Live college life to the absolute fullest
ONTHE
W^WAY OUT
JOSH RYNEAL
Graduating in the fall is
not the greatest thing in
the world. I would have
rather finished school in
the spring and walked across the
graduation stage with the rest of my
friends. Instead, I had to come back
for one last term.
It’s kind of like limbo. I’m a sen
ior, but not in the conventional
sense of the word. Friends and co
workers younger than I am are con
sidered seniors, but there is no
word for what I am. If there is, it’s
almost certainly derogatory.
So here I am — an old, grizzled
veteran of the higher education
wars, serving out my last tour of
duty before I’m shipped off to the
real world. And let me tell you, I've
seen glimpses of the real world.
Frightening stuff.
So to all of you out there still slav
ing away in classes, getting drunk
on weekends and trying to keep
your head above water, I say this:
Keep at it. Live out your college ex
perience to the fullest. As winter
break gets closer and with it my
graduation, there isn’t a minute that
goes by that I don’t wish I could go
back and change some of the choic
es I made in my college career.
Among other things, I should
have: studied for that test, not
drunk all that beer, finished up that
incomplete, not had that one-night
stand, gone to more home football
games, finished that Information
Gathering class in one try instead of
three, not slacked off that impor
tant paper to play video games (a
true waste), spent my summer in
exotic locales instead of in class
rooms taking classes, and gotten
my driver’s license (that one hurts).
If you’re a senior this year, or just
starting out as a freshman, you’ll
probably read a lot of columns like
this one. They all are pretty much
the same: “Learn from my mistakes!
Don’t take the road I went down! ”
“Study hard and you’ll go far! ” “In
ternship, internship, internship!”
Well, this one is rather like that,
except for one thing. I loved every
minute of my college life. The nerv
ous sweats, die hangovers, the re
search, the failures, the successes, all
of it. I wouldn't trade it for all the
money in the world. And I wouldn’t
presume to tell you how to live your
life here at the University. Everyone
has his or her own experiences; each
of us takes away something different
from what we experience.
Be a geek. Be a jock. Be a Greek.
Be a studious overachiever. Be a
slacker. It doesn’t matter in the long
run because you’ll probably never
see any of these people again, de
spite their assurances. So go nuts.
You’ll never get this chance again,
unless you make a living at it.
You don’t have to listen to me. I’m
surprised if you even made it this far.
So this is the gist: no regrets. Don’t
worry about it now because there are
far more frightening things on the
horizon. Don’t get what I’m saying?
Don’t worry—you will some day.
Josh Ryneal is a Pulse reporter for the
Emerald. His views don’t necessarily reflect
those of the paper.
THE WEEK IN ENTERTAINMENT
Courtesy of A&M Records
Spend an evening with singer/songwriter David Wilcox as he rocks the WOW Hall
Sunday, Dec.3, in support of his new album, ‘What You Whispered.’ Tickets are
$22.50 in advance and $25 at the door.
■ Thursday, Nov. 30
9:30 a.m. and 11a.m.— “Elves and
the Shoemaker” (California Theatre
Center). WOW Hall, 291W. Eighth Ave.
Doorsopenat9a.m.$4.50atthe
door.
8 p.m.—Oregon Opera Ensemble
(concert). Beall Concert Hall. $3 stu
dents, $5 general admission.
8 p.m.—Nuttier Than Fruitcake
(comedy). Actors Cabaret Eugene, 996
Willamette. Doors open at 7:30p.m.
Tickets $5.
9:30 p.m. —Jerry Joseph & the Jack
mormons (pop). Wild Duck,285 E.
Fifth Ave. Doorsopenat9p.m.21 and
older. $8 at the door.
9:30 p.m.—Johnny Wilde & The Blue
Yonder(rock). Foxfire Restaurant*
Bar, 4740 Main St., Springfield. Two
drinkminimum.
9:30 p.m.—The Tony Rae Group
(blues). Black Forest Tavern, 2657
Willamette St. Free.
9:30 p.m.—Jazz Jam Session. Jo Fed
erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $5 minimum.
10 p.m.—’80s Dance Night (danee).
John Henry’s, 136 E. 11th Ave.
Women, no cover; men $2.
10 p.m.—Living Daylights (eclectic
jazz). Taylor’s Barand Grill, 894 E.
13th Ave. $4 cover.
■ Friday, Dec. 1
7:30 p.m.—Dance and lessons (ball
room). 220 Gerlinger Hall. $3 students
and faculty, $4 general public.
8 p.m.—"Hard Eight” (film). 180 PLC.
$2 students, $3 general public.
7:30 p.m.—lane Jazz Festival (per
formances). Lane Performance Hall,
PerformingArts Building, Main ICC
Campus. $4 students, $8 general ad
mission.
8p.m.—Oregon Jazz Ensemble*
Jazz Lab Bands (concert). Beall Con
cert Hall. $3 students, $5 general ad
mission.
8:30 p.m.—Rob Kohler Tno (jazz).
Theo’s Jazz Club, 126 W. Broadway.
Doors open at 8p.m. $3 cover, one
coffee minimum.
9p.m.—Floater, TV 616, Logos Eye
(heavy rock). WOW Hall, 291W. Eighth
Ave. Doors open at 8:30 p. m. $10 ad
vance,$10atthedoor.
9 p.m.—Eclectic Open Mic Fridays.
The Buzz Coffeehouse. Free.
9:30 p.m.—The Symptoms (rock).
Foxfire Restaurant* Bar,4740 Main
St., Springfield. Two drink minimum.
9:30p.m.—Roy 6. Biv (psychedelic
rock). Black Forest Tavern, 2657
Willamette St. Free.
■ Saturday, Dec. 2
All day—Holiday Market Ci reus Ac
tion Potential (teenage troupe of cir
cus arts aficionados), Jill Cohn (lilting
melodies, revealing songs), Round
house Bluegrass Band (award win
ningbluegrass), Mare Wakefield Band
(progressivefolk rock), Nancy Ver
douw &The Fabulous Nature
Boys(blues with a groove). Exhibit
Hall, Lane County Fairgrounds. Free.
4 p.m.—Holiday Concert (choral).
Beall Concert Hall. $3 students, $5
general admission.
7:30 p.m.—Lane Jazz Festival (per
formances). Lane Performance Hall,
performing arts building, main Lane
Community College campus. $8 stu
dents, $12 general admission.
8 p.m.—Dave Nachmanoff (folk).
House concert, 809 E. 29th Ave. $8.
8 p.m.—Eugene Concert Choir (holi
day concert). Hult Center: Silva Con
cert Hall, Seventh Avenue and
Willamette Street. Tickets $12-$24.
8:30 p.m.—Babes With Axes (folk).
WOW Hall, 291W. Eighth Ave.
8:30 p.m.—Matt Shevitz Quartet
(jazz}. Theo’s Jazz Club, 126 W. Broad
way. Doorsopen at8 p.m. $3 cover,
one coffee minimum.
9 p.m.—Nicole Barrett (acoustic).
The Buzz Coffeehouse. Until 11 p.m.
Free.
9:30 p.m.—Etouffee(rock). Foxfire
Restaurant & Bar, 4740 Main St.,
Springfield. Two drink minimum.
9:30 p.m.—Liquid Genie (i m prov
groove rock). Black Forest Tavern,
2657 Willamette St. Free.
■ Sunday, Dec 3
All day—Holiday Market: Tim Miller
(juggling), Chip Cohen (folk &
baroque), Sacred Harp Singers (a
capella hymns), Confluence (jazz/eth
nic), The Klezmonauts(klezmer). Ex
hibit Hall, Lane County Fairgrounds.
Free.
1 p.m.—University Percussion En
semble presents “Mostly Lou Harri
son” (performance). 198 Music Build
ing. $3 students, $5general
admission.
2:30 p.m.—Holiday Choral Concert
(performance). Beall Concert Hall. $3
students, $5general admission.
6 p.m.—University Gospel Ensemble
(classical). EMU Ba 11 room. $3 stu
dents, $5 adults.
7:30 p.m.—Karaoke hosted by Jared.
Foxfire Restaurant*Bar,4740 Main
St., Springfield. Twodrink minimum.
8 p.m.—An Evening with David
Wilcox(folk). WOW Hall, 291W. Eighth
Ave. Doors open at 7p.m. $22.50 ad
va nee, $25 at the door.
9 p.m.—Mark Alan (acoustic). Jo Fed
erigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $3 cover, $5
minimum per person.
9:30 p.m.—Open Mic Night (pick-up
jam). Black Forest Tavern, 2657
Willamette St. Free.
9:30 p.m.—Michael Franti & Spear
head with Peaceforce Sound System &
The Conscious Cirus. Wild Duck, 285 E.
Fifth Ave. $13.50 in advance.
■ Monday, Dec. 4
8 p.m.—Oregon Percussion Ensem
ble(concert). Beall Hall. $3 students,
$5adults.
9 p.m.—Funky Monday open mic,
featuring Freedom Funk Ensemble
(funk). Jo Federigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave.
$5 minimum per person.
9 p.m.—Monday Open Poetry Night.
The Buzz Coffeehouse. Until 11 p.m.
Free.
9 p.m.—Forrest T. Black
(rock/blues/pop). Foxfire Restaurant
& Bar, 4740 Main St., Springfield.
Free.
9:30 p.m.—Anton & Friends Emerald
City Music Sessions (pick-u p ja m).
Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette
St. Free.
10 p.m.—DJ TekNeek (dance). Tay
lor’s Bar and Grill, 894 E. 13th Ave. $1
cover.
■Tuesday, Dec. 5
7:30 p.m.—Belly Dance Caravan
(Middle Eastern). WOW Hall, 291W.
Eighth Ave. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
$3-$5.
7:30 p.m.—Shasta Winter Concert
2000. Hult Center: Silva Concert Hall,
Seventh Avenueand Willamette
Street. Admission $8.50.
8:30 p.m.—Barbara Dzuro (Jazz pi
ano). Jo Federigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave. $5
minimum per person.
8:30 p.m.—Kenny Reed hosts Theo’s
Tuesday Nite Jazz Jam. Theo’s Jazz
Club, 126 W. Broadway. Doors open at
8 p.m. $2 cover, one coffee minimum.
9 p.m. —Anton & Friends Emerald
City Music Sessions (pick-u p jam). Fox
fire Restaurant & Bar, 4740 Main St.,
Springfield. Free.
9:30p.m.—Jessie&Shadow (blues).
Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette
St. Free.
9:30 p.m.—Leftover Salmon, Karl
Denson’s Tiny Universe (polyeth nic
Cajun slamgrass). Wild Duck, 285 E.
Fifth Ave. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. $18
advance, $20 at the door.
■ Wednesday, Dec. 6
8:30 p.m.—Paul Paydos(jam ses
sion). Jo Federigo’s, 259 E. Fifth Ave.
$5 minimum per person.
9:30 p.m.—Patty McCulla (bl ues).
Black Forest Tavern, 2657 Willamette
St. Free.
9:30 p.m.—j.C. Rico & Co. (bl ues).
Foxfire Restaurant&Bar,4740 Main
St., Springfield. Free.
9:30 p.m.—Leftover Salmon, Karl
Denson’s Tiny Universe (polyeth nic
Cajun slamgrass). Wild Duck, 285 E.
Fifth Ave. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. $18
advance, $20 atthedoor.
I find next week’s calendar of
events in Pulse online.
—a—n. f h ft_a e h ^
www.dailyemerald.com