Fresh Start

So here are the stats: I have approximately 1.5 years left of course work and then one year of the "Big D." That is, if everything goes accordingly. This past week kicked off the second half of my coursework. I'm taking yet another stats class which seems okay so far. Well, despite the fact that the class starts at 8:00 in the morning and it is in a small dark cozy room. Seriously, this room is designed to screen films, not for following stats lectures. My theory class is so much better than my class last semester (so far.) The textbook is useful, the professor seems fair, the material, accessible. Amazing what even the slightest inkling of competence does for the downtrodden. Of course, this class is in the same classroom as T and T( of last semester's infamy). I firmly believe humans are creatures of habit, but NO ONE chose to sit in the same seat as we sat last semester. Everyone is looking for a fresh start.

Irony.

The places I love the most are the places that make me feel that I am surprisingly not in Iowa. These are also the places I will miss the most if I leave Iowa.

This American Gothic Life

Iowa’s winters are perennially dreary. Like dirty soapy water it floods the sky and coats the ground with snow, which with the dim winter light is really just another shade of gray. It takes effort for one not to become a ghost and fade into the drab winter. I peer out my window and see that it is snowing as I write this. Well, that and someone wearing shorts. I’ll admit, once the temp got above 25 degrees it felt balmy and I thought about doing the same myself.

Yesterday I took a road trip I had been looking forward to. Shy of an hour and a half south of here is Eldon, Iowa. The town has several fixer-uppers are on the market if you are looking for a good deal. Eldon isn't much. It is the type of place you don't mind leaving some tax dollars behind. That is, if you can find a merchant open or a store that isn't abandoned. The funeral home appears to be the business anchor of main street. So why Eldon? A glorious piece of Americana, that is why. Grant Wood's American Gothic house is located just on the outskirts of town. You don't need a map, if you find the town, I'm sure you will find signs to direct you to the landmark.

I learned Wood choose that house because of the opulent sized window. Which is ironic, because for most of us, it seems to be such a modest home. The models used were his sister and his dentist.

You can tell that this is the pride of Eldon, and rightfully so. Just two years ago, they build a visitors center and the volunteer we met spoke optimistically about a prospective bike trail would link the bike loving town of Iowa City and Eldon. If you like, you can borrow costumes complete with pitchforks. You can almost imagine the local church ladies' axillary sewing the dresses that hung in the staging area. Since most pictures are only taken from the waist up, the overalls are absent from the waist down. They become more bib-like and really don't go 'overall.'

Not far from Eldon is Fairfield, Iowa. A small town that is actually well known in the Maharishi community. Fairfield is home to the Maharishi University of Management which is "not a conventional university." The downtown area is a bit surreal. The town square has vintage Christmas decorations (and the token menorah.) The streets are lined with more chiropractors than bones in your spine and a disproportionate number of Indian restaurants for a quintessential Midwest town.

Upon stepping into Revelations, a wonderful bookshop, coffee shop and vegetarian cafe (of course) I felt that I was transported to a place far far from Iowa. I commented that everyone looked different than in Iowa City. People looked organically vegetarian fed as opposed to the prized "corn fed" diet in the rest of the state. If I didn't know better, I'd think that Revelations was a portal to Boulder.

Of course when you spend time in grocery stores for the fun of it and you see a local market called "Every Body's" and you naturally have to check it out. The produce were all organic. Conventional was not an option and I don't recall seeing any meat products. It seemed as if a gallons of their business came from purified water sales.

Sadly, I had to leave Fairfield, but am pretty sure I wouldn't mind going back to visit again. It is an intriguing place and a pleasant surprise, here, in my homestate.

for hire

Grad students are always on the quest for "learning experiences" and an extra buck or two. So, when four of us were given a consulting opportunity for an education researcher on the other side of the globe, we all jumped at the opportunity. The researcher was in need of 'testicians,' not that such a title necessarily exists, but we gladly assumed the role and playfully referred to ourselves as 'testicians.' Together, the four of us completed the project and collaborated amazingly well. In the last few weeks, my respect for all my colleagues has deepened. I've grown to respect their professionalism, integrity, curiosity, patience, humor, competence, humility and support of each other.

Tomorrow we will finish this job and a bit of sorrow punctuates the end of this project for me. I realized how much I enjoy working with assessments, I loved the consulting aspect of this job, the analysis and critical thinking involved. If students have to take one less ridiculous test or answer one less ineffective item, if a measurement instrument can be made more clear, concise, valid, then that is a success in my opinion.

Being our first consulting job we totally lowballed our fees. We certainly aren't business people--yet. But half jokingly and half not we all mentioned our interest in starting a consulting business or collaborating on future consulting jobs. I'm not sure if other jobs will come our way, but if you know someone who needs testicians for hire, I know an excellent team.

poker face

This was an actual conversation in the office today.

[mumble mumble] ...GRE scores

(Somehow I knew this was personal, not an academic conversation)

person 1: yeah, my quantitative scores got me into this program

person 2: me too, my verbal scores were horrible

person 3: [from across the office] What were your GRE scores?

Seriously, was that just ask?! Surly, they are not going to answer.

person 1: 720

person 3: yeah, I scored in the 700s

person 2: 710

Seriously, they answered. I remained silent.

person 1: my verbal scores were like 400

[They all confirm the perceived inadequacy of their verbal scores]

person 3: that is why the program didn't look at me strangely when I came here with such low verbal scores, everyone else is in the same situation

person 2: well, everyone but Karoline probably

Was that meant as an insult?

[ I poked my head around the corner]

person 2: I have a feeling you did really well in verbal and that with your high score in quantitative, you probably scored really well.

[I smiled and nodded wondering if I should show my cards...No, no need to flash them my hand I thought]

me: oh you know... got lost in a smile

Edgy

The town seems on edge right now. There is no collective remedy for cabin fever. I myself bought a used pair of xc skies to inspire me to get out. The first time I got out, I got blisters. Grrr. Everyone seems to be getting on my nerves. I'm tired of my neighbors. And everyone else seems downright grumpy. Often times justifiably so. A coworker's wallet was spirited away from her office. A friend of a friend had a shooting in his apartment building. A man shoveling the sidewalk on the way home slammed his shovel against the sidewalk as I passed. I thanked him for shoveling the sidewalks. I do this whenever I pass someone shoveling. I'm serious when I say it, I appreciate it when the sidewalks are shoveled. "Oh yeah, sure thing." He responded sarcastically. I like winter, but I am ready for some of the coldness to melt away.