The year 2008 started off at a get-together with some old high school friends in Herriman Utah, an event hosted by Jake and Ashley Jensen. It wasn't long before the holiday festivities dissipated and I found myself back in Alta Apartments starting a new semester at school. This is my last full semester prior to my graduation, and I must say I'm happy to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I suppose now the trick it to ration my motivation so I don't run out prematurely.

This semester I'm taking six classes that amount to a load of full 18 credit hours. The classes are part of an "integrated business core," which covers the fields of Accounting, Organizational Behavior, Economics, Marketing, Business Operations, and Ethics. Although I am pleased with the caliber of teachers and resources at the Marriott School, and an Information Systems major, these classes are not my cup of tea. I certainly appreciate the value of understanding the theory and practice of the corporate world. I already have a job lined up for after graduation, with Accenture, a consulting firm, so although the nuts and bolts of my work will be of a technical nature, it will all be within the framework of corporate America. In that respect, I am glad I'm getting the schooling needed to know what's going on, but I'll admit that often times I struggle to pay attention or get excited about some of the material. The "integrated" aspect of the course means that the classes are packaged together and all who enroll must take all the classes during the same semester. This makes the setting comparable to elementary school, where the students stay in the same room and the teachers rotate in and out. So it makes for a comfortable environment since we get to know one anther better than in typical university lecture courses. Also, we are divided in several groups, which gives us the chance to work even more closely with a selection of other students. I?m still living in Alta Apartments with 5 other roommates. It?s fun for the most part, and we often get together and chat about a variety of things, ranging from TV shows, to the prospects of someone?s upcoming date to politics and the presidential election. On that note, I have been very ardent in my support for the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign. I could go on and on about why he?s the only man fit for the presidency, in case anyone hasn?t noticed, the US constitution is under siege, the US Empire is on the brink of collapse, and the American economic system is quickly gaining momentum on a downward spiral to ruin. But I?ll save my political rants for another outlet. Needless to say, national politics has been at the forefront of my thoughts this January.