Update - 03/12/15 (AKA 'Big Movement!')

Well...

As has happened in the past, it has been several months since my last posting here (circa December, 2014). I started working on this entry a couple of weeks ago, but have been tweaking and adjusting it a fair bit before posting. While I do feel some embarrassment from the delay, I have to admit that part of it was due to my desire to have specifics to share and so I waited until I did.

Sadly, no definitive news yet on the potential discontinuation of the theatre BA program at UAF. I had initially heard that they would be making some form of announcement in early February and since we are entering the second full week of that month I had my hopes up...but nothing. I did hear that there are additional steps in the process which could make it May or June before the announcement. Were I to be cynical, I might attribute such a delay to the university president resigning at the end of the academic year, and if the decision is delayed then he would be able to avoid any potential backlash. Were I being cynical. Now my understanding is that no decisions will be made until the Fall. Herrmn.

It is nearing on two full years since my last time in a class at UAF. Nowhere near my previous 27 year lapse. Still, it agitates me. In part because I had plans to be at a certain place in my academic career by this point. And in part due to the fact that a variety of those folks who I had hoped to work with will, by the time I get back in the Fall, have graduated and moved on.

As I mentioned in the first full paragraph, I have been working on, toying with, and holding back on posting this entry for awhile. Besides the above mentioned reasons, I wanted to be certain of some things that were complete in my efforts to raise funding. Now, as they used to say in trailers for various genre films, the truth can be told – the simple, very short version: I have raised sufficient funds to allow me to return to Fairbanks and UAF as of April 1st to complete my degree with an intended graduation date of May, 2016.

The more convoluted version? Well....

As many/most of you reading this are aware, I have been attempting to find funding - by way of scholarships, sponsorships, etc – to be able to return to classes since the Spring of 2013. Several times I had been hopeful about things, and even posted here regarding them (such as my attempts to save up the funds from gigs with Summer theatre work, etc). I wrote these entries in part to help maintain my positive outlook, which I feel has helped me get through some pretty stressful times since my return to school. That isn't to say that I have not had times of depression, such as recently (relatively speaking) when I heard about the 'special review process' and the potential elimination of the theatre BA at UAF. Depressive trigger not withstanding, that announcement did serve as an additional spur to help drive me to find some way of funding a return to school for Fall 2015.

The struggle for funding reached a turning point when, during a chat with my brother regarding a different matter, I was reminded of a potential funding source that might help meet some of my school expenses. After some online searching, I found the appropriate website and did some research. And began kicking myself for not thinking of this option sooner. Because I found that by using this source I would, after taxes and such, have just enough to pay for my final year at UAF, including (at that point in my calculations) on campus housing (which, after having spent the entirety of the 2013 academic year living in what could be called “unapproved housing” was something of importance in my calculations, as I didn't really want to have to deal with that stress again if I could find any way of avoiding it). Of course, things were not immediately that easy.

After submitting my paperwork I spent several weeks waiting, with baited breath, the deposit of funds. Which seemed to take an interminably long while, though in reality it went fairly quickly - roughly a month from initial discovery/realization regarding the funding source till the funds were in my bank.

Then came the clearing of some past due issues with UAF. Simple enough. But...I then discovered that, because of the amount of time that had passed since my last attendance (~24 months) I would be required to submit an application for re-admission. Yeesh. Yet another source of stress feeling worry that, for whatever reason, the university might not let me back in. After several phone conversations with the office of admissions, I was approved for re-admission. But...(are you seeing a pattern developing here?)...but I will probably not be getting the residency standing (“administrative agreement”) which had allowed me to take classes at the resident tuition rate. This is a big issue. A solution to this issue, which was suggested by one of the admissions department representatives, was to take classes this Summer, since all Summer classes are charged at the resident tuition rate. Also, I could potentially take up to 4 semester credit hours during each semester of the regular academic year and those classes would be charged at the resident rate. Which, if I do things just right, will allow me to graduate in May of 2016. Oh, another But: my placement scores from 2013 had expired, so I needed to take a new math placement test to be able to register for the Summer courses I need/want. Thankfully, in the interim since my last testing the university has shifted from a location based test to a web based test. Which allowed me to test from here, rather than waiting until I got back to Fairbanks. And so, on the third attempt (out of the permitted five) I got a sufficient score to meet the registration requirements. As soon as I could I registered for two classes: the needed math and one of my needed sciences. That still leaves a single 4 credit hour science course needed. Since I will know by the end of the month – which is when the Fall registration links come online – if I can get the resident tuition or not (it will have that notation on a form I need) I can then decide how I will approach my remaining course needs. Because while I would love to get some additional studio art courses under my belt if I can only get 4 credit hours at resident rate then that 4 credit hours is going to have to be my second required science course (probably Intro to Astronomy, which is only offered in the Fall). Now, for a final but – since I will likely only be taking 4 credit hours in the Fall I will not qualify for on campus housing...So I have been searching for somewhere off campus that might meet budget limits. And I think that I have a place worked out, even if it is really at the high end of my price range and thus stretching my budget a bit. That is still in process, so I will not say any more on that subject at the moment.

So.

Even with all the various fits, starts, and sundry spasms that have occurred, I am finally on my way back to classes and on the road again towards one of my goals. 

As things currently stand my academic plan for the near term is as follows:

** Depart from St Louis on March 31^st via Alaska Airlines, with stops in Seattle and Anchorage.

** Arrive Fairbanks midday-ish on April 1^st.

** Continue to get organized for Summer semester, which starts in late May.

** Work on my portfolio in preparation for a hoped for trip to the URTA interviews in Chicago next January, as well as for portfolio review sessions in the Fall and Spring semesters in the theatre department at UAF.

** Summer semester classes.

** Fall semester class(es).

** Spring semester class – I might need to take a course in intermediate acting to fulfill a slot in the curriculum for my major. Maybe. I'll be discussing such points with my adviser and the department head as soon as possible.

** Graduation – Spring 2016!

Now, the above list does not include work on several projects which I have percolating and have been, at minimum, doing conceptual work on since Spring 2013. I admit, I find myself reticent to share too much about those beyond the various mentions I have already made here in some prior entries...perhaps there will be more later, once I am back in Fairbanks. That being said, I do expect to do artistic work in addition to the academic work required by my math and science courses.

Herrmn. I think that I shall wrap this entry up now, and get back to packing and organizing and all such sundry things. I'll post more soon-ish, though it might not be until I am ensconced in whatever my new housing will be back up in Fairbanks.

Till then thanks again to all of you for your support.

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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

It Seems That What Was Old Is New Again...

(An image circa 1995, of protests then regarding potential cuts in the arts at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.)

Yesterday Theatre UAF turned in its 'Special Program Review' paperwork to prevent the BA in theatre - the program in which I have my major - from being eliminated in a funding cut.

Theatre UAF provides more benefits than just 'entertainment', as its classwork helps students develop such skills as teamwork, self-confidence, and analytic thought.

Yes, in candor, this would personally affect me. But it is about much more than that. We appear to live in an era where education in the humanities, and in the arts in particular, seem to be constantly faced by questions of their 'utility'. Education - real, meaningful education - is about more than just training to enter the mass of consuming workers. It is about learning how to think and, perhaps more importantly, learning how you as a person thinks. How *your* mind works. What your 'process' is. That self-reflecting ability is one of the greatest gifts that my classwork with Theatre UAF has given me. And it is an ability that is at the core of the University of Alaska Fairbanks mission.

I believe that theatre coursework has well proven its value. That it is, and can be, “Naturally Inspiring.”And, as such, should remain a component of the academic life of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Please consider supporting the program, via letters to the editor at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, and potentially through letters to the university Provost Dr. Susan Henrichs, and to UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers as well.


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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

A Rambling Missive, For An Angsty Day

(Artist: Stephan Pastis)

A disclaimer: I do not drink spirits...At least, not that often. That said, the commentary of the character of Rat in this struck a nerve with me today. Because it has been a rather bad one, especially as regards my quest to further my education.

Here is the deal:

As many of you who have visited this blog before know, I returned to school to complete my Bachelors degree after a 27 year lapse (what I sometimes refer to as my 'extended sabbatical') in the fall of 2010. I chose to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks for a variety of reasons, ranging from the intimate size of the department, to its reasonable cost, to being able to experience the storytelling and arts of the native Alaskan peoples and gain inspiration from them. I have been able to achieve a 3.3 cumulative GPA and, although I have had some scheduling setbacks due to finances, I now have ~11 credit hours left to qualify for my B.A. degree in theatre (design emphasis) with an art minor and am hoping to raise the funds to graduate in the Spring of, or at the very latest, the Fall of 2015.

And then today I find out via a letter from one of the professors in my department that the University is looking at cutting the B.A. in theatre as a major. Which, if they do, would mean that for all intents and purposes my roughly 31 years worth of effort towards the completion of my degree could end up for naught.


Granted, the B.A. in theatre is not the only program that the university is examining for possible change and/or deletion. Several other programs in the humanities are potentially on the chopping block as well. And I feel for those affected by cuts in other areas. After all, isn't a major aspect of what a university is about to give students the skills to think? To explore? To embrace the world in all its aspects?



Yeah. Apparently, those in authority find more use in degrees in mining and petroleum engineering. You know, the 'practical things'.


I have seen, over the last few days, a string of articles cross my various feeds regarding the utility of the arts and how it is a mistake for students to study them. And it has gnawed at me. Because I experienced so much of that mindset from a variety of individuals for so many years. Thankfully, I was able to rise beyond them. But what about the young people who, because of actions like those being considered by the powers that be at UAF, will not have access to opportunities to explore what inspires them? As followers/readers here might know, I want to teach. To open the world to others as it was opened to me by so many marvelous mentors in high school and college. And I dearly love the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Even without having done a campus visit, it took me little time at all to discover how much I seemed to 'fit' there. Which is one of the reasons why these projected actions hurt my soul as much as they do.

So now, I'm going to share a link to a petition, which is being directed to the Chancellor and the Provost. I hope that you will consider signing it, in support not just of the theatre department which has been something of a home to me, but also in support of the arts in general. And for those who might want to follow them.



https://www.change.org/p/brian-rogers-save-theatre-uaf-2?recruiter=179957591&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive

Thanks for reading this ramble. More later....

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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

Last Minute Sponsorship

So…this scholarship sweepstakes has a deadline of 11:59PM (2359hrs) EST tonight. So I am sharing this link in a last minute effort to gain ‘sponsors’, which will get me more chances at the sweepstakes. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a crapshoot and I know it, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Thus, the shared link.

Thanks.

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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

Update - Circa 09/11/14

It has been awhile...so here is an update, as well as some semi-shameless self promotion:

As I mentioned last time, I was going to (and did) apply for a gig at the Mat-Su College branch of the University of Alaska system. I also had a submission in for a tuition waiver scholarship. I have sort of held off on any new postings (though I have had some ideas percolating) until I had any news regarding either submission...

Well.

The first notice I received was in regard to the Mat-Su gig. I was, as the UA system likes to put it, "screened out". Which means that I didn't even make the cut to get a phone interview.

[insert pensive exhalation of breath noises here]

Classes started last Thursday (09/04/14). The results of the committee decision regarding the tuition waiver scholarship didn't come through until this Tuesday (09/09/14). And I wasn't selected for that either. 

I've been scrambling for funding, since I still have (had?) hope that I can/could get back to classes this Fall. The deadline for enrollment and payment of fees is tomorrow (09/12/14). So while I am still scrambling...

 [insert additional pensive exhalation of breath noises here]

That aside, I do think that my essay submission for the scholarship is worth sharing since I have had some folks ask why I want my degree/want to continue my classroom education. With that in mind, and as an admitted example of self promotion, here is the text of the aforementioned essay - the subject, because the scholarship was for 'returning/non-traditional students' was "What was your inspiration to return to school?":

-------------------------------------------------Essay begins------------------------------------------------

       My return to school has followed a convoluted path, with a spectrum of factors effecting my decision making process. These can be sorted into professional, personal, and philosophical motivators. There was, however, one group of experiences encompassing all three realms and which was key to my making the final decision to return to the collegiate experience.

       After my graduation from high school I attended a local community college (College of Lake County – Grayslake, IL) and graduated from there with an Associate of Arts degree in Communications. I then transferred to a four year university program at the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign, seeking a BFA in Theatre with a design emphasis. Because of certain developments in my life outside of academia I left school prior to my graduation from that degree program.

       Initially I was able to find some work locally, first as a freelance designer, and later as a non-academic staff member at a community college in the Urbana-Champaign area. While able to perform my duties at a reasonable level I still lacked certain skill sets which could best be developed through classwork and related production projects in an academic setting. As time progressed I continued to be able to obtain work. However there still remained skills that, due to the nature of the theatrical industry, were virtually impossible to learn 'on the job'. Because of this I found myself constrained to employment at a very specific level, with minimal opportunities for advancement or development as an artist.

       In the personal realm, I found myself feeling a lack of satisfaction. In part this was due to my having not reached the goal of receiving my Bachelors degree. I looked at family members who had made themselves promises over the years. People like my mother, who had promised herself that someday she would visit the town in Norway where her grandparents were born. A promise of someday which turned, over the years, into a never, and grew into a “I wish I had...”. Such experiences further fired my resolve to return to academia.

       Philosophically, I have always loved learning. It is one of my core beliefs that education can be a primary curative for the ills of the world. Beyond that I have a deep belief in the idea of the 'Renaissance person', one who is versed in a broad range of knowledge and skills. The very sort of educational basis that is found in the curriculum of a liberal arts education.

       These aspects found a final synergy while I was employed by a small theatre as a combination of tour manager, designer, technician, and actor for their educational touring program. In that program we (myself and three actors) would travel to various elementary and middle schools, performing short productions. I found it amazingly satisfying to help introduce young people to theatre. To know that, if even in some small way, my visit to a town of 400 people might inspire a child there to reach beyond expectations. This job also involved working with students in the theatres educational program. It thrilled me to see them take risks and to grow as people, and as artists. One day, while working with some students, one of them commented that I would “make a good teacher.” In something of an epiphany, I realized that being an educator was part of who I wanted to be.

       In answer to that epiphany I began classes at UAF in 2010 and am now just two semesters away from my degree. With your assistance I will be able to complete my goal. 

 ----------------------------------------------------Essay ends------------------------------------------------

 And that is really the key at this point: I have 11 credit hours remaining of my required classes. If I want to get started on an MFA program I need to be able to submit applications by the start of the Spring 2015 semester. Because theatre design MFA programs (generally) only accept applicants to start in the Fall semester. If I don't graduate in May 2015, I won't be entering an MFA program till the Fall of 2016...

So I remain hopeful (some angst notwithstanding) of being a member of the class of 2015. And I am thankful to all of you who have given me your support, in whatever form.

That's about the size of this update. As I mentioned above, I have some other essay/article ideas floating through my synapses and will be sharing at least one or two of them soon. Till then...

As always, assorted links below.

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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

A Touch Confused - A Short Blog Entry (A 'Blog-ette' Perhaps?)

I find myself a bit confused today. And so, here is a little update/vent style thing to 1) help me work through things and 2) just let things out.

We are a couple of days into the build segment of Alone Together, the final show here this Summer. And it's been an interesting process. Any and all of those concerns (and there are some) aside, I find myself still dealing with school funding issues and all the related angst that they provide.

One small bright spot/point of interest today was when one of the other members of the Summer stock staff mentioned that he had seen an ad on Offstagejobs.com for a gig in AK. I looked it up and it's for a technicians gig at Mat-Su College in Palmer. It could be a fairly cool starting spot, and would get me back up to 'the far North' which I miss quite a bit. Of course, there are drawbacks, including 1) the fact that it would still/yet again/additionally delay my return to my BA quest 2) it's in Southeast AK as opposed to the interior, where I have all my networking and 3) it's linked to UAA instead of UAF....

Sigh.

All of that aside, I will be submitting an application. Because I need work so that I can keep saving and moving towards my Bachelors degree and then on towards the Masters. I'll put in my paperwork sometime early tomorrow. And then, continue to seek funds for the Fall semester at UAF...yep.

Still confused though.

Shrug.

More later.

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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings 

Time And Technology Changes

I strikes me, as I sit here waiting for a large format printer to produce various faux newspapers for the Tibbits Summer Theatre (2014) production of Guys And Dolls just how much has changed over the passage of years that I have been involved with theatrical properties.

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was mocking up newspapers by cutting and pasting (or perhaps more accurately, cutting and Spray 77-ing) various things printed on a regular sized printer and/or dummied up via a Xerox machine.

Not that that is a bad thing. Such skills are worth knowing, both for historical context and for the design potentials that they inspire. Because knowing old techniques can help a designer stretch themselves. At least, I believe so. After all, if I had not known about the 'old school' technology of continental parallels, my design for a set of touring shows could have been much more difficult. That said, having image manipulation programs like Photoshop (and I don't mean the CS versions, but even old school ones like I use - Photoshop 6) and/or GIMP, etc makes portions of the creative process much more streamlined. Leaving more time to devote to the actual 'product'.

So...Old school. New school. Combined, they make a 'win/win'.

More later.


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                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum

              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 

                                             My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings