Tree near University + Euclid (map).

So I turned 18 on September 21. I think being 18 is less about buying cigarettes, cough syrup, and porn, and more about being able to look adult problems in the eye and not cringing.

I think being 18 is about realizing that I need to get over myself.

I think being 18 is about stopping worrying about those social rules that society lays before me. I feel like I can say what I want, ignore who I want, and stop laughing at stupid jokes that aren’t even funny. What will they do? Tell my mom?

I think being 18 is about appreciating art, politics, and the feelings behind them.

I think being 18 is about thinking of myself as equal and not beneath.

I think being 18 is about not hiding the bad days, the bad thoughts, the bad things.

I think being 18 is about being above what other people think about where I put my attention.

I think being 18 is about accepting the thoughts that I have and not pushing them away, because really, there’s probably a good reason that I had those thoughts in the first place.

I think being 18 is about not being embarressed about being interested in the naked barbie pictures on the walls of the local café, buying candles with alcoholic names, talking about sexual feelings, or thinking that medical marijuana should be legalized.

But mostly, I think being 18 is about thinking for myself because, well, I’m an adult now and so my opinion counts just as much as any other adult’s opinion.

I am no longer a Journalism major.

A couple weeks ago I was looking over the classes that I would be taking for journalism, and I realized that the only classes that interested me were Photojournalism and Advanced Photojournalism. Ethics and Law? Boooooring! I mean, I’ve only heard good things about the J-school here at UofA, and being a journalist really does interest me, but I believe that the classes you take in college should be interesting as well. I realized that the only thing keeping me in the journalism department was the photography classes.

Next I had to answer some questions:

1. What would I major in that would give me a good job with security as well as something that interested me?
2. How would I be able to take photography classes?
3. What do I want to be when I grow up?

Despite the fact that all the people I know tell me I’m a scientist at heart, I don’t want to deal with a science major. I don’t want to take chemistry classes, I don’t like physics, I’m horrible at math. That left some type of liberal arts degree.

Communications?
- Ehh….. no thanks

Psychology?
- I think someone told me that was the most popular major at UofA. On top of wanting to stand out from the crowd, I don’t know if I want to be a doctor in anything, and anything short of that wouldn’t give me the career that I want.

Art?
- The poor starving artist isn’t an over-used stereotype for nothing. Also, I suck at drawing.

Art History?
- I don’t want to work in a museum until I’m at least 75.

History?
- I hate memorizing. What would I do with that degree anyways? Be a high school history teacher? No thanks.

English?
- That might work out. I just never thought that I’d major in English before. Never once did I think of that.

I looked within the English department for different options. The department offers B.A.s in English, English Education, and Creative Writing. So I changed my major to Creative Writing. More specifically, creative non-fiction. The difference between and English major and a Creative Writing major is that with Creative Writing there are a few less literature classes and a few more “producing an original work” classes. Go see for yourself.

My new advisor told me that a lot of journalism students switch over to creative writing. I went non-fiction (instead of fiction or poetry) because I would still like to work in the media field, kind of. I’d really like to be a book editor or a columnist, or maybe even one of those people who help to compile literary journals.

I was still left with the question of the photography classes. The art department offers a lot of photography classes, but they’re stingy with who they allow in. I met with some people from the art department and asked them, “How can I take photography classes and make that into a minor?” They told me about the Studio Art minor. Basically, you take any 6 art classes that you want and call it a minor. The minor fills up really quickly because it’s “easy” but since I have a purpose and theme, they let me in.

I went home and made a 4-year plan. That’s a misleading name, because for me it turned into a 3-year plan. Taking only 15 credits per semester, and none in the summer, I’ll be able to graduate in 3 years. I will be 20.

The other change in my life? I was promoted to Photo Chief at the magazine that I work at.

In the Trojan (the condom makers) Sexual Health Report Card, UofA ranks 31 out of 139 universities in the U.S.

Researchers polled student health centers and reviewed their websites
to assign a grade point average (GPA) for sexual health resources across 11 separate categories:
– Sexual health awareness programs
– Condom & contraception availability
– HIV testing
– Other Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) testing
– Student health center hours of operation
– Drop-in vs. appointment-based service
– Navigability and usability of Web-based sexual health information
– Anonymous advice / newspaper columns
– Lecture outreach programs
– Student peer groups
– Sexual assault programs

Here are the highest and lowest ranked schools:

1. University of Minnesota (GPA 3.91)
2. University of Wyoming (GPA 3.91)
3. University of Washington (GPA 3.73)
4. Rutgers University (GPA 3.68)
5. Purdue University (GPA 3.64)

135. Villanova University (GPA 1.45)
136. University of Arkansas (GPA 1.36)
137. Arkansas State University (GPA 1.14)
138. University of Louisiana (GPA 0.91)
139. Louisiana Tech University (GPA 0.82)

UofA tied USC (among others) with a GPA of 3.18. Some notable schools that UofA beat out are:
– Princeton (3.14)
– Northwestern (3.09)
– Stanford (3.09)
– UC Berkeley (3.09)
– Cornell (2.91)
– UCLA (2.64 but didn’t we all see that one coming?)
– ASU (2.55)
– Georgetown (2.09)
– Brigham Young (1.91 but I guess they don’t need sexual health services anyways)

To see the full list, and read more about the ranking system, go here.

1. Go as a press person with a big camera lens.

2. Dress impartially (i.e. don’t wear red).

3. Find the media room.

4. Be sent to the media will-call booth.

5. Be denied media access, but be sure to get a hint of where to go to gain access.

6. Find a sympathetic gay man in charge of ticket sales.

7. Explain plight to sympathetic gay man in charge of ticket sales.

8. Wait patiently until sympathetic gay man in charge of ticket sales appears with front-row ticket in hand.

9. Thank sympathetic gay man in charge of ticket sales and use the phrase “You’re fabulous!”

10. Enter stadium unquestioned.