I love Christmas decorations

I think Christmas decorations are the most beautiful thing all year. I am glad that it only comes once a year so that the sparkle and music doesn't get old. All right, I am going to hunt down something shiny to hang around the house!

Christmas Party

Last night was the Pismo Beach Firefighters Association Christmas party!! It was very fun. Lots of dancing and merriment. I did have to request Sandstorm by Darude, one of the bestest techno mix songs of all time. It was a hit. Anyways, I was totally adventurous with my makeup and wore green eyeshadow! It was a far stretch from my usual beige on taupe colors. It coordinated with my gold accessories. I was in heaven! Dressing up and techno - It doesn't get better than that!!

School is out!

Oh yeah, that's right! The quarter is finally over. Too bad The Office is in reruns because of the writer's strike. Oh well. Now I have lots of time to do the things I have neglected in the last weeks, like eating and sleeping and of course blogging. I did however score a totally adorable pair of boots as a belated birthday present from my mom, so now I can take the time to create outfits to wear them with. They have the perfect heel thickness and the toe is not to round or square like duck feet and not to pointy like witch toes. I love that now the biggest things I have to think about are food, clothes, and tv. Man, this sounds superficial. I'm not, really, but I do enjoy these things so. I know how to read, too. Ah, good times. Anyways, enjoy the pic of the boots!

what to do....

Tonight the cinematic experience known as Ghostbusters plays at the Fremont theatre downton. This is great! It is only $5 per person and, becauu it starts at 7:30, will be a great way to kill an otherwise lame Thursday night. See you there!

Back from the ASLA conference

Wow, the American Society of Landscape Architects put on quite a show this weekend at their annual conference, this year held in good ole' San Francisco. We saw some good stuff, some boring stuff and everything in between. The early bird special for students of $140, which went up to $285 in August was a tough pill to swallow, but it was a great experience and worthwhile especially it was only a three and a half hour drive.

Bikes are transportation, right?

In an August 15th PBS interview, the head of the Department of Transportation, Secretary Mary Peters answered a question about inappropriate uses of DOT funds and included bike paths in with the "current spending that is going to projects that really are not transportation." Last time I checked, everyone agreed that safer, dedicated bike routes would encourage people to use bikes for daily transportation needs. I think this is part of a "big business" conspiracy to phase out transportation options that threated the auto industry. I personally think DOT funds should be used to encourage "transit oriented development" where dwellings and workplaces are closer together so mass transit, bikes, and walking are feasible options, even in smaller communities. think garden cities or pre-auto suburbs.

School Spirit?

Is this just a plain old lanyard, or is it a more dubious item? I think it is a school spirited device with which frustrated undergrads may use as a hanging device with which to commit suicide. This is why I have always steered away from ever purchasing one. Given the frustrating situation I am (and 17 others are) in, I may have already put it too good use. So, by not buying a key chain thingy, I actually may have prevented my own untimely death. It really makes you think, doesn't it?

It doesn't, but I've just always wanted to use that phrase completely inappropriately when it would sound the most idiotic. Mission accomplished!

State of the department address.... sort of

We (2 third year studio classes) just had a talk with the department head. As one of my peers said afterward, "She should be a politician." I'm chuckling on the outside but I am crying on the inside. There were three questions/issues brought up by students and it was like pulling teeth. I was scolded for the way we(me) spoke to the department head. We were harsh and in the realm of rude. We ar very frustrated and none of the major questions brought up were being answered, so we were semi justified.

I brought up the issue that the transfer students who entered in my year aren't getting the advising we need. Specifically we are not getting answers to three essential questions 1)What class do we still need to take 2)When are they offered 3)When is our expected graduation date? As an answer to this question she went on and on about how we are still getting to graduate sooner that previous transfer classes because of the new curriculum and things are hairy for our year because we are the first group to go through since the change.
I redirected the DH to my issue, stating that regardless of when we get to graduate, we still need to know when that will happen and I restated the three important questions that advisors aren't answering. Then she said something about its hard because of the new curriculum and none of the issues we are having were anticipated. I got in the last word by restating my three most important questions that department advisors should be able to answer for each student, regardless of when they entered.

After a long discussion about the professional accreditation process that will occur later in the school year, Ms. X asked what would occur if the worst case scenario - the department fails its reaccreditation - occurs. DH said something like, oh, that probably won't happen. I've been through a lot of these at the other institutions I was at and I'm not nervous about that. Then she went into an example of what might occur if we got a few "barely adequate" marks.... Then I had to open my big mouth and ask "But what is the answer to her question?" and she started giving another unsatisfactory answer. It was so because she wasn't addressing the simple question of what will happen in the department if we don't meet the standards of re-accreditation. Then Mr. X broke into the conservation explaining what he understood to be the course of events in the department if, and I quote, "God forbid the department doesn't get re-accredited. He finished with flair too, by stating, "Thank you Mr. X for answering the question."

Third, a question about increased printing and scanning option was brought up and DH started taking the conversation on a tangent about free prints, when the original question was about having a more diverse offering of printing opportunities "in house."

Needless to say, we are all a bit tired of all this. We just want to get out of here ASAP!!

Beets, Bears, Battlestargalactica

For those of you who need some form of entertainment to distract yourself from the doldrums of Cal Poly why not turn to The Office? It is full of humor that is almost painful to watch, which makes it oh so funny. It is even more funny if you understand that any one of the predicaments seen on the show probably have been observed in some form in real offices across the United States. So, if you have have a free hour Thursdays at 9, check out NBC and be glad that at the very least, being stuck at Cal Poly might be better than being stuck in an office.

FYI: Dwight, shown left, is the best character

You are now entering...the Twilight Zone! (of higher education)

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call "Cal Poly".

more problems...

Soooo, I went to ask my advisor why the online info on my "Poly Profile*" doesn't reflect how my JC* classes transferred here. He said "there is most definitely a reason, but it probably won't be a reason you like". So, of course, I cry (I sniffle and shed a tear and get red in the face), and call the Evaluations Office to clarify the situation. The word to the Eval Office was as follows...

"The Poly Profile is only completely up to date for new Fall '07 transfers. "older" transfer students have minimal or partially up to date profiles. We sent memos and email to advisors about this. Previous transfers should be directed to the handwritten evaluations in their files in the department offices. Anything else, no? Ok, Have a good day!"
This person was succinct, and nicely answered my question. The advisor I asked about this is now dead to me.

Advisors at Cal Poly are faculty members. There is no full time staff person in the college of architecture or in the landscape architecture department whose job it is to make sure students' questions are answered and people know what they need to graduate.

All I want is a person who I can ask "What classes do I need? When are the offered? When should I graduate?" and not get an answer like, "I don't exactly know. That information isn't available. Have you checked with the Evaluation Office?"
IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?

*Poly Profile= online student profile where you can see the information that is on your transcript
*JC= Junior College, not Jesus Christ

Another year here at CP....

Is it really only week two of the new school year? My class compadres have again come to the conclusion that the landscape architecture department hates its students. Although most of us transfers entered with loads of credit it is still ambiguous as to when we might ever graduate. There is no light at the end of the tunnel? We've calculated that we will have spent 4.5 years at Cal Poly since transferring before we are able to graduate. This is very bad. Why, with at least two years of community college behind us, are we graduating only six months before those who started as freshmen the same year? Tears, I'm crying.

I will attempt to contact an adviser today in order to determine what extra classes I need to take. Reliable information is difficult to come by, because the advisors do are not quite sure on how to handle our situation. We are often referred to the University Records office at the top of the hill, and the ladies there whine that they are understaffed and cannot take the time to answer the questions because they should be directed to our department advisors.

Anyone you know interested in going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo? Warn them against it if they actually want to graduate in a timely manner. The university wines and dines the potential and incoming freshmen, giving them first pick at registering for classes and throwing meet and greets and WOW* for them, but once the parents are gone the turn their backs on you. They give you a paper bag full of shit and expect you to be grateful that they provided lunch.

end of rant.

*WOW=Week of Welcome, not World of Warcraft. The last week of summer vacation where freshmen do lots of fun teambuilding and school spirit oriented activities. I hear it is super fun.