The most underrated class on campus

I had to write an essay today for my Writing class. I had to discuss how I ended up becoming a World Cultures and History major and Philosophy minor. I am a bad writer proven by my earlier blogs, but I think because this new essay is about myself, I might be able to pull off a decent grade.

After a theology reading group discussion for the philosophy club that I help get started, I went outside with my three other friends. I laid down in front of the school just starring at the sky (it was around 9:30 pm). I started thinking to myself, how did I end up with my group of friends, how did I end up with my job, how did I end up laying down in front of the school starring at the sky at 10 o'clock at night? I traced it all to my intro to philosophy class I took last semester. My friends, my job, my interests, my true college experience can all be traced to that class. I am still amazed at how much one class has influenced my life.

Let us start with my position as one of the officers of the Nonexistent Philosophy Club. I aced my philosophy class last semester so I already showed some promise as a philosophy student. Over Winter break, I kept in contact with my philosophy professor about the club and my interest as an officer. At the initial meeting, me and a few other people became the officers of the club (most of them being very much into philosophy). Two other officers (Meg and Mike), my philosophy TA, and myself all met the following day to create the NEPC constitution. Another student (Evan) who excelled in philosophy also joined us in creating the constitution. Little did I know that these people were going to be my future group of friends.

I sort of knew Evan from the World History class last semester. He changed his hair drastically so I didn't recognize him. I had met Meg a few times before at Starbucks. I had only met Michael once at Starbucks on the last day of school with Meg and the TA. Evan already knew Mike because they were roommates. I started hanging out with Meg a lot and then she started going out with Mike. Well, eventually I started hanging out with Evan and we ended up all hanging out together. I have a lot of friends I hang out with at UCM, but these guys are the ones I hang out with most. I even moved in with Meg in her off-campus apartment. I don't really talk to my TA anymore even though he is my TA again this semester for another class. He sort of hates me, but that's a long story. He's the one that actually introduced me to Wikipedia in which I am doing less and less editing with every passing day. The point is, I would have never met these people or decided to move to Merced if it wasn't for the philosophy class/club.

I work as a research assistant for my philosophy professor. I basically read Edmund Husserl and pick out quotes that explain his major concepts. It's quite interesting even though he is a horrific writer. I had only talked to my professor a few times last semester and during Winter break about the club. I also showed a big interest in philosophy and he obviously noticed because a few weeks into the next semester, he offered me a job. He read an article where I was quoted as saying that philosophy is one of the most important classes a student can take; that it is more then a class: it is a tool for life. He e-mailed me when he read the article and asked me to elaborate on why I thought it was such an important class.

I decided to write a not-so-cynical blog today for reasons that are unknown to me. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to UCM to bring it to the level of the other UCs. But I felt like showing some of the good aspects of the school instead of the negative. There are things about this school that I actually like and appreciate. I am a centrist and for my blog to be purely negative, would make me a hypocrite. I preach centrism and moderacy and I like to practice it as well.