Toronto in 08

Im in a little box at Founders. Come visit me.

I hope rachelashleigh, suitablyemoname, and sourdick all enjoyed their first week back at York well enough!

I already have two papers due on November 5th, a test on November 5th, a meeting which conflicts with a class, and two major research papers due.

OH, and it looks like I am going to be doing a Directed Readings.

*dies*

Bah, I'm tired. I was at school all day volunteering and being all supportive and stuff. When ever I'm doing crap with the University, I get this weird warm feeling -- its kind of life dying -- right in my chest cavity. I kind of felt it after I finished the orientations and tours (where I stalked suitablyemoname) and especially when incoming students were emailing me questions.

As most of my G's know by now, I'm confident about digging school to the point where I want to do the dirty with Graduate School. The application process is super arduous and you tend to require everything from general entrance exams to second languages. I don't think writing a Statement of Purpose or Intent is too frightening and I figure I'll have plenty of writing to sample by the time I actually have to apply. What I'm really worried about is the reference letters.

The dealio is pretty much as follows: 1) Do crap for Professors 2) Make Professors like you 3) Get Professors to write a letter of reference for prefered graduate schools. It's an easy method, but it's also kind of time consuming.

Anywho, our hero, Dan, is currently doing the follow 'tings in order to get letters:

-Faculty of Arts YU50 Committe
-Undergraduate History Students Exec.
-Council of Arts Students Association member
-Founders Peer Mentor
-30 Credit courseload

I'm worried that this isn't enough. Tomorrow I'm calling the Tenure And Promotions Council, AKA the folks who choose which Professors get tenure and which don't; I'm hoping to sit on their committee so that I can add that to my CV. I figure it'd look good to grad schools if I was helping decide which Prof's suck and suck less.

I'm also looking at a (provisional) offer from Founder's College (the division of York that I belog too) to tutor an incoming history student. The gig has an stipend of $2,000 associated to it - so I figure this would also look pretty nice on a CV. It's kind of balls though, the position is dependant on the Student Financial Profile. And while I did pay my whole tuition this year, my Mum's income puts me in a precarious position in terms of qualifying for any form of assistance.

And I keep yapping on about this CV thing, right?

BUT, I don't have one! I don't even know what one looks like. :S

I'm also scared about how much stuff I'm doing this year. I'm treating York like a full-time job. So despite having class three days a week, I'm going to be on campus for five. I really want to turn academics into a career so I know these are the steps I have to take, it's just a whole lot of steps at once.

:S :S :S

I have all these weird red marks on my left leg. I know they have to do with running, but I don't know what's causing them. They don't hurt or anything. Google has failed me (AGAIN!), so I'm asking LJ for help. Given that a lot of you are runners, hopefully you'll know why I'm dying. On average, I run just under 6km three times a week and then 8km once a week.

( Graphic Leg Nudity )

Anywho, I don't wanna die. Help. Meep.

Oh, and feet are gross.

My wireless adaptor has died. I shall be MIA for a week.

Try to hold on without me; hoping to enrol in geog4040 once others are de-enrolled.

Other news to come!

Sent from my iPhone.

Man decapitates passenger aboard Greyhound bus in Manitoba: witness

I had a really neato first year Prof who explained that all human beings have the capacity to kill under the right circumstances. It made sense -- any of us could be driven to kill another, whether it was for some kind of reciprocity or for pleasure. To deny this (as he argued) primal urge, is to go against our natural instinct. Through this thought, I find it rather easy to read about murder and other heinous crimes.

This particular story is kinda unnerving. Especially since I take coach buses everywhere and it seems like this fellow just descended into some kind of death-frenzy and decided to start playing child's games with it as well.

I mean, he taunted police with the head he severed!

http://www.yorku.ca/uhistory/CUPE3903.html

RACHEL OMG SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM WHAT HAPPENED TO WICKEN?!

(haaai everyone else!)

Constitution
Volunteer Department
YU50 Crap
Scholarships
Prof Stephen's tenure letter
Runs
finish summer reading
work review

Argh!

I filled out forms, as did the Professors for Highbrow/Lowbrow and 20th century Canada... Alas, I've still been unable to enrol in either course and I have no idea why. The theatre assistant said they have to up the number of students allowed in the classroom -- which makes sense, and I haven't heard anything back from Stephen regarding enrolment in history... so perhaps I shall phone her this afternoon.

Geography 4040 is a totally different topic. I know who's teaching the course (thank you, suitablyemoname), but I cannot email the Professor because it seems a little up in the air as to who will be officially directing the course. It's not been listed on the website, and I don't want to get anyone in trouble regarding how exactly I knew who was teaching it. Gah, it's such a good course, I even read through the slides left on the Professor's website! I must get in.*

So my current options are as follows: 1) With Rachie, consisntently check GEOG4040 for the next three months, praying to the York Gods that two people will drop and I will somehow be allowed into the course. 2) Stay enroled in David Noble's (the crazy anti-semite who is for all intents and purposes, crazy) course, despite the fact that it's starting to look like he's doctored his RateMyProfessor entries AND his Wikipedia entry -- ultimately suffering through a course on modernist theories which has nothing to do with my degree, OR 3) Prostitution.

AND, I like to think I give good head, so three ain't lookin' so bad for this dime store trick.

*ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COURSE SO AWESOMELY FITS INTO MY RESEARCH INTERESTS/THE FUTURE/MY POTENTIAL GRADUATE STUDIES ADVENTURE

Other stuff:

My meeting with Professor Stein went really well.

York Photoshoot is on Tuesday.

Modern America: coo'
American Constitutional History: coo'
HISTORY OF MURDER AND FREAKIN' CRIME: coo'
Canadian history: coo'
Urban historical geography: course full; no love yet...
Highbrow/lowbrow; got approval; but course full.

York'd twice in one week. gazooks!

SO, the question remains: What can I take to replace urban historical geography or highbrow? I know there's another american history course I could take on Tuesdays between 11:30-2:30, but seriously... 6 history courses in one year? That'd be enough to drive me to Sociology..

(rofl, Sociology)

GEOG 4040, why you gotta be so shady, shawty?

(I can't get in! :( ... we shall overcome!)

Me?
A Peer Advisor?
Boy did I lul.

I landed two scenes for Acting II, but I hate them both equally. In an effort to memorize them, I'll be typing both out and writing character studies for both. Here is the first (qualifying for First Pass tomorrow) scene; it's from The Melville Boys by Noam Foster.

( The Melville Boys )

Today seems pretty scattered. Mum left for Chicago, so my brothers and I again lie alone. Explored the blogscape a bit; Howdy random folks!

( Schedule )

Now to get into all these classes...and start reading...