Author: Gary

A custom I’d be glad to steal from the Koreans.

On the way from Pillsbury Hall to Coffman union, I passed two groups. One was a group doing a “sit in” in front of Johnstone Hall protesting the decision to get rid of General College. None of the people there looked like they attended GC and there were only 6 of them. Over near the chem building was a preacher (its warm outside, so its preacher season) with a group of about 50 people debating him.

Thoughts on the two groups:

1) The movement to save GC is doomed because the only people I’ve seen who care about it are people who work for GC and those who want GC to boost diversity numbers. Minnesota has one of, if not the best, community college systems in the US. There is no need for GC. Moreover, the GC graduation rate is 30% after 6 years and over 50% of those who attended GC said they wouldn’t do it again. A college can’t be everything to everyone. It has to have its niche, even if its as big of a university as the U. After seeing the poor turnout today, I don’t think the administration has anything to be worried about.

2) These guys on campus who preach can argue their position far better than those who walk up and argue. They have spent years studyin the bible and working their apologetics out. Most of the students who walk up to argue are making arguments on what they “think” is in the bible. What I would really like to see is someone start arguing with them from a different christian perspective. I don’t know where these guys lie, but it would be funny to see a heated debate on the merits of infant baptism. I don’t think they’re ready for that.

Petrology is now done. I have to finish my paleontology paper by friday.

The semester is winding down. I’ll be done with Petrology tomorrow and my field workship lab was done last week. I have to finish papers in Geochem and Paleontology, which I have drafts already done in both. I have a take home final in Paleontology due next wednesday and a finals a week from Friday and Saturday.

I’m thinkin the worst I should do in anything is a B+ and there is a chance I could do better.

My worst class is honors chem, but they offered an extra credit assignment that is potentially worth an additional 7% of your grade. I got the full 7%, so my threshold for what I need is reduced dramatically. Furthermore, if the class gets curved, I should do even better.

Once finals are done, I’ll have 3 weeks to work on getting my house ready to show and brushing up on what I’ll need to know for my research project next year and the research project I’ll be working on in August.

that David Hasselhof is not in fact cool?

I found out yesterday I was awarded the Richard Clarence Dennis Undergraduate Scholarships in Geosciences and the Fred A. Donath Honors Scholarship in Geosciences. I was sort of suprised I got one let alone two. Given my age, I wasn’t sure if I’d be seriously considered.

I also should hear from the library soon about their book collection contest. I submitted my enormous National Geographic Collection (which actually includes a ton of books)

Also, if you are interested in seeing the Midnight showing of Star Wars at the plush Eden Prairie 18 with me, let me know.