this is it.

i know i've been posting about it a lot a lot a lot
but.
i'm finally done applying for the r.a. position.
today was 'group process day'
which basically was a room full of the 100 or so people who had applied for leadership positions all playing teamwork-style games and things. those 100 people aren't all applying to be r.a's -- i've deduced there are about 40 (both returning and new) applying for arouuund 25 r.a. positions. so i only have to suck less than half of the people that they saw. which is okay. i don't remember how much of this i've already said. but yeah. i find out on friday, or so they say. which is good because then this knot in my stomach can gtfo.
however, i've tried not to get my hopes up about this position.
the key word there? tried. tried and failed miserably.
because honestly, i can't see my sanity staying intact if i'm stuck living here next year -- the past few weeks have proven that beyond any kind of doubt. i literally don't know what i'll do with myself, so i'm hoping so hardcore that this works out.

also i'm animating a thing for my drawing class
animating is motherfuckin' tough. i'm using photoshop so not super hightech or anything but still dude woah. i mean like woah. and i have puppet pieces to make. and work tomorrow. aye carumba liiiife.
in other news, spring break is the week after next.
also i've discovered the best strategy for dealing with annoying/harassing poll-takers/money-wanters outside of the school.
(i once was asked if i wanted to support/advance gay rights and i said no and marched on 'cause i was late to class. this is a better coping mechanism, promise.)
i simply say "non parlo inglese" and walk onwards. no questions asked. i've either stunned them because the whitest white girl ever just spoke italian words and expected them to believe she didn't speak english, or they think i don't speak english and leave me alone. win. fucking. win.
also i'm tired and going to bed now goodnight blog.

i will know if i have the r.a. position by the beginning of march.
that's really. really. really. soon.
i have to impress people in the 'group process day' (fuck all if i actually know what that is) on saturday for six hours. and then it's waiting.
i just want to get out of the house and breathe.
and don't get me wrong, i know that dorm living isn't perfect, but i can't do this house for another year, as i've said a million times.
but i mean i could like....not be at home.
but i like...get a single room automatically which is shiny.
and yeah. i mean getting out. and living in boston? what could be better? nothing.
i've got friends who are talking about getting apartments in town and i'm just like I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE WITH YOU BUT. being an r.a. is my only way out and dear god do i want out so bad. i'm gonna make this happen, guys. i gotsta.
onwards and upwards!

why i can't be a printmaking major and other logic

because as far as art majors go, it's extra impractical and extra expensive.
consider that paper for it costs roughly $4.00 a sheet (that adds up quick)
the copper that you need in order to etch costs $5.00 for a really itty bitty piece
and the tools and shit are expensive
and the presses that you need to use to -- yanno -- print yer shit -- aren't exactly the things you can buy and keep in the basement, and once you graduate, fuck all if you have a place to print your shit.
so yeah. impractical for an ART major -- and that's saying something, y'all.

but basically, i know the general track i want to go down
it's just a question of how i get there.
because, well, here's the thing.
i could be a straight up illustration major, do my 3 years of that, then come back and give massart MORE of my money for an extra year to get my teaching certificate. after which i'd need to get a master's degree if i wanted to teach in massachusetts. or i could just gtfo of this awesome but really expensive state and somehow teach shit elsewhere who knows.

or i could be an illustration major and get a damned job ILLUSTRATING SHIT FUCK YES REALISTIC WORLD VIEW.

or
i could be an art ed major with a focus in illustration, meaning that i'd take all of my art ed requirements as well as taking all of my electives in illustration.

OR

i could be an art ed major and just an art ed major which would mean i'd do all the art ed stuff AND i'd have the opportunity/requirements to take classes in a bunch of different areas of the school, like glass and all kinds of things.

that being said fuck if i know what i want to do.
i like the idea of broadening my horizons while i'm in a school where i can totally do that and have access to some awesome resources, but also at least my head wants a 'practical' knowlege and learning some 'real skills' or whatever that means in the art world. i mean, i don't know. but at the same time i think that, especially the way things are today, it'd be helpful to have a wider knowledge than just 'illustration' will give m, because you can't really get outside electives until upper-class years so i don't know dudes. i just don't know.

semester twoooo

So second semester has started yay! 

Two weeks in and I'm already going a little crazy, but what else is new? 

I think part of the problem is that I'm taking four studio classes, and not an academic, this semester. Problem? Well, it'll only get more interesting as midterms and finals come around, but hey. 

I have a puppetmaking class on Monday from 8-1, which is pretty awesome. We make puppets and they actually work sometimes and I'm learning a lot and it's just kind of fantastic, to be honest -- it's just a lot of sawing, drilling, etc which is actually pretty fun, but hard to do when my workshop space is preeeetty much my room. Additionally, the teacher looks like he could have strolled out of a 'This Old House' episode, which just makes everything awesome.

Then there's printmaking, Tuesday 8-1. It's taught by this really fantastic older (and just slightly gay) guy, who has said several times that he's not concerned about us making great art, just learning the processes. Which is great, because even just the processes required for this stuff is craaaazay. There's at least ten steps involved in getting anything done, and with a big class, you really need those five hours to accomplish everything. Also we get to work with crazy chemicals and complicated presses and make pretty things. Singular complaint about this class is that its materials are really fucking expensive. Like...10 sheets of paper? $26. That. And each of the tools is gonna be like...15-20 bucks a pop. YAY NEVER HAVING MONEY AGAIN EVER. 

Visual Language Two -- 'Time' -- we got to pick one of a million different classes for this requirement, and my teacher's name is Jarrett, and he's the scary Asian parent I never had, which is awesome. The class is 'the sequenced narrative' and explores bunches of different ways of storytelling, etc etc etc. And it's pretty awesome -- although Jarrett's got really high standards and is definitely intimidating, he knows what he's doing, and I feel like I've got a lot to learn from this class.

Finally, there's my "Figure in Color" drawing class. which is taught by this fantastic lady who reminds me of Ms. Melito so hardcore. She's always talking about 'following her inspiration' and she's just the best little person ever in the world. I love her and I can't wait for more of this class because it involves more drawing naked people and god i love doing that because people are so damn pretty. 

Also, I suck pretty bad at this 'being at home' thing, and I'm submitting my R.A. application tomorrow, which will be followed by a group interview,  and an individual one. It's wicked competitive, but sophomores as R.A's is totally not unheard of, and I'm seriously motivated to do what I need to do to not be living in Melrose next year. The one snaffoo is that, while they give you a free (single!) room, they charge you 3,000 that you have to put in a meal plan. If I haul ass over the summer and make with lots of working, I might stand a chance (but they have to like me first) -- here's hoping! 

I need to update more so I don't give you crazy blockposts like this.