Fed Up with School

Let me start off by clarifying: I am not fed up with schooling, rather fed up with the institute itself.

When I first decided to go into animation, I knew I wanted to focus on the writing/story development side rather than the drawing/art side. I've always considered myself more of a storyteller than an artist, so although I would be majoring in animation, I would make sure I took as many creative writing classes as possible, including scriptwriting. If I want to write scripts for animation, then of course I'd need to know how. Unfortunately, my program of study doesn't include any scriptwriting courses, but that's OK; that's why I have electives. Quarter after quarter I asked if there were any scriptwriting classes available to take, and the answer was always no. Well, my prayers were finally answered, because next quarter I will be taking Introduction to Scriptwriting.

Today I went in to speak with my academic director about switching one of my other classes next quarter, and he informed me that he didn't think I would be able to take Intro to Scriptwriting because the rules say that only one of the four electives I have are allowed to be lower division; the rest have to be upper division. He spoke to the dean to make sure, and sure enough, since I already had a lower division elective, I would be unable to take Intro to Scriptwriting.

I felt like my dreams had been crushed. The ONE class I had wanted to take since I started school was unavailable to me. This rule about the one lower division elective/three upper division electives wasn't even around when I started school, so I felt like blindsided.

The lower division elective I already took was Intro to Photography, way back from my first quarter, when I was registered as a Graphic Design major. My school was one quarter away from offering Media Arts & Animation, so I decided to start off as a GD major since it had same first quarter fundamental courses as my current major - save for Intro to Photography. That was OK, though, because I had four electives to take and I didn't mind making one of them Photography.

Well, not with this new rule. If I wanted to take Intro to Scriptwriting, I would have to make Intro to Photography not count towards graduation. And that's exactly what I did. I will have to take one extra class just so I could take the class I actually wanted. In the grand scheme of things, one extra class isn't a big deal. The big deal is that my school changes policies without notifying students; policies that are often unfair to students. And when these new policies are found out, do they offer any explanation? No, they don't.

Like I said, I'm fed up with the school. If I care about my education, I'm going to have to take it into my own hands and stop assuming my school actually cares.

The Call

This is a call.

A call to any person who has the will to lead;
To sacrifice their own needs for the well being of others.

This is a call to anybody who is not easily influenced,
But instead positively influences the world around them.

A call to any warrior with a purpose or mission.
To any artist who is not scared to be great.

This is a call to any voice with a story to tell,
Or any mind with knowledge to seek.

This is a call to anybody that has made the decision
To forgive themselves for the mistakes they have made.

This is the call.
Can you answer it?

Dreams

Unless you're an android, you have dreams. We all do. We may not be able to remember most, but we know they're there. I don't know about any of you, but of the few dreams I can actually recall, most typically make no sense. The best way I can describe them is as 1) a mash-up of cheesy movies from different genres, or 2) a teenage boy's repressed sexual fantasies.

Some nights, however, my dreams actually manage to form themselves into semi-coherent visions. During the last few days, my dreams, albeit still a bit random, have been really interesting and I've been realizing that they might make for good stories. Granted, I'd have a lot of work to do to turn random collections of memories and thoughts into actual engaging stories, but I never would've thought I could turn to my dreams for inspiration. I guess inspiration really does come from anywhere.

Oh, and if you are an android, let's be friends. I'd love to have an android on my side when the human-robot war breaks out.

The Dangers of a Premature Idea

There are some ideas that sound great when they are first thought up. Slowly, however, once the practical implications of this idea are considered, what seemed like a stroke of brilliance begins to turn into a nightmare waiting to happen. Last night, I had one of these ideas.

I was talking to a good friend about getting together and doing something before our winter break was over. Seeing as he’s a huge soccer fan, I suggested we get a game going with our classmates. Naturally, he was excited, as was I. A fun game amongst friends before another hectic school quarter begins is sure to be a great time.

Today, as I began to consider my role in this game, it dawned on me that I have not played soccer since my sophomore year in high school – about 9 years ago – and I haven’t really done any sort of prolonged athletic activity since senior year. Playing a game of soccer with my schoolmates is just going to make me look like an out-of-shape fool.

So much for my reputation at school.

365 in 2010

When I first started this blog, way back in March of 2009, I intended it to be an outlet to share whatever interests were currently on my mind. If I just saw a funny video on YouTube, I'd post a blog entry. If I fell in love with a particular song, I'd post a blog entry. If there was an upcoming art show, I'd post a blog entry. Simply put, if I found anything I'd want to share with a friend, I'd post a blog entry.

However, as the year came to an end, I realized that my blog was a perfect outlet to really write. Whether it's summarizing how an academic quarter went, sharing the events of a memorable night, or simply sharing a piece of poetry I've written, my blog gives me the excuse to write; something of which I need to do a lot more.

So, I've decided to take my blog to the next level and post everyday. It's time I use my blog to its fullest potential by posting 365 posts in 2010, starting with this one.

365 in 2010. This is going to be a busy year.

Reflections/Resolutions

As 2009 comes to an end, it's inevitable that we reflect on the year that was. As with every year, a lot happened; new friendships were formed, some friendships were lost, I started an art "career", etc. All in all, 2009 was a good year, but I feel like 2010 will be even better.

Where 2009 was a year where I was still trying to figure out what I wanted and where I wanted to go, 2010 will be a year where I make things happen. It's time I take a more proactive role at school; not just in my education, but also in how my school works. It's time I take my art seriously and actually consider myself an artist, as opposed to a "wannabe artist", like I've previously seen myself. It's time I find a decent paying job, so that I can actually do the things I want to do. 2010 will not be a year where I'm hindered by lack of money. It's time I get into some form of regular workout regimen. I don't need to get ripped, but I do need to start taking my health seriously. And for crying out loud, it's time to find a girlfriend, because honestly, being single for over three years is just way too long.

This coming year, I'm not making any traditional resolutions that I'll just forget about. Rather, 2010 is the start of my future, and it's time I take charge of what I want that future to be. By this time next year, I'll be closer to the man I want to be. I hope you all can say the same. Happy New Year to all of you. Have fun, be smart and be safe.

Ode to Jesus

Happy Birthday, Jesus! You are the one;
Coming down to Earth from the planet Krypton.
With Lady Gaga at your side, you ghost ride the sleigh,
Shouting out to your apostles in your own special way:
Now, Bashful! Now, Happy! Now, Sleepy, and Doc!
On, Grumpy! On, Dopey! Sneezy, wake the fuck up!
Although you walk on water, you decide to take flight,
Delivering gifts to the children on that one special night.
And when your duty if through, you return to your home,
In the land where the penguins freely do roam.
They made you their king and follow your every command,
And built you a home in the North Pole so grand.
From your Fortress of Solitude you watch out below,
Protecting the world from your deadliest foe;
The monster, the legend that is vampire Obama,
Who otherwise might bite somebody’s mama.
So, on December 25th, we sing out to you,
Have a Merry Birthday, you cabinet-buildin’ Jew!


Merry Christmas, everyone! =]