The Write Way to Make it Through

Here at Indiana Wesleyan University, we have a running joke that everybody's in on. Actually, we have a few of them. Like the one about the tree in front of our communications building that produces berries that smell like vomit. Or how the food in our cafeteria is ALWAYS better on visit days. But, the biggest one of all (even bigger than the puke tree) is called World Changers.

World Changers is a class that all freshman and transfer students have to take their first semester on campus. And you have to pass it to graduate. Don't get me wrong, it's not a hard class by any means. But some might make a feasible argument that it's less than practical.

A nice way to say pointless.

Let's look at the evidence, shall we? I took it. Passed it. Got an A as well. And do I know how to change the world like the name of the class implies? Not really. And if I do, I don't think it's because I did 10 hours of community service or watched The Book of Eli like was required in the syllabus.

As far as I can tell, that class did nearly nothing for me other than help to raise my GPA. And you know what? I'm OK with that right now. Because I need every single ounce of the 4.0 credit I got from that class. Why? Because college is stepping up its game. Classes are harder and it's not as easy to pull an A as it was first semester.

But first semester did help me prepare for second semester. Much more so than high school prepared for college. That's something that ticked me off after I took a step back and intensively evaluated America's educational system over Christmas break (kind of). I had no clue what I was doing first semester, and high school should have given me a clue. I'm not the only person I know who thinks that.

So I try. And I try. And I try to figure out how to do this crazy college thing some more. I've learned how to write so that professors will like it (whether it's how I really want to do it or not), I've learned when I have to read for a class and when I don't, and I've learned how to write a paper for one class while sitting in another. It took some bad grades, some sleepless nights; some redone papers, but I think I have a decent idea of how not to flunk out of college.

No thanks to World Changers.

Holding onto Hope

This blog post started out with good intentions. I was going to make a list of the top ten things football fans can do on Sunday afternoons this Fall if the player's union and the owners don't come to an agreement in time to play games. Here's the depressing part: I don't think they're going to get anything done. Honestly, it seems like both sides are ok with playing a very dangerous game of chicken. One that will end up in a crash that leaves nobody happy and everyone hurt.

So yeah, a top 10 list of funny things to do to pass time might be useful. Especially if that list includes seeing how many Snuggie infomercials you can watch before you cave in and buy one, and catching up on all the episodes of Fear Factor that you missed in the '90s when you were doing useful things instead.

But then I actually started typing said list. I actually put myself in the frame of mind where there was no football on Sundays, Sunday nights, Mondays, Thursdays, and whatever other nights NFL Network decides to deem an appropriate "football night." I started thinking about what it would be like if there was no breakdown of all the craziness that happened the day before on Mondays. I started wondering what it would be like if we didn't obsess over fantasy stats all throughout the week, and start mentally picking our lineups on Wednesday afternoon.

I didn't like those thoughts. Honestly, they scared me.

Sure, it might sound dumb or melodramatic, but guess what? I guarantee I'm not the only one thinking these things. You don't want the NFL to cease playing games either, because even if you're not someone who shudders at the thought of football-less Sunday afternoons, you know someone who is, and they're not gonna stop complaining about it until they hear Gus Johnson's sweet voice calling CBS's B-games.

So forgive me if I don't churn out yet another top-10 list; another distraction from a NFL-less world; an attempt in vain to do something other than think about football, or a lack thereof.

I'm not gonna think about it until I absolutely have to.

An Unfortunate Ending

Some people say that they're destined to die by fire, drowning, spiders, or some other irrational fear. Not me. Because I know that midterms are going to be the death of me.

I am literally in the process of getting over the flu and bronchitis, and now I have to get ready for several tests, papers, and projects, all while balancing the everyday life of a college communications student. And yes, in case you were wondering, it's a lot harder to be a comm major than just a regular student.

First of all, I have a Twitter to keep updated (@jeremysharpie, follow me), next I have a blog that I'm trying to stay up to date with and get hits on (thank you, by the way for being a statistic toward my goal of 300 hits this month). Also, as a journalism student, I have to keep tabs on any new releases about new rules by the AP Style book. Next, I check Fox News every morning for a list of things I should hate. And finally, it is my duty as a communication student to self-promote myself as much as possible, so here goes...

Twitter: @jeremysharpie
Facebook: Jeremiah Sharp
Blog: theanonymoussource.blogspot.com (but you already know that, obviously)
Work: www.iwusojourn.com

Read all of them and comment. Please and thank you and have a nice day :)

Taking a Sojourn

I have the fly. First time in my life I can say that. Awesome, I can officially cross it off my bucket list. To make things better, I also have bronchitis. And as a result of all this, I decided to take the week off of working for the newspaper. Believe me, I didn't want to. Especially since I didn't write anything for the paper last week because my story fell through. After appearing in The Sojourn nearly every week all throughout my freshman year, going two straight weeks without a byline is not going to be fun.

And it gets even better.

Spring break is coming up, next week actually. So after two straight weeks of not writing for the paper, we get a week off of school. No paper then either. So I'm going to go almost a full month without writing like I always have. The way it's in my blood. The way that's second nature to me.

At first, I was embarrassed of myself; ashamed that I was letting this happen. But then, I realized that I might really need this break. I've been talking (complaining?) about how I feel my writing has gotten a little stale. What better way to fix that problem than take a mental break from what can be a strenuous job.

So there you go. That's my plan. I'm going to take a break. Give my mind a rest; give my notepad a break. And when I come back, I'm going to be healthy, relaxed, refreshed, and better than ever.

Bouncing Back

The last week has been worse than terrible. I was just informed that I have had the flu and bronchitis for about 10 days straight. This has made working (working well, more specifically) much harder than normal. I was dismissed from a meeting at work because I was sick. This week will most likely be the second straight week I've contributed absolutely nothing to The Sojourn, partially because a story fell through, and now because I'm under the weather. Two days ago, I submitted what was probably the worst draft of a paper I have ever done. So I get to rewrite it entirely tonight and a storyboard to go along with it by my 7:50 morning class tomorrow.

But guess what? I'm going to get it all done. I'm going to bounce back. I'm going to finish that paper and that storyboard all tonight after my night class. I'm going to rock that test I have tomorrow, and the one I have on Thursday. I'm going to write the best article I ever have for The Sojourn when I start up again.

Why? Not because I think I can. Not because I think I will. But because I have to.