Sep 21, 2007
An Introduction
My name is Alex, and I am a freshman at UT Knox, which I'm pretty happy about now. I wasn't happy about it before I came, because I really wanted to go to Washington University in St. Louis, but it's almost $50,000 per year, and frankly, I don't know anyone who has that much money. Then I wanted to go to St. Louis University, and I even got a scholarship to go there, but it was still more than UT and my dad said he wouldn't cosign on any loans, which I respect him for, because I'm crazy for wanting to go there anyway. But it sucked at the time, and I got really upset at him for a while, which was dumb, because it's not his fault that some schools cost more than our house. I had some other options, but UT gave me a scholarship for an essay I wrote them, and it's a great school, so I came here.I think my boss in the admissions department must be reading this with bated breath, waiting for the part where I tell everyone to forget all the other schools and come to UT. They said they are getting students to write for them now because people our age don't trust anyone besides ourselves. I think that's because they get paid to get you to come here. I don't really care if you come here or not. There are already 26,000 people here, so I don't think they need any help from me. I will say, though, that UT is a great school--a lot better than anyone at my high school made it out to be--and if you rule it out because it's a state school, you're making a really important decision based on nothing. I could have gone to other schools, but I didn't. Don't you want to know why?
I would tell you about myself, what I look like and everything, but I think I'm going to put a picture up anyway, so you can see for yourself. I am allowed to put pictures up, but not say my last name. That seems kind of weird to me. On my facebook under the "about myself," I just put "I keep my kings in the back row." I don't really know why I put that, except that I like Salinger a lot and he defined a character with that, and I think it's incredible. That's something, then, about me. I like books. I'm reading one right now called, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. I'd never heard of him before and I would hate to have that last name, but his book is really good. It's about being in high school, so you should definitely check it out. Another thing you should know about me is that I think I may be the last guy in my dorm that likes CD's more than MP3's. I can't really explain why, but there is just something about being able to touch your music--having to bring it with you, making sure it doesn't get scratched--that appeals to me on some strange, deep level. Right now I'm listening to an incredible band called The Weepies. Despite the name, listening to them always makes me feel like my life is alright. S
ome bands can do that; most can't.I just told you all that because I think if you are going to listen to me about what I think about stuff you should know a little bit about me. I'm kind of nervous that people aren't going to read this at all, so if you do, and you like it, write me comments and notes so I know I'm not just talking to my parents and my grandma and the one guy who really likes Salinger or the Weepies too and would read it just for that. I need to know what you guys want to hear. They hired me to make sure you get a student perspective on the school, and I won't lie to you, so take advantage. Anything you want to know, I'll talk about it. Try me.
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10 Comments:
I'm interested in your parents moving to New Orleans to "start a new chapter". What exactly does that mean? Are they moving there to help re-build and get it going again?
Hi, Cyndi . . . this is Alex's Dad; he emailed me after you posted your comment on the blog and suggested that I might want to respond to your questions. Alex's Mom and I both were born and grew up in New Orleans, as did multiple generations in both our families. As sometimes happens in life, school and jobs took us first to Baton Rouge in 1978, where we lived for for eleven years, then to West Palm Beach, FL, for eight years, and then to the Memphis area for the past decade. I have worked in law and higher education for most of my career and was consulting last year with a nonprofit group in New Orleans on a project to launch a charter school in New Orleans' Upper Ninth Ward, a neighborhood particularly devastated by Katrina two years ago. About the time Alex (the youngest of our three sons) was heading for UT, this group offered to engage me as an "incorporator" to spearhead the complex process of starting a school. I accepted the offer, and Alex's Mom and I returned to our native New Orleans in July, as Alex says, "to start a new chapter." And yes, we absolutely were motivated to move back to be a part of community recovery and redevelopment in post-Katrina New Orleans. This is a very exciting place to live right now, especially for young people (I am assuming) like you. The Times-Picayune, New Orleans' daily newspaper, published a story several Sundays ago on the remarkable upsurge in the number of college-educated, twenty- or thirty-something professionals relocating to the City in unprecedented waves. For those who want to make a difference in people's lives and to invest their own talents and time in the rebuilding of a community, New Orleans is the place right now and for many years to come. It will transform you. Another aspect of our project Alex didn't mention is that we are trying to launch our charter school in an abandoned school building that in 1960 changed history in America. The William Frantz school in the Upper Ninth Ward was the first elementary school in the country to be integrated during the Civil Rights era. In fact, we currently are in conversation with Ruby Bridges, who as a first grader forty-seven years ago walked across the threshold of the Frantz school and into history. You may be interested in reading her story in a book she published several years ago entitled Through My Eyes, available on Amazon.com. You may also want to Google "The Problem We All Live With," a painting by renowned illustrator Norman Rockwell that depicts Ruby walking into Frantz flanked by federal marshals amid hurled tomatoes and racial slurs. Hers is a compelling story, and we want to work with her to preserve that history for the neighborhood (and the larger community) that embraced it. Hope this helps answer your questions. Blessings.
Thank you so much for your student perspective on UT. It is really important to me because I recently toured the schoool and found it to be very fitting to my personality and future career interests.
Well, I'd love to give you a better picture. Do you have any questions?
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is one of my favorite books besides the environmental viewpoints of Field and Kupp, of course. (I'm just kidding about that last part). Have any other good recommendations for me?
By the way, I'm sure that CK's in Memphis will be missing your patronage. The next time I order a Paul Bunyan special, I will think of you.
I've really been considering attending UT. I like it and all but I'm still unsure. But you definitely make it sound like the right choice and some worries I had you seemed to think its nothing so I'm just waiting to see if I get accepted.
hey alex your a really good writer just for a heads up on that but for a quick question whats it like as a student at UT? My cousin who is from baton rouge is interested in attending UT and i am too. i was wondering also what is the out of state tuition like because im from mississippi.
alex, this is freaking brilliant.
Hey, Alex. Right now I'm a senior applying to college. That part where you talked about wanting to go to a different school but ended up going to UT (and being disappointed initially) is exactly what's going on with me. The school I was looking at, the one that really excited me, was Boston University. Alas, like many good schools, it costs nearly $50,000 to go there. My mom at that point pretty much made me apply to UT because, with my test scores, I could get quite a bit paid for. Your little blog thing has reassured me that no matter where I go (which might well be UT), a good education and good experience will be had. It's good to know there's someone real out there...
Your writing skills are fantastic! Reading something like your blog...something on the same level as me but at the same time challenges me to keep up...is refreshing. I am currently a Senior is high school in a small town in east TN. I am pretty set on attending UTK next fall, and it's very nice to see your perspective on what it is like to be a Freshman there. Thanks for the blogs. I'll keep reading. =D
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