Adam

The following post is a list of cool stuff I experienced this year.

1. I learned how to read a map. Wait, what? By taking the recreational, single credit hour class “Basic Orienteering,” I was given the chance at reliving childhood dreams of being Lewis/Clark. Although I wasn’t mapping the unknown or making friends with Native Americans, I did learn how to use a map and compass to navigate around in the woods. Will I ever need this skill? Probably not. But after hiking something like 5 or 6 miles around MacBride Nature Recreation Area, I did realize more of what I’m capable of. My group used a map and compass to find 11 different markers attached to trees, and did so completely off-trail. Plus, I snapped some really cool pictures. I’d suggest taking this class if you want to re-experience a childhood running around outside, or to appreciate the beauty of Iowa nature. Whatever recreational 1-hour class you pick, just make sure you do one before you graduate.
2. Iowa City is one of the few cultural hubs in the state, which means we get a ton of cool shows. Aziz Ansari, Bo Burnham, Michael Ian Black, and Seth Meyers were a few of the speakers/performers I managed to see this year. There were countless others that graced the city with their talents and craft, not to mention a lot of musical talent that visited. I even managed to organize and participate in a comedy show at Public Space 1 (the stand-up’s getting there…). Before you dive into actual adulthood, be sure to do something artsy in Iowa City.
3. Finally, I type this last point with tears rolling on to my keyboard (*sniff). Not really, but the last big point I’m going to mention involves the general academic opportunities I’ve been afforded at the University of Iowa. I (finally) made the effort to make friends with a TA, and the knowledge and outlook I learned from them has helped me grow a lot over the last few months. When junior-year talks about college started way back in high school, a lot of my classmates were concerned about becoming lost in the numbers of a large university. Iowa is a pretty big place, but you can stand out if you make the effort. The many opportunities to get involved make it seem a lot smaller.

Did you know Iowa was capable of this? Do you see the face?

I’m pretty pumped for the next two years.

-Adam

Tomorrow is your last day to exercise your voice, productively, in American politics. If you haven’t been lured into voting early by the many opportunities to do so on campus, get ready for the rush that is voting on election day. It’ll be messy and crowded, but it’ll be worth it!

Democracy in America is the best system of government on the face of the planet. We enjoy freedoms many other countries, even those as developed as our own, don’t get. However, we’re a broken and messy system. Democracy has grown from several thousand Greeks screaming at each other in a stadium into a giant, misinformed, argument between 300 million individuals which includes (but certainly is not limited to) the fabrication of lies, finger pointing, and eating Big Macs. That’s American Democracy.

Here’s an analogy. Imagine you’re driving your little brother to the hospital to get vaccinations. He’s getting these vaccinations so that he can be allowed in schools, get an education, and then lead a better existence as compared to what he’s attained in his current four year old lifespan. However, he refuses to see your point of view, and does everything in his power to ruin your plan (including kicking, screaming, and creating Filibusters), because all he sees is the 5 seconds of pain during the shot.

You represent one political party (it doesn’t matter, take your pick), and your little brother represents the other. That’s why nothing gets done, the debt goes up, and news sources make money playing the blame game.

There’s no simple fix to anything. There simply can’t be in a situation involving over 300 million people, and almost equally as many different factors. However you vote on November 6 (and please do), make sure you’re hoping to promote unity and teamwork within our nation, and not just trying to kick the other side in the pants.

The game yesterday was rough. I mean, really, really rough. Like in shop class in high school, when you learn about the grades of sand paper? This is like grade 2 rough. After literally screaming my lungs out (I think I saw a chunk fly out during the second quarter), it was exhausting to walk back to the house my friends and I were headquartered at, and then sit there and listen to complaints from Hawkeye fans, and take in the silent grins of the present State fans.

What made it worse was that I had been up since 4:30 that morning to work event parking. So I was pretty beat. However, allow me to put some optimism into a seemingly bad situation. During my nine hour shift, I did a little social experiment to flex what I had learned in one of my classes the day before. We had studied how facial expressions can be both conscious and subconscious, and, more specifically, what people do when they lie.

(Side Note: When someone’s lying, the area between their eyebrows will furrow for a split second.)

Now, my job was to make sure that one of the lots was kept empty as people desperately tried to find a spot before the game. The method I was instructed to use involved me asking if they were going to the game, and if so, to direct them away from the lot (for the sake of the parking department, I’m not going to specify which area. Park where you’re supposed to!). If someone (most of the time with full Iowa swag on) said “No,” and that little furrow appeared, I prodded a little more.

I ended up turning a lot of cars away.

It was amazing how many people would attempt to snake their way in, even with plenty of time left to find other parking before the game. What was more amazing was how I used something I learned in school in the real world. One of my professors had said that one of HIS professors said (he said, she said) that real learning happens outside of the classroom. I half agree.

In terms of eventfulness, this was an extremely busy week. It was full of action, adventure, and heartbreak. Sit back, and allow me to weave you three tales to describe (as best I can) the life changing experiences that made the last seven days more exciting than the usual.

Action:

Get a job with parking, see this.

Last week, I started my new job. I’ll give you a few hints as to what it is; I chase down bad guys, wear cool gear, and save Gotham from most certain destruction. If you guessed “Parking Booth Operator,” great guess! I would have accepted “Parking Booth Guy,” too. I bet most males aged 12-24 would love to have Batman’s job, but this one’s alright too. The gig itself is very easy: take money, make change. It pays well, and the downtime between customers means there’s a lot of opportunities to get paid for homework (or Netflix movies). The most threatening part is when a middle-aged woman rolls up, and scrutinizes the amount of change I’ve given her for a full minute. It’s the right amount, I promise.

Adventure:

On Thursday of the past week, I stepped up and took on the biggest fear known to man: public speaking. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted an open mic competition at T.Spoons, offering aspiring musicians and comedians their chance at claiming one of three cash prizes (I guess you could call the Campus Activities Board the “Cash CAB” this week… haha…) for best performance. While I wasn’t one of the three to be handed a gift card (all of the awards went to very talented musicians), being patted on the back and congratulated several times was payment enough. Hell, maybe I’ll try stand up again! As long as I don’t get cold feet (like a penguin… ha… ha… O.k. I’m done).

Heartbreak:

I end my post today with a story of spirit crushing heartbreak. It could also be a case of depressing comedy, depending on the kind of person you are. Last Tuesday, as you may have been able to tell by the line stretching a block and a half down Clinton, was the 20th birthday of Panchero’s. Now, I’m not typically a huge fan (and NEVER bump up the burrito at football games), but like a mosquito drawn to a bright light that would ensure my death, I was part of the line for $1 Burritos.

You can almost see Panchero’s from here!

A friend and I boarded the line at 3:45 p.m., assuming I’d have enough time to get a burrito and make it to my 5 o’clock class. For over an hour, I stood there, wiped sweat from my brow, and tanned my arms. It was the closest thing to the drought that I’ve experienced. As 4:50 clicked on to the sign of a local bank (right after the stupid thing reminded me, AGAIN, that it was 93 degrees out), I managed to peek inside of the gigantic free-for-all that was the restaurant. I made the decision to split the difference and leave. The good student inside of couldn’t stand to miss the only lecture I have that grades attendance. I was heartbroken.

So there are the highs and low of my last week. I’d say it was pretty satisfying. Not too busy, not too boring, but enough action, adventure, and heartbreak to inspire a Hollywood blockbuster.