Back in Action

Sorry for the temporary dry spell... Christmas activities took hold and I forgot all about this blog. I just spent a week at home and am now back in Minneapolis in the dorms for the rest of break. I had a good time back home--I spent a lot of time with my family, saw a couple old friends, and came into town one night to spend time with a friend before he left for Africa.

Now I'm back in Minneapolis until I leave for El Salvador (!) on January 5th. I hope to work a couple days once my place of work reopens and spend time with friends before I leave. Its been nice to rest up-- here's to a bit more of that.

Heading Home for the Holidays

I'm at work right now, but in a matter of hours I'll be heading home. I'm not sure how to feel about this every year. Don't get me wrong--I love my family very much and miss them when I'm at school, but this my home now (as clichéd as that sounds). When I moved out I knew that that house would never really be my home again, and while there is some sadness in that, it is a good feeling to know that I am independent and self-sufficient. I've got a great support system here, and everything in my life with the exception of my family is here or right nearby. I've got a lot to be thankful for this Christmas, and I look forward to a week or so of rest after a crazy semester and some quality time with my family.

Oh, and I hear we got a puppy. Who can say no to a new puppy at Christmas?!

Sorry For The Delay

Hey there. Sorry I disappeared for a minute. It has been a busy couple days!

I went to a Christmas party on Friday night and co-hosted one of my own with a couple friends on Saturday night--it was a Holiday theme party in which guests were encouraged to dress up as something. I was a toy rocket ship from Santa on Christmas morning; other costumes included the Wise Men, the Virgin Mary and Santa's Naughty List. We played holiday music, ranging from "Hanukkah's Da Bomb" to Neil Diamond versions of Christmas "classics," ha. I had a great time. It was the perfect way to cap a busy last week of class and precede a busy finals week.

Sunday was full of homework, as was Monday (I had a final at 8am and spent a good chunk of the day's remainder--until at least 7pm, not including breaks for lunch, dinner, and procrastination--working on papers and such). I turned in two papers today and only have 2 pages of one more paper left, and I am finished for the semester! I've got my Campus Kitchen shift soon, but lets see if I can't finish this paper first.

Photoblog: Campus Kitchen

A special thanks to my fantastic volunteers!

Typical Tuesday

Don't you love it when you get a paper back, thinking you did terribly on it when in fact... surprise... you did great?! I sure do.

It's already been a long day. And a long week. But I'm very much looking forward to all the exciting things I have going on in the next week (finals aside).

Fresh as a pair of new shoes

Today has been FULL, and I still have hours of homework ahead of me.

I also finally resolved the issues around the arrival time of my passport. It should arrive soon. I was beginning to get nervous there.

Oh, another random thing: I got new shoes yesterday, as my others were falling apart. I replaced my old converse with... new converse. But these are red, as a part of the movement to get companies to release red products and donate some of the money to issues surrounding the AIDS crisis. As a friend said, now I can feed my capitalist inclinations and bleeding heart at the same time.

Anyway. I feel fine. I am going to motivate myself to finish two papers tonight. Can I do it? We'll see.

Wow, this entry is lacking coherency.

Procrastination

With so much to do, I just can't make myself focus! Why? Even this is just another form of procrastination. Ugh. Back to work, huh? Well, I'll give it a shot.

Well

It has been a week of highs and lows, to say the least. I learned a hard lesson on Wednesday, but I learned it. And yes, I'm being vague, but c'mon-- this is an internet blog. I'm not going to spill all my deepest secrets. Luckily, I've got really good friends who are nothing if not supportive, and things are going really well. I'm looking forward to the weekend to RELAX and enjoy myself before... AHH! ...the last week of class. I'm at work, though, so I'm off.

The Small Things

I woke up this morning and met my friend "S" for "coffee"--he had coffee, I ate a sandwich. Then I met another friend to return a book, after which I ran into my friend "J". He and I walked about for a bit, joking and just "being stupid". Then I had two classes, followed by my weekly Campus Kitchen shift which was, as always, a fun excursion into the community and nice escape from campus with friends. After, we went to the Holiday party for the History, Political Science, and Economics departments (I work in their office), where I bumped into "S", "J", and another friend whose name begins with "J". We ate and drank, after which I ended up in the library (where I currently sit). As you can see, nothing out of the ordinary, but a completely satisfactory day so far. I must be off; there is day left--

Finals, Finals, Finals

It's that time of year... We've hit the home stretch: just two weeks of classes remain, and you can see it on everyone's faces. It's a combination of the excited anticipation of relief when classes are finished and the nervous anticipation of looming final papers and exams. Well, that, and a lack of sleep. But we shall prevail! Now, back to the books...

Friday Night Feels Alright

Well, I had a very full day-- I wrote 11 pages of a research paper, had class, and ran a couple errands. And now... my friends are throwing a theme party tonight. Should be a good time. The rest of the weekend looks to be full of downtime and major studying time. Sounds like a good balance, no?

And Look Up They Did.

Well, it's Thursday, and after a long week of studying much more than I care to, trying to fight impending illness (somewhat unsuccessfully, as it turns out), and a fair amount of lows (without a fair share of highs to compensate), I'm actually feeling pretty swell. Nothing out of the ordinary happened to speak of, but I'm just in a better mood. I'm getting together with some friends tonight (after a bit of studying, of course), and that promises to be enjoyable. All in all, I suppose I can't complain all too much. I'm comfortable.

Just a couple weeks of class left in the semester--

Blah.

It's been a 'blah' kind of day.

It's been a 'blah' kind of week.

Meh. I'm sure things'll look up soon enough.

A Wonderful Long Weekend

Sorry for the delay in posting... I had a great long Thanksgiving weekend. I spent quality time with family and friends, ate good food, and, frankly, had a lot to be thankful for. I saw an old friend I hadn't seen in ages, went to a Timberwolves game with my extended family, did a lot of laundry, and lounged a bit. I feel rested and totally satisfied.

But now it is time to put that nose back to the grindstone, as they say. I'm at work so I should be off!

Something To Be Thankful For

Today, like every Tuesday, I led my weekly Campus Kitchen shift to the Brian Coyle Community Center. We had a wide array of traditional Thanksgiving foods prepared for the clients of BCCC: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, all specially prepared by our staff for this event (the stuffing and green beans were especially good). It's part of an event we've dubbed "Turkeypalooza" surrounding this time of year.

As sometimes happens, we struggled to get out the door on time at the beginning of the shift-- the food insisted on taking a severely long time to heat up to the legally required temperatures, and all we could do was wait for the red marker on the thermometer to hit that blessed number. Then we had trouble getting everything into the insulated travel bags, after which we discovered that we had employed the one bag with a broken zipper and had to unpack and repack everything, etc etc. All the while, the volunteers are surrounding around me, wanting to help but having nothing to do. I'm officially stressed out.

When we finally get out the door, we're greeted by the Campus Kitchen van. We load up into what is a shoddy, worn down hunk of metal that is, to be blunt, good for nothing but getting us from point A to point B. I've got nothing positive to say about it beyond its presence in the organization -- we didn't have a means of transportation last year, so this is certainly an improvement -- so I won't try.

But then we arrive at BCCC and everything changes, as it does every time I get there. I always arrive with sour spirits but leave emboldened and satisfied (I'm cautious to say "satisfied," because it is not a self satisfaction but one based in community), although it is often a satisfaction infused with a suggestion of sadness. I see the disparity between the way I live and the way some of the folks at BCCC have to and I cannot help but feel somewhat embarrassed. Embarrassed on America's behalf for continuing to exist in such stratified condition, yes, but somewhat embarrassed on my own behalf as well. Comparatively, my life is pretty damn comfortable. I'm not saying I'm richie rich; I'm financially self sufficient (my mom helps as she can, but we're realistic) in regards to my own expenses, tuition included, and I find my bank account empty long before the end of each month. Yet I still am so lucky to have all that I do and to be all that I am.

This is cliche stuff, but it isn't bullshit. I'm a lucky guy, with friends and family and a mostly comfortable life. The work I do with Campus Kitchens isn't revolutionizing the world, but it just might be changing things on a micro level, and to me that makes it "worth it," whatever that means. So here's to Thanksgiving; I'm so thankful that my life is comfortable enough that I am able to take a little time out of my week to go out into the community and "give back" a little. Not simply to feed a bleeding heart, but to renew myself and those I call neighbors and friends.

Further Development...

Okay, so this monday just got way better. A box set by my favorite singer just came in the mail! I try not to get caught up in material things, but this music is what keeps me going every day without fail. This puts me on cloud 9!

It's Monday & I Feel Fine

Short week ahead of me this week. I need to get some stuff accomplished today but it seems very do-able. I feel well rested after going to sleep earlier than usual last night and am excited for a couple days off school this week and to spend time with my family. In short-- I'm in a good mood. Anyway... I'm at work right now and need to get back to business!

Ready For The Weekend

It was the longest week I've had in recent memory and I'm glad its done.

I did have some good times in there, including a midnight screening of the new 007 movie last night (which resulted in a very tired day for me today) and some other random fun. Now I'm all set for a weekend in which I hopefully accomplish a little, and relax a bit.

Here I go...

Off or On?

Is it better to live off campus or on? Its an often asked, often debated question, and its one that I'm not sure I have an answer to.

I'm wondering this a lot lately. I love the community feel you get living on campus -- you can't get that anywhere else -- but there are major advantages to living off campus too. This is my second year living on campus, but I plan to move off campus next year.

This is in part because I only have one semester next year, but also because I think it will make certain things easier. Still, the convenience of living on campus is one thing I will truly miss. I will continue this debate throughout the year, but I think I'm pretty set on living off campus next year.

Now the remaining question is: where? I think I'll put off answering that one a bit longer.

An Eventful Weekend

Sorry for the delay in posting. Let me catch you up to speed a bit.

Thursday and Friday blew by me last week. They now exist as a singular blur in which only scattered details remain. I do recall that I was very busy with studying and working, but that is about it. Friday evening I hung out with friends.

Saturday morning was supposed to be a lazy day with a friend. We had made some food and tea and were about settle in with a movie when... the toilet overflowed! I called Public Safety and someone came right away to fix it. It was unclogged -- he said someone must have dropped something down there, although what it was will remain a mystery as we were unable to recover it -- but the clean-up effort was not much fun. It is one of those things that's bound to happen to everyone sooner or later, and it was something we certainly laughed at both in the moment and after it had passed. That evening we celebrated a friend's birthday, which was great fun.

On Sunday I attended a concert for the band Thursday after being contacted by someone from their record label about covering the event. I was granted two tickets, a press/photo pass, and a pre-concert interview. I brought a friend along as a photographer (he knew the band better than I), and we had a fun time. The band was very humble and approachable. I'll post my article on here when it comes out on Friday.

So, that's a summary of my weekend, for the most part. Now it is Monday and I am at work, but I don't mind too much. After a weekend like the one I just had, I feel fully prepared to face the week ahead.

Election Day Follow-Up

Yesterday was great fun-- besides classes and my weekly Campus Kitchen shift, I tabled for the Democrats and worked to get out the vote. We brought a group of voters over to the polls and just made sure people knew of the ease and importance of voting, regardless of who they might vote for.

In the evening, my friends and I watched the returns late into the hours of the early morning and were very excited by what we saw (with a couple disappointments, but they were few and far between). It was great to be a part of the process, and it felt good to watch the results come in and feel as if I made even the tiniest difference in my area. All in all, an exciting day that I won't soon forget!

Election Day is Near!

Remember to get out the vote tomorrow! It's your right and responsibility as a (hopefully) informed and active citizen!

I'm cautiously optimistic about tomorrow's election... I don't want to get my hopes up, but I think the odds could be slightly in our (meaning the Democrats) favor this time around. I guess we'll see tomorrow night-- I'll be glued to the results into the wee hours of the morning. Also, the College Dems are taking groups over to vote tomorrow, so that should be fun.

Go Amy Klobuchar, Keith Ellison, Mike Hatch (I guess-- at this point, I'm for anyone but Pawlenty), and, please God... Patty Wetterling! (I can't vote in the sixth district, unfortunately, but I almost care more about this race than those I am voting in.)

Concert Recap

Wow! The concert was so much fun last night. An absolute blast. The Echo (student paper) photographer took some photos-- I'll see if I can't get some and post them here.

Capitol Jay and Dave Afdahl were great. My expectations for the main act, The Alarmists, were sky high, and boy did they beat my expectations. My friends and I had a grand time and the music was incredible. We told people about how to vote. And my friend dressed up as Neil Diamond and did a karaoke version of "Sweet Caroline" in between sets. All in all a fantastic evening!

Between Classes

I just got out of my English class-- we had an exam and a paper due today. I feel alright/pretty good about both, but I guess we'll see.

Tomorrow night is the big night: Augsburg College Democrats' "ROCK THE VOTE!" It is a concert to raise voter registration awareness. We've worked our tails off to pull it together, so I hope it will be a success. We managed to score a really big-name, award-winning band. Check them out: The Alarmists. Exciting!

I'll be sure to update sometime after the event. I'm one of three emcees, so it should be a blast. Then, Saturday morning I'm going to apply for my passport, then out to eat with relatives visiting from out of town in the evening. I'm looking forward to this weekend very much!

Busy

Yesterday was Halloween. I had a lot of fun celebrating with friends!

Otherwise, I'm just keeping busy. I had a midterm yesterday, and tomorrow I have a test and a paper due. Also, I'm busy planning for a voter registration event with the College Democrats-- more on that later. Right now I'm at work, so I shouldn't be on here too long, but I just wanted to check in.

Weekend-end

Well, the weekend is coming to a close and, as usual, I still have much to accomplish. I had a fantastic weekend, though. I always find myself, on Sunday nights, trying to figure out how much absolutely needs to be done tonight and what can wait until tomorrow. How long is studying for this test going to take me, really?

Also, today I went home for the first time in a long time for my younger brother's confirmation. It was really good to see my family again. I don't see them often enough.

Well, I should get to work. Or get back to procrastinating. Come on, Chris, develop good study habits already!

Still

Today is a day of stillness and a lack of expectations; its freeing. The condition of the air is unmistakably autumn. Although I have not yet, I will be going for a walk this afternoon to soak up this carbon-copy day of fall perfection. I just love this time of year! (I suppose I say that about each season... they all have their own distinct merits, and hey, I'm an optimist.) All the cliches: the crispy crackle of dead leaves underfoot, the smells, the cool but comfortable temperature, all of it. Today is midterm break, so I slept in (it was so nice), then went to work for several hours, and now I'm done for the day. It feels fantastic. Sure, I've got some homework I could be doing, but I've got my priorities-- like that walk. So I'm off to explore the beautiful city of Minneapolis, and more specifically the neighborhoods I call home, infected with fall spirit and the freedom that comes from a temporary lack of responsibilities.

Midterms!

I had a midterm yesterday and another one tomorrow! Ah, caught in the throes of midterm week-- thank God for midterm break on Friday. It'll be here before I know it, right?

El Salvador!

Well look what just arrived in my inbox:

"Congratulations! You have been admitted to the El Salvador program 'Vocation and the Christian Faith' from January 5-14, 2007..."

I cannot wait! I have never left the country before, and El Salvador is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm excited to learn about liberation theology and engage with a culture so different from my own. I'm sure this experience will be one I will never forget...

New Leadership

Tomorrow Augsburg's new President is being inaugurated. I'll be interested to see how it all plays out. I don't know him that well yet so it is difficult to give a definitive statement, but I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here's to you, Mr. Pribbenow!

Keith Ellison On Campus

Minnesota 5th District, DFL-endorsed Congressional candidate Keith Ellison came to campus today to speak over lunch in coordination with the Augsburg College Democrats (we contacted him and asked him to come speak). I asked my professor if I could leave class early to hear Ellison speak and I am very glad I did so -- he was incredibly articulate, intelligent, and seemed to be an all-around great guy. If I wasn't swayed before (which I was, ha), his visit really convinced me. I'm really glad that we're afforded opportunities such as this at Augsburg, and am more excited than ever for the impending election. Its get out the vote time!

Impending Independent Study

As I mentioned previously, I met with my Religion major advisor on Friday to discuss an independent study that I will be doing next summer (summer of 2007) on the life and works of Flannery O'Connor. I then spoke with an English professor and he agreed to get on board, so everything seems to have come together!

I'm very excited about this, as I love O'Connor's writing - it does something to me that not much else has - and the implications for my combination of academic interests - Religion (O'Connor's theological musings), English (the obvious literary component), and Social Welfare (she raised radical opinions on race and welfare in her writings) - is absolutely spot on and terribly exciting.

I know it is a ways off, but I honestly can't wait to delve into this project. Is summer here yet?

A Lazy Saturday

I love the weekends. I spend all week caught up in the hustle and bustle of all I do, so I really do make down time a top priority on the weekends. There is nothing I like more than finishing off a busy week with crazy weekend nights and a lazy Saturday afternoon sandwiched in between. It is a way of unleashing my inclination for irresponsibility that I (attempt to) stifle throughout the week (although not always successfully). A friend is visiting from Wisconsin and we went out to breakfast this morning and are now just hanging out. It's exactly what I need: to allow the hairs I've pulled this week to return (so I can pull them out all over again, I suppose).

On a more academic note, I sorted out all the details for my independent study on Friday, and I couldn't be more excited. I'll explain further in a later post. Now back to that Saturday...

It Ain't Easy [Eating] Green...

So, I'm trying out this new thing called "vegetarianism". I've been trying it for a while-- and it's hard! College is definitely a good environment to try out new things, but this new thing has been quite difficult. You don't really realize the prevalence of meat in daily life until you stop eating it.

I don't know how long this will last, but I figured I'd give it a shot, anyway. I have my reasons, but I won't bore you with them. Besides, if anything, it really forces me to be extremely conscious about what I eat. Now I am very intentional about eating things that will give me what my body needs, and I tend to avoid unnecessary consumption much more than I used to. So all things considered, I think it is (for now) a good thing. As I always say: we'll see, though, eh?

Trying Something New and Appreciating Something Old

This evening I went to the QSU (Queer and Straight in Unity) drag show. Such a performance is something that I am relatively unfamiliar with, but I actually had a fun time. I was there tabling for College Democrats, but the performers were funny and entertaining. I ended up enjoying myself.

In other news, I am really enjoying leading my Campus Kitchen shift this year. I lead it this afternoon and had a good time. My volunteers are a lot of fun and the place I deliver to is, as always, really great. I'll write more on this another time.

My schedule is full, but there is always time to try something new and appreciate something familiar.

Easily Distracted

I wish I weren't so easily distracted. Life would be much more efficient that way. I have stuff to do, but I just can't focus!

Let's give it another shot...

Nothing Extraordinary

Well, I'm in hosting "Assorted Audio" again. So it seems the best time to blog is while hosting my radio show.

I've had an average week. I've actually been really sick since the weekend, so I've been trying to behave in a fairly responsible manner, drink water by the gallon, and get to sleep at a somewhat reasonable time. It seems to be paying off so far: I've proceeded through the stages of illness (sore throat first, stuffed nose next, persistent cough to finish things off) rather quickly and am feeling a bit better each day.

In terms of school, things are pretty average. I turned in an English paper today with the nagging feeling that it could've been a little better, am getting more and more excited about my "Religion and Society" sociology class, and am dreading my Political Science test tomorrow morning. Same old, same old.

That's it. My life isn't terribly exciting right now, but I'm content with that.

Just Your Average S.O.C.S. (Stressed Out College Student)

I've over-committed (yet again)!

I finally realized that I had taken on too much this semester and was in the process of attempting to cut back on my committments a bit to allow for some breathing room when -- WHAM! -- I joined another group. What can I say? I'm a joiner and a "yes" man (a killer combo). When will I ever learn? I guess that is what college is for: to learn by trying. I'm trying to do it all, and sooner or later I will learn that I can't.

Ah well, here's to College Democrats. Half of my family would be so proud.

"All Things Go" in Chicago

I’m coming to you from the KAUG studios… live!

At this very moment, I’m hosting my radio show. I got back last night from Chicago and am working overtime to catch up with all that I missed. It was absolutely worth it, though. I had an incredible time. My friend and I took Megabus (it was $1 each way!) and spent a couple days exploring the city. We also saw my favorite singer in concert. Instead of writing a whole lot today, I’m just going to post some pictures and allow them to speak for themselves (maybe I’ll throw in a caption or two if I find that I can’t help myself).

1. The concert venue-- it was beautiful inside.
2. Beneath the tracks of the elevated train. Public transportation saved our hides!
3. Sufjan Stevens performing.
4. Capturing our reflections in the giant "bean" sculpture in Chicago's Millennium Park.
5. Stalking a pigeon in downtown Chicago early in the day after a restless night's sleep on the bus.
6. Exiting a revolving door-- they were everywhere!

Studying on a Friday night?

It's a Friday night and here I am, studying. What's going on here? Looks like the fantasy of work hard all week, relax on the weekends isn't entirely realistic for some college students. I'm not trapped here all night, though - if I keep working for a little bit longer, I can save the rest for Sunday and I should be okay. To be fair, this isn't my normal Friday night activity anyway: I'm going to Chicago on Monday, so I need to make sure I'm all caught up before I take off.

In more exciting news than a Friday evening spent in front of a computer screen, the first issue of The Echo for the new school year came out today! It was my first issue editing, and I was very pleased with how my section (and the issue as a whole) turned out. I've already written my column for the next issue (on Lupe Fiasco's excellent new album, "Food & Liquor"). I'm currently way over the word limit because I was so excited about the music and its implications in light of Lupe's strong Islamic faith and explicitly stated feminist perspective (sounds like a paper for one of my classes!). So I need to streamline it a bit, format it more as a review and less as a paper, ha.

Also, I had my first radio show of the school year yesterday. Last year, I co-hosted a show, so it was my first time flying solo. I dealt with my fair share of technical difficulties, but I'm pumped for the rest of the year and the exciting things I can do with my one hour of air time.

Another first yesterday was the year's first Lilly Scholar seminar. The Lilly Scholar seminar is a course that meets once a month. It is a very small group of students, and we meet for several hours with a Religion professor and discuss issues of vocation and Christian faith. We had a very engaging conversation that kept me thinking after we had all gone our separate ways. I'm very glad I have the opportunity to participate in this year-long conversation on issues that really interest me.

Alright... I should get back to work so I can have that Friday night!

Hi. I'm Chris, and I'm in College.

I'm Chris. Nice to meet you.

Let's kick this off in style, eh? I'm not sure how to introduce myself properly in this format, so I think a good place to start is at the surface - what do I do in my daily life, etc. The rest can come later.

My name is Chris and I'm in my second year at Augsburg College. I am majoring in Religion with minors in English and Social Welfare. I live on campus and am in love with my neighborhoods, Seward and Cedar-Riverside.

I'll graduate in a couple semesters, so I'm trying to make the most of the little time I have left by trying to get involved in as much extra-curricular stuff as possible. The first thing that comes to mind is an activity that I am very passionate about. This is my second year serving on the Leadership Team for a volunteer organization based out of Augsburg called The Campus Kitchen Project. I lead a shift once a week to the Brian Coyle Community Center where I enjoy food and fellowship with the folks that hang out there. I get to work with kids a lot there, so it's never boring. It's occasionally stressful, often challenging, but as anyone who has done anything with non-profits knows, it is so incredibly rewarding (cliche, but totally true).

I also stay involved in other ways that keep me sane while simultaneously feeding my insanity. I'm the editor of the Arts & Entertainment section of the student-produced paper, The Echo, where I also write a weekly music column. Writing is one of my favorite things to do, so the position really is a dream job for me. My love of music also translates over to a weekly radio show I host called "Assorted Audio" on KAUG, the campus radio station. I also serve on church council at Bethany Lutheran Church in Seward, where I occasionally Assistant Minister.

College doesn't pay for itself, so I also have several on campus jobs. I'm a student supervisor of student workers in Undergraduate Admissions, I make copies and such for the History Department, and I'm a note taker for the CLASS (Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services) program. This past summer I worked for Residence Life, the Summer Theological Institute camp, and Medieval Minnesota camp, all at Augsburg. I can honestly say that my jobs are fun, which doesn't hurt. I could also say I'm trying to develop a strong work ethic (because who doesn't want that? ha), but that might be a bit too much positive spin.

Looking back on that, it looks a little intimidating, but I like to stay busy. Throw classes into the mix and my days are pretty full, but I always have time to hang out with friends in the evenings. Social life is a big part of college (and, well, life in general), so it's a huge priority.

Alright, I've gone on long enough. More to come later.