Monday, September 30, 2013

And the verdict is in on iOS7

          Android fans, feel free to skip ahead...unless of course, you're planning on trading in your Galaxy for the iPhone 5S? 
          It's been a little over a week now since the much anticipated release of iOS7--at least, it was much anticipated to me! I stayed up til midnight just to download it. Now that I've played around with it for awhile, I'd like to give you guys my input! I've also gotten some feedback from a bunch of other people. Before the release of iOS7, the only other person who was as excited as I was was my old high school yearbook teacher, who I still sort of kept in touch with. I visited her a week before the release, and she was practically dying with anticipation. 
          Being a yearbook teacher, she was very into design, and the smallest detail like spacing and font was incredibly important to her. She said the changing of the fonts and the more simplistic design was the best part of the change, and when I asked people what they liked most, almost all of them said the design. 
          Because honestly? IT IS SO PRETTY I JUST
          The colors, the layers, the font, even. I have to agree with my former teacher on that one. Somehow, the typeface and the way the lock screen is displayed now just makes carrying that phone around so much lighter!
          Also, as far as designs go, I was a little worried that the men would have problems with it. The colors are a teeny tiny bit girly, or can at least be considered that way, so bright and vibrant, with minimalist designs, and with this update the colors were much more important. I thought that maybe the manlier, macho guys would probably have a problem with that, toting around a sleek little black phone that when you unlocks suddenly has like pink and neon green lights, but so far, from all the guys I've asked, they love it too! The only problem one of my friends had with his iPhone was that he found Game Center to be annoying. "I just want to play my games IN PEACE why does the game center keep asking me to log in!" he complained to me. I haven't heard of anyone else having that problem though, and if you guys do, it sounds like a pretty minor one. 
          I have also had a couple friends who just refused to upgrade to iOS7. At first it didn't make much sense to me, but they were all iPhone 4 users. Which makes sense, because iOS7 was actually built for iPhone 5S, so if you're an iPhone 4 user and you refuse to upgrade, that's fine too. My friends who did upgrade with a 4 rather than 5 had no difficulty (so far) whatsoever though! They might change their minds eventually and give in and upgrade. You never know! 
         My technology-challenged mother, found the change so much more helpful. She downloaded iOS7 onto her iPad, and before, it'd be, "JOY? CAN YOU COME HELP ME WITH THIS?" every five seconds with the "how do you keep this page from continuously rotating on me" to "how do i go back to the other app without pressing the home button" to "how do i mute" and now, with the control center, she is in paradise. When I first showed her how the portrait orientation and the mute button and the pretty much every important thing you needed was there, she was like "OHHHHHH, HOW CONVENIENT!" and since then, i think she's called me to her room maybe twice? a day instead of, i don't know, ten. So thank you iOS7 for making that easier on me.
          I myself, love it. I love it. I love it so much when I first downloaded it I kept unlocking my phone and looking at it just to admire it. I'm such a sucker for smartly-designed products and even cute packaging oh man whatever product you're trying to sell me if the package is adorable I'm pretty much sold. Oh, you know what else I love? I love how the other apps upped their game as well. The first night iOS7 came out, bam 20 new app store updates. I loved it! It was a whole new change, not part iOS7 with the facebook interface still stuck in iOS6! Good on you guys for stepping it up. 

But what do you guys think so far about iOS7? Any complaints or awesome things I've overlooked? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know!

Joy ☼

Career

In this society, we need money to live. Presumably, if you're reading this, you know this, and that's why you're in school — to lay the foundation for your eventual career. Few of us would want to wait tables for our career. So career and finances have to be considered as one of our critically important areas of life to pay attention to.

Given that we all have to work, and that we'll be devoting a large part of our lives to our work, it would be good if we were working at something we enjoy. How many people have you known who endlessly complain about their job? Or who really hate what they do? It's a terrible waste of our life energy to spend so much of it doing something we dislike. Better to have a career that we find fulfilling and satisfying.

We all have a dream job. Imagine doing something so exciting that you leap out of bed every day, eager to get started. Something that's so compelling to you that you would do it for free, if you were already independently wealthy. That would be an ideal standard we should aspire to.

There may be those who tell us that our dreams are unrealistic, that we must be practical, and work at a stable, reliable job. If you're wondering whether or not you should pursue a dream, ask yourself one question: How long are you going to be dead? Pursuing a dream is no guarantee of success, but better the sting of trying and failing than the regret of never having tried.

Do something you love, love the thing you do, and manage life and finances so that they fit one another. (We'll talk about balance in blogs to come.) Attending school is an excellent beginning on our path to a fulfilling career.

Peace,

Dave Roel.
Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.
- Bruce Lee

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Helping others

I have a friend who is constantly trying to help people, help them develop and grow. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's coming from a good impulse, and his good heart. The problem is, he's bad at it. He doesn't have a good education or good knowledge of psychology or self-improvement, and he doesn't succeed in helping people grow. Worse, he seems to be in complete denial about this, and insists that he's helped people.

I know the game he's playing, because there was a time in my life when I played it. I also tried to be an amateur therapist for people. It's arrogant and presumptuous to think we know how to guide others, and when I realized that, I stopped. Now I keep my ideas to myself. The only one person I'm truly responsible for is myself, and I work to improve myself.

Often, we allow our good, positive impulses to obscure our shadow. (Shadow is a term refering to the unconscious, hidden aspects of our psyche.) The impulse to help others is healthy, but many use it to avoid doing their own self-work. I can admit I was doing that, and my friend is, now.

Everyone has the path they are on. Not everyone is meant to grow in ways or at a rate that we would like. No one can choose to make another grow.

Where is the balance between working on ourselves and helping others? Is there a way to help without violating a person's sovereignty? Do you have a person who you think is not fulfilling their potential? Do you try to help them? Let me know, I'm genuinely curious.

Peace,

Dave Roel.
There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.
- Aldous Huxley

Friday, September 27, 2013

The Evils(?) of Technology

Yesterday I decided to go to Starbucks before class started-- ordinary enough. But while in line, the older man in front of me thought I might be interested in hearing his commentary on  how many people around us were on their cell phones.

I kind of wanted to whip out my own phone just to spite him.

There has been a lot of talk lately about technology and "our generation." One of my teachers makes a point to preach about the distraction and destruction caused by technology and pop media ad nauseum at least once every class. A clip of the Conan O'Brien Show featuring comedian Louis CK's rant about smart phones has been making the rounds on Facebook. And then, yesterday, the old man. And I genuinely can't take any of these criticisms seriously because of the strong, ever-present undertone of,"Ugh, millennials."

It's not a new sentiment, but it does seem to be intensifying. In May, Time Magazine put out a story on the "Me Me Me Generation," condemning Generation X as lazy, self-entitled narcissists before wheeling back around and asserting that these aren't bad things, necessarily ("even if that means they spend too much time on their phones"). It's a topic that deserves its own blog post, so for now I will leave it with a response to the Time article by Tumblr user gyzym, which succinctly and eloquently sums up the problems I and many others have with typical critiques of millennials.

It is entirely possible that I'm biased-- after all, I do enjoy pop culture and I am a student blogger. But while there is some valid insight in criticisms of new technology, I'm hesitant to claim that social media and smart phones have brought about the absolute end of interpersonal interaction. I'm even more hesitant to label the media and technology as the root cause of our modern society's social problems, as my teacher believes. If anything, the media is a reflection, amplification, and reinforcement of our society's values-- most of our societal issues today have been issues even before the Internet. And while the Internet can certainly be manipulated by corporations, or the media, or whoever to create new messages and subsequent problems, it also presents a means of subverting those messages. For instance, last week I read an academic article on how the Internet was instrumental in helping the anti-sweatshop movement of the 90's to come to fruition because it allowed for international solidarity, formed cohesive individual protests, and provided a wealth of information on how to successfully boycott guilty companies to would-be activists. At the same time, it allowed the companies being protested, such as Nike, to aggressively advertise their product in new and influential ways.

This, I think, is the bottom line: information has never been easier to access. The nature of this information, whether it is accurate or "useful" in a broader sense or not, or whether it's even being utilized is another story-- but this is nothing new. The only thing new is the means of which the information is being sent, and in this age, that often means smart phones, TV, social media, Internet. And change is scary, sure, especially change of the magnitude the Technological Revolution has brought about. But it is so easy to pin the blame of seemingly new societal problems on millennials, who consume this new technology the most, or the technology itself without examining the cultural context it exists within. While it's true that people were recently arrested for brawling in line to get the new iPhone, this seems to me to be a symptom of a larger problem present in our society (rampant consumerism, normalization of violence, etc.)-- not the problem itself. And in my own experience, I have seen technology give a voice to those who do not usually have one in our society and help spread information that subverts harmful cultural messages many of us have internalized. I hardly think this signals the end of society as we know it.

As for the old man in the Starbucks line, he took out his own phone before I had a chance to take out mine. He thought I would also be interested in seeing pictures of his dog.

Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section.

Stay classy,

Caitlin.

Dave's Favorite Writers 1

I enjoy reading. I have learned a lot from reading challenging writers. Let me tell you about some of my favorite writers.

I used to read a lot of science fiction. I have read and enjoyed the work of the classic writers of the field, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, etc. But many of my favorite SF writers are ones that are more obscure.

One of my all-time favorite SF writers is Stanisław Lem. Lem wrote delightful books that enthralled me. He wrote very intelligent, clever stories filled with a love of language, logic, puzzles and whimsy. The Cyberiad is a wonderful book, telling the stories of two friendly rival inventor robots, who travel the universe getting into all sorts of odd and unlikely adventures. The Cyberiad is appropriate for all ages, but Lem wrote novels for adults as well. He has been poorly served by movies, at least in America. Solaris, starring George Clooney, was based on his book, but don't let that prejudice you against him. The book has little resemblance to the movie. The Congress, starring Robin Wright, is loosely based on Lem's The Futurological Congress. I'm sure the resemblance of the two will be tenuous.

Another of my favorite obscure SF authors is Lucius Shepard. Shepard is well-regarded, having won many awards in the field. He writes in an extremely dense, rich, flowing, prose style that I find quite beautiful to read. The strength and beauty of his sentences is breathtaking. His stories are brutal and gripping, often set in very dangerous locations, depicting the underclass of the world. His muscular, powerful prose takes you on unflinching tours of the unglamorous lives of the underprivileged, and he concocts fantastic scenarios of first-rate imagining. His best-known series is probably the Dragon Griaule series, a series of stories concerning a mile-long, 750-foot-high dragon, paralyzed from an ancient battle. I find his writing endlessly compelling.

It seems I have gone on too long. That's what happens when you get me going on some of my favorite subjects. I have many more writers I planned to talk about. I'll have to save them for future blogs. Here's this week's fun cartoon.



Peace,

Dave Roel.
Perfection may not be attainable in this life, but that's no reason not to strive for it.
- Scott McCloud

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Daily Playlist

All over campus people have earbuds in. I see music as a vital part of college life. Music is what get's me through the day. I ride my bicycle to school everyday and music is something I simply cannot do without. Here's a list of 6 songs that get me through the day.

1. The song I wake up to everyday is entitled "At the Bottom of Everything" by Bright Eyes. The song conveys a message that the problems of modern America, but since you can't change them you have to deal with them as best as you can.

2. On my way to school I like something to help me ride as fast as I can. A perfect song for this is "It Feels Alright" by Black Lips. This song is fueled by it's grungy garage rock sound with psychedelic flavor added in.

3. After my first class on monday when the sun hasn't quite emerged through the clouds I like to listen to "Just Another Diamond Day" by Vashti Bunyan. This song has a beautiful flute intro and Vashti Bunyan's voice has an angelic quality to it that is superb.

4. Before I head to my Chorale class I like to relax with a litle bit of the German Psychedelic/industrial band named Can. The song I like to listen to is "Vitamin C". If you look for a meaning in the lyrics you will not find one because the lead singer's lyrics are often improvised.

5. At any point in the day I will listen to the song "Gently Tender" by The Incredible String Band. They are my personal favorite. The song connects the two themes of love and Mother Earth.

6. I like to end my school days with a little bit of folk. What would be a better choice than Monsters of Folk? (a member of the group is Conor Oberst who happens to perform under the name Bright Eyes who I mentioned earlier in the list). "The Sandman, the Brakeman, and Me" is the song I choose. The song is about a train and the very true statement "whatever will be will be".

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Who Do You Add On Facebook?

Who do you add on Facebook? You add friends and family members. Who else? Do you add co-workers? Do you add classmates you probably don’t want as friends? Old friends you never see anymore? Do you add friends of friends? Acquaintances like your yoga teacher? Where do you draw the line?

Does a Facebook friendship mean anything? Is it just something polite to do, like a handshake? Does it imply any obligation to get involved in someone’s life? Is it an invitation to yours?

Perhaps it simply says you matter to me. We may not know each other well, but, for however briefly we crossed paths, for however slightly our lives brushed against each other, you had a small impact on my life, and I want to acknowledge that.

Networking can be valuable. Sooner or later, something always comes up that we might need help on. Sometimes we need advice on something. Sometimes we need to know something. Somebody out there might know. If you ask a question, and you have thirty people on your friends list, perhaps you’ll get lucky and someone will know. If you have six hundred people on your friends list, the odds are better that someone will know exactly the answer you’re looking for.

Whatever business or career we may end up in, chances are we will be providing some kind of service to others, either as an independent operator, or through the company that employs us. That means that no matter what else, being on Facebook serves as a de facto advertisement. With six hundred people on our friends list, that’s a lot of potential clients.

I’ll add anyone. You never know, someone completely unexpected may have exactly the right answer, tell you something you never knew, connect you with exactly the right resource, or give you something that might change your life. Stranger things have happened.

Peace,

Dave Roel.
In each person there is a priceless treasure that is in no other.
- Martin Buber

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Campus Confusion


Campus Confusion
As an incoming freshman to Fullerton College, the experience is new and exciting. I really like the  campus and the area surrounding it. I love all the old red rooftop buildings, and the grassy areas where you can relax on a blanket or read a book for a while.  It is easy to navigate across campus. I also noticed the campus is very clean and safe. The only real problem I have is when I tell people where I am going to college.

When I tell my friends and relatives where I am going to school, I say, Fullerton College. Naturally, they think Cal State Fullerton. Then they go on and on about what a great school it is and how they’re so glad I got in! This makes for an awkward situation. There are a few ways I can go about this situation. I can either correct them and make them feel like complete idiots or, for fear of insulting them, I can pretend someone is calling my name and walk away.

I don't think Fullerton College gets enough recognition for what they do or who they are. I  want people to understand that I’m going to Fullerton College for a reason. When people go to junior college some assume it’s because they didn't get into a four year university, but I decided on Fullerton College because of their renowned music program.

Out of all 109 junior colleges in the state that offer a degree in music, Fullerton College is ranked #1. Over 4,000 students every semester study one of the 80 music classes offered on campus. Fullerton College also offers a unique transfer program to get into Berklee School of Music in Boston. Other than that, they sponsor the biggest high school jazz festival in the Western United States, a high school choral festival, and a piano ensemble festival. I’ve tried different things to make myself more clear about where I’ll be studying in the fall, but they have all failed. I eventually just got used to it and let people believe that I’m brilliant because they think I got into Cal State Fullerton.

Stay informed to stay cool
Liam Harder

Monday, September 23, 2013

Fitness and health

Physical fitness is an important area of life. Certainly we aren't all athletes, and we don't all need to be measured against swimsuit models. (Even they don't really look like that.) But it is our responsibility to keep ourselves in a healthy, energetic, pain-free body that supports us in our efforts to work and live in the world.

Not everyone likes or can afford to be members of gyms, but one can stay active without needing any equipment. Walking, jogging or performing simple body weight exercises can be excellent ways to stay active. Consider taking the stairs when possible. Consider converting to a standing desk at your home study area, rather than a sitting desk.

Food is as passionately held a topic as politics and religion is for people, I find. Food is a topic that generates a great deal of emotional responses when the subject is brought up. It's hard to get people to alter long-standing habits of eating. But food and nutrition is critically important to our health and well-being, and we need to be mindful of the quality of our food. A diet of fast food, soft drinks and candy is a poor pattern of eating, and the consequences of it will eventually catch up with us. Let us be mindful of our eating patterns, and begin to make healthier choices. Our bodies will thank us, in the long run.

We would all be better off with greater knowledge of the principles of maintaining and enhancing our health and vitality. I have a list of recommended sites that would start you off, if you're just beginning to learn about this topic. Just ask me. Our bodies are our lifetime homes, and keeping it fit and healthy will provide us with a solid foundation on which we can build our happy, successful lives.

Peace,

Dave Roel.
What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place?
- Winston Churchill

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Goodbye Summer,

          and hello autumn! I, for one, cannot be more excited. I mean, I'm gonna miss the sun, the surf, the sand, but to trade that in for big sweaters, hot cocoa, and finally some RAIN? Yes please. Yesterday marked the end of summer, with today as the first official day of fall. Man, whoever deemed today as the first day was right on the ball, with today's temperature at a breezy 64 degrees. 
          Before you know it,  Halloween decorations are going to be up, Starbucks is going to bring their pumpkin spice lattes back out, and then the holidays will be near. Oh you think that's crazy. "It's only September, what do you mean holidays? December is so far away!" Maybe so, but Halloween decorations are coming out on sale, and soon after, pumpkin-scented candles and based turkeys will be in store, and then Christmas, and then New Years. It is so much closer than you think. I KNOW, UNBELIEVABLE, RIGHT?
          Okay, I know, I'm over-excited. I've just been waiting for the holidays since APRIL, and I'm getting a little carried away here. Don't let me affect you! Because the closer we are to the holidays, the closer we are to our finals and the end of our classes. So we have to stay on top of our game here.

          Speaking of, I took my very first college exam this Tuesday and crap I felt so jittery. In high school, when you take your first test of the semester, it's different. It doesn't weigh down quite so hard because you know you have a safety net, of whatever other homework and classwork and quizzes you were assigned. So if you do badly on the test, you still have the other grades to put in to weigh it out. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT LAST TUESDAY. IT WAS MY FIRST EXAM EVER AND I HAD NO OTHER GRADE TO BALANCE IT. Goodness talk about nerves. All I could think was that if I got an F then my grade in the class would be an F and I almost couldn't concentrate. I was too busy freaking out and then trying to calm myself down thinking about how my wardrobe would shift with the temperature.
          Don't be like me! Don't get carried away with the season and the holidays and let it distract you! 
          With that said, happy first day of autumn (= Have a good one, FCers, & I'll be back!

Joy ☼

Saturday, September 21, 2013

...... It's fourth week??

I say that both with disbelief and with exhaustion. Everyone I’ve talked to is already low on motivation, and there’s only twelve weeks left to go.

Which… doesn’t bode well for the rest of the semester.

But anyways. I feel obligated to make some kind of introductory post, so here it goes.

I’m Caitlin! I’m a second year, but I transferred to Fullerton College this year by way of UC San Diego. Which, as far as decisions go, I have absolutely no regrets, but I seriously miss lecture halls. I’m (tentatively) an anthro major and I intend to go into urban planning, but I’m probably going to end up teaching history. I can just feel it. I’m into a lot of things-- I listen to a lot of music and read whenever I can, and I like writing stories and songs, and playing different instruments. Lately I’ve been really into bass, which I’ve decided is probably for the best because most bassists kind of just stand around the stage while everyone else rocks out. I love movies and TV shows as well, and I’m starting to get back into video games thanks to Mass Effect. I also love analyzing them within a ~sociocultural context. I recently moved into my first apartment and it’s terrifying. It’s also amazing.

I realize I make it sound like I do a lot, but most of my time is actually spent working, sleeping, or gradually making my way through homework, and when I’m not doing that, I try to go to as many concerts and plays as I can. And when I’m not doing that, I’m either in a state of intense emotional turmoil over the final episodes of Breaking Bad or enjoying the benefits of living alone (which typically involves ignoring responsibilities, personal hygiene, and any form of social life in favor of Mass Effect).

I have no idea what the majority of my posts will be about-- probably some tie of pop culture with school-- but I’ll try my best to be interesting. Or at least relatable. Which usually begets interest, so either way I win.

Stay classy,


Caitlin Kelly

P.S. There's no way of blogging without sounding really self-indulgent, so we're all going to have to just deal with it. (◡ ‿ ◡ ✿)

Friday, September 20, 2013

Animation

Animation is one of my favorite artforms. It's a beautiful art, evocative and capable of great depth. Animation has a long, rich history of wonderful work. The beauty and sentiment of Disney can often be breathtaking, and the humor of the Warner Bros. cartoons and the anarchic madness of Tex Avery can be delightfully satisfying entertainments.

I remember spending much of my childhood watching Saturday morning and after school television cartoons, indiscriminately. The quality of the writing or the animation didn't matter — it was a cartoon, therefore it was worth watching. At the time, that meant a lot of Hanna Barbera, and mediocre adventure shows. But gradually, I developed some discrimination.

There has been a renaissance of animation since the Simpsons hit big. Today, animation is a solid presence on television, and there are specialized cable channels devoted to animation, both old and new. Animation is no longer considered as kid's stuff-it can be seen as worthy of respect.

In the movies, Pixar has become a juggernaut of quality movie-making. Their movies are both critical and commercial successes. And internationally, every industrialized country has its own animation industry. Japan in particular produces animation respected worldwide.

There are some great sources for one to follow the history and news of the artform of animation. Cartoon Brew is probably the best source for current news, and Comics Alliance also covers animation news. Animated Views covers news with podcasts, and Animation Scoop is a full online animation magazine. A little looking will turn up many more sites, of course.

From time to time, I'm going to post up a fun animated cartoon here. Here's one for this week.



Peace,

Dave Roel.
We would worry less about what others think of us if we realized how seldom they do.
- Ethel Barrett

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fast Time to Kill at Fullerton College


My Classes are spread throughout the day, but sometimes it will be only an hour or so, and it's not worth it to go home, then come right back. Now your stuck at school with a free hour. You can either wait around for your next class to start, or you can take advantage of the great resources the campus has to offer. 




I go to the library almost everyday before or after class wether I'm doing research, printing a paper or just working on an assignment. Like many other students, I don't own a printer. The Library offers a fast and efficient print system available to all students as long as they remember to bring quarters. The library offers places to set up your laptop, or other personal devices in  addition to, group study rooms and designated research areas. You can find out more about it here.




I have two classes that require one lab hour a week. The usual time I have between classes is about 30 to 45 minutes, so I can clock into the lab for a quick half hour, and then come back later to finish up my time. Before you go into lab you have to  make sure your class didn't let out early, or get cancelled. Otherwise the time you spend won't count. In the lab there is always an instructor on duty that can answer any questions you may have about your assignment, and provide you with the needed materials.




Classes are going on all throughout the week and they're being released at all different times of the day. For example, I have a  class that Starts at  1:20, and before that I have Men's Chorale. Lunch is in between these two classes. The cafeteria has many tasty and inexpensive options. They offer a wide variety of items with something for everyone. They have mexican food, a grill, pizza, a sandwich place, and a Jamba Juice all for a reasonable price.




As a Fullerton College student it is inevitable that you will go to the bookstore across the street from the campus. They have filtered water bottles, T-shirts, school supplies, and text books. They can also open up a print account for you so you don't have to use coins to print schoolwork all the time, and many other services. If you don't want to buy textbooks you can also rent them for lower prices. You can find out any additional information by clicking here.




You can kill time and be productive simultaneously, so why not? Being a student is a busy job, and there is always more work to do. You can even get a jumpstart on assignments or get some reading done. When these resources are available, you must take advantage of them.



Staying Informed is staying hip.




Liam Harder























Tuesday, September 17, 2013

What is important?

What is important? Everyone will have a different answer to that. Everyone has different tastes and interests, one's trash is another's treasure, de gustibus non est disputandum, etc. But I think there are some rock-solid universal areas that are important for everyone. Let me know if you disagree.

1. Everyone has a physical body, and it’s important to take care of it. Without your health, you don’t have much. No one wants to live in an unhealthy, pain-filled body. Health is something we can all agree is important.

2. Everyone needs financial security. No one wants to be homeless, begging for spare change for food. In order to live in this modern world, we all need some form of income.

3. Most everyone would agree that the other people in our lives are important — our relationships with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, significant others, etc. Few of us want to live isolated from others. Most of us want to have a healthy, supportive social system around us.

More or less, these three areas everyone can use as a starting point for identifying what is important in life. Everyone is going to have additional areas, of course. But these three are the minimum areas to pay attention to if we want to have a happy, fulfilling life.

(I note that there are some people who truly don’t care about some of these three things — they truly don’t care about the state of their bodies, or their finances, or their relationships. People like that do exist, and to them I say, Godspeed. Best of luck. Hope that works out for you. I’m probably safe in assuming that they aren’t reading this blog, tho.)

I’ll give more details in blogs to come.

Peace,

Dave Roel.
Be true to yourself, know who you are, then commit to a lifestyle that supports your inner balance and well-being.
- Annelie H. Pelaez

Monday, September 16, 2013

Welcome Back!

          And just like that, our fourth week has begun. I don't know about you, but to me, it feels like we just finished our first and now we're on our second. Before you know it, we're probably gonna be finishing the semester! 

          Well this is four weeks late, but welcome back FCers! Unless you're a first-year like me, then welcome to the FC Student Blog. If you guys are going to be reading this thing, I guess I should provide a little insight on myself, right? Maybe it's just me, but I usually like to know a little bit about the person I'm reading from. 


          Where to begin...
My name is Joy Sun and people really like to make puns with my name, which I don't mind. I just turned 18 two days ago--I know, still a baby compared to the rest of you--I'm an English major, I really dig my TV shows, and really, really good music. But nobody likes most of the music I listen to so I won't get into that. I'm also undecided about where to transfer (if you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them!) and I really like to write. And I hope you guys like to read! I hope to never be boring (if my posts get slow or dull, feel free to let me know. Just keep in mind I am a beginner, and hopefully I'll get better with practice! So yes, I am a first-year, and fresh out of high school. That's Rowland High School, for the curious ones. So since I've been a college student for three whole weeks, things are definitely new to me. 

         For starters, wow the buildings are so much prettier here than my high school. I mean, okay not the 1900 building (1901-1904) but that library? Goodness. I thought it was the main office or something really big and important--not that libraries aren't--because it just blew me away. Yeah I know UCs and other colleges have much more breathtaking buildings but it was a big deal for me! Also, my high school was under construction when I graduated so everything was dirt and rocks and hideous and half of it wasn't even like a school just like a construction site. So yeah, I was standing there on the steps of the library, and I was just like, "well I am definitely not in high school anymore." It was awesome. 
          Also, if I don't come to class or I come late, they won't call my parents? Okay I knew that one years before I started college, but I remember I'd get that dreaded recorded phone call saying I was late to class when I walked in a second after the BELL RANG. I bet you guys don't remember that either huh, when bells rang? I've only been here for so long and I already almost don't. God this freedom is invigorating. Not that I'm going to abuse that freedom, I love most of my classes.  

          For now, I haven't experienced any huge "wow so this is what college is like compared to high school" moments, but when I do, I'll be sure to let you know. I'm saying goodbye for now, because don't wanna overwhelm you guys right on my first post with my banter. But rest assured, I'll be back!

Joy ☼