“Farewell To The March”

By Terrence Cain

This month has gone by so fast that it almost feels like a lost month to me. I guess that's what happens when you're having so much fun that time just seems to fly by. I almost feel like I missed some important things in my life. Hopefully next month won't be so fast.

Well the school semester is almost over with, folks. We've got about a month and a week left before we can call for a summer break. It's a shame too because next semester is most likely my final semester at Howard College here in Big Spring. I will be getting my basic associates this year so that I can move on to a university and get my bachelors degree in print journalism by 2014.

That is probably going to be the hardest decision to make for me as well because there are so many great universities out there and so many great cities that I could go to and spend the rest of my life in. Right now the University of Texas at Austin is looking like the best and most logical choice however. It's the closest to home, it's got many great opportunities, and it has the best thriving music scene in all of Texas. There are numerous newspaper and magazine publications in Austin as well, so that would be a great help to me when I graduate.

At the University of Texas at Austin you can also do an internship for their on campus news paper called “Burnt Orange” which would be a great way in helping me to get my career going in the right direction as well, so that's most likely where I will be going to if I can gain acceptance to that university. The other university I've been looking at is all the way across the country in Boston, Massachusetts. U-Mass has some similar qualities to the University of Texas at Austin, but it is much farther away, and since they most likely won't be paying to help get me there I will be doing my best to try and get into the University of Texas at Austin. It's a dreamland city for me anyway. Just a great thriving town for a person like me.

In 2006 I went to Austin a couple of times when I was in an Alternative Rock band called Dead Bang Go. We went there to play in a contest where we won the first round of three to go on to play at some European festival. By the second round, about seven months later, I had quit the band over some personal conflicts. I personally feel that my leaving is what cost them the second round because the drummer they replaced me with wasn't very good.

Now I'm not trying to rub salt into old wounds or anything, but at the time it did make me feel pretty good to see the impact I had on the overall sound of the band. We probably would have won the second round if I had stayed. We may have even went on to play in that European festival too, but that's the past and I don't regret one bit where I am today. Music has and always will be a part of me, so being in Austin will be great for someone like me.

Although I am a bit sad that I will be leaving Howard College and West Texas behind next year, I know that I won't be too far away from home and that I will be carrying my root values with me no matter where I go. I hope that each and everyone of you going on to a university will be realizing your own dreams and aspirations and getting something more out of your education than partying and being part of a fraternity. Remember, life is much longer than a party. Well until next week, this is Howard College's blogging machine, over and out!

“March Of The Pisces”

By Terrence Cain

It feels good to be back this week. We have about a month and a half left before school is out for the semester. I'm quite surprised to see that my grads are pretty high—possibly the highest mid-terms I've ever had—and that definitely makes me feel good inside. I had a pretty good spring break, as I hope everyone else did too.

While on spring break I celebrated my twenty-ninth birthday on the thirteenth and took a trip to Abilene with my roommate to see some of the sights and sounds over there. It does a body good to get away, even if it isn't that far and not for long. Well I'm off to do some homework. Until next time, this is Howard College's blogging machine, over and out!

“Until We Meet Again...”

By Terrence Cain

I'm not going to bore you all to death with a lot of words. I'm not going to talk about school. And I won't even bother you with what I'll be doing on Spring Break, at least not in this post anyhow. I'll just say this; have fun, be safe, come back sober, and don't do anything you'll regret in the future. When I return I'll be a year older, a little wiser, and hopefully just as energized as I am right now. I'm going fishin' ya'll (metaphorically speaking), so I'll be seeing everyone in two weeks! This is Howard College's blogging machine, over and out!

“Stand Up For Education!”

By Terrence Cain

This week has been really light due to test taking and classes being cancelled for unknown reasons, so there really isn't much to say about my classes this week. That's okay though because I feel that I need to discuss something here that may get me into a lot of trouble, but I feel is necessary because I found it extremely offensive and degrading when I heard a particular speech this past Sunday on NBC's “Meet The Press” with David Gregory.

On Sunday former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum, appeared yet again on “Meet The Press” and talked his usual spiel about a whole host of subjects. All of which were extremely inflammatory and offensive to me and probably a lot of others as well. The one thing that got to me the most though was a video clip shown of Mr. Santorum putting down higher education. He referred to President Obama as an “elitist snob” because the president would like to see everyone go to college. The way that Mr. Santorum was talking he made it sound like the president had signed some kind of “educational draft” into law forcing everyone to go to college. He further insulted education by insinuating that all college professors are “liberals” and that they're brainwashing us with the “Obama doctrine.”

By the time the clip ended I was both sick to my stomach and totally outraged by all the inflammatory, incendiary, vulgar, and offensive language that Mr. Santorum was using to tell the people listening to him at this town-hall meeting that people don't need an education. Are you kidding me? Everyone needs an education, Mr. Santorum. Even in the most basic of jobs people need to have an education.

I know many a people who have gone to a junior college just to learn how to weld properly, or how to be a mechanic, or to run an automated machine at the local power plant. There are even programs to teach you how to grow plants properly so that you can run an efficient farm or do landscaping. Has Mr. Santorum met U.S. History professor Tommy Tune here at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas? I surely doubt that he has because I know Prof. Tune would find your statements highly offensive in calling him a “liberal” and insinuating that he's been brainwashing his students on behalf of any president, let alone President Obama.

I think it is downright disgusting for a man who has a law degree, and running for the office of president, to be telling people that the current president is essentially “evil” just because he's made it easier for everyone to go to college and even further nerve-racking to insinuate that the president is trying to “brainwash” people by encouraging them to get a higher education.

Now I'm not trying to tell any of you out there reading this how to vote in the Texas primary on May 29^th, but if you are offended by what Mr. Santorum said about education not being important and that we're all being brainwashed by “liberal professors” then do as I will and vote for one of the other three candidates on May 29^th to send Mr. Santorum the message that his kind of rhetoric towards colleges and universities is not something you will tolerate from your elected officials. This is Howard College's blogging machine, over and out!