Happy New Year, everybody. Welcome back from our two-and-a-half week so-called break.
I’ve addressed this issue before, and I won’t stop until something is done about it: For undergraduates in the quarter system, a two-week break is just not enough. Especially when we are thrust back into school with midterms waiting just two-and-a-half weeks later. Two weeks from today, I have my first paper due. Hollar if you hear me.
This short of a break only allows you to do certain things. Based on the reoccurring conversations everybody is having, most of us should have done at least one of the following things: watched either Sherlock Holmes or Avatar and either loved it or hated it; gone to the snow to either ski, snowboard or avidly tube down little hills; partied in some large town and had a little too much to drink. If not, I apologize. And I pity you. (Only joking.)
I did do a little bit of each of these things. But events in my life never occur as planned. And these events are not very exciting, either. Now, if you care enough to continue reading, please do. If not, turn to page four to see what J. Stanford-Carey’s comic is for the day. It’s like an old Goosebumps book, kind of.
For those of you who are bored enough to continue, I watched Avatar and waited the entire movie for the 3-D effects. Turns out I just can’t see things in 3-D like normal people can. And without the 3-D, I thought I was watching Pocahontas again.
In other news, I was too distracted by Jude Law and Robert Downy Jr.’s beautiful faces to pay attention to what was actually happening in Sherlock Holmes. I hear it was a good movie, though.
After who knows how many years, my family finally went to the snow. Going to “the snow” in my family doesn’t mean to ski or to snowboard. We also don’t stay at some cabin we own out there. We go tube down little hills and stuff as many people as we can into two Motel 6 rooms.
I found out those little hills absolutely terrify me. I figure I will never be cool enough to actually ski or snowboard.
And everyone knows, snowboarding is the new pink.
Snow is not as soft and fluffy as Hollywood and Disney would make it appear. A snowball fight is not fun at all. “Ice throwing” is a much more appropriate name. Getting hit in the face with a wad of snow really hurts, man.
As for partying in some city and drinking too much … well, you know.
Now after all of this, I’m waking up at 7 a.m. every morning to catch a bus to classes and listen to lectures, write papers, take midterms and fall asleep occasionally. My sister at San Francisco State and friends at other schools are still sleeping in, still snowboarding and still drinking too much.
On an unrelated note, my condolences to those of you who had your classes dropped because of the ridiculous fee deadline. Unfortunately, that was something a lot of us have in common about the break as well. Perhaps it will fire up more people to get more involved in the student protests and action against fee increases.
Happy New Year, everyone.
SARA KOHGADAI is 10 weeks away from freedom from the UC. She hopes they go by quickly. Share your holiday story with her at sbkohgadai@ucdavis.edu.
