Swiv's Idea of University
Created | Updated Apr 9, 2003
Swiv's Idea of a University: part XII
Madness, madness all is madness. But hey, the non-Easter 'Easter Break' has now begun, so things can spiral downwards. I hope.
I've spent much of the last fortnight - or rather the fortnight up till last Tuesday - reading about Roman law. Now, it's not quite as dull as it sounds. In actual fact it's rather crucial - primary source material, fundamental to the Roman Republic, and to law generally ever since, including, I am assured, the US Constitution. Although, I've not been dealing with the Roman constitution, I've been dealing with a group of laws about extortion courts, land distribution and piracy in the eastern Mediterranean. It is fairly interesting, it's just that everyone who writes about it is incredibly dull about it. It's full of jargon, and Latin terms that no one can find an equivalent English translation for and you're just supposed to understand.
Anyway - I finished the essay. Three and a half thousand words, so I hope it actually made sense. I think it did - my housemate Dave said it did, and he's never studied the stuff, so I'm hopeful. It was very nice of him to read it really, given that I spent most of last weekend slightly on edge trying to write the essay from hell. (I nearly changed the title to 'Why my life would be easier if Rome had been an anarchic state'), and later discovered that Clare and Dave had been scared to talk to me for most of the time!
Jack was away on a hiking trip in Aviemore, and one of Mary's friends came to visit, so they weren't around to be on the receiving end. Dave's poor birthday cake was though. I was trying to make it shaped and prettily iced, but it just wouldn't go, and in the end I killed it and sliced it up. It tasted fine, it just didn't quite look as I'd intended...
But anyway - the work's out of the way. Well, not out of the way as it's perpetually going on, but there's nothing giant to do - I have to do a little bit over this two week break (this is why it's not technically the 'Easter' break, it ends on Palm Sunday), but it should all be under control. Sure.
But yes. First - last weekend living arrangements got sorted for the next year. Dave, Jack and I all applied to go back into Halls of Residence, and last Friday was the day we got to find out if we got in. How it works is First Years are top priority, then fourth years (me next year), then third (the two of them next year) and finally second years. Well, it being this university the letters didn't come till Saturday because of an administration screw-up. However, Dave got into his Hall (which he lived in last year) and I got into mine (which I was in for my first two years, and Jack was in last year). However, Jack didn't get in, he got a place in the Hall furthest out from town, with a reputation for being a dump, and which they are revamping, block by block, so he's only guaranteed accommodation for half the year. Ouch. So obviously he was not in a great mood the first half of the week.
The second half got better. Wednesday night was St Andrews iMovieNite... Some of the student wannabe film directors created this concept of getting as much sponsorship as possible, handing out camcorders and iBooks to groups and sending them off with a week to make a five minute movie. Wednesday night was the night when the best nine were shown. They filled the Younger Hall (where we get to graduate), and showed them in a full mock-Oscar display.
The top three were really good - especially one where a box came out of the sea and a lovelorn student fell in love with it and they embarked on a doomed relationship, which came third. Of the other six, one I loved, one was very artsy, and the others were ok. Unfortunately the Lord of the Rings parody a friend-of-a-friend's group did (with them saying Welsh place names very slowly for the elvish and Aragorn hunting a cat around one of the self-catering halls at high speed) didn't make it, which was a shame, because I really wanted to see it. But maybe I'll get a chance some time in the future. Anyway - it was a really fun night out. And our wonderful rector showed up too... I think we might still be a novelty for him!
So, now it's the Easter Holiday, or Spring Break/Vacation, or whatever you want to call it. I've been skiing for a week with my mother and ex-ex-School (long story), and then my beloved parent is coming up to visit me here, and we're heading off to Iona for a couple of days. But more of that next time...
