Hi. Its me. Wow.

Mom wanted me to put this on my blog. So I'm putting it on my blog. Yay.

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Friend/1997.htm/friend%20january%201997.htm/childviews%20your%20pioneer%20art%20starlight%20camp%20.htm

While I'm here, I might as well, you know, blog or something. But maybe that would just make far too much sense. I think I'm going to anyway.


Well, I've made it through exactly one week of classes and I'm still alive! At least, I think I am. (I'm kind of tired at the moment and I think my sense of humor at the current moment is a result. Anyway.) I don't think that I'm going to end up disliking any of my classes... though it doesn't necessarily follow that I'm going to like all of them. I guess I could just say a few lines about each one, just because I can.

Physical Science--I think this is the class I like the least, which isn't to say its a bad class, exactly, merely that its not much good. You might remember that, in order to make my class times fit my job hours, I dropped the Physical Science class with the professor everyone said was fun and entertaining for a class at with a professor who was rated as merely good/ok. I'd much rather have the job, but why couldn't the funny professor teach at eight in the morning? I guess its hard to be funny that early. Maybe the class will get more entertaining once we're past Newtons laws, which we've been taught every couple years since fourth grade. Anyway.

LDS History (During the life of Joseph Smith)--I wasn't actually signed up for this class until the day classes started. I was originally signed up for some class that filled some random university requirement, like Moral Leadership or some other random thing. It was a three credit class, though, which put me at 17.5 credits, which is quite a bit, especially if you're working as well as going to class. So I dropped it and added this two credit class, so I'm now at 16.5 credits which I'll be able to manage a bit more easily I think... plus, I think I'm really going to like this class. The professor is really interesting and seems pretty enthusiastic about what he's teaching. It's not the same as any seminary class I've been to. And it'll be fun to learn more about all the sites we went to last July. The writing/research assignment we'll be doing for this class seems pretty different/interesting as well.

New Testament--With this class and LDS History, I have four religion credits this semester, the maximum number we can take and get credit for as religion classes. I think I'm really going to like this class too--the professor seems interesting and passionate about what he's teaching, and though there'll be some writing assignments it doesn't seem like they'll be that bad.

Art History since 1500-- I took the first half of this class (Art History until 1500) last semester, and it wasn't that bad. One of the worst parts of it was, since this is Art History and its kinda, you know, helpful to actually see the art that we're talking about, the teacher would show slides all through class. Which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't dim the lights WAY down in order to see the slides and then talk in a really low, monotone voice about the art on the screen (which was really, really interesting I'm sure). I will admit to dozing off in class--the only class I've slept in, actually. (Not that I made a habit of it! I tried to stay awake, really! But the atmosphere wasn't exactly conducive to that goal...) Anyway, the point of talking about the first half of the class was to say that, I don't think I'll have that problem this semester. The lady who teaches the class still shows slides and still dims the light and still talks about them, just not in the low, monotone voice. She's quite animated, actually. And, the class is in the morning rather than in the evening. So, yeah. No more sleeping during Art History.

Photography-- most of my VA friends/roommates took this as a freshman, but it didn't fit in my schedule so, I'm taking it this semester--the last VA core requirement. It seems good so far, but... since this is the class that overlaps my work schedule, I kinda can't wait to jump out the door and clock in so I can get as many hours in as I can, you know?

Intro to Graphic Design-- even though it says 'Graphic Design' in the title of the class, this is a requirement for Illustration majors as well. Two of my roommates (One an Illustration major, one currently a Graphic Design major until we convince her that she was Meant To Be In The Illustration Program, which she already thinks but is scared that the department will reject her application) are in the same class with me, so it makes it funner and cheaper (since we're sharing the text book.) I'm still not quite sure what I expect this class to be like, since I've only been to it once and all we did was go over the syllabus.

Writing for Children-- actually, the full title of this class is Writing for Children and Adolescents, but the only section of it open when I got to sign up for classes was the class that focuses specifically on writing picture books for children. As an Illustration major, this class seemed fitting, and though my Greatest Love is Adolescent Fantasy Novels, I really enjoy Picture Books as well. I've only been to the class once, but it seems pretty fun and kind of intense at the same time--every week we have to read ten picture books (not bad) and write one full manuscript (yikes!). Well, no manuscripts until we're through the first couple weeks, during which we have to think of and write down at least 200 ideas for childrens books. Hopefuly, out of these 200, there will be at least 10 or 11 that are half decent that can be turned into manuscripts through the semester.



So, those are my classes.

And, for those who care, I'm currently-
-a few chapters into The Queens Own Fool, but I don't think I'll finish. Its only somewhat interesting, I think I would have liked it alot more if I'd read it a few years ago but... well, I didn't.
-a few chapters into The Secret Life of Bees, but I don't think I'll finish, at least for the time being. I really really like the main character and the narration, but it seems pretty dark (And there are some swear words, etc. which are part of the people/setting but I wish they weren't) and I'm just not in the mood for dark.
-several chapters into The Mark of the Horse Lord, which I think I'll finish though I don't think I'll love it just because it comes so highly recommended. I think Sutcliff might be a bit too dark for me as well, despite the wonderful prose. If only she had some really fun characters, as well as three dimensional ones.
-a few pages into The Blue Sword, which I haven't read in a couple years but it looks like I still have it half memorized--I still finish sentences in my head before my eye passes over them. Not necessarily a bad thing.
-a few pages into A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which I first read in elementary school though I barely remember anything except that I read it, though I've read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the series (A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door) a few times. All I remember from the first time I read it was that I really liked it but I was also really really confused. Hopefully it will make more sense this time.