GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting, please -- join us! You can also click the GUS tag to view all diary posts, or access the GUS library page at dKosopedia.
Good morning GUSsacks! I've missed you all very much -- but my stars and garters, do I ever have a busier year ahead of me than I planned on. More below the fold....
So classes have started again. For those who are curious, here's the Nipissing University campus, where I spend the majority of my time:
- front door and bus stop
The Tipi -- used for ceremonies and hanging out
- a group photo of the administration. Wait, no, sorry, those are our school geese....
- a view from the pond behind the school
If you've gotta spend the day in school, I'll admit that it helps to have a beautiful campus. :)
My classes this year are roaring good fun. In a nutshell:
Monday afternoon -- Global Social Movements. A study of the globalization of social justice movements and tactics through the study of international feminist movements, global Islam and the fight for global justice and human rights. Considering this is what I'm planning to spend the rest of my life doing, I'm riveted. A+.
Tuesday afternoon -- Political Ideologies. The focus of the course this year is the study of totalitarian movements, their evolution and development. Not exactly cheerful and uplifting, but creepily fascinating in the same way an alligator or a pride of feasting lions is fascinating. A.
Tuesday evening -- Great Political Questions I. An overview of questions and writings that have shaped modern political thought, from Sophocles to Hannah Arendt. The material is interesting, but the professor has some...verbal tics that make it difficult to sit through a lecture. I'm still not sure about this course, but it's required for my degree, so I guess I better suck it up. B-.
Wednesday afternoon -- Current Political Thought. This course rocks the casbah -- a study of how discourse shapes power in a society, and an exploration of alternate arrangements of power as displayed through the political organization and structure of indigenous societies. I had the same prof last year for a couple of courses, and he's Da Bomb -- engaging, challenging, funny and innovative. My fave course so far. A++.
Thursday afternoon -- Applied Activism. (The prof called it AA one day, so now we're thinking about getting class t-shirts.) In addition to our weekly lectures for this class, we're required to perform 30 hours of volunteer service with a local non-profit social justice organization. So not only do we get a chance to put practical work experience on our resumes within the social justice field, we get academic credit for it, too. How sweet is that? Great prof, too. A+
The unfortunate thing that goes along with these fantastic classes is the amount of readings that have been set -- so far it's averaging out at 80 pages of reading per class per week. I've got to the point where I can't read myself to sleep at night, because my brain just refuses to absorb any more written language by the end of the day.
On top of the class work, I'm also the treasurer for the NU Women's Centre. Here's a link to our spandy new website (thanks Lisanne!). We're all crazily well-organized people who have trouble saying 'no' when people ask for help or support, so we've got quite a number of events coming up. This Saturday there's a fundraising dance being thrown by one of our members; on Tuesday is our official Meet and Greet and Cookie Decorating party. Then we have a week off (w00t! for reading week!) and the first week back marks the founding meeting for the campus Pride chapter and our annual Take Back the Night march. We're also partnering with a student who wants to throw a Rocky Horror Picture Show bash the night before Hallowe'en.
And that's just October.
The good news is that since I've been so busy ordering food for events and sitting in the library doing my readings and presenting receipts to the administration for reimbursement and researching essays and peer tutoring and putting up posters and all the other thousand-and-one things that need to be done in a day that I rarely miss my cigarettes. I have snuck a few here and there, but not as many as I thought I would (maybe 4 a week tops). "Keep busy" has been my most effective strategy so far -- if you've got time to crave a smoke, you've got time to answer emails or read a chapter of a textbook. I'm spending a crazy amount of money on gum and hard candies, but they cost a hell of a lot less than cancer sticks, so I don't mind at all.
And that's the news from the North, GUSsacks. Other than reading week and Christmas break, I'll probably be MIA for large chunks of time -- but I'm happy and driven and compared to the past twenty years, finally smoke-free. I'm still dropping mojo when I get a chance, and I'll be in and out of the diaries like...well, I'll just let you supply your own analogy there. (Update: A dose of salts. That's the analogy I couldn't remember this morning.)
Keep warm and play safe, guys -- I'm still rooting for you. I just have to move a large pile of books out of the way to do so. ;)
Current members of the GUS team! Please post a comment if you would like to join, or if your name is here in error: 1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, addisnana, AfroPonix, amk for obama, Anne933, aoeu, arcadesproject, Archie2227, ArthurWolf (in memoriam), awkawk, bamablue, barnowl, bgblcklab1, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, bleeding heart, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, burrow owl, Cen Den, Chocolate Chris, ChurchofBruce, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, demkat620, Dexter, DiegoUK, Dingodude, donnamarie, DRo, droogie6655321, duckhunter, EdgedInBlue, Everest42, Fineena, Flea, flumptytail, FrugalGranny, Garrett, gooners, greylox, gchaucer2, Geiiga, grndrush, Im a frayed knot, Indexer, indyada, Interceptor7, inventor, itsbenj, Jahiz, JamesEB, Jeffersonian Democrat, john07801, jmadlc55, johngoes, Jyrix, jvolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, kai99, kailuacaton, Kelly of PA, kestrel9000, khloemi, Khun David, Ksholl, labwitchy, Lady Kestrel, ladypockt, langerdang, LarsThorwald, Last Starfighter, Laurie Gator, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, marknspokane, mdemploi, michael1104, Mikeguyver, Minerva1157, MinervainNH, mskitty, nannyboz, ncsuLAN, Nick Zouroudis, one pissed off democrat, Ordvefa, OverTheEdge, paige, PaintyKat, Pennsylvanian, phrogge prince, Positronicus, post rational, psycho liberal, PvtJarHead, red mittens, revelwoodie, rkex, roadlion, rosebuddear, SallyCat, Sark Svemes, seenaymah, Scrapyard Ape, sgary, sheddhead, smartcookienyc, spmozart, SpotTheCat, Tay, theatre goon, triciawyse, trueblueliberal, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, uc booker, Unduna, Unforgiven, Vacationland, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, x
Anyone (on or off the buddy list) is welcome to write a diary for GUS. If you are interested, please leave a comment in the Butt Can (tip jar).
NEW RULES: If you are looking for a current diary and the schedule has an open or snark entry, it is a go for it, first posted, first commented on situation.
Fri AM: seenaymah 8-8:30 EDT Fri PM: Eleanor GUSby Sat AM: bsmechanic Sat PM: VacationLand Sun AM: Father McGUSzie Sun PM: Mean Mr. GUStard Mon AM: Lovely Rita, GUSer Maid Mon PM: MNF Open Thread, CC Cosell
