Moving On at UT Tyler

Today marks my last day as a telecounselor and blogger at the University of Texas at Tyler. With all my classes taking place in the evening I will be unable to work at the Call Center in the upcoming fall semester. So, I thought we could take this time to look back on my 9 favorite blogs I have written while at working here at the UT Tyler Call Center. (Why 9 things? I don't want Letterman's people coming after me. That's why.)

9: Welcome To OZ

My first blog didn't share that much information about UT Tyler and what's going on in Tyler but it did give you incite into what's going on in my head. (A few of you are still trying to figure that one out). I think it is important this blog should be included on this list. The style in which it is written gives you a better picture of me than the content itself. However, what I assume most people took from this post is that I really like David Bowie and having long winded conversations with the voices in my head. Anyway, this worked as a good introductory blog for the followers of the UT Tyler Student Blog which set them up for the rest of my list.

25% Off For UT Tyler Students

I'm sure many of you are cluttering over the upcoming fall semester with your various last minute preparations. Some of you are busy moving into a new apartment or dorm, while others are trying to adjust to the idea of living away from home for the first time. Well, if one of these clustering moments involves shopping for school clothes have I got news for you. During the month of August The St. Vincent de Paul store in Tyler is offering a 25% discount to all UT Tyler students who show a valid student ID.

St. Vincent de Paul is a chain of international thrift stores owned and operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. (Who would'a Thunk?) Anyway, it is basically equivalent to the Goodwill thrift chain except SVdP stores treat their employees better. I actually bought the couch that's currently in my apartment from there about 2 years ago. I may not have a picture to share but let me tell you, this is a good couch. I mean I do sit on it and everything.

So if you're interested in saving 25% on your back to school shopping go check out the local St. Vincent de Paul store on 410 S. College St. Tyler TX 75702. Their hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 to 5:30 and are also open the first Saturday of each month..

Life Cheat #867503: Napoleon was 5'7". Not a life cheat really... Just thought you should know he wasn't short.

Business Side of Music

Life lessons surround and embody our everyday lives. They shape and form us into the competent adults we hope to one day become. If not for these lessons we would tumble down the road of life not knowing how to keep our feet from flying out from under us. If you haven’t already guessed I’m leading you into a life lesson I learned recently. Doing the whole band thing can be either the most fun you've ever had or a never ending curse of flat tires and non-paying gigs. After a little bit of experience in the local music scene and elsewhere in Texas I've learned one golden rule. It’s all about #1.

 

I have no idea what I'm doing

My Last Day At The Call Center

Recently I had to make an important decision concerning my future as a graduate student and a telecounselor here at the University of Texas at Tyler. I figured out by going full time as a graduate student I can graduate by Fall of 2014. However, this will prevent me from continuing here at the UT Tyler Call Center. Let me explain...

My Sad Face

First Day Of Class At UT Tyler

With the first day of the fall semester at the University of Texas at Tyler approaching fast it’s time for all you first time Freshman to start getting ready. For most of you this is your first time away from home and won’t have someone to wake you up and shoo you off to class in the morning. This is a major transitional period in your life when you are given most of the freedoms of adulthood while having the innocence of adolescence ripped out from underneath you. Now is the time to begin prioritizing your time and learn what it really means to be an adult.

This almost never happens in college.... Almost...

East Texas All-Star Showcase

As some of you may already be aware, Tyler is home to a plethora of local music ready at any time to enter your ears and expand your mind. However, even less of you are aware of the East Texas All-Star Showcase happening on September 7^th in Downtown Tyler’s Square. This is the 3^rd annual event, and it plans to showcase the best of the best in East Texas music. This year will mark the first appearance of local garage rock band Channel 8.

Even fewer people who are aware of the showcase are aware of my second band, Channel 8. I actually split my musical time between The Problem Preachers and a garage rock band. Channel 8 is a two-piece collaboration consisting of me on guitar and vocals, along with Casey Coomer of Man & Knife. Those of you who frequent The Coffin Shop most likely have met Casey. Along with Adam Russell, Casey is half the inner workings of The Coffin Shop.

Full Time Grad Student at UT Tyler

This coming fall semester I will embark on a rigorous journey. I will be taking a full load of 9 hours of graduate courses here at the University of Texas at Tyler. I will be taking Renaissance Europe with Dr. Tabri, 20^th Century Europe with Dr. Gajda, and a Seminar Course with Dr. Koster. I have had Dr. Gajda for classes as both an undergrad and as a provisional grad student last Spring. I've also had classes with Dr. Tabri as an undergrad but I've never had Dr. Koster so I’m looking forward to seeing what a class with her is like.

I’ll be taking each of these courses once a week for 3 hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This may not seem like much, but take into account on average the workload is about 1 book and review a week, in addition to a short research paper in each class (short being about 15-20 pages). Along with this, I plan on lecturing a 1945 to present history course on the shift of American politics to the right since World War II. However, the great challenge is presenting the material in a completely unbiased manner.
I may have a lot coming up this semester but I plan on enjoying every minute of it as I did last semester.

A graduate degree has the potential to take you places a Bachelors cannot. However, going for a graduate degree is not for everyone. If you are interested in pursuing such a degree here at UT Tyler it important to first figure out your goals for grad school and what you plan on doing with your degree. Second, discuss these goals with an academic advisor to see what the University can offer you. You'd be surprised at the wide array of graduate programs UT Tyler offers.  Go ahead and take a look for yourself. There might just be something there for you!

New Parking Lots at UT Tyler II

In a previous blog I posted about a new parking lot being built adjacent to the Cowan Center. Over the past two semesters, the Cowan Point parking area has been used as a temporary parking lot but a new parking lot is now being built to help alleviate parking issues brought on by a recent influx of students. This new lot will have a total of 120 parking spots. However, this is just a small step towards helping ease the parking strain at UT Tyler. The administration has been working diligently towards finding solutions for the expected student population growth. As well as a new parking lot the university is re-striping the angled parking back to their original positions gaining about 250 spots. There are also some other parking changes everyone should be aware of for the upcoming Fall Semester.

Cowan Point June 6th

Cowan Point July 10th

A temporary lot with 60 spots is being set up near the tennis courts, and when lots are full the campus police will post signs indicating such. The price for a parking permit will remain at $48 for the upcoming academic year. However, you will only be allowed one parking permit per student. If you have to drive an alternate vehicle for a short period of time you can now request temporary parking tags online from the Campus Police Department. 

Due to the high demand and limited use of them, there will no longer be reserved spaces. Although very convenient for some, the individual reserved spots were not an efficient use of space. When not used, a reserved spot sat vacant and faculty/staff who could have parked in those spots had to seek out a vacant spot in a student parking area. When all campus spots are full the city of Tyler is covering up the "no-parking signs" along Varsity Drive during the first two weeks of classes to help with overflow. 

In the future, the campus hopes to work with the local government into converting Varsity Drive into a one-way street flowing South away from Old Omen. After this, the city will put angled parking along the UT Tyler side of Varsity. I don't know about you guys, but I'm really excited about all the changes being done to help alleviate the parking strain at UT Tyler.

Fully Admitted Graduate Student at UT Tyler

Last week I received email confirmation from the Office of Graduate Studies regarding my full admission into the M.A. History program at the University of Texas at Tyler. This however was after Dr. Gajda the admissions adviser for the program personally emailed me about my acceptance. She also sent me the graduate school handbook so I can thoroughly look it over before I meet with her to make my degree plan. For the M.A. History program there are 2 degree plan options. Option I is the thesis route which along with the thesis courses I would also have to take some foreign language. This course is for those who are looking to go directly into a doctorate program as soon as they receive their Masters degree. However, option 2 is the non-thesis route which requires no foreign language. Needless to say I am going with option 2 since I would like to join the work force for a few years before attempting to pursue a PhD.

As I have already took 6 hours of graduate classes last semester I have a total of 30 hour to take before I receive my M.A. in History. As a graduate student you are given a maximum of 6 years to complete but I have found a way to complete it in 2 years (1 1/2 if I go full time for the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters). Taking 9 hours in a semester is full time for a graduate student. That's about 3 books a week and depending on the professors 3 book reviews a week as well. For some this can seem like quite the work load.However, as a quasi-historian that really is not a lot of reading for me. Especially since I greatly enjoy reading these types of books.

The type of writing and study I'm talking about is revisionist history. In a general sense, revisionism in history is the reinterpretation of orthodox views on the reasoning, causes, and solid evidence concerning certain historical events and ideas. If you want to know more about grad school check out my blog on historiography.

In the end, my dear readers, I will most likely graduating with my M.A. History degree in either Fall of 2014 or Spring of 2015. this all depends on how well I can handle the 9 hours I'm already enrolled in for this coming Fall semester.

Castles, Castles, and More Castles III: Edinburgh Castle and The Scottish Regalia

A rare sunny day in Edinburgh

Sitting atop a tall rocky hill the castle Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline of the capital of Scotland. From the train station we could see the it sitting upon castle rock, looking down on us as peasants with all its grandeur. We had to walk a bit to get up to the castle but as most things in life, it was well worth the journey.

The Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle

The esplanade which guides visitors into the castle is quite intimidating with the expanse of the medieval buildings behind it. Several witches were burnt at the stake on the esplanade including one woman who was accused of attempting to assassinate King James V in 1536. The path narrows off near the entrance only allows a row of five people to pas through at a time. Being built on an incline and in the middle of a nonstop drizzle, it was very slippery as we hastily made our way up the steep paths in the castle. The castle itself is sort of the Scotland's equivalent to The Tower of London in England. 

Summer Heat at UT Tyler

Summer days are here again as the heat rises and the stress filled sweat of the past semester begins to fall. We skip and dance about in the summer sun, taking in its rays with each passing second. Yet, these summer rays are deceitful and full of lies and hate..... especially when it comes to your skin. Before leaving your apartment / house / condo / penthouse / underpass / cave, you should take the time to prepare for the intense heat the East Texas summer tends to bring. Last summer I wrote a blog on keeping cool in the summer inside your place of residence and now it's time I take a different approach to the summer.

According to statistics (these you can believe) between 1979 and 2003 there were about 8,000 heat related deaths in the United States. The heat in Texas is especially dangerous as the local weather's personality is wishy-washy to say the least. this is even true during the summer months as the weather can go from a comfortable 76 degrees (This is America so I'll use Fahrenheit) to a sweltering triple digit afternoon with high humidity and not a cloud in the sky. So I though I would put together a short but useful tip guide on how to prepare for the summer in Tyler, Texas.

Before even thinking about stepping foot outside there are a few things you must do first.

1) Check The Weather

Look up what the weather will be like for the day and separate the forecast by morning, afternoon, and
evening. the weather. this will allow you to see what the day has in store so you can plan your day accordingly. For Example: If it's supposed to be warm and sunny early in the day and rainy and muggy in the afternoon head out to the lake or swim in the pool earlier in the day. If the weather disrupts all outdoor activity you can always travel to the local movie theater and check out one of the summer blockbusters in air conditioning. Also, be aware of severe weather that the early summer can bring through the region such as lightening, thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes. It is always best to stay inside and pay attention to your local news stations in the event of severe weather.

2) Dress Accordingly
Whether you are planning on staying in all day or planning an all day hike you always need to plan your attire. Cotton is always your friend in the summer months. It's a breathable fabric that is easy to wash and care for. As most of you may know you should avoid most synthetic fibers as they are usually rough, hot, and generally uncomfortable to wear. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to keep you cool. That being said you should always think about tip #1 when dressing for a summer day in Texas. For example: if you get caught out in a summer rainstorm you want to have more than your toms and a Wal-Mart sack. Try keeping an umbrella in your car at all times just in case. Plus you can open up the umbrella even when its sunny to make some quick shade for yourself. You may think you look silly but all those onlookers won't be laughing when their skin turns red and starts to peel (too much?)

3) Mind The Sun
According to the CDC only about 58% of adults properly protect themselves against the sun through things such as applying sunscreen or simply seeking shade. Only 32% reported to using sunscreen at all. Sunscreen is one of the most important tools you can use when protecting yourself against the sun. You should apply a generous amount to any part of your body that is not covered by clothing including you nose, cheeks, and forehead. I recently made the mistake of not applying sunscreen when I was outside recently and paid for it with a nasty sunburn on my forehead. In accordance to tip #2 you should also take advantage of the many stylish wide-brimmed hats that are available at your local clothing retailer. Seriously... PROTECT YOURSELF!

4) Water Is Your Best Friend
The CDC recommends that you drink about 2 full glasses of water each hour to stay hydrated in summer conditions. Really cold ice water is not recommended after being exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time as it can lead to bad stomach cramps. You should also avoid alcoholic beverages or those high in sugar as they will both further dehydrate you. Sports drinks are fine if you sweat a lot but not as a substitute for water. As you sweat you also lose important minerals such as salt which a sports drink will help to replenish. However, you should be wary of how much you drink and remember how much better water is for your overall health.

Be sure to visit the CDC's webpage on extreme heat for further information on how to stay cool and safe this summer.

Castles, Castles, and More Castles II

Continued from Castles, Castles, and more Castles….

Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island

After a plane delay, 10 hour plane ride, and 2 hour ride on the Britrail, I found myself (along with my family) in Wallsend just on the outskirts of Newcastle in Northumbria (Northern England). On the first day we took a taxi around to a few castles within a car rides distance from where we were staying (more on that in a future blog).

New Parking Lots at UT Tyler

Over the last two semesters The University of Texas at Tyler had an influx in new students causing a strain on the parking around the campus. A temporary parking lot was set up for vehicles to park on the grass and it worked for all intents and purposes. However, on my way to work last week I noticed the temporary parking lot had been dug up and will soon be a new permanent parking lot for students.

I took a couple of pictures so everyone can see proof of the construction. The University has been aware of the parking situation and was unable to build new parking lots during the regular semesters since it would have caused even more problems. The new parking lot adjacent to the Cowan Center will greatly relieve the parking problem at the University.

It is unknown at this time how many spots are being put in but students and faculty alike will be notified via email as soon as that information becomes available. The administration has made this a priority and is addressing the parking situation to the best of their ability.

Summer Music in Tyler

Tomorrow at What About Kabob in Tyler my band The Problem Preachers will be making a come back after taking a break for the past few months. We will have CDs ($5) and tee shirts ($10) for sale and will have some new music for you as well. The other UT Tyler student bloggers have written a lot in the past about WAK so you already know the pure brilliance and decadence of this locally owned and operated eatery.

The Problem Preachers

The Show will feature The Lauren Alexander band opening at around 7 PM and The Problem Preachers going on at around 9 PM and playing until our arms fall off and my vocal chords shrivel up. So come out and have a grand old time with a gyro, some pita chips, and maybe even some feta fingers if you get there before they run out ( they are delicious).

Lauren Alexander

Castles, Castles, and More Castles

I recently spoke of my planned travels top England which have now come to be. Which means it is no longer planned travels since it has already occurred. The happening has been traveled . Anyway, as a graduate student in history at The University of Texas at Tyler it’s easy to understand why I would enjoy visiting the United Kingdom so much. I mean, it’s where history comes from.

I began my travels in Wallsend which received its name from marking then eastern most end of the 80 mile long wall built under Emperor Hadrian of the Roman Empire. Wallsend is a suburb of the larger Newcastle just as Plano is a suburb of Dallas or Rice Village is that of Houston. Starting there we made our way around to several castles and made day trips to both Edinburgh and York. Most of my time in Northern England however, was spent around castles…. Castles, castles, and more castles. Everywhere you turn there’s another castle. Drive to far you’ll run your car right into one. Sometimes they seem to just pop up out of the ground. I then took the Brit-rail to spend a few days in London.

As promised I will be posting a series on my travels in Great Britain... Just as soon as I get the pictures off of a camera. But until then I will be keeping everyone up to date on all the musical happening around Tyler through the summer. 

life cheat 5093714: is anyone even reading these life cheats. I mean most of them are actual things 

First Time Out of the Country

One week from today I will be embarking on a trip to England with my parents and one of my brothers (I have 3). I have been out of the country so this trip kind of scares me. It’s not the travelling in a metal tube for 9 hour propelled by highly explosive fuel that bothers me. It’s the whole “I’ve never done this before” that gets me. I've traveled through most of the Midwest before but leaving the country is something completely new and foreign to me. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.

I always like to try new things and generally explore, but I have never done so in this way. I look forward to visiting “where the history comes from” yet I’m being unusually cautious. Why am I feeling this why? What should I do? Why do you care? Why am I talking to myself?

Being scared about something new is an entirely natural thing. How you react to this new thing is what matters. So, I plan on reacting by recording my travels and keep up to date logs so I may present you all with a series of blogs on my travels. Stay tuned!

Moving Closer to UT Tyler

Through your college career it is most likely that you will not live at the same place for your entire time at UT Tyler. You might start off at Ornelas Hall as a freshman, but then move onto either Patriot Village or University Pines, or live in a house or another apartment somewhere in Tyler. So, pretty much all of you have something to gain from a blog about moving

After living downtown for the past 6 months it has become clear that being within walking distance to campus is much more beneficial then being within walking distance of the downtown area. So this past Friday I went about moving back to the UT Tyler campus area.

As I have written before, moving can be a very arduous task. Without the proper planning your moving day could and in shambles with knives and spoons in the restroom, the toilet brush in the oven, and your shoes cooking on the stove. This time, with the helpfulness of hindsight from my last move, I planned ahead.... Except for the part about having people there to help....

I had my girlfriend available to help but when it came to lifting things like my couch and dresser I was in need of more help. I'm not putting her down or anything like that. I mean, these are large, heavy, bulky pieces of furniture that a 5'6" 23 year old female isn't physically capable of handling....

ANYWAY, my dad ended up driving in from Longview on Friday night to help with lifting the heavier items. After everything I was able to successfully complete the move in one day. With good planning you too can handle the great task of moving from one place to another. Or, you can wallow in defeat as your new apartment fills with the smell of burnt sneakers...... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Open Mic at Stanley's

Stanley's BBQ hosts a wide variety of musical acts every Wednesday and Friday night to help digest one of their brother-in-law sandwiches or brisket tacos. On Thursdays starting at 6 PM they host a unique kind of open mic night...Every Thursday at 6 PM the stage lights turn blue and people are invited to bring their guitars and play the blues in and open mic jam session. The one I attended just this past week featured The Texas Soul Shakers as the backing band for anyone ready to lay down some feels.

Life Lessons from Grad School at UT Tyler

About a month ago I posted about the Final Frontier for those interested in an M.A.in History from the University of Texas at Tyler. The Frontier is full of reading books, writing reviews on them, discussing their relevance and importance, and finally constructing a complete historiography on the gathered information. But why do you care? Why do I care? Is anyone honestly still reading this or am I beating a dead horse?

To be perfectly honest I am not the least bit offended if you are bored. Most people are when it comes to history. For most there is a general disregard of important facts that may bore but still are of vital importance. We are a society of which lives on LEGEND and MYTH.

What does this mean? Well, I take this from Robert Wuhl and his “Assume the Position with Mr.Wuhl” film in which he lectures a freshman 1301 course and debunks several myths and fallacies concerning American history. Such as the legend of Paul Revere and his midnight ride. In high school classrooms we base our entire understanding of this event through a poem written nearly 100 years after the fact. If that was the way historians critically analyzed historical events we would be using the musical 1776 to better understand what Thomas Jefferson sounded like when he spoke.

Mutants & Candy-men ~ A Look At Adventure Time & Wizards

Mutants & Candy-men ~ A Look At Adventure Time & Wizards

Michael Hale & Patrick Saikin