Just Keeps Running and Running

Early into his presidency, critics regularly cited President Obama saying "he's spending too much time campaigning and not enough time governing."

That's Wittenberg in a nutshell.

When you come to Witt as a perspective student, you're given the grand presentation. Everything you'll ever need to want and even ever consider is presented to you by a smiling, self-assured student. After the tour, if you were told afterward that they were actually miserable and really hated Witt, you simply wouldn't believe them.

But once you get here, and you start to live the combination of the life they want for yourself and the life that the school has set out for you (and they have your deposit), you begin to feel that once they've hooked you, they can let you float around and figure things out for yourself. The continually surprising and inventive menu in the CDR or Post is gone in favor of the same over-cooked chicken, rice, and vegetable, bad pizza, and dry desserts.

The supposed community of closeness and togetherness is actually a catty group of snotty brats reenacting scenes from "Heathers," "Clueless," "Mean Girls," "Bring It On," and "Easy A."

To say that Springfield and campus have this litany of exciting and worthwhile events for everyone and anyone is simply not true.

Frankly, even the spaces that are available aren't for the right times or long enough. The "amazing" weight room and fitness center is always full and only open until 10. The library's only open until midnight!! Sorry this is becoming a rant, and I'm just saying that I occasionally feel like I've been sold a batch of goods that were never good to begin with.

This campus wants to make sure we get you into the door because they need your money more than the federal government does. Glad we all bought in.

Brown Paper Packages Tided Up with String: My Favorite Things about Wittenberg

Anytime someone suggests I have to name my favorite things, the familiar tune of "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music." I'm a gay man with a taste for musical theater; it was inevitable.

But in this particular case, when I was asked to name my favorite things about Wittenberg, I didn't immediately think of cream colored ponies or crisp apple strudel, or doorbells, or sleigh bells or anything like it. My favorite parts of Wittenberg are far more abstract things that can't be held in the hands but rather things held in them mind.

My favorite thing about Wittenberg is its continued idealism. I may be a hardened and surly cynic, but I thoroughly appreciate it when there is still some groups of people that assume the best and brightest out of everyone and everything.

Wittenberg has people like those who faculty in the English department that give second, third and fourth chances. They genuinely believe in the people that they are teaching; they want the best for them. Wittenberg is a place that despite all of their best efforts believes in the common good of every student. They don't want to think that we can be racists or bigots. They still think that everybody can determine their future paths for themselves, and they think the current services around are the best available.

Maybe I'm mistaking idealism for naivete? Maybe, in the words of a professor of mine, I'm pumping too much sunshine out of their ass. Maybe I have my own glimmer of idealism that I didn't know I had. I think Wittenberg gave it to me. There's always so much talk about the "Bubble" and how much we don't know what's going on in the outside world, but the unwavering amount of integrity that this school tries to instill in us is certainly my favorite thing.

So, apparently this post is going to end up being a lot like The Sound of Music, hopelessly optimistic, old-fashioned, and something that's easily told in just a few short words. And that brings us back to do.

Journey to the Dark Side.

Over the years, we all have those moments when we feel we've done something bad. I don't mean in a dirty, immediately feel like confession kind of moment, but something you know has now altered either your day-to-day life or something you continue to have lingering sinking feeling.

I had one of those kinds of moments last week. I finally caved on something that I had been adamantly against for years. It went against my better judgment, it blatantly defied some basic things I hold as gospel. I...joined Twitter, and I love it.


I never would have thought that dispersing little 140 character messages into the world for a combination of complete strangers and some friends to read would be a worthwhile or satisfying endeavor. I can muse about my frustration with not being able to find a good job opportunity, a quick review of the my latest film, or even to just find solidarity about whatever feeling I may be having.

Comparatively to Facebook, where only my friends can really give commentary to the things that I put out there into the world, and frankly not all of them are things that my friends find interesting or that are even worth comment. But on Twitter, when I "tweet" (Believe me, I just cringed writing that word), there's a host of people who can respond, react and give commentary right back.

Secondly, I've actually found it can be a good way to promote myself and my writing. Let's say I just saw "True Grit" and I want to make sure I get my opinion out there in the universe as to make sure my opinion is the often read one amongst my now growing list of 75 followers. But then instead of merely leaving it at the 140 characters, I come home and write a fuller, more expansive review and put the blog link onto my feed so people can read the nuance and texture lost in a tweet.

I never thought I'd say this, but I am twitter-holic.