Get a haircut...and a real job?

Ok – so while the haircut is on its way (as all jokes aside…it is getting way too close to becoming a baby mullet), what is even more disturbing is that my school life is, slowly but surely, resembling that of a dreaded ‘job’. Having committed myself wholeheartedly over the past years to skillfully and creatively avoid any resemblance of full-time work, it has been devastating to be deceived in such a way. Through subtle and careful encouragement and planning, I have been slyly tricked into ‘working’.

First came the allocation to an office and handing over of a key, a novelty in itself and an apparently harmless gesture. Then came the suggestion that you should ensure you are seen around the department on a regular basis, a not all together inappropriate request. Then slowly the list of commitments during the week began to build, combined with a well-disguised degree of responsibility. Surely you say, I should have put all this together! But alas, blinded by the acquisition of a student card, the campus surroundings, the existence of moronic undergraduate freshman, and the ability to still purchase half your weight in vodka for $10.99, all led me to believe I was still nothing but a student.

Then the final parts of the puzzle finally fell into place. I had begun to refer to school as work…I was spending more and more time fulfilling irrelevant and unproductive commitments across the campus…and finally…the opening of my eyes to the ‘academic soap opera’ that is largely hidden from undergraduate students (and I wish continued to be hidden from graduates). Sure enough, it was all there: the necessity to deal with a varying array of stupidity on a day-to-day basis, the spending of time in meetings that could otherwise be spent doing something useful, and the bombardment of ‘department gossip’ around the water cooler, all made me certain now…that despite my most gallant efforts…I have entered the workforce.

It is a sad day, one that I am sure will be followed soon by me ‘growing up’, being ‘responsible’ and finally becoming ‘one of those people’ who never fail to get a wishful sparkle in their eye when they talk about their ‘school days’.

So as my reckless student days slowly diminish among 8am meetings, the payment of bills, and the shocking realization that plastic liquor bottles are no longer cool…the final question remains…the next time I watch Officespace…will I laugh…or will I cry?

Pictured: The psychology department at Notre Dame

Whoopie Pie...with your partner?

The mention of Midwestern American cuisine rarely elicits an excited response, however after a month here in Indiana I have been fortunate enough to come across a few diamonds in the gastronomical rough. First-class honors must go to the entertainingly labeled ‘whoopie pie’, a most excellent name for a most excellent snack. With two small rounds of chocolate cake encasing frosted cream, how can one go wrong? In second and third place are a couple of American favorites, the equally unhealthy Milk Duds and Ho-Ho’s. The mystery still remains as to how so much creativity can be involved in naming chocolate coated caramels and cream cakes, and yet so little evoked in American sitcom production.

To finish, a further nuance of living in the Midwest. Now in a town where supermarkets reserve parking spaces for expectant mothers, you quickly realize that if you are twenty-two and not married with children, then you are obviously lacking in some regard. In a region that is therefore quite used to attending high-school weddings, the term ‘partner’ carries somewhat different connotations to back in Australia. This was made evident to me a week ago when setting up a bank account. Upon referring to my ‘partner’, the employee promptly asked his name, and whether he would like to be on the account. While correcting her would have been easy, it was much more fun to create a joint account in both my name and my ‘partners’… George W and I are living the dream in Indiana...

Imposter!

So after four weeks as a ‘Graduate Student’… I am still standing and able to dress and feed myself. Despite the occasional temptation to curl up in a corner and rock back and forth, I am still actually enjoying being back at school. The novelty of having an office is still yet to wear off, and the campus seems to possess an unending array of things to do and explore. I have also been able to launch myself head long into my research here, running in and out of hospitals and cancer support groups, reading and preparing to submit my first conference abstract.

One of the stranger things I have come across however, is the general graduate belief in the ‘imposter syndrome’. This belief appears to persist throughout the four year degree, and involves the general impression that you were mistakenly admitted to the program through some bizarre clerical error. This underlying belief consequently entails the need to maintain the constant façade that you are indeed intelligent, otherwise you will be discovered and the error corrected. Exaggerations aside, this phenomenon is none-the-less observable in classes, particularly first-year graduate courses.

With students possessing a variety of learning backgrounds, there are of course theories, concepts and noteworthy figures that individual students will not have come across before. Strangely enough, should such an example of this be brought up in class, students will adopt a casual and confident demeanor, followed by a knowing glance or nod, much like this was something they had covered in grade school. As the class concludes, you will see various students hurry to the closest computer to immediately ‘Google’ the unknown term, and gain at least a rudimentary understanding to further protect against the unthinkable being found out. You mean…you don’t know everything?

Sweet Home Chicago!

After a grueling three weeks in ‘corn-field country’, and wondering if indeed a peak hour actually does exist in South Bend, we decided it was time to make our way back to the big smoke for a weekend in Chicago. Unfortunately, as we huddled in a doorway on the side of the road, we realized that after only three weeks in a smaller town, we both had adapted to the ‘slower’ life. The ‘bright lights’, busy roads and fast-paced lifestyle of the big city was all too much for us. We were tough though, and armed only with a hangover from the night before, and our trusty lonely planet guide, we set off for a day in downtown Chicago.

Naturally, as college students we had an important decision to make as the day started. We could see Chicago in style: full of limousine rides, fine-dining, shopping and helicopter rides…or…we could get down and dirty and see what the Windy City had to offer on foot (complete with an energy bar for lunch, window shopping, and I believe we may have even seen a helicopter). Being the adventurous soles that we are (get it…walking…soles…you know you want to laugh) we chose the low road…and began our day long trek through Chicago.

Graced with blue skies and sun, we walked the length of the city, from downtown to Wrigley Field, with many stops between. We stumbled upon Chicago’s yearly jazz festival, checked out the beaches along the lake, wandered through the zoo, and counted our pennies as we strolled the Magnificent Mile. It was an amazing weekend, and great way for Jen to see the city for the first time. While I can’t say we really missed the corn, it was nice to return home to our apartment, and now we will have time to prepare ourselves properly for our next adventure to the big smoke!

Chicago Pictures

Downtown Chicago
Weird Chicago
Chicago SkylineBaseball in Chicago