Dec 7th...

Two years ago today I walked into an office. I saw a photograph of the USS Arizona Memorial hanging on the wall. Next to it was the USS Missouri…

She only talked about it once. I wish I would have asked more. She passed away when I was in grade school. She told us a story about how she was mad at the Navy for running a drill on a Sunday morning. As she wheeled her hurt charges out onto the patio, she could hear the planes come low over the pass. They were so low, she could see the pilots, who tipped their wings as they waved. Then they saw the red meatball, and shortly after heard the sounds and sirens from the harbor below…

I walked into the Navy office two years ago on December 7^th 2009 to start the process of becoming a Naval Officer. On December 17^th 2010, I took my oath. That was the same day as my grandmother’s, who served at Pearl, birthday. My grandmother passed away when I was in 5^thgrade, in 2001. It is in part of her memory and the memory of the date which will live in infamy, to which I will take my commission as a Naval officer.

Puttin' on the Ritz

This last week has been a whirlwind of fraternity experiences, culminating in my initiation and the chartering of the chapter. This has taken us more than two years and it was positively a highlight of my Drake experience. I have learned many things along the way, which did not cease, even as I prepared for our banquet. One of our founders, Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr. is sporting a bowtie in the iconic photograph associated with the fraternity’s founding. In true respect to our founders and roots of the South, many of our men decided to sport the same. I distinctly remember two other times having to wear a bowtie (both proms.) I remember asking my dad about tying them and he said just get a clip on. I also remember reading a James Bond book, in which Ian Fleming distinctly stated “Bond never wore a clip on.” Therefore I would not wear one.

I really like wearing one. I was not worried about having to check the length of my tie, nor was I getting it stuck in food. I also did not have to tuck it in or throw it over my shoulder. Bowties are still at the stage of penetration at Drake that people notice when one is styling it and bring compliment to the wearer. They have definitely taken off with the pervasiveness of Greek culture websites dominating 34^th street, and are continuing to spread.

I learned to tie my bowties from the following website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJv4Qh7zR3E

One

I just finished the hardest essay I have done in school. It was supposed to be thorough (i.e. 20ish pages) for a class regarding the Israel Palestinian conflict. We were given the choice of topics (and having a last name like Weller, meant I got last pick) and then the professor picked what side we would take. The topic I was writing on was who was more to blame for the failure of the Syrian and Israeli peace talks. The side I was assigned was one I did not agree with, which is what made the paper so hard but quite interesting to try to argue. I had to use, to quote my favorite play Inherit the Wind an “agile mind.” We were given constraints and that has made all the difference…

Drake offered a photography class during my fall junior semester. During that class we watched a video, and then I bought the book it was based on. A photographer was allowed to take one photograph a day. The work he put in for the constraints he was given was amazing.

That photographer is referenced in a post I found reading through one of my favorite photography blogs http://www.alesserphotographer.com/post/11433113456/chased-by-constraints

Try constraining yourself in your creative process and see what unfolds.

These are a few of my favorite things

I mention a distaste for the acquiring of stuff. Nothing will reveal this more when one has to move all their stuff into a dorm room, as I did my freshman year to Morehouse Hall. The only other time I have had to pair down to the essentials was to put everything in one suitcase for international living. I distinctly remember laying it all out in my living room and trying to take stuff out that wasn’t posivetly essential or couldn’t hold up. When I was thinking about those times, as well as the Black Friday issues, I started to come up with the things I have held onto which have lasted me to a point that I am happy with their performance. These aren’t in any particular order:

Macbook pro (2008): I bought the computer on which I have written almost every single post on this site during my senior year of high school. It has travelled all over the world with me, from the pyramids, the wonders of Amman, castles in Prague, to sand dunes in Muscat, to conferences all over the US. I still have the same battery (which does get warm) and the same power chargers. It has held up and I can count the number of times I have had to restart it on one hand. Owning this computer has made me a mac fan for life. (It is bulky and heavy by current standards, so will become a regaled to a desk upon my first deployment when I will grab something smaller, more lightweight and new.

Pacsafe computer bag (2008): “I’m heading to the Middle East, and need a computer bag, what do you have” I asked the salesman. He gave me a funny look, and we walked away from the bags emblazoned with Badger logos. This pack is slash proof, and can be locked to anything. The strap is knife proof, and only broke this year. However I still use a handhold, and do so almost every day. When I went home for thanksgiving, I packed my computer in the pocket, my notes in another, two books and a charger along with a change of clothes in the rest. One bag travel, but with a laptop bag. I should probably get the strap fixed one of these days.

Orange Northface Jacket (2006): “we will be in a rainforest, you and your brother need rain jackets.” I was puzzled about our Alaska adventure. I knew there was precipitation up there, but I assumed it was the snow kind. However there were times we experienced heavy rain, and high winds. The, in my opinion rather stylish jacket, kept me warm. I also had it in Jordan the first time, and it kept me warm in a cold desert camp. It continues to keep me dry and warm to this day, and I have used it all through college. I also felt extra cool as I bought it the summer before North Face fleeces became super popular in high school. Trendsetter.

Bose Computer Speakers (2005): I remember answering the “what did you get for Christmas” question to a quizzical look. “You got speakers?” Nice speakers. The Aston Martin of speakers. I am a huge audiophile and almost always have Pandora, spotify, itunes, or youtube stations playing. Though my band never hit it big, I have always taken great joy and use out of my speakers. They have come to every domestic living quarters I have had.

Fender Bass Guitar (2002): Speaking of my band, I have had the same guitar since 7^th grade. The strings definitely haven’t lasted but it is has been put through heavy use. At one point I had guitar lessons, Jazz band practice, jazz combo practice, rock band stuff, worship band practice and performance, and church band, all in the same week. I don’t play nearly as much in college but living out of the dorms has given me room to keep it and pick it up from time to time. I also haven’t travelled with it as much (World Tour anyone?) as the other things but I intend to keep using it for a long time.

What has served you for a long period of time?

Happiness is...

“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from the store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.”

“26 Billion was spent today…” Local news, immediately followed by stories of shootings and a lady pepper spraying people at a walmart or deals.

I got up around 8 and started cleaning on Black Friday, convinced to try to make my own Friday holiday. I ended up donating 3 bags of clothes and shoes. Don’t get me wrong I liked looking at the ads the night before. I still appreciate the concept of designing some of these really cool and useful new things (side note: I am stoked to get through a skymall magazine tomorrow as I fly back to DSM, and was excited for my brother to get what looks to a wonderful new phone)

The night before, as people were starting to line up at the stores I was in my bed. I laughed my girlfriend on the phone. I read a little bit. I worked on homework. I cleaned. I tried to do as many things as possible that either got rid of junk or did not produce it. We listened to Christmas music as a family and went out to eat.

My mom and brother went out early black Friday to do some errands (like getting glasses fixed while home from college) and shopping. (They got me a watch, which I am thankful for.) They said it wasn’t terribly hectic at 6am, probably because people had stayed up. We debated what would be the effects? Will stores stay open, forcing workers to leave their families on the holiday, and then maybe close at 2am next year? Will workers continue to rebel as target employees did? What burden are we willing to put on others for minimum wage so we can save some money on a tv?

What happens to all the other stuff, the old tvs, the not as new phones? (google 60minutes e-waste if you want to see.)

I don’t know if true happiness comes from stuff. I am truly happy thankful for my family, my friends, my experiences with them. Drake means the world to me, not because of what I have learned from a book, but because of the people I have met, the places I have been, and the professors who have honestly taken me under wing, hell-bent on teaching me useful things and new ways to wrestle with issues. These are things we can’t wake up to shop for, these are things which can’t come from a store.

GO RUCK (Challenge) Yourself

Finals week is fast approaching. For my cohorts of IR/Poli Sci majors, that means papers. Big papers. 10, 15, 20 page papers. It really is not that long as we have had all semester to do it (and for once I am on top of my game, having laid out much of what I intend to do on large sheets of butcher paper in my room. The topics I am writing on get a few concerned looks from my housemates who saw the underlined titles of “Piracy” “Syria and Israel (Israel’s fault)” and “Killing.” The first is for globalization, the 2^nd was assigned by the prof for Arab Israeli Conflict, and the final is for my psychology of aggression class and focuses on the research of Lt. Col Grossman in the book On Killing.

This marathon of double spaced, cited, edited, torn apart, reassembled and title paged academia I am producing allows for some free time of internet wandering (25 mins productive, 5 min break. Rinse. Repeat.) One of the more interesting things I found from the Minimal Mac blog I read was a marathon (ish) of Special Operations awesomeness. It is called the GORUCK Challenge. A ruck (or Rucksack) is the backpack used in the military. It allows one to carry what they need in combat. This event, it is not really a race, but a test-your-limits-for-10-hours-suckfest ditches the ammo magazines in favor of bricks…and push ups…and dead weight carry… and buddy carry, all while perusing through a city. Des Moines is in March. I am tempted as I know this would be a great way to get my training in gear for OCS.

It's my job

Drake has given me plenty of opportunities to support my social spending habits. Since day one I have done this job (blogger) interspersed with a few others. I was a front desk worker at Crawford for a year while I was a Resident Assistant there. My junior year I asked my counselor Ryan if he knew of anyone who was hiring. Within a day I had a job at the admissions office doing data entry. I am finishing up that job after being there a year and half to conduct another for my final semester.

Drake is adding a J-term. I am now employed to help build a program which streamlines professors abilities to conduct a jterm international experience. These will not just be courses, but full fledged experiences. In theory if a pharmacy professor gets an idea to take students to learn about flora and fauna of Antigua, she comes to us and we have the whole process slick and packaged. The goal is to get as many students abroad as possible. Drake students will taste the international flavor, they will feel the waves beneath their feet, surrounded by their friendships and professors in ways that only Drake can provide.

The part I am most excited for: in conjunction with the above, I am helping to plan an actual experience…on leadership…at sea…in the Bahamas. I got this job under the guiding hand of Dr. Westbrook. I am supporting his vision of putting Bulldog students on a twin-masted clipper (think pirates of the Caribbean or Master and Commander movies) for a week of leadership and sail training. I will be on a slightly larger vessel at the time (Go Navy!) and thus will not be able to participate, but it is becoming a very exciting time to be at Drake.