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I just realized who my film noir teacher looks like: Sandra Bullock. I’m sure he’d be pleased to know that.

Meanwhile, yay, it’s snowing! The cold weather is worth it if it’s accompanied by the fluffy white stuff. We’re supposed to get 3-5 inches! And I’m so glad it’s flurrying tonight and not yesterday, as walking a mile and a half to and from 40th Street alone in the dark in the snow just wouldn’t be cool.

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Oh, Starbucks. I asked only for a shot of peppermint in my hot chocolate, and not only did you give me my wish, but you added sprinkles! You truly know the way to my heart. I’ve almost forgiven you for temporarily depriving me of Tazoberry.

Anyway, it looks like it’s going to be an interesting semester. I adore today’s (and Thursday’s) schedule: just two 1 1/2 hour classes, spaced four hours apart. And organized with times that make dining easy and convenient! I will be able to eat breakfast! Hurrah!

Math: Calculus. Blegh. But it looks like it will be nice and tolerable this semester, as my teacher is hilarious and insane. He’s this big black guy that’s SO EXCITED ABOUT HIS MATERIAL (he broke at least 6 pieces of chalk in a one hour period) and uses phrases like “Now let’s kick this up a notch” talking about conic sections. And Jing and Karim are in my class with me, so that’s always crazy fun. Yay math! Or something!

Visual Communications: He showed us several clips from student films, one of which involving ninjas (no, not that one. A different Penn student Ninja film). And he taught one of Jerry Seinfeld’s best friends Communications when the two were first setting out on the Stand-Up Comedy circuit and showed them how they could improve their act. ‘Nuff said.

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Dear KaZaA users,

The following are *not* Return of the King: “Boogie Nights,” “American Wedding,” 3 hours of blackness. Please do not label them as such.

Love,

Priscilla

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Hmm. I’m generally pleased with my classes so far. Today I had my Math recitation, Java and Java Lab, my Film Noir writing seminar, and Fundamentals of Digital Design. 7 hours of classes, starting at 9AM and continuing to 7PM. So not the cool. Oh well. And now, on to the boring, detailed commentary/summary thing!

Math: I’m thinking of switching classes (if any of the other time slots open *shakes fist*), as having a recitation first thing Monday morning for a class where homework will either be due on Friday or at the recitation itself on Monday is absolutely stupid. Once they’ve hammered out all these details, I’ll talk to Amy about switching. But in the meantime, all is cool, as my friends Jing and Karim are in the recitation with me. So yay.

CSE: Last semester, our teacher had a very thick Portugese accent and made random references to The Hitchhiker’s Guide. This semester, our teacher has a very thick Romanian accent and makes random references to Harry Potter. This new accent would probably be quite swoonworthy if attached to someone less old and blimplike. Mmmmm, inability to pronounce the “th” sound. *happy sigh*

CSE Lab: Full of DMDers! And TAed by Jean, who rocks and helped me raise my final grade last semester a justly deserved 2.5 points.

Film Noir: All the way across campus. And I have to go four times a week. *whines* So considering upgrade to two-wheeled transportation. Anyway, the teacher seems very cool, and my classmates seem neat.

M (a girl in the class): [introducing] I’m M [last name], and my namesake is actually in one of the films we’ll be seeing in this class.

Me: I’m Priscilla Spencer, and I’m named for Priscilla Lane, but not the same Priscilla Lane in “Arsenic and Old Lace”

Prof Donovan: Lots of frightening names in this class. It’s scary, I’m going to have to give you all A’s in self-defense.

And no textbook! W00t!

Digital Design Fundamentals: We’ll be learning Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop (snerk), Corel Painter, and InDesign. The professor seems a bit weird, but I have a crazy number of friends in the class, so no complaints here. Okay, actually one complaint. We had to buy our own Wacom styli for use in the lab, which is utterly stupid. And I can’t use my current stylus, as it’s for an Intuos I as opposed to Intuos II, which are apparently incompatible. And the styli are $50. Lunacy. Of course, because the stylus was so expensive, we don’t have to buy any sort of text or cash out on other art supplies, so it’s a pretty good deal for an art class. Ah well. (And while I was in the bookstore, I got the “Four Hobbits Walk Into a Bar” issue of Premiere and some chapstick, so it’s okay.)

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*snorks* I just realized that I had unconsciously selected a black notebook for my Film Noir class. I am *so* entertained.