Emphasis

Our trip down the rabbit hole begins with a girl I met this week who is currently beginning her third year at Alma College.  "Have you ever heard of Alma College?" she asks me.  I tell her that not only do I know where it is located but that I've actually been there a few times in the past.

"I know Alma." say I.  "The fighting Scot's if I'm not mistaken.  Some of my kids played soccer at Hope College which is in the same conference so I've had the pleasure."  The young lass confirms the nickname  and adds that they used to be known as the fighting Presbyterians way back when but eventually changed their name when it lost it's intimidation factor.  I don't think she appreciated both the irony and the social commentary suggested by her bit of information but then again she hasn't seen me running with a bible either.

"And what pray tell is your major?"  I inquire.  Our Alice hems and haws a bit and then tries to explain to me the concept of a program Alma has where, shall I say, motivated students like herself get to design their own majors based on which classes they would really like to take.  The more she explains the murkier the waters become.  I had it figured out about 3 seconds in but enjoyed the next few minutes of utter confusion.

She tells me this is called the Emphasis Program and next Monday when she goes back to start her third year she has to present her major proposal to a committee.  It is Friday and when I ask Alice if she has everything ready she again hems and haws and so I blurt out; "You've been home for a month, you have nothing written down, you will try to tell me that it's been marinating in your brain all this time thinking that I will think, Oh yea, girls on top of it, when you and I both know that nothing will happen until Sunday night and you got to get it done.

I know your game.  Been there and done that, a born procrastinator.  I remember the summer before my junior year at Aquinas, sitting in the library and still trying to figure out what to major in.  Knowing that majors require X amount of hours and that I had to get everything done in 4 years or else I added up the tally of courses already taken and realized that a major in Political Science was possible along with a minor in History.  I also realized that the average course load per semester to be on track to graduate was 16 credits and that, because I had dropped a few courses during my first two years, to graduate I needed to average about 20 credits per semester.  On top of this I met the girl I was going to marry mid way through my Junior year and that was going to have demands on my time.

It finally dawned on me that the only way to "get it done" was to treat college as one would a job.  Get up early, work hard and finish all my assignments right away.  This led to the biggest surprise of my life.  Even with a heavy course load I actually had more free time than I even did before.  And I could enjoy it because I wasn't always worrying about what was hanging over my head.  Perhaps that approach might work for you."

Wisdom spoken my Alice responds;  "Well, maybe."  Ah, the school of hard knocks, still knocking.  I shift gears and opine that if Alma has a foreign studies program they could call it "Em - fas - is" (the em fas is is on the wrong sil lob al).  Before we depart I finally inquire; "So where do you think your interests will lead?"

"Well, I really liked a course I took on human sexuality." says Alice.  "Something along that line would be ideal."

Hmmmmmmmm.  If I wasn't 64 I would have noticed that Alice was displaying ample cleavage.  My mind calculates the career choices for my Queen of Hearts - research scientist, social worker, perhaps prostitute.  But then again, who am I to judge, Political Science major that I was.