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Spring Term 2005

The last term of my Carleton career has begun, and it has been a long time since I told you what was going on. Now that I'm here and settled in, updates should flow like water.

The end of break:

I visited three schools.
1) Northeastern University - pretty much in Boston proper which means the driving is terrible. The overall campus was pretty decent, but the law building seemed to have generally poor facilities. All in all, not a terribly favorable impression.
2) Boston College - a nice school in a nice place, but I saw nothing that would make it worth six figures of debt. Plus the dean of the school, who taught the Constitutional Law class I sat in on, seemed very impersonal and uninterested when I met him, and the classes are very big.
3) Roger Williams - I liked more than I thought I would like it, and more than I thought I would like it if I thought I would like it more than I thought I would like it. Work your way through that. Anyway, I met impressive faculty, a dean of career services who I really liked (and more importantly, who was perhaps the most impressive part of the visit), plus Bristol is beautiful. There's a lot going for RWU, and I got more of an impression that they're poised for success than I did anywhere else. Plus they like me.

The visits included lots of car time with my dad, good conversation and good music included, as well as some good dinners--Italian somewhere in Connecticut (mmmm melanzane) and chicken with gorgonzola in Rhode Island.

The last day: delicious lunch of subs with N & P, laundry and packing and a long, frustrating time working on taxes. Hopefully that will pay off.

The first day back here:

Waited for two hours or so at the airport, reading the Times. Back on campus, I took my car to the shop, where they told me to come back on Saturday. I can't seem to recall what else I did, though I'm sure it was thrilling.

Saturday:

Took the car in, learned it needed a new transmission. Watched Sweet Home Alabama and had brunch with staff. Hung out with Lauren. Rejoiced at the opening of the dining hall. Finally met Summer upon her return and celebrated our reunion!

Sunday:
Brunch, bought books, sheepshead at Mondays, dinner, moving Cristina into her new home, fetching Laveranues, and more time with Summer!

Monday, The Start of Classes:
0) Learn that the new transmission for the Bonneville will run me at least 1300! Prepare for a job search in earnest.
0.5) Breakfast with Summer at the snack bar.
1) History of Jazz - class with Summer is exciting! Theo is great as he was in the fall, and the class should be great.
2) Vergil - Latin is good any way you slice it. I like Vergil.
2.5) Break! Lunchtime. Does Champion Sports want to hire me? Nope.
3) Religion and the Constitution - I thought I might drop it, but it seems way too good. Ah well, guess I'll spend my last term writing a really interesting 20-30 page research paper.
Now now now my friends it is time for track. Discus is fun as always, and shot starts somewhat better than expected. Then comes dinner, then I think Monday was the evening that we watched Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. It might have been Sunday, though; I can never remember these things. More time with Summer, plus I do a thorough check on my finances! Hurray!

Tuesday:
Escort Summer to class, practice piano, and head back into town to check on the car and look for more potential jobs--not too many to be had. Also return movies to the library. Then it's lunchtime! Then I go to an early track practice, then to piano, which is also off to a better start than expected. Come back to spend a little time with Sum before dinner. After dinner, RA meeting, do homework for Wednesday and watch Shaun of the Dead with Taylor, Summer, Anna, Andy, and a little bit of Neal. Shaun of the Dead, I should mention, is actually very funny and surprisingly well-made. If you're ever in the mood for a zombie-related romantic comedy, this is the movie for you. After the movie, listen to jazz with Sum before more homework and eventually bed.

Wednesday:
Breakfast with Sum again! Also classes again, still all good. Get character references so I can turn in applications tomorrow! Track, dinner, then the Cow for some sheepshead w/Lauren, Neal, Anna, Summer (also Taylor in attendance). KRLX meeting, Latin homework, and here I am now.

Tomorrow I will turn in apps, as mentioned before. I will interview several RA candidates. I will attend track practice. I know not what else might occur, save for homework.

Things I've been thinking of:
1) Programs to have this term. A seance and a pinewood derby will hopefully both be on for residents of my houses.
2) How much does religion actually affect things like ethics (and thereby the law)? I personally think my own moral code is rather devoid of religious content: in its simplest form, the idea is that if a one places oneself above others in performing some action, the action is probably immoral. But I feel like ethics will come up more and more as I study law, particularly in the arenas that interest me, and I look forward to developing a more complex understanding of the concept in general as well as my own moral code. This came up, incidentally, in a discussion today of whether the United States should have a national chaplain.
3) Money makes me sad.
4) The prospect of next year makes me happy. I will be able to learn about both law and the world, share the experience with someone I love very much, and moreover there shouldn't be much money to go and make me sad!
5) Somewhere in my ancestry there has to be some Italian blood because Italy felt like home to me and I can't wait to go back again. I also seem to have an inordinate interest in ancient Italian culture as well as modern Italian cuisine.
6) I am getting tired and will go to bed now.

Hopefully that'll tide you over 'til the next update, which will likely come in fewer than ten days. Also I put up some new pictures earlier this week. You ought to check them out. If you can't find them from there, here are more direct links: 7, 8, and spring break.