Locating My Grad Carrel

The last week has been quite interesting. I showed up for the first day of my graduate level introductory art history methods class, and it's held in the same room I've been in most of the summer. Hehe. The De Caso Seminar Room at the University of Iowa Art Building West, was paid for by Professor De Caso, who is the mentor of our current director, Dorothy Johnson. His specialty was 19th century art, and he has graciously donated funds to build the room, as well as sent his collection of scholarly materials to the UI. My voluntary position over the summer was as the "collection development specialist" or something along those lines. I am basically in charge of the De Caso books. The first shipment is in the room, stored in the glassed in bookcases along the wall, and I've done a decent job of organizing the materials and arranging a workflow process.
It was funny the first day of class, because there are only 6 people in it, and they are all ta's in the program (besides little ole me). Also that first day our "guest speaker" professor happened to be my own undergrad mentor, with whom I did my honors thesis on the library of Jean de Berri. He was surprised to see me, not knowing that I'd returned to the UI (he'd been on research leave over the summer so never saw me in the building or anything either).
Following the class, he approached me and caught up a bit, and remarked that he'd tell the new grad students he had another resource for them about the area. HAHA. yes, I can tell them were the good places to eat are, and the best places to go for nature moments.
I then joined the colloquim, with the intent to just "sit in and observe" - it was on getting grant monies for dissertations and MA theses, (though hardly anyone pays for an MA thesis), informative yes, in my immediate future, no.
After the talk, the art history department held a reception for the undergrads/grads/and faculty so we could all mingle and introduce ourselves. I was pleasantly surprised and very happy to see that the Undergraduate Art history club still exists. :) :) --This was an organization that I formed with some friends in 2003, because I felt there was a disconnect between the graduate students/undergrads and faculty. The graduates all seemed to have great relationships with the professors, and the undergrads seemed both scared of the grad students (many of them were in fact our TAs at the time) and seemed disillusioned about knowing what you could do with an art history BA, or what was the next step. I am so glad to know that the club is still filling a need and people are still interested in keeping it alive.
The funny thing about my return to the U of Iowa academic arena, is that I'm not technically a graduate student in the department. I am, as of yet, a non-degree seeking student who took a French class and now an art history class. I feel fairly comfortable in the history of art history class though, because I have some training in there from Undergrad...but the higher level of scholarship and forming my "own ideas" about these folks is a little daunting. I'm not saying I take everything at face value - honestly how could I after 5 years of looking at paintings and learning there are different methods to how works are interpreted. Still, I feel sort of as if I am treading water...and if I get to lazy or tired, I might just go under, so I need to stay on top of the reading and get my academic brain back into gear.
I feel so comfortable in the Art Library at Iowa now, and so comfortable with art historical resources, and can even give you the names of scholars in particular fields (especially 19th century haha)
This part of my journey all seems very right, despite last night's small panic over the first presentation and the one page analysis paper I turned in this morning, I think I do truly belong in this realm of discussion of scholars and researching.
The only real drawback is that the school is changing the MA thesis to a requirement for graduation - before it was optional. I'm not adverse to doing the research, as I love reading about art and the interpretations of it, I'm just not sure I"m cut out to give my own ideas on it, sort of the "what qualifies me to say this other than my opinion?" philosophy. I think my mom's thoughts will come back to me many times though, as she was prepping to do a masters thesis in German literature, she sort of realized-her entire bibliography sitting before her-the reading had been fun, but there was no way in hell she wanted to try to put it all into cohesiveness on paper.
Will see if I can overcome the overwhelming desire to follow in her very footsteps.
For now though, the pressure isn't there, and I need to see what the policy is for grad carrels, because if I can get a carrel, I'll feel more official even. Especially since at Indiana, SLIS didnt' have carrrels in the library (it was too small for them) and the FAL's carrels were all reserved by art history masters and phd candidates. Do I really think my full sense of belonging will come from a small glass drawered box to which I have a key? And a nice desktop with a hole for my laptop charger?

Hmmm...yea...I think I kinda do...

Haven't posted in awhile. Been busy I guess, or lazy, or both.
Indiana was fun last weekend. Saw Rena and Christa, the IMA, the Trojan Horse, a newer Turkish resturaunt, Bloomingfoods, and Lennie's. Generally a good time had by all. Rena went to places she's never been in B-town before. I figure every six months or so I aught to go back and expose her to some B-town culture she was unaware of haha.
Schedules have changed, I'm working new hours, and so far so good there.
Start my class athte U I in the art history grad program tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Happy birthday to all the August bday kids out there (there are alot of us!)

Going to St. Louis next weekend (labor day) perhaps with Erik and his sis and bro. fun times I'm sure will occur.

All for now. Outties.

:)

SSBar has internet again. In her new apartment, located in the heart of the arts campus at the U of Iowa. She's also got a job at the Arts Library for fall, in addition to the Coralville Public Library and still some hours at Mercy Hospital, and two graduate level art history courses. She'll also be helping her parents prep for their new housing project of remodeling and expanding. :)
She'll be a busy girl...but she's purdy happy with things the way they are right now. *knock on wood*
The apartment is still in flux...meaning we haven't totally settled, but we're getting there and slowly the needed improvements are being taken care of.
:)

Recap and Future

Recap:
Just finished the audio version of Elsewhere by Gabriella Zevon. Not bad for a YA book.

Now on to City of Ember which I'll listen to in the car on the way to Ames tomorrow to see SPAMALOT.. (woo)

Saw HP5, and Transformers. Both decent shows. I think Erik made good points about Transformers...lines were a tad cheesy in some spots but the movie owns up to its own cheese factor. over all entertaining.
People have been giving mixed opinions on the HP5 movie. Personally I think it is the best in the series so far. If I had to rank them from best to worst it would go: Order, Stone, Chamber, Prisoner, Goblet
People are saying they felt the ending was rushed - I'd agree, but I think they did the least damage to the central plot and character development in this one than Goblet. I also think it has better action sequences than Stone or Chamber, which are much more expository.

Saw the UI Summer Opera: Marriage Contract by Rossini and Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial By Jury. Both were well done - and I"m not just saying that cause I'm biased by the stage manager. I really enjoyed G and S's, though i wish Rossini would have been in Italian rather than translated. But I'll never win that battle with the UI. Accessibility, etc etc...

Future:
Friday I will drive with Erik to the northwest portion of Iowa for a Saturday afternoon wedding, which will be in both Vietnamese and English. I am looking forward to it. It will actually be the first time Erik and I have stayed in a hotel room with just each other. I plan to watch LOTS of t.v. all night and annoy him (haha, really hon....)

Saturday - we'll go to the wedding, and also pick up a copy of HP7. (if you don't know what HP7 stands for skip down another paragraph anyway) I can't believe that folks digitally photographed pages, much less the WHOLE BOOK. jeesh people. DUH....as if you didn't get the idea of violating copyright to start with. Have fun in court...and paying lots of $$$ for your use of technology.

Sunday we'll travel to Okoboji Iowa for my family reunion. This year's additions include Spencer and Arden. Spencer I got to meet when Erik and I went to NYC in Dec of 06, but Arden was just born, so I haven't met her yet. I'm looking forward to having dinner with my grandmother also....and making sure Erik can draw the family tree...with ages ;) (jk)

Monday - lake time = hp7 AND French take home final (ick)

Tuesday - drive back to Ames, and then back to Iowa City.

Wed-Friday - French class/work

Friday - leave for Ames

Saturday - wedding in Ames

Sunday - come back to IC...(remember to water mom's plants)

Monday - Friday - work, and move in to new apartment..(yay)

Friday - to Ames for my central Iowa bday celebration (my first time ever at a drive-in theater!)

Saturday - work at CPL, then out for my eastern Iowa Bday celebration ---any ideas for what we should do? I'm taking requests...

Sunday - actually really move all my stuff into my new apartment and start living with new roomie.

Monday - Friday - work (Ames?)

Saturday - drive to Lisbon for another wedding. :)

Sunday - back to IC.

Monday-Friday -work..possibly see Cassi's sister play at the Mill. http://www.kelliraepowell.com

She's a red headed spitfire with a badass voice and a ukulele.

Friday evening - Sunday -- Going to BLOOMINGTON, IN to visit Rena and Christa and Julie...**

Monday -work

Tuesday - start my class in Art History Methods at the U of Iowa as a "non-degree" seeking student, because I was too lazy and burnt out on school to register and try to get in as "grad student" status again.

sept 15 - speaking of GRE test date.....any help/suggestions/comments/complains about the GRE and its testing process? vent here...:)

that pretty much sums up my busy sched.






**also motivated by the chance to eat at the Trojan Horse and Esan Thai two places that blow the I.C. ethnic food choices of these countries out of the water.

Hey Dollface, I ain't no mam, kiddo.

I was walking to French class the other day, at 8:30 in the morning. I was coming from the hospital where I work as a temp administrative assistant. I was dressed in business attire, and wore my hospital id badge around my neck as I walked. As I neared the building, Philips Hall where language classes are held, I heard a voice call out "Mam, mam,...um...mam."
I would have thought nothing of such spoken words, if it weren't for the lack of people out and about at 8:30 am near this part of campus. Still, I didn't assume the voice was addressing me. After all heading to a college level French class didn't make me suspect I was the object of such 'mam-ing'.
When the girl finally caught up with me and made a frantic gesture to get my attention, I realized she had, in fact, been expecting me to answer her.
"Do you know where the Union is?" She asked, pretty exasperated.
"Oh, " I replied. Typical freshman, I thought to myself, though I didn't notice a yellow orientation folder peaking out of her belongings. "Do you mean the IMU or the Union bar?"
After all, I am a NATIVE, not just a mam from Iowa City, I know the difference between the two. I've spent time in both places. I quickly realized, while having spent time in both places, I was an official full time undergraduate student the last time I was really in either.
"The IMU" She answered.
"Straight down this hill, it's the pentacrest. At the bottom, the IMU will be off to your right."
"Thanks"
And she bustled off in that direction.
Hah, freshman, I muttered under my breath. I came to the conclusion that this was my moment of realization that I've entered the nebulous area between "miss" and "mam". Come on ladies, you know what I'm talking about. That time when someone lumped you into the "old lady" stereotype. I was sure I was one step away from the hairnet-school-lunch-forty-cats-no-husband bracket according to this barely legal blond.
I also realized, fair is fair, and she was judging me with her "mam" as much as I was judging her with "freshman"
The people that call me mam at the library, do it out of respect for my position as an authority figure and to be polite. Since I was on my way to French class, I mussed about all of the different ways we address each other in any given day. In English, Mam or Sir, just about covers it for anyone over the age of 25 as a "safe" bet. Though be careful of calling a "miss" a "mam" too quickly. It didn't bother me after I sat through my class and ironically we were discussing the idea of "jeune filles" as young girls, "madmoieselle" and "madame". Obviously I figured "mam" originates as a shortened still polite form of madame or madmoieselle mixed together.
Southern Gentleman (to play on another stereotype) often use it, it can't be all that bad after all.
With this sudden heightened interest in what people use to address each other. I had two more interesting experiences this past week.
One of the patrons at my library - a male in his thirties (most likely but who really ever knows) finished off our transaction (me checking out his books to him) with a resounding "Thanks, dollface."
Dollface? *gasp* Isn't that like lingo from the misogynistic men of the 1950's? It caught my attention at least.
Then, at work, a co-worker addressed me with "have a good day, kiddo."
Uh?!? kiddo? So in the same week I'm a mam and a kiddo.
Go figure.