Have you ever been alone in a crowded room when I'm here with you?

Have you ever been alone in a crowded room; well I'm here with you...

So far, I have liked all the even numbered Harry Potter films better than the odd numbered ones. As such, I have high hopes for this 6th film.

I'm also slightly anxious about whether or not my informal writing piece might accidentally follow/resemble parts of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I haven't yet met a single person who's read it who hasn't told me that it reminds them of me in some form or another. But what am I supposed to do? I'm just writing honestly. I can hardly be faulted for having similar characteristics to some fictional boy.

I am beginning to think that I really should have done my informal writing project on manuscript rather than the computer. It would have been a slower process no doubt but it's not as if I'm blazing through the thing anyway. It's not just for posterity's sake. For some reason, I feel like when I write on a computer, I have to format while I'm writing. I feel like I have to be consistent with the way I write, not just what I write. And I would have much preferred to worry about format in a second draft after I get all the content out in a first draft.

Oh well, you live and learn I guess.

I have noticed something about my alma mater. And it concerns me a little bit.

I am beginning to realize that Queen's has tendency to wash its hands of "unpleasantness". They don't like to be held accountable, even when it's impossible for them not to be. Some of you know my stance on the whole "Queen's canceling homecoming" issue; my stance being that it's a bad idea. Because let's say the homecoming party happens anyway (in September). I think Queen's just wants to be able to throw their hands up and say "Hey, it's not OUR event anymore. Don't blame us." But as I've told people countless times, people will still blame them. Because they will associate the event with Queen's students. Right? You can wash your hands of it all you want; your students still represent your institution and if your students have a massive street party, it will still reflect badly on Queen's University. But Queen's... they're experts on diverting blame - one need only read up on the T-4 scandal, the racism scandal, the "thought police" scandal, the "we're a gazillion dollars over-budgeted for the Queen's Center" scandal, or any other scandal (AMS election), to realize that at Queen's, they like to kick blame around like a hot potato - only to have it land in some poor unsuspecting lap who then gets branded as the anti-christ (cue Jacob/Suhail).

So why express my indignation now? Well, I've been expressing it for the past 10 months. But it recently came up again; this time, with the faculty of education. You see, the practicum office is responsible for arranging the teaching placements for all the candidates. We spend about the equivalent of 4 months in these placements so you know, it's rather important. Yesterday, they sent out placement information and about 100 or so students don't have a placement school. That's right. It's not that they didn't get their first or second choice in terms of school board, but an actual case of "We can't find you a school... anywhere". And to all these unfortunate people, they send a standard email. Among one of the important things they stress in this email is: do not contact the practicum office.

Yeah ok. So WHO are they supposed to talk to if, god forbid, they find this news unsettling? Because you know, it's not bad enough that they couldn't find you a placement in your 4th choice of school board (your 4th choice likely being one that's already far less optimal than your first 3). But now they expect you to take the news that you don't even have a school to teach in, even disregarding distance/convenience, from a stock, standard, email. What kind of practicum office screws you over and then refuses to talk to you about it?! Take some responsibility for crying out loud!

To all my friends who chose to pass on the "skinny jeans" phase (that is still currently phasing), I thank you. I honestly cannot think of a single person who looks good in skinny jeans.