I’m a big kid now

Working so close to HRL(housing residence life) at the front desk, allows me to listen in on the ridiculous things that happen. These past couple of weeks have been all about getting the student population to vote, so there’s been tables set up in the lobby where they try to get students to register to vote and/or fill out an absentee ballot. I’m all for encouraging people to vote and all…but some of these kids are ridiculous

Staff: Are you registered to vote?
Freshman1: Uhm I think so…
Staff: What do you mean you think so?
Freshman1: Actually no, I’m pretty sure my mom did it for me.
Staff: Would you like an absentee ballot?
Freshman1: What’s that?
Staff: *blah blah blah*
Freshman 1: Oh my mom’s filling that out for me.

Freshman 2: Do I check the primary election box or the general election?
Staff: Uhm we’re not sure. We’ve just been telling people to check primary cuz it sounds right.
Me: Hey I’m pretty sure it’s general election…the primaries happened a while ago…
Staff: oh…oops… okay check the general election box.

*Nov. 3rd*
Freshman 3: *checks mail* What is this??
Me: Looks like your absentee ballot.
Freshman 3: What? Oh… How do you fill this thing out?!
Staff: Well start off with the first box…are you voting for Mccain or Obama?
Freshman 3: uh I don’t know yet. I have to call my dad and ask him.
Me: Are you serious…

*Nov.4th*
Freshman 4: Hey! I got my absentee ballot!
Freshman 5: Weren’t you supposed to mail that by now?
Freshman 4: I’m supposed to mail it somewhere?
Freshman 5: I don’t know…
Freshman 4: I thought I was just supposed to take it somewhere to vote…oh well.

Not all of these “Freshman” are freshmen. A few residence here are sophomores…but honestly, with the way they act, I can only assume freshman. I’d be even more disappointed if they were sophomores.

Now I think it’s great and all, encouraging this generation to vote, but not when it’s basically giving their parents two votes. Parents leave you at college telling you not to get drunk off your ass, not to do drugs, or don’t have sex before marriage and all that good stuff. Yet you do it anyway, cuz you have a mind of your own and choose to make your own decisions on life. But when it comes down to voting on the bigger picture, you whimp out and run back to mommy and daddy. Now I know voting is a new thing and all, even I had to ask my cousins for some assistance. But at least I went in knowing who I wanted to vote for and why. I did my research, they were just there to supply me with more info. I think it’s ridiculous when you’ve reached the age of 18 and you’re still taking home laundry for your parents to do, or allowing them to fill out your absentee ballot simply cuz you haven’t got a clue. I can only hope that those parent double votes are going out for the right guy.

Early Mornings

My 6:30 shifts are usually on Fridays but this week I’m working the Saturday morning shift as well because I had to swap with someone so I could go home early last week to hang out with the cousins. These shifts have got to be the worst. Unless I’m catching up on my tv online(which I took care of yesterday), the morning goes by so slowly. With the amount of work I have piled up this semester, there just isn’t any time for homework during commercial breaks. Of course there’s always homework to attack during my morning shift… but I figured why not start the first entry of my blog instead? 311 says it best- There’s always an excuse when you need one. However, I did finish reading this chapter book for one of my classes. Every now and then we get to choose from a list of elementary chapter books that reflect a type of literature we’re learning in class. So far, I’ve read  Esperanza Rising, The Hatchet(which I read back in the day, but I just wanted to read it again), Holes, A Corner of the Universe, and I just finished Number the Stars when I got here this morning. I feel like a kid sometimes, but I don’t care, these books are great. Takes me back to the old days when I used to read for fun and actually enjoyed it. We talked about this in my lit class. After a while, reading became a bore because it was always assigned reading that came with essays and such. At least that’s how I got pulled away from it. I went through this period where I hated reading books of all sorts. No idea why, I just preferred watching movies and tv. Nowadays, inching my way through the eled program, in between all nostalgia that comes with the children’s book analysis, I can actually pick up a book to read for fun. Strange, I know, but quite the breakthrough for me. Anyways, time to push aside the excuses and get to the studies. Hopefully I’ll be back to write in not too long.