So, here I am, first semester of my third year at Grinnell College (no, not Cornell) in Iowa. Yep it's almost the end of my second full week and I am already sick. Not with Swine Flu, which has thus far managed not to enter Grinnell although it's really only a matter of time. Because I'm sick and don't feel like doing homework, and Thursday is one of my only free nights I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on my experiences thus far. Also because I'm sick, and less than coherent (which I demonstrated quite well in my NGO seminar today) this post will probably have little to no logical order.
Before I get into the real meat of things I'll tell a little story. It's my first class of the semester-Soc Methods @ 10am. We are asked to split into pairs to look at something online. I was at a computer so a girl moved next to me and introduced herself. Her name...Emily. Yep. Emily is also in my sociology seminar.
My classes
Methods is with my intro soc professor. His name is David, well I'm sure that's what I called him my first year. The same day I met socEmily, David introduces himself as David (think Dahveed). Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've pronounced his name wrong basically forever. Oh well.
Environmental and Resource Economics. I think the prof, Montgomery, gets off on being perceived as evil. He made a little intro slide show of criticisms of economics' role in environmental politics, and taking on the voice of the critics, he called himself an evil, heartless fascist. He has repeated this sentiment several times. This class so far has made me rethink some things; I've started taking a more objective view about the environment and what should and should not be done to protect it. I also learned that a human life is worth between 3 and 5 million dollars. Shattering the myth that life is priceless...well: priceless.
Politics of Russia. What can I say, I like Russia. Right now we're learning about the Soviet Union, a lot of which I already covered in my WWII on the Eastern Front class. I still like learning about it (especially Stalin-I love Stalin-not the killing though, that was bad-I just think he was pretty smart-Also Hitler has nothing on Stalin in the evil department) and also my background helps me make comments in class. If only that translated to my other classes.
Sociology Seminar-NGOs: Organizing to do Good. My seminar and I are not on great terms right now. I had to write a reading memo yesterday about a chapter in a book we're reading (Frumkin's On Being Nonprofit). I did not feel so great when I was writing it-my head was a party of congestion, grogginess and general disarray-and so I don't think it was very good. I also didn't absorb the info very well. So today, when I was asked to comment on my writing, I blanked and stuttered my way through a noncoherent and partially incomplete response until another classmate mercifully took the reigns. It's my smallest class and is filled with smart (mostly) seniors who have a lot of insightful things to say. Also, participation is worth 20% of my grade and the prof is my adviser. I swear, on this blog, that I will try really hard and improve myself-once I'm healthy.
Now, to address the title of this post. During my last two semesters at Grinnell I roomed with Perri and we became very close-basically inseparable. While I value our friendship a lot, it might have limited me socially (in the way that I felt so comfortable with Perri that I didn't feel the need to socialize beyond that-not to mention my general shyness and awkwardness). Well, this semester Perri is studying abroad in Denmark, so I knew that I had to make an effort if I didn't want to hang out only with myself. After some work and some luck I've managed to work out a pretty solid-though not perfect-social system.
Last semester I occasionally ate with Perri, our friend Steph (now a senior and my next door neighbor by a great twist of fate) and Steph's group (also seniors). I was really on the utmost periphery of the group. This semester I've managed to break in further. I eat lunch with them basically everyday and I go to their baking Tuesday (one of the girls, Sarah, is really good at baking). For dinner, I usually eat with my friend Seido, Caroline and their group of friends. I also attend anime club Friday nights; Siedo is the leader. The club has addicted my to Samurai Champloo, an anime with sword fighting and hip hop music. I also work Sunday and Wednesday nights (I like and talk to all of my co-custodians) and I have Community Chorus on Monday nights. The only real hole in my social schedule is Saturday nights. The hole will at least be filled this Saturday as I am going camping with Steph's friends. And that will probably be my next post, so bye for now.
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