"English" is a broad term

I went home this weekend, tagging along with the family to a few graduation parties of kids I knew in high school. The nature of our class was such that the core group of students in the AP classes were also involved in music. Our parents have been a tight bunch most of our 12-year gauntlet through the Altoona School District. All the kids know all the parents, and all the parents dote on all the kids. Let me assure you, a weekend of catching up with them is enough to satiate my appetite for a year.

The number one aspect of my life I had to defend? For some families/friends, it's the 'boyfriend' question. Nope, we're all too polite for that.

"So what are you studying?"
"English."
"Oh, ok. What do you want to do with that? Teach, or..."

And then they trail off because they can't think of anything else I could possibly use my major for. Let me ask you one thing: what can a physics, chemistry, or even biology major do with their major?! Nothing more than an English major can do, so stop thinking that science majors equate with post-graduation jobs!!!

The truth is that an English degree translates to a general 4-year degree. It most likely guarantees that you had a broad college education - which employers usually like. You can work practically anywhere with an English degree.

But that doesn't really matter. All people see just two possibilities: teach or write, and then they don't realize that there is no such thing as a full-time creative writer (save J.K. Rowling). I don't have the passion to exert all my attention on writing at the moment. And part of me feels like I'm selling out with the answer,

"Well, I think I eventually want to teach, either high school or college."

Which I do. However, the adult with whom I'm conversing then gets this satisfied, breathe-easy look on their face. I want to smack them, saying, "I COULD DO WHATEVER I WANTED TO IF I SO DESIRED!"

But that wouldn't go over very well, now would it?

Fave Titles 5/23

Favorite storage book titles for the day:

Cowboy Economics
How to Buy Major Appliances

Wikipedia has failed me

Last week, a tree just outside of our street seemed to unroll long tendrils down to the ground in honor of spring. Upon closer inspection, however, these were thin, gossamer threads with worm larvae hanging on in the breeze. I wish I had taken a picture, because I cannot find anything comparable on Google images. I would be close to home, see someone stop, take a closer look, then back away in disgust and keep walking. The company had the tree cut down.

Using my skills as a librarian and a daughter of the Internet-Information age, the only answer I could come up with was cankerworms. Several internet sources claim that the Spring variety will drop down from trees on silken threads (http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/cnkrworm.htm).

And yet Wikipedia has no such article on Spring Cankerworms. I feel as if I can't trust anything anymore.

Google Books

I also work on the Google Books project through Steenbock Library on campus. For a description of the project, go to http://books.google.com/googlebooks/library.html.

The UW-Madison statement on the website:

The combined library collections of the University of Wisconsin- Madison Libraries and the Wisconsin Historical Society Library comprise one of the largest collections of documents and historical materials in the United States. Through this landmark partnership with Google, Wisconsin is taking a leading role in preserving public domain works for future generations and making the Library's resources widely available for education and research...The Google digitization efforts will enable the libraries to expand access to public domain materials that have heretofore only been accessible in the libraries. Much of this material is rare and one-of-a-kind, providing a rich, open source of information for educational, research and general public use."

– Edward Van Gemert, Interim Director, UW-Madison Libraries

It keeps me busy. My favorite titles so far:
Cowboy in the Making
Food & Fun for the Invalid

Steenbock is the Agricultural and Life Sciences library specifically, with a large storage facility that houses old books from other campus libraries. This is the only - ONLY - connection I have with the department of Agriculture.

A Big-Girl Blog

Hello World!

I write to you now to tell you that I have whirlpools of funny things and observations in my head that I must write down in order to stop the incessant badgering of my consciousness.

i.e. I have a lot to say. About lots of stuff.

I am now a junior at the University of Wisconsin - Madison (expect many local observations). I am an English major (expect many literary references or passages I've just read that sent my world spinning) and I live out the love I have for my Lord through the Catholic faith (expect many rants/musings on faith). Summer seemed a perfect time to start something I've wanted to do all year, now that I have more time.

I have made a promise to myself that this blog will not be a way for me to whine to the world, or ramble about how my day was. It's time that I be intentional with what I write and what I present of myself to the public. This could be a stepping stone to the world of Real Jobs, Our Own Families, and Investing Money for the Future. Though any college student could tell you how much we are all terrified of crossing that river into Adulthood.