Day Two - 08/20/09

Wake up at nine to go to my micro-seminar at ten. Micro-Seminar is sort of like a mini two day class about subjects ranging from string theory to alfred hitchcock. I chose one called Group Collaboration, a look into how creativity works and how it functions in a group dynamic. I figured it would be good to know for my major...nope. The professor, while speaking about the most creative people and things in human history, couldn't have been more dull and unenthusiastic. I was supremely disappointed. I thought it was going to be a fun two day course with exciting activities...and I think it could have been with the students that I met in the room. But the professor was a total dud and couldn't get excited about anything. We were bored out of our minds. Left that to go to lunch at EVK (Everybodies Kitchen) and meet some people. As I scoured the room for someone to sit with, I flashed back to all the horrible teen movies I'd seen with this exact scene in it. It usually ends with someone calling the person over to sit with them. Instead, I called a girl I had met the day before to ask where she was sitting. I came over and was discouraged to discover all the kids talking with one other person, me the odd one out. I tried to enter different conversations and couldn't. I began to feel isolated and alone. As if everyone had somone but me. I left to go to the job fair to...find a job. I put in applications at many places and began to get a little freaked about the college experience. I didn't want to work at a job and go to classes! When would I have time for fun? Or friends? Or food? Or filmmaking? I wanted to explore LA, go to the beach, go to parties, meet people, play music, be in a Frat, and go to USC events. I remembered my time working at Fred Meyer and how often I would be working when something fun was happening and I would miss out. I began to imagine horrible visions of everyone having fun, meeting their potential, and networking without me. I texted my old high school friend Katrina and asked her to meet me at the poster sale to talk. She did and we shopped for five minutes before I had to run off to a financial awareness meeting. We didn't talk much, but it was nice to see a familiar face. One that liked me and could be there for me, should I need it. The financial aid meeting freaked me out as well. It made life seem like one big coupon count, saving a penny here or there to get by. It put life as a student in perspective. I am poor and have no income. I do not know how to not live richly because I have always felt entitled to such a lifestyle. Such entitlement must cease. And yet, I still don't want to order off the dollar menu. The day continued with events from USC that had lines spanning half the length of campus and a much better tasting dinner at Parkside with someone I just met. I feel good walking everywhere, and I think I'm eating better than usual...or at least, in smaller portions. I'm hoping to lose 15 pounds this year, rather than gain. I'll keep you updated. Met up with a bunch of SCA kids to go buy tickets for Inglourious Basterds, the new Tarantino flick. We decide against it and instead head over to the pool for a Dive-In Movie. The pool looks crowded so we head over to our beautiful new buildings, with their Lucas and Spielberg wings, and play musical chairs. We have no music so we sing instead, musical numbers from "I'm on a Boat" to "Cell-Block Tango" to "Twinkle twinkle little star" to "I want it that way," just to name a few. We are kicked out of the courtyard for being too loud and head over to party in the lounge in Pardee tower (ha ha). Someone thought it would be a good idea to cram all 22 of us into an elevator...we go up to the second floor and then fall five feet to rest quietly between the two floors. We are crammed into the tiny space and its already quite hot out. We call the operator who calls the fire department. We wait, play an icebreaker, keep calm, and have some fun while we wait to be rescued by the LAFD. We all bond quite nicely over the event and have created a facebook group for those on the elevator to keep in touch. Interesting first full day. Many contrasts, many firsts, many changes.