9:15 Wake up! To the chagrin of my parents, this is on the earlier side for me. But I want to look over and print out my reading response for Constitutional Interpretation. I also browse the Internet in bed. I check social media, because I am indeed a millennial. Then I wash my face and brush my teeth. It takes me a while to get dressed because I am trying to decide on a cute outfit, as I am trying to dress in a way as to highlight my Hillary button. Striped shirt, black jumper, black tights, black boots. Button featured prominently. Can you tell I’m still bitter? I put on my makeup, and then I leave my house.
10:30 I go to print out my response paper in the basement of Burton. Unfortunately, there is still no stapler in the printing room, so I stop by the front desk at Mudd to staple my pages together. Exciting stuff!
11 It’s time for Constitutional Interpretation. Today we are focusing on the case Grutter v Bollinger (2003), which deals with affirmative action in college admissions policies. Does the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment uphold the University of Michigan Law School’s usage of race as a factor in their admissions policies? Yes, indeed! Justice Scalia has a lot to say on the subject. As usual, Scalia is very salty for someone who is so wrong (my own personal opinion, I’m sorry!). I am definitely learning a lot in the class. Reading nothing but court cases can be a little dense, but I think Professor Hirsch does a good job of making sure we all know what the case is about and challenging our views. And let’s be real, anytime I think I made a good point in class, I feel like a regular Elle Woods.
11:50 Head over to Stevie (Stevenson Dining Hall, for those not in the know), where I eat this pork lettuce wrap that is quite tasty, but it does not really work as a wrap so I kind of have to eat it as a salad. I try to finish up some reading I should have already finished for LGBT Identities, my next class, but it is very dry and science-y. No shade to science! But it’s kind of a boring article, so I skim it.
12:20ish I drop off my declaration of a minor form at the registrar’s office! I’m finally declaring my minor in gender, sexuality, and feminist studies, which I earned without even trying. I try to take a commemorative selfie, but there are too many people around. So I head back home and do some work for a bit.
1:30 LGBT Identities. I like how interdisciplinary this class is. We've read a lot of different stuff - from autobiographies to scientifc studies to young adult novels. Lately, we've been reading and watching Carol.
2:20 I go pick up a package! It’s my West Elm sheets, only 2 months late! I quickly drop them off at my house, then I pick up a snack at Decafe. My go-to for a midday snack is Cheddar Chex Mix, because its not being straight up potato chips just feels healthier to me, somehow? I walk back over to the Science Center and do a little work before class.
3:30 Introductory Astronomy. We’ve been talking about star birth and death and supernovas. And black holes! What’s going on there? Despite not being a science person, I’m really enjoying this class, and it blows my mind nearly every day. The universe is crazy, y'all.
4:20 Head to Mudd. Now that I have a house, I don’t work in Mudd every day like I used to, but it’s still where I’m most productive. I pick up a coffee at Azariah’s, and I go upstairs, to the second floor, where I sit on one of those purple lounge things. I work on this very blog entry.
5:15 Switch over to reading Cathy Cohen’s article for my Racial Politics in a Post Obama Era class tomorrow. It’s about AIDS activism in the black community in the 1990s. It’s pretty interesting, but I’m feeling a little brain dead, so it’s hard to concentrate.
6:40 Despite the fact that I really want Kim’s bulgogi beef rice bowl for dinner, none of my roommates want to accompany me. I have no salt, so I can’t cook anything at home (anything that would taste good, anyway). So it’s back to Decafe for a sad solo vegan chili. I eat it at the Rathskeller, because Decafe is weird now and got rid of all its seating. I have not eaten at the Rathskeller since my first year, but now it’s the only choice for seating when I don’t take my Decafe meal home. I’ve been liking the cozy vibe. I also buy myself ANOTHER SNACK because I am incorrigible. I justified it with the fact that the anniversary of the Death of our Democracy is today (November 8th), and it makes me kind of sad, so I deserve some dark chocolate-covered pretzels. If anyone is wondering if I had anything healthy today (hi Mom!), my LETTUCE wrap had CARROTS and CABBAGE.
7:25 Done with my sad chili, it’s time for me to complete the last of my four required observing sessions as part of my astronomy class. It takes place at the very top of Peters, where we stand on the roof and look at the stars. It’s a beautiful night for star watching.
8 My friend Julia is doing work in the Burton basement, so I stop by to say hello to her. Then I go back home to try to complete the rest of my work.
9:21 I’m done! I’m not really done, but I’m done enough! My friend Lotte comes over and we watch an episode of New Girl and talk about cheese. Then she leaves, I brush my teeth, wash my face, and change into pajamas before falling asleep while watching Flight of the Conchords in bed, around 2 in the morning.
This day was pretty good and pretty standard for me – just snacks and readings. I don’t think it was a particularly interesting day, but it might be helpful for potential Obies to know what a standard day could look like.
