May 2020

April must have been terrified of 2020, because it FLEW out of here!  One week into May and things are heating up (quite literally).

 

 

SONG INSPIRATION

This month’s blog is inspired by Sam Cooke’s classic, A Change Gonna Come.

 

 

SUMMER SEMESTER 2020

Alas, spring semester 2020 ends tomorrow.  This semester has been HELLISH.  While it hasn’t been the worst semester of graduate school, it has been among the more challenging.  Much of that is owed to the pandemic, but even without Miss Rona, things would have been extremely busy.  Multiple deadlines, hundreds of pages to write, numerous weekly meetings, etc.  I am tremendously happy to put the spring semester behind me.

 

Basically, that means the summer semester has started.  The summer was always going to be a semester of writing and revisions.  Thanks to Miss Rona – it’s likely to be spent mostly indoors (even if things reopen, I’m personally doing a 4-week grace period to observe whether infections rise, etc.).  That’s okay, because it’s going to be >100˚F until September.  And I’ll have plenty of edits and suggestions on my dissertation.  I have no intention of returning to campus, except to clear out my offices.    Despite the chaos, I’m continuing to look forward.  Taking things day by day and week by week has made everything a wee bit more manageable.

 

 

DISSERTATION & DEFENSE

My dissertation is due to my supervisory committee tomorrow.  Although I finished the first drafts of my chapter’s weeks ago, I’ve spent all week making revisions based on feedback I just received from my advisor and one other committee member.  But I haven’t finished.  I have many more action items to check off – but thankfully a couple of months to complete them.

 

My defense approaches.  I completed the presentation 2 weeks ago and revised it a week ago.  Revisions will continue into next week when I receive additional feedback from my committee.  Not going to lie, I’d really like this presentation to be mostly my own.  I don’t like stuffy, boring science talks.  I want to keep the audience engaged and entertained, while also teaching them a little.  We’ll see how that goes.  I am beyond over jumping through procedural hoops – let’s get this shit over with and prepare for the next phase of life.

 

Advice:  Don’t let others define you – even in something as stuffy as science.  Just because something has been done for decades doesn’t mean it’s right or optimal.  Chart your own course, add your own flair, and do your best.

 

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMANITY & SCIENCE

One of the hardest experiences I’ve endured during this pandemic is the shattering of my world view.  I naively assumed early on in the outbreak that coronavirus would serve as a uniting force.  One that would unite the world and the country.  In many ways, you’ve seen a solidarity not witnessed in the modern era.  However, I was too naïve.  Coronavirus has exposed – to a frightening degree – the public’s scientific illiteracy, mistrust of expertise, selfishness, and cruelty.  Having your worldview shattered is part of life, especially during the transition from adolescence to adulthood.  Realizing the world is even crueler than you, or even your parents, anticipated – now that’s some heavy shit.  That’s what’s caused the majority of the stress and melancholy I’ve felt as a result of this health crisis.  I can only hope some good ekes its way out of this, that maybe some of us will strive to be kinder and more compassionate in the wake of this pandemic.  And maybe we’ll take a long hard look at our failing education system and reevaluate the importance of science and critical thinking.

 

 

CURRENT SHOWS

Recently finish:  Case Files no221: Kabukicho; Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit; Terror in Resonance; Ugly Delicious: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Currently watching:  Attack on Titan (s3); Persona 5; Westworld (s3); Year Million

 

 

Thank you so much for reading!  My next blog is scheduled for Thursday, June 4^th.  Stay safe and healthy.  Until next time….