A mix that can burn a hole in anyone...

I recently saw the film, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and was blown away by the magic of an epic night and how the crafting of a soundtrack was tied to that epic night. I started this blog, Life is a Mixed Tape, because I want to tell stories through existing music. It's such a beautiful art form that comes alive in our daily lives. We may not always realize what significance certain songs play in both these this epic and passive moments of our lives. In this film, Nick had the art of the mixed tape down right. 

I don't think I have ever been able to relate to a character as much as I have Nick (perhaps Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything would be a close second). It's all about the antihero in these films who is always asking himself, "will I ever get the girl" (please listen to Dashboard Confessional's, This Ruined Puzzle). Nick like many of these antiheroes is a little emotional, wears his heart of his sleeve, is not always comfortable or confident in his decisions, and often finds himself in the "boy who blocked his own shot" mindset (I'm referring to the Brand New song from their album Deja Entendu). 

I almost always, wear my heart on my sleeve, and I think that more so than most people, I dive into a deep introspective state. That being said, I have a soundtrack for almost everything. Call it emo but I think it's kinda freakin' adorable. Yeah, I said it, ADORABLE. I think I'm going to write a book on this topic at some point in the near future so I will end the entry here and leave you with a few songs to start crafting your infinite playlist for life.

For the introspective and almost-hopeful romantic:

"Soundtrack for Our Movie" by Mae

"The Mixed Tape" by Jack's Mannequin 

"Mixtapes and Memories" by The Lyndsay Diaries

"Movie Script Ending" by Death Cab for Cutie

"You and Me" by Her Space Holiday

"Ships" by Umbrellas

"You Have My Attention" by Copeland

"Konstantine" by Something Corporate

"Boys and Girls" by Ingrid Michaelson

"Trollywood" by Eisley

"Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky

For the Portlander:

"Everyone Knows Everyone" by The Helio Sequence

"Sing Again" by Chris Walla

"Angeles" by Elliott Smith

"Portland is Leaving" by Rocky Votolato

"Oregon Girl" by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin 

For the Emo:

Available upon request.

FIN

The Doctorate Program

Hey everyone! I am now strongly considering applying for a Ph.D or Ed.D in Higher Ed/Student Affairs. It's been on my mind for sometime and I thought that by writing it down for you all to see that I would scare myself out of it or use this as an excuse to keep me accountable. I've just been wondering if I have put enough experience under my belt so that I would be well qualified and would be able to contribute and bring my A game to a cohort. Just so you and I know, this is at least two to three years out. I just need to think about it as it is something that it could advance my career in the direction that I want to head. I've put in my time at Pepperdine, California Lutheran, and there is so much I have yet to accomplish at Reed. 

Is a one year assistantship at Pepperdine, along with three years of academic advising/assistant directorship, lumped in with what I will do here in Residence Life enough? Can I survive the politics, while remaining ethical and honorable? Can I combine the olde theories, with my own research to hold up the institution of higher education and at the same time student autonomy?

I am going to attend a session at ACPA which I hope answers the many questions that I have.

There is much to come. I have that gut feeling that all of this is the beginning of something remarkable. I will have tons to blog about when I get back from ACPA!

Cheer up, Emo Kid!: Or how I learned to despise these workshop titles.

There are many things that higher education professionals do that piss me off. The first thing that comes to mind is that many professionals often try too hard to connect with students by using references to pop culture. These higher education professionals, are my people, BUT they need to know when the line has been crossed. I am looking forward to visiting the District at the end of this month when I attend the national ACPA conference. I love to plan ahead when it comes to scheduling the workshops that I will attend. This is what irked me yesterday as I was planning my workshop schedule for ACPA:

Cheer-Up, Emo Kid! Working with the New, Emotional Student

Monday, March 30, 2009 
5:45 PM - 6:45 PM
Gaylord National, National Harbor 14

What’s up with the tight black jeans, dyed black hair, and black eyeliner? What’s with these bands with names like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy being so popular? Have you noticed a growing population of emotional or “emo” students on your campus? Join our roundtable discussion where we will explore the historical significance of this pop-culture phenomenon and discuss best practices available for understanding our students and how we can positively impact their college experience.

I know what you must be thinking, "Oh know they didn't!". Those were my thoughts exactly! How dare they refer to the bands My Chemical Romance and FALL OUT BOY as emo!!! The coordinating presenter is a Res Life person from Coker College in South Carolina and his co-presenter is a person from Arkansas. There presenters have shamed the genre of emo by associating it with a faux-goth-rock band and the biggest tool-bags that ever picked up a musical instrument. Bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Mineral, Texas is the Reason, The Promise Ring and even the brotastic, Dashboard Confessional must be like, wtf?

Another thing that I am quite bothered by is the reference to tight jeans and this new trend in "emotional" students. Through my ethnographic research from my freshmen year in collge until now, I have always noticed emotional students. I have had emotional roommates. I was even referred to as "emo" by my peers when I was the first in my undergraduate experience to wear a wrist band for non-recreational purposes. Why is this a roundtable discussion at a national conference?

I am quite bothered when professionals in my field try too hard to relate to students. Granted, these presenters are from the South and are probably frightened of these little scene kids that are appearing on their college campuses. Their hearts would stop if they ever decided to visit my campus, as they would be overwhelmed with tight jeans, the color black, and a very unconventional student body who opposes the "mainstream". Hell, these presenters may see Portland as a utopia for all things they consider "emo".

I will take this fight to DC where "emo" was born out of the hardcore scene in the mid-1980s. I will be at this roundtable discussion to defend these "emo" students, my music, my profession and to provide a little Left Coast insight to this discussion.

To be continued...