And Then the Stars Came Out to Play

So, there was a bit of drama at school today. When isn't there, I know you're asking. But ... this was real drama. With our big MEMO assignment (of which there is a frantic frenzy over ... but more about that later), it appears that some students got ahold of one that was placed on reserve that was actually an answer to our assignment. This was a perfectly innocent exercise, as we were told to take advantage of resources that the profs had placed on reserve. So ... once the profs found out about it, students were asked to talk to the profs in question if they had seen the GUILTY MEMO, as I call it, so that they could be assigned a new problem.

This really isn't a big deal, as our memo is really only worth minimal marks, and acts as a learning exercise for us to figure out the whole memo thing in general before we have to do our REAL memo, or OPEN memo.

The effect that all of this had on me was slight, as I hadn't seen the "guilty memo", but touched me with a whisper of disappointment. Not about anything that had actually happened, but at what could have happened. It was a breath away from an actual academic compromise, and that alone was enough to give me goosebumps of sadness over even the possibility of academic dishonesty.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Wake up and welcome to the real world, everyone cheats (even Ralph Klein ... cough, just kidding ... also - I'm not alleging that anyone cheated in this instance, it's just that it brought the CONCEPT to the forefront of my mind, of which I now comment). While I realize that there is a lot of "knowledge sharing" that goes on in academic institutions, and pretty much everywhere in general, it still makes me sad to think about.

I was feeling rather melancholy as I trudged home from school in the crisp autumn air. Feeling the need to hibernate, I took a nice long bath when I got home, and when 8:00 rolled around, I picked myself up and took myself to the Mystic Java coffee place (great atmosphere - good coffee - stellar prices) here in Saskatoon. I met my cousins Kaitlyn and Kali, and some of their friends, and one of my classmates, and watched Kaitlyn's friend from Outlook perform some cover songs, and some of her own songs.

Julie was the performer (I'll find out her last name), and she was just stellar. Her voice was ... I struggle to capture it ... uniquely haunting and resonating with beauty. Is that overly dramatic? I feel like drama is the theme for this post, why not run with it? Either way, I really enjoyed her performance. The girl oozes talent, and makes me feel small in comparison. I joked with her that I'd need her autograph (and a picture with her), so that when she's famous I can claim that she's my friend.

I'd love to see her perform again (or ... buy a CD of hers, or a T-shirt ... I do love T-shirts).

Oh - and my cousin Kali just got her tonsils out - what a trooper ... she was out supporting Julie with a freakin' tonsillectomy on her plate.

On related music news - did everyone hear that CBGB's last show at it's home on Bowery in NYC is on Sunday? How sad. Their lease wasn't renewed. If you aren't all UP on CBGB and what's going on, it's a rock club where many icons (the Ramones, Blondie) have all played/started out ... etc. There's an actual history listing on their website, which is worth checking out. Jason and I had the opportunity to go to CBGB and see a few bands while we were in New York (below are some of our pictures, and a scan of my wristband from that night).



There was a huge movement to "save CBGB", which I guess didn't come to the fruition they were looking for. I remember even seeing "SAVE CBGB" chocolates from the Chocolate Bar in NYC.CBGB will open again, but it will be somewhere else that doesn't echo the rich history that sticks to the floor of the current bar. How sad.

Anyway - back to my actual post.

I saw the crazy talent of this girl, and had some good conversation at the Mystic Java, and was surrounded with optimism, and hope. I didn't find it naive, or cheesy. Only uplifting.

When I got home, as I walked from my car up to the door of my house, I looked up, and saw hundreds of stars lighting up the sky. And just like that - I feel revitalization. The pessimism and frenzy that were dragging me down earlier were erased, and it was replaced with the humility and humble feeling of smallness and infinity at the same time that always comes to me when I look up at our universe.

Then I watched the Grudge with my roomates, in honour of Friday the 13th. Yikes.

As to the frenzy that I mentioned above ... my classmates are all freaking out about our first assignment. The tangible oppression that surrounds the frenzy almost gave me a headache today. I can't wait until the frenzy is over. The thing I hate most about the frenzy is that it makes me feel like I SHOULD be more excited about the whole ordeal, stay home all weekend, lock myself to my laptop and write like a madwoman - and then I remember that I'd rather hit coffee houses and have my soul restored.