My weekly blog will have to be done in segments this week. I have my engineering group project presentation this evening, which will be interesting to see how it goes with the unreliable student, and a lot going on Friday after class through Saturday. The last time I wrote on the subject of the ACT testing for West Point, the transportation details made it impossible for me to retake the ACT in Roanoke this weekend. (The bus that runs from Blacksburg to Roanoke would get me to the bus station several miles from the high school where the test is being administered after the test is to begin.) I had communicated with my West Point regional representative and told him that the ACT people would not allow me to take the test at Virginia Tech because it is less than 50 miles away from the nearest testing location (it’s more than 50 miles if they look at the public transportation route I would have to rely on.) What surprised me is my regional representative suggested that I get a hotel the night before! Because the nearest hotel is 12 miles away from the high school and no hotels have a bus route to the high school, my parents will be coming down tomorrow afternoon and we will be staying in a hotel in Salem Friday night so they can drive me to the ACT test in Roanoke.
I think my regional representative is testing me or something, or not thinking. I did very well on my ACT test last year and have two friends from my high school who do not have the leadership or academic qualifications that I do, both who were shocked that I came close but did not get into West Point yet they got into an Academy. My regional representative is new and has told me to get “all As” in college this year and to retake the ACT, neither of which my old regional representative said to me. (He told me that I came so close, was in the top 12 of the South East US but they did not have enough slots, and to reapply this year, and continue to do well in school.) I am trying my best to get all As, but for engineering curriculum, that is very difficult and unreasonable, and the ACT test is just taking away time from sleep and studies this weekend. (I already have to travel to northern Virginia on November 6th to interview the next morning in an attempt to get a Congressional nomination, because since I am not in a military family, without a nomination, West Point won’t even be an option for me.) I know it sounds like I am complaining, but I do not mean to be. I know that reapplying to West Point is my decision and would be time consuming again without any guarantees, but something like the ACT test while I am already in college and proving myself as capable is silly at this point. (I was already over 90th percentile on it.) I am so tired from this week; I might even do worse on it. And taking standardized tests are long and draining, after which I will need to catch up on my normal work. Good news is my parents say they will take me out to Ryan’s in Christiansburg before heading to Salem/Roanoke on Friday. I ate there last month and the food is pretty good, especially the steak. A big meal and early night to bed will be nice.
This has been a pretty good weekend. I met my parents after class on Friday afternoon and went with them to dinner in Christiansburg and then to Salem to the hotel. We watched a movie and went to bed around 10pm. My cold is still pretty bad and coughing kept me up for a little while, but I slept ok after that and got up at 5:30am to eat and drive to the ACT test at Cave Spring High School. The lady checking me in did a double take when she saw my Virginia Tech student ID. She hesitated for a moment but continued the process. The test itself went well, except for having to blow my nose, which I tried not to do too often so I wouldn’t disturb other people. I got done around 1pm and went to Golden Corral near the Roanoke airport before heading back to campus. Since the weather was nicer on Saturday, my parents and I walked around campus before they left for home around 5:00pm.
I tried to get some homework done after that, but I was pretty tired and the dorms were rowdy. I worked on some math problems off and on until late, and then I lost my voice. I really don’t feel as badly as I did earlier in the week, but this cold affecting my voice had bad timing. Because I was supposed to have a 1:00pm phone interview today with my new Military Academy Liaison Officer (MALO), Mr. O’Brien, I had to send him an email to post pone it until my voice was better. He has had the flu this past week and said it was ok to call him later in the week when we both were feeling better. I am very disappointed to have to reschedule the interview because I would like to get everything taken care of as soon as possible. The biggest part will be the nomination interview with Congressman Connolly’s team on November 7 and interviewing with my MALO will be good practice. My group presentation last Thursday went well. A few friends said the two of us did a good job, so the instructor should realize who really worked on the presentation.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Group Project Problems
This past week has been extremely demanding, especially with an engineering group project on top of the normal work load. On a weekly basis, a group of three to four students presents a research topic of their choice to the class, keeping with the assignment titled: “How Stuff Works.” Each group presents on the technical aspects of whatever device or “thing” they choose. My group decided to research computer hard drives and will be presenting our project this Thursday. We chose this topic since it is straight forward and there is a lot of information on the Internet concerning hard drives.
I have had experience in group projects going back to elementary school, and especially in middle and high school. (Fairfax County is big on projects, and many teachers think group projects are valuable.) From my experience, however, group projects are unfair to the students who care about their grades. I have leadership experience from scouting and school clubs, and understand planning, organization, and delegating tasks between members of a group, or following another leader and being an active and valuable group participant. But with school group projects, it most always seems that one or two people end up doing all of the work because at least one individual ends up contributing nothing. I thought that this would be different in college, especially since people who may not typically care would have probably been weeded out through the application process. I was wrong.
My engineering group consists of three people, and I am extremely disappointed and frustrated with one member. I am surprised that this individual got into Virginia Tech or in any college for that matter. It is known that he cannot grasp even the simplest concepts in class, but I thought that a group project that involved research would be an opportunity and he would appreciate working on something non-mathematical or theoretical with hopes of bringing up his grade. Unfortunately, he either does not know how to research or create a PowerPoint presentation, or he does not care to contribute and only wants to benefit from what the other two of us do.
The funny thing about this individual is he desperately wants people to think he is knowledgeable. In class, he corrects people all the time, even though he is usually incorrect himself. On the first Engineering test, known to be a ‘weed-out’ course for engineering students, he mentioned to me that he had gotten a grade in the 40th percent range. I did feel badly for him when I heard that because I am working very hard and know that some grades do end up being lower than the effort put into the class, but I am seeing more and more that he is both dense and not putting forth any real effort. For instance, on the first day of class in our assigned groups, each group was told to build a tower out of straws and paperclips and to go for an efficient structural design. Each group had certain materials and quantities that were available to us, which placed limitations on our design, and our goal was to make the most efficient design possible out of what we had. (Our group was going to go for height, using the least amount of materials). We decided that a pyramid structure would be an excellent base, since pyramids are very sturdy and can support a taller structure. This individual wanted to build a second pyramid to put on top of the first to make it even more structurally sound, which is a good idea, except he had already forgotten our limitation on supplies. Yet, for some reason, even after we pointed out the lack of supplies, he had to be right and kept insisting that we should build a second pyramid structure to put on top of the first. This wasted a lot of time and was very annoying, so we finally let him try to build his second pyramid. His attempt failed of course (he wanted to sneak and get extra material!), so we stopped him and spent five minutes trying to convince him that using any more material would be cheating and would also defeat the purpose of the assignment. He just never seemed to get it, and these sorts of struggles continue to impede any group progress.
Fortunately, the other member of my group is reliable and knows what he is doing and cares about his grade. Unfortunately, his and my being good students still does not make up for what the third group member is lacking. I have just gotten out of a group meeting this afternoon to discuss the PowerPoint that I had made last night using information that I and the reliable team member had gathered. The third member was to have researched certain parts of the assignment and have his part to me by yesterday afternoon like the rest of us, but because he did not, I ended up putting aside work I needed to do for other classes so that I could get his share of the research done and create the PowerPoint. It was 11pm on Saturday night when I got done. The unreliable one told me today that he had found some good websites with information, but never showed it to us or explained why he did not meet our deadline.
At our meeting today, we went through the PowerPoint, making edits as we went, and decided on more detailed talking points to fill the five to eight minute presentation requirement. The unreliable student kept trying to edit the wording on the PowerPoint, which was fine, except none of his suggestions made any sense to the other two of us. It was as if he was looking for things to challenge us on and was detracting from what we needed to accomplish. The PowerPoint was written as snippets of information which would be used as talking points for our group presentation, where the finer details will be discussed. I am wondering if his insistence of adding complete sentences and every last detail is because he knows that he does not know the material and simply wants to read from the slides. We met for almost an hour and a half and accomplished what would have taken just the two of us about fifteen minutes to complete.
Working with this student is the most frustrating thing that I have had to deal with so far in college. Luckily, after this week’s project presentation, I will never have to work with him again on any more projects. (At least I hope not!) We have another project assigned as larger groups that I am also currently working on, and so far, no one in this group seems useless or counterproductive. It’s unfortunate that this individual is having some of the issues he is having, and I am normally concerned for people who are struggling, but he does not seem to care to do anything but put on a front that he is knowledgeable and to create a ruckus, which somehow must make him feel like he is important or something. It’s Sunday afternoon already, and I feel like I need a weekend to recover from this past week and weekend.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Rhetorical Analysis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZb2e_TpmQE
Joseph M. DePinto, President and Chief Executive Officer of 7-Eleven, is an example of a leader with an amazing ability to use his knowledge and skills to achieve impressive goals and success. We all know 7-Eleven as the international chain of convenience stores that sells the popular Slurpee and Big Gulp drinks and now outnumbers McDonald’s by 1,000 stores. 7-Eleven exemplifies success, which we are reminded of each time we pass one of its many busy stores on our roadways. In a recent commercial, the United States Army tapped in on the impressive standing and success of 7-Eleven as an example of what can be achieved by military officers. DePinto, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, no doubt acquired a lot of knowledge and leadership skills while in the military. Whether the Army truly is to be credited for DePinto’s and 7-Eleven’s success cannot be proven; however, it is an interesting story and can give anyone becoming an Army officer hopes of success.
Of course, the US Army will always seek ways to make their commercials as appealing as possible to the general public, and this is especially important now that they are decreasing in numbers due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past, US Army commercials have been geared towards recruitment of enlisted positions, but today there is the added need to keep higher ranks filled. It appears that this commercial’s goal is to try to entice young people who are either college bound or already in college to view the military experience as a sort of advanced education that will have significant paybacks after a short military career. I would suspect that getting people in the door is what matters most to the Army at this point, and using a middle age man like DePinto says that military service can be a temporary commitment with incredible rewards as a civilian.
Prestige, money, power and image are all motivators in America. This commercial begins with a pleased DePinto driving home to a very nice house, complete with iron security gates, and the narrator stating that “There is no secret to success.” Next DePinto is observed entering a modern and sleek, high rise office building and the narrator saying, “It takes leadership, and a long view…and a belief in yourself, and the ability to inspire others.” The narrator continues by saying, “And there’s no secret to learning these things, either.” What follows are images depicting DePinto’s Army officer experience, showing how officers learn “both on the field, and in any field.” What a powerful recruitment concept, flashing a real world example of a successful businessman who earns millions of dollars through a business known to all, and that his start was something attainable to most anyone, Army officer ship. Linking that level of prestige and monetary success to having served in the US Army is the perfect way to recruit young people in our goal driven society.
The commercial utilizes the techniques of appealing to emotion, logic, and ethics. Again, at the beginning of the commercial when DePinto pulls into his driveway in front of his gated mansion, this image appeals emotionally to most audience members. Everyone would like a very comfortable home, and the way towards that goal for most is success in the work force. Through logic, the Army demonstrates with short video clips that Army officers lead men both in the field and in business. As mentioned above, the viewer is told that “An Army officer learns to lead on the field, and in any field.” And then the narrator challenges the viewer with the question, “Can you?” This example appeals to both logic and emotion because the primary job of an Army officer is to lead their men in combat, and if they are able to do that, then their leadership abilities should carry over to the corporate world. DePinto’s position at 7-Eleven makes him a credible spokesman when it is stated that the Army is one of the best ways to gain leadership skills and was key to his success. As the President and CEO of a corporation that has done amazingly well through any economic downturn in its history, the viewer can be assured that DePinto speaks from experience and has no reason for gaining anything financial for promoting the military. The challenge, “Can you?” makes one feel that it all is doable, if only to prove to the hidden voice, “Yes I can.”
This commercial does evade certain points, however. While serving as an officer in the US Army will provide key leadership experience, the time served will not be easy. Changing locations every 3 - 4 years, often with no say as to where they will be, and deployments and the impact they have on one’s life, were not mentioned in the commercial. Also, out of the millions of people who have served as officers in the Army, how many of them have become multi-millionaires and CEOs of large corporations afterwards? Probability says that the norm will go on to lead average lives and hold what one would consider to be normal jobs. While any leadership experience is valuable, it can be gained in all sorts of arenas, and none promise any guarantees or an easy path to monetary wealth. Never the less, this commercial does an excellent job, I feel, in presenting a possible scenario, although unlikely, to entice the young for Army officer ship. I do, however, find it interesting that no attempt was made to appeal to one’s duty of country or protecting rights and freedoms in this promotion. It was all about using the military as a stepping stone for future wealth potential.
Joseph M. DePinto, President and Chief Executive Officer of 7-Eleven, is an example of a leader with an amazing ability to use his knowledge and skills to achieve impressive goals and success. We all know 7-Eleven as the international chain of convenience stores that sells the popular Slurpee and Big Gulp drinks and now outnumbers McDonald’s by 1,000 stores. 7-Eleven exemplifies success, which we are reminded of each time we pass one of its many busy stores on our roadways. In a recent commercial, the United States Army tapped in on the impressive standing and success of 7-Eleven as an example of what can be achieved by military officers. DePinto, a West Point graduate and former Army officer, no doubt acquired a lot of knowledge and leadership skills while in the military. Whether the Army truly is to be credited for DePinto’s and 7-Eleven’s success cannot be proven; however, it is an interesting story and can give anyone becoming an Army officer hopes of success.
Of course, the US Army will always seek ways to make their commercials as appealing as possible to the general public, and this is especially important now that they are decreasing in numbers due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the past, US Army commercials have been geared towards recruitment of enlisted positions, but today there is the added need to keep higher ranks filled. It appears that this commercial’s goal is to try to entice young people who are either college bound or already in college to view the military experience as a sort of advanced education that will have significant paybacks after a short military career. I would suspect that getting people in the door is what matters most to the Army at this point, and using a middle age man like DePinto says that military service can be a temporary commitment with incredible rewards as a civilian.
Prestige, money, power and image are all motivators in America. This commercial begins with a pleased DePinto driving home to a very nice house, complete with iron security gates, and the narrator stating that “There is no secret to success.” Next DePinto is observed entering a modern and sleek, high rise office building and the narrator saying, “It takes leadership, and a long view…and a belief in yourself, and the ability to inspire others.” The narrator continues by saying, “And there’s no secret to learning these things, either.” What follows are images depicting DePinto’s Army officer experience, showing how officers learn “both on the field, and in any field.” What a powerful recruitment concept, flashing a real world example of a successful businessman who earns millions of dollars through a business known to all, and that his start was something attainable to most anyone, Army officer ship. Linking that level of prestige and monetary success to having served in the US Army is the perfect way to recruit young people in our goal driven society.
The commercial utilizes the techniques of appealing to emotion, logic, and ethics. Again, at the beginning of the commercial when DePinto pulls into his driveway in front of his gated mansion, this image appeals emotionally to most audience members. Everyone would like a very comfortable home, and the way towards that goal for most is success in the work force. Through logic, the Army demonstrates with short video clips that Army officers lead men both in the field and in business. As mentioned above, the viewer is told that “An Army officer learns to lead on the field, and in any field.” And then the narrator challenges the viewer with the question, “Can you?” This example appeals to both logic and emotion because the primary job of an Army officer is to lead their men in combat, and if they are able to do that, then their leadership abilities should carry over to the corporate world. DePinto’s position at 7-Eleven makes him a credible spokesman when it is stated that the Army is one of the best ways to gain leadership skills and was key to his success. As the President and CEO of a corporation that has done amazingly well through any economic downturn in its history, the viewer can be assured that DePinto speaks from experience and has no reason for gaining anything financial for promoting the military. The challenge, “Can you?” makes one feel that it all is doable, if only to prove to the hidden voice, “Yes I can.”
This commercial does evade certain points, however. While serving as an officer in the US Army will provide key leadership experience, the time served will not be easy. Changing locations every 3 - 4 years, often with no say as to where they will be, and deployments and the impact they have on one’s life, were not mentioned in the commercial. Also, out of the millions of people who have served as officers in the Army, how many of them have become multi-millionaires and CEOs of large corporations afterwards? Probability says that the norm will go on to lead average lives and hold what one would consider to be normal jobs. While any leadership experience is valuable, it can be gained in all sorts of arenas, and none promise any guarantees or an easy path to monetary wealth. Never the less, this commercial does an excellent job, I feel, in presenting a possible scenario, although unlikely, to entice the young for Army officer ship. I do, however, find it interesting that no attempt was made to appeal to one’s duty of country or protecting rights and freedoms in this promotion. It was all about using the military as a stepping stone for future wealth potential.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Grandparents Visit
The upcoming weekend has me thinking about my maternal grandparents, “Mimi” and “Deda”. Mimi and Deda live about 15 miles from my home and have been a huge part of my life. They have attended all significant events, and many not so significant events, throughout my life. The most important thing about them is that they make time for me and make me feel special. They have four grandsons, of which I am the oldest, and treat everyone as if they were the most wonderful and unique individuals in the world. I think everyone should have quality grandparents like I have and feel fortunate that I am lucky enough to have them. My father’s parents are also local but favor some grandchildren over others, like they did with their own children. This messes people up and has created problems within the family, but I don’t let it bother me.
I should probably explain their names first. Since I am the oldest grandchild, I can take credit for naming them. I was a little over a year old when my brother was baptized. We have a lot of family in town, including my mother’s grandparents who drove in from Texas. My mom calls her grandparents “Memaw” and “Pepaw.” I was learning to talk and during that weekend started saying, “Mimimimi,” probably imitating my mom calling her grandmother, “Memaw”. I don’t know exactly how, but they say that I mainly said “Mimimi” to my grandmother, so she became, “Mimi.” My grandfather was supposed to be “Granddad,” but I could not say “Granddad.” I got the syllables right, but it came out as “Deda.” Everyone thought that was funny, but the name stuck, and now I have a Mimi and Deda. My uncle’s much younger sons also call my grandparents Mimi and Deda. I think other people probably have a “Mimi,” but I doubt anyone besides us has a “Deda.” I don’t even think about how weird it sounds now. My friends have sometimes asked when they have been over when my grandparents were around, “What do you call your Grandfather? Deda?”
Anyway, Mimi and Deda have an annual tradition of taking me and my brother (a year younger than me) on short summer trips. These excursions are usually two or three days at Ocean Isle Beach or Nags Head, followed by a couple of days visiting a historical site, such as Jamestown or Colonial Williamsburg, on our way home. They have been doing this since we were about four and five years old, and it is something I look forward to and have never outgrown. This past summer was a little different because my brother would be at Boys State and Governor’s School and I had VT Orientation on the calendar, so we had to get a quick, short trip in at the beginning of summer as soon as school got out. (Fairfax County schools don’t get out until later in June.) This year we cut out the beach trip and made a three day trip (July 1 – 3) to Philadelphia instead. That was an amazing trip. I have always enjoyed history and the city is unique compared to D.C. and Richmond. We began our trip by visiting the Independence Visitor Center and then headed towards the Liberty Bell and Independence Square, where Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and the Supreme Court Chamber are. Congress Hall was the Congress and Senate’s first building, where the terms “Upper & Lower Houses” for the Senate and Congress were derived, because the upper floor of the building was where the Senate met, and the lower floor was where the House of Representatives met. We also took a Duck tour of the city, where we saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall & Congress Hall again, and also Washington Square, Society Hill, Merchant’s Exchange, Ben Franklin’s Grave, The Mint, Betsy Ross’ House, Christ Church, Franklin Court, and several other places.
The reason I thought to write about my grandparents is they are making a trip down to Tech to see me this Friday afternoon. (I am working on my blog early since I won’t have as much time later in the week.) My grandmother has reserved a room at a hotel in downtown Blacksburg so we will be close to the campus and I will meet them after class in the afternoon. I know they are anxious to see me, my dorm room, and walk the campus. (My Uncle Dave went to Tech in the late 1980s.) My mom is also sending down printer ink and other supplies I am running low on, some food, and warmer clothing. (I thought one hoodie would be enough for fall. I realize now I may need an extra hoodie, cooler weather clothes for jogging, and possibly my winter coat before I go home for Thanksgiving. It gets a lot cooler here earlier in the year than I realized.) I know that my parents will be coming down for Parents’ Weekend later in the month, but my mom keeps worrying about swine flu and also wanted to get me these things now since my grandparents will be coming down earlier. My grandmother has also asked what special foods she can bring down when they visit. (I have a small frig in my dorm room that I can put some stuff in.) Mimi has frozen a couple of slices of her home made pizza that I like so well to bring down.
I will probably stay in the hotel with Mimi and Deda Friday night since we will already be together and so that we can do something Saturday morning without my waking my roommate up, who likes to sleep in. I don’t think they will be staying too late into Saturday since I have so much school work to do each weekend.
I should probably explain their names first. Since I am the oldest grandchild, I can take credit for naming them. I was a little over a year old when my brother was baptized. We have a lot of family in town, including my mother’s grandparents who drove in from Texas. My mom calls her grandparents “Memaw” and “Pepaw.” I was learning to talk and during that weekend started saying, “Mimimimi,” probably imitating my mom calling her grandmother, “Memaw”. I don’t know exactly how, but they say that I mainly said “Mimimi” to my grandmother, so she became, “Mimi.” My grandfather was supposed to be “Granddad,” but I could not say “Granddad.” I got the syllables right, but it came out as “Deda.” Everyone thought that was funny, but the name stuck, and now I have a Mimi and Deda. My uncle’s much younger sons also call my grandparents Mimi and Deda. I think other people probably have a “Mimi,” but I doubt anyone besides us has a “Deda.” I don’t even think about how weird it sounds now. My friends have sometimes asked when they have been over when my grandparents were around, “What do you call your Grandfather? Deda?”
Anyway, Mimi and Deda have an annual tradition of taking me and my brother (a year younger than me) on short summer trips. These excursions are usually two or three days at Ocean Isle Beach or Nags Head, followed by a couple of days visiting a historical site, such as Jamestown or Colonial Williamsburg, on our way home. They have been doing this since we were about four and five years old, and it is something I look forward to and have never outgrown. This past summer was a little different because my brother would be at Boys State and Governor’s School and I had VT Orientation on the calendar, so we had to get a quick, short trip in at the beginning of summer as soon as school got out. (Fairfax County schools don’t get out until later in June.) This year we cut out the beach trip and made a three day trip (July 1 – 3) to Philadelphia instead. That was an amazing trip. I have always enjoyed history and the city is unique compared to D.C. and Richmond. We began our trip by visiting the Independence Visitor Center and then headed towards the Liberty Bell and Independence Square, where Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and the Supreme Court Chamber are. Congress Hall was the Congress and Senate’s first building, where the terms “Upper & Lower Houses” for the Senate and Congress were derived, because the upper floor of the building was where the Senate met, and the lower floor was where the House of Representatives met. We also took a Duck tour of the city, where we saw the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall & Congress Hall again, and also Washington Square, Society Hill, Merchant’s Exchange, Ben Franklin’s Grave, The Mint, Betsy Ross’ House, Christ Church, Franklin Court, and several other places.
The reason I thought to write about my grandparents is they are making a trip down to Tech to see me this Friday afternoon. (I am working on my blog early since I won’t have as much time later in the week.) My grandmother has reserved a room at a hotel in downtown Blacksburg so we will be close to the campus and I will meet them after class in the afternoon. I know they are anxious to see me, my dorm room, and walk the campus. (My Uncle Dave went to Tech in the late 1980s.) My mom is also sending down printer ink and other supplies I am running low on, some food, and warmer clothing. (I thought one hoodie would be enough for fall. I realize now I may need an extra hoodie, cooler weather clothes for jogging, and possibly my winter coat before I go home for Thanksgiving. It gets a lot cooler here earlier in the year than I realized.) I know that my parents will be coming down for Parents’ Weekend later in the month, but my mom keeps worrying about swine flu and also wanted to get me these things now since my grandparents will be coming down earlier. My grandmother has also asked what special foods she can bring down when they visit. (I have a small frig in my dorm room that I can put some stuff in.) Mimi has frozen a couple of slices of her home made pizza that I like so well to bring down.
I will probably stay in the hotel with Mimi and Deda Friday night since we will already be together and so that we can do something Saturday morning without my waking my roommate up, who likes to sleep in. I don’t think they will be staying too late into Saturday since I have so much school work to do each weekend.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tailgating
I finished a stretch of major tests Thursday evening when I took my Engineering Exploration test and was anticipating some rest and relaxation this weekend, something that I have not had much of since arriving here at Tech. Not that I was going to go too many hours without working on school work, I did look forward to some pre-game festivities. Maybe one of these days I will actually win a ticket in the lottery and attend a home game, but for now, tailgating and possibly watching all of the Virginia Tech – Miami game on TV would suffice. I have just returned from two tailgates and feel refreshed enough to tackle some more chemistry and linear algebra homework.
The heavy rain and lack of an umbrella did not deter me from attending tailgate parties. The first was hosted by the Galileo Program, which I am a member. It was nice hanging out with students from my engineering classes and being able to just talk in a relaxed environment. During the school week, everybody is busy. The tailgate party was inside Lee hall on the 2nd floor in the lounge. It was originally going to be outside, but the weather convinced those who were organizing it to change the location. I was one of the first people to arrive, so I got there before the lines got too long for food. They served hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the stove. The food was all pretty good and I had a great time hanging out with other people in Galileo.
The second tailgate party was hosted by a VT alumni group from northern Virginia, where I am from. What a small world! This past June, at my friend from high school and now college roommate’s graduation party, another guest recognized my father’s name as being pretty famous in the internet community upon introduction. This man, Mr. Bowman, is a neighbor of my friend/roommate and is working in the same field that my father is nationally known, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). It is a specialized area that many people have not heard of, so it’s a small world that this man knew of my father. At that party, Mr. Bowman told me how he and some of his Tech friends travel to Blacksburg for home games and that they like to host tailgating parties. He encouraged me to visit his group this fall, which I did for the first time today. I am glad that I went. The VT alumni group had a spectacular assortment of food. I love D2 but still miss home cooking. This group also had hamburgers and hot dogs, but an assortment of other foods as well. The tastiest item there was the homemade sausage, especially the jalapeno filled ones. They also provided an assortment of desserts, including my favorite, brownies. It was pouring down rain all around us and I was wet and chilly from the walk, but we stood under the canopy and talked and ate until full.
I think that it is interesting how at an early summer party, someone recognized my father and then became interested in me when he learned that I was going to attend Virginia Tech. I am far from home and it was nice meeting alumni from my area. Now that I have met more people, I will feel comfortable participating in social and volunteer activities during winter breaks and the summers when I am at home. For such a huge school, Virginia Tech alumni seem like a very close group. And they are definitely proud of their football team! I look forward to the day when I can attend a live VT game myself. I have entered the lottery to win tickets for every game so far, but have not had any luck as of now. I know a few people who have acquired tickets to every home game so far. Most of my friends who are attending games buy the tickets themselves, as opposed to waiting until they win one in the lottery, and have even paid well over $100 for a ticket. I was surprised that there weren’t more people giving away tickets to the Miami game today because of the rain. Just from being outside, even sheltered under a canopy, I still got soaked and was somewhat cold. Several people on my hall who were attending the game came back at half time because it was getting so cold and they were afraid of getting sick. But for the majority of the Hokies I saw, nothing would deter them from tailgating or game attendance. Now that’s school spirit!
The heavy rain and lack of an umbrella did not deter me from attending tailgate parties. The first was hosted by the Galileo Program, which I am a member. It was nice hanging out with students from my engineering classes and being able to just talk in a relaxed environment. During the school week, everybody is busy. The tailgate party was inside Lee hall on the 2nd floor in the lounge. It was originally going to be outside, but the weather convinced those who were organizing it to change the location. I was one of the first people to arrive, so I got there before the lines got too long for food. They served hamburgers and hotdogs cooked on the stove. The food was all pretty good and I had a great time hanging out with other people in Galileo.
The second tailgate party was hosted by a VT alumni group from northern Virginia, where I am from. What a small world! This past June, at my friend from high school and now college roommate’s graduation party, another guest recognized my father’s name as being pretty famous in the internet community upon introduction. This man, Mr. Bowman, is a neighbor of my friend/roommate and is working in the same field that my father is nationally known, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). It is a specialized area that many people have not heard of, so it’s a small world that this man knew of my father. At that party, Mr. Bowman told me how he and some of his Tech friends travel to Blacksburg for home games and that they like to host tailgating parties. He encouraged me to visit his group this fall, which I did for the first time today. I am glad that I went. The VT alumni group had a spectacular assortment of food. I love D2 but still miss home cooking. This group also had hamburgers and hot dogs, but an assortment of other foods as well. The tastiest item there was the homemade sausage, especially the jalapeno filled ones. They also provided an assortment of desserts, including my favorite, brownies. It was pouring down rain all around us and I was wet and chilly from the walk, but we stood under the canopy and talked and ate until full.
I think that it is interesting how at an early summer party, someone recognized my father and then became interested in me when he learned that I was going to attend Virginia Tech. I am far from home and it was nice meeting alumni from my area. Now that I have met more people, I will feel comfortable participating in social and volunteer activities during winter breaks and the summers when I am at home. For such a huge school, Virginia Tech alumni seem like a very close group. And they are definitely proud of their football team! I look forward to the day when I can attend a live VT game myself. I have entered the lottery to win tickets for every game so far, but have not had any luck as of now. I know a few people who have acquired tickets to every home game so far. Most of my friends who are attending games buy the tickets themselves, as opposed to waiting until they win one in the lottery, and have even paid well over $100 for a ticket. I was surprised that there weren’t more people giving away tickets to the Miami game today because of the rain. Just from being outside, even sheltered under a canopy, I still got soaked and was somewhat cold. Several people on my hall who were attending the game came back at half time because it was getting so cold and they were afraid of getting sick. But for the majority of the Hokies I saw, nothing would deter them from tailgating or game attendance. Now that’s school spirit!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Hurt Locker - Not Just Another War Movie
THE RUSH OF BATTLE IS OFTEN A POTENT AND LETHAL ADDICTION, FOR WAR IS A DRUG. Those were the words displayed across the screen before the opening scene in the movie, The Hurt Locker, the 2009 American war thriller on the Iraqi war. The film follows an EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Team through their final month in Iraq after their original team leader was killed trying to disarm an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). While this movie is about war and the military, its purpose is not action or combat, but to reveal the struggles within a select Army bomb squad as they try to adjust to a new team lead. These struggles were both internal and external.
The team’s youngest member, Specialist Owen Eldridge, wrestles with issues of life and death after failing to shoot the insurgent who detonated the IED that killed their original team leader. Eldridge meets with a psychologist to discuss his emotional state, namely that he is troubled by a strong feeling that he too will be killed while on a mission. During one particular session, feeling that his psychologist cannot relate to what is troubling him, Eldridge offers for the therapist to accompany the team in the field so he can better understand what his patient has to endure on a daily basis. The psychologist joins the team on a mission and ironically ends up being killed by an IED explosion. In spite of this setback and feeling even more bewildered, SPC Eldridge becomes more and more confident throughout the movie, determined to fight his internal struggles and the demons of war.
For Sergeant JT Sanborn, his difficulty lies more directly with the new team leader, Staff Sergeant William James, than anything internal. SSG James is described by SGT Sanborn as “reckless.” On the team’s first mission under the lead of SSG James, James decides to defy protocol by wearing a bomb suit instead of initially dispatching a robot to examine the suspected IED. This risk taking, added to the fact that James often fails to communicate with his team, has Sanborn rightfully worried. It’s not that anyone is concerned about James’ skill as James has disabled over 870 IEDs and is one of the best technicians, but the problem is that often James does his job with disregard to his team’s safety. The only thing on Sergeant Sanborn’s mind is getting out of Iraq alive and well, and with only one month left in their rotation, he sees James as a threat to their safety and his chances of reaching that date alive.
To SSG James, his job is the best in the world. James is an unusual soul who loves the thrill of disarming IEDs. Having served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, a unit which has experienced extremely intense combat areas, James was hardened to danger. He sees nothing wrong with the way he works. James likes to have fun while doing his job despite the seriousness of his line of work. While conversing with a Colonel who was complimenting James’ skill, the Colonel dubbed James “a wild man” after asking James what the best way was of disarming an IED. SSG James had replied, “The way you don’t die, Sir.” Under his bed, James keeps a box filled with the detonator switches from every IED that he has ever disarmed. James preserves those pieces because he is fascinated with things that almost killed him. When one day SPC Eldridge peers into James’ box and pulls out a necklace with a wedding ring on it, Eldridge asks what the ring was doing in the box. James replies, “Like I said: things that almost killed me.”
A setback in the movie is when SPC Eldridge is accidentally shot by SSG James while chasing down a group of insurgents who had detonated an IED under an M1A2 Abrams tank. The team seemed to have been falling apart with only a few days remaining in their rotation in Iraq when this occurred. Luckily, however, in spite of all of the challenges and risks, they all make it back alive.
While at home with his wife and son, SSG James cannot seem to adjust to life without war. While playing with his infant son, James explains to him that as one gets older, there are fewer activities in life one really enjoys, and that it may be only one or two things that give true satisfaction. The movie ended with a scene of SSG James stepping off a helicopter after it landed in Iraq. 365 days until the end of his next rotation. I don’t know what message that gives to a son, war being more important and satisfying than family, but fortunately his son was an infant and could not see that his father was more satisfied fighting than being at home. It seemed as if SSG James was destined to be a military man.
Before I saw the movie, I thought it would be merely a war movie with a lot of action and little or no plot. I was surprised by the storyline and really enjoyed the movie as it examined the war’s effect on each of the main character’s personality. The audience is able to truly get to know the characters and understand what it is each is going through without having to actually be there. I have seen the movie several times already, and I enjoy watching it every time.
The team’s youngest member, Specialist Owen Eldridge, wrestles with issues of life and death after failing to shoot the insurgent who detonated the IED that killed their original team leader. Eldridge meets with a psychologist to discuss his emotional state, namely that he is troubled by a strong feeling that he too will be killed while on a mission. During one particular session, feeling that his psychologist cannot relate to what is troubling him, Eldridge offers for the therapist to accompany the team in the field so he can better understand what his patient has to endure on a daily basis. The psychologist joins the team on a mission and ironically ends up being killed by an IED explosion. In spite of this setback and feeling even more bewildered, SPC Eldridge becomes more and more confident throughout the movie, determined to fight his internal struggles and the demons of war.
For Sergeant JT Sanborn, his difficulty lies more directly with the new team leader, Staff Sergeant William James, than anything internal. SSG James is described by SGT Sanborn as “reckless.” On the team’s first mission under the lead of SSG James, James decides to defy protocol by wearing a bomb suit instead of initially dispatching a robot to examine the suspected IED. This risk taking, added to the fact that James often fails to communicate with his team, has Sanborn rightfully worried. It’s not that anyone is concerned about James’ skill as James has disabled over 870 IEDs and is one of the best technicians, but the problem is that often James does his job with disregard to his team’s safety. The only thing on Sergeant Sanborn’s mind is getting out of Iraq alive and well, and with only one month left in their rotation, he sees James as a threat to their safety and his chances of reaching that date alive.
To SSG James, his job is the best in the world. James is an unusual soul who loves the thrill of disarming IEDs. Having served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan, a unit which has experienced extremely intense combat areas, James was hardened to danger. He sees nothing wrong with the way he works. James likes to have fun while doing his job despite the seriousness of his line of work. While conversing with a Colonel who was complimenting James’ skill, the Colonel dubbed James “a wild man” after asking James what the best way was of disarming an IED. SSG James had replied, “The way you don’t die, Sir.” Under his bed, James keeps a box filled with the detonator switches from every IED that he has ever disarmed. James preserves those pieces because he is fascinated with things that almost killed him. When one day SPC Eldridge peers into James’ box and pulls out a necklace with a wedding ring on it, Eldridge asks what the ring was doing in the box. James replies, “Like I said: things that almost killed me.”
A setback in the movie is when SPC Eldridge is accidentally shot by SSG James while chasing down a group of insurgents who had detonated an IED under an M1A2 Abrams tank. The team seemed to have been falling apart with only a few days remaining in their rotation in Iraq when this occurred. Luckily, however, in spite of all of the challenges and risks, they all make it back alive.
While at home with his wife and son, SSG James cannot seem to adjust to life without war. While playing with his infant son, James explains to him that as one gets older, there are fewer activities in life one really enjoys, and that it may be only one or two things that give true satisfaction. The movie ended with a scene of SSG James stepping off a helicopter after it landed in Iraq. 365 days until the end of his next rotation. I don’t know what message that gives to a son, war being more important and satisfying than family, but fortunately his son was an infant and could not see that his father was more satisfied fighting than being at home. It seemed as if SSG James was destined to be a military man.
Before I saw the movie, I thought it would be merely a war movie with a lot of action and little or no plot. I was surprised by the storyline and really enjoyed the movie as it examined the war’s effect on each of the main character’s personality. The audience is able to truly get to know the characters and understand what it is each is going through without having to actually be there. I have seen the movie several times already, and I enjoy watching it every time.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
ACTs and More Tests
As most everyone who knows me well is aware, I am in the process of reapplying to West Point. I do not intend to write about the various aspects of this process each week, but it’s just been all consuming in some ways the past few weeks. I completed my nomination packets just before leaving for college, which took a lot of work, but have had to continue to work on this application process since arriving at Tech, such as the Candidate Fitness Assessment I wrote about earlier, and communicating with and coordinating other people’s roles in the process, like my high school counselor, my local Liaison Officer, and the USMA South Eastern Regional Representative (MAJ Tolman). Because any improvement in my combined applicant score would boost my standing in the appointment process, I had hoped to retake the ACT test this fall. I did very well on the ACT last year, scoring in the 90th percentile, but after discussing every possible way of improving my combined applicant score with MAJ Tolman earlier this summer, I decided that I would re-take the ACT again this fall at Tech. Unfortunately, the nearest test location is at a high school in Roanoke, approximately 50 miles away by bus and would also involve walking or a taxi to get to the test site. (Even then, public transportation gets me to the Roanoke bus station after the start of the test time.)
Virginia Tech is not a registered ACT testing center. The ACT Arranged Testing Office requires that a list of conditions be met before allowing one to take an ACT test at a location that had not previously been approved as a certified testing center. Individuals may arrange a special test session if their religious faith prohibits them from taking a Saturday test, if they reside in countries where there is no certified testing center, if they are confined to a hospital, or if they do not have a testing center within 50 miles of their current location. If approved, the special testing arrangement would also have to be scheduled during an ACT testing window.
Dr. Brandon Phillips, the Arranged Testing Supervisor at the Counseling Center here at Virginia Tech, agreed to proctor the test if it was approved by the ACT. Before classes started, I drafted a letter to the ACT explaining my transportation issues, filled out their forms, and met with Dr. Phillips to get all of the paperwork completed and signed. Dr. Phillips had to certify that his testing center met all of the ACT requirements, such as the proctor being fluent in English, having experience giving similar tests, being a staff member of the institution where the test would be given, having access to a safe to securely store the testing materials, and agreeing to proctor the test. Dr. Phillips completed his part of the forms and signed everything, agreeing to the conditions. I mailed the packet with a check for the registration fee and waited.
Just yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Phillips informing me that the ACT Arranged Testing Office had contacted him to say that they had denied my request to take the ACT test at Virginia Tech. They stated that my request did not meet their requirement that I was over 50 miles from a registered testing center. Dr. Phillips checked MapQuest and said that a direct route indicated that Blacksburg is only 40 miles from Roanoke. Unfortunately, even if public transportation was an option (it is not because it would get me to the Roanoke bus station after the test begins), the ACT must have ignored my letter. I feel that a reasonable person would understand that by taking a bus route, the route is longer than a direct route by car, and then walking or taking a taxi to the high school where the test would be given adds miles to the distance traveled.
I am disappointed that I will not be able to retake the ACTs, but I am becoming more and more relieved now, mostly because of the amount of work I have been assigned from my other classes. In the next two weeks, I have four major tests. Most of the tests should go well because I am already reading the material and studying for them, but something like Chemistry, I could use the extra time preparing for. (I took an accelerated math and science program in high school so I have not had Chemistry for three years, making the material almost foreign to me. I mostly dislike having to name elements from their given formulas and getting the formula from the given names.) I am looking forward to taking the other tests, though. I have to take my Linear Algebra test by the Monday evening deadline, and I also have a big Calculus test later in the week. I have been scoring well on all of my linear algebra quizzes so far and took AP Calculus in high school and really understand the material, so I am confident that I won’t have any problems on either of those tests. A week from now, I have my Engineering Exploration test, which I have also begun studying for. Engineering exploration is the “weed out” course for engineering students, so there is a lot of pressure to do very well in that class.
These next two weeks and after will be very busy, and with the extra time I intend to spend on Chemistry and Engineering Exploration, it is probably a good thing that the ACT Arranged Testing Office denied my request. Never mind that I am not familiar with Roanoke and that this would have been my first trip using public transportation, really increasing the chance that I would not arrive on time even if the buses from Blacksburg began their routes earlier than they do on Saturdays. I guess there is a chance too that had ACT approved my request and the bus schedule ran earlier, I could have still been late to the test since I am not familiar with public transportation or Roanoke. That would have been horrible to put time, money and effort into retaking the ACT and then missing the test, costing me sleep and half a Saturday study time as well. Instead, I will think positive and assume that this denial is for the best and will focus on my grades now instead of worrying about retaking a test that I already have decent scores on. Doing well on these tests will be very satisfying, and I intend to give it my full effort.
Virginia Tech is not a registered ACT testing center. The ACT Arranged Testing Office requires that a list of conditions be met before allowing one to take an ACT test at a location that had not previously been approved as a certified testing center. Individuals may arrange a special test session if their religious faith prohibits them from taking a Saturday test, if they reside in countries where there is no certified testing center, if they are confined to a hospital, or if they do not have a testing center within 50 miles of their current location. If approved, the special testing arrangement would also have to be scheduled during an ACT testing window.
Dr. Brandon Phillips, the Arranged Testing Supervisor at the Counseling Center here at Virginia Tech, agreed to proctor the test if it was approved by the ACT. Before classes started, I drafted a letter to the ACT explaining my transportation issues, filled out their forms, and met with Dr. Phillips to get all of the paperwork completed and signed. Dr. Phillips had to certify that his testing center met all of the ACT requirements, such as the proctor being fluent in English, having experience giving similar tests, being a staff member of the institution where the test would be given, having access to a safe to securely store the testing materials, and agreeing to proctor the test. Dr. Phillips completed his part of the forms and signed everything, agreeing to the conditions. I mailed the packet with a check for the registration fee and waited.
Just yesterday, I received an email from Dr. Phillips informing me that the ACT Arranged Testing Office had contacted him to say that they had denied my request to take the ACT test at Virginia Tech. They stated that my request did not meet their requirement that I was over 50 miles from a registered testing center. Dr. Phillips checked MapQuest and said that a direct route indicated that Blacksburg is only 40 miles from Roanoke. Unfortunately, even if public transportation was an option (it is not because it would get me to the Roanoke bus station after the test begins), the ACT must have ignored my letter. I feel that a reasonable person would understand that by taking a bus route, the route is longer than a direct route by car, and then walking or taking a taxi to the high school where the test would be given adds miles to the distance traveled.
I am disappointed that I will not be able to retake the ACTs, but I am becoming more and more relieved now, mostly because of the amount of work I have been assigned from my other classes. In the next two weeks, I have four major tests. Most of the tests should go well because I am already reading the material and studying for them, but something like Chemistry, I could use the extra time preparing for. (I took an accelerated math and science program in high school so I have not had Chemistry for three years, making the material almost foreign to me. I mostly dislike having to name elements from their given formulas and getting the formula from the given names.) I am looking forward to taking the other tests, though. I have to take my Linear Algebra test by the Monday evening deadline, and I also have a big Calculus test later in the week. I have been scoring well on all of my linear algebra quizzes so far and took AP Calculus in high school and really understand the material, so I am confident that I won’t have any problems on either of those tests. A week from now, I have my Engineering Exploration test, which I have also begun studying for. Engineering exploration is the “weed out” course for engineering students, so there is a lot of pressure to do very well in that class.
These next two weeks and after will be very busy, and with the extra time I intend to spend on Chemistry and Engineering Exploration, it is probably a good thing that the ACT Arranged Testing Office denied my request. Never mind that I am not familiar with Roanoke and that this would have been my first trip using public transportation, really increasing the chance that I would not arrive on time even if the buses from Blacksburg began their routes earlier than they do on Saturdays. I guess there is a chance too that had ACT approved my request and the bus schedule ran earlier, I could have still been late to the test since I am not familiar with public transportation or Roanoke. That would have been horrible to put time, money and effort into retaking the ACT and then missing the test, costing me sleep and half a Saturday study time as well. Instead, I will think positive and assume that this denial is for the best and will focus on my grades now instead of worrying about retaking a test that I already have decent scores on. Doing well on these tests will be very satisfying, and I intend to give it my full effort.
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