This Magic Moment [Jay and the Americans]

I wonder about the experience these kids are getting. Sure, they made the choice to go to an art school - but it's a commuter art school - which is even worse. They're already not getting a true college experience, but add the daily drive and the lack of proper facilities and I feel like these kids are getting ripped off. Actually, for what they pay they'd be getting ripped off for a 4 year university, too. If there was a graphic depicting the typical college experience (or a metric like windows 7 has) I think these kids would have almost the worst rating. In my estimation the rating goes something like 4 year university, liberal arts college, religious university, community college, art school, technical school, university of phoenix. 3rd from the bottom is no place I want to be.

The student to student interaction is minimal here - even amongst the majors. There is no quad to hang out on, no team to rally behind, no local dive to eat at. There are no dorms, no bookstores, not even any books, really. What they get is a small, very stinky (it’s a greasy/oily smell) deli. There are some tables, two very gross couches, and a TV that apparently only gets Comedy Central. Generally the classes are offered and arranged so that you have 2 back to back - so there's no downtime in between - you're here and then you go home. But, if there is downtime or beaks during class, the room is full of students watching whatever portion of a Scrubs episode happens to be on.

You can tell it's an art school (a computer based art school) by the kids that attend. They look like art students. They wear those dumb overly large pant leg jeans, some even have straps and buckles on them. They all have t-shirts with anime characters on them and button up shirts with dragons and fire and skulls all over them. They're all awkward and socially timid, even around their own kind. They're not really nerds or geeks (both of which imply smarts) but maybe they’re dorks? They are the kids who were picked on the most in high school - shoved into lockers and such. Heck, being at the nerd end of the spectrum in high school I had my share of being picked on, and even I want to pick on these kids. They're going from a life of torment in high school to a false sense of 'acceptance' in art school to a life of seclusion in their parents’ basements after they graduate.

As you might expect, the fashion and ID students think they are waaaaay better than the dorks. I don't know what's worse - the dorkiness of the dorks or the arrogance the ID and fashion students. And I guess not all the students are as terrible as I’m making them out to be - the photography students are just odd, and the fashion girls are, well, fashion girls. Most of the ID students are normal-ish, though if I have to hear one more "I just love hgtv" story I think I'll stab them with a T-square. The photog, fashion and ID students are their own brand of odd – ID we’ve talked about already, and I don’t have the patience to even start on the fashion students. But, the focus of this post is really the dorks.

Most of them hang out in groups, sitting in the deli playing trading card games - magic and pokemon and who knows what else. There are black market type trades going on - 2 of these for 1 of those and 1 of these. Binders full of cards, passing envious looks and jealousy tinged congratulations on ‘new release day’ when someone gets a rare card. They have strategy and training sessions. There are intense matches (battles? fights?) at the tables, crowds gathered to watch. Post game analysis sessions and alternative play reenactments. And, what I find particularly amusing is that there is a clear rift between groups - despite the fact that they all look the same, act the same, and are all former high school outcasts, the pokemon group clearly has nothing but disdain for the magic group, and vice-versa. I want to take them aside and tell them they need to stick together, that it will only improve their numbers, but I’m half afraid that they would band together and overtake me.

And, I really, really get a kick out of watching them.