Burning My Travels Clean

There is a set list of awkward moments that almost everyone must go through.  Their is of course the biannual (I realize that biannual means twice a year, but I couldn't think of the word that means once every two years so I used it anyway) turn your head and cough, the terrible foreign language presentations you had to do in high school, and of course those times when you accidentally fart in public (just the thought cracks me up, unless of course it happens to me, then it isn't funny); the list goes on.  Unfortunately, at least for the next week or so, my list has been permanently increased by one.  Most everyone experiences the strange awkwardness of the first week of college only once, but a very select few get to do it twice.  I of course qualify for the latter.   I transfered from Washington State to Linfield College in Mcminnville, Oregon.  New school, new schedule, new people, new experiences, there is bound to be some awkward tension somewhere in that mix.  And believe me there is.  I'm beginning to make friends, and my roommate is pretty cool.  I joined the football team to hopefully expedite the friend making process.  All in all I think I'll be fine.  It'll just take a little time to get used to but I'll be able to do.  I mean, it's not like I haven't done it before! 

From the first time I stepped onto this campus the differences were hugely obvious.  There is a population difference of about 18,000.  The differences between a big public university and small private institution are about as numerous as the differences between a penis and a vagina.  And no, one doesn't fuck the other in this case.  Pervs.  It's hard to tell which is better at this time.  And even then, I'm not really trying to determine that.  All I can really say is that they are just different.  Here, I meet people and they remember me.  They wave at me when I see them the next day and give me the occasional high five.  At WSU, I met people, but I'd be lucky to see them again.  Ever.  The chances that you would run into someone randomly at WSU were literally 1 in 20,000.  Here there are slightly better odds to say the least.  I see people multiple times a day sometimes.  But their is a downside to all of this as well.  What if there is people you don't want to see?  What if you attract psycho stalkers?  At a big school, you can just fade into the crowd and avoid people you don't want to see . . . or be stalked by.  You can kick it in the back row of a class of 500 and relax.  Maybe do a little facebook. Play some iphone games like my friend Brian and I normally did,  or I suppose you could take notes if you're really bored.  The point being that you don't have to worry about getting called on randomly and embarrassed in that crazy nazi law school syncratic method.  Here though, different story.  I am on the edge of my seat at all times, because all my teachers are all in fact, crazy nazi's who love the law school syncratic method.  Ok that may be a exaggerated, but this story isn't straying too far from the truth.  

I've actually begun making a chart.  It's a chart of direct comparisons.  Obviously only certain things can be included on this list.  Things that can actually be compared and a winner and loser can be easily determined without any hypotheticals.  This is that list so far . . . 

Food:  WSU.  Washington State wins hands down.  One word; McCoug.  I just creamed myself. 

Dorm Room:  Linfield gets the edge here.  My room is just way bigger haha.  My girlfriend doesn't refer to it as "the dungeon,"  plus wifi that actually works.  

Drom Building?:  I had to make a distinction here because at WSU I lived in a suit style quad with 6 other very cool kids . . . and we had a projector that displayed 105 inches of sexy HD madness.  Damn, creamed myself again.

Faculty (or staff, I'm never really sure what the difference is):  I think I'd have to go with Linfield on this one just because all my teachers, all my advisors, all the coaches, even the president knows my name.  

Rec Center:  I'm pretty sure WSU's rec center beats everyones.  

Schedule:  My current schedule here at Linfield really could not be any better.  Monday, Wednesday and Friday I start at 1:00.  Not to mention that on Wednesday and Friday, I start at 1:00 and end at 2:00 (that's one class FYI).  Tuesday and Thursday are my tougher days but they're not even that bad.  The kicker is that I have football workouts interspersed in there and depending on their allocation, it can really ruin my day; ie waking up at 6:30 to go do some hang cleans BG.

Well that's it so far.  This list is pretty short being that this is only my second day, but as of now, I'd have to call it a push.  Both great schools with their own strengths and weaknesses.  But, if I had to choose . . . maybe WSU just because of those fucks in 202 ;) plus those guys down the hall.  But not Joe Choi.  I'm kidding.  I like you too Joe.