Now that the Momorial Day weekend is over I’ve only got one week of classes before my finals for spring. Since I put so much effort into other activities, like stating the new photography club at Shoreline (more on that later), I have banked up a tremendous amount work. I’m looking forward to having this quarter finished. It’s been a busy one.
An additional note that I’ll add here is that I’ve had a last minute change of mind regarding attending school during summer quarter. Summer quarter at Shoreline Community College is only eight weeks long, whereas the rest of the school year is comprised of ten weeks quarters. To make matters a little worse, the photography lab is only open for four weeks during the summer. That specific restriction has been the main reason that I’ve decided to invest my time dong something else. However, since I’ve been so preoccupied with schoolwork and extracurricular activities this quarter, I’ve now decided to investigate taking an independent study in photography, just so I can spend some quality time working on my photography.
Oh, and one last thing: last Thursday was the one year anniversary of the Illegal Photography Incident at the Ballard Locks.

I need the break that’s coming. I’ve been feeling like I’ve been coming apart at the seams a bit lately. I realize that I had last summer off, but with all of the media stuff that was going on I really wasn’t taking any time off. I need to have some quiet time to get back to basics.
Today is also St. Patrick’s Day! That means that all of the amateurs will be coming out for an all out drunkfest today. Since many students will also be starting their Spring Break today, I’m betting that things will be getting a little crazy around local watering holes. I suppose I’ll be heading over to the OP for a few minutes later today. Haven’t been there in about a month, so it might be a fun change of pace.

I think I’m on the verge of implementing some changes again. This quarter was disappointing. Best thing about it was the people. I feel drained. I need to get dialed in again; I need to remember what I really want.

When I first decided to take this class, which I’m not obligated to take, I thought I’d like to address the USA PATRIOT Act. Of course, I’ve never taken this kind of class before, so I knew that I might need to change my mind if I found myself over my head. As the quarter progressed and I saw how involved the research and writing process could get I did change my mind. The PATRIOT Act is an enormous document that legions of scholars are having a difficult time evaluating.
The first part of my paper came due a few weeks ago, and I’d already decided to abandon my original concept. Instead, I decided to write a position paper on two bills that have recently been introduced, HJM 4006 and SJM 8020. Since these bills only express the public’s concern about the PATRIOT Act, I knew that I would be able to meet the requirements of the class. Unfortunately, after my instructor evaluated my outline, she estimated that there wasn’t much opposition to my position, and then encouraged me to write it as a solution paper instead.
Shifting gear like that turned out to be a real mind-bender; I wasn’t prepared for it. My head still was chewing on all of the bill/resolution stuff, and there was evidence that those bills were advancing through the legal system. Trying to make up time, I focused on the “solution” part of my paper. I got stuck on a few basic questions: How are these bills and the grassroots community efforts I know about a

The darkroom doesn’t open until Monday, so I should have plenty of time to read the first five chapters of Axelrod & Cooper’s Guide to Concise Writing (3rd ed.). It’s been a long time since I’ve been enrolled in any kind of writing class. The instructor of my English 102 “Reasoning, Research, and Writing” class has assigned two extra chapters for those of us that haven’t taken a writing class in a while. The review for the textbook isn’t impressive. I hope I can get through the materials and up to speed quickly. I really want to gain value from this class.
I’m going to be joining another conference call with the ACLU today at noon, and should hear more about their efforts regarding the USA PATRIOT Act. My Studio Photography class only meets on Thursday at 12:30, and this is the first one, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to catch the whole meeting.