First Day Drool

When one has the chance to peek into the full and active classrooms of others, especially on the first day of class, there is almost 100% of the time, a uniform expression on the faces of the students. Stupified "what-the-heck-am-I-getting-myself-into-and-paying-for-it", mouth open (or at least the jaw is apart if the lips are closed) blank look at the teacher. To these people: I know. Take luck.

Driving Machines

Walking through a college parking lot can be quite the museum. Clunkers that are being held together with team memorabilia, scooters, every once in a while a lucky student with a European car, but most are just cars that have 7-10 years on them already that run well enough for transportation, naps and restaurant seats. One thing they all have in common - Dirt. My car is no exception. Out all night next to sprinklers, the morning brings nice pollen coat of fuzz. With papers, exams and work (to pay for that car) the last thing on a student's mind is the outward condition of their car. Every car in sight had water spots, road dirt, or pollen. We should look at this as the way the rising generation is contributing to the environment by saving water and not polluting the ground with cleansing chemicals.

All Brands of Nerdiness

Post Written By James Dixon

It takes all kinds to make the world. I learned that a lot in Germany, and I'm still learning that here in Utah. I also found out that the more people you get to be around, the more likely you are to see and understand that. Singing in institute choir has provided one such opportunity. As soon as it was publicized that we were going to be singing in General Conference, the flood gates opened, and everyone and their dog came out to rehearse.

I remember one such rehearsal where all the choirs in the valley meet together at one time. We had around 400 people in that rehearsal, so it was very warm, noisy, and everyone was getting a little impatient. While the director was working with the women in the choir, I took the opportunity to stretch and survey my fellow tenors. Sitting directly behind me was a tenor who looked like he could be fresh out of high school. He was very intently working on a project, and after some careful observation, I could see he was working on a cross-stitch. But this wasn't any cross-stitch. This was a cross-stitch of a Pokemon. I started jumping to conclusions about the level of nerdiness that this kid, now in college, must be at. I then reassured myself that maybe he was making it for a younger brother, and thought, "gosh, what a nice guy." Then he looked up at me with his bottle rim glasses and gave me a smile that will go down in the annals of my memory for time and all eternity as one of the nerdiest smiles I think I've ever gotten. There was no longer any need to jump to conclusions. The cross-stitch was for him, and only him. I smiled back, trying to suppress a laugh, and then turned around and tried to laugh as silently and with as little movement as possible. Have you ever tried to do that? It's painful. But you know, probably the most painful and frightening part of the experience is, for a split second right when I saw his cross-stitch, the name of the specific Pokemon he was needling came flashing into mind. I thought "Hey, that's a Vulpix."

I learned that it really does take all kinds to make the world. But be careful what you think or say... you might just be one of them.

Cold Season.

A university campus should also be known as a breeding ground for germs. Students feel they have to be in class, though they are seriously ill.

It should also be noted that students are poor, and it is not unusual to see a long stretch of toilet paper emerge from a student's pocket rather than tissues.

EEBO.

Early English Books Online.

The type used for the letter "s" used in the early days of the printing press looks much like an "f". (though only in the intervocalic or interconsonatal instances) When one reads through this type, the first impression is that these people spoke with a lisp. "..in moft pointf of ufuful knowledge."


Note: Is there a word that means a letter inside a word, that applies for both interconsonatal and intervocalic? What about for the letter at the end of a word?

Novels.

As I was slaving away this morning, finishing a paper that was due later that day and simultaneously contemplating the other assignment due Monday, as well as the Annotated Bibliography that is due Tuesday, and remembering the things within the *other* category of tasks to accomplish before these due dates, I glanced over at a man in a chair reading a book. Closer inspection of the book revealed that it was most likely NOT a homework assignment, but a simple, pleasureful, fun, treat for the eyes, relaxing read, fantasy novel.

Either he's one of the luckiest guys on campus that has a) no homework or b) finished homework with no additional studying to do or c) a guy who knows who to procrastinate properly.

You know people are in your office when you aren't, when....

• The full candy dish now only has 6 pieces left.
• Papers that were in your box, now are outside of it.
• The paper from the printer now sits on your desk and the printer drawer is open
• The photo is lying flat instead of standing.
• There is a nearly empty bottle of Organic Raw Kombucha sitting next to the mailboxes, that obviously wasn't there before.
• A power strip that was once on the floor, is now on the desk.