Chipotle gives me energy to provide you long, hopefully non-boring epics on my life (or I just came from Chipotle and I'm procrastinating by writing)

Ok, so apparently I had TOO much information in my presentation today in JOUR 453. It's funny because for the past two weeks I was obsessing about being unprepared for this presentation and the final paper overall...only to come to today where I didn't even make it to the end of my third section and got nowhere close to my concluding points. But I'm not upset about it at all because I HATE public speaking, and my biggest fear is not having enough when I present something. I guess I was so nervous about doing well because all Bonner ever talked about since the semester began was doing well on that presentation and doing an even better job on the final paper. It was better to be overprepared than to just "wing it." "Winging it" won't help me when I have to do the paper, so at least I have most or all of the material I need to start writing.

So I don't want to have anything to do anymore with the news coverage of racial tension between Los Angeles blacks and Latinos until at least....tomorrow (because I really should get started on writing that paper, hehe). Additionally, I have another paper for my ENGL 348P class due on the same day as that one. I'm going to be writing foooooorever.

I'm thinking about going abroad for 2007 winter term. Nothing definite has been set in stone with that at all, it's just an idea right now. I should probably set up an appointment to talk to someone at Holzapfel about it. I don't know where I want to go, but honestly I'd be willing to go just about anywhere at this point. A different country is a different country.

Well...maybe except Canada; No one ever counts Canada (plus I've already been there anyway to see Niagara Falls). Yeah yeah, I realize Canada has much more to offer than that, and then there's always unique provinces like Montreal, but then again, didn't Montreal want to become their own country because they were THAT French? Oh yeah, sorry to offend anyone from Canada if you're reading this--though I know one Canadian and I don't THINK she reads this blog so I think I'm safe. Anyways, back to going abroad, I guess it would be nice if I went somewhere warm, which right now sounds like a South American country. But like I said, anywhere is looking good. Then there's the matter of getting a scholarship to go on one, and speaking of scholarships....

Yesterday afternoon was spent at a Celebration of Scholarships ceremony in the Samuel Riggs Alumni center. Actually, it's weird I was just talking about hating public speaking, because at last year's ceremony I had to get on stage with three other students in front of hundreds of people to give a testimony about what my scholarship meant to me. I don't know why I was so damn nervous speaking in front of 30 people or less today, haha.

Among the people at my table was Dean Tom Kunkel of the Journalism school. Kunkel is a dean who I could say with confidence, without knowing any of the other of this school's deans, is probably the coolest one on campus. He's serious about the success of the school, but he's very laidback most of the time so you would never know it at first. Up until now, the closest I ever got to Kunkel was when he was a guest lecturer or overseer in one of my classes. So this time I got to tell him a little about where I'm from and what my plans are for this summer.

There was also a Gymkana performance, which was the last thing I expected to see in a crowded banquet hall. When they announced they would perform, the only thing that came to mind was Midnight Madness, the vault and the all too famous ring of fire finale. This time it was different; they did this balancing act they refer to as chairs:

It was pretty cool....and pretty scary to watch. Kunkel joked around and said that the journalism faculty gets together and does the same act on their lunch breaks, haha. When they were done one of the members said said it was the smallest stage they ever did this act on. So yeah, props to them. The food there was a little blander than I expected and we didn't get any dessert this year so that def blew. Otherwise it was fun, and I don't regret missing a key stat class that determines how well I'll do on the next quiz and homework assignment to attend....that much. Oh well, at least I told the teacher in advance I was going to it.

This Saturday I'll be at Goucher College for Relay for Life (if you're looking at this & you know my AIM please donate $$, hehe) and tomorrow afternoon I'll finally get started on my feature writing story tomorrow in Bethesda. I'm doing a profile on this store called the Mustard Seed, and one of the owners said he'd be there between 3pm and 7pm for an interview. Hooray for getting stuff done on no-class Fridays :-)

Now let us hope that he will actually be there, because otherwise that will be one mighty long (and depressing) ride on the Red Line.