Are You Ready For This Semester?

Today is the last day of July which means in 20 days the 2012 Fall semester will begin at UT Tyler. You've probably been lounging about for the past 2 months (except for those taking summer courses) and have even forgotten what you signed up for. Well, here's a short check list to help you prepare for the coming semester.

Have you paid your tuition and/or other bills that may put holds on your account?

Be sure and check your myuttyler account prior to the start of classes to make sure you have no fees or fines that may impede you in any way. You can also pay any outstanding bills via the cashier's office.

Do you have all your school supplies in order?

Be sure to bring at least a pen/pencil and a few sheets of loose leaf paper as some of your professors may want you to take notes on the very first day. HOWEVER, it is best to wait until after your first class to get any books for your classes. Some of your professors will not make them required or will base the entire class off their lectures alone. The syllabus may say the book is part of the class but the professor may say something different.

Is your home clean?

Before any semester begins I like to thoroughly clean my entire apartment to make at least the first week or so of classes stress free. However, this will change as the semester goes on and all my time begins to be engulfed by school work.

Do you have a parking sticker/permit?

Parking stickers can be paid for at the cashier's office and then picked up at the University Police Station with your receipt. For more info you can check out my this post which talks about where to park on campus and this one which explains how to go about getting a parking sticker/permit for this upcoming semester.

With this general outline your preparations for the upcoming semester should be most enjoyable and be completed with the greatest of ease

Life Cheat #84710: water taste a little... not so good? Simply put a slice of cucumber in their to instantly give your water a fresher taste.

Parking For Fall 2012/Spring 2013

The Police Department will begin issuing parking permits for the 2012/13 academic year this Wednesday, August 1. It is very important that all incoming freshman and returning students and faculty alike go about getting one before classes begin on August 20.

The new parking rules and regulations can be seen here under the Parking and Traffic Information tab. However, you can also look at my previous post concerning parking on campus. Remember, you must pay any outstanding parking fines before you will be issued a permit. 

ACL Plans Update: Jack White or Neil Young?

Soon after I posted about my plans to go to the Austin City Limits music festival this year I looked up the schedule for who is playing when. what I came across shook me to my very core. Jack White will be playing at the same time as Neil Young.  What should I do?

This picture can be used for so many things

I almost immediately thought, "Well I'm going to see Jack III! Maybe I'll get to see Neil when he performs in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes-when-he-feels-like-it Young". Someone would say, "Come on Patrick it's Neil Young! He's not gonna be around that much longer. I mean he invented the remote controlled train set for crying out loud!" True, but Jack White saved Rock & Roll from consuming itself in self glorified perfection and brought back some truth to music. No one can top that.... Not even Batman.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Life Cheat #39579: If it's hot outside you should probably shouldn't go around saying "it's so hot". Trust me. Everyone is well aware of the extreme temperature.

Self-Discovery in College: UT Tyler

The purpose of this blog would really just be to check in with my friends (UT Tyler students and those incoming) on how you feel. Yes, how you really feeeeel.

As people navigating our lives with the privilege of higher education, we are trained to think it will be easy. Sign up for school.
Get a degree.
Get a relationship.
Get a house.
Get a baby or two (or guinea pig, or three). 
Boom. Done. SUCCESS.

Wait. Some of us have things that happened that will change how we react to the world around us! Some of us have different goals!

SELF DISCOVERY IS NOT EASY AND IT DOES HURT.

     Self-discovery events happen every day, if you are mindful of your own actions. Did I eat that third brownie because I'm sad? Why would I lash out at my friend? Why would I lie to my boyfriend?

       When you look critically at your past actions, you won't always be happy. We have all made mistakes, and they do effect our paths in life. The most important thing we can do as respectable human beings is be self aware. College is a wonderful opportunity to correct your actions and live a healthier and happier life in the future. 

My plans for October 12-14

I have already made plans for a road trip in the middle of this coming semester. I (along with a few friends) shall venture to Austin, Texas to experience Austin City Limits. For those of you who don't know ACL is a 3 day long music festival which takes place once a year at Zilker Park in Austin. You can actually see a picture of me from the last time I went in 2009 from my blog about SUPER SUMMER. I have high hopes for this festival because this is the year I finally get to see Jack White.

This man is my all time hero. Since the turn of the century he's been on the mainstream shredding everything from blues, punk, rock, and even some old school country. I'll be keeping all of you up to date on how I will properly plan for this road trip such as what to bring, where I'll be staying, etc. So stay tuned for further updates!

Life Cheat #40294: When in Albania it is usually best to avoid the peaches

Sad Day for Small Business in Tyler

Downtown Coffee Lounge Barista Lydia Baskins' art latte

Today a very sad thing happend. The Downtown Coffee Lounge shut it's doors... for good. I visited the lounge on monday to see a sign on the front door that read as follows:

UT Tyler Volunteer Opportunities at the East Texas Crisis Center

        In college at UT Tyler I have met many people out in the community that could give me opportunities to learn and grow in fields that I have interest! Through my work in the Student Counselling Center, I learned about the East Texas Crisis Center. I learned that they have resources for any person in the community, but they offer something extra to college students- the ability to donate their time to something that heals the community and broadens the minds of students that have never been faced with solutions to the issues of abuse or domestic violence. 

The East Texas Crisis Center's mission is:

To provide safety, shelter, and education to victims of family violence, sexual assault and other violent crime and to restore dignity and purpose in their lives while promoting public compassion and awareness to reduce violence in the community.

         Now, if this is the type of field you'd like to go in, or another way to become aware and help out a good place, you can apply on their website, be interviewed, have a background check, and do some training! This can be a tough job, but they give you all of the tools! These volunteers would, after training, be responsible for one of the jobs listed below!

•Peer Counselors are special friends to women living in the shelter. They maintain contact by phone and in person while the client is a resident.

• Children’s Services volunteers provide constructive supervision at the shelter during afternoon programs, evening support groups, and occasional weekend activities. 
• On-call Advocates provide support and crisis intervention counseling to victims and their families at local hospitals.
 • Hotline Counselors provide crisis counseling to callers on our 24 hour hotline. For convenience calls can be forwarded to your home

If you would like to help out with an event that they have, you wouldn't necessarily have do the training!
And if you you need another type of job in the fall,
the Blog is hiring. :)

DIY: Band T-Shirts at UT Tyler

Ever since my band The Problem Preachers released it's first full-length album for free online I've thought of different ways to promote ourselves. Through my deep and tumulus time in my thought box I came up with an idea. T-SHIRTS! However, we come to a road block as soon as we start: How can I make these and cheaply and without us having to charge $20 a piece for them. That's easy! SPRAY PAINT to the rescue.

I'll begin with a basic white t-shirt, cardboard, exacto knife, pen, pencil, and spray paint. Then I will create t-shirts stencils ready for mass production with images such as the following.

A Senior's Message to Freshmen

   A Message To Incoming Freshmen from a Senior – 

   As I sit here pondering the eight ( yes, eight! ) years this college experience has taken me, I would like to reflect on some things you will encounter as you march along the college road. Am I some expert guru whose wisdom will guarantee you success, or even steer you towards some magical destiny? No, I am not. I leave that kind of advice to mystics on mountain tops and to fortune cookies. What I can offer is perspective and the hope that (perhaps?) my words will be encouraging where needed, as well as sincere.

   Everybody comes from different paths where college is concerned so let me get that out of the way right now. Some people do it because their parents insist, some because they need a degree to advance forward in a career, and lastly because they just want the experience for their life-journey. While I will predominantly speak to the last of these, each can benefit from my story.

   I am an English Major who was once a Film School student with 2 years of experience, a (very) small business history record, and very good connections within said fields ( school and the professional world). I experienced a major set-back regarding my college plan and seemed to have three choices:

11      Move to NYC or LA and try my hand at another film school, or just work towards screenplay writing.

22     Continue with the CSU Degree Plan, regardless of the hiccup(s) there would be.

33      Move home to Texas and seek continued education w/ family and friends as support.

I went with option #3, primarily because I did want a degree in SOMETHING after so much time having been put into the whole experience. This brings me to point one …

POINT #1 – Don’t be afraid to be undeclared … or to change majors.

   College is an experience meant to test your ability to stay with a subject, to commit to the good courses ( my Arthurian literature classes, Ghost Plays, and Literature for Science Majors in my case ), or the ones I was atrocious in ( Modern Grammar, Linguistics, etc… ). I loved them all, however. I may not have exceeded in, say, Civil War Poetry & Political Cartoons, but my professor did a wonderful job and I learned. Regardless of the course, college is an exercise in commitment. It can teach you how, despite possible misgivings about a task, to stick with it and soldier on. I know Contemporary Mathematics, Biology I-II, and Basket-Weaving 101 have *nothing* to do with my major, but then again how does Training Seminars in some businesses relate to fact that you might work in another department and you’re expected to attend anyway? You go ( to the classes and the seminar ) because you are committed to getting your task done.

   Still, what if you are genuinely not happy with the major you are in? I would advise you speak with your Advisor, as well as a professor in the major you are in whom you might feel comfortable discussing your situation with. Afterwards, if you still feel like the major you are in is not for you, work with your Advisor and figure out the best path for you.

   Also, don’t be afraid to talk to advisors in other majors while you are listed as Undeclared. Use that time to feel out your strengths, what your school offers, and how these things can work together to give you the best for your future.

POINT #2 – Don’t pursue your MR or MRS Degree, at least not at the cost of your education.

   This is something I actually hear people discuss in hushed whispers and yet nobody ( at least, nobody I know of )  speaks out against. College is for learning about yourself, your goals, and how you will handle the unexpected. Some people however view college as the place to exclusively find their future husband or wife.

   Please, if you have this notion, table it. Put it aside. Go a year without trying to exclusively hunt your college like a savannah huntsman ( or huntswoman ) looking for a target. In college you very likely don’t even know yourself yet, so how can you expect to meet somebody who is likely to be the exact same person they will be when the college experience is over? Odds are, very unlikely. How unlikely is it that you will also come out of college having fully prepared for getting that job if you are more focused on dating and hubby/wife-hunting? Again, very unlikely.

   Please understand I am not ignoring romance, or genuine attraction. Those things will always trump whatever plans a person makes, however what I am speaking out against is the act of thinking college is where you MUST find that “special someone.” Follow your career and education path to where you need to be to properly sustain yourself, and focus on a special somebody if you are lucky enough, but I would advise you to not have the latter trump the first. You owe your future Mr/Mrs a person who is dedicated to completing tasks and proving him/herself capable of getting a steady job.

   But, again, genuine love always trumps the best laid plans. Follow love if it manifests, but don’t force it for the sake of a schedule.

   POINT #3 – Get work on or off campus if possible … but don’t work too much!

   Everybody knows college costs money, and money these days seems hard to come by. I would advise, where situationally possible, to pursue on-campus work. This might be pursuing something as major-specific as working in a math lab, or even as broad as working for the college bookstore. Jobs are not always easy to acquire so ask for an interview in person with the manager ( in addition to having your own resume handy, a physical one in addition to any online resumes submitted ) and follow up at least to say ‘thank you’. I know it might seem like a lot of work, but the extra cash and the connections it brings are as important as anything else you learn from college – you learn how to take care of yourself.

   POINT #4 – Talk to anyone and everyone, and meet new people, too. Socialize.

   This one might seem like something that is hit or miss, and it very likely is, depending on the person reading, but I think it needs to be stated – college is for expanding your horizons and this also means with people. STOP. This does not mean “meeting new people for sex” or “meet new people as you drink down beer and pass out at a party.”

   I am talking about genuine human to human interaction. Get to know the people you are sitting next to in class. Talk to your professor during his/her office hours and do it without having it be an assignment. Get to know the people who work in the library, or your major department office, etc…

   College is an experience that brings together diverse amounts of people, possibly more than you might feasibly ever get to meet again in your whole life. Take the time to learn and experience as much as you can from these people. 

The Batman Principle, or: How Students Can Learn From Anything

 

If one were to assess the content of many of my student blogs ( and the often alarming rate in which I discuss comic books ), you might not be too far off the beaten path to assume the obvious – I am a comic nerd and proud of it.

I have been blessed to have been able to apply by critical learning skills as an English major to everything from Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice ( with and without Zombies ), and the myths of King Arthur. One of the best lessons I have learned from my time as an English Major is that ‘how’ we perceive the world is not always fully dependent on the forms of  the things we wish to learn from. Just because I look at an apple, it doesn't mean I must only have to talk about. I can talk about other fruits, the color red, the biblical implications, etc...

I'd like to apply those aforementioned lessons  to one of the biggest movie releases of the summer, a release that I am sure just about every geek or semi-geeky person on the UT Tyler student and faculty index will be seeing. I am naturally talking about the release of The Dark Knight Rises. People might be seeing it tonight, they might have already been in the theater for the local Batman Marathon, or they may see it over the coming week. This films release is a huge entertainment event in Tyler and I hope everybody gets to see the film at some point soon!

As an English Major and a wanna-be-Professor someday, how would I approach the Nolan Batman film trilogy to students? What could they get from this series and how might I teach them? How might you, either as a teacher, an educator, or just a fan, discuss this movie series with others?

The following are some unique points worth starting dialogue over, ones I think are key aspects of not only Batman’s literary mythology, but many other famous works as well.

Point #1 - GOTHAM CITY

Batman is a denizen of the Gotham, a city heavily modeled after New York City and Chicago in the Nolan Films. Gotham  is one of the rare times I will say that a place has as much character as the people who live there. Arkham Asylum, the theater where the Waynes were murdered, Gotham Tower, Wayne Enterprises, the Batcave, etc... These locations are iconic landmarks in the series, and almost all of them share very similar stylistic traits to how buildings were used in literature. One could make a case for Wayne Manor with its secret chambers is like the residence of the Rochester Manor House from Jane Eyre; Arkham Asylum has certain qualities like the asylum from the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest ( Dr. Crane and Nurse Ratched are certainly villainous authority figures ); etc...

Even the term "Gotham" can be expanded upon to encompass a number of Gothic traits in literature, from the dark and stoic skylines to the seedy and mysterious Narrows. The whole city is almost haunted, like something from a ghost story, thus it also shares some traits with how Dickens wrote his London cityscapes.

Point #2 – Bruce Wane & Byron

I mentioned the Rochester Mansion as something very uniquely Gothic. The house is famous in the novel of Jane Eyre because of its master, Lord Rochester. Rochester is a character who is defined as a 'Byronic Hero' in literature. This term comes from the qualities and character of Lord Byron, a man about as close to Bruce Wayne as any other in literature - both are wealthy, both have extravagant tastes in women, and both keep dark secrets. Further, both men also passionately fight on behalf of various fashions of Justice, with Byron having joined Greece to fight in their war against the Ottomans and Wayne who becomes Batman to fight Gotham's war on crime.

   Literary connections to characters like Bruce Wayne do not end with Byron. One of the most famous of all literary characters, Hamlet, is also much like Wayne as both suffer from parental death, both are 'princes' of their cities/countries, and both have a very hard time adjusting past their grief. Both characters in turn wind up taking drastic and theatrical measures for writing the wrongs of the world about them.

Point #3 – The Villains

This one is a more abstract concept, however I'd argue it works for presenting different worldviews and letting people go into the details about what is or isn't good and bad in our societies.

Ra's Al Ghul is presented in the Nolan films as a villain whose worldviews differ from Wayne in that they involve murder. How can Ra's' concepts of Justice be looked at in other writings, especially legal writings? Do our laws enforce justice? How would certain literary heroes be judged if they really existed?

The character of Harvey Dent/Two-Face brings up the issues of fairness and justice, but his POV is concerned with justice from the point of view of a deranged law-giver. How do these ideas ( fairness and justice ) normally get presented in Literature? Do the ends that certain characters undertake in literary epics get to be counted as 'fair' actions? Is it justice when Achilles, a prince and warlord of the Greeks, demeaned and tortured Prince Hector's body, even if Hector had indeed committed the act of killing Achilles’' cousin? Was his treatment of the man's body 'fair' or 'revenge?' In the comics Batman has had many, many altercations with his foes during which he was required to evaluate if he wanted justice for his families death, or if he wanted something more balanced – justice for all of Gotham.

The Joker is perhaps the hardest to enfold into the lore of straight literature. The relationship between these two in the role of the jester ( joker ) to the king ( or, Prince of Gotham, to borrow from a recent Scott Snyder reference ) has an interesting line-up with the Fool and King Lear. In the comics Joker addresses things about and Batman that are indeed harsh truths, ones that are hard to stomach for the audience at times or the comic readers ( "you let Dent take your place. Even to a guy like me, that's cold" ... "Don't talk like one of them, you're not ... even if you'd like to be" ). That has always been the role of the Fool in plays and in stories, to speak with undisguised truth.

   [ I could also mention Crane and Fear, or Bane and Pain. but I think I've made enough points ... ]

While this has been only a small example of the kinds of things we can extrapolate from a comics and film series like Batman, we should never underestimate the power that pop-culture has on literature, and vice-versa. In a recent interview, Nolan claimed that one of the biggest sources of inspiration for him in his final Batman film was A Tale of Two Cities.

Just some interesting things to thing about ...

No Electric Bill: UT Tyler on campus housing

        As a college student at UT Tyler, something you don't have to worry about on campus is too many bills. The utilities are bundled at many of the on campus (and many off campus) housing facilities. That means you can pay one flat rate monthly, or all at once!
         Now, just because you do not pay say, electric directly, does not mean that it does not cost anything. Electricity must be turned on and funded. Any time a light is left on or an item is plugged in, it is continuing to use electric energy.


Think about it. Where does the money come from to pay the bills?
Tuition.
So turn off the dang lights!

Longboarding Will Save Me From Super Summer

I began longboarding back home about 2 years ago but stopped as soon as I started. I picked it up again in California (where I go to visit my mom every now and then).
And now, being car-less in Tyler, I have discovered how great it is in terms of transportation. 

So, this weekend I went ahead and got myself a 46" pintail longboard. 

151 Days Until I Graduate

Tomorrow I will be visiting the cashier's office to pay for my application for graduation in the fall. I will then go to the enrollment services center to fill out the proper paper work. I would like to think that my scholarly career shall coming to an end as I join the real world but that is not the case. I plan on taking the Miller Analogies Test and apply to the History Masters program they have here at UT Tyler.

I have been told by many people that it is great that I am planning on going directly into grad school right after I graduate since I will already be in school mode. So the transition will be nice and easy for me. I actually can't wait to start my last semester as a college student.

I will strut the halls like no other. I will stand tall above papers, exams, and the various group projects. Then when December 15th turns it's weary head I will say neigh to the papers! Neigh to exams! Neigh to group projects! For at that moment they will no longer have any power over me. Take that JARETH!!!!!!

Life Cheat #904296: You remind me of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power. What power? The power of Voodoo. Who do? You do! Do what? You remind me of the babe....

Experimentation in Discovery

   As some of you know, I have been fairly less "posty" with this blog than some of our other staff writers, opting instead for bigger blogs at less frequent times. This has been primarily from my inability to see myself as very interesting, let alone somebody who can always say something "witty" or "hip" ... heck, or even "educational."

   As I have posted, I have come to slowly find that at times it isn't always the message ( even if that message is something important ), but rather it is the fact that something is being said. Period. Will it always be good? Heck no, but at least it is effort.

Pizza Appreciation Post

           When I came to UT Tyler, I knew quite a bit about cooking for and feeding myself. After all, freshman year I had the MET. I'm letting three years of "college life" take its toll on my food preparation abilities- they have been lacking. So, last Thursday, I ordered a pizza, not unlike any other Thursday or day for that matter. I was quite happy with this decision. I even found a coupon online.

I ate three pieces at work.
I had two after work.

I had the last two for breakfast on Friday.

Then I was deathly, food-poisoning ill all weekend! 

So, learn from me:
Leftovers go in your mini-fridge.
Not on the counter.
Not under the bed.
Not on the desk.
In the fridge.
Pizza is your friend and deserves nice treatment. 

This has been a post. 

SUPER SUMMER

Well folks, it's officially SUPER SUMMER!!!! I'm not a big fan of stepping on the new pavement they put down for the parking lots and it sticking to my feet. I'm also not a fan of sticking my head out of the window of my car like a dog since it's 150 in my car while it's only 108 outside. So, to help with your survival of the super summer here are a few helpful tips to help you get through the next few months.

Austin City Limits 2009.... SUPER HEAT!!!

Morning Classes, Alarm Clocks and Caffeine Overdose

Summer II classes begin tomorrow, July 9th and I'm signed up for Gen Chem II and its lab component. And guess what? It starts at 9am! 
And guess what else? Summer I classes were supposed to finish last week but for Calculus II, it didn't- it's extended for 3 more weeks because of the heavy course! Which means... my Summer I and II classes will clash for 3 weeks. That's 3 hectic, sleepless weeks for me. (Both classes are held Monday through Friday).

The biggest challenge for me is waking up so early in the morning. I don't know how morning people do it. I just don't. Before 11am or before I've had my dose of caffeine, my brain is still usually asleep and I'm usually this cranky monster. I had a 7:30am class last spring and I had to bring two thermoses of coffee to class just to get through it. My classmates joked that one day I would just drop, overdosed on caffeine.

If you're like me and have difficulty getting up in the morning, here are a few pointers that helped me:

Speaking in Class

           No matter what college you go to, you know "that person". The person that answers not one, but all of the questions the professor poses. That person who corrects the teacher with articles they find on wikipedia. The one that makes snide remarks loud enough for the whole class to hear.

I've come to collect you.

           Here, at UT Tyler we allow everyone to have a say. If you are nervous about speaking out in class, you can use our Blackboard discussion board. :) The point is, our professors want us to interact. An exchange of understanding ideas, because this is the best way for us to learn.

New Patriot Orientation in Pictures

This was the first New Patriot Orientation session of the summer held in last June 14-15.
Click here for my blog post on the two days.

Student check-in desks

Freshmen's Bag O' Stuff (filled with information, brochures etc.) and their Official Patriot T-shirt

Summer Classes

          My creative writing class starts on the 9th (Summer II), and I should really start concerning myself with writing some fiction. This is my first online class, so I'm getting nervous. :/ So, in order to quell my nerves in that special, obsessive way, I give you a list!

• Am I registered for it? Yes, for sure, and the time hasn't moved. 
• Have I paid for it? Sure thing, I paid for that class, because my account shows that I did with no remaining balance.
• Do I even know where it is? I mean, it's online. That's easy. 

Okay, okay. Since I am a senior, I basically have those types of things figured out, and I know the answers to these tough questions, but do you? 

The deadline to pay is July 6th, at 5pm! Don't let the 4th of July distract you, or you'll get dropped! I linked above to most of the places you'd need to visit to get your classes in line for Summer II.

I'm ready to get back to work. That brain break was nice, but I'm ready.