Well, I must say, this has been quite the fucking coyote crazy semester, my friends. I have enjoyed it but am also glad to get moving onto something a bit breezier (scary to think that my first overload semester may be easier than this one :p). I’ve been a bit more crazed than usual this semester due to a variety of factors – my boyfriend is graduating this semester (couldn’t be prouder of him), I’ve delved into many classes outside my academic comfort zone (i.e. Economics and Astronomy, no English), I’ve dealt with graduate applications and GRE work (that’s a lifetime I’ll never get back), normal class work stresses (pure enjoyment – no sarcasm, I mean it), got my book contract guaranteed and signed up (now I just have to finish writing the thing :p), I started an actual semi-extracurricular with the Paideia Conversations group, and then beyond this I have had quite a bit of family issue comin’ at me from the home front. But, overall, I cannot complain. After all, I was greeted with enthusiastic recommendation letter writers – shout out BIG thanks to ours truly, Dr. Giuliano, Dr. Gaines, Dr. Tahm, and Dr. Bednar – and my family is still alive and well and financially sound (though my grandpa did have a few run-ins with the hospital during this semester and my brother’s fiancé is now pregnant).
Basically, Paideia has helped keep me sane and moving this time around. Our conversations have given me a wonderful environment in which to ventilate, discuss project ideas, paper ideas (thank you, Michelle, by the way, as your presentation reading over bioethics has now become my major final paper topic for my Rhetorics of Resistance class – I can send you the final work if you want), and just general mental well-being. You all are a wonderful and joyous group to be surrounded by; getting the fresh air of new topics and lively conversation (which I am definitely not getting out of many of my new and younger classmates) left me feeling empowered after each class this semester. So, this Thanksgiving, I am particularly thankful for Paideia and you all in my cohort especially.
I again appreciated our system of dedicating one class to one person and their chosen topics/readings, though next semester I know I’d appreciate it if we could also use that time to perhaps faux-present our final project for Paideia and get feedback. I already presented on my thesis once in CA but, to be honest, presenting at the Student Works Symposium terrifies me much more than CA ever did. By n’ by, when and how do we go about getting a slot to present at the Student Works Symposium next semester?
I’ve still got a fair amount of work ahead of me – the last 35-40 pages of my thesis need to be edited by Friday, a Macro final exam, and then there’s a presentation and 12 page paper for Rhetorics of Resistance. But, overall, this is a blessing of a cool ending. Monday I have my next session with the Paideia Conversations group – I really should get crackin’ on the readings for that one :p – and then it’s just meetings and classes.
The thought of our Paideia group entering its final semester really does give me pause. It saddens me in a deep way I hadn’t anticipated. I really do love being a student at Southwestern; it’s such a safe and clean and encouraging environment, and you all have been a blessedly constant source of reassurance. It’s frightening and sad, the thought of losing our Tuesday meetings and our strange tangential conversations – but I suppose the good thing about a group so malleable as Paideia is that we don’t have to stop simply because we aren’t officially registered for the class. A prospective student’s parent asked me the other day if Paideia was simply a semester by semester type deal. And I told her, happily, no. Our blogs and Dr. G helped me so greatly while I was depressed out of my mind in New York City this past summer. I apologize for not being more involved in all of your blogs and summer activities – but I can’t thank you enough for being with me in New York even only in blog-ghost form.
You all have helped me greatly and widely. I am thankful for you and our time and times together.
See you Tuesday
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