spring ahead

I can hardly believe that it's March already! But sure enough, mid-terms are upon me, the vibrant colors are spring are sprouting up all around, and warmer weather has arrived.

For whatever reason this semester has been more of a challenge for me than last. (I mostly blame the pol sci class.) 'Tis certainly a challenge I can meet, but it has required a substantial investment of my time and mental energy, leaving me little time for idle blogging, or cooking, or doing much of anything at all at my own pace. And I don't mean to complain, because I'm making much progress in my pursuit of knowledge. Although much of my progress has been intangible thus far, my mind is nevertheless steadily absorbing a more detailed, nuanced understanding of the world around me, which is always a good thing.

And truly, being super-busy is a welcome distraction from fretting about my future, because through all of this, the Grad-School-Admissions-Decision Waiting Game continues. I've been rejected by three of my chosen schools, albeit the three most selective. I've been accepted to Tulane Law School, but I've not yet received a response from the History Department to know fully what my options are. Nevertheless, this news has been of great comfort to my confidence, which had been mightily bruised by the slew of rejections.

So I continue to wait, cultivating the virtue of patience all the while, knowing not where I might fund myself this autumn, or what I might be doing...

Also in the way of encouraging developments: I'm in talks with my pol sci professor (who happens to be the chair of the department) about doing some assistantship work for him. I believe that I could provide some invaluable organizational assistance to such a busy academic as Professor Orey -- what with my 6+ years of experience keeping busy attorneys organized -- even while adding a sparkling new category to my curriculum vitae. As with much else, only time will tell what might come of this...

Meanwhile, after months of mulling around possible topics, I've reached the point of beginning a new research paper in earnest. (More on that later, in a new post.)

Something I've been telling myself lately is that I should endeavor to blog more; to use these pages as a utility to help me think complex concepts though, to catalog my many ideas and interests, and to help me expand my vocabulary. As Dr. Davis once told me, writing is a performance art, and for that reason blogging can do me naught but good as an aspiring writer.

But I won't fret too much about not having made the time lately to devote to blogging, for I can (and likely will) always aspire to do better. Overall I'm doing quite well with the balancing act of work, home, and school, and I simply must come to terms with my tendency to want to over-achieve. I must remind myself that, at the end of the day, my best will almost always be good enough.

new semester angst

I've learned that I cannot take my chosen two political science classes as planned. Apparently, since I am enrolled through the history department, I must take at least one class there. And what with me only being able to take two classes at no cost, I must sacrifice one of the pol sci classes.

Alas, this will require serious consideration, as I had my heart set on them both...

PS 532: Blacks and the American Political System An assessment of the position of Blacks in the political system of the United States, both historical and contemporary, with special attention to alternative political strategies for the present political epoch. Special emphasis will be placed on urban political systems.

I lean towards this class because it would expand my understanding of the ways the law interacts with societal minorities, but I'm dissuaded by the "emphasis on urban political systems" aspect. Partly, that's because I'm not sure what that indicates: is it a focus on municipal political system, or an investigation into the unique legal mechanisms utilized in urban areas? Perhaps I ought to e-mail the Professor...

PS 535: Constitutional Law and Separation of Powers An analysis of leading Supreme Court decisions dealing with the use of and curbs upon federal powers to enact economic and social legislation with special attention to urban issues. Resolution of conflicts engendered by the federal system and separation of powers also will be studied.

This is the other class,and for some reason I just love the idea of a constitutional law class. I've also already talked to this Professor, and I like her. Then again, I could likely embark upon a course of independent readings and get as much out of it; surely she would be happy to guide me unofficially in such an endeavor.

And there I have it. After writing it through, I see the course of action that I should take in this regard. Yay for blogging!

The other consideration at hand is 'Which history class to take?' I've narrowed it down to three --

HIST 502: Contemporary Africa A study of the emergence of Africa since 1945 with emphasis on the role of nations of the continent in both regional and world affairs.

HIST 521: History of Women in America An examination of the problems, challenges and experiences of American women from the colonial period to the 21st century.

HIST 546: Historical Research A course designed to assist students, especially those completing a thesis, in honing both their research and writing competencies.

The only course I haven't already taken as an undergraduate is the Africa class. Generally I'm interested in Atlantic World studies, but more so in the slave trade era. And African diaspora and colonization studies are also quite interesting, but I'm not immediately drawn to the "since 1945" era. Then again, it is admittedly a time and place about which I am not very knowledgeable. And I will likely have to select a field off minor concentration for any of my Ph.D. programs, and I'm already well situated to do that with African and/or African-American studies, so I might be well served to take this class.

I have until next Thursday to make up my mind, so I'll be giving the matter all due consideration over the weekend.