Definitions

Senioritis

Definition: the ability to convince oneself that going out on a Wednesday night is infinitely more important than a philosophy paper worth at least 20% of a class grade.

Additional facets: when the paper is due in less than 2 hours, and you are on facebook, twitter, or, even better, blogging about your inability to care about the paper or any other school work.

One step further: staring out the window is far more preferable/rational/productive than referencing philosophers on the subject of natural rights.

Synonyms: apathy, alcoholism, oblivion.
Antonyms: productivity, A+ on that paper.

Use it in a sentence: Marisa's senioritis led her to imbibe many delicious cocktails with her friends on a weeknight, kept her convinced that her philosophy paper wouldn't matter in 10 years, a month, or tomorrow, and helped her justify sleeping in on top of it all. NU 09.

[to make myself feel better, I am reminding everyone that I do have almost 100% in Legal Argumentation, for what that's worth.]

Positivity and Shoes

"And the less I seek my source for some definitive, the closer I am to fine."
-indigo girls-

We had a really good, positive executive eboard meeting last night. There has been some really tricky conflict in the group this semester, with some opposition, passive aggression, and lots of bitching behind everyone's back. My actions definitely played a role in some of the negativity. Everything came to a bit of a head during the Harvard Model UN conference a week or two ago, forcing us to confront some of the clashing of minds.

By acknowledging the friction, we can actually deal with the issues head on, and it was necessary to put the issue out in the open. The stress wasn't so much with each other as with some of the problems the organization is dealing with this semester. We all discussed the need to see each other as resources and walls to bounce ideas and stress off, and reminded ourselves that even if we yell or get upset about something, it shouldn't get personal and we should be more of a support for other eboard members.

After we put the tension issue out in the open, it made it a lot easier to interact without the hedging, combative doubletalk we'd been dealing with. A lot more laughing, a lot more understanding, and a smoother path to accomplishing tasks and working through the myriad to-do items for the United Nations Association. I'm hoping it stays like this: we all work hard and care about the goals and members of the organization, and it's a lot more fun when we're not snarking at each other and can work together more happily.


Random piece of advice: if your shoes hurt, but your day isn't over yet, don't bother taking them off. It will only hurt worse when you have to put them back on. ahhhhhhh.

Rainy Sunday Musings

Update on my life status:

1. Did not get an interview for the first job I applied for/actually wanted. Disappointing.
   
2. Have since sent in two more applications, and have notes on another half dozen job postings of interest to get started on. Let's cross fingers and toes for at least an interview sometime in the next month. [as I was writing this, one of the places I applied emailed to say they just filled the position. Sweet....]
   
3. Signed my lease in Coolidge Corner! Bon and I (and Toomey for the summer) will be in Brookline until August 2010 as it currently stands. We have plans for lovely home design, good lighting, big bookshelves, and maybe a cat! Lots of updates on apartment-related things to come--I've never lived off-campus except for a sublet, and I have myriad ideas.
   
4. Lots and lots of "Oh good, I'm not the only crazy one" conversations. We're all at bizarre places in life right now, and it's good to know I have plenty of solid company in overanalysis and procrastination.
5. People are getting engaged and getting pregnant (separate people, no shotgun weddings in my crowd yet). I still think of everyone I know as approximately 16 and therefore not in any sort of position for those things. But babies are cute, even if it freaks me out watching people I know holding them (I would post the picture of Leif with the baby Nikki nannies for if it didn't make me laugh so hard. I might still.)
   
6. I am having the strongest travel urges lately. Part of me hopes I DON'T get a job right away, and would then have an excuse to just buy a plane ticket and a nice camera and disappear for a little while. Sites like The Big Picture make me want to take the kinds of photos that inspire emotion and a different way of understanding things.
7. Trying to solve my constant indecision/grass-is-always-greener problem. I can see the pros and cons of almost anything, and I need to find a few anchoring principles to try and cut the internal haggling down a little.
8. Getting off of campus more often. Sam and I went to see Arusi Persian Wedding at the Boston Public Library yesterday, and also picked up information for some events going on for International Women's Day in March. When I worked at the Women and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School, they put on some great programming, and I'd love to check out some of it there and around the city this year.

Off to a United Nations Association executive board meeting...it'll be strange to end my involvement on campus when I graduate, but also freeing after putting hours and hours of time into it for five years...

What I'm Reading

Adding various things to my Google reader today, and came across a bunch of great sites and blogs that I'm looking forward to reading more of.

Although this Incomplete Manifesto is from a design company called Bruce Mau Design, I think many of the points are so applicable to lots of processes, creative or otherwise. Particular favorites include:

• Don't Clean Your Desk: You might find something in the morning that you can’t see tonight.
• Take Field Trips: The bandwidth of the world is greater than that of your TV set, or the Internet, or even a totally immersive, interactive, dynamically rendered, object-oriented, real-time, computer graphic–simulated environment.
• Break it, stretch it, bend it, crush it, crack it, fold it
• Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child): Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day.

Other sites I'm intrigued by:

• White Hot Truth
• Daily Poetics
  
• The Happiness Project: especially because we've been trying to update The Happy List more often. Figuring out what makes you happy helps you to remember to do it.
• Wanting to read more of Bob Sutton's workplace blog too. So many conversations I've had lately about jobs and the future have circled back to wanting to work in a good environment, for a good boss, as a good employee, and what all of that means.

(One more set of interesting rules from Daily Poetics: Immaculate Heart College Art Department)

What are you reading? Any good suggestions? Also recently launched, if you're looking for a good way to get into reading print materials and not just blogs: The Twitter Book Club! Check out the first book announcement and get involved!

I spy, with my little eye...

I really like people. And watching them. And listening. And asking questions. And figuring out how they all interact with one another. Lots of good ways to do all of those things.

Favorite experience today: watching a pair of deaf men signing at dinner in the South End tonight. Between their amazingly expressive faces, rapid and energetic signs, and the clear chemistry and rapport between them (couldn't tell if they were in a platonic or romantic relationship), I could barely keep myself from staring at their fantastic conversation.

Next to them was a large table of about a dozen men (not to stereotype, but we were at Francesca's, on Tremont, on a Friday night, most likely a gay crowd), whose appearances ranged from preppy to gauged ears to fauxhawks to trenchcoats. They were laughing and flirting and carrying on, didn't care how big a scene they made.

I wonder what I looked like to the surroundings tonight. At the open studios we went to, we were fairly obvious in our checking-out of the artists and the crowds, and openly commenting, sometimes knowledgably, sometimes not, about lots of pieces. I know plenty about jewelry and nothing about paintings, Kate's been checking out more galleries lately. At dinner, Kate and I rambled through a bizarre range of topics, texting and googling things. I knew one of the waiters, so he gave me a backrub, demonstrated the latest dance he'd learned, and fawned over us. We ate all sorts of random things, topped off with take-out containers of cake. Lots of laughing, but also lots of getting really worked up about a few subjects. Wonder if anyone watching thought we were students or professionals, silly or smart, interesting or vapid, pretty or plain, boring or invested.

I think I learn a lot about myself and my community by actively observing--how else can you get such a good sense of people's behavior, especially when they're not always aware of being watched?

Eeeeek.

I missed a day. Been trying to write every day, and just noticed it's 12:09 am. Booooo.

Stealing a concept from Pursue the Passion, and writing 5 things I'm excited about on a Friday:

1. A grownup apartment!! So soon!
   
2. Taking yoga classes. I've only gone to two so far, but I feel so much more centered and relaxed after each class. An hour where I only focus on my body and my breathing takes some pressure off of my poor brain
3. Liking my new roommates! I'm always ambivalent about getting new randoms, but as usual, I've been proved too cynical, and the three new girls are laidback and funny and easy to live with
4. My new haircut--chopped off 8.5 inches to donate to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, in memory of my friend Eric who passed away from leukemia this fall. It was an emotional thing to do for that reason, and cutting off my hair always feels like a good catalyst for change in my life as well.
5. My mom's second-round interview for a sweet job. She's so smart and interested/interesting, but hasn't had a full-time job in a while--spent time taking care of me and my brother, and working part-time for my dad's jewelry business. She's both an architect and an attorney though, and is getting back into the workforce, looking to do consulting and contract work. First round went well, and I'm excited for the next round on Monday for her! It's funny with us both looking for jobs at the same time. It's been a while since she's done it, and I had to remind her about things she didn't have to consider last time, like following up via email a week later, since things get lost in inboxes so easily.
6. And a sixth for good measure: my best friend Val got into Columbia's Physical Therapy program!

Friday's my day off--hoping it's sunny and productive. And not thigh-freezingly cold.

Exciting Grownup Things!

In procrastinating on the job hunt, I've resorted to apartment searching! (I will pay for my new cute apartment with my non-existent paycheck! Yay!)

Bonnie and I settled on Coolidge Corner for our area, and we saw three apartments last week, and have appointments to see three more Thursday night/tomorrow. Bonnie was my freshman/middler year roommate, and one of the only people I could live with again (a few of my former roommates also make that shortlist <3). We've got the same goals for an apartment, and the patience with each other to make living with each other a fairly good idea.

Top characteristics our dream apartment will have: (We've had decent luck thus far)

• 2 spacious bedrooms: enough room for queen beds
• closet space! Both in and out of the bedrooms--we both have a lot of STUFF, but like all of the stuff to have specific living places
• open, airy kitchen. We both like to cook and entertain, and a kitchen that connects with the living space and allows interaction with guests is a huge plus
• natural light, and lots of it
• NOT a million-floor walk-up. Elevator, or 1st/2nd floor, por favor
• close to Coolidge Corner, and well as a C and/or D-line T-stop: need places nearby for when we don't want to be in our beautiful new apartment, or need to run errands.

We'd also love the option to paint our space, and a balcony or patio would be a lovely bonus. It's the first time either of us has really lived off-campus other than a short sublet though. We're trying to not jump the gun and take the first cute place we see, and ask lots of questions, take photos, and scope out potential flaws in any place we check out. A learning process.

I've also been scanning lots of home/design websites...I know I want a queen sized bed. I know I want fabulous bookshelves and lighting--both of those are funky European examples of things I will hopefully be able to afford in the future. I want to be able to hang my colorful jewelry and scarves on the wall as decoration, and have plenty of wall space to tack up the hundreds of magazine clippings, postcards, scribbled notes, and photos that inspire me and get me going. The space to fold and organize my ludicrous amount of clothing would be unbelievable.

After 5 years in fairly homogeneous spaces at NU, and living with random roommates for a year or two, I'm looking forward to really making my own space. Graduating and starting fresh in a new place at the same time will be a little shock to the system, but doing both at once will help make the shift seem more concrete. (And a new bed! A big bed!!)

Seriously? Seriously.

Dating A Banker Anonymous

In one word....
Horrifying.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'd love to live a mildly extravagant life. I like nice clothes, good food, luxurious settings. But I also like to think I like people for who they are, not what they're worth. I'm also obnoxiously independent--the thought of relying on someone else's net worth for my enjoyment out of life is petrifying. If I'm going to live in a fancy world, I'd better be able to handle it on my own dime: reliance on other people is not my thing.

As the daughter of a luxury goods retailer, I know how this economy works people's emotions and stress levels. Nobody in any business likes coming home in a bad mood because they can't pay the office bills, or because they lost a huge account or millions of dollars for a client. Last thing someone in bad work straits wants? A person they thought loved them, not their wallet, freaking out over fewer vacations in Maui or no Fendi bag for their birthday.

I know to some, this economy feels like a bad joke that will eventually play out and go away. I personally haven't felt it like others have, but I've witnessed some of the problems second-hand. DABA girls: go back to sleep, and wake up on a different side of the bed (an empty bed, most likely, since your financier boyfriends should leave you in the dust for your poor behavior). Go out and work hard at your own job, buy your own drinks for once, and text your ex something encouraging to get him through the next bad day. You better hope he forgives you. You should hope he'll buy you a pity drink when you lose your job in fashion PR or spa services, and have gone through a few more finance guys on hard times willing to put up with your crap.

Cover Letters = On Their Way Out

When (not if) I am in charge of a company or business, I will never ask for cover letters. Resumes, ok, maybe. Just so I can justify hires to other, less creative folk. However. Some other item submission will be substituted. Options thus far include:

• papier mache
• haikus
• wire sculpture
• colorful acrostic poems
• collages (please let all glue dry before sending in)
• videos
• short story
• cartoon
• song
• dance
• mural
• torn-out notebook page with impressive doodles.

Cover letters are all hot air. I'd rather submit a Post-it Note flipbook cartoon. I'd hire me.

Going Professional

I'm trying to revamp my resume. Boost my job image. Get myself hired. Not be homeless and jobless effective May 1st.

Like every Northeastern student ever, I have a resume that sums up my basic experiences at jobs and internships and touts my decent GPA. There's an application deadline at the end of the week for a non-profit consultancy job (one-year duration, some business classes provided, menial (but at least existent) salary, and health insurance provided). A connection at the company warned me that HR is potentially looking for people with work experience, even though the program is geared towards new young professionals.

My goal is to highlight the work experience I have managed to obtain during 5 years at Northeastern. Even though I'll be a new grad, my resume doesn't resemble it. However, my current resume doesn't pop. I've looked at it so many times that it's more likely grey words than anything engaging or active. There are a few tactics I'm trying though:

• Stronger, more active verbs at the beginning of all my bullets. I want words more representative of the activity they are referencing: create = not specific. Participate = lame. Good verbs are hard to come by, however.
  
• More quantifiable terms. Created something? What number of something? For how many people? In what span of time? Did I come in way under the deadline?
• Specific skills I want to highlight: supervising interns, copyediting and proofreading a publication, managing several projects at once reliably,
• Social Media: my knowledge of and interest in blogs, Twitter, and other forms of marketing and communication
• My range of experience: while it may seem slightly less focused than the resume of a business major or engineer, I think my strength at any job will lie in my familiarity with multiple fields and skills.
  

Suggestions? Willing to read and comment on my resume? Any skills I might not be thinking of that you would either want to see as an employer or know I have as an acquaintance?

Being in the Now

Quick post (a paper for school beckons):

One of my favorite things in the entire world is being surrounded by the people I love. We packed 30 people into a living room to watch the Steelers/Cardinals Super Bowl. I'm from Pittsburgh, and so I'm clearly a Stillers fan. But the best part was the atmosphere. The older we get, and the more settled down/in relationships/scattered around the country my group gets, the more rare big group settings are. Being curled up in close quarters, laughing at mostly nothing, and just enjoying being together: sure, it's very Jewish mother-hen of me, but there's really nothing that's much higher on my list in life. I spend a lot of time thinking about the future lately, but sometimes, I just love the present.