Voice

Sentimental Insomniacs

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:57:27 +0000

By Alysa Obert

The challenge facing students at the end of the year is twofold.

Our judgment is hindered by massive quantities of burnt coffee, cheap vending machine nutrition, and the dark circles engrained in our eyes.

The end always arrives sooner than expected, even for the classes we loathed. And we find the most eccentric professors deeply rooted in our hearts.

Elephant’s Stomp Alligators

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:55:26 +0000

This week has been particularly slow for me. On Saturday, my beloved Florida Gators fell to their new rivals, the Alabama Crimson Tide, in the SEC Championship Game. Now normally a single loss wouldn’t be such a big deal, yet this defeat was especially hard to swallow. So much was riding on this one game: it was the number one team, verse the number two team; it was Tim Tebow and Brandon Spike’s final game in the SEC; it was a perfect record verse a perfect record; it was for a birth to the NCAA Nation Championship game.

Even though so much was at stake on Saturday, the reason for my pain is not the loss per say, but the way in which Florida played. This team fought adversity all season long defending its number one position in the AP, Coach’s, and BCS Polls, yet could not defend Alabama’s dominant running game, or sporadic passing game. The supposed “nation’s best defense” gave up play after play to Alabama stars Mark Ingram and Greg Mcelroy. Even with the absence of Carlos Dunlap, I expected Florida to overcome one more obstacle.

Although in the grand scheme of thing this loss is of little importance, it still was hard to watch and even harder to accept the fact that my Florida Gators will not be in Pasadena for the National Championship Game. - Dan Castelline

Al…gaspmost… there!

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:54:07 +0000

Something about finals week, I always get sick. I call it the whine flu.

“There’s so much work to do… 27 pages of papers… 50 chapters of reading… 3 tests to study for….” and then I put on some B.B. King and mope and study.

This week has been a little bit like an enormous mountain, but I’ve almost reached peak. I can kind-of peep over the top and see winter break ahead.

That’s exciting. But, I’m not going to get ahead of myself. There’s hours of tests and studying ahead.

So, status as of right now: I’m looking forward to looking forward to freedom!

-Emily

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:52:57 +0000

Coming To A Close…

As this semester comes to a close, I find myself with many mixed feelings. We have spent the past months focusing all several forms are writing and media. When I was given an assignment, I quickly found myself going through the motions of looking at the requirements for the assignment, attempting to complete those requirements, then turning in the final product, and moving on to the next task. I am thankful for the things I have learned from my professors and from the assigned work, but in retrospect I wish I had reflected more on the reasons behind the assignments, while I was doing them. Writing and media are avenues that can be used to share truth and information to the masses. It’s not about the writer, it’s about the reader. As writers, it is our responsibility to share what we have learned and relay that information for the benefit of the readers.

-Amanda Whittet

Finals Week without Stress?

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:52:12 +0000

Somehow I managed to escape this semester with only two finals, a ridiculously not stressful, almost boring, finals week. Last year was hardly the same. I have faint, repressed memories of being buried under a 20-something pound biology book for several days straight, staring glassy-eyed at notecards whose contents I would never remember. Finishing the hardest final of my life thus far at approximately 9PM, and spending the next hour trying to chisel my way through the ice fortress surrounding my car. Two broken ice-scrapers later, triumphantly starting my car and beginning the 3 hour journey home to escape the sub-zero mid-Maine weather for three whole weeks.

It’s good to not be repeating history this year. This year, I got to wear shorts outside on December 3. This year, my drive home is 45 minutes so I get to help pick out a Christmas tree and make Christmas cookies and decorate the house before I’m even done with school. This year, I’m actually kind of sad to be leaving for a whole month. This year is good.

Now I’m sure I won’t slide by so easily every finals week. I don’t believe that the snow-gilded trees and holiday wreaths at Gordon magically took away my stress. But I do believe that I’m lucky to be here this year, and I will hold onto that.

-Gabrielle Witham

Pressure Relief

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:52:02 +0000

I’m sure a lot of people are going to say how what a huge relief it is coming to the end of the semester after all the pressure put on by their classes and deadlines. Or they might even say that they still feel under that pressure and that they minds are going crazy. I lay in that first camp because for the most part all my major projects are finished. But for those of you who are not used to the idea of stress and pressure from schoolwork, allow me to illustrate for you

Do you ever wake up in the morning, put your hand on your face and feel a bump right on your nose? As you get up and look in the morning you realize that you have a huge zit placed in the center of your face, and that you have a date tonight. You are in panic mode. Your date will spend the whole evening just glaring at your huge pimple as you try and distract him by talking about your love for studying North American cults. You decide you must take action. You squeeze and squeeze the pimple on the end of your nose. It hurts so much cause it’s not popping right away. Your fingers get numb and your nose is getting redder and redder from the agitation. Then finally… POP! You feel an immense amount of relief as you see the build up of grease and oil once underneath your skin now splattered across the mirror, sticking like a piece of soft spaghetti.

Pretty much, that’s how it feels to be done with this semester.

-Paul

Thank the Lord.

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:51:48 +0000

As unoriginal as it sounds, I’m happy for the semester to be over (obviously).

As much as I will miss writing papers, giving presentations, and extensive readings I retain nothing from, somehow I will find a way to enjoy the quiet of my New Hampshire home. Having my only obligation being showing up at work for a 7 to 3 shift will be a nice change of pace from the Gordon life I’ve been living the past few months full of meetings and deadlines.

I am also looking forward to leaving my seven girl apartment behind for a few weeks. As much as I do care for the girls I live with, it will be a nice break. Sometimes the constant company and ever present noise can be overwhelming. My personality is not one that relishes that atmosphere too much. To be at home, with only 4 people, will be a gift from God.

This semester was extremely stressful, not simply because of assignments, but many outside factors. Luckily, even those can take a time out for a few weeks and I can spend my days enjoying the snow and relaxing for a change.

Sorry for the insane predictability of this post.

- Jessica

Sentimental Insomniacs

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:10:12 +0000

By Alysa Obert

The challenge facing students at the end of the year is twofold.

Our judgment is hindered by massive quantities of burnt coffee, cheap vending machine nutrition, and the dark circles engrained in our eyes.

The end always arrives sooner than expected, even for the classes we loathed. And we find the most eccentric professors deeply rooted in our hearts.

Goodbye For Now

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:04:08 +0000

by Veronica Pierce

Next semester I am studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. I am looking forward to studying in another country and experiencing an entirely new culture. I feel strongly that extended exposure to another cultures value system and worldview will be beneficial to me as a communications major because it will enable me to appreciate another cultures worldview while still maintaining my own. I am eager to pack up my room and leave Gordon as I am awaiting a very exciting adventure that begins in less than a month.

Finishing the course

co211 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:00:21 +0000

I feel overwhelmed although I am finished. My body is drained and my thoughts are too fast to comprehend. Thinking back on the course I am happy with what I learned and how I learned it. I feel accomplished in my new knowledge of writing.

Lauren

Voice

Sentimental Insomniacs

Elephant’s Stomp Alligators

Al…*gasp*most… there!

Finals Week without Stress?

Pressure Relief

Thank the Lord.

Sentimental Insomniacs

Goodbye For Now

Finishing the course

Al…gaspmost… there!