In case you didn't know, the Wartburg Men's soccer team is in the DIV III national championship playoffs. They won their first game, then their second, and then they played today and won again in Ohio and now they play tomorrow in the elite 8 against some team from PA. And one of my roommates is on the team as well. It's stinkin awesome!
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world
Saturday, November 20, 2004
I was just reading some random entertainment news on http://www.startribune.com when I came across today's birthdays of famous people. Mike D of the Beastie boys turns 39 today....and I thought that it was weird that I would read about it on his birthday, since I never do anyway. But then I saw something kinda funny that would only be funny to people who know the group A Tribe Called Quest. The paper says one of their former members "Q-Top" turned 34 today as well. Hahahaha. Q-Top. Those idiots! (fyi, it's Q-Tip).
Friday, November 19, 2004
Two majorly BS things happened to me regarding tests this week. First of all, in my philosophy class we had a test on monday. We had 4 short answer questions each worth 12 points and then an essay worth 52 points. YIKES! But it didn't really seem that bad, since our last test was two essays each worth 50 points and on that test I only missed 1 point. So, thinking I had a good idea on how to study, I prepared the same as last test.....and then on wednesday I got it back....hmmm B-.....that's interesting. The short answer I can understand where I got points off, for the most part. But that damn essay.....I didn't understand what I could've done wrong. Our prof (an adjunct, by the way...'cause our real prof's wife died right before school started) does this thing where he checks the points on our essays that are good points and then grades off of those. So I compared my test to last test....and, interestingly enough, I had the exact same amount of checks on my previous two essays. So where could I have possibly gone wrong? Today after class, I went and asked him...here was our conversation:
ME: Prof. Gross, I have a question about the final essay on the test. What were you grading on.
HIM: Subject matter and its relevancy to the question.
ME: Ok........but what about the check marks, what do they mean?
HIM: Those are how many correct points you made.
ME: So how come on the last test I got just about the same amount of checks, but this time I managed to get 20 MORE points off?
HIM: Oh, I decided to grade harder. Better luck next time, huh?
WHAT THE HECK! So basically on this test he took how he graded on the previous two tests and made it twice as hard to do well....but didn't tell us, of course, that he was changing up his grading system....so we couldn't prepare for it. How BS is that! And this was after a whole class period how he pointed out how many peoples' personal ethical system is inconsistant. Man, did I want to tell him off....I hope he heard what I was muttering under my breath as I stalked out of that classroom.
So that was the stupidest thing regarding tests for me this week, but another, more minor thing happened as well. On Wednesday I had a British Literature test with the hardest (but best) English prof. -- nicknamed "Dr. Satan." This is my 4th class with him (not as many as others I know who have had around 7, but still decent) and so I know how much I have to study. On his tests, spelling and grammer count just as much the correct answer. If you knew the passage on the test was "The preface to a picture of dorian gray" by Wilde, then the answer had to be exactly that. If you wrote down "The preface to the picture of dorian gray" it would be wrong...because you replaced "a" with "the" or of you misspelled a word or misspelled the author's name it would be wrong. So anyway, I know that you have to study a TON for his tests. Over Sunday, monday, tuesday, and wednesday I probably prepared for about 16 or 17 hours total. And for the first time out of 4 semesters with this prof, I got the best score out of the class. But what happens? About 5 people very obviously didn't study for the test and horribly failed. Well Dr. Satan decides that it's partly his fault because we haven't had as many quizes as in past years so his plan to fix it is to administer a quiz EVERY CLASS for the next couple of weeks. ARGH! The whole class gets punished for the idioticy of so few. It sucks even more for me 'cause now I actually have to read the material and prepare for class. Usually I can get by with a respectable grade without doing the majority of reading. I mean really, I get more out of it when Dr. Satan goes through the stuff anyway. Some of the prose is so incredibly dry....poems aren't really that bad...but that prose. ugh.
Anyway....that's enough ranting and raving for me. This weekend isn't going to be too great. The person I wanted to spend it with is going to a concert in Des Moines on saturday and won't get back until Sunday...bummer. Plus, it's almost time for the term to be over and me to leave for Denver. *sigh* I know I'll have fun there and I'm REALLY looking forward to working at http://www.westword.com but at the same time I'm going to miss so many people here. At least the people my age I'll be with next year....but all of those 4th years are graduating WAY too soon. My goodness. My time at Wartburg is slipping through my fingers. aaarrrgh....I don't want to think about it. I'm taking a nap.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Ok, I'm instituting a new rule: I will no longer post anything like what I posted below while intoxicated again. I tend to use stronger words than I should. Words that have stronger connotations that I wish to use. And with that....I'm going to go against one of my primary blogging rules....and edit the heck out of the previous post. If you didn't get to read it.....that's too bad.....or maybe good. Depending on who you are. :)
Wow...so tonight was another way fun night. Even though about 5 hours ago I didn't think it was going to be. My night started out with me hanging out at my room....where I was the ONLY one drinking...and even then, I was just kind of drinking socially. You know, not to get drunk...but to have a "good time." Plus, we had a couple of prospective students here, so we couldn't have a party. That was too bad, but really alright. So yea, I was sitting here in my room waiting until after 10pm, which was the time where I was going to go to a party with those 4th year girls I mentioned in the previous post. Well, I ended up going over there at about 10:30 and I just left at 3:00! Wowzas! It was a fun time. I don't know what it is about me, but ever since I first came to Wartburg, I've ALWAYS had more fun with older students. Tonight, for example, there were a few people my age, but they left early. So for about the last 2 or 3 hours, it was me and a bunch of 4th years. And I mixed in just fine. I don't know what it is. I mean, granted I'm pretty good friends with a lot of those girls, and by default I'm at least aquaintances with their guy friends.....including the student body President and Vice President. It was a good night.
Something else interesting has possibly evolved over the past couple of days....but with incredibly poor timing, as always. Last night was one of those nights where I started noticing a girl (older, of course) in a different light than I normally do. It wasn't a really big deal last night, other than we talked about 10x more than we have in the previous 2 years.....but it was still fun hanging out with her. Now tonight, on the other hand, may have been different....different in that the situation was not the same as it is when I see her in passing. Maybe the difference was that I was finally included into an inner circle....but either way, I definitely see her in a new light. But what poor timing! I always fall for girls when I'm about to leave or when they're about to leave. Damnit! I dunno...except it's almost 4 a.m. and i need to go to bed. alone.........*sigh*