When I started writing this entry, I wrote about the classes I took. It seemed the logical way to sum up my first year in college. But then I realized that’s not what this year was about for me. Sure, Professor Raccuhaus was really cool and I watched some interesting movies in Film 46. In fact, I probably actually learned something this year. And while that’s certainly important, I feel like this year was more about the experience. By experience, I don’t mean the normal stereotypical “college experience”. By experience, I mean adjusting to living away from my family, making new friends, and interacting with a community of 20,000 in class and around campus.

So I started this journal entry over and began making some sort of timeline. I planned to break down the year into events and talk about going home on Halloween, setting up a tree on Christmas, turning nineteen, getting written up by some staff for tossing a chair off a balcony, going to the end of the year dinner, building a sand castle and so forth. But even these stories didn’t really cover what happened this year.

The best way I can explain how I spent my year is quite simple. I spent my time pulling pranks on Carlos, playing Frisbee with Sarah, joking with Andrew, talking politics with Chrissy, getting food with Nico, getting coffee with Elina, listening to Ian, laughing at Katie, fighting Santosh, teasing Maura, hanging out with Randy, smiling at Lauren, chilling with Sasha, flirting with Giuliana, practicing le parkour with Brady, and flying kites with Eva. In short, it was a great way to spend a year.

Further notes: I already miss my friends and have begun to reminisce about the time we spent together. I can’t really put how I feel into words so the above will have to do. When I wrote that this year was not about the stereotypical college experience, what I meant was even though I was at the #4 party school in the nation, I didn’t consume a single drink or experiment with any drug (something I am proud of). I don’t necessarily feel those things are “bad” and I don’t think that those who use them are “bad”, I just don’t use them myself. My college experience is not any lesser for it. With regards to “probably actually learning something”, apart from not learning proper grammar, I have learned a ton. I would like to again thank the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the Ian McPherson Memorial Aquatics Scholarship Fund, the Brooks and Kate Firestone Honorary Scholarship Fund, United Student Aid Funds, United Volunteer Services, the Santa Ynez Valley Bar Association, the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, the Solvang Rotary Foundation, the University of California Santa Barbara Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund, and everyone else whose generous support allowed me to learn so much. I am very grateful.

• English 122NW – Narratives of War with Rita Raley
• History 105 – The Atomic Age
• Psych 1
• Soc 152A
• English 133SO – Southern Literature with Candace Waid
• Classics 40 with Erickson
• Geol 20 with Kellogg
• Econ 191N – Negotiation
• ESS 2 – Substance Abuse
• FR 160x – Negative Thinking
• History 102MD – Investigation and the American Presidency
• History 175B – American Cultural History with Jacobson
• RG ST 113 – Religion and Film
• RG ST 12 – Approaches to Death
• English 104B – Brit Lit 1900-present with Professor Duffy
• Anth 5 – Intro to Physical Anthropology with Professor Gaulin
• Art History 101 A B or C with Dr. Catie Mihalopoulos
• Linguistics 30 – History of English
• ES 1 – Introduction to Environmental Studies with Freudenberg
• Women’s Studies 181 – Feminist Theories
• FLMST 192B – Contemporary Film Theory
• FLMST 150PG – Pornography
• Political Science 188 or 189 with Nick Dungey
• Solo Author Seminar in CCS with Robyn Bell
• Corpus Linguistics with Stefan Gries
• Math 221A – Intro to topology

Because of this list, I enrolled in English 122NW and it was one of my favorite classes. Rita Raley is an amazing professor. I also took two classes with Professor Duffy, and they were great. I think that who your professor is really can be everything. I once had to retake a class (in philosophy) and my experience was completely different from taking it the first time to the second. The first time: could not understand anything being discussed, lulled to sleep by the voice of the lecturer, and could not see any direction or purpose to the class. The second time: much better explanations given, enthusiasm and excitement from the professor, and a clear direction and format. The material and readings were actually probably the same. But the classes were like Night and Day.

Classes I recommend:

• Anthro 106A – From Ape to Cyborg: New Debates on Human Nature with Weinberger-Thomas
• English – Irish Literature with Enda Duffy
• POL S 165 – Criminal Justice

American author Washington Irving once wrote “Christmas! ‘Tis the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial fire of charity in the heart.” With that in mind, I decided to do a little kindling myself. My friend Carlyle and I made a trip to Camino Real, where we picked up our supplies. We returned to campus and began putting up some decorations.

Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself. — Francis C. Farley

This rang true as we covered my dormroom door in wrapping paper. Once the door was covered in wrapping paper, we added a two foot-wide red bow. For the door’s final touch we attached a card to it that reads “Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah! To: Everyone. From: Liam & Sean and Carlyle too!“. Our massive door-present was complete. Now Sean and I get to open a present multiple times a day.

After completing the door modification, Car and I decided to move down to the lounge. Earlier, when we were at Home Depot, I bought a tree and upon return, hid it in my room. We planned out what we would decorate it with and then got to work. I carried the tree out of my room and down the stairwell, leaving a telling trail of needles all over the floor. Car brought the Christmas lights and the heavy-duty tree stand and we got to work setting the tree up.

In the traditional spirit of secret santas, we had intended to be secretive about the decorations. As it turned out though, some people were still up and were eager to help (which was actually really needed). Santosh Santatosh helped with standing the tree up and ensuring its stability. Maura spotted our operation and started taking photos (some of which you see here). I had a bunch of colorful blank CDs which we fashioned as ornaments. Ian and I shared the honors of placing the Christmas Sponge on top of the tree (hey, we couldn’t find anything that looked like a star). Everyone began creating paper snowflake type things. Eva and Carlyle consistently created paper art while I started stringing Christmas lights up on the loft and hanging from the main lamp. I wrapped some things up in wrapping paper and placed them under the tree. Eventually, the lounge was decorated nicely and we said our goodnights and headed off to sleep. Back upstairs, we redirected the trail of needles to lead to Ian and Justin’s room which we hoped would throw anyone off the trail (just in case). Then we went to sleep knowing that our efforts had been worthwhile.

Updated on Thursday…
Well, the tree (and the door) have both been well received. The kindling of Christmas spirit has spread like wildfire. On Wednesday evening, the house met in the lounge for a holiday party with food, drinks, and good company. We sang Christmas carols and had a merry time. Today I am glad that my finals are over and that I’m free to go home but at the same time I know I’m going to miss this hall. What a great group of kids!

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” -Bill Vaughan

Ok, uh… oh yes. One minor note here… Andy’s birthday party’s been moved to today.

I know I shouldn’t have been surprised since it was in the syllabus but still, when I heard about it on Monday I wasn’t expecting it. Luckily, it ended up not being too hard. In fact, I feel I did fine on it. The professor, Dr. Kollmeyer, is leaving tomorrow on a plane to Scotland where he has accepted a job at the University of Aberdeen. The class was really cool and he will be missed.