Marion Johnson

a retrospective on ruhlman

I know I said I'd explain Ruhlman on Wednesday, but things came up, and so I'll explain it now.
Ruhlman is a conference that Wellesley puts on every spring, for students of any year to present the research they've done/been doing for the past year/semester. You tend to do a Ruhlman your junior or senior year, but there are always some extra motivated underclasswomen. Anyway, about 40% of my friends gave theirs last Wednesday, so I attended some (2). Wellesley also cancels classes and throws a free delicious lunch. I can't promise that everyone uses this day off to go see different presentations - I only started going last year - but I appreciate the day off all the same.

My final chapbook is due in my poetry workshop this Wednesday (for those of you not in the know, chapbook: book of poetry:: novella: novel). I'm verging on anxious now, because we have to worry about what order we put the poems in and do the final* edits and everything. But of course, since classes end Wednesday, there's a lot of other stuff due, so a lot is going on. The chapbook is probably the most important emotionally, I guess. Though I'm not against passing my other classes.

calm before the storm

Yesterday was a pretty great day. Veronica walked across what I believe constitutes the entire city of Boston, and part of Cambridge. I have included a map to just impress upon you how far this really was (if you click on it it'll expand to its real size).    
  We started at A, the Mass Ave/Comm Ave stop on the Senate bus. From there we walked to B, Fenway, to get the delicious burritos at the delicious El Pelon. From B we walked back down Comm Ave to go to a four story Barnes and Noble, which has the best poetry section I've ever seen in a big chain bookstore. Down Beacon Street to the Boston Common (C), just to hang out in the park on a pretty day. And from there we walked across the bridge to Cambridge - more precisely, Kendall Square, part of MIT's campus.

Last night was also the Ethos Fashion Show, which my friend Simone co-organized (with Salome!), and which was actually a lot of fun. I'd never been to a fashion show before, so I didn't really know what to expect, but yeah I enjoyed it. After-party in Lizzi and Laura's rooms featuring a choice classic rock playlist made by Laura. Very nice, very nice.
Classes end in two weeks, so these next two weeks will probably be pretty hardcore. Theses are due on Tuesday, the Ruhlman conference* is Wednesday...so much going on.

*I'll explain Ruhlman on Wednesday, probably after I've attended the 1500 I'm promised to.

spring week has sprung

Spring Week is very possibly the most action-packed week of the year, and it started last night with the WZLY "Sin City" party. All of the pictures of me from that party are straight up and down stupid; I don't really know how that happened. Probably the photographer's fault.
Today was Marathon Monday, and my friend Sam (Boston College what what) ran in it! I would pretty much never run in a marathon, since i think that's 25.2 more miles than I would willingly run in one sitting. I think Catherine's fiance put it best - "I want to have run a marathon. I want it to be in my past." I think Thursday is the Sean Kingston concert, Friday is the Block Party, and Saturday is the Ethos Fashion Show followed by the after party. Somehow I managed to sign up for the morning shift this Saturday, which still will not prevent me from attending the Block Party.
Farewell, three day weekend. You will be missed.

the perfect assignment

This morning in Masculinities I received the perfect assignment. It basically boils down to this: pick a film and write an analysis of it in some of the terms read about and discussed in class and/or your own understanding of masculinity which come from the film. I spent 10 minutes making a glorious list of movies that would be perfect, and I think I'm going to settle on Glengarry Glen Ross or Jaws. The three different kinds of masculinity are implicit in Jaws and the push to be a real man is frequently explicit in Glengarry Glen Ross, but I don't know which I'd rather talk about. Truth be told, I did just (i.e. some months ago) write a final paper on Jaws so maybe I'm burned out on that topic. Probably not though. Ah well. We'll see how it goes.

This Wednesday at 11pm I'm taping my first hour of my first radio show for WZLY. I haven't done the intern exam yet, but I can still do this taping thing. My show shall be called electric boogaloo and the musical focus will be alternative hip-hop, jazz, funk, r&b, and soul. Psyched psyched psyched.

the day of fools

I made the realization over Spring Break that I have been sick for most of this year. Most recently it was my first sinus infection, garnished with laryngitis. Not the best of combinations, and certainly not helped by my stubborn refusal to go to the doctor because it "should clear up on its own." Consequently, I spent a lot of time these past few weeks asleep.

Spring Break was a lot of relaxation time, in addition to the sleep time. Went to Fairfield CT, where I ate the best baklava of my life, watched more America's Next Top Model than ever before, and got my first flat tire. This flat tire situation was only made worse by the fact that I blew out the spare after driving on it for something like 3 minutes, on the way to get a new tire. Praises be to AAA.

My new laptop is here! I named it Ophelia, after the song (by The Band; look it up), and it is enormous. It has an extended number pad, and the screen is as big as my television screen (which, incidentally, is pretty big). I didn't realize how much I missed having a laptop until Ophelia came into my life. 'Swonderful.

Yesterday morning we all got our housing lottery numbers. Class of 2009's range was 1-623, and my number was 152, which pretty much means I will get my first choice dorm and the best room imaginable. I'm hoping for a big single in Tower with a direct view of Lake Waban - this is pretty much what I have now, but my view of the lake is indirect. Either way, I want to stay facing the courtyard and with such a nice number I think I'll be fine. My friend Lizzi got 40, though, which means she could very well take my spot.

in like a lion

Happy times are here again! Last night I finally ordered a new laptop, which should be here by the 15th, meaning I can once again have constant access to the internet while sitting on my bed. Though, truth be told, life wasn't all that hard/inconvenient without it.

A lot of applications have been happening lately, for a lot of summer internships. Fingers crossed that I end up in D.C. this time around, though being in Boston definitely has its appeal as well.

The Brattle has some really cool movies up this month. I might spend all of the 15th there - Vertigo at 4:30, La Jetee/Sans Soleil at 7, and Twelve Monkeys at 9:30. I haven't seen the last two, but apparently they're heavily influenced by Vertigo, so it should make for an interesting and sunlight-starved Saturday.

I'm in nauseatingly high spirits after every Latin Combo Dance class. I couldn't go last week because I was sick, but yesterday I made my triumphant return to learn two versions of the cumbia (Colombian and Mexican). Afterwards I went for a short run in the rain to WZLY, where hopefully Veronica logged my intern hours...

happy valentimes!

I've decided that Valentine's Day should be renamed Stevie Wonder Day. Because honestly, who better to listen to on such a day than Stevie Wonder? He has a perfect song for any love-related situation. Unrequited? "Another Star" or "Ma Cherie Amour." Friendship? "As." New love? "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)."

I will never be one of those people who wears black on Valentine's Day to protest. For one thing, that's not even remotely original or interesting. For another thing, Valentine's Day is a great day for the following reasons:
1) Stevie Wonder
2) you can tell everyone you love that you love them
3) pink and red are pretty colours
4) you get candy from people

it's always sunny in philadelphia

I can take the cold. I can take the snow and the rain. all of this I can stand. What I can't stand is this ridiculous wind, wind so strong and so mean-spirited that my little sister* Ali, who is from Chicago, complained about. It's totally unacceptable.

Oh well. Last Tuesday I started Latin Combo Dance for my PE requirement, which is approximately the best PE class in existence. We're starting off learning salsa and merengue, but really I'm just obnoxiously excited to be in a dance class for the first time since high school. I'm quickly becoming a That Girl in the class, unfortunately enough. The That Girl who stands in the front row and is way too happy to be in class. I mean, whatever, it's not my fault I love things that are great.

As of last Thursday I'm done with 8:30 shifts at work. I promised myself when I got here that I'd never take an 8:30 class, yet somehow I tricked myself into taking two 8:30 shifts a week for two weeks. In any case, those are over now, and I don't have any obligations before 9:50 ever.

Last weekend Veronica and I went to El Pelon, near Fenway, which is definitely the best Mexican restaurant in the history of time. They have one burrito called the El Guapo, which has steak, maybe 3 different kinds of cheese, and fried plantains. Good Lord. I want to go back this instant.

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," meanwhile, is my new 2nd favourite show. It's almost perfect. Watch it and also "30 Rock."

*not biologically, but through Wellesley

back to school to prove to dad I'm not a fool

The end of wintersession was surprisingly action-packed. I can go over the rest of the Washington trip in more detail later, but for now I'll talk about the aftermath.

The Friday I got back from D.C., a bunch of us (Veronica, Kristina, Langdon, Djaniele, Laura C, Anli, Ami, Claire, and I) drove up to Nowhere, VT to stay in Suzi Claflin's house for the long weekend. The entire Claflin family (including the dogs) is incredible. Ann Claflin made pumpkin waffles, scones, pumpkin muffins, turkey, oat scones, brownies, burgers, soup, and pizza for all of us. It was the hugest amount of food I've ever seen or eaten in my life. Ann Clafin gets a standing ovation.

Last Saturday morning Laura and I went to BU for an open casting call for extras in Martin Scorsese's new movie Shutter Island , which will star Leonardo DiCaprio. Getting there was an event and a half, because I only know about 3 streets in Boston and Laura is the worst at reading directions to me. Whatever. We filled out forms and got our pictures taken, and if we get cast we'll get to do wardrobe and make-up and a day of filming, for which we get $100. Oh yeah, and we get to be extras in a Martin Scorsese movie. So, no big deal.

In other news, classes have started. I am in an excellent mood re: my classes this semester, which are as follows:

Masculinities - Sociology 277. As far as I can tell, we're studying men and what makes them men/manly/masculine/etc. So, almost completely removed from feminism. In our first class we watched a clip of 300, so I'm confident that this class will rock.

American Literature to 1865 - English 262. I'm reunited with my dear friend Larry Rosenwald, and this is a great thing. In class the other day we compared Emerson's "transparent eyeball" to the Eye of Sauron. That actually happened. Anyway, we have to read Moby Dick which I can't say I'm looking forward to, but I trust Larry's judgment.

Study of the New Testament - Religion 105. Professor Hobbs is relentlessly intriguing, and seems to have the entire Bible including Deuteronomy memorized. He also appears to be a classic old Southern gentlemen, which is nice. I'm a little afraid of this course, because the reading assignments are epic, but it sounds fascinating nonetheless.

Advanced Writing/Poetry - English 302. This class simultaneously terrifies and thrills me. Thrills because I'll get to edit some outstanding (as in continuing in existence, unsettled; not as in awesome) poems of mine; terrifies because other people will have to read these poems of mine and give me criticism. I don't know if I take criticism very well, but we shall see.

My computer absolutely died the day I got back from Vermont, but a new one is forthcoming. It's a shame. I named my computer Dixie, after the song "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," because it's been trying to die for about a year now. I knew this would happen sooner or later. My point is, my posts won't be terribly frequent until my new computer arrives, so sit tight.

from washington with love

for starters, D.C. is the best city in the union. I love being here. I think my love for politics and political debate has been on the wane for the past semester, for whatever reason, but having to be on call at all hours of the day with my ideas and analysis, plus being surrounded by people who love politics, PLUS meeting all these political figures, has recharged me. Yes, that is a sentence. I don't have to diagram it.

It has been an exhausting few days, though. I really feel like we've been here for weeks, with all the stuff we've done. On Monday we met with Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson (who I like to call Hank), talking about different matters. I asked him about Social Security reform and he gave me a surprising answer (surprising because it has nothing to do with privatizing it at all, unlike the President). That afternoon we went across town to Sojourners HQ. Sojourners is a progressive evangelist publication backed by Jim Wallis. That late afternoon we met with the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, who tried for about an hour to recruit us. I can't say I enjoy the idea of the Peace Corps; it feels a little too much like the white man's burden.

Yesterday morning we went to Voice of America, which I'd never heard of until yesterday. What it is is an American external radio broadcasting system whose mission is to spread unbiased information and "tell America's story" to the world. Most of us found their claim of totally objective journalism dubious, since they started as American propaganda in WWII, but I believe Andre de Nesnera* at least is truly committed to objectivity. After that we had a free early afternoon, since the Dept. of Justice's Civil Rights Division cancelled on us, and then we went to meet with Senator Chuck Hagel. I had 3 amazing questions for him and he didn't call on me once. Not once! This was unacceptable to me. Then we went to meet the woman who legally represents Major League Baseball...as an entity. I still don't understand how that works exactly, but it was 5:30 at this point and my feet hurt.

This morning we briefly toured the White House and met with staffers to discuss education reform, healthcare reform, and environmental policy. Again, I didn't get any of my questions answered. Harrumph.

The thing is, we leave the hotel every morning at 8:00, and usually come back around 6:00, and this wears me out. Especially since we have to be in business attire and my shoes just don't like my feet. Regardless, I've been hanging out with a lot of cool people, eating a lot of cool food, and getting used to the idea of having two roommates for the next week and a half (slowly).

*Andre de Nesnera is an amazing journalist with an incredible voice, who has been working for Voice of America for 25+ years. Right now he's the news director for the VoA. <3