I Love Handwriting

I’ve been thinking about this post for awhile.  A couple weeks ago, I was updating my Senior Project Proposal.  I didn’t have a printer handy, so I actually wrote out the bullet points of what I wanted to change.  I looked at it, edited it, and then wrote out the finished product.  I loved doing that!  I realized that I loved seeing my own handwriting.  No one else writes exactly like me.

That’s why handwritten notes are so special.  They are unique and they have the writer’s signature all over it!  I’ve been writing things by hand much more frequently lately.  For several reasons really, but one of them is that I spend a lot of time at a computer and it’s nice to remember what my handwriting looks like.  Plus, I think it’s fun to match up someone’s handwriting with their personality.  I’ve done it with most of my close friends, and it’s kind of funny how I connect them and their handwriting!

Handwriting has this special quality that makes it so personable and I think that’s been lost with the advent of computers, email, and text messages.  The personality that comes through handwriting is so unique.

Things I Informally Collect

I am not a collector.  But there are some things I tend to enjoy and therefore I try to obtain them slightly more often than everything else.  This is a pretty short list, but I thought people might want to know.  And when I say “people,” I mean my roommates.  And when I say “might want to know,” I mean remind them.

1. Rubber Ducks
2. T-shirts with umbrellas on them
3. Anything from Victoria’s Secret (but I think this one may change soon)

That’s all.  Yes, I do casually collect these things.  I was going to “seriously collect,” but I don’t really seriously collect anything!

Have a great day!

Crowds

I’m a senior.  Not that this means something special, but it does send a clear time designation for how long I’ve been on the DePauw campus.  I think for the first three years of my DePauw career, I was hanging out with the wrong people!  I would say quite a few people have passed in and out my life since I first arrived at DePauw.

Maybe it’s because I’m a senior so I’ve had three years to grow and “find myself,” but I’ve really enjoyed the conversations I’ve been having with people lately.  Previously, I didn’t have these great conversations.  I’m not sure if if was because I wasn’t ready or the group I was with wasn’t conducive to those types of conversations and in fact it may have a been a little of both.  I don’t think I was aware that there are students on this campus who have really important things to say.

Lately, I’ve been trying to be more involved on campus and in doing so, I’ve come in contact with lots of students who are very smart, articulate, and opinionated.  I just regret that I didn’t figure out this subset existed until second semester my senior year!!

Milk and Twitter

I think my title is misleading.  It sort of looks like I screwed up “milk and cookies” by substituting Twitter.  Food is actually not the subject of this post.

Last night I saw Milk.  Sean Penn won an Oscar for Best Actor in Milk.  Milk is about the later life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office and a gay activist.  Milk is a beautiful movie that tells a tragic story in the most uplifting way.  While I was watching it, I hurt.  My very core was in pain.  The idea that we must categorize people and put them in labeled boxes and then proceed to deny them certain rights disgusted me.

I was feeling pretty off after the movie.  I think it was a tragedy-stricken mood to think that people are still struggling for rights that I think are basic, and as such I take for granted.  It just seems like such a big job, taking on society.  So I left the movie feeling like something must be done, but I had no idea what could be done or where to even start!  *Side note: My favorite movies are the ones that drive me to take action outside of the theater*  With this lost feeling of wanting to do something, I sent a Tweet saying I’d seen Milk and I just don’t know what to do next.  Caitlin replied to me saying I should get involved with United DePauw and a great way to start would be speaker on Thursday evening.

I’m going to go see Annie Sprinkle tomorrow night.  It’s not going to change the world, but it’s going to show support, give me another perspective, and I’ll be involved.

Main ideas:
1.  I really liked Milk and I recommend it.
2.  I love that I have friends that can help me and give me relevant information.

More work, Less sleep

Things have vastly improved since the last time I wrote a post.  I’m back home in Greencastle and feeling much less stressed about some things.  I’m feeling much less stressed about my senior project.  I talked to Dave (my CS hero) about it and he was really helpful and was able to give me a few places to start.  This was really what I was looking for and I think his guidance will be extremely beneficial.

I’m still stressed about the Imagine Cup and I’m not sure how to un-stress about that other than to just do what I need to!  I seem to have this procrastinating problem though, which is just awful.  I’m hoping that I can get some writing done tomorrow and then do editing later this week.  Now that I’ve set a “public deadline” (who really reads this anyway other than my roommates?), I’m hoping I’ll be more apt to truly follow through.

I should be stressed about my Hispanic Literature class, but unfortunately, I’m not.  This is very bad.  I’ve managed to miss class three Mondays in a row.  Once again, very bad.  I need to meet with someone tomorrow to get notes and try to do a write up to save my grade in this class!

I also need to do some thinking about the intellectual engagement in ITAP.  And some debugging on isleptthroughclass.com.  And make some phone calls.  I’m going to check my schedule and hope it’s not too busy tomorrow!!

Trip to St. Louis

This weekend, I’m in St. Louis.  Kendra know some people here, including Abby, her best friend.  We’re staying with some salsa people and we’re going out dancing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!  Last night we went to Fitz’s for dinner.  I didn’t put it together that it was Fitz’s root beer until we were at the restaurant.  And then it all became very clear, St. Louis, Fitz’s root beer, of course!  Fitz’s is my favorite root beer and I knew perfectly well it’s made in St. Louis!  Once I put these two facts together, I was so excited!

*Side Note: I’m quite sure that most families don’t do this, but mine does.  The reason I’m positive that Fitz’s is my favorite root beer is because my family and I do blind taste tests for various kinds of foods and beverages.  We did a blind taste test of root beer and I like Fitz’s.  We’ve also done popcorn, Orville Redenbacher won that taste test.

Anyway, after dinner at Fitz’s (where I also got a 12-pack of root beer!), we went out dancing!  That was followed by lots of sleep!  Today I was supposed to be much more productive, but instead I’m writing a blog post.  Maybe tomorrow then.

*Photos from Tony Eng of decadance photography