Potentially Officially Affliliated; also, beer

As we know already, I have a tendency to relish connectivity. There's nothing better than a little web of seemingly random interconnected meaning.

Today, during my planning period/lunch break, I was browsing the interweb as one is wont to do. I remembered that I meant, last night, to look in the phone book to see if I could find some martial arts for myself. Yes, I'll only be living here a few more months, but hey, I could be back later.

Here is why: I was recently accepted by the KU Classics MA program, stipend and all (but I've always known that humanities grad students don't pay for school but are paid to be graduate teaching assistants.. I can see no other way a poor humanities major should survive unless independently wealthy). I submitted an application in a sort of just-in-case fashion, hope still being high for the JET experience. In the process of writing my cover letter, I realized that I really could gather quite a bit of enthusiasm for the program. From the ground up, Lawrence is a grea town-- this is a pretty big deal when choosing a place to spend several years, because even if your program rocks, if there is nothing for you outside of it, you'll be in a less than ideal situation. Also, the department has been nothing but great to me since the day I first wandered serendipitously into their halls posing as a prospective graduate student.

Actually, I would not have been there, but my roommate wanted to go check out the East Asian Studies department; I rode along (well, I had nothing better to do that day.. this was back in the late summer/early fall, when we didn't have friends yet). Classics was in the same building. I couldn't think of a good way to say "I'm a classics-hanger-on and would like to skulk around this department, offering tutoring and snagging friends," so I said I was "interested in the grad program." The Department Chair was busy, but she graciously suggested I come to the gathering/party the following day where I could meet and speak with grad students and more faculty.

This gathering also happened to be at the home of a name familiar to me through a professor at Vandy. This whole thing is rife with random connectivity.

I went to the party, and the Graduate Director, Professor Corbeill, told me all about the program. It seemed quite meritous, even if I were only posing as a prospective. Professor Corbeill later gave my name to a certain high school Latin teacher who was about to go on paternity leave.. without this, I would not be where I am, at this moment, sitting. This gathering was also where I met Erin, a first year grad student, and my Lawrence best.

So I filled out that application, warmly confident that it was a great program, and I am a great candidate for it. As time has passed, I've gone to a lecture or two, and hung around the department office a bit more. I even went to an afternoon translation session and made a good showing by sight-reading some Livy. In due time, I think I impressed Dr. Corbeill with my hanger-on ways, and I'm sure my shiny little transcripts didn't hurt either.

So anyway, I was looking for karate, right? And I decided to go to lawrence.com, because that's potentially a place to find all things Lawrencian. And there on the front page was this article! I beamed with pride. I know Heath from restaurant times at Zig's.. I used to be food expediter, and Heath was hands-down my favorite cook. His genuine good attitude was, especially some days, an absolute Godsend. He would laugh where others would get testy or blame me for things, and he was always upbeat and encouraging.

There in that barnyard is where I was when Professor Corbeill called me to invite me aboard the good ship KU. I had just toured the tiny facilities in my slacks and low heels on a chilly grey afternoon and was sampling a bit of the red brew courtesy of Heath when my phone rang to an unfamiliar number.

So, I might be back after all. I am not yet sure; I like the town, I like the department, and I like the connections I've made here. It's been fun being technically independent of the University, and would be cool to be in a program there. For now, we've still to wait and see what happens.