If you’ve been following the bouncing ball then you probably realize that I’ve grown generally dissatisfied with my lot in life, particularly where it comes to work. I’ve been working as a production artist for years now, and as fun as it is to work on some company’s holiday catalog or to kiss someone’s ass to get a few measly paychecks, I’ve found myself wanting to get more out of it all. I still remember how much fun design can be.
School has been great for me. Every day that I go to the campus I find myself considering the possibilities, which is a departure from the usual corporate mindset of accepting limitations. The people, as diverse as they are, are absolutely fantastic. I guess the whole experience has brought me to the realization that I need to continue with my schooling, not matter the cost, which is much easier said than done.
Well, an interesting thing happened during yesterday’s Photo Club outing, and it’s got my full attention at this moment. Yesterday was the third meeting I’ve been to since learning about Photo Club. I’d already gathered that there are about to be some dramatic changes in the dynamic of the club, since most of the officers are now finishing their schooling and will be leaving the school. I’ve been asking many questions about how the club will continue, but really didn’t get that many answers. (Last week, they even got my name as a possible club officer, which is a bit funny, when you consider how long I’ve been at Shoreline and in photography.)
Christopher Nelson, a founder and president of the Photo Club, was answering more of my questions during yesterday’s infrared film outing, and then the conversation took a bit of a turn. He went to greater lengths to describe the club, and other active club members soon joined in the conversation. It’s so obvious that these people love their club and worked hard for it, but it also looks like it may come to an end since the majority of them are leaving Shoreline at the end of this quarter (two weeks). They talked about different outings they’ve had, his original vision and the possibilities he never had the chance to explore.
By the end of our long talk, a girl named Star (a very cool photography major) and I had compiled a list of names and email addresses, and had outlined a humble itinerary. (Star took copious notes.) Christopher even gave me his copy of the “Club Advisory Manual,” which details Shoreline’s requirements for starting or maintaining an official student club.
As bizarre and ill-conceived as it may seem, I am seriously considering becoming an officer of Shoreline’s Photo Club. There’s no way that we can help the club survive without the active help and participation of the existing members and officers, but the opportunity sure seems to outweigh my reservations.
I’ll be giving this a lot of thought today. Since there’s only two weeks left in Spring Quarter, there’s really no time to waste.
