As I saunter briskly through my senior year at Champlain College, I ardently anticipate the future while also feeling a sense of nostalgia. I’ve spent my whole life in academia, and while it may not have been pleasant at every turn, I have still developed a love and admiration for education. At the start of a class called Chinese Journeys which I took at the start of my junior year, which I took under the leadership of one Professor Scudder, he expressed to the class his devotion and passion for academics. For it is in here (the classroom) where humans have spent thousands of years expanding and strengthening the minds, he told us. This is why, he explained, he is the most serious educator you’ll have the chance to study under, because to him learning is sacred. 

Of all the openings to any class I’ve had in my career as a student, this was among the most inspirational. I have always appreciated schooling, but when he spoke, it was as if we had entered a temple. Preparing to step out of the temple is indeed nerve racking but necessary, but it is my sincere hope I will not let my graduation from Champlain College be the end of my career as a student. Certainly there is graduate school to consider in the future, but for now it is my goal to see what I can do, there will be time for more schooling. 

In a decade from now, should I not be part of an academic institution, I want very badly to continue being a student on my own. It is a firm belief of mine that one should strive to learn more and continue receiving an education even if it is independently. A mind is beautiful thing and its capacity to adapt and learn should be taken advantage of and subsequently be awarded. This why I admire Professor Scudder, like many of the other educators I’ve studied under over the years—they’re devotion to academics. It seems like such a natural course to take in life. Why leave school? There’s always more to teach and there is certainly always more to learn.

-Zach

    Technically, I’m a Sonic Arts “Specialist” at Champlain College. It’s a relatively young minor/specialization, whatever. It is obvious that it is still a developing program because there is lots of room for improvement—especially when it comes to the amount of space and resources provided on campus to the Sonic Artists. There is one lab-classroom which contains about twenty mac desktops, fully equipped with Logic Prop and attached midi devices. There are several divisions that share this classroom, not simply the Sonic Arts. In addition to that space there are three rooms—one the size of a studio—the other two rather tiny, independent spaces that are all located underneath the auditorium. 
    In these three rooms we have: a beautiful Pearl drum set which hardly ever gets used (but we’ll get to that in a moment), several microphones—both dynamic and condenser, a mac in each little room which has a midi and a mixer attached to them. There is also an electric piano or two. Doesn’t sound so bad for a little program like Sonic Arts, and it’s not.
    Except for the part where these resources are shared between several other majors as well as the theatre program at Champlain. Remember that part about this being under the auditorium? Makes it a bit hard to use that drum set or set up your own equipment when there is an event happening in the room directly above the “studio”. Not to mention the clubs that rent out the space, the plays that the school puts on which require the area for backstage purposes. 
    I’ve talked to plenty of people in the Sonic Arts who feel just I do: frustrated. We want to be able to get our homework done (here we are going ending week 5 and still the computers in the “studio” haven’t been set up). We want to use this little amount of space to create, to improve our skills in this area of study that we’re paying for. As of now it feels as though this specialization at Champlain is being overlooked—it feels like not all of the artists at this school are being recognized. I’m very sensitive to this issue, this is something I have always and will always feel passionate about. It was the end of my Sophomore year before I hear about that Sonic Arts was a series of classes offered here at Champlain, and I came in giddy as little boy on Christmas. It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed or appreciated my time in the program so far, it’s been a really tremendous experience—I’ve gotten hands on work in audio, met some really amazing people, and managed to express myself while doing it all. 

I simply can’t help but want more, is all. Time with the equipment is getting more competitive as more students are coming into Champlain. The classes need to expand, there needs to be classes dedicated to equipment, recording techniques, engineering, and more. True it is still a relatively young program and I’ll be out of here before next year and I’ll have whole new set of worries when it comes to accessing audio resources, but it is my sincerest hope that the Sonic Arts to not get overlooked and Champlain College continues to expand over the next decade.

-Zach

            It’s great having a birthday in autumn. As a native New Englander I’m obligated to feel the most affection for these fall months, despite the encroaching darkness and gloom that harbors windows into the coming winter. Yet, there is something so exciting about this time of year, especially when being an active member of an academic community. The start of the new school year coincides with decline of the year and creates an odd sense of exhilaration. Turning leaves, chilly winds, the smell of wood burning in the air…oh, did I mention the reappearance of flannels and sweaters? There is something charming about it all that is hard to resist. 

            Peculiar that a season in which the green of plants and the presence of critters begin to ebb away with the cold can be such an exciting and romantic time of year. Death isn’t typically a romantic part of our culture, from my point of view. Perhaps for some fall is a time for mourning and depression, but not for me. Summer always proves to take my mind away from reality for a while, with autumn serving to bring me back down to earth again. It reinvigorates my mind as I prepare to spend the next half year predominantly inside—the summer is a time for art. Curling up and reading or coloring. The long hours of night offer the perfect setting to burrow away and create, whatever it may be—music or otherwise. 

            Fall provides a nice crossing points, the introduction into the cold weather with a periodic appearance of the sun and warmth allowing is folks in New England a few final chances to experience the joy of summer. It’s hard not to admire such a sweet time of year; it is such a delicate season. The air feels more fragile, less oppressive than heavy airs of summer, but not capable of the biting cold of winter to make us miserable and sick. This is the time of year to feel excited! Change is in the air, and for myself and many others, this will be the last time we experience the start of a new academic year with the decline of a beautiful New England summer. Enjoy it while it’s here.

-Zach

            I always enjoyed being at the center of attention for a room full of people, even from a young age. When I was a child it was strictly about that—the attention. What little kid doesn’t feed off of being fawned over? As I got older this didn’t change so much, I enjoyed being responsible for the focus of a crowd; perhaps this is why I tend to take the lead during group projects in school most of the time. However, as far as I can tell, upon growing up and becoming more self-aware the feeling begins to change—it certainly remains akin to that sensation of the adorable child demanding and receiving attention—but it does evolve.
            For me, it was a gradual process. While it’s true that during high school teens become more and more aware of themselves and how they appear to others, speaking, performing, etc. to the community that is your high school is unique. At least from my experience, I had grown up with all the same kids I went to school with; we all knew each other rather well which definitely detracts from the intensity and the nerves that come with public speaking. Here, I still felt powerful when I had the group’s attention, confident and charismatic. It was one hell of a wakeup call when I reached college and this all started to slip away from me. 
            Losing the familiar faces of the teachers, the same peers from year and year…suddenly approaching the front of the room to make a presentation became a tad more daunting. In all honestly, it felt as if the charm had vacated my presence; holding everyone’s attention was more tedious. Despite whether or not I was acutely versed in the subject matter of my presentation, my poise suffered a mighty blow.
            Clambering back to a level of comfort and eloquence was a slow but necessary process—after all, I once thrived on holding the attention of a crowd in my hands. I figured out what worked for me bit by bit. One obstacle in my way which I became keenly aware of was that I was giving my presentations just like everyone else in my classes: riveted to the podium, reading directly from notes, never holding eye contact with anyone save for my professors. So I changed my style; I began attempting to craft my presentations to reflect myself once again. I’m not like everyone else, so why should I present like them? I always hated podiums anyway. 
            Rehearsal. This was probably the most significant part of rebuilding my public speaking skills. Something so simple, which I had ignored for all of my high school career and much of my time in college, was simply practicing what I wanted to say. This led me towards figuring out the rest—discarding with notes, slides filled with text, and a quiver in my voice. By the time my Public Speaking class of junior year rolled around I was already on my way to becoming a more successful speaker. Taking this class was crucial for helping me hone in my skills, however, and I would recommend anybody with issues regarding public speaking take a class, they work wonders. 
            Which leads me to today; I’m a different speaker from where I was a year ago, entirely. Screw the podium, let me wander the front of the room! Let me gesture with my hands and my face, and let my voice express emotion and passion. It is truly astounding how quickly charisma has come floating back as I present more and more. A return of a distant and long forgotten feeling has returned to my soul—the desire, the high that comes with being responsible for the attention of a room full of people. As an adult, this feeling is incredibly important, just as it was when I was a child. It has become a confidence booster and an anxiety reducer in my life, I enjoy the thrill of preparing a presentation now. Knowing that can do it well keeps my appetite wet for another chance to get up and speak. Being aware of how other people view me, as well as how I view myself, makes my success as a public speaker all the more important to me and I hope to not lose the opportunity to present myself to a public audience in the future. Onwards!

-Zach

            Is it natural for a person to function primarily in the middle of the night? I don’t know. All I know is that is how my mind and body have felt since I was fourteen years old. Not one year has felt any different from the last; every morning is a battle, feels excruciating. Somehow after seven years of this same dance, my mind still gets away with convincing itself perhaps a bit more than occasionally that it’s not worth getting out of bed in the morning.

            “It’s okay, just stay here. Isn’t it warm and delightful?” coos a voice in the back of my mind.

            “But…the things,” another, more uncertain voice says, “the things need doing.”

            “Shhh, it’s okay. The things will still be there when you get up…only now you’ll have less time to get them done,” responds Initial Voice.

            “…And the class?”

            “Oh, who needs class when you have down quilts, comfy pillows, and sleeeep.”

            I drift off for another five minutes until the snooze episode is up and the alarm goes off once more. This is the moment of truth. Either I get up at that moment and surrender my body to the chill of the morning air, or the voices in my brain shall proclaim together, “Awww, the hell with it,” and I return to the deep, warm, and empty slumber of morning. 

            Until I wake up for real, that is. It’s amazing how that bliss and warmth just evaporates upon the realization that it’s twelve o’ clock on a Wednesday and you’re on your way towards missing your second class.  Guilt and frustration take over again; what kind of life is that to live? 

            I’m not trying to imply that I am constantly guilty of sleeping through my duties on a regular basis, but that is a good example of the struggle that has gone on day in and day out for the last seven years of my life. Somehow, I’ve managed to prevail the majority of the times and my life hasn’t been ruined yet. But what’s really incredibly to me is how even on mornings when I’m up with the sun I’ll be awake into the wee hours of the night. I can’t go to sleep at a reasonable time. It’s not insomnia, because I do sleep, lovingly and comfortably. However, it is late night hours (say, between 10 p.m. and 4 p.m.) where my mind is the most active. I write a lot, talk a lot, and think plenty during this period of my life. I really enjoy the night-everything is so different, so quiet. There is something about the rest of my world being asleep that brings out my best work efforts, my most creative efforts. 

            Is this natural? Even in high school, when I had to wake up at 6 a.m. five days a week, I could easily be awake till two o’ clock on any given night. How is it possible that after spending a third of my life on such little sleep my body hasn’t formed a more natural schedule? Maybe it is just part of the whole college thing. Perhaps getting a standard nine to five job after college will sort this out…

            Lord, I hope not. Although they are the most tabooed hours of my waking life, I adore the night. Moonlight, interesting shapes and shadows in the night, the smell of an evening fall breeze-the reticence of it all.  I think I would be devastated to lose these hours of my life, they always feel so…mine. Somehow it feels that my nights belong to me more than my mornings and my afternoons (of course there are always occasional exceptions to this). I suppose after so many years of owning my nights, this has become natural to me. Eh, oh well. I’ll get more sleep when I’m dead.

-Zach

    I have a vision for this sight and it consists of much more than this blog I am on way towards exploring. Although I foresee the creation and promotion of this website being terribly exhausting and taxing on my free time for the next several years, it wasn't exactly difficult to find the inspiration to begin this journey. My friends are talented. There is little doubt of that in my mind-one major perk of being from the northeastern United States is the abundance of well educated and diversely talented people. Boston is no joke when it comes to the arts, people take them pretty damn seriously around there and that's where I was fortunate enough to grow up. Coming to Burlington, Vermont further exposed me to plenty of smart, unique, and lovely people who also find their live revolving around creative endeavors. They are a significant portion of my vision.
    Diverse would be plenty accurate of a word to describe the relatively small group I have in mind to become residents of Germland. There are photographers, poets, storytellers, musicians, philosophers, graphic designers, performance artists, and more. Personally, I  see shades of the future we all want for ourselves, all the things that drive us in life and I can't help wanting to do anything I can for them. For us. I believe in our art. I believe in these people and I want to see their mind juices nourished and recognized for the beauty they have. Beyond that, let's have more people come and join us here in Germland! Let any unknown heart desirous of sharing their work with the world feel free to join up. It is my hope that you will.
    I am fond of many people, as well as their minds. I hope to see all of our minds reveal themselves and our hearts alongside them. Peace.

-Zach

    It's amazing how fast it's happened. In the span of 48 hours I manage to go  from a phone-less, untethered, liberated being, to a thoroughly connected individual with an Iphone and a brand new website to kick it all home. This is scary. I'm not going to deny it.  For the last two years I fought myself tooth and nail not to get a smartphone-it simply appeared too stressful to be that connected with the digital universe. Having a simple phone that couldn't even take pictures seemed to provide enough stress and anxiety in my life-just pause the next time you misplace your phone and reflect on how quickly  your heart rate increases. 
    But this is where we are now. This is where the first world lives today: inside a iddy biddy screen sitting in your pocket, your purse, your backpack, your car, your office. We reside in the digital realm. It's amazing, at a glance we all appear more connected than ever when in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps this is more of a generational thing, though. Those in the generation of my parents are probably better able to deal casually with a stranger than somebody my age, this being due to the fact that many of us have spent the last five to ten years of our lives (so, think somewhere in the ages of 11-21) with our noses buried in screens. Online video games, instant messenger, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, texting, forums, Skype, Google, Wikipedia, IMDB, Reddit, Netflix, YouTube, and I could keep going on until I made myself dizzy with all the things I haven't even thought of. How much time has my generation spent immersed in any one of these things. 
    I'm not saying I'm not guilty, it's because I'm guilty of being thoroughly dependent on these things that I was hesitant to get a smartphone, it's because I'm guilty that starting a website seemed incredibly daunting and scary. But who wants to hire a communications guy who is afraid to communicate? So, here I am. I have bitten the bullet and plugged myself in. I don't want to be misunderstood, however. I recognize the benefits and importance that many of these forms of communication harbor, I really do. It's just nerve racking. I am a people lover, a nature lover, a talker, and a dreamer and I can't help feeling apprehensive to dive into all this technology and media when I've seen the simultaneous disconnect they can cause even though I'm accessible to everyone in the modern world now. I've been unable to ask for directions because someone on the street or train had their nose buried in their phone or tablet. I've been hesitant to talk to that cute girl in my class because from the moment she sits down until the moment the class starts, her nose is buried in her phone-most likely checking her Facebook for the fifth time that day. Perhaps this is just me being pessimistic, but I can help but wonder about all the friends I might have made in the cumulative moments I've spent around people who were cutting themselves off by 'connecting' to others through one media or another. 
    But this is life, is it not? I am grabbing the digital universe by the horns and am going to ride it as hard as I can. Who knows? Maybe in a year from now, when I'm done with college, I'll be impressed and satisfied with what my media participation will bring my way. Wish me luck, and pray that my clumsiness holds off and I don't accidentally break my Iphone. 
    My name is Zachary Berger, I'm 21 tears old, a Senior Communications Major at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. I love music, I love literature, people, nature, the world, words, vinyl, walking, talking, and squawking.  Follow me on Twitter at @Zachary_Berger, on Facebook at Zach Mustache, and soon on my SoundCloud when I get some music up there.
Until next time.

-Zach