DeMizio's Journal

Congrats to the Masque Class of '04

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Aren't they cute? A fun evening was had by all, including some of the funniest and dirtiest moments that I can remember ever seeing (at inductions, or otherwise.) Congrats to all. Aside from a few small issues, the night was highly successful.

Last night was the "Real World" event also. RSA brought 2 former cast members to campus to talk about their experiences. I only went because I was working the lighting (Yes, I am a whore...) By 7:00, when I got there (event at 8pm) the entire lobby was full of people. The theater was pretty packed by the end...

It was one of the "Best and Worst" moments of La Salle that I've seen. Best: It was a well run event. From RSA's point of view, it was a great opportunity to do something different that the campus hasn't seen much before. It also appealed to groups on campus who otherwise aren't reached by RSA. In short - it was a non-typical La Salle event, which was awesome. The worst parts of the evening concerned our audience, who for the most part, showed up drunk and disorderly, only coming to shout the name of their group or promote their party or whatever. Both of the cast members are to be applauded somewhat for trying to keep the event on some kind of track. But the audience was determined to run it off that track...

RSA should be applauded for the event - for bringing something new to campus, and for handling it as well as they could. As much as I make fun of RSA, this was a wonderful event, and they don't deserve to be crucified all over campus for the actions of the individual audience members.

(At some prodding from friends, II also wound up getting a photo with Cameran, one of the current cast members...the image is posted here...)

Personally, things are going better. We are getting a fifth roommate, which is tough at this point in the game, but we're trying. My level of stress are dropping significantly this weekend - some of that due to the roommate issue getting finalized, some of it due to the good weather, some of it due to just having the week over.

The first "meeting/in-service" was held today for next year's Community Development staff. It felt strange and gratifying not having to attend. It's the first in-service that I've missed in three years... another chapter closes...a new chapter opens.

Random lyrics of the moment, in lieu of a representative quote:
Van Diemen's Land, U2
Hold me now, oh hold me now
'til this hour has gone around
And I'm gone on the rising tide
For to face Van Diemen's land

Hold me now, oh hold me now
'til this hour has gone around
And I'm gone on the rising tide
For to face Van Diemen's land

I dunno...reading too much into them as I always seem to do, but it's an interesting song anyhow.

Off to do some reading and have a fun-filled Saturday evening.

Torn...

This week has been probably the most trying week of my college career for many reasons. I'm very stressed, and feeling underappreciated. And the worst part that a lot of it, from my point of view, is coming from La Salle as an institution.

So, if you've talked to me this week and I seem disjointed or out of it, I apoligize. I'm sorting through a lot of stuff now, and it's not working out the way that I hoped.

The worst part that a lot of it seems petty and unimportant...sigh.

Right now I just really want to get to May 9th, get my diploma, and head out of here...this is a different school, I feel, from what I came into, and it's changed for the worse. Don't get me wrong - I've had a hell of an education and have met some really really incredible people (students and faculty) but right now is about the right time to be getting out of here.

Sigh...this makes things seem a lot worse than they are. I'm stressed, but am coping. I kinda just need a warm weekend right now.

Ow.

Nothing of import from today other than the fact that rehearsal went really well, until Louis choreographed our jumping off of the stage into the house.

It went well the first couple of times, however, on like the last time we did it for the night (being the uncoordinated person that I am) I landed badly on my right leg. Now it hurts...

And of course, the question was posed afterwards, "Well, if Louis had told you to jump off of a bridge, would you?"

Ow...

It's not swollen and I can walk...it's like an ankle sprain, only farther up in the calf muscle.

I'll be fine.

Fell in love with a place

I fell in love with a place yesterday, as much and as hard as I think I've ever fallen for any place, anywhere. My hope is that the other party keeps exceeding my expectations.

I went to visit Villanova yesterday with my father. (Yes, I applied to a place without having ever seen it. I did the same with La Salle - sent in the application, check, and everything on the basis of what I had heard about the program and school. It worked for La Salle. My fingers continue to be crossed.) What I saw, I liked. It feels like a college campus: a pretty big one, actually, a step above La Salle, in size. We walked around for a while, and I kind of liked the general feeling there. I saw a little of the theater, walked though Vasey Hall, where the theatre department is located, and again liked what I saw in both places. I also found the building where the interview is...an incredibly impressive building actually.

It at least felt like a good fit, atmosphere wise. Not the same exact feeling as when I got to La Salle. More optimism on my part I think - I was in one of those moods where my eyes wouldn't focus on anything in particular, so my head kept bobbing around, looking at everything and everyone there

I'm optimistic. My father is optimistic. My entire family seems optimistic. I remain optimistic for assistantships, as they would help immensly. I'm optimistic, though, in general, because I know I could make this work, and it seems to be what I want to do.

My only negative thoughts come from the reputation that I seem to percieve that the school has - the "Vanillanova" image, and the snob image. A friend pointed out tonight that the simplest solution is not to let the images corrupt me. So what. I am who I am, and I'm stronger than what these stupid stereotypes seem to say. The people I know who have gone through the school for theater are the exact opposite of the stereotypes as well.

Rehearsal went very well today. I was grateful because we did more vocal stuff, working through "We Beseech Thee" and a few other songs rather than choreographing something. My legs were still sore from walking around town yesterday, and from the BBall marathon Friday (Yeah, Collegian!) I'm finally starting to remember some of the harmonies in these songs rather than just the melodies. A minor, but necessary accomplishment. I no longer feel like I'm messing up everyone elses' melodies now: I've realized that we're all singing exactly the right notes to screw everyone else up.

I spent the evening cleaning up a bit. Our kitchen and living room are disgusting, surpassing even the levels from earlier this year. The problem is that I know most of the mess isn't mine. I cleaned it up once this year already, and it was pristine for a few weeks, but I kind of am refusing to touch stuff now before someone else does. The problem is we're getting ants in the kitchen (like a lot of other people) and the roommates don't really care. My roommates rock, but just this once...grr.

The week is looking up...bring on the 60 degree days.

EDIT - 12:12AM 3/22/04 -
I meant to end this with a quote I just found, that made me think. It was on the back of the shirt our director, Louis, was wearing today...
"You will make all kinds of mistakes; but as long as you
are generous and true and also fierce you cannot hurt
the world or even seriously distress her.
She was meant to be wooed and won by youth."
-- Sir Winston Churchill

Kind of made me think back to the whole "2 months left, say what you mean, be who you are, follow your bliss" ideal.

That is all.

I'm probably the only one saying this, but...

...I'm hoping the snow holds off tonight. *

It was 60 degrees outside a few days ago (Sunday?) It's mid-March and snow storms should be over by now. I just really, really don't get it. I'm the kind of person that, once nice weather has hit, needs the nice weather to continue. Especially this time, at a point when I didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather when it was here.

Today was the annual La Salle Charter Dinner, a culinary feast given in honor of La Salle's birthday. I believe the school is 141 this year, if the ice sculpture behind Bro. Mike was correct. The dinner is the best free food the university prepares, the likes of which go unknown for another year until the next Charter Dinner. Sentimentally, the event has always been nice because it's a crowded and well-attended event, and I feel this incredible sense of community and family when we're all crammed into the Ballroom devouring pasta and turkey sandwiches. It's really something to have a President who's willing to dip strawberries in chocolatea and a department chair (my department chair) talking to students carving turkey for sandwiches. I dunno; it's really just reassuring to me about the choice I made 4 years ago to come here.

I wasn't called tonight, so I spent the evening playing through a bunch of my old CD's. I was looking at a copy of U2's "Rattle and Hum" in a friend's room tonight, and that's what got me started. I played through most of my old U2 - "Joshua Tree," "Pop," and "All That You Can't Leave Behind." That led into my R.E.M. CD's - "Reckoning," and "Automatic for the People." It was a really mellow evening - just kind of lying down, thinking about everything that's happened in the last two weeks. There's no special meaning to the CD choices other than I hadn't heard them in a long time. All of them had migrated out of the "frequently used" CD binder into the "permanant storage" binder.

To close, as has been my tradition of ending with somewhat meaningful quotes:
"As if you could kill time without injuring eternity."
-- Henry David Thoreau

* - (Having said all of this, of course, means that the snow will come and it it'll come hard. Forget 5 inches, or 8 inches; the headlines will read "Philadelphia Buried Under Foot of Snow")

A.G. (After Graduation)

The big news of the last few days has been that I made it into the Graduate Theatre program at Villanova. This is my first choice for paths to take after graduation - the other options being trying for an RD-ship somewhere, going into the La Sallian volunteers, and trying to break into teaching.

...this doesn't mean that the other three options won't happen. At this point, I have no clue how to pay for graduate school. I'm hoping for an assistantship (interviews are in a few weeks) or scholarship or something...some miracle. Whatever though; if it's where I was meant to be, then there will be some way for it to work out.

Godspell continues to go well. The hardest parts for me have been learning to sing to the harmony, and learning the choreography. I have a hard enough time with singing the melody sometimes while not tripping over my feet...

I'm having the time of my life though, I think. The cast is great; we're kind of bonding with each other before, during and after rehearsal. The music is still pretty good, not having reached "annoying" proportions yet, which I'm sure it will with time.

This week has really been a good one. I didn't fail the film history exam that I thought I did, instead getting a 93 on it. I'm gonna try and see "Eternal Sunshine" this weekend, which is a film I've been looking forward to seeing since I first saw the trailers for it.

I guess that's about all for now. I'll end with another random quote from Yeats:

"I have believed the best of every man. And find that to
believe is enough to make a bad man show him at his best,
or even a good man swings his lantern higher."
--William Butler Yeats

7:30AM

It's 7:30AM, and I'm still stuck on Irish time, so I'm very much awake. The jet lag has redefined my schedule: I've been a morning person, waking up at like 8am this past week, and crashing each night at like 10 or 12 midnight. It's working pretty well - I'm getting a lot of stuff done in the mornings, but it just feels weird to be back on the schedule I kept in high school.

Ireland was magnificient. I don't know what words can adequately describe the scenery and the events we witnessed. Sligo was beautiful and reminded me of how much I loved W.B. Yeats back in high school. Galway was fun - the pubs there were really nice. The city was larger, but still retained some sort of a small-town charm. Dublin was interesting for a while - some cool shops, and some really beautiful greens and museums, but it felt like it was too large of a city. There were other cities that I don't recall the names of right now...the most awe-inspiring sight I encountered was the Long Room at the Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin. Just the sheer number of books was daunting, and the incredible space that they're housed in done in the dark wood. The picture doesn't do it justice.

There's this amazing laid-backness that permeates the entire country which was really refreshing to experience. A good time was had by all. It's a country that I want to visit again...and possibly live in. (eh, a guy can dream, right?)

I'm in a state of shock right now, because by some miracle, I was cast in "Godspell." I'm nervous as all hell right now - both having to LEARN LINES for the first time EVER and also having to JUGGLE this rehearsal schedule in addition to being a CA. I think I can manage it. I have a meeting with my supervisor to discuss it all today and just make sure that he's cool with it all... I'm excited. I'm ecstatic...I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Godspell is one of the most fun shows I've ever heard, and it's such a great opportunity just to do.

I feel like someone will pinch me and wake me from this incredible dream...but I'm riding it out to the end.

I close with a poem from Yeats:

A Drinking Song
WINE comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That’s all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.