homework? what's that?

I'm now counting down the days until I go home for Christmas. After not going home for Thanksgiving I. can't. wait. to. see. my. parents. and. cats!

Monday: I bought my bus ticket on my way to NSCAD--and asked a lot of questions. Once at school, however, I realized that because I don't have my school email password memorized and I didn't forward the email about the final project for Intro to my main email, I couldn't double-check the questions that I needed to answer in order to write the artist statement for the final project. I spent some time there, putzing around on a school computer, and then went home and wrote the statement.

Tuesday: Much of class was a working class. I'd planned to print my photos for Intro on Wednesday, but ended up printing them Tuesday afternoon, after giving them a once-over with Adrian. He also helped me edit my artist statement.

That evening SUNSCAD invited representatives from FUNSCAD (the faculty union, which is split into two units: unit 1, which represents the teachers, and unit 2, which represents the studio techs, librarians, etc.) to update the students about the union's collective bargaining situation. It was supposed to be a general assembly, but SUNSCAD then decided that it would just be a casual meeting. If (if) there is a strike, it looks like it'll happen some point in late-February, and the faculty and studio techs would strike at different times (if the techs are on strike, there'd still be classes). There were other things as well: other universities limit the percentage of part-time faculty to between ten and thirty per cent of the total faculty--NSCAD's percentage is much higher. Part-timers are only paid for the time that they teach--unlike full-time faculty, they're not paid for the time they spend doing other things related to the job of being a teacher. Part-timers don't develop courses. To quote SUNSCAD, full-timers are the ones who "hold the school together."

Wednesday: We started the final project (a large sketchbook).

I spent the afternoon tweaking my project for Beyond the Frame.

Thursday: This week's class was really short: just meet at the Academy Building, where we're going to have the final crit, critique a project (the classmate who did it is going to be out of here by the time we have the real final crit next week), and then go do whatever we wanted. For me that meant going back to the Granville Campus and printing a test strip for the final project for Beyond the Frame (I'd booked the printer a day or so in advance). It's a good thing I did the test because I found a small--but significant--issue, which I quickly solved.

I spent the evening in the printshop for the last time. And I finished the final project--which means that I'm (wait for it...) ahead, and officially have nothing to do for the final class. I'm sure I'll find something to do though--like decorate the cover of my final project.

Friday: Hello, super-busy-but-productive day. I had an interview that morning at the Visual Resources Collection, so I was out the door about an hour earlier than usual. I did the interview, and then ran around doing what felt like a gazillion little things for an hour-and-a-half: getting cash for the Big Print (i.e., the print for Beyond the Frame), chatting with one of my classmates, stashing my interview clothes in my locker (they're far from the least comfortable ever, but I'm always glad to get out of them and into something a bit softer and less stiff), getting lunch--and finally going to class.

We spent the entire class critiquing each others' final projects, which we did in three shifts, due to wall space. Mine went very well. After class we all went to the Split Crew Pub, which is in the same building as the Granville Campus, for beer.

When I got home, I checked my email: I didn't get the job.

Saturday: I spent much of the day not really doing anything except laundry and listening to the Met's first radio broadcast of the season (Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi). Hello again, Met Opera and Met Opera Orchestra--how I've missed you guys! I listened to the first few minutes via my pocket radio, before switching to MPBN on iTunes, and I noticed that the CBC Radio 2 frequency in Halifax (102.7 FM) is much clearer and less staticky than the frequency in F'ton and Saint John (101.5 FM). Hmm...

Sunday: I printed my final project for Beyond the Frame, and as of this afternoon 24" x 36" is no longer the biggest I've printed: 36" x 42" (the image is 30" x 40") now claims that title. I'm extremely happy with how it turned out.

On my way home, I decided to check out the Public Gardens, but it turns out that the Gardens are closed for the winter. I ended up doing some Christmas shopping, and checked out the Seaport Farmers Market. I'd never been to that market before, but I know I'll be back. I'd go tomorrow, but they'll be closed that day.

This week, I only have to be at school two days, instead of the usual four. Hello, near-freedom!