PC|Bluestocking

I know that that may seem like a silly concept, but the time has come to start getting excited about the PC Wind Ensemble’s Spring concert! The concert is this coming Thursday, the 11th, at 7:30pm. It will feature five amazing pieces that will highlight the talents of each and every one of our PC musicians. Be sure to come out and support your fellow students as they entertain us with their marvelous melodies!

For those of you who were here last year, you might remember a kid with a yellow/blonde mohawk typically seen double fisting a Mountain Dew and Coffee while somehow managing to smoke a cigarette at the same time. Well, that’s Dustin.

For those of you who don’t know, he was last year’s Blue Stocking Editor. While Baker is an awesome editor, I thought it might be nice to see where recent PC grads are now and hopefully answer the question that is on many Seniors’ minds, “What is life really like after college?”

I sent Dustin a few questions via Facebook since he is currently in New York. And rather try to rephrase Dustin, I figured I could copy/ paste it all here.

CT: What is life after college really like?

DW: I’m sure that experiences differ, but I will try to relate aspects about post-college life that seem the most universal. I’ll just list a few things because I am too lazy to attempt complete sentences. This is a perk of no longer being in school.
A) If you’re like me then you will no longer be convered by your parents’ health insurance after you graduate and the coverage offered by most jobs is lacking. This is the point where you become a hypocondriac. Your liver starts to hurt, your teeth feel loose, and you check moles for irregular edges. While this sounds bad, it actually forces you to consider the possible ramifications of the very stupid thing you may be about to do.
B) You find yourself beginning most of your stories with, “When I was in school…” These stories will almost always be more interesting to you than to the person to whom you are telling them.
C) You will watch all of your favorite tv shows online because there is no longer any real point in paying for cable. Save your money for internet, heat, and alcohol.
D) Life remains rather busy, if not moreso, but manages to do this in a way that seems more boring than college. Luckily, four years at PC have prepared you to finds ways to make your own fun out of seemingly nothing. This is an essential life skill.

CT: What jobs do you have?

DW:I have a position editing scientific papers for a graduate department at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York. It is a sad, little city full of college students and deformed people. Both groups are the focus of my constant, childish mocking because, like I said earlier, “make your own fun.” I also worked the night shift in a local grocery store for a while.
CT: Do you miss the Bluestocking?

DW: I miss a few things about running and writing for the Bluestocking. I had the opportunity to work with some fun, interesting people and several people I genuinely hated. I worked during a big election year and was able to enjoy all the political infighting amongst the staff and write about something important. And I worked for a newspaper that was actually printed, which is becoming increasingly rare. I miss all that and the fame and the money and the drugs.

CT:If you still write for a newspaper how is it like the BS? How is it different?

DW:I do not do this. It is almost like the newspaper business just isn’t hoping to expand and hire on new fresh talent.

CT: What are your top 5 (if you have that many and can remember them) favorite stories you wrote for the BS?

DW:I don’t know if I can think of five stories of my own, but I can think of a few favorite stories published by the Bluestocking during my time with the paper.
A) I interviewed visiting author Brad Land along with the help of fellow writers Tom Stillerman and Caroline Todd. Brad was very easygoing and it was fun to conduct an question and answer session like that.
B) There was a big stir when we printed a letter from a student who was arguing against evolution or gay marriage because his church teaches against such. The Bluestocking received a good bit of feedback over the letter. You can never be sure if anyone really reads the paper, but this time it was nice to see that people were listening. It is just a shame that it takes awful hate speech to get attention. And that some people use religion to justify ignorance.
C) I wrote an article about Bruce Springstein’s performance during the Super Bowl. He slid crotch first into a camera. This scene was witnessed by almost everyone with a television and this act entitled me to use the term “cockblast.” This was awesome.

This year for Lent, my fellow BS writer Laura and I, Maggie, will be documenting our experiences as we undergo 40 days without sweets or foul language.

Lent is a Christian tradition that lasts from Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) until Easter Sunday (April 4th). The 40 days of lent are meant to symbolize the time that Jesus spent in the desert before his death during which he encountered the many temptations of the devil but fought them off and kept his reverence toward God. It is a time when Christians often give up one of their vices or take on a new practice that is good for them or that helps others.

This year, Laura and I have decided to, together, give up sweets (which we both love) and swearing (which is a nasty habit that we’re trying to break). We will be documenting our experiences here on the BS and will post updates of our triumphs and tribulations.

If any of you caught the opening ceremony this past Friday you know that the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have officially begun. So far the Americans have taken gold in Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding. Apolo Ohno made silver in the Men’s 1500 Speed Skate after a lucky (for Apolo) crash between two Korean Skaters. The Olympics are being broadcast on NBC and USA, check those station’s websites for details on schedules. I’ll be keeping up with the medals and events throughout the week. GO USA!

Apolo leads the pack during a practice race