Academics: write coherently

I love my Religion and Society class. A lot. One of the only things I have to complain about is some of the readings I have to do. Peter Berger, I'm talking to you. I hate the way you write and others like you. Do you write to be understood? No. I can only think that you're hoping you'll only be understood by the upper crust of academia in the religious sociological world, and not the average Joe, who almost has a Bachelor's degree in communication. What it looks like to me is that you're striving to be elitist to stroke your own ego and have other academics tell you how great you are. It drives me crazy. When you're trying to get your ideas out into the world, keep them coherent so the average person of the world can read them without wanting to cry and throw up simultaneously.

"Let's use 100 obscure words where 10 well-understood ones will do," they say, as they type away, frequently glancing at their Thesaurus.

I mean, I'm surprised they use such easy-to-use words as "the" and "an." Probably because there aren't really any substitutes for those words. But really, there shouldn't be substitutes for other words, either. When my professor translates what he meant to say there's a general feeling of "Oh! That's what he's saying -- or attempting to say," throughout the class. That, and the thought goes out, "Then why didn't he just say it that way?"

Now, I understand that there are some words or ideas that you can't just dumb down or simplify, mainly for the reason that there aren't other words that will sufficiently take their place. But take, for example, Stark and Finke, who wrote a marvelous book that I actually understand! Today my professor told me why I understand them so much better than Berger when, essentially, they're all saying the same thing. Stark was a journalist at one time. We speak soul to soul -- I swear. He and Finke are sometimes long-winded, but for the most part he's clear and concise, even with ideas that Berger took 48 pages to expell.

In the spirit of such Stark-ness, I will end this post now.

Here it is: my five minutes of fame

Well, here is what everyone has been waiting for: the critical review of my Broadway Revue moment in the spotlight. Here it is, so you can decide for yourself how I did. The crowd was really responsive and felt full of friends, as the cat calls show. :) I got a little breathy on the high notes, but I belted the highest I ever have, which was cool, and I got some audience response at all the right times, which was also cool.

I'm not sure this video upload is working, so here's a link to it on my Facebook account while I figure out how to do it on here.

Something that never fails

I was thinking about what I could blog about today, and although I'm going to blog about my Broadway experience tonight, I decided a much-needed break was in order. I thought, "What gives me a much-needed break?"

I could only think of one word. Well, actually like two words, if ".com" is a word. Or maybe three, with the dot? Okay, well, I thought of one concept: www.homestarrunner.com.



It's on my list of Web sites I visit daily, along with my email and bank accounts. I can count on something new being there weekly, not counting their sketchbook, fan and quote stuff. If I've had a hard day, nothing can lift my spirits like browsing through my favorite toons or hitting the "random" button and having the site pick a classic StrongBad email.

Everyone in the office knows about my addiction and merely smiles indulgently when they hear me laughing and look over to see what struck me as hilarious, seeing the telltale signs of FreeCountry, USA. I even talk in Teen Girl Squad voices with one of my coworkers — which, by the way, is exhausting.

I love wearing their merchandise, too. There's nothing quite like walking around with "Rock, rock on" on your back, and people yelling from across the quad, "Awesome shirt! I love homestarrunner!" Or getting a coupon for their merchandise for your birthday — it was one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

What makes people like the Brothers Chaps? Sometimes I wish I could be half as creative as they are — I could definitely use the talent. Although, I'm sure it gets exhausting, cranking out new stuff every week. I wonder if they live on Mountain Dew, or just pure adrenaline from the rush of creating things and seeing it in color, playing back to them.

I guess it was worth a lot, 'cause I got in!

And yay, verily, Amy's audition for Broadway Revue was not in vain, for she got in! And there was much rejoicing. And yay, she did invite all who could to come and watch the performance and she will probably post pictures and video as soon as the event happens.

My foray into Broadway

Photo by Steven Hopkins
Yeah, yeah, I know I've used the word "foray" a lot lately in my posts, but it just works so well rhyming with Broadway that I had to use it again.

Anyway, I don't know how many of you I had told about this beforehand, but I auditioned for Broadway Revue (yes, that is the way they spell it) this past Thursday. I told myself before the semester began that I would, so I did. It's basically a show of people singing and dancing to Broadway songs -- go figure. I decided on the song "Nothing" from the musical A Chorus Line.

It was an interesting route getting there, though, just because I realized I needed either an accompanist or a minus track to sing along to during auditions. That was Tuesday when I realized this, so I texted my sister-in-law Mandi and asked her if they provided accompanists or what I could do to audition, since she'd been in the show before- she's amazing that way. :)

She told me I'd probably need to provide either, and I was semi-panicking. I didn't really know anyone who had time to practice the song in two days or could pick up music and play it really well, and my hopes began failing me. Then I asked if I could somehow buy/make a minus track, and Mandi graciously told me, with two day's notice, that she would. Bless her soul. She says it was so she could play with her new music software, Finale, but I just think that was an excuse to not make me feel bad. :)

So, she finished it up the next day, and I had a good half of a day or so to practice with the track and polish my singing and acting. I performed for my roommates the night before, who at least acted amused. Thanks guys.

I checked the Web site to see if I just had to show up at 4 to audition, or if I had to do anything else. It said to sign up at the MC Info Desk, so I dutifully went there that morning and looked at the sheet, which basically said I needed to send my lyrics the day before and had a sign up sheet with time slots. I shrugged my shoulders, signed up anyway, and ran to my next class.

I sent the lyrics, figuring that I would still be okay, and looked at this kind of disclosure they wanted me to sign. "Blah, blah, blah...BYU-Idaho appropriate...Blah blah blah...only students can perform...blah blah blah...you can't change the lyrics on a cover song. Wait a second." I had changed three of the words in my song, all three being expletives. I texted Mandi in a panic, wondering if my song was a cover song. She called me back and told me she was pretty sure it wasn't, but I was still a bit wary.

I showed up pretty early for my audition, just because of where I was situated and what I had to do that day, and they didn't start admitting people until 15 minutes after they said they would start, which was interesting. But I just went up to sign in a bit later than I would've, and the girl asked me which lyrics I had changed.

I was like, "That word right there," pointing to the word "nonsense."

"What was the word before?" she asked.

I was almost sorely tempted to blurt it out, but knowing it probably wouldn't win me any points with the Talent Board, I merely said, "A swear word," like a five-year-old would. I don't know why I didn't use the word "expletive," but I was already nervous they wouldn't accept my audition because I'd changed the words. She merely nodded and approved my edits.

With my knees shaking, I entered the MC Little Theater, where five sets of eyes were waiting to take my act in. I introduced myself, spelled my name, and promptly starting switching things around on stage. I took the mic off the stand, pulled a piano bench up to my space and nodded to the guy running the CD player to mash go.

For the most part, I think it went well. I was pretty nervous, but only shook a little when I switched to my head voice and remembered everything I needed to say and sing. Also, they laughed during an appropriate part of my performance, which was encouraging. It's a funny piece, so laughing is a good thing.

After I was finished, I used my wobbly knees to walk out of there and said goodbye to everyone. One of the judges went to go get some food somewhere else in the MC just as I was leaving and told me "You're really good," for whatever that's worth.

I find out if I made the show tomorrow, so I guess we'll see what it was worth.

A vocal minority

In my Money Management class, I have lots of epiphanies. My latest one came about when the class was split into married people and single people in order for the married people to give a kind of "What I Wish I Would've Known" thing about money before they were married.

I thought to myself, before we split up, "I am so in the single minority in this class. It's going to be the married people and me."

That's not quite what happened, however.

I was surprised to find, as we turned our desks toward each other, that the single people occupied more than half of the seats in the room! But, as we did this little exercise, I realized that the people who commented the most were in the married minority, which led me to believe that there were a lot of married people in the class.

This semi-bothered me and made me wonder about why it seems that those who are married are the most vocal in class.

I've got a couple of theories:

1. Only people who are vocal get married.

2. Married people have twice as many life stories to share.

3. When they get married, they become more interested in getting involved in class and getting involved in their education.

4. Some married people think that they because they're married, they suddenly have important things/advice to say to those poor "unmarrieds". ;)

Whatever the reason, I say single people to speak out! Become heard! I know I'm trying to.

Things I Love

So I've been tagged by Anna Bergevin (spelling? Sorry if I'm wrong) to write about this, so here are three things I love more than my family, roommates, children, or soda. I don't know how family and children are different, but they are. It's hard when you're not married and you don't have the choice of husband, so you have to fill that spot with something similar...;)

1) Lost parties with my family. Actually, any parties with my family. I know it kinda counts as being my family, but they make me happy, especially when we can all get together and go to San Francisco or Denver. I'd rather hang with my fam than anyone else.

2) Making people laugh. I love coming up with things on the fly and hearing genuine laughter afterward. This happens a lot when Becca and I go off on something random. I love times with her, too, a lot.

3) When teachers validate my life by complimenting me. I'm going to be honest, sometimes it's just not enough to do assignments just for the sake of knowledge. I love every once in awhile to have a "gold star" moment.

I'm tagging Becca, Brandon and Katie McPhelpen to do the same thing I just did.