A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how much I missed Harry Potter Lego sets. Does anyone else feel the emotions of missing Harry Potter?

It has been nearly three years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out and satisfied screaming flocks of children, teenagers and adults around the world. For me, it definitely did, at the time.

But now, three years later, I am gearing up for another Harry Potter book. I am looking around and wondering why there are no oversized promotional posters in our nearby Barnes and Noble bookstore in Sioux Falls. I am left wondering why there are no Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans being sold in my Wal-Mart, and am peering around every corner hoping to find someone re-reading the Harry Potter series for the 39th time because they have to make sure they remember every detail before the next book comes out.

But none of that is happening. This literary culture phenomenon is done because there are only supposed to be seven books. J.K. Rowling, as wish-granting as she may be, is not silly enough to write another novel about Harry simply because she could make a bunch of money off of it and its eagerly-produced movie counterpart. She is a classy lady, and knows that she completed something and should not add on to it.

But lately, these Harry Potter voids are suddenly popping up all around me, and the lack of a new book this summer is making me sad. Literally. I know I may seem a bit extreme, and that my situation may seem sad to you and your sizable social life, but you must understand that I was not allowed to read Harry Potter until the fifth book came out. This was because of the books’ magical properties and potential witchcraft influence on my young teenage brain.

Thankfully, I finally convinced my parents that they should let me sample what had become the most popular books in the world, and now I am still a complete Potterfan (or whatever you wish to call me) even long after the books stopped being printed in mass quantities.

Oh Harry Potter! I miss giant chess boards and flying cars, and rats that transform and dragons that dash after broomsticks. I also miss epic battles and midnight fireside discussions, and of course Hogwarts. I know I have my own friends, but reading about Harry, Ron and Hermione being the best of friends was super because I have always wanted British friends. They talk so charmingly. If only J.K. Rowling had planned for an excited and drawn out eighteen part series that had Harry and company coming to America and battling with the MSG in our food supply.

If only the latter books in the series delved into just how Ron ended up with so many siblings and told about how there were embarrassing wizard celebrities just like in our world where we have Heidi Pratt. If only Neville Longbottom had had the chance to master the art of French cooking, and Julia Child had been able to appear as a ghost if only just briefly. If only, if only, if only. I know I am a bit ridiculous. It is just a story after all. But I am only an English major, and these books meant a lot to me as a reader, as a fan, and as a person.

All seven of them are gosh-darn good, which in Collegian-language means just about as good as a series of books can get. And so, I am reading them again this summer, even though there is no new book to be anticipated by the entire Earth’s population.

The books, once again, will make me laugh at Dobby, scoff at Malfoy, and probably convince me at one point or another that even though I am nearing my 21st birthday, I will still make a wonderful Hogwarts student one day.

You may not think that soap is a delightful thing, but have you ever considered how wonderful SOAP is?

This probably does not make any sense to you, because SOAP Day is a tradition that my best friend Erin and I began after graduating high school nearly three years ago.

Every March 23 and Sept. 23, we send each other a box containing a package of soap, a letter and whatever random stuff we can find around or think that the other will enjoy immensely. The semi-holiday was begun because we were going to college in different towns (she attends Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa) and we did not want to grow apart. It has worked its magic, because no matter how busy she and I get throughout the semester, we still look forward to the audacious occasion of SOAP Day.

Yesterday was the 6th biannual celebration of SOAP Day. One of the wonderful things about this unique and relatively unknown holiday is that you can make up whatever you want to stand for the initials of SOAP. This year I decided that S stands for Sand, O for Otters, A for Ants-on-a-log and P for Phase Ten, the charming card game that I love yet never seem to win. I chose these things for no particular reason, but that is exactly why she will enjoy them so much. It is a bizarre part of this strange celebration, but that does not mean it is not just as enjoyable as visiting lego.com to check if they will ever again have Harry Potter Lego sets. I wish!

This year in my SOAP Day package I included three colored Sharpies, two recipes from a magazine, a colored picture of two penguins, my ticket stub from my visit to Legoland, a small screwdriver, several nickels, a Ziploc bag of animal crackers, an Easter card, a bookmark, a tiny “Friends” poster, my old school ID card and of course the SOAP bar. This year’s version was purchased at the San Diego Zoo in California, so hopefully she is amazed at my go-getter SOAP attitude.

Another really great aspect of the SOAP we send is that we never use it. I have all five of the previous SOAP bars that Erin has sent to me and display them proudly on my desk in my dorm room. There is nothing better than seeing them up there when I miss her, because as cheesy as it sounds, it makes me happy to know that a part of her is with me at SDSU.

I am not exactly sure why we decided to send each other soap bars because really anything random would have worked, but I like the idea of receiving something fresh, clean and wonderful in the mail every six months from now until potentially forever. It has the nice smell of tradition to it. Get it?
One of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, wrote, “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival.”

I have known many an individual who says that they do not have time for a friend because of work or classes or homework. But is that really a worthwhile way to think? If one takes all his or her time and puts it into just surviving life, then that is really no way to live at all.

By taking a few moments and reaching out to reconnect with an old friend by calling them up, or by sending a real, old-fashioned letter in the mail, you can brighten someone’s day other than just getting by. Who knows? Maybe there is someone from your past who would simply love to receive a bar of soap and a silly note from you on the next SOAP Day. Erin and I will be so proud!

I just returned from a lovely spring break trip to the western coast of California. I promised myself in high school that I would work enough hours over the fall and winter to make sure that I could afford a spring break trip every March. I know it sounds like a lofty goal, but so far I have achieved three spring break trips in three years.

The first year, five high school friends and I journeyed to Las Vegas and Cambria, Calif., for some relaxation. Last year, my friend and I went to Los Angeles and stopped by the beach and Disneyland. This year, I went to San Diego specifically to realize the dream of seeing Legoland in person, and also got to do many other fantastic things along the way.

I do not think very many people realize how little spring break trips can cost. This year I drove all the way to California, spent five days there, drove all the way back, and the entire trip only cost $394. The drive there was a hefty 29 hours without stops or detours. We left on Friday around 3 p.m. and drove to Ogalala, Neb., where we slept in a parking lot before indulging in a hotel breakfast. Delicious and free! By Saturday night, we had arrived in Las Vegas where we got to visit my uncle and tour the city on a decent Sunday morning when everyone was still sleeping because of their hangovers. Then by Sunday evening we had arrived at our hotel in San Ysidro, Calif., which we realized upon arrival is only one mile from the Mexican border. The town’s signs were entirely in Spanish, so I got to put to use my new Spanish 101 skills. Language classes do pay off!

We toured Legoland for a marvelous day and enjoyed the Miniland, which is a recreation of many American towns made out of Lego bricks. One of the skyscrapers in New York City was 28 feet tall! Also, the Las Vegas strip was recreated out of Lego bricks and was awesome to see since we had just toured the real strip the day before.

We also made it to the San Diego Zoo, which had pandas, koalas and wonderful meerkats that made me wish to steal one and take it home. On Wednesday, we journeyed to Los Angeles and met up with my friend from Rapid City who was also visiting L.A. We also were able to stay a night with my high school drama teacher who now lives on the west coast. Thursday beheld the fine sidewalks of Santa Monica beach and Venice beach and allowed me to finally get a little sun. I even fell asleep laying on the sand because it was so nice out. Thankfully, I did not get sunburned too much.

The trip home was fun and went more quickly than you might think. It took about 30 hours total with stops for gas, but it was fun the whole way. I did all of this for quite a reasonable price, and I think next year, if you are tired of South Dakota by the middle of March, you should consider going to California for spring break. All you have to do is save a little money. It’s definitely worth it.

Friends are great. They let you tell them anything, will hang out with you when you have nothing else to do, and usually make you laugh if you let them. I like to think (in a very un-haughty sort of way) that I have a decent amount of good friends and I am thankful that I can rely on such a dependable group of people.

Friends from high school are still some of my best friends three years later, and I have met many new and wonderful people upon arriving at SDSU. I like that I have a variety of people in my life, because if I always had to talk to myself in the mirror I would get very bored. I only have to do that on Friday nights now!

I think my friends are the reason that I like the television show “Friends” so much. Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Rachel and Ross are very satisfying characters that I have found to be similar to my friends, even if they are fake. The show was on the air for 10 years, which is a testimony for its quality and lasting effect on viewers. The characters may not have been realistic, but parts of them were, and that’s what I love about “Friends.”

I feel like I enjoy these six characters because they remind me of my life and the strange things my friends and I do. Phoebe is always oblivious and earth-conscious and does wonderful things like pretending to be a pigeon and keeping rats in her kitchen. I am a rather strange individual as well, though I do not think my friends find me as amusing as Phoebe’s friends find her.

I always attempt to talk like Chandler and make things dramatic and obvious like he does, and most certainly I fail, but at least I make amusement for myself. Monica is very neurotic and likes to yell “I know!” a lot, which causes me to imitate her even while viewing the show alone.

Joey is silly and delightful, and it is because of him that I enjoy trying to hit on people around campus (emphasis on try). Plus, my roommate looks almost exactly like him! How nice. Rachel is just so darn cheerful that I want her to be my sister, and I would take her any day to be my waitress even if she is terrible at her first job. And even though Ross is my least favorite “Friend,” he still makes me laugh with his over-pronunciation of words and expressive face.

“Friends” makes me wish that I lived in New York City, had a coffee shop in the basement of my building, had perfect comedic timing, and was awesome enough to get into all sorts of wacky predicaments. Sometimes, I also wish that I had a group of friends that hung out all day everyday, instead of having to go to work and class and such obligatory things like that.

Alas! But still, life goes on and my friends are great. It is reassuring to know that they are always there for me, rain or shine, or even if there is one of those oft-occurring South Dakotan blizzards! Or not, but I greatly enjoy that NBC made a show about these charming six individuals and how their lives revolved around each other. I would always choose my friends over these idealized and fictitious ones, because even though the “Friends” are fun to watch and to laugh with (and at), the people that surround me are even better suited to be my friends. They know me and yet still love me and that is what friends are for, thank goodness!

While at SDSU, I have come to realize that I literally don’t see the world like everyone else.

It has to do with something in my brain that I learned about in psychology last fall. It is called synesthesia and is the association of color with life. In my case, I associate a color with everything, no matter what, who, where or when it is.

I never knew that everyone else did not see the world the way I do before I learned about this. Apparently, most people do not think about colors when they think about the days of the week. I, however, see Monday as dark red, Tuesday as light green, Wednesday as yellow, Thursday as dark green, Friday as purple, Saturday as gray and Sunday as golden. These colors are just as much a part of those days as the names of the days themselves. It makes keeping what day it is easy but can make getting through that day somewhat confusing.

For instance, my British literature class takes place on every other day at noon. This seems like a siample enough fact, but in my mind it gets befuddled because Monday-Wednesday-Friday looks like red-yellow-purple, while noon is red. However, 12 p.m. is black, even though technically it’s the same time as noon. Furthermore, the word British is orange while the word literature is grey, but the island of Great Britain is dark blue and books in general are brown. My professor is a cool shade of ocean blue, but her name is dark gray. The classroom we meet in is burnt orange. The number on the door of the classroom is 217, which in sequence is red-yellow-green, and the building where we meet is Crothers Engineering Hall, which is a dirty yellow hue. On top of that, if the day is Dec. 11, it turns everything darker because December is rather a dark month. The eleventh of each month, to unbalance things, is quite pale.

When all these things are accounted for in my head, it makes it hard to think sometimes. I easily forget things like papers or books I need for class or to meet with people at certain times. It can make reading hard to concentrate on because each word is a different color. Imagine reading a page where each word is a different hue of a different color. It makes reading fun and dandy, but I imagine more complicated than it was meant to be.

In addition, everyone I know has a color associated with them. My best friends here at school are purple, red, brown and light blue. I am purple, as well. Christmas is dark blue, while Jennifer Hudson takes on a groovy sort of green. My mother is dark red, my father is green, but my family overall is a crystal-clear blend of everything.

As far as I know, these color associations are random. I never choose which colors I want something or someone to be, but once the color is placed, it is hard to change it. Sometimes, as time goes on, people especially will change.

I don’t know why my mind works this way, but I think I’m thankful it does. I cannot imagine living without having so much color everywhere – on people, in class, at work and in the books I read. It makes what may be a dreary day to everyone else a colorful day to me. I have never met anyone else with synesthesia, but I want to. Maybe someday I can join a synesthesia support group and eat crumbly cookies with other color-enthused people. Maybe they would kick me out of the club for drinking all of the coffee.

But until then, I’ll just try and keep track of which day is which.

Capers auditions are this weekend, and Kim Graff is more than ready for them to get here.

“There is such a variety this year,” said the junior English education major from Sioux Falls “There is much more of a diversity in music styles and funny skits. We are bringing in new dance styles that I’ve never seen in Capers before.”

This is Graff’s third year participating and during auditions, she is in charge of keeping morale high.

“A big push this year is to bring students of all majors into the cast,” she said.

Heather Slunecka, a senior communication studies and theatre major who is also from Sioux Falls, agreed.

“I’m really excited to meet all the new people this year. It will be so much fun to have a variety of students in the show.”

Capers, which will run Jan. 26 to 30, 2010, is composed of skits, dances and songs. The theme this year is Capers Powers Up and will consist of skits, songs and dances revolving around a superhero theme. All skits are original and written by members of Alpha Psi Omega, the honorary theater fraternity at SDSU. Slunecka and Graff are members of APO.

Allison Wieland is both the 2009-2010 president of APO and the director of Capers. The senior communication studies and theatre major from Madison, S.D., said that she is very excited for auditions to arrive.

“I love meeting like 170 new people who are just as crazy as the theater people are,” she said. “Getting to explore their talents is really neat.”

Although Wieland is in charge of everything Capers, every APO member oversees some part of the process.

“I am the music director,” Slunecka said. “We have so many styles of music this year: Broadway hits that have become popular, classic ’80s rock and contemporary songs, as well.”

The dances are choreographed by members of APO. The choreographers have the option of choosing to work on a dance alone or working with another member of the fraternity. Graff plans to buddy up with another choreographer since there are 27 members of APO this year, more than ever before.

This year, the judges at auditions will be looking to cast the roles of famous people from pop culture, both from today’s society as well as yesterday’s entertainment world.

“We would like to see some crazy characters that are popular,” Graff said.

Students that audition for Capers have the option of choosing whether to be in skits or dances or both. They can also audition to sing a solo if they would like to perform a song during the show. This year’s audition piece for men is “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Women will be expected to perform “I Will Survive.”

New students should come prepared for fun when they attend auditions this weekend.

“We’re going to be doing a lot of singing, dancing and reading of scenes,” Graff said. “Everyone will be learning the audition dance there as a group, so all the students will be on the same page.”

Wieland said she wants new students to know how fun Capers is.

“Capers is what college is all about,” she said. “You get to have fun, have some crazy times, make memories that will last and push your talents. Plus, you get to meet a ton of crazy people just like you.”

Auditions for the show are Saturday, Dec. 12 at noon in the Performing Arts Center lobby. Participants are advised to wear comfortable clothing.

The SDSU English Club is hosting a night of entertainment for SDSU and the Brookings community.

On Dec. 12, one of Assistant Professor of English David Faflik’s favorite winter events will occur.

“This night has something for everyone,” he said.

The event is taking place at Cottonwood Coffee on Main Street in downtown Brookings and is the second annual English Club Variety Show.

“There was so much diversity there,” said Faflik of last year’s event. “There was a series of literary-related performances. People did readings, both poetry and prose. There were also spoken monologues, short skits and comedic routines.”

Faflik said there were also several musical performances.

“People played original songs and covers. They played the banjo, guitar and even the accordion.”

A student who writes his own pieces will again be performing this year. Donald Young, a senior wildlife and fisheries major from Vermillion, S.D., plans to perform another original.

“Last year I performed a piece about fishing,” Young said. “I like the idea that there are lots of people listening to what I had to say.”

Young said he was urged by Faflik to attend and perform at last year’s event. The excitement he got from performing is bringing him back.

“At first, it’s nerve-wracking. It clenches my heart with absolute fear, but once I’m up there, it gets better because the audience gets into it.”

Young also said that he thinks this variety night is a good way to diversify students’ experiences.

“Engineers and science majors can perform, as well as English students. I myself am a wildlife and fisheries major. This is an opportunity to be diverse.”

Christine Stewart-Nunez, an assistant professor of English, also said that diversity is important.

“An event like this brings in writers from other areas of study. If everyone that read was an English major, that would not be as exciting.”

Stewart-Nunez said she likes to promote reading out loud in her creative writing classes.

“Creative reading is important to writers, because they feel a certain amount of pressure when they know others are listening to what they have written,” she said. “Confidence is important, but this is a way for writers to get experience. The audience might have questions for them which may help them think about their pieces of work.”

Stewart-Nunez is offering extra credit for her students to attend Saturday’s event.

“I think nine out of 10 that go will end up loving it.”

Several of Stewart-Nunez’s works will be read that night. She read some of her poetry last year and will again perform her original works.

There is no required sign-up for the event though Faflik would appreciate an e-mail from performers so that he can get a rough headcount of the night’s entertainers.

“We open doors at 8 p.m. and will finish when the last person that wants to perform has had a chance,” he said.

Faflik said last year the event ended at about 10:30 p.m. He said that performers are asked to adhere to a five-minute time limit.

Faflik said the SDSU English Club was a good group to host the event.

“We try and get publicity out to the campus as well as the Brookings community. Last year, we had several senior citizens read poems.”

The demand for an event like this in Brookings is quite large, Faflik said.

“I don’t think we could host one every week but having it once a year seems to be working well,” he said. “Folks that come want to have it staged as often as possible.”

Faflik said that perhaps a similar event could be held in the spring.

“If we get a good turnout next weekend, the club may decide to host another variety night.”

Faflik said the turnout for last year’s event was roughly 80 people.

“I think we could have more this year,” he said. “Students should feel free to embarrass themselves while performing here. No one is going to care about how you entertain them.

“This event is all for the written and spoken word,” Faflik said. “No one is going to be judged here, and everyone is welcome to perform.”

Stewart-Nunez said that she was pleased with the turnout last year and hopes to see that many people at Cottonwood again this winter.

“There were just some great pieces read. It is a great chance for students to meet other writers.”

Young enjoyed being heard. “When I performed, it was dead silence. Everyone was listening to what I had to say.”

Students interested in performing or obtaining more information can e-mail Faflik at david.faflik@sdstate.edu, or just show up ready to perform on Dec. 12.

Chilee Nleya is hoping the intensity of Inherit the Wind, SDSU’s most recent theater production, will be carried off the stage and into the audience when the show debuts on Wednesday evening.

Nleya, a junior English education major, said she is very excited for “such a fantastic play.” She is betting that the audience will get very involved while watching the performances.

J.D. Ackman, the director of Inherit the Wind, agrees.

“It is a marvelous play,” Ackman said. “It offers some particularly good performances.”

The show is a dramatization of the Scopes Monkey Trial that took place in Tennessee in 1925. The trial was held after John Scopes, a high school science teacher, defied the newly passed Butler Act, which prohibited anything but creation being taught in the public school system.

“The theme is really a part of our past but also a part of our future,” Ackman said. “How we deal with the issue of involving religion in the classroom is still debated today.”

Ackman, who resides in Brookings, said he hopes the play will help viewers realize they need to be accepting of other persons’ viewpoints.

“I want people that see this show to take away how important it is to treat different points of view with respect,” he said. “This play does not take sides. It merely dramatizes the trial and raises some interesting questions.”

Annamarie Trevvett, a junior theatre major, worked on costumes for the production, but will be performing as well. Inherit the Wind is the Colton, S.D., native’s third performance onstage at SDSU.

“I just love working with J.D. Ackman,” Trevvett said. “It is always such a great opportunity.”

Trevvett said her favorite thing about working on Inherit the Wind was how each student, no matter how big or small a role, got to create their own character.

Nleya said she enjoyed the creative opportunity, as well.

“I am a townsperson,” Nleya said. “Since we could choose our own character backgrounds, I’ve named myself Jean Grey and am a conservative town gossip.”

The theater program at SDSU, Ackman said, is “sort of like athletic coaches teaching their athletes. The third- and fourth-year students provide leadership for the younger ones. Teaching and training in our program is very progressive.”

Beau McGregor, who is onstage for the first time at SDSU, said he thinks that college theater is more serious than high school.

“Students here take it more like a job,” the freshman sociology major said. “I like that better, though, because it’s more professional.”

McGregor said he has made many new friends after bonding with the other cast members.

“I’m very excited for the premiere of Inherit the Wind,” he said. “I think the audience will have a sense of enlightenment. The play explains how you can take the Bible and The Origin of Species and learn equally from both of them.”

Ackman said he chose to perform Inherit the Wind because the Theatre Department at SDSU tries to pick a show season that offers opportunities for students of all kinds.

“For Inherit the Wind, we had many, many student designers,” Ackman said. “Designers are in charge of the set, costumes, props and lights.”

Ackman said being a student designer is not easy.

“For instance, a costume designer for this show had to design and create appropriate clothing for 40 cast members. The costumes had to be authentic to 1925. Many of the designers are also in the show,” he said. “They had to be at rehearsals as well. Many of them are very invested in this department.”

Trevvett said she thinks the cast is doing well.

“Everyone is doing a phenomenal job,” Trevvett said. “This show is going to be a success.”

Nleya, who like Trevvett is a costume designer, said she loves spending time with the cast.

“Inherit the Wind is such a huge cast,” Nleya said. “We all have so much fun together and getting to go to the theater and spend the night with them every day makes the commitment much easier.”

Ackman said that to make the show a success, he not only must direct the students but teach them, as well.

“While directing shows, I am helping students to achieve their potential as performers. People involved in theater love what they’re doing,” he said.

“Each play is a new experience,” Ackman said. “This show is important because it addresses issues that are still relevant in our schools and how we will deal with these issues.”

Inherit the Wind opens on Wed., Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Doner Auditorium. Student tickets are free with ID. They are available at the Performing Arts Center box office, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at the Doner Auditorium box office each night at 6 p.m. before the show begins.

Thanks, Mom!

Television’s most supportive and lovable mothers were recently highlighted by Yahoo’s TV Blog.

One of the moms receiving the kudos was Lorelai Gilmore, who parented young Rory Gilmore throughout seven years of the now-ended WB hit Gilmore Girls. The blog reports, “Lorelai Gilmore showed us that it’s possible for single motherhood to have no relationship to wearing mom jeans and driving carpool.”

The article also states that Lorelai is loved for her “massive tolerance for caffeine” and “an enviably close relationship with her teenage daughter.”

Also making the cut is Miranda Hobbes from HBO’s Sex and the City. While perhaps not a person many viewers pictured making a good mom, the blog argues differently. Miranda “was the picture of ambivalence about many aspects of motherhood, and it was always interesting to watch how she fit it into her life and resisted becoming a different person.”

A third and more recently seen honoree is Jules Cobb, the practical but prowling cougar in ABC’s current hit Cougar Town. The blog chose her because she “turns the very notion of ‘cougar’ on its head.” Usually, a cougar is a woman over 40 who pursues younger men in relationships. However, this show “works because her insecurities ring true, even when played for laughs.”

Sensible and Scary

A sequel to the surprise bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is in the works. The book’s author, Seth Grahame-Smith, recently signed a two-book deal with Grand Central Press. The author will fulfill the first half of his obligation with a re-imagined biography of Abraham Lincoln, chronicling his adventures as a vampire hunter. The book does not yet have a release date.

Graham-Smith, who has also written the bestseller Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, is rumored to be looking into film offers from Hollywood to turn his first novel into a movie. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been on the New York Times’ Bestseller List for 34 weeks.

The Weekend Update

Saturday Night Live, the stand-up comedy and skit special that airs every weekend on NBC, has announced its December lineup of hosts and musical guests.

Blake Lively will get goofy on Dec. 5 when she hosts the show. The “Gossip Girl” star has never hosted the show. Rihanna, who debuted her CD Rated R in November, will perform a song from her new album.

Coming strong off his role as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Taylor Lautner will once again put his acting skills to the test, as he takes on some comedic roles. Lautner will introduce special musical guest Bon Jovi, who will perform on the show for the fifth time.

Dec. 19 brings James Franco as host. Franco is currently appearing on General Hospital, a daytime soap opera. The musical guest for the night is the British band Muse, whose music, coincidentally, was featured on New Moon.

Farewell, Perhaps

American Idol returns on Fox on Jan. 12, 2010, and that means the network is moving other shows around to make room for the ratings giant. Glee, which also airs on Fox, is being taken off the air after its Dec. 9 “winter finale.” The show will return in April after a four-month break, which leads Tim Surette of tv.com to wonder, “Will the masses follow?”

Fringe, the struggling Fox sci-fi drama, will be gone from viewer’s screens from February to April. Two months, according to Surette, is dangerous for a show that does not get many viewers anyhow.

“Start the death watch ? now,” Surette wrote.

Dollhouse, which stars Eliza Dushku, will not need a break from the screen at all. While fans of the show were adamant about its quality, the ratings just were not there to support the hype. Sadly, Dollhouse will bid farewell to Fox on Jan. 22, 2010.

With Thanksgiving coming up so quickly, I decided it was time to compile a list of my favorite things. You will probably end up wanting to throw something rude at me because all of the things I like are wonderful and will make you feel happy and giddy inside even if you don’t want to, but that is not my fault. Here is my list:

1. CoffeeIf you know me, you know I love coffee. I love it so much, I got a job at Java City just so that I could have more of it throughout the day. I did not start drinking coffee until I was in North Carolina one summer on a vacation with my friend and his family when I was 15. His dad made coffee, but then dozed off in front of the TV as dads are prone to do. I gazed for a bit at the steaming pot. Then I quietly stole a cup. Then I had four more. I was jittery all night, and it was wonderful. Now, I cannot stop even if I try. Sad? No; delicious.

2. Television showsOh my. I love TV so much, which is unusual because my family does not get any channels on our television and I am too poor to afford cable in the dorms. But I have come to adore many, many shows thanks to online Web sites such as hulu.com. My favorites include “Gilmore Girls” (for real), “30 Rock” (which stars my hero, Tina Fey), “Friday Night Lights” (football… yay!), “Glee” (“At first I was aroused… then furious!”) and “Arrested Development” (“For British eyes only.”). It is difficult for me to keep up with all of the shows currently on air, but I like to think I make a good effort. Sacrificing sleep for a lovely weekly episode conveniently available online is a good use of time in my world.

3. Sioux FallsSince coming to Brookings last fall, I have come to realize that as lovely a place as it is, sometimes you just need to leave it behind for an afternoon. A small town such as this one has many charms, including an awesome downtown and some quaint shopping opportunities such as Wal-Mart Supercenter. But sometimes it is good to get to the big city, and Sioux Falls works in a pinch. I especially like that Sioux Falls has Barnes and Noble, which is where I would live if they didn’t keep tossing me out onto the street after finding me under the café tables at night.

4. BirdsAren’t birds enchanting? They are to me. When I was little, I used to want to have the job of climbing up in trees to check if the birds were just snoozing or if they had died. Because I was so fond of birds, I did not realize that this job was not a real profession at all. And even if it was, I don’t think anyone would pay me to check on wild and potentially dangerous or sleeping birds. But still, aren’t they charming? I would love to be able to fly and tweet to my little heart’s content. At least I can Twitter, even though I only have sixteen followers.

5. NovelsYou probably assumed that because I love Barnes and Noble that I love reading as well. If you guessed this, find me and I will give you a pet rock or my recent paycheck. Right now I am reading The Lovely Bones, and it is hard for me to concentrate on my homework (and this column) when it is sitting beside me on the desk begging to be read. Also recently I have enjoyed Wuthering Heights, A Tale of Two Cities, I Capture the Castle and My Sister’s Keeper. A girly good yarn or two is never harmful to anyone, but to me these books are so much more than stories; they are reasons to keep on living my own life in hopes that someday it, too, can become some sort of best-seller.

As you can see, there are many charming and glorious things in my life, and probably in yours as well. I am grateful to have so much when others around me have so little.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a bit of free time and need to check on some birds.