Stegasaurus!

I don’t even know what to say about this. Probably that it’s the cutest Stegosaurus I’ve ever seen. Forget Jurassic Park or We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story or even The Land Before Time (one through infinity). Who has this much time to draw a huge dinosaur on a bathroom stall? I should have taken measurements so I could give you a better impression of him.

Could it have been an art major? Maybe. She must have been in a rush to not have made it as detailed as I would expect from an art major. Or it must have been rush hour in the women’s restroom at the Foreign Language Building and there wasn’t enough time: long lines and anxious women equal anarchy.

How about a visual communications major? My friend does a great job with graphics and illustrations. Very playful and clever. Perhaps this fine artist is in a similar field? I find faces the hardest things to draw. I’m not that bad at mastering the right eye, however, the heads of anything seem to be the most difficult. But this artist makes it seem so easy.

Maybe she just likes to draw and is good at it too. But honestly, who has enough time to draw a dinosaur on the wall? Was it before class? After? Feeling inspired by thinking about a nephew? Does it really matter at this point? Whoever you are, you had way too much time to draw this adorable creature and have done an excellent job at doing so. Kudos.

How are you feeling?

“How are you feeling today?”
“Poopy :)”

Indeed. As I said in my last post, I desperately needed to relieve some pressure that was building on my bladder. While the pressure was quickly disappearing, I admired the doodles, the messages, the quotes, and the responses written all around me. Of course the one dialogue that caught my eye is written at toilet-level to my right. It took me a second since my finger got caught in my belt, but it hit me. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “Poopy :)” answered the other girl.

At this moment in time, I am prying my finger from my belt buckle and thinking, “Does anyone really care how someone else is doing when they’re going?” The answer: no. Or at least, I hope not. Let’s be honest here: although it may be normal verbally to ask a roommate or a companion how they are doing while one is doing their thing on the seat (or standing), it’s a little more unusual to write your inquiry to strangers. Obviously the answerer had a punny response. It took me a second for it to click. Why smile after you just admitted to feeling poopy? Shouldn’t you be frowning if you’re poopy? Oh, wait! Pun on bowel movement and human emotion. Clever, indeed, lady. Clever indeed.

With a flush and a laugh, I couldn’t have been more excited to share this picture. I washed my hands and ran back into the stall, pulling out my camera from my purse. Thankfully my meeting was in the evening otherwise I’m sure students of all majors would have thought I was some weirdo taking pictures in bathroom stalls. Seriously though: if you were going to ask a question like that it deserves a playful response. Let me first express my gratitude to the answerer for not sharing her deepest darkest secret or saying that life could be better and all she wants to do is cry. No one really has time for that except for the Counseling Center (and close friends). Just cut across the Quad diagonally from the Foreign Language Building, walk in between Altgeld Hall and the Henry Administration Building and cross the street onto John Street and it’s the building to your right. They’ll listen to you better than the etches on the stalls of any restroom on campus.

I knew there were some clever people on this campus

New Discoveries

Earlier this evening, I ventured into the Foreign Language Building for a meeting that I had around 9pm. I had about ten minutes to spare and I needed to relieve my bladder of some pressure that it was experiencing. Unexpectedly, as I entered one of the stalls, I saw that almost every inch of it was covered in graffiti. I felt like I had won the lottery. I needed new material to work with, and wasn't content with the pictures in the file that I had from the English Building restrooms. Now. Now, my dear readers, I have a plethora of pictures. Many that I am excited to just share and not even analyze. Hopefully this weekend I can update you the many new occurrences on this campus-- the English Building was renovated over the summer, so the women's restroom on the first floor was completely redone, free of any graffiti...or so it was. And then I made my discoveries in FLB so the English Building will sit on the back-burner for now.

Soon you will see. Soon you will (hopefully) enjoy.

Edit:

It has been almost two months since my last post and I apologize for that. More midterms, papers, research papers, response papers, and final exams all like to pile up within the last month of the semester.

I had to make some changes in my posts. I've edited and expanded in a few of them. One of my posts I completely erased the content of the R.I.P. Evan post. What I had written was a little harsh and insensitive, but I think the picture is still very important. Finding an epitaph written on the bathroom wall is not necessarily the best place to remember a lost friend, but also very inappropriate. A smelly bathroom stall is not the place to remember a friend. What would motivate the writer choose the bathroom to write this? Is she thinking of him while in the bathroom? Does she want the world to know of Evan? Either way, there are better places and better ways to express memories of Evan than the women's restroom in the English Building... I left the post with the picture up so that those who have comments can leave them.

Be prepared to see more posts this summer! I have a few more pictures from the English Building, but I received word that Davenport Hall and the Art and Design Building restroom's also have interesting graffiti.

Seriously, stop being so serious.

“Don’t take life very seriously. No one gets out alive anyway.”

I don’t know who originally said this, but it’s clever. Everyone should use this piece of advice though. I mean, is it necessary for you to freak out because you broke a plate and now you have seven rather than eight of a set? Is it necessary to get your panties in a bunch over things that won’t matter in the long run, or even immediately? I understand that being caught up in the moment and human emotion sometimes prevents you from being calm and sane. I’ll admit that I’m guilty of not following this advice. But I’ll reflect a few moments later that what I did probably wasn’t the best course of action.

As a college student, I’ve noticed that my peers and I do tend to take things quite seriously at times. Exams, papers, projects, and presentations can be overwhelming. Trust me, as I speak I have two papers (one due at midnight the other due tomorrow both on a novel which I have partly read), online Shakespeare coursework due tonight (Coriolanus, your SparkNotes were more interesting to read), and a geology exam tomorrow evening at 7pm. Oh, and on top of all that, I have class from 9am-2pm and work from 2:30-5:30pm. And I’m sick. Am I sleeping tonight? No. Am I overwhelmed? Most definitely. Have I lashed out at people for tiny things that could have been easily taken care of? Yes. I feel awful, but my instincts are making me roar at my friends when I should just tell them I’m stressed or that I can’t talk to them right now.

Therefore, in conclusion, I think taking one deep breathe, taking one step at a time, and doing what you must at hand with some form of enthusiasm is what’s needed to stay sane. Seriously: people who take life seriously don’t have time to laugh. Laughing is fun. One step at a time. Deep breathes. You can do it. That’s it. So whatever it is that’s bothering you, just calm down and conquer it. It’ll all be fine in the end.

Seriously. Let it go.

“Let it go… religion is personal, God will reach them or he/she won’t. Let your life be a testament to your faith not your words.”

Whoever wrote this started on the right foot, I think. Religion is personal and people shouldn’t try to convert, laugh at, or dishearten others for their convictions. Why do people feel it is okay to get into other people’s personal beliefs and tell them their wrong or that they’re stupid? Seriously, people, is that necessary? Do we need to go back to kindergarten and recap what we were taught?: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

I don’t know if you can see this, but to the left of the quote you can see part of the “I’m laughing at you” that I was referring to in my last post. Obviously others find it annoying that there’s some major disrespect going on. Come on. We’re writing on a public bathroom stall—there are going to be lots of people coming in and out with their ideas, but there’s no reason to mock each other.

This girl is making an excellent point by writing this: “Let your life be a testament to your faith not your words.” Live your life as you think you should to gain whatever form of salvation you believe in, if you believe in a salvation. I mean, I don’t think I can emphasize how much people need to lay off each other on the topic of religion. Maybe because my roommate told me she wished I was Roman Catholic even though I’m happily Orthodox and would never imagine converting to anything else. I even explained to her the 14 years of Catholic education I had. I’m aware of Roman Catholicism beliefs: I don’t make fun of it or jeer at it. I respect what they have and I respect what I have. We’re both Christians, right? As my brother says, we’re rooting for the same team. But those of us that aren’t on the same team, there’s no need for badmouthing. That’s poor sportsmanship.

There is one thing I do not like about this graffiti: God will reach them or he/she won’t. The writer of this is putting an emphasis that God is present and that He is an unidentifiable gender. By saying something along the lines of “God will take care of them” is, first off, omitting the audience. She was directly speaking to someone who was making fun of those who pray and have religion. Oops? Instead of “them” she probably should have written “you.” Also, the he/she our author is speaking about is God. Not only did she not capitalize he or she, she has also made it seem like God can either be a woman or a man. “Our Father” isn’t a coincidence. I’d continue with that thought, however, I don’t have the patience or the time to start a whole new discussion. Lo siento, mis lectores.

Religious Pluralism: Who's laughing now?

“I’m Praying For You.” <-- “I’m laughing at you.”

Maybe I missed the joke. What’s so funny? Is it because someone has a religious conviction? Perhaps this person isn’t devoted to one denomination, but is very spiritual and believes in a higher power. Is it really so funny that she is praying? Maybe it’s because she’s praying for “you.” The collective “you”. I understand that not everyone has a secure faith. Totally, for sure. But does that mean that those that do not have religion in their lives should mock those that do, or vice versa? No.

I came across this phrase not too long ago and I personally find it fitting: religious pluralism. Wikipedia does a good job of explaining what it is. According to Wikipedia, religious pluralism is a “loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions”. This term can also be used to express that one’s religion is not the only source of truth or that another’s religion is wrong, but a more harmonious co-existence and understanding between different denominations and faiths. I don’t have a problem with people of other faiths. I understand if we don’t have the same convictions, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to belittle everyone I meet or try to convert them.

One of the most insensitive things you can do is make rude comments towards someone when they express religion in any way. “I’m laughing at you” proves that she has insecurities, bitterness, possibly had a falling out with the Church (whichever church that may be), or is unable to understand the fulfillment that religion provides for those that possess it. Whatever the case may be, I find it inappropriate to say you’re laughing at someone for having faith. What about you? You have to believe in something, right? What do you believe in, missy? Do you even have a moral code? Or do you just enjoy laughing at people who don’t believe the same things as you or that don’t rely on science and physics to describe the universe?

I understand religion is such a touchy subject, and, really, I don’t prefer in getting into religious debates, but I accept that there are other religions out there. I accept that there are people of different faiths than me, and I accept that there are people without faith. I won’t judge them. I won’t think of them any differently. I’d prefer if everyone act on a moral code than flaunt and force religion down others’ throats, but that would be in a perfect world. Alas, we do not live in a perfect world. There’s too much religion trash-talk in the women’s bathroom and it’s a little unnerving. Religious pluralism should be introduced to the world… hopefully it would leave an impact on how we treat each other.

"R.I.P. Evan"

“R.I.P. Evan”

No, I'm not a fan of this... Evan, you should be remembered somewhere better than a smelly girl's bathroom. Sorry.

Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes...

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

Be active. Do something. Is it really so hard to take the initiative? Nothing is going to change if you don’t push yourself. We should all take these words to be encouraging. I’m sure people reading this will respond with, “Of course nothing changes if nothing changes. Duh. Thanks, Captain Obvious,” but in all seriousness, if you want something to change, you should be the one to initiate the change!

“Be the change you want to see in the world,” said Mahatma Gandhi. Maybe this quote is completely unrelated, but is it really? Okay, so you got a C- on your Shakespeare paper. But is that because your ideas were poorly expressed and didn’t really answer the prompt, or is it because you didn’t really read Coriolanus and decided SparkNotes was your best alternative? That’s your fault. You can change your grade if you change your study habits. Voila! Change of cause and effect. Wonderful. Change yourself for the better and you will be a better contributing member of society.

However, if you’re sitting with a group of friends and they’re stereotyping a person or group of people walking past, instead of joining in on the ridicule, you can withdraw from the group. Correct them. If we, as human beings, talk about acceptance but don’t act accordingly, then how can we expect there to be less misunderstandings, less hate crimes, less stereotyping? Change the way you think, change the way you act, and you will see the change for which you strive.

I hate it when people complain and don’t do anything to change what they’re complaining about. I’ll admit that I’m guilty of this on occasion. I need that extra little push sometimes. Other times, I wait until the right moment to bring it up with the person with whom I have complaints or annoyances. If I don’t talk to them, the things they say or do are going to keep annoying me until I eventually loathe them. That’s not the way to go. I’ve changed so that I don’t loathe the people I enjoy being around. Communication, understanding, patience, and a willingness to change are what you need to be the change. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

"I feel empty, all the time."

“I feel empty, all the time.”

Maybe she feels like this because she wrote it while taking a load off in the English Building. In all honesty and curiosity, why would anyone write this in a bathroom stall without something coming along and pointing out the obvious? Boys apparently have convinced themselves that “Girls don’t poop”, but after walking in to the girl’s bathroom in the English Building, I can tell you that is most definitely not true.

Okay, okay. Besides the fact that the writer of this is emptying her bowels, there has to be a legitimate reason she is writing this on a bathroom stall. Is this the only place she can write this and know that someone will read it? Can she not be heard by her roommates, friends, loved ones that she must write this is a public, yet very intimate place?

Perhaps her immediate support system isn’t available to her or is telling her that her feelings are just a figment. If that’s the case, I’m not surprised that she has written about her emptiness on a bathroom stall at eye-level to whoever is sitting. It’s attention-seeking, sure, but it would be more attention-seeking if she had signed her name or provided reasons. There would be no sympathy for her if she had written her name. Facebook messages would be sent about how pathetic and stupid she is for having written that. It’s true. College kids can be ruthless.

Everyone has those days where they feel like they are droning on, without a purpose, alone, empty. It’s just one of those days. Girls—it’s a natural feeling. Whatevs. It happens. This poor girl needed an outlet for her crappy day (how appropriate). And so it is that her crappy day must be projected onto us unexpectedly. We must empathize with her emptiness of our own because we’ve all experienced it at some point, or at least know of what she is speaking.

The placement of the comma there seems to have some significance. Grammatically, its placement is incorrect and unnecessary. However in dialogue, she is pausing. All the time. Why does she feel empty, especially all the time? All the time: since when or has it really been all the time since her birth or just recently? Again, if there were more details to this, I might have to make more puns, but I’m glad there aren’t, as should she.

"Some loves are..."

“Some loves are short stories, not epic novels, but that doesn’t make them any less full of love.”

Surprisingly, this quote comes from the “Sex and the City” movie. I’ve never watched “Sex and the City” (the movie or the TV show), so when I read this, I thought a student within the English Building had a moment of creativity while answering a call from Mother Nature. Apparently not.

The real quote is: “Some love stories aren’t epic novels, some are short stories. But, that doesn’t make them any less filled with love” (imdb.com).

Could this quote be elaborated? I’d continue it by saying this: Some people may deny the presence of love, no matter how great or small. The ones that are unsuccessful are forced to be forgotten, while those that survive are boasted to be perfect. No love is perfect, and no love should be forgotten.

Oh, Carrie Bradshaw. Though I may not approve of your lifestyle, you seem to make a valid point. Love is love. You felt it at one point. Don’t deny that it didn’t exist. Because even when it’s over, you know what worked and what didn’t. Keep it in mind for those future loves, be it short stories or epic novels.

And must all loves and novels be epic? According to the Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, epic can be defined as “extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope.” Not all loves need to extend beyond the usual. Love just needs to be seen and to be appreciated. I suppose, the degree of epic would depend on the individual’s definition of ordinary, but I’m really hoping that girls aren’t sitting around in bathroom stalls dreaming of some huge parade of love falling in their laps—and hopefully not while they’re in the bathroom.

I think that today’s generation is too focused on finding love immediately. What happened to “Love is patient, love is kind. [. . .]” (1 Corinthians 13:4)? Looking for love and being discouraged about not finding it is just as bad as denying a love that didn’t last as long as was expected, I think. Take your time, ladies (with love and in the bathroom). There’s no need to rush. Love will happen when it is meant to happen.

New Directions

No, no. Not "New Directions" as in the Show Choir/Glee Club of (fictional) McKinley High School* in the hit TV series, "Glee," (which is amazing by the way), but new directions in the way of my blog.

Starting this week, I'm taking my literary distractions down a new path. I will still do the same book review, critique, suggestions route, which, obviously, needs some polishing up; and I need to actually read some books besides the ones that I'm reading for all my classes. I have decided that the form of "literature" I will be enjoying with my readers will branch to two other forms: musical literature (looking at musical theatre through lyrics) and that which can only be enjoyed while performing actions of personal matter (What?).

For now, I will let you all ponder upon the latter. In a few short days all shall be revealed.



*Upon further research, there actually is a McKinley High School in Ohio, which is where the story of "Glee" takes place. However, I do not think it's the same high school, just a high school.

"Wind"

[Deleted, but saved].

Poor blog post. It had no hope.

Oh, Happy Day

First thing is first. Yesterday was the greatest day ever. Why, you ask? Before I went off to work, I saw in my mailbox what I had been waiting for for over a week: three books written/ compiled/ edited by Joyce Carol Oates. I’m excited to read them and review them. Even though these books are at least seven years old, it will be quite the breath of fresh air I’ve been looking for.

As a third year Creative Writing and English student, it could be assumed that I would have plenty of time to read and write on the side. This, however, is not the case. It would be a luxury to be able to sit down and read something I’d like to read rather than reading an array of books, pamphlets, plays, stories, and excerpts assigned for survey courses of British and American literature, as specific topic courses.

Unfortunately, as this is my first post, I do not have anything substantial to say! However, this weekend or sometime this week, I’m going to review/critique “Wind” by Michael Czyzniejewski. Mike actually is a graduate of the same Rhetoric/Creative Writing program that I am currently enrolled in here at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This story is in his book Elephants in Our Bedroom.

We had an Alumni Week in the English/Creative Writing Department here at UIUC and Mike Czyzniejewski and Matthew Gaven Frank were the guest alumni. I remember Mike gave three pieces of advice and words of wisdom. The first, if you’re a writer, you don’t give out people business cards, otherwise you’re not really a writer. Second, college is bad for your liver. Third, within the first paragraph, he tries to identify the subject, the problem, and the setting of the story.

With his story “Wind,” I hope to delve into his writing style. What he has done with this story, and if he has actually shown the subject, problem, and setting within the first paragraph, and seen how he has developed his story.

All I can provide you with, my dear readers, is the inscription he wrote within my book: “Dear Crap-for-brains, Thanks so much for being Juba when you could have been so many other things to me and everyone. We’ll always have EB131. –Mike”

If only I could explain the Juba reference and "crap-for-brains" right now. Maybe in a few weeks I can reveal its true meaning. Until then, fare thee well, dear readers.