Debate Prep

In about 9 hours, I'll be giving the last French presentation of my undergraduate career. It won't be difficult, I imagine, and I've already done a bit of preparation for it.  In about 13 hours, I'll be giving one in the last political science class of my undergraduate career.  The topic is markedly less fun (the possibility of implementing a social welfare state in the US) and I've done remarkably less preparation for it (little to none).

We had a group meeting today about the welfare debate and got very little accomplished.  My debate partner is this very tall, very tired, very dull boy who goes by the very dull Jeff.  He reminds me of the tall awkward kid in Hey Arnold that Helga punched in the face every episode.  For having no personality to speak of, he's still pretty abrasive. Thank goodness I only have to know him for another 13 hours.

I really ought to prepare this debate.

Oh well, this is obviously more important. Obviously.

Yesterday Bill Nye came to UB to speak for Earth Day.  I didn't realize that he had become such a green activist, but I suppose that makes sense given his innovative grass car on Bill Nye the Science Guy.  Christa pointed out that he looked remarkably like Abe Lincoln.  His ears were strangely shaped.  He has a strange obsession with water and sundials. Space and global warming I understand, but sundials? No wonder he wears a bow tie.

Overall I was pleased with his performance.  He seemed to genuinely like taking questions from the audience (he insisted on getting through them all!) and really enjoyed interacting.  He might have enjoyed the praise they heaped upon him too.

It's rather strange for undergrad to be coming to an end.  Much like my high school graduation, I expected to feel something more tangible.  I don't know what this is, anticipation? hesitation? anxiety? annoyance?  In the last four years, I never really bothered to learn how to make up my mind.

I laid off the coffee today since I was able to get a full nights sleep, but my caffeine dependency is taking its toll now in the form of a killer headache.  That's probably the closest I can come to explaining my thoughts on graduation right now.

If I had the opportunity to do it again, I don't know if I'd choose UB.  The school's done pretty well by me, and I've got enough distinction here that I shouldn't have trouble going on to do something impressive.  The problem is that I don't feel as if I deserve that distinction, as if I  learned anything, as if I got any smarter.  My B.A. looks more like a certificate that says I know how to follow directions than anything else.  The problem is that the expectations are so low here that it takes little effort to meet them, and only a slight bit more to exceed them.  I don't think I really had to work all that much for this degree.  I should have pushed myself harder.  Could I have pushed myself harder?

Maybe things would have looked different if I came in with an idea as to what I was going to be doing.  One of my favorite things to tell my freshmen in colloquium was that I took only one class that went towards either of my majors during my freshman year.  Despite that fact, there was still a period of time where I strongly considered having three majors, and would have been able to do so and take only 18 credits a semester.  The more I think about it, that makes me sound like a pretentious dick.  Whoops.

Okay, maybe I really ought to get to work on this welfare project.