Author: Samantha Horton

Categories
Academic Personal Recreation

Sam Speaks Saturdays: It’s Been Awhile

I realize that I am really starting to fail at this whole weekly thing. It’s not on purpose, I swear, I’m just busy and lazy and those don’t mix too well. Anyway. It’s still Saturday and thus I update. What about? (References list on my MacBook’s dashboard) Ah! Books! (Namely my favorite books/authors)

Books:

1984 – George Orwell. First off, I absolutely LOVE dsytopias (which are, basically, novels about the future in which the society is not utopic). In fact, most of my favorite books are dsytopian. Though, I think my favorite would definitly be 1984. I read it about 4 years ago and it rocked my literary world. I seriously did not put the book down and often think about it when I have some time to myself. I would go into the plot, but I don’t want to give a single thing away, so if you haven’t read it, you should consider doing so. It really is an amazing work. Some of my other favorite dystopias are Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaiden’s Tale.

The Virgin Suicides – Jeffery Eugenides This is a rather depressing novel, but one of my favorites nonetheless. It is made up of a community recollection of a group of five sisters who all committed suicide. The novel was later turned into a movie, which is also one of my favorites. The Virgin Suicides reminds me of another of my favorite books, White Oleander by Janet Fitch. Though the books aren’t all that alike, as White Oleander follows a girl who drifts through foster homes following her mother murdering her ex-boyfriend, the style of the works is very similar and haunting.

Authors

Chuck Palahniuk. Palahniuk (best known for his novel, Fight Club) is definitely my favorite author. I have read every book of his besides Haunted, which I currently own and would have read a long time ago if not for Arts One (which sucks up all of my reading time). I think my favorite book of his would have to be Survivor, with Diary and Choke taking close second. If you’ve read any of his works or seen Fight Club, you know that he has a very twisted style and dark sense of humor, and every book has a twist. I think Palahniuk will continue to be my favorite author into the future, as he never fails to surprise me.

Sylvia Plath. I understand that all of these are following sort of a darker theme, as none of my favorite books or authors are really happy ones, and Sylvia Plath, quite clearly, is no exception. I am a bit obsessed with her, she is my favorite poet and The Bell Jar just feels like a piece of my life. I have read her unabridged journals and memorized her poems, and I like to think that my writing style follows her. I know that Plath committed suicide, and I don’t intend to follow her in that course, but I find her intensely brilliant and sharp and wish I could have met her all that time ago.

So there you have it, I have just scratched the surface of my love for books, and believe me, it took some time and hard work to narrow it down, I’ll probably touch on this one later. Now, back to playing Pokemon and nursing my Storm the Wall bruises. Oh, about the Storm the Wall, expect a post on that in the very near future! (It was epic!)

Categories
Academic Recreation

Not Too Much To Say

First off, I will say that I am terribly sorry that I fail at updating, I know that Sam Speaks Saturdays have sort of fallen by the wayside, the truth is, I’m not on my computer all that much so I just keep forgetting to update. I promise I’ll work on it! Anyway.

Max’s 20th birthday is tomorrow, and so is Storm the Wall, actually, today Max and I have been together 7 months, woo, another one down! But about his birthday…I have a few things planned (which will remain secret for the moment) and I am really excited to celebrate. Among other things, Max and I will be going to dinner with about 10 of our friends at our favorite restaurant, Suga Sushi, in the village. Max and I usually go there about twice a week, mostly because the food is awesome and cheap, we’ve also become regulars.

Tomorrow is also Storm the Wall, which I am terrified for. Seriously. I am the wall person, and I am afraid of heights. The good news is, I am entering with four other blog squaders, Victoria, Miranda, Jimmy and  Angeli (who is basically our den mother and the coolest mentor ever). I think they will give me courage. I will have to blog about the whole experience.

Other than that, not too much is going on. I have a couple Arts One Essays which are due a week from tomorrow, oh what fun, but other than that…school is almost done!

Categories
Personal ResidenceLife Wellness

Samantha’s Sonnet

I think this is going to be one of the points in my life which I will look back upon and note as one of the times that I was ever truly free. I live my life like a sonnet, broken down by rules and mandatory qualities, (one must pay bills, one cannot do too poorly in school, one must do laundry and clean one’s room and be on time to meetings) but within all those rules, all those necessities, I posses unlimited artistic freedom. I can sleep when I wish, just so I am physically capable of making it to class, I can eat what I wish when I wish, though pizza won’t deliver after 3am, I can do my laundry at 5am or 3pm, no one will care. I spent the past two days doing nothing but lying about my bed, stretched out in front of open windows, next to my boyfriend, doing nothing but playing Pokemon Diamond (for me) and Pearl (for him) as well as ordering food from Swiss Chalet, and visiting friends from another house. I have an essay due tomorrow, so I am writing that now, in our house lounge, and after completion I shall retire to my modest little room and play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, not sleeping until I am tired.

I realize that this is not a perfect portrait of responsibility, that some may argue that I should get up at a set time, exercise and study during these days off, but this is my college life. I am taking good care of myself, I am doing pretty well in school, and fulfilling all my responsibilities, who can complain if I do it in my own manner?

Categories
Personal

Sam Speaks Saturdays: I’m Scared!

Okay so I feel bad for not doing a Sam Speaks Saturday in 2 Saturdays, so, in order to make up for my lameness I am going to tell you what I fear, from the legitimate, to the stupid. Here it goes!

Spiders

Spiders are most definitely my biggest fear. If I see one I can feel my spine crawl and I shrink as far away as possible. I can kill them, but only if they are very small and very far away and I don’t have to touch them. Usually, I have my mom or Max do it for me. Actually, there is this one GIGANTIC spider that is up above one of the doors to Dene House, which I use to get into Nootka sometimes, but that door belongs to the spider now, cause there is no way I am using it.

Heights

Max and I actually share this fear, and it is only when I am around him that I realize that my fear of heights isn’t all that big. He doesn’t like going by ledges or bridges or anything. I can handle all that, but no high roller coasters, ladders, and the like. Actually, I think I have a fear of falling, not of heights.

Nuclear War

This is a good thing to fear, but probably not to the extent that I do. It’s the idea that there is a big flash then it is all over that gets me, also, being an American, we’ve had a pretty strong nuclear history. I think that is always in the back of my head. My mom had me read Hiroshima when I was about fourteen, and, while it is a really tragic story, I think the way it was written cleared up a lot of my fears about the situation…but it is still something that really worries me from time to time.

Aliens

I know this is completely irrational, but ever since I was little I have feared aliens. I am pretty I owe this fear to the joint contributions of both Independence Day and E.T. (I know the latter doesn’t make too much sense, but I remember having a lot of E.T. nightmares when I was little) I think it was also all those UFO shows that air on Discovery Channel every once in a while. Anyway, I still have nightmares of UFOs and being abducted and if I visit any websites involving anything of the sort I get kind of freaked out. It’s sad, I know.

El Chupacabra

As far as sad goes, this is the saddest of my fears. El Chupacabra, which is like a Mexican big foot. This is an monster that goes around sucking the blood of goats. Sightings have been reported from Purto Rico up to Maine, but it is mostly a legend down south. Now why would I fear Chupacabra when I am not a goat? I remember it all quite clearly, I was seven years old, and I was watching a TV show called Animal X on Animal Planet. The show was about the urban legend, and they showed a photo of the creature that really freaked me out. Later on in my childhood I lived with my mom in New Mexico, where there had been a lot of “sightings” and so I spent many sleepless nights certain that Chupacabra was waiting for me outside my window. Nowadays I am not so terrified of the goat killer, but whenever I am down south, I still lock my windows when I go to bed.

So there you have it, my fears. I realize that most of them are kinda dumb, but for whatever reason I have a pretty hard time letting go of them, feel free to laugh. On a far more awesome note, today is, officially, Max and my Bi-Anniversary. That’s right, six months strong. We are celebrating by having homemade stew for dinner. I really love him, he makes my life happy.

Categories
Academic Careers / Work Personal

At a Loss

Just before Reading Week, a couple representatives of the UBC English Honours Program came to talk to my Arts One group about applying for next year. Overall, I was intrigued, as I liked the smaller group feel it promoted, and the idea that I could explore English to such an extent. I figured it would be more difficult, as it requires a thesis in the fourth year, but I know I could handle that. The main set back was the grades they were looking for, as it was a good 10% above my current average. I figured I would get closer to it throughout this term, as my marks have only been going up, but I couldn’t really get close enough to be there. They said they were flexible when it comes to judging grades, so I still felt some hope, but mostly I was just unsure as to what I wanted to do.

I talked to my prof the next day and he didn’t know much about the program, but suggested that I look into creative writing instead. I perked up at the notion, as I have wanted to write books since I was eight years old, but quickly got over my excitement, as it is common knowledge, writers don’t make any money. Ugh, just typing that sentence upsets me. It’s partially false, as there are some writers that make lots of money (take J.K. Rowling, for instance). The catch is, it’s hard to become a published writer, let alone a successful published writer. That’s why I approached University with the idea that every writer needs a day job. I set my sights on becoming either an English Prof or a psychotherapist.

Problem is, now I am realizing that I am not as enamored with either of my favorite subjects as I was before. I don’t go to psychology class anymore (I found I can get a 75% on the test if I just read the book) and the book is pretty interesting, but I don’t know if I am willing to fully commit to a PHD in psych, which is what I would need if I were to become a psychotherapist. Even if I were, I’m not all that sure I could complete a PHD. I have a pretty good average, but not an amazing one. Same story with becoming an English Prof, except I am going to class, I am just stumbling with the material. I have to give SparkNotes a good look over before I write any of my Arts One essays, and I don’t feel like I am comprehending the material like my classmates. I love to read, especially classics, so how come I haven’t already read The Birth of Tragedy or The Republic, or even the freaking Iliad, (which I bought prior to coming to UBC and still didn’t touch until the last minute) when a fair share of my classmates have, or at least are very good at pretending they have.

This all comes back to honours. I thought, maybe if I throw myself into literature, my love for it will carry me through, but, as in the case of Arts One, that doesn’t really work. As far as wanting to be a writer, I am a bit in the opinion that in order to write books you need to have read a whole lot of them, even though this isn’t necessarily true. Nevertheless, I am still lost when it comes to whether or not I should apply to honours. I mean, if they say yes, I can always change my mind, and if they say no, they will have made up my mind for me. I just think I wouldn’t want to say no if I got in, so if I apply, that means I want to be in it and…well then we’re back to the beginning.

The final road block I have to deal with in my dreams of becoming a novelist is the fact that I have never actually written anything even close to a novel. I haven’t even attempted. The last story I wrote that was more than a page long was in grade eight and it was awful. As far as my writing goes, it’s mostly blogging (like here, and my livejournal) as well as, well, poetry. I like to write poetry. Actually, I am pretty sure that I am somewhat good at writing poetry. Great. I am good at and enjoy writing something that no one makes money with. I mean, how the hell do you become a successful poet anyway? Far as I can see, you spend your life writing poetry that no one understands, die tragically, become famous, then, from beyond the grave, watch 10th graders squirm while they try interpret what you did mean. Woo. I am just afraid that I will spend my entire life wanting to be a poet, all the while working at some large company, doing a job that murders my soul on a daily basis, until I retire, and then focus my attentions to pressuring my children to have more children themselves, until I die. That is not the life for me.

I think the whole point of this entry is to say that I have no idea what I am doing anymore.

Categories
ResidenceLife

Chair Despair

A few weeks ago the Nootka House Lounge was shut down because, overnight, the lounge chairs came into this position:

To be honest, I thought it was one of the most interesting and creative ways to make a lot of people upset with you. The lounge was locked up and chairs stayed like that for a good ten days, I am still at a loss as to how they got them down. Oh, residence life, you couldn’t get this kind of stuff anywhere else.

Categories
ResidenceLife

Erroneous Expectations

Today I woke up knowing that my only real responsibility for the day would be running over to the Wood Theatre and picking up our props for Grease. I was excited as I always find props fun, especially when I get to discern which lamp will match the bedspread and that sort of thing, but I was also just a tiny bit nervous. See, in order to pick up the props we need to use a van, and in order to use that van we need to have someone from housing, and that someone was Miss Joanna Waggott, the Residence Life Manager (basically, head honcho) of Totem Park.

I don’t really know why I was nervous, it’s not that I am a bad resident, no, I wear my flip flops in the shower, and turn my iPod down at 9pm. I think it was just the position. This is the person most rule-breaking residents fear, she is at the top of the ladder, and gets the final say on just about every problem in Totem Park. I wasn’t really all that sure what I was expecting, but whatever it was, I was wrong. She’s actually really cool.

Let me elaborate on cool. She wears Vans, and not just plain old Vans, super cute polka dot ones. She loves music (just like me!) and introduced me to a new band, Vampire Weekend, (which are AWESOME, by the way) all while riding in her cute little car. She has a chic little apartment in Kwak, (who knew Totem had a chic little apartment!?!) and declares that she will always be a hipster. She is sarcastic and funny and nice and everything I never expected. Seriously, this is my kind of lady.

I am quite certain I will only see her from one side of the desk, as I have no plans to get in any fights or break any Totem rules, and I realize some people aren’t so lucky, but I want to get it out there that she is actually a really cool person. I think we tend to develop a sort of “us versus them” mentality in rez when dealing with higher ups, but throughout the course of this year I have been happily surprised to find that most RA’s, RC’s, and even Miss Joanna Waggott herself, are pretty awesome, laid back, and welcoming people. The point I am trying to get across is, when living in rez, don’t fall for the stereotypes and expectations that follow a job, because that big scary person at the top, is really just a hipster with a love for Vans.

Categories
Academic Personal ResidenceLife

The Responsibility Train

Yes, I did neglect two Saturdays and an entire week of blogging, but I have my reasons, and that is laziness.  That’s right, over reading break I did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and it was GLORIOUS. But I am ready to hop back on the train of responsibility and I know that means updating regularly, going to class, and fulfilling many other random tasks. (Such as picking up a plethora of props tomorrow for the Totem Musical)

Oh, I didn’t tell you, I’m the Props Manager for Totem Park’s production of GREASE! Honestly, I am not the biggest fan of Grease, but I am the biggest fan of props management. I love working backstage. Something about making a show happen is intensely rewarding and makes my heart happy.

Speaking of heart happiness, Max and I will have been together six months on March 1st. I won’t get to ooey gooey or anything, but I am really happy. It’s weird to think about how our friends have never known us apart, but I like to think that we function pretty well as a couple. We already have plans to spend the summer in Toronto, and then move in together next fall. Come the start of next school year, it will be a year. I never thought I would find a relationship as soon as I got to University, I actually didn’t really want that, but I am so happy I did. He is amazing, and I love him completely. Funny to think that we first met over Facebook.

Ah well, back on the responsibility train I go…toot toot.

Categories
Personal

Sam Speaks Saturdays: Clickity Clackity

Saturday number two…let’s see how many of these I can remember to do in a row, which might be a bit hard, seeing as I alllmost forgot this one. Okay, so what will this Sam Speaks Saturday entail? The internet! Namely, some of my favorite websites and why.

PostSecret (http://postsecret.blogspot.com/)

This is a blog maintained by a man named Frank Warren, who posts anonymous secrets sent to him by people across the globe. Every Sunday he updates, posting about 20 new secrets from everyday people. The secrets vary from funny and heart-warming to tragic, but what I love about this website is the fact that anyone can participate. The address is posted on the site and you can use it to make your own secret that might get shown on the web, or even put into one of the books published by Warren. I personally have sent in a secret that was put into the second PostSecret book, My Secret (ironic, I know). Anyway, I highly recommend this sight to make your Sundays a bit more interesting, but beware! It is rather addictive.

You Are Beautiful (http://www.you-are-beautiful.com/)

This is another website that always makes me smile. The basic idea is that you can mail a self-addressed envelope to the address on the website, and they will send you stickers that read “You Are Beautiful” You take these stickers and post them wherever you wish, just to remind people that they are beautiful and make their day. You can even take pictures of where you post them and submit those to the website. I just love the idea of random acts of kindness. I’ve actually thought of making a random acts of kindness club here at UBC…

Overheard in New York (http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/)

This is a website I go to when I need a laugh. On it you can find a wide variety of funny things that, ask you can guess, been overheard in New York. Submitted by random New Yorkers and tourists as well, I sometimes find it hard to believe that people actually said some of the things you find there. Always good for a good laugh, Overheard in New York is a winner on my list.

These are just a handful of websites I visit in my adventures online. I mean, you’re on the internet now, you might as well check them out!

Categories
Academic AMS Faculty

Phase Two Tour

Earlier this week I got word through Blog Squad that there was going to be a tour of the not-yet-opened phase two of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and they were looking for some students to walk through and give feedback. Upon hearing of this I excitedly replied and got a spot on the tour. That tour was this morning.

First off, I want to say that I flat-out love phase one of the IKBLC. I know that I often mention the glorious Ridington Room as it has become my own little nook on campus where I feel truly dedicated to my studies. I think that will always be my favorite room, but after seeing what phase two will hold, I can’t be positive! The space is so open and expansive, with several different vast free study spaces that each had a variety of seating, from big comfy couchy benches to elegant tall chairs. There are also countless classrooms, varying in size, from a large theatre to a small office, all with flexible seating and tables.

As we walked through the expansive new wing, not yet finished, but obviously not far from completion, I felt as though I was walking through a building that was made for me. Granted it will soon be the new home for Arts One (as well as Science One, and the Coordinated Arts Program) so it will be a place that I will be spending a lot of time, but that’s not the only reason. I feel like the student body will own this place, the hallways wrap around in almost mazes, offering endless opportunities to plop down and study. All the classrooms will be left unlocked, so they can be used as forums for clubs or just casual study spaces. There will be a booking system put in place so you can just walk in and claim a small office or do so ahead of time through the Centre. There are so many windows and sky lights and places where you can just hang out. There will be a cafe! Offering food through the opening hours of the centre, which should be something like 7am-11pm.

I think my favorite part of the tour was when we got to enter the (still being renovated) Chapman Learning Commons that is not scheduled to open until April. Being a first year student, I had never been in the famous room, with its high ceilings and almost-cathedral feel, but I was very familiar with it from the countless photos I had seen of it in promotional material. I can honestly say that it is as beautiful as those photos make it seem. I was a little disheartened at the beginning of the year when I found out they were renovating it, but we were assured today that they are returning it to it’s original beauty, just updating it to keep up with seismic regulations. I simply CANNOT WAIT until this place fully opens.

All in all, I loved the tour, but what I found the most refreshing part of the whole experience was the feedback session we had following it. In it we had several very important people like the Interim Director of the Learning Centre, Jan Wallace, and Kelly Simmons, the Manager of Classroom Services, among others, sit down and as for our opinions of the Centre. Not only were these people kind enough to guide us through the wing (which hasn’t even opened yet) but they really just wanted to know what we thought of the whole building. They jotted down notes of everything we said and gave me a real feeling of being supported here at UBC.

Their call for feedback does not stop at those who are given a tour. More than anything they want to know what you, the average student, has to think. If you think the pattern of the carpet is too distracting, the want to know, if you don’t like the lighting in one room, or you find the chalkboards too far away to read, they want to know. Seriously, they want to make this space something every student will use and enjoy, and the only way they can approach that goal is to hear from you. To make all of this feedback possible, they even made a Facebook group, you can find it here. (Also, check out the awesome pictures the Kevin from Student Development took on our tour!)

So go, join the group, reply to some of the discussion topics and LOOK FORWARD to February 25th, when phase two FINALLY opens its doors. I can assure you, you are going to love this building.

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