First Day of School!!!- August 26, 2013

Self-explanitory. I totally felt like this this morning.

So I did get up on time for my 8am class today, and also was able to sufficiently not completly disturb my sleeping roommate, grab a good breakfast, and get to class on-time.

Too bad I left my schedule in my room.

It turned out fine though: I knew the building, just not the room number, and there were other kids there that did know where we were supposed to be, so everything turned out well.

Also, I had a nice thought as I was walking out to breakfast this morning... USC is a lot like Disneyland, in some ways. What reminded me of it in particular was how clean and fresh the campus was in the morning, likely thanks to people working through the night to get things back to normal. The stage from the comedy show was gone, as well as all the tents that had surrounded it: just like that. The ground had been water-rinsed/washed with those power hoses, even the flowers seemed newer. They might've been planted new for all I know. There's a lot of work that goes into this campus, even for those who aren't students. You could also make the comparison of the students (aka: cast members) working their butts off as the staff and faculty (aka: the big bosses) work hard to keep the reputation and good name of the company school.

Anyways, I did find my way into Acting 101 and I already LOVE it! My professor is an incredible woman named Mary Joan Negro. She's done so much professional work and has had an incredible career. She's also super sweet and very, very intelligent. I'm going to learn a ton! I already have on just the first day!

More than just acting stuff: In college, it's ok to call professors by their first name. Also, professors swear in class... and it's ok... whaaat?!?

After acting, my friend Matt and I rushed over to the Technical theater lab, where normally, we'll have a lab that goes with the production class we're both in. Turns out there was no lab this week, so instead I went back to Starbucks for a snack, since I knew I was going to have a late lunch.
Say whatever you want about the freshman fifteen, but I am SO glad I went! The line was super long to get to the front, but I was standing behind a man who looked... like faculty or a professor of some sort. He was well-built, wearing a red shirt that had something about ROTC on it. I struck up a conversation with him because a) I was curious about what his shirt meant and what he did for the army area of campus, and b) what else are you going to do while waiting in line? I already knew what I wanted!
Turns out he had been a Theater major in college too. He did television and production for the army, combining his two passions into one, and has also produced on and off-broadway, and worked at Universal Studios for a time. I told him about how I wanted to work at Disney, and he encouraged that, but also encouraged I try Universal Studios: it's much closer and has a lot of character work as well. Our conversation ended with me getting his business card and an invitation to send him my resume sometime; he's working on producing some new stuff and he'd like to see it.

Yeah. I know. My mind is being blown too. It was over 12 hours ago now and I still can't believe it. What kind of a place is this?! Everyone's a superstar of some kind!!!

I ate my snack very peacefully in front of the Doheny Library before going back to the dorm and running some errands to the bookstore and Drama Center. I was working on some to do list stuff and organization in my dorm room when Jinny came back from her class, so we went to lunch together around 2 at EVK. It was a late lunch, but still fun! I'm really enjoying getting to know her and spend time with her. And Jinny, if you're reading this, then... yes. I am really enjoying getting to know you. Sorry to be the weird roommate and tell you over blog...

My next class was a Philosophy class. I've never taken a philosophy class before, but I know the general stuff that's asked in philosophy, so I wasn't feeling too naive. As I climbed up the stairs to get to the third floor of the building (where the class was), I started to hear some really loud music being blasted from above me. I'm not sure what genre it was, but it sounded like a strange mid-category between death metal and hard rock and light rock. I have no clue. My first two thoughts were "Why is music playing?" and "Wouldn't that be funny if it was coming from my class?"

Guess where it was coming from?

Turns out it had no real reason to be there either. But it fit the personality of my professor. He's got a biting sense of humor and a quick mind and tongue. When I say quick mind and tongue I mean that he both thinks fast, can articulate his thoughts in a good way fast, and he also tends to talk fast when he's on a roll. Nevertheless, I like him.

The class is going to be pretty challenging, I can tell. There are weekly assignments about sections from our textbook (which, he didn't tell us about until today, so hopefully my Amazon order worked...), two papers, I'm not sure what kind of answers he's looking for in our responses and assignments (I'll ask during his next office hours, don't worry), and to top it all off, our first topic is the existence of God. Great.
While doing my homework for the class tonight, I made the following observation:

King's kids, Listen closely: TKA is a great school, but it is teaching you how to defend your faith, not how to argue for it. Pay attention in Bible class and do extra research. It will pay off when you're taking a philosophy class like this.

After class, I met up with Jinny again, got some more to do list stuff straightened out, and then we went to dinner at the only cafeteria we hadn't tried before: Cafe 84. Comparing it to the other cafeterias.... It's alright. It's the best for desserts, by far, and also for breakfast-for-dinner options, but at the same time, I'm not sure if the crepes it serves are good or not. There have been many mixed reviews... The actual dinner had it's highs and lows. I think Parkside is my favorite.

Then, Jinny wanted to find the CVS, so we went on quite a walk and off-campus to find it. It's not too far away, and I was able to get a few things I'd been missing that weren't worth my mom bringing all the way from home when I see her next, so that was nice!

We walked back, I worked on homework, some girls from the Intervarsity Christian group came by and chatted with us, and... that's about it. I finished my philosophy homework... even though it was difficult, but I'm still working on the assignment for the Acting class. I have until Wednesday, but it's... a bit of a personal thing, which is difficult. We're supposed to choose a passage from something that means something to us. We'll be reading them in class Wednesday. Mary Joan suggested not doing a monologue from a play, since the tendency would be to act it. She wants us to simply read it, and it has to mean something to us, whether it reflects what we believe, or something about us, etc. I'm currently going between 5 passages, but can't decide which I like the most. I have tomorrow to consider it.

Oooh!! That was the other thing!!! I got to explore the Doheny Library today!!! It is absolutely beautiful. I love it!!!

Well, that's all for today, folks. Hope all your days were wonderful!!! I want to hear about all the other first days of school that happened today!! And as always, Fight on.