College is…the conflict of reality. Think, study, write, exams, papers, lectures, stress, listen, speak, scream, challenge, subjectivity, health conscious, body image, attraction, frustration, balance, laugh, cry, happy, sad, mad, something like a reflection, all of you.
Thank you to my family for reading my column no matter how much you couldn’t stand it. Mom. Michael. Dad. Ian. Annie. Erin. Stephanie. Mike. Brandon. Patti. Maria. Jerry. Benjamin.
So many professors and lecturers try to provoke thoughts. Here are the ones who succeeded admirably in no particular order. Dr. Arthur Fried. Dr. Metasebia Woldemariam. Dr. Paul Rogalus. Joe Monninger. Dr. Mary-Lou Hinman. Dr. Warren Mason Jr. Dr. Barbara Blaha. Dr. Bonnie Epstein. Dr. David Haight. Dr. Nancy Strapko. Dr. Kate Donahue. Dr. Disbrow. Dr. Donald Wharton. Susan Keefe.
To my college friends who have left a memory in my mind in some way shape or form. Robin Matarazzo. Lee Peterson. Heather Gaeddart. Stephanie Castano. Melissa Merrill. Nicole Angers. Sarah Berry. Katie Brown. Katy Arnold. Ally Bregy. Betsey Godwin. John Banach. Sean McGee. Erich Pobatschnig. Joe Widman. Dickie Doremus. Geron Hoy. Chris Martin. Dustin Siegel. Russell Robinson. Lauren Boghos. Adam Judkins. Cat Waltzer. Kelly Grant. Paris Landry. (If I missed anybody, kick my ass later.)
The Clock staff members I’ve worked with over the years. Jameson Case. Theo Menard. Brooke Holland. Sue MacGeorge. Justin Preftakes. Ryan Rush. Rob Masse. DJ McLaughlin. Heather Schulze. Patrick McGowan. Seth Perdue. Andy Mannone. Liz Modesitt. Al Rozzi. Manda Henson. Couter.
My film cast and crew whom I absolutely adore. Otto Kinzel IV. Steve Lee. Danielle Marcum. Alayna Bell. Clark Soulia. Tim Warren. Crystal J. Mackey. Whitney Smith. Mike Longo. Cliff Pearson.
All the many great people I’ve met along the way of this college journey. Dougie Fresh. Robbie Balls. Meg. Josh and Sheridan. Emilia and Nana. Ben Aufill. Michael Gremo. Adam Kurowski. Joe Amara. Rick Alpers. Dave Conti. Phil Anderson. Monika O’Clair. Craig Bibeau. Stacey Haight. Jamie Cadorette. Chris Dayhoof. Bill Rostrin. Leanne Scire. Kelly Fagan. Dana DiMarco. Tim Fife. Erin Mack. John Gilmen. Lauren Kolodziejczak. Josh Kozack. Russ Massahos. Melissa Fralick. Dan Preston. Matt Hobert. Sara Stillson. Teri Johnson. Joann Guilmett. Jodi Gagne. All my Tenney Mountain Dance Academy students and their parents.
So many places and people to discover in such little time. Creator of the Reborn Film Segment. Director of Those Crazy Ogelmyers. All the TMDA performances I directed and choreographed. Contemporary Dance Ensemble. Clock writer. Spring Break. Spring Fling. The Cookie. Jiggers. Bierhaus. Livermore. Rattlesnake. Welch and Dickie. The ER. Interviewed Jim Breuer. Interviewed Colin Quinn. Online interview with David Spade. Interviewed Rahzel. Ani DiFranco road trips, lesbian posing at a Tori Amos concert, Cat Stevens pranks (only five other women know what that means!)
So many words, so many rhymes, so I’ll sum it all up one more time. I’m a freshman rebel. I’m a sophomore devil. I’m a junior freak. I’m a senior geek.Hugs, drugs, wink, drink, dance, trance, smoke, choke, daze, haze, leave, heave. One night-stand, isn’t life grand? Threesome proposition, life juxtaposition. Starry nights, drunken fights, blue skies, black eyes. Risk taker, love maker, road trips, kiss lips. Let go tears, face your fears. Dot on my forehead, waking up with bed head, caught in a jinx, am I a sphinx?Mind flash. Body crash. Conflict collision. Remarkable vision.Benjamin’s four leaf clovers, Goddess send Bethany on over. Remain incognito, like a mosquito, intrinsic reaction, to life abstraction. Dan Singer’s parallelity. Like Rheanna’s serendipity. Off to descend, Thursday kicks the weekend. Friday, Saturday party late, Sunday lusts recuperate. If you’re obscure, how are you sure? What is real? What’s the deal? Meaningful memories are few, so time for something new.
-Bethany W. Gates