So, first impressions mean zilch

So, I believe in my last college related post, I said the standings, based solely on impressions, were Illinois Wesleyan in 1st, Valparaiso in 2nd, and Hope in 3rd?

HAHA! The actual visits turned these placings completely upside-down.

So, to start off, I went to Hope on Sunday. It was a fairly nice visit, my major problems with Hope being the freaky free-for-all cafeteria, the..."preppy" atmosphere, and the canned responses used in chapel (Teacher: "Peace be with you," everyone else: "and also with you.").* However, those aren't things that are impossible to get used to. In addition, their theater program looked very good. And since they offered everything I'm interested in majoring and minoring in...I'm pretty sure I wouldn't die if I went there.

We got to Valpo on Monday night and, wow, I was shocked. The people were friendly and inclusive. I didn't see that at Hope. Sure they were friendly there, but it never went beyond a "hello," or "where are you from?" At Valpo, they would ask me that, what I was interested in majoring in, and just, well, included me in conversation. Also my host, Ellen, took me to the Rack, a recreation room at Valpo, to play pool with her and three of her friends. God, I had so much fun! So many of the people there seemed extremely intelligent, but they were so relaxed, and knew how to have fun and kid around with each other.

In short, I just loved the Valpo visit, I definitely want to go there.

...I really don't want to get into Illinois Wesleyan. I guess you can say, it's a state school poorly disguised as a prestigious Lutheran college. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with state schools, but when I'm looking for a Christian school that's at least mostly conservative, you can see that what I'm interested in generally would not be overtly present at a state school.

On top of my moral and ethical issues with Wesleyan, they don't even offer a Creative Writing major. Why would I go to them, anyway, when they don't even offer what I'm looking for, and charge more than Valpo, who has exactly what I'm looking for?

On that note, Wesleyan has basically dropped off of my list all together.

With that in mind, here's where I mention that now I only have two colleges to apply to, since it appears it's really hard to find a Christian school that hasn't lost it's religious roots, which also offers Creative Writing and Theatre Majors, plus at least a minor in Japanese.

I think I'll be fine with applying to two schools. I just feel incredibly lucky that I've found a school that seems to match me so perfectly.

*I don't really like "canned responses" like that, or even congregational readings. Why? It creeps me out. To hear hundreds--or thousands--of voices, in unison, in monotone is friggin' eerie. I mean, it's so...zombie-like. And I hate to think of my beliefs as just being a mindless drone, drooling, "Jeeeeesus! Jeeeeesus!" (think, "Braaaains! Braaaaains!")

Jean skirt pattern + me = insanity!

So, my mom found this episode of Sewing with Nancy where it was all about re-purposing jeans and stuff, and what caught my eye was this pattern for turning them into a skirt. I liked the idea, because I love wearing jeans because they are comfy, so I jumped at it. I also enlisted my friend into the craze and I will be making her a skirt.



The picture is of the fabric I picked out for my friend's skirt. I hope she likes it.

I pretty much just got back from shopping with my mom for various projects. I don't want to shop again for another two weeks if I can help it, because I haven't been home since 9:30 this morning.

...ugh. And I still have to pack for tomorrow. Kill me now plz, kthnxbai.

About my college visits

Since my loverly wyfe (Andrea (the "wyfe" thing is an inside joke, you ninnies)) asked, and since I have a couple of schedules of my visits, here's what I know:

For one thing, it's Friday today and we're leaving on Sunday. I just realized that and now I'm going, "OMGWTFBBQ TOO SOON!"

First we will be going to Hope College, which is in Grand Rapids in Michigan. I don't know exactly what I'm doing there, because up until yesterday, Hope had the attitude towards me of, "Oh, well, you're a Junior and we have a lot of Seniors coming to visit, so they take a higher priority when it comes to overnights, and staying with a student." What happened yesterday was, "Oh! We've had some cancellations, so we're calling to confirm your overnight with us! :DDD!"

Well, I know I'm sitting in on some classes, but I don't remember which ones, and if I'm doing anything beyond that.

After that, we will be heading for Valporaiso University in Indiana, spending the night on Monday, and then at 10:10 AM on Tuesday I have my first class that I get to sit in on. Then I have a "Theater Appointment." After that I get a tour, and then at last at 1:00 PM I have an "Information Session" with an admissions counselor.

Next we will be heading for Illinois Wesleyan, which, I have to admit, is the college that appears to be after me the most. On Tuesday night when we arrive, we get to see the show the drama program is putting on! After the show I meet my host and hit the sack.

Wednesday I have a voice class (!! excitement!) at 10:oo AM. 11:15 AM I get to tour the college's radio station (double excitement!!), and then I have lunch with some crazy Theatre Majors. After that, meeting with admissions counselor, and...done. Visits are over.

I've noticed that, thus far, my visits are very theater oriented. The only thing I know of that I can count as helping my writing is the class I'm sitting in on at Valpo--Human Experience. But, that's a "Freshmen Core class," not a writing one.

I don't know if I'm doing any writing stuff at Hope or not...I'd probably know if they, you know, actually gave me a schedule like the other two colleges and seemed to be interested in my presence.

So, impressions wise? Just based on the phone calls and organizing plans and schedules?

Wesleyan's on the top of my chart. The Theatre lady went nuts organizing my visit, and I love just looking at it!

Valpo's somewhere in the middle, I mean they seem organized and they planned a nice visit for me, got me a place to sleep with no fuss.

But Hope's hardly even on the chart. So far, they've just kinda showed that they really don't care about me because I'm not graduating this year and I'm not quite in their immediate future. So, NYAH TO YOU, HOPE! I can write seething criticisms!

To quote Jasper the Theatre Critic from Psychonauts: "I just can't take my eyes off it! It's like watching a car crash... A car crash where the victims can't act, and the medics forget their lines!"

(Even if that above quote really doesn't happen to have much to do with my situation with Hope, Jasper is just extraordinarily funny.)

Well, I have to get to school before I am seriously maimed.