Elizabeth's Blog

I live with three seniors. And my roommate already has a job. So even though I’m only a junior, barely halfway done with my college career, I keep thinking about life post-’SC. It’s a constant topic in my apartment. LSAT scores, grad school applications, starting salaries, moving to new cities, future plans, life goals, blah blah blah. It’s starting to drive me a little nuts, and I waver between two instinctive reactions (because that make sense, having two different instincts).

1) I’m jealous. Because they get to go on a new adventure, and start really living and functioning in the real world. College is excellent, but sometimes I get a little tired of being a student, and would like to be doing something already.

And 2) I’m terrified. Because the thought of  really living and functioning in the real world is slightly overwhelming. I suppose it wouldn’t be if I had some idea what I wanted to do, and well, I do have some idea. I’m pretty sure I want to go to med school. And I’m positive I don’t want to go right away. Which leaves me with at least 1, but probs 2, years to fill. Normally it wouldn’t be my style to figure out this early what I want to do with that time, but since it’s all people around me seem to talk about at the moment, I keep thinking about it. This is what I’ve decided so far: the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Basically take a vow of poverty, life a simple lifestyle, and serve the underprivileged. I’d like to teach. It’s on my list of things to do, and I think this could be a great way to do it, since I don’t have a certificate. Anyways, just a thought…

I skipped class today to go swimming. Ok, so I probs shouldn’t be sharing that with everyone, but I feel like skipping class every now and then is healthy and needed. And at least I made productive use of my time. I love swimming in outdoor pools. I’m from Washington, so the only time I ever swam outside was during the summer. Here it’s hot and sunny and the pool feels so refreshing. Well, sometimes it does. If I go during Varsity swim practice, I have to swim in the 25 yard pool which is heated because it’s also the dive tank. Then doing a set is kind of miserable. But seriously, the swim stadium is awesome. I feel so much more legit when I’m playing polo or swimming, knowing that Olympians have played/swum here too. I like to think it makes me go faster.

Last Thursday I had one of the greatest moments of my life. Ok, so that’s totally an exaggeration, but seriously it was up there. The best TV-related moment of my life is  a fair statement. I love Jeopardy! Seriously I think it’s the best show on TV.  I used to watch it by myself, but only if I happened to be home with nothing to do at 7 PM. But a few weeks ago, there I was, minding my own business, and calling out the answers as if Alex Trabec could actually hear me, when my roommate came in and started watching with me. Needless to say, she fell in love with it too, and we proceeded to ask our other roommate if she would TiVo it for us every day so we could watch it later when we didn’t have time. (Yes I am an engineering major and have no idea how to work a TiVo). She totally laughed at us, but programmed it anyways. Then she came out to laugh at us the next day, ended up sitting down, and totally getting into it. Now it’s been a few weeks and my entire apartment and usually a few other friends come to watch it with me. It’s awesome.

But anyways, to my favorite moment! My rule is, that when you see the Final Jeopardy category, you have to guess right away, before you see the clue. It’s just kind of funny to see what people come up with. Of course, we change our response as soon as we get the clue, but still. So anyways, last week, the category was Landmarks. Randomly, I throw out the Rock of Gibraltar. Everyone laughed at me. And then the clue showed up, the music played, the clock wound down, and I was right! It was unreal. I’ve probably guess at the Final Jeopardy category like that 100 times, and I’ve never gotten it. It was a big night.

Now here’s the deal, I promise my life isn’t actually so boring/pathetic that a successful night of Jeopardy is the highlight of my week. I just like to appreciate the little things in life.

I’ve discovered I really love to cook. I’m not great, and I’m lacking the like fun, experimental, natural ability that makes really good cooks. But I’m trying. I think mostly I like it because it’s like my calm, relaxing part of the day. I don’t have to use my brain, and no one (except my roommate) cares if the final product is crap because it doesn’t count for a grade. And the result is something actually worthwhile, unlike a statistics problem set.

Plus, let’s be fair, eating is pretty much my favorite hobby, so I get really excited about the food I’m making. Tonight I’m making marinated porkchops and scalloped potatoes. Straight comfort food, which is def what I need to get through this week. Probs some asparagus or brocolli to go with it, to be slightly healthy. I’m stoked.

Molecular Biology studying is killing me. It’s just so boring. I really enjoy Organic Chemistry much better, which is bizarre and probably blasphemy to some people. But whatevs, to each her own right?

I’ve been trying to study all weekend for my midterm tomorrow, but yesterday I went out for a 3 hour breakfast. (Julienne in Pasadena, in the Mission District. PHENOMENAL. Get the waffles.) Then I worked on some stuff not mol bio related, watched some of the game on TV (because I thought I was going to study), and then took a nap. By then it was 10:30 at night so I pretty much goofed around a bit with my roommate before going to bed. Today has not been much better. I spoke at the Multi-Faith Service at the United University Church and then went swimming and now here I am.

Guess I better stop writing and get started. Wish me luck.

Today I tried to call my credit card company, and I was told that they were closed due to a national holiday. Wondering what national holiday could possibly close the bank but not cancel class, I consulted my planner.

It’s Columbus Day.

And for once, I am glad that I have class when everyone else is at home, relaxing and not going to the bank. And I’m proud of USC for not cancelling class (even though I’m sure it was entirely un-motivated by political agenda). Because here’s the deal, Columbus Day shouldn’t be a holiday.

I’m taking an anthropology/history class for my GE requirement this semester called Native Americans and Public Policy. Needless to say, Columbus really isn’t the hero in this class. I mean, he was never my favorite before, but this class really hammered it home. Let’s think about this, when Columbus arrived on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti), 1) He didn’t have any idea where he was, and 2) He made a mess of things. So yes, I’m grateful the New World (which is totally wrong to say because it wasn’t new, there had been people here for 15,000 years) was discovered. Don’t get me wrong, I like it here. But, really, why should we honor a guy who landed here by mistake and then lead a brutal, racist attack on the indigenous people who had already laid claim to the land? When Columbus arrived in 1492, it is estimated that 10-18 million people were already living in North America alone. The population was larger in South America. And it’s not like Columbus just opened the door peacefully and everyone else was responsible for the smallpox and slavery and outright massacre of the Indians. Columbus himself, as Governor of Hispaniola, gave direct orders for the massacre of the natives and their subjection to terrible slavery conditions, based on self-righteous ideals of Catholicism and blatant greed. Within the first twelve years of his arrival, the native people of Hispaniola were virtually non-existent. To the point that the had to bring in Africans to be slaves, so let’s chalk that up to him as well. The complete decimation of the Native Americans (by 1890 there were an estimated 250,000 left in North America), directly stems from Columbus’ arrival on our continent. I can’t remember all the bloody statistics, but trust me, they are horrendous. I don’t get why this is something to celebrate.

Let’s celebrate Deganawidah or Hiawatha, who started the truly democratic and peaceful League of Iroquois, whose philosophies/policies directly influenced Thomas Jefferson and the U.S. Constitution. That would be more adequate. Or the countless other nameless Indians who gave us the fur trade, corn, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, their slave labor, and their land for hunting, timber and settlement. That would be a more genuine and deserving holiday.

(PS, Sorry Dr. Williams that I didn’t take better notes, because then this would be a lot more convincing.)

after this dang O CHEM exam is over