UConn: Weekend #1

The first few days of my college career are over and I can tell you all that it has been fun, but exhausting. There's so much to do and so many people to meet, it feels like I've been here for two weeks instead of two days. And classes and clubs haven't even started yet!

 Here's my side of my dorm room...

....and here it is again. It's nice enough for what you'd expect from a typical college dorm. 

I definitely appreciate the variety of meals I can eat in all of the dining halls around campus. 

I attended the UConn Men's Soccer exhibition game against Boston College with some friends.

Although UConn was winning for most of the game, it ended in a tie. 

This was the "Welcome to Honors" event on the patio outside of the Student Union.

Yesterday all of the students met with the heads of their departments. Here, Professor Tim Hunter is welcoming us, the first ever official cohort of Digital Media and Design freshmen.

I'll try to update my blog as often as I can for all three of you who actually read this far! I have no idea what free time I'll have though, so it might not be too frequent.

College FAQs

So in less than 48 hours I'll officially move in to college. Which is kind of crazy considering how it feels like I was just starting my senior year of high school. I mean, it's hard to believe that one year ago I was completely dead set against going to UConn...but now I am! Funny how that works.

Anyway, I've noticed (and I'm sure that other people about to or recently starting their freshman year of college have too) that I've been getting asked the same few questions about college over and over and over again by family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. And yes, I'm guilty of asking many of these questions to my other friends who are going away. Regardless, I've decided to assemble a list of these questions and the answers to them in this one convenient blog post. Enjoy!

Where are you living?

I'm living in the John Buckley Residence Hall which is right near the new downtown area they built at UConn. Also it's right near the Fine Arts building which is nice because half of my classes are there.

What's your major?

Digital Media and Design.

What's that?

It's like computer/video stuff.

What classes are you taking?

Animation Lab, Digital Foundation, Global Change and Natural Disasters, Other People's Worlds, Human Rights and the Media, Intro to Film.

Do you know who your roommate is?

Yes.

Are you packed yet?

You tell me.

Is there a dining hall in your dorm?

Yup.

Do you have any friends going to UConn?

A few.

Are you nervous?

A little bit.

Are you excited?

Definitely.

Are you going to keep fencing at UConn?

I'm planning on it.

Are you single?

Yes I am! Hit me up ladies!*

Well, there you go. I assume this answers most of your questions although I feel like I might be missing a few. If I am I'll just go back and add them later. And if you think some of these answers are a little short, I can guarantee that they're more than you'd get out of me in a real conversation at this point.





*Alright so no one really asks me this YET but I figured I might as well prepare myself.

Game of Thrones Power Rankings

Yes, I know I said I was going to write a Power Rankings after each episode of this past season of "Game of Thrones." But I didn't for a few reasons. First of all, I was just lazy.

But honestly, the main reason I stopped doing the Power Rankings was because I became a little disenchanted with the show this season. At the beginning of the year I would have said that "Game of Thrones" was the best show on TV. Now, I'm not so sure. I didn't understand why the show decided to turn a consensual sex scene in the books into a rape scene in the show, ruining the character of Jaime in the process. I was confused as to why Ygritte was barely in the show, especially considering her death in Episode 9 was supposed to be one of the seasons' biggest moments. But most of all, I was disappointed by the lack of theme and flow between the episodes. The first three seasons all felt consistent throughout their respective 10 episodes. However Season 4 felt more like a collection of big moments (awesome moments, I'll admit) than a constant narrative.

I still love "Game of Thrones." And overall I really liked this season. But before this season, I would've said that the show and the books are equal in quality. Now though, even with the problems of the series, I definitely believe the books are better than the show. Maybe Season 5 will change that.

Before you read this I will forewarn you that I have read all of the books! But there are NO SPOILERS in these power rankings! None! Of course, my prior knowledge of what is to come can't help but seep in a little here and there, but there are no blatant spoilers for anything major or minor that is going to happen. I HAVE WRITTEN THIS AS THOUGH I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS! You can read this post and still enjoy season five completely unspoiled. Get it? Got it? Good.

Honorable Mention: Daenarys Targaryen (Week Two: Fourth Place)

To be honest, Daenarys is lucky to be on this list at all. She's lost control of her dragons, with one burning a child to death and fleeing and being forced to lock the other two away. She's lost control of Meereen, as she struggles to make the right decisions and has raised the ire of the people of the city. Some of the slaves she freed even want to go back into slavery. And most embarrassingly, she lost control of her own people as she banished her most loyal adviser, Jorah Mormont, because he spied on her for a little bit a few years ago. Come on, Daenarys. The only reason she's here is because so many other characters are dead now.

Fifth Place: Sansa Stark (Week Two: Not Listed)

At the beginning of the season who would've thought that Sansa Stark would be anywhere close to this list? Yet here she is. Finally, Sansa seems ready to play the game of thrones. In Episode 8, she was able to expertly lie to the Lords of the Vale and she appeared in a new, seductive outfit that seemed to be intended to seduce Littlefinger, the new ruler of the Vale. Can Sansa successfully manipulate him? If so, expect to see her shoot up this list as next season progresses.

Fourth Place: House Tyrell (Week Two: Honorable Mention)

While the Tyrells mostly sat out the last half of Season 4, they are still a formidable force in Westeros. Lady Olenna was one of the main players behind the death of everyone's favorite, King Joffrey. Yet still, her granddaughter Margaery is posed to become queen by marrying Joffrey's younger brother, Tommen. Also, Mace Tyrell, has a seat on the small council while Loras is a Knight of the Kingsguard. Right now, the Tyrells are definitely sitting pretty.

Third Place: Roose Bolton (Week Two: Third Place)

Roose and his son Ramsay are now in full control of the North with their victory at Moat Cailin thanks to their loyal servant Reek. As Roose said, the North is bigger than all the other six kingdoms combined and if Roose can rule it effectively he could easily be one of the most powerful people in Westeros. He already has the support of the Lannisters, he's rid the North of the Ironborn, and now he's taking up residence in Winterfell. It will be interesting to see what his next move is, especially now that Stannis Baratheon has arrived in the North.

Second Place: Littlefinger (Week Two: Not Listed)

Littlefinger's plan has finally started to come to light. This season we learned that the entire series has pretty much been Littlefinger's fault, as he is the one who was behind the plan to murder Jon Arryn which, if you remember, was the entire reason behind the events of the first episode. Also, Littlefinger was able to escape the mess that was King's Landing and through marriage and murder became Lord of the Vale, one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Not to mention, he is also the Lord of Harrenhal. On top of all of that, he played a huge part in Joffrey's murder yet absolutely no one suspects him of it. Littlefinger is certainly is an amazing position as of the end of Season 4.

First Place: Cersei Lannister (Week Two: Second Place)

Cersei's definitely gone through a lot of crap recently. First, her daughter Myrcella was shipped off to Dorne by Tyrion. Then Tyrion murdered her eldest son (or so she thought). Cersei was so close to getting her revenge on Tyrion when he escaped and murdered her father, Tywin. And of course, her relationship with Jaime hasn't exactly been stellar. Yet despite all that, Cersei is now the most powerful person in the Seven Kingdoms. With her father dead, she is the only one who can influence King Tommen. On top of that, Tommen isn't even technically of age, so she is still the Queen Regent in his stead. So for now she's at the top of the Power Rankings.

Missing the Cut:

I almost gave the Honorable Mention to Stannis Baratheon instead of Daenarys, but at least Daenarys has somewhere to rule. Stannis is just enjoying the hospitality of the Night's Watch...Bran Stark has finally made it to the Three-Eyed Crow and has met the Children of the Forest along the way. Depending on how they help his abilities, Bran could be on the Power Rankings sooner than later...Meanwhile Arya Stark has fled across the Narrow Sea. While it's nice to see Arya independent and free for the first time in a while it's hard to justify that she deserves a spot on the rankings...Likewise Tyrion Lannister and Lord Varys are also fleeing, but again, while exciting fleeing does not earn you a spot on the Power Rankings.

Ranking The Movies of 2014...So Far

After a long break where I was unable (too lazy) to write any blog posts, I am happy to return here with a post ranking all of the movies that I have seen so far this year. 2014 has been an up and down year for movies, many falling fall short of my expectations while some greatly exceeded them. However, at least no movie this year has been as bad as Man of Steel was in 2013. Let's get to it.

#9: The Lego Movie

I'll admit that I didn't actually see this movie in theaters. In fact, I just saw it this morning. But since it was released this year I decided to include it in my power rankings. I began watching this movies with very high expectations as I had heard great things about it beforehand. The first half of the movie did not disappoint; the characters were engaging, the jokes were very self-aware, and the plot moved along nicely.

However the second half of the movie was an entirely different story. The plot became too action heavy and there was a focus on new characters that weren't interesting and I didn't care about. Also, there was a horrible twist that pretty much made the entire rest of the movie irrelevant. I won't say what it was, just in case someone wants to go watch the movie unspoiled. But if I were you I wouldn't waste your time with this one. Or at least stop watching before the last 40 minutes.

Verdict: 5.5 out of 10

 

#8: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

This was a movie I went into with extremely low expectations. I'm a big fan of the original Spider-Man movie trilogy directed by Sam Raimi (at least the first two movies) and I wasn't a fan of the first reboot movie. Therefore, I wasn't expecting too much out of this one. The movie suffers from trying to stuff too much into a two hour sitting, not unlike the third movie of the original trilogy. You have Electro, The Green Goblin, and a major death all packed in to one movie. It's too much and as a result none of the plot is done justice. For example, the relationship between Peter Parker and Harry Osbourne, one that's fleshed out over all three of the original trilogy movies, is shoved into a mere three scenes in this one.

I will say that due to a friend's mistake, I ended up watching this movie in IMAX 3D and the special effects were absolutely amazing. And of course, Emma Stone is gorgeous.

Verdict: 6 out of 10

 

#7: Divergent

I honestly don't have much to say about this one. It was fine for what it was. If you've read the book Divergent you know it's a fun read, yet not particularly deep, well written, or original. And the same can be said for this movie. It's perfectly acceptable if you go in with moderate to low expectations.

Verdict: 6.5 out of 10

 

#6: 22 Jump Street

To everyone who said that this movie was funnier that the original; what were you smoking? I honestly loved 21 Jump Street and think it's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. So when reviews came out that this one was even better, I couldn't have been more excited. Unfortunately, I barely laughed at all during the movie. There just wasn't a lot that was funny.

What made this movie passable, however, was that it was very self-aware that the plot of this movie was very similar to the first one. And of course, the performances of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were spot on. 

Also "Schmidt banged the Captain's daughter!"

Verdict: 6.5 out of 10

#5: Captain America, The Winter Soldier

Yet another movie I went into with extremely high expectations. The first Captain America is one of my favorite superhero movies and when reviews came in saying that the sequel was even better, my excitement went through the roof. 

Now don't get me wrong, this was a solid movie. But when it was all said and done I couldn't help but feel a little let down. I'm not a huge fan of spy/espionage movies and yet this was basically a glorified version of that. I was just expecting something more. The Winter Soldier was more of a plot device than the villain of the movie. It featured Marvel Studio's favorite trick of pretending to kill off a character only for it to turn out that he isn't actually dead. And isn't Captain America extremely lucky that his enemies don't know how to shoot at someone's legs?

I will say that The Falcon was a great addition to the movie and the acting of Chris Evans and Scarlet Johansson was top notch. Also the big twist at the end was great and left me extremely intrigued as to where the Marvel Universe is going next

Verdict: 7 out of 10

#4: Godzilla

Now this was just an extremely fun movie. Yes, the characters were one dimensional,  it was disappointing that Bryan Cranston died in the first thirty minutes (spoiler!), Godzilla wasn't really in it until the last twenty minutes, and there were a lot of things that just didn't make sense. 

The fact is if you're going to be super nitpicky about this movie you shouldn't be watching movies. Was it perfect? No! But was it fun? Definitely. I saw this movie in IMAX 3D (on purpose this time) and could not have been more engrossed in the action and special effects. This was just an extremely well done monster movie and if you went in with realistic expectations it should have had no problem meeting them. 

Verdict: 7.5 out of 10

#3: X-Men, Days of Future Past

These last three movies were extremely difficult for me to rank as they were not only my favorite movies of the year but some of my favorite movies ever. In the end I decided to rank the X-Men movie the last out of the three for several reasons. 

First of all let me say that the X-Men are my favorite superhero franchise of all time, perhaps one of my favorite franchises of all time largely because I grew up watching the cartoon "X-Men: Evolution." I'll admit that the movies have definitely lacked a lot. Out of the six movies before this one only three of them were good (the original movie, X2, and First Class). And one of them (Origins) was absolutely terrible. Also there were a lot of inconsistencies, some of which DOFP fixed, some of which it did not.

With all that being said, DOFP was an extremely fun, well-done movie that gave the franchise new life. Yes, the time travel didn't make much sense, we don't get an explanation as to why Xavier's still alive (although the after-credits scene from X3 was a good enough explanation for me), and it somewhat suffers from too many characters. But the acting was good, the plot was solid, and the action was fun. It gave new life to one of my favorite franchises and I could not be more thankful for that. I can't wait to see where X-Men goes next.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

#2: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Another one of my favorite movie franchises! Again, it's a little weird that I like it so much because out of all the previous Planet of the Apes movies most of them have sucked. Out of the original series I thought movies 2, 4, and 5 were all terrible. And I'm not even going to talk about Tim Burton's remake. Yet the 2011 reboot of the series was actually pretty good and left me excited to see where the franchise was going. And it went here, the best Planet of the Apes movie ever largely due to the way it expertly explores the Apes' society, the amazing special effects, and the dynamic between Caesar, Koba, and Caesar's son.

The only thing holding this back from being my favorite movie of the year is that  the human characters are all one dimensional and the best one, Gary Oldman's character, is barely in the movie. But overall, this was a fantastic film.

Verdict: 9 out of 10

#1: Guardians of the Galaxy

Here it is. My favorite movie of the year. Chris Pratt led an awesome ensemble cast that was able to make the most lighthearted, most fun, and most enjoyable superhero movie of all time. I honestly can't remember I had this much fun watching a movie. The action, the characters, the special effects all swept me away. Two hours has never gone by faster. Peter Quill, Gamora, Rocket Racoon, Drax the Destroyer, and Groot all got ample time on screen and plenty of character development. I can't wait for the sequel and I especially can't wait for the third Avengers movie where presumably we'll see the likes of Drax interacting with Iron Man. Imagine that character combination!

Yes, the movie had it's flaws. Ronan was a fairly generic villain and the third act was a little explosion heavy. Plus it suffered from Marvel's signature "fake hero death." But overall, this was an absolutely amazing, fun movie and my personal favorite movie of the year.

Verdict: 9 out of 10