phone pic

Little Children

On September 9, 2009, in Rants, by Riley

I, like many seniors, was born in 1987. The year the first Simpsons episode aired, when a postage stamp cost 24 cents, and U2 was still young. I doubt that any member of the senior class was born in 1986, so this makes me, and anyone else born in ’87 among the oldest students on campus.

I am inevitable thinking of the freshman on campus. Not only were some of them born in the ’90s, some of them were born in 1991. Nirvana released “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Dr. Suess died, a postage stamp cost 25 cents. Pee Wee Herman, whom I remember from Pee Wee’s playhouse, will be remembered by this generation for his arrest after masturbating in a Florida movie theater.

These children are young. I celebrated my 22nd birthday at the end of the summer. At a party last week, I noticed it was a freshman’s birthday. A freshman’s eighteenth birthday. That made me think that for two weeks, I was five years older than a freshman. Five years.

With the eighth anniversary of 9/11 approaching, I am reminded of where I was on this tragic day. Eighth grade. Social Studies. Clusters of desks rather than rows, (ah, grade school). My Catholic school wouldn’t allow us impressionable students to watch footage on TV, but teachers went to a lounge to see the news.

But these children, who are now freshmen in college, were in fifth grade this horrific day. The kids I cut in the lunch line, made fun of at recess and threw snowballs at after school are now walking to Academic Writing as I’m off to to Senior Seminar.

Another I thought about this is a bit more grotesque. If you’ve read this far and thought to yourself, “they’re not that young,” listen up. For four years (maybe five, those of you born in ’87 [represent!]) we had pubic hair when they did not. By the time their first pube sprout, we’d had ‘em for years. I bet most of us had already tried shaving them! Graphic, maybe even gross, I know and I apologize. But believe me senior class – these kids are young!

Finally, I’d like to show you something despicable I saw on my way to class the other day. It’s juvenile, it’s quasi-hipster, it’s ’90s. Consider yourself warned. I just don’t know why anyone would do this to themselves, (this coming from a kid who runs the campus in short running shorts).

wtf

jansport, north face, hell, even a messenger bag would be better

Tagged with: backpack • freshman • phone pic

walk home from class, through pictures

On September 1, 2009, in Pics & Toons, Reviews, by Riley

In the midst of our first full week on campus, I’ve decided to share with you some things that may be overlooked as you walk back to your residence.

While I did see a campus cop ticketing a car in the parking lot at the backside of Park, I chose not to photograph for fear of the officer giving me a hard time. I’m over 21, I don’t have a car on campus. As far as I’m concerned, there’s not much they can do to me, that is unless I start photographing them.

The next thing to draw my attention was not an authority. In fact, it has no authority whatsoever. It was this turtle who met his fate when a car’s tires hit him. Perhaps this turtle died in his attempt to get out of the way of more traffic. More likely, some thoughtful pedestrian or remorseful driver kicked him to the side of the road.

a turtle, shell cracked

The next thing I saw, right across from ded-turt, were these ducks. I think they’ve got problems. On my way home from campus one night, I saw these guys wandering in the middle of the path next to the pond. I assumed they’d waddle away, being intimidated by a six-foot tall human. They didn’t. They just stood there like freak ducks. I also overheard some people talking about how they ushered the ducks into their apartment and let them stay there. While it was fun, they admitted, the ducks shat everywhere and they had to clean it up. What do you expect? You deserve it – they’re animals

ducks, cuddling along the banks of the pond

It being a nice day, I thought I’d take a photo of my shadow. This picture has some sharp fall-off. I think that’s what it is – I’ve only been in Media A&A for one day, but being one of the few seniors in the class, I thought I’d try to do the mature thing and apply some of the vocab. Also notice the mass in my left hand: A shirt, taken off during the day because, in traditional Ithaca fashion, the temperature rose from 56 to 73 degrees over the course of a few hours.

self-portrait

I saw these bumper stickers on a car near my house. As a TV-R major, I feel as though I should be offended by these stickers. I wonder what this person studied in college. Was it English? Was it Biology? Was it Women’s Studies? How would they like it if I displayed stickers on my car reading “KiLL BOOKS,” KiLL ANIMALS,” “KiLL… et cetera.”

If you have a problem with this, I know several TV-R professors who will refute your supposed claim that television makes you stupid.

an expression of angst

Finally, the last interesting object I saw on the ground before climbing the stairs to the place I call home. An empty Old Milwaukee can. Looks like somebody had a great weekend.