school’s out!

Today is my 10-year anniversary of graduating from the University of Scranton. Yes, part of me is inwardly screeching ohmigod I’m so OLD! Still, whenever that voice kicks up, I just have to remind myself of what’s important: namely, the fact that I was lucky enough to graduate from a good school. It’s not like my parents could afford it; I relied solely on scholarships and student loans. In fact, if I continue making only minimum monthly payments, I’ll be paying off the last of those student loans until I’m 45 (literally). However, without my parents’ support and my mom’s diligence with filling out endless student aid forms, I wouldn’t have had the strength to get my ass into college. I would’ve been overwhelmed from the sheer task of completing an obscene amount of paperwork, dealing with the stubborn folks in the student aid office several times a year, etc. Not all people are lucky enough to have families help them get student aid and apply to college. Not all people are lucky enough to take off four years after high school. I didn’t have to get a job immediately after high school to support my family. I didn’t have to worry about spending my high school years dodging bullets and drug dealers, thus causing me to get shitty grades that kept me out of college. I was lucky to get an education at a fine university, and that’s what I should be thinking about today. Not, Eeek, I’m so old, I’ve been out of college for ten years, but Today marks 10 years since I was lucky enough to complete my higher education.

In honor of the big day, here is a photo of me on my very first day of college, snapped amidst the grueling task of moving into my freshman dorm. (Actually, it wasn’t too grueling. Scranton has peppy upperclass volunteers move in all of the freshmen every year, so I barely had to do any of the lifting and carrying, which is good, because I was on the third floor and I had a lot of shit.) Note that I had some hot tri-colored hair action going on (long story), and I really knew how to rock those gigantic glasses.

Four years later—medicated, devirginated, and with unicolor hair and normal glasses—I graduated cum laude with a BA degree in Communications and a minor in English. Here’s me giddily snatching my diploma away from then-University president Father Panuska, thinking School’s out, suckas!!!

My glee stemmed from the fact that I was actually quite unhappy at Scranton and I couldn’t wait to escape. I did escape my junior year, when I studied at Goldsmiths College in London, but my remaining three years at Da U felt eternal and rather miserable. It’s a great school, but it was a bad fit for me. Think of the old analogy of square pegs in round holes and you’ll catch my drift. I could say that I regret picking that particular university, but if I hadn’t gone there, I never would’ve met my darling friend David!

Last night I attended an amazing fundraiser in Alexandria, VA, which was cosponsored by Found Magazine and PostSecret. It was 10 different shades of wonderful. Frank Warren (creator and curator of the PostSecret phenomenon) premiered a half-hour film montage of a huge range of secrets, and it was accompanied by a shiver-inducing dazzling score by local organic electro ambient musician Yoko K. and other local musicians Koli (flute, tenor sax), Lucan (violin), and Tom P. (percussion). The violin in particular rocked my world because, well, strings in general rock my world. This was followed by a Q&A with Frank (book signings took place before the show began). The second half of the show was owned by they hysterically funny, charismatic Davy Rothbart, creator and publisher of Found Magazine. He read aloud some of his funniest and most touching finds, and his talented musician brother, Peter, with whom I’m now madly in love, performed three of the songs he wrote about various finds. I desperately wanted to buy his CD but I didn’t have any cash on me, so I’ll have to snag it from amazon.com. The brothers Rothbart portion of the show was hysterical, and the perfect accompaniment to the PostSecret side, since, in a way, they are both sides of the same coin.

Meanwhile, I’d like to give a shout-out to my mom, who is getting back surgery today. It’s a new laparoscopic procedure which will drastically reduce her surgery and recovery time. Basically, if you’re going to get back surgery, this is the procedure you’ll want. And, after much wrangling, her insurance company finally agreed to pay 100% of the costs. Finally, some justice in the HMO world!


song heard most recently before posting: Dice —Finley Quaye, ft. William Orbit & Beth Orton