Bleakness...

This day started out so good! I had a very interesting discussion in my Religion class about Sufism and its place in the spectrum of Islam. I also got to start my super fun project at work today (I am researching some cool old swords)

And Tonight, I was planning on going to see "Bill Nye the Science Guy" who is giving a speech as I am writing this. Where you ask? In the smallest theater on campus, which seats about 90 people.

Guess how many people wanted to see Bill Nye?

Close to 500.

All was pressing bodies and with shouts and uncomprehending glances. Why!!!!? The unfairness of this situation is striking. There have been people camped out in front of that theater since 2 this afternoon. Students, people from the town, children, parents, and grandparents. Every person I have talked to about this over the past week has said how cool it is that he is here-everyone's favorite scientist. His television show was one of the only ones I watched faithfully, every day, as a child. He was (and is) something of an icon for my entire generation, how on earth did the people in charge of this event think that only a few people would come to this?????? Some of the speakers we have had this year (Impressive figures all) with half the popularity of Bill Nye have spoken in larger theaters!

It is discouraging to the extreme that even though I go to one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country, the powers that be did not have the foresight to schedule this better- at a theater that actually has the capacity to stage an event of this kind. I don't even know what his talk was about. There was a live feed to a cable channel, but the sound quality was so poor that I felt that it was just not worth it. And listening to the laughter of those lucky few as they enjoyed Bill Nye's jokes was just too painful for me.




I realize that this is not the end of the world, nor even the worst thing that has ever happened to me. (Or any one for that matter) Still, allow me this moment of weakness.

The sun will come out tomorrow. It always does.