My room in NYC.

Gift for interfaith roundtable

Me, the Poet

So I stumbled across this poem that I wrote who knows how long ago. Let me know what you think. (I know it is weird that I am posting 2 days in a row.)

I was in a storm
strong enough to destroy
the greatest men...
It was about to take me.

It was not a storm
of water and wind,
but of purpose, friendship, and faith.

I was near to be ripped
from all anchors
when you appeared...
with a warm smile.

You started the great force
that brought me back
to faith, to hope, and to life.

Grad School Interviews = Self Esteem

Wow, I always wait a while between posts. I guess that's why I don't have a consistent following. Well, those of you who read can be satisfied, everyone else will miss out.

The last couple of weeks have been absolutely amazing (no, I am still single). I went to a thing called U/RTA. There are a few dozen grad schools that are members of this program. I got to go set up a portfolio and display in Chicago a couple of weekends ago. When I and the other nearly 60 candidates for lighting, costume, and set design were done we all had to leave and the grad school representatives had a few hours to look at all the displays and information we had each left on our tables and decide if they wanted an interview. Before this I really didn't know how I would compare to other undergrad students. Most of the candidates ended up with 6 to 12 call backs from schools. I had 21. Of those I was scheduled for 18 interviews. It was a crazy interview process, very similar to speed dating. We were given schedules at 3pm, then went back to our stations where the interviews began at 3:30. They were each 15 minutes long, one right after the other. It all blurred together, good thing I took a lot of notes. I had one long break near the end, but then at 9:15pm the last 2 of us that were interviewing left the room. It was amazing to have so many schools trying to talk up their programs. Most of the interview time was the school representative trying to convince me to go to their school. Every school gives a full tuition waiver and an assistantship stipend of between $5,000 and $17,000 a year. Schools can start making official offers to me on the 18th. Most of the schools only accept one or two new students a year. It is very competitive. One of the most amazing things was when I realized during the interviews that some of the reps knew they weren't going to get me and they were just giving their speech in a vain hope that they could get me. I was probably in the top 4 lighting designers at the conference. I owe Aimee big time for all the help putting my portfolio together.

Today I met with the Lighting Designer from Tennessee. He is currently designing A Mid Summer Night's Dream at Pioneer Theatre. I talked with him over lunch today and am really interested in his program. He only accepts two students every other year, but often takes his students to jobs oversees. I imagine that would be an incredible opportunity. I am meeting with him tomorrow to show my portfolio. He is very selective, but a great guy.

I talked with Peter tonight, as my lighting design professor he is one of my references for grad school. One of the schools I interviewed with was Southern Methodist University. They only accept one student a year and are one of the most prestigious theatre schools in the nation. He called Peter to ask about me. He said that they had narrowed it down to two candidates and I am one of them. That really improves my self image and hope of a future.

I leave next Wednesday for my first ever visit to NYC. I will interview with NYU, Yale, and the University of Connecticut while I am there. I will probably get to see Rent, as one of my friends is the house electrician at the theatre where it is playing.

I may be going to Connecticut for an interview with CCM. We will see.

Other than that stuff I have a blind date coming up this weekend due to a very diligent friend that thinks I am too good to be single. I am going to give it my all, even though I am really bad at dates. We are hoping there is enough snow so we can make a big snowman. I have another date on the 8th due to a diligent cousin's wife.

I am in Queen Creek, AZ

So I am in a little place called Queen Creek, Arizona, a little south and east of Mesa. I am hanging with my good friends Alan and Tiffany Haynie. They are having a baby in 2 days and they are so excited and crazy that I don't think they know what to do. It is really fun to be involved in all of this. They are treating me like family. They are in a new home and trying to get it ready. We have hung ceiling fans, pictures, wired the surround sound (most important in my book), painting has been done, and just tried to have a good time. It is crazy how warm it is here. I spent all day yesterday in shorts. It is so nice (sorry Aimee, I am sure that gives you some longing).

 
One of the first days we went shooting. In this picture you see, from left to right, me, Alan Haynie, Scott, Ryan Haynie, and Tiffany Haynie (and in her belly McKenna Haynie). We had a lot of guns. My Springfield XD .40 pistol and Mossberg .22 rifle, Alan's Sig 226 pistol, Sig p229 pistol, Sig p239 pistol, Sig 232 pistol, Sig Mosquito .22 Pistol, JC Higgins 12 gauge 22 inch shotgun, and 9mm High Point Carbine Assault Rifle, Scott's Sig p229r dak pistol, and Mike's High Standard Sportking 22 long rifle competition pistol. We had a great time. We took all kinds of targets. One of the favorites was a couple bags of grapefruits that we pulled off of some trees in Gilbert. But the most amazing was some old textbooks I brought down just for this purpose. I figured it would be rewarding to expend some school stress through shooting books, but I had no idea how rewarding it would be. After putting a few dozen rounds through a couple of the books we threw one of them in the air and I nailed it with a shotgun. It turned into the most amazing display of confetti I had ever seen. The pieces hung in the air forever. We missed taking a picture of that one, but I have a picture of the next attempt, not as good though.

 
Alan is a Deputy Sheriff with Maricopa County. He let me try on his uniform, body armor and all. Don't you think it looks good on me. If the whole lighting design thing doesn't work out at least I know how I look in police garb. I even got to wear his utility belt with tazer, pepper spray, gun, extra clips, baton, handcuffs, flashlight, and the key to the traffic lights. Aren't I sexy.