It's Slope Day, and you know what means! Well... it means a number of things I guess.
First of all, don't be surprised if, when walking down your dorm's halls, you smell alcohol. It's a perfectly normal side effect the holiday. Especially in Donlon (that one dorm I talked about way back when... they're gonna be having a lot of ambulances today, I bet).
Second, it means that everyone is going to be gathered in one place. So if you happen to want to meet with someone for a study session on the slope, I'd recommend saving it for tomorrow (or the day after, depending on the efficiency of the cleanup).
Funny that we have
No usual holidays
But still have Slope Day
Most college campuses have some sort of day like Slope Day. It's just a common occurence. But most other schools also have Presidents' Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Yom Kippur, Passover, Boxing Day, National Zip-lock Baggie Appreciation Day, and many more. Yet we have none but the last of those. So why do we have Slope Day, if they're so set on ridding the school of holidays, puppies, unicorns, balloons, and happiness? Well, I think that it's simply something that they cannot eliminate. They can try their best to restrict access, to have classes, or to distract people from it- but really, if they were to eliminate it there would be a rebellion. Or a hunger strike. Or just a lot of people getting drunk with their stored-up alcohol. That sounds more like college.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Ferris Bueller's Day Off x 20,000
Thursday! And it's the last day of classes.... well sort of. I suppose technically speaking, tomorrow is the last day of classes- but I don't think many people will be going tomorrow. If you're not a student here, the reason for that is Slope Day- a massive concert and celebration on the slope where absolutely nobody is drunk, nooooo.
Some professors are having class tomorrow, and either threatening that people go, or offering extra credit for those who do. Either is a dumb move though. Why? Well:
To have class on Slope
Day is sacrilegious and
Must be avoided
Yesterday, my linguistics professor told us that we would not formally be having class because he doesn't expect anyone to come. However, he said that for any linguistic-loving, etymology-enticed souls, he would be there.
My TA for my English class moved our discussion forward "in observance of Slope Day." That's how you need to do it. It is just plain blasphemy to have class on slope day, and it must be avoided at all times. It is your right to skip class if your teacher imposes on you. Of course, you also have the right to fail if your teacher's a douchebag, so it's probably smarter to go if you don't expect your teacher to be cooperative.
Some professors are having class tomorrow, and either threatening that people go, or offering extra credit for those who do. Either is a dumb move though. Why? Well:
To have class on Slope
Day is sacrilegious and
Must be avoided
Yesterday, my linguistics professor told us that we would not formally be having class because he doesn't expect anyone to come. However, he said that for any linguistic-loving, etymology-enticed souls, he would be there.
My TA for my English class moved our discussion forward "in observance of Slope Day." That's how you need to do it. It is just plain blasphemy to have class on slope day, and it must be avoided at all times. It is your right to skip class if your teacher imposes on you. Of course, you also have the right to fail if your teacher's a douchebag, so it's probably smarter to go if you don't expect your teacher to be cooperative.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Britches and hose
The week is almost halfway through! Now if it could only be over. Test today, recital today, essay due tomorrow, presentation due tomorrow, and then BAM- Slope Day and I can relax. Then once I'm done relaxing I can pack my bags, take the 7 hour trip home, do another essay, then another essay, then another essay, and then one last essay! Yay, should be a fun-filled few fortnight (I only really used "fortnight" because I liked the alliteration, though it still works. Fun fact: "fortnight" comes from saying "fourteen nights."
In other news, I have learned something which very well may shape my entire future. You may have heard the song "Airplanes." It's number 3 on the iTunes singles chart (was #2) and is number 9 (number 9.... number 9) on Billboard. Now that its popularity is established, I'd like to share a little piece of information you may not know about the song: It was written by 2 Cornell students.
By "written," I mean that the chorus and music are by them, and somehow (friends in high places probably), B.o.B. got a hold of it, and now it's a hit single. Shows what a little initiative can do.
If Cornell students
Can write a hit single, I
Can too. Possibly.
The reason I say possibly is because it's unlikely. I admit that my song-writing is pretty good, and that I can also make some fantastic rhymes, but the chance of it becoming a hit single is low. It also probably doesn't help that most of my rhymes are sexual in spite of the fact that I generally dislike songs that are all about objectifying women. I need to rapping about britches and hose, not bitches and hoes. It's unfortunate, really. But I guess a mind in the gutter can somehow result in some clever phrasings. And it also probably doesn't help that I make allusions... the popular audience likely won't understand it when I reference Michelangelo, Moses, or the fall of Rome... sadly. I could share some rhymes, but most are inappropriate and my parents make up a third of my readership, so I will refrain from it for now (although if Shakespeare's parents read his blog, who probably couldn't have posted 75% of his work).
Source: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/May10/HipHopAirplanes.html
In other news, I have learned something which very well may shape my entire future. You may have heard the song "Airplanes." It's number 3 on the iTunes singles chart (was #2) and is number 9 (number 9.... number 9) on Billboard. Now that its popularity is established, I'd like to share a little piece of information you may not know about the song: It was written by 2 Cornell students.
By "written," I mean that the chorus and music are by them, and somehow (friends in high places probably), B.o.B. got a hold of it, and now it's a hit single. Shows what a little initiative can do.
If Cornell students
Can write a hit single, I
Can too. Possibly.
The reason I say possibly is because it's unlikely. I admit that my song-writing is pretty good, and that I can also make some fantastic rhymes, but the chance of it becoming a hit single is low. It also probably doesn't help that most of my rhymes are sexual in spite of the fact that I generally dislike songs that are all about objectifying women. I need to rapping about britches and hose, not bitches and hoes. It's unfortunate, really. But I guess a mind in the gutter can somehow result in some clever phrasings. And it also probably doesn't help that I make allusions... the popular audience likely won't understand it when I reference Michelangelo, Moses, or the fall of Rome... sadly. I could share some rhymes, but most are inappropriate and my parents make up a third of my readership, so I will refrain from it for now (although if Shakespeare's parents read his blog, who probably couldn't have posted 75% of his work).
Source: http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/May10/HipHopAirplanes.html
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Won't you be my neighbor?
When it comes to offering up things to blame, I'd like to think that I'm pretty good at it. Whether I'm blaming the toaster for burning my toast in spite of it being my fault setting it too high, or whether I'm blaming the weather for my not getting work done. However, there are often people who are much better (for worse) at pinning the blame. For instance, Hitler was pretty good at blaming the Jews (I know, it's horrible, but it's true). Also, Jamie Foxx is good at blaming alcohol, and Fox is good at blaming democrats. But the most interesting blaming by far I have seen of late, is one I read in an article the other day.
The article talks of a professor at University of Louisiana who decided that the reason today's youth feel so entitled is the fault of one man: Mr. Rodgers.
Yes, I know, it is pretty mortifying to think that such a beacon of hope and inspiration for the nation's youth could be dubbed a negative influence in the long run. If you're wondering where I stand on this issue, here is my response:
Fred Rogers meant well,
And probably helped children
More than anything
First off, I'd like to emphasize that the morals preached in Mr. Rodgers's show were all very positive. Second, I'd like to point that chances are parents had a much greater on their children's morals than a television character ever did. And any influence he did have probably was simply a positive influence on self-esteem, because honestly- simply a telling a child that he or she is special will not make them believe it. They would have to actually accomplish something to make them feel special. And if that's the case, there's a good chance they're not the type to feel entitled. Well, maybe they will- but in any case, someone who has accomplished enough to have a sense of entitlement (no offense, really), probably wouldn't be gong to University of Louisiana in the first place. So in that context, I personally would assign the sense of entitlement to the easiest thing to blame anything on: poor parenting. So leave Mr. Rodgers out of this, and find out what percentage of your students actually ever watched the show before jumping to such an outrageous conclusion.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118358476840657463.html
The article talks of a professor at University of Louisiana who decided that the reason today's youth feel so entitled is the fault of one man: Mr. Rodgers.
Yes, I know, it is pretty mortifying to think that such a beacon of hope and inspiration for the nation's youth could be dubbed a negative influence in the long run. If you're wondering where I stand on this issue, here is my response:
Fred Rogers meant well,
And probably helped children
More than anything
First off, I'd like to emphasize that the morals preached in Mr. Rodgers's show were all very positive. Second, I'd like to point that chances are parents had a much greater on their children's morals than a television character ever did. And any influence he did have probably was simply a positive influence on self-esteem, because honestly- simply a telling a child that he or she is special will not make them believe it. They would have to actually accomplish something to make them feel special. And if that's the case, there's a good chance they're not the type to feel entitled. Well, maybe they will- but in any case, someone who has accomplished enough to have a sense of entitlement (no offense, really), probably wouldn't be gong to University of Louisiana in the first place. So in that context, I personally would assign the sense of entitlement to the easiest thing to blame anything on: poor parenting. So leave Mr. Rodgers out of this, and find out what percentage of your students actually ever watched the show before jumping to such an outrageous conclusion.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118358476840657463.html
Monday, May 3, 2010
The fountain of youth
Apparently Ithaca just received the whole "April showers bring May flowers" memo. Literally 5 minutes ago. One minute the weather was just plain cloudy, and in the next the clouds sprung a leak and it began pouring on us.
These past few weeks I've been reading an incredibly entertaining and thought provoking book by Tom Robbins called Jitterbug Perfume. The novel brings death and avoiding it into question, and goes to great lengths to describe the process of immortality. It really got me thinking. The conclusion that I came to?
Immortality
May not be possible but
You may as well try
All of the processes described in the book are the very same that doctors recommend for longevity. However, nowadays between war and cancer, the chances of immortality are slim. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that "immortality" is so similar in word structure to "immorality."All in all, I've come to the conclusion that I will try my best to be immortal, and if I fail like everyone else in the enterprise, I could at least say I tried. In the end, it really comes to one of the character's quotes: "Dying is a tradition, and I am simply not the type of fellow who defies tradition."
These past few weeks I've been reading an incredibly entertaining and thought provoking book by Tom Robbins called Jitterbug Perfume. The novel brings death and avoiding it into question, and goes to great lengths to describe the process of immortality. It really got me thinking. The conclusion that I came to?
Immortality
May not be possible but
You may as well try
All of the processes described in the book are the very same that doctors recommend for longevity. However, nowadays between war and cancer, the chances of immortality are slim. And I'm sure it's no coincidence that "immortality" is so similar in word structure to "immorality."All in all, I've come to the conclusion that I will try my best to be immortal, and if I fail like everyone else in the enterprise, I could at least say I tried. In the end, it really comes to one of the character's quotes: "Dying is a tradition, and I am simply not the type of fellow who defies tradition."
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Music to my ears
Well, apparently Ithaca decided that it's summer now, judging by the weather. Understandable, since it's May now. Hard to believe.
Today, I am reflecting on a popular mantra I heard one of my teacher's mention in a lecture the other day.
Whoever first said
"Music to my ears" never
Heard awful music
Really, just because something's a relief to hear does not make it music to the ears. Personally, I think that the saying just isn't specific enough. They need to narrow down the term "music." For instance, if you hear something nice, you can say that it's "Simon and Garfunkel to my ears." But if you hear some horrible news, you could say that it's "Nickelback to my ears" or "Miley Cyrus to my ears." Really, just because it's music does not mean it's pleasant. And trust me, the Nickelback blasting for suspected terrorists in Guantanamo is probably not music to their ears.
Short post today. It's Sunday.
Today, I am reflecting on a popular mantra I heard one of my teacher's mention in a lecture the other day.
Whoever first said
"Music to my ears" never
Heard awful music
Really, just because something's a relief to hear does not make it music to the ears. Personally, I think that the saying just isn't specific enough. They need to narrow down the term "music." For instance, if you hear something nice, you can say that it's "Simon and Garfunkel to my ears." But if you hear some horrible news, you could say that it's "Nickelback to my ears" or "Miley Cyrus to my ears." Really, just because it's music does not mean it's pleasant. And trust me, the Nickelback blasting for suspected terrorists in Guantanamo is probably not music to their ears.
Short post today. It's Sunday.
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