Present Joys

I didn’t have any class on monday because of the holiday, but tuesday started out with a bang: part two of substitute-teacher-fun with Chris. I made a bunch of random things, including a ring made from my old car tire. After that, I went to friendship lunch, then over to Mr. Burleigh’s office where we talked to Jen about her upcoming business trip, and prayed over her. Senior ad went by quickly even though we didn’t get much done. We are in a chaotic figuring-out-what-our-projects-will-be-about stage.) I didn’t want to stick around for my last class, History of 2-d, but I couldn’t bring myself to skip (of course).

Wednesday afternoon, I had motion graphics. Unfortunately, I was very sick, making it hard to pay attention and understand what people were saying. Mercifully, motion graphics is something of a zoo and I didn’t really have to pay attention very hard. I took a picture of Anna eating a sandwich and another picture of John and Julia looking angrily at the camera.

It was cold cold cold on thursday morning in jewelry. Our regular teacher, Anne, was back from her trip, and we spent the whole class time on a crit. It was so cold in the jewelry lab, we were forced to wear our winter coats indoors, huddled around a lone space heater. After jewelry, I met Marcia Tabler for a delightful lunch in LCC 306. She gave me me a lot of help about my thesis project. I continued to have scintillating, helpful conversations in Senior Ad: one with Mr. Mohr about thesis, and another with Tay and Jen about our One Show 2014 project. History of 2-d Design, which closed out the school week, was pretty dull, but afforded me plenty of knitting time.

Editor’s note: I’ve been keeping a weekly digest of my schooltime activities since sophomore year. As I begin my final semester, I’m going to try being a little less cursory. Here we go!

I started out my final semester at 3:30pm on monday afternoon; I got distracted talking to Evan and Theresa at the Crane Café and didn’t leave myself any time to walk upstairs to Motion Graphics. By the time I walked in (with Julia and Anna), the teacher had already started talking, and the room lights were off and it was a little awkward. Despite all the drama, it was fantastic to see a bunch of my friends who were also registered for the class. Once our teacher realized that most of us didn’t actually have After Effects installed on our computers, he let us leave very early. After that, I killed some time with my peeps.

Tuesday morning saw me back in the jewelry lab. I cut a cap R out of plexiglass as part of my first assignment. Then, friendship lunch at the Hills! After lunch, I went back to Senior Ad, which was positively packed full of people. Mr. Mohr used up most of our three-hour period lecturing about projects (specifically: THESIS), leaving me both overwhelmed and excited (mostly: EXCITED). It was just good to be back with so many people I love.

After that, I went to History of 2-d Design—a required class I should have taken years ago—held in Circle Hall, once home to the illustration department, now home to liberal arts. Though the building has been painted and minimally remodeled, it retains a signature dank smell and total lack of windows. It was pretty weird to take a history class there (the class itself was unremarkable). We’ll see whether it turns out to be engaging or boring.

Wednesday afternoon, I drove to school for 3:30pm Motion Graphics. Though it was very odd to “start school” at 3:30pm, once I was there, I got into it. This felt like our true first class because after an unproductive monday class, Mr. Lutz moved us into a classroom that was an actual computer lab. This class ought to be great because it is full of people I enjoy and everybody seems to be keepin’ it breezy.

Thursday in Jewelry, Chris substituted for our usual teacher, Anne, who is out of town until next week. Jewelry with Chris was lots of fun, as you might imagine. I took apart an old bracelet of my great-grandmother’s and set one of its charms in a ring. I’d forgotten to pack a lunch, so I treated myself to an expensive salad, which I ate peacefully in the school library. After that, I went to Senior Ad, where I started working on a project for the 2014 One Show with a new team. We brainstormed concept ideas on the steps outside our classroom; Mr. Burleigh came out and visited with us for a while.

The week came to an anticlimactic conclusion with History of 2-d Design, where our teacher lectured on illuminated manuscripts. And that was that! One week down, fifteen to go. It’s a terrifying proposition.

• Tuesday morning, I took 40 minutes to get downtown because of the snow. Jewelry was laid-back; we had a crit for our final project (tea infusers) that lasted the whole period. After that, I met up with Dorian, Don, and Ian for friendship lunch at the Grass Skirt.
• At 12:30pm, I went to Senior Ad, which consisted of licorice and a long, wide-ranging conversation about the senior thesis project we will be doing next semester.
• Wednesday morning, we had presentations in Brand and Market Development. Our teacher brought props, and I brought my accordion so I could play a song for my friends’ presentation. Apparently, this was very popular on Instagram. I also gave Anna a mixtape I’d made to answer the one she’d given me. A nice morning!
• Wednesday afternoon in History of Cinema, we had a very schismatic discussion about The Hurt Locker (last week’s screening), then took a final exam. In hindsight, I probably studied more than was necessary.
• Thursday was the coldest school day of the entire year—and one of the most unusual! I got to school around 9am, in time to pick up my jewelry final. I crashed at the school library for a few hours to work, and at 12:30pm, I went to my very last Senior Ad class of the semester. Mr. Mohr used 80 minutes of class time to play a documentary about people doing weird things with their dead pets.
• After the documentary, Mohr took all our portfolios away for final review and grading. Left with a few hours to kill, a bunch of us walked over to the Grass Skirt, where we hung out for a while. Faced with even more time to kill, Theresa, Karl, Evan, and I, had dinner at the Little Palace.
• At 6pm, Theresa and I got into the Kinney Hall photo studio where she shot portraits for me for three hours. (I think we got some really good stuff! But T wouldn’t let me see much.) We finished up the night by visiting Evan’s apartment, where we listened to Thriller on his vintage turntable and watched “Antiques Roadshow”. A good time was had by all.
• Friday morning, we had our final Thurber House client presentation, which ended up tanking. But it was okay because Jim Johnson ended up liking me. I gave everyone hugs and then we were done. For now.

• I spent all of tuesday morning’s jewelry class participating in long-winded, open-ended fine art critiques—a thing I am not accustomed to and do not enjoy.
• Went crazy trying to prepare my work to submit to the American Advertising Awards. Thankfully, Mr. Lutz left very detailed notes. Printing and organizing documents consumed most of Senior Ad.
• For my last class of tuesday, industry professionals visited our Portfolio class to review our books. I got some good advice from Aschenbrand, which was a great, exciting thing.
• Wednesday was long: I started out with Brand and Market Development: uneventful, long, dull. Then, I did a little homework in the library during my lunch break, followed by History of Cinema, where we watched The Hurt Locker. I did not enjoy the film, but this may be due to the fact that I had a rat’s nest of yarn on my lap which I was trying to untangle in the dark auditorium.
• After Cinema, I headed to the jewelry lab and worked on my tea infuser project for a few hours, injuring myself with a burr in the process. At least the first aid kit had bandages this time…
• I finished out wednesday with yet another portfolio review thing at 7pm. Illustration and photo majors were supposed to join us and mingle, but very few of them showed up, so I ended up hanging out with friends.
• Thursday morning in jewelry, I participated in a few more critiques, then just continued to work on my final project and chatted with friends.
• Went sheet music shopping during my lunch break, then had a short Senior Ad class.
• Drove back down to school at 9:30pm to hear Jeremy Slagle speak to the Christian group on campus. Didn’t get home until after midnight. This week, man!
• Friday, I wore pyjamas to school, because, at this point, why not? It was a raucous time.

• Tuesday morning in jewelry, I delivered a half-hour-long presentation on enamel—the culmination of weeks spent practicing and studying the technique. After presentations, I frantically attempted to sprue and invest my wax-covered knitting in time for thursday casting.
• Worked through lunch and was late to my next class (Senior ad). I don’t think anyone missed me, though. Once I made it over to Crane for Ad, I promptly left to get some lunch. It was my first time visiting the CCAD cafeteria all semester; my foodservice friends were happy to see me and gave a ton of food. Then I went back to class and ate my lunch. By this point, it was already around 3pm.
• During my 3:30pm class (Portfolio), I did the work I ought to have done in my 12:30pm class. Julia and Anna were gone, so I actually got work done.
• Wednesday morning, we had presentations in Branding which lasted all three hours of class. It was pretty boring, but thankfully snapchat exists.
• Ate my lunch in the library, then headed to History of Cinema. We watched the 2002 film City of God. I was hoping it’d relate to Augustine somehow…)
• Thursday morning, we had more presentations in Jewelry followed by casting. Lots to do. I skipped lunch again.
• Enjoyed a visit from George Felton in Portfolio. He kept the class engaged for the whole three-hour period with scintillating remarks about résumés and cover letters.
• Friday morning during Branding, we gave a progress presentation to the Thurber House people. It went pretty well. There is a lot to do everywhere I look, but I’m staying on top of things and they’re turning out pretty good, so that’s good.