Sunday, April 27, 2014

Pomp and Circumstance

Well, it's official.

I'm a college graduate!

I'm not quite sure what to think of that. I've just gotten so used to being a college student. Hence my staying in Provo for the time being. But I had better find some hobbies, now that I don't have to study, because I can't watch Hulu all day.

Thursday was commencement services. We all lined up by the ASB until it was time to go up into the Marriott Center. They bestowed degrees on us; I now have a BA in English language. President Uchtdorf spoke briefly. The Samuelsons said they were "quasi-members" of the class of 2014, since they are being released. I never went to a basketball game, so I never did the "Whoosh Cecil." (In fact, at the Unforum right before finals, they did one, and I had no idea what to do.)

After commencement, I was feeling sad that I didn't have any good graduation pictures. But then I had an idea. In all my time in Provo, I had never hiked the Y. What an experience, I thought, if the first time I did so was in a cap and gown! So my roommate Jordan and a former wardie, Laura, went with me. I didn't put my cap on until I got to the top, because I didn't want it to get sweaty, but I wore the gown the whole way.

Two years ago in my semantics and pragmatics class, we learned about "the norm of civil inattention," which says that people in polite society will not talk to people they do not know, but there are a few exceptions. One exception is if a person is in an out-of-role situation. Going on a hike in a graduation gown is an obvious out-of-role situation, so I had lots of people congratulating me. And I was feeling quite happy then, because I barely hiked the Y as a student (kind of), and because I got the most creative graduation pictures of anyone I know.

The next morning, my parents came down for the College of the Humanities convocation, where I actually walked across the stage as they read my name and I got a diploma cover. I wasn't sure what to think of that meeting. The speakers seemed kind of pompous, and I'm prejudiced against English majors, which there were a lot of. They had the  graduates stand for various reasons. I stood up for saying I spoke a foreign language but sat down for speaking two, since it's been so long since I've studied Spanish. (I thought Advanced French Part 2 was good enough to count.) I was a little disappointed I didn't get any Latin words indicating my scholastic achievements--since I'm only good at academics, I'm pridefully disappointed when I'm not the best. But I don't think they mean that much--the person who got the highest honors in the college was in one of my classes and I read one of her papers, and I don't think she was much more brilliant than I am. Also, my major had relatively easy classes, and most of my non-A grades were from other colleges, including geology.

Another thing I didn't do was the Honors program. I honestly didn't do it because I was lazy, but there were other reasons as well. I think they've changed it, but when I started, the Honors program just meant you had to read a lot of books, see a lot of plays, watch a lot of movies, write a lot of papers, and write a thesis. It seemed like a lot of work for something that wouldn't really enrich my education. I think I had much more valuable experiences doing the second minor in geology. Years from now, I don't think I'll remember the books I read (or would have read), but I will remember Death Valley, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Great Basin National Park.

I'm also glad that the editing minor provides me with practical knowledge. A lot of humanities majors have degrees that aren't particularly useful, no matter how interesting they may be--including my major. But I think my major mostly exists for the editing minor, and that's something I can use.

Now to embark on a new era of my life. 

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Pâques

Well, this was the week I found out what I'm doing for spring.

And I'm staying in Provo!

My boss told me that he learned that I don't need to work on site, since I'm just an intern, and that it has worked well for him to just have me work remotely. He also said that I may need to work with some people in Provo--so if I'm living in Provo, it will make that easy.

Provo really is funnest (yes, a word) in spring and summer, what with Rooftop Concerts, pool parties, and a general laid-back attitude. This may be my last spring and summer in Provo, so I'm excited for it.

I just hope I don't get bored out of my mind working full time.

Monday night, I was up late, and then I got to see the very beginning of the lunar eclipse. Then my roommate Chad woke me up to look at it when it peaked. So I saw it all red. But I was mostly asleep, so when I woke up the next morning, I was like, "Oh yeah, I did see the eclipse last night." I got to see one of those back in 2011, when I was at an early-morning work shift.

On Tuesday, I went to my very last class ever. I gave a presentation about global warming in French--le réchauffement global--and then my professor sent me a very nice email about my presentation and how well I had done.

Then on Tuesday night, I went to the Andy Grammer concert on Tuesday. Apparently a long time ago BYU did really big concerts in the Marriott Center with really big musicians, like the Carpenters. Now they don't do that, so Andy Grammer ("Fine By Me," "Keep Your Head Up") in the Wilk ballroom is the closest thing. He's a talented singer, but I generally don't like male pop stars as much as female pop stars. I guess I associate acoustic guitars and male singers with John Mayer d-bag music. At one point, he was singing Macklemore's "Thrift Shop," and he was quite amused when everyone in unison sang "This is freaking awesome."

On Wednesday my ward did a bonfire, and I took Peeps Bunnies to roast. Some African girls wanted to try them, since they'd never had them. Later I saw each bunny with one ear bitten off, lying in the garbage. I guess if you didn't grow up with them you might not like them.

On Thursday morning, I helped out at the French language fair. That's when high school and junior high students from all over the state come and engage in various French-language activities and competitions. I was one of the people in charge of la gare, the train station. Basically the kids had to pretend they wanted to go someplace and we would ask them about what accommodations they wanted. It was funny to mimic smoking when they didn't understand fumeur ou non-fumeur. I participated in this back when I was in high school, and it was fun to be on the other side.

Then on Friday, I had my very last final. Ever. I don't know how I did on the first part; I felt like I couldn't explain why I was giving the answers I was. The second part was an essay, and one of the topics to choose from was gun control, and luckily I was able to make it very similar to the gun control blog post I made last year.

Then as I was packing up to go home for Easter weekend, I realized something shocking: I never have to study again. Last night the sister missionaries visited us to talk to the Primary president (my mom), and then before they left one of them asked me if I'm ready to be done with BYU. I'm a little burned out from schoolwork, but I'm not ready to be done with the BYU lifestyle--hence the reason I'm glad to stay in Provo.

With it being Easter, everyone has been expressing their testimony of Jesus Christ. I agree with James, that your belief in Christ is not helpful if you don't do anything with it. And I think Mormons are pretty good about that--I met lots of people on my mission who hated our church but said Mormons are good people. Which is in direct contrast to what Jesus said about men gathering figs of thistles. Regardless of your beliefs, only good can come from emulating the man who said "Cast the beam out of thine own eye" and "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The BYU Era

Just as the earth's history is divided into different eras, my life can be divided into different eras.

The Prescholastic Era includes the time up until I entered kindergarten. The Orchard Era makes up all seven years of elementary school. The South Davis Era has all three years of junior high, and the Woods Cross Era has all three years of high school. Then the Spokane Era makes up my mission.

Another era is coming to an end, the BYU Era. This week I will have my very last classes, my very last reading days, and my very last exam. I graduate a week later.

It kind of blows my mind that it's already over, basically. The BYU Era has been longer than the previous three. There is more time between now and my freshman year than there was between my freshman year and high school.

I like to think that I have changed over these last four years, and for the better. I thought that my mission wrought a mighty transformation in me. And I still believe that to be true. However, I think I underestimated the changing power of just two years. I think I changed on my mission more than I would have in just two ordinary years (spending 24/7 with someone you didn't choose and talking to strangers all day does that to you). But it didn't stop there. I think of myself as a fairly normal person, whereas  before I was totally weird. Now I'm on the weird end of normal, whereas before I was just weird. I think that my mission didn't make me normal, but it gave me the potential to be so. It was college life that turned me into a normal person.

I'm still very socially awkward, but I'm not as bad as I once was. If I so choose, I can hold a conversation with someone I don't know, even if it's stilted. I used to have an analogy that a shiny, red ornament would work on a pine tree but not on a black, dead, ugly Halloween tree. I used to say that I was a Halloween tree and therefore I couldn't have Christmas ornaments (normal things). I don't think that anymore. There are plenty of Christmas ornaments in my life now. I have become a better thinker, and as some questions in my life are answered, I get a lot more. My first year, I was a very good student and was very focused on my studies. Now I'm not as focused. Which I think is both good and bad.

Here's a recap on the BYU Era.
  • In 2010, I started college as an awkward, freshly returned missionary. I had registered as an English major, but I realized I really wanted English Language (ELang), so that's what I did. My first room roommate, James, was not good for me, as he was the most extreme introvert I have ever met. But my other flatmates, the Jeffs, I think were very good roommates for me at that time in my life; I think they befriended me a lot better than some of my other roommates would have. I attended winter through summer, but I had to take off fall because I couldn't get a job in Provo. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I applied for scholarships for that fall, but they based scholarships on your GPA as of the previous fall semester. But I wasn't a student the previous fall, therefore I had no GPA, therefore I had no scholarship. But because I took the fall off, I had to say I wanted to be considered for scholarships when I returned--and at that point I did have a GPA, so I got a scholarship for the following winter, whereas if I had gone that fall, I would have had no scholarship for fall or for winter. I think they do things differently now, so that wouldn't have happened today.
  • In 2011, I moved into the complex and ward where I live now. I officially declared myself an editing minor. I lived with some people who went to Woods Cross but whom I didn't know very well, and I lived with one of my former mission companions. I got a job setting up for and cleaning up after various sporting events--it was a decent job, but my boss didn't like me enough to hire me again later. I'm just not cut out to be a janitor. I spent all of summer term with no roommates, and most of that time was without air conditioning. I officially declared myself a geology minor in the summer, but I didn't know anything about it at the time. My dad lost his job, so without financial help from my parents, I had to take fall off again, and I was rehired at the Distribution Center, where I had worked the previous fall.
  • In 2012, I moved into the apartment where I live now. I met Bryton, who may have been my favorite roommate ever. I took physical geology, which changed my life. I became friends with a bunch of girls whom I nicknamed "the horses." I started working for BYU Studies, which at that time was my lowest-paying job ever despite requiring the most education. I went to school winter through fall that year. One of my favorite experiences was going to Death Valley. I had to deal with a roommate whom I called a tarantula. 
  • In 2013, I stayed in the same place, and I was called as ward clerk. I took classes winter, spring, and fall, but I took summer off to go on vacations to visit my nephews. I officially finished the editing minor in the spring, and though I technically finished the geology minor in the winter, I took the Field Studies class and Groundwater, which was less interesting than I had hoped. I finished my ELang classes. I thought that taking Groundwater prevented a December graduation, but in fact I could have graduated even with taking it--but I don't regret graduating in April.
  • In 2014, I took my fifth and final winter semester, in which French was my only serious class. I interviewed with the Joseph Smith Papers and didn't get the job, but I was surprised when that interview led me to get a job with Reid Neilson, the managing director of the Church History Department. This job required me to leave BYU Studies, where I had been for nearly two years. 

As of this moment, I don't know what's going on with me in the spring, whether I will continue to work remotely in Provo or if I will move to Salt Lake. I should find out this week. Staying in Provo will provide a more gradual transition between the BYU Era and the next--but going to Salt Lake will end it immediately. 

I hope that the strata deposited in this era will serve as an important foundation for the eras still to come.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Why boycotting Mozilla was a bad idea

Dear gay rights activists,

I applaud your efforts to make this world a more loving, tolerant place. I don't oppose gay marriage, and I wish you luck in your attempts.

However, I think that far too often your efforts are counterproductive.

(Note that when I say "you," I'm speaking of the LGBT activism in general, not of individuals, because I know there are many diverging opinions within the community.)

What are these counterproductive activities? They are the--shall I call them attacks? Yes, for that's what they are--against people who disagree with you.

The most recent event was this week against Brendan Eich, the new CEO of Mozilla, who was pressured into stepping down because he donated to Proposition 8 back in 2008. However, there have been other victims as well, including the Chic-Fil-A guy and bakers and florists who decline to cater to gay weddings.

If anyone opposes gay marriage, you automatically characterize them as bigots and homophobes. And I'm sure there are lots of these kinds of people among those who oppose gay marriage.

However, if you would actually listen to people's concerns, you would learn that they have other worries about gay marriage. Many of them have personal and/or religious beliefs that such marriage is morally wrong. Whether or not you agree with that, they are entitled to their beliefs. But one of the biggest worries of same-sex marriage opponents is that the legalization of gay marriage will infringe on the rights of those who disagree with it.

You ensure them that they will not lose any of their rights, and that the only thing that will happen is that gay people will marry each other.

But then you go and make these attacks, and people see their concerns realized. In your attempts to quash homophobia, you actually give people a reason to fear homosexuals!

Take the New Mexico florist. As a private business owner, she should have the right to decline catering to a gay wedding. Regardless of what you think of that, she has her personal beliefs and should be able to follow them. But instead, she was fined.

And it wasn't even as bigoted as you might think. She would be willing to photograph people who are gay. She is not bigoted against gay people themselves; she just disagrees with the marriage. And as I said earlier, there are reasons to oppose gay marriage that aren't based in prejudice.

I'm not condoning her refusal; I just think she should have the freedom to do so.

One of the side effects of the LGBT movement that I really appreciate is the increased focus on bullying. I feel like they were largely responsible for bringing new-found attention to the problem.

But let's consider the Brendan Eich incident. A new CEO of a company--who, by the way, developed JavaScript--happened to donate some money half a decade ago, before he was the CEO, to a cause that you disagree with. He did so not as a representative of the company but as an individual. He did nothing to force his employees to agree with him. But because he did that, he should no longer be able to hold a job for which he is very well qualified.

If that's not bullying, I don't know what is.

I think if you were to do a little research, you would find that the CEO of every company has at least one personal idea that you disagree with. If we only did business with those we agreed with, we would be doing very limited business indeed!

Also, as far as things to boycott, Firefox is a very good service and not one to boycott. Although there are some things I prefer about Chrome, Firefox is my browser of choice. Not to mention that boycotting Mozilla because of the CEO doesn't take into account the other employees who agree with you.

Basically, my point is, if you want to gain sympathy for your cause, (1) don't label people bigots just because they disagree with you, and (2) don't try to destroy the lives of those who disagree with you.

You want them to let you live as you want. Be courteous enough to allow them the same thing.