I have learned from the 2007 Chicago Cubs (yay! baseball reference!) is that if you can make it through the rough times, you'll be stronger in the end because of it.
Good night folks, and sweet dreams.
Finished @ 12:13 a.m.
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