Apr 29, 2009
Cabbage salads
Why is cabbage second best to lettuce? It costs less, stays fresh longer, is more flavorful, and it's crunchier.
Apr 23, 2009
Twitter?
I feel like I have too many places to make updates on the Internet. I've got to prioritize. I still don't get this Twitter thing.
Apr 21, 2009
Lit Classes
This is the second time I've tried to read The Crying of Lot 49, and it's not going any better than the first time. I have big problems with metafiction, but this is way beyond that realm. I'm writing a paper on Philip Roth's The Ghost Writer at the same time, and that feels a lot better. And then there's Cymbeline and Henry VIII. I don't even know what to say about those.
Apr 19, 2009
Apr 15, 2009
The Grad School Dilemma
So, the last month has been a whirlwind of attempts at making decisions about grad school for me. First, I thought I wanted to go to U of Pittsburgh, but then I found out that I got wait listed. Then, I got accepted to Ohio State and wasn't really excited about it. I thought, "Oh, just another big state school that's going to require me to take lit classes." Then, around midnight on a Tuesday during spring break, I was sitting on my living room couch while Andy was in the kitchen scrounging for some food.
"What can I eat?" he yelled to me from the kitchen, probably with his head in the refrigerator. At that moment, I spotted a small envelope that said "Carnegie Mellon" in red letters in the top left corner. I had been back in Madison after my trip to San Francisco for three days by this time, but I had not seen it.
My first thought was, "Uh oh, a small envelope."
Without answering Andy's question, I started to tear the envelope.
Andy yelled something from the kitchen again as I began to read the letter. To my surprise, I was accepted. I couldn't believe it. I thought there was no way I would get in there. Andy walked into the living room and I started screaming and jumping on the couch, just like you would imagine it would happen.
So for the next few weeks, I was sure I would go to Carnegie Mellon. I got another acceptance from Arizona State, but by then there was no time left to go out there, and I was so excited about CMU that I didn't even care.
During the first week of April, Andy and I left for Columbus. We were going to Columbus so I could visit Ohio State just because I convinced myself I should see it anyway because they offered to give me money. We talked about Columbus, though, like it was just a pit stop on the way to our real destination--Pittsburgh, PA.
When we arrived in Columbus, though, Andy and I both thought, "Hey, this is kinda nice." When we went out for dinner and beers with Mary (the friend we were staying with), I got this strange feeling like I was at home. There were lots of quirky bars and restaurants that looked fun to explore, and there were people drinking and talking on the sidewalks on the main street through campus. It felt really livable.
The next day I woke up to go to my Ohio State campus visit. The weather was really nice--almost 70 and sunny. First, I met with the director of the first-year writing program. I wasn't expecting to meet with him, but it was a really good idea because I would be teaching first-year writing right away. He was really awesome. He read my writing sample and statement of purpose and asked me questions about them. He seemed really genuine, the perfect kind of person you'd want to help you start your first teaching job.
As the morning went on, I met professor after professor. Each one was just as nice as the first one I met. They all seemed really excited to meet me and about the program. I was feeling really intense positive energy all morning. I got the sense that these people really care about their grad students, their work, and the community of the program. Then, I had lunch with two awesome grad students who seemed to be interested in a lot of the same things I am. They gave me a really truthful, straightforward perspective on the program. After that, I was sold. I was having a blast.
To top it off, the last professor I met with told me he does research in Sweden and is an honorary professor at a Swedish university. Then he said he could get me involved in his work.
I ran out of the building with a huge smile on my face, about to burst. I called Andy to pick me up, and then I lost my phone.
When I got to CMU the next morning, I immediately knew it wasn't for me. I arrived at the breakfast and nobody said hello. No one introduced themselves. It felt like the complete opposite of OSU. The events during the rest of the day continued to support my decision against it.
So not only has this taught me how important it is to do campus visits, but it has also taught me a lot about what I want from graduate school.
I have really loved my experience at UW, and that's why I want to continue with graduate school. It makes sense, then, that I would want to continue somewhere similar to UW rather than totally different. I realized that I am only doing this academics thing because it's a lot of fun. I'm not doing this to be the best, biggest name graduate student ever. There is definitely a part of the academic world that is intensely competitive and prides itself on its prestige, but that element has not been part of the equation of my experience at UW. At UW, it has been an experience of creating strong, exhilarating friendships with others through a high level of thinking, learning, talking and writing. At various moments of thinking, talking, and working with other people in the English dept during my time at UW, I have never been happier in my life.
The English dept at OSU felt like the one at UW but on steroids. They have 100 tenure-track faculty, which means it's probably four times the size of UW's. I hope it will truly be bigger and better in every way.
"What can I eat?" he yelled to me from the kitchen, probably with his head in the refrigerator. At that moment, I spotted a small envelope that said "Carnegie Mellon" in red letters in the top left corner. I had been back in Madison after my trip to San Francisco for three days by this time, but I had not seen it.
My first thought was, "Uh oh, a small envelope."
Without answering Andy's question, I started to tear the envelope.
Andy yelled something from the kitchen again as I began to read the letter. To my surprise, I was accepted. I couldn't believe it. I thought there was no way I would get in there. Andy walked into the living room and I started screaming and jumping on the couch, just like you would imagine it would happen.
So for the next few weeks, I was sure I would go to Carnegie Mellon. I got another acceptance from Arizona State, but by then there was no time left to go out there, and I was so excited about CMU that I didn't even care.
During the first week of April, Andy and I left for Columbus. We were going to Columbus so I could visit Ohio State just because I convinced myself I should see it anyway because they offered to give me money. We talked about Columbus, though, like it was just a pit stop on the way to our real destination--Pittsburgh, PA.
When we arrived in Columbus, though, Andy and I both thought, "Hey, this is kinda nice." When we went out for dinner and beers with Mary (the friend we were staying with), I got this strange feeling like I was at home. There were lots of quirky bars and restaurants that looked fun to explore, and there were people drinking and talking on the sidewalks on the main street through campus. It felt really livable.
The next day I woke up to go to my Ohio State campus visit. The weather was really nice--almost 70 and sunny. First, I met with the director of the first-year writing program. I wasn't expecting to meet with him, but it was a really good idea because I would be teaching first-year writing right away. He was really awesome. He read my writing sample and statement of purpose and asked me questions about them. He seemed really genuine, the perfect kind of person you'd want to help you start your first teaching job.
As the morning went on, I met professor after professor. Each one was just as nice as the first one I met. They all seemed really excited to meet me and about the program. I was feeling really intense positive energy all morning. I got the sense that these people really care about their grad students, their work, and the community of the program. Then, I had lunch with two awesome grad students who seemed to be interested in a lot of the same things I am. They gave me a really truthful, straightforward perspective on the program. After that, I was sold. I was having a blast.
To top it off, the last professor I met with told me he does research in Sweden and is an honorary professor at a Swedish university. Then he said he could get me involved in his work.
I ran out of the building with a huge smile on my face, about to burst. I called Andy to pick me up, and then I lost my phone.
When I got to CMU the next morning, I immediately knew it wasn't for me. I arrived at the breakfast and nobody said hello. No one introduced themselves. It felt like the complete opposite of OSU. The events during the rest of the day continued to support my decision against it.
So not only has this taught me how important it is to do campus visits, but it has also taught me a lot about what I want from graduate school.
I have really loved my experience at UW, and that's why I want to continue with graduate school. It makes sense, then, that I would want to continue somewhere similar to UW rather than totally different. I realized that I am only doing this academics thing because it's a lot of fun. I'm not doing this to be the best, biggest name graduate student ever. There is definitely a part of the academic world that is intensely competitive and prides itself on its prestige, but that element has not been part of the equation of my experience at UW. At UW, it has been an experience of creating strong, exhilarating friendships with others through a high level of thinking, learning, talking and writing. At various moments of thinking, talking, and working with other people in the English dept during my time at UW, I have never been happier in my life.
The English dept at OSU felt like the one at UW but on steroids. They have 100 tenure-track faculty, which means it's probably four times the size of UW's. I hope it will truly be bigger and better in every way.
Apr 14, 2009
Lessons from the Day
Everyone forgets to set their alarm once in a while, but we continue to act like being late is unacceptable.
My brother applied to Brown University. Emma Watson is going to Brown University. This must mean they will get together.
Never eat vegetable lasagna from Chadbourne cafe ever again.
Everyone agrees that MTV's "College Life" is boring as hell and is disgracing the university. Why the university thought a show on MTV would be a good way to promote the school, however, remains to be known.
Interviews are fun if you want the job.
I've got to get involved in this digital media research business.
My brother applied to Brown University. Emma Watson is going to Brown University. This must mean they will get together.
Never eat vegetable lasagna from Chadbourne cafe ever again.
Everyone agrees that MTV's "College Life" is boring as hell and is disgracing the university. Why the university thought a show on MTV would be a good way to promote the school, however, remains to be known.
Interviews are fun if you want the job.
I've got to get involved in this digital media research business.
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