I'm not sure if the time is given along with the date of this post's publication, but it is currently almost 10:45 P.M.on Monday night. I say this because it is the beginning of finals weeks here at my college and my exams begin tomorrow. My schedule says I have four finals out of my five classes, but I do not believe this is actually the case. My music professor stated that there was no final for the class and that all dated times are false, and no one has heard confirmation of a final from my English 101 professor for quite sometime now. In fact, no word has been heard from her at all. I don't mean to cause any alarm, for I'm sure she is busy in her own affairs, but if my suspicions are correct, I will only have two finals for the entire week. Of course, both of these classes are required general education and are proportionally unrelated to my major. Still, I am anxious to finish them.
During the week of Thanksgiving, I was contacted by a representative of a satirical newspaper company called the Black Sheep which I had sent an application into a few weeks earlier. The representative, who I believe labeled himself as Human Resource Manager, although I could be mistaken, asked if he could call me at some point during the next week to interview me for a writer's position. I accepted and awaited until last Tuesday, when the interview was scheduled for that afternoon and I realized I was woefully unprepared. I spent the day doing research on proper over-the-phone interview etiquette and studied possible questions he may ask. I was also in the midst of juggling several projects due within the week, so it turned out to be a chaotic day for me. I equated around three hours of research time devoted to readying myself for the interview. At a half hour before my interview, I realized I needed to find a proper, quiet place to have this interview. I ended up sitting in the hallway next to a set of elevators with study lounges on either side that were either too loud or so quiet that I wished not to disturb them.
When the clock struck five'o'clock, my cellphone rang. As expected, it was the representative. I picked up the phone and answered, mentally preparing myself for a field of interaction I was unskilled and under-experienced in. I had only had one other interview before that one and I was dressed in a Metallica t-shirt and ripped jeans. (I ended up acquiring the job, but that's besides the point.) When I answered, he answered back, and quickly explained that this "interview" was comprised of simply reading off the list of responsibilities that a potential writer would have working for this newspaper. The entire interaction lasted no more than seven minutes, ending with him giving me an assignment to do before I officially received the job. I thanked him and we both hung up. I sat with my pages of notes in front of me out of breath and starving. Hours of preparation for seven minutes of listening. I began laughing, then went to have some dinner.
Over the weekend, I read Alan Moore and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta, which I enjoyed very much. It was an interesting commentary on fascist ruling and the culture and idealism of anarchy. I've come to really enjoy Moore's work, and even though I fancy Watchmen more, it is hard to deny both of their insightful and thought-provoking content. The artwork was also very dark and intriguing, fitting the mood and story well. While my thoughts are a little jumbled at the approach of finals and therefore momentarily crippled in an attempt to accurately and intelligently analyze and review the graphic novel, I can give my full recommendation to anyone who has not yet read it. That pretty much sums up the last few weeks and now come finals. Perhaps it is customary to leave with a quote relevant to finals and the theme of hours of research. “Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.” Maybe a little too formal and heavy in this setting, but the words still ring true all the same.
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