I receive an email newsletter from a medium-sized Florida accounting firm. It pops up in my inbox every week or so, and I browse the titles and taglines, looking for something that piques my interest. Well, this last one did: an article addressing "danger zones" in interview questions.
Apparently, chatting about sports is discriminatory. Why? Well, if the interviewer is male, and the interviewee female, then that is broaching a topic she may not be "interested" in, therefore being biased and practicing discrimination.
Huh. Okay.
So what about this one: it is discriminatory to ask interviewees questions pertaining to their resumes and personal experience. Why? Because the questions may then be considered "subjective," skewed toward each applicant, and by some logic, therefore an act of discrimination.
We are on a roll here.
Here is one last "danger zone:" brain teasers/critical thinking problems. According to the article, such puzzles are considered to discriminate against persons from cultures other than that of the United States, because they may not understand the question. An understandable concern, perhaps, as there may be multiple definitions, some rather obscure, of various descriptions involved in such a puzzle, that persons who do not speak English as their primary language would understand. But I say that if an individual is proficient enough to make it in the U.S. long enough to have work experience, a resume, and qualifications for an interview, either a) they will be able to understand the question and solve it, or b) they will be able to explain why they do not comprehend the nature of the question. If an interviewer is truly using such questions to just thin out foreign interviewees, such responses should negate said intentions.
So, am I being insensitive here? I hope not. I hope that this seems as absurd to you as it does to me. "Fairness" is only good so far--but have we not been told while growing up that "life isn't fair?"
Think on that.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Late Nights in Tuscaloosa
Yes, here I am, a college student declaring 10:30 p.m. "late." But really, it is! After an eight-hour day on the job, a lunch break combined with thank-you card addressing, cutting "mini furniture" out of graph paper to furnish our graph paper apartment depiction, making dinner, examining the last month's budget, eating dinner, beginning work on this month's budget, and generously sprinkled time spent holding, snuggling with, and communicating with Stephanie, it has been plenty full.
However, the days have not been quite as draining as the roller coaster schedule of 16-hour days alternating with eight-hour days that are Avanti and UAPress days during orientation weeks. I worked a full day yesterday, and will again tomorrow, wrapping up a 24-hour work "week," considering that Friday is a holiday.
Now, though, it is a good time to head to bed.
Goodnight!
However, the days have not been quite as draining as the roller coaster schedule of 16-hour days alternating with eight-hour days that are Avanti and UAPress days during orientation weeks. I worked a full day yesterday, and will again tomorrow, wrapping up a 24-hour work "week," considering that Friday is a holiday.
Now, though, it is a good time to head to bed.
Goodnight!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Of WALL-E, Cluttered Offices, Stargate, Ducks, and Lawnmowers: A Tale of a Three-Day Weekend
So it is already July, and it has been two fast months since I was here last. Stephanie and I finished up summer session one with the Avanti team last week, and we started off our break with an "End of Summer I Celebration Picnic" at Carissa's last Thursday evening. On Friday, I worked the full day at the Press, and then Stephanie and I left for a weekend at her home.
We met up with a couple of her friends Friday night as we got into town to see Pixar's latest addition to the animated movie front: WALL-E. It was creative, well-animated, and had a fairly well-written plot line. I liked The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc. better, though.
Saturday was pretty lazy. During the morning at least. We slept in for a while, and then arose to some delicious pancakes made by Stephanie's mom. Then we talked about what we were going to do for the day...and then didn't start it until nearly three hours later, or finish until another five hours after that. We were decorating/cleaning/revamping Stephanie's dad's office space for him while he is out of town for a while. That evening, Stephanie, and I watched the Stargate movie (she has been introducing me to the series, and finally showed me the movie that kicked everything off).
Sunday, we went to Mayfair and sat in on the college-age Bible class so Stephanie could see some of her friends, since they were in town for the summer. During the afternoon we did some more laundry, and I watched the EURO2008 final between Germany and Spain. Spain won, 1-0 on a terrific goal from Torres in the first half. It was an intensely-fought game for all 90+ minutes, but Spain pulled it out and brought back their first major title in 44 years! In the evening, we drove over to Ben's for the weekly Bible Study at his place with Ginny, Christian, Michael & Lindsay, Sean, Rob, and Bethany. Afterward, Stephanie and Ginny were able to hang out for a bit, and I went with a few of the guys to play some "beach" volleyball (sand courts only, though, no ocean).
Monday, after another slow start, Stephanie and her mom went out on the town for some time together, and I took her younger brother--my brother-in-law...it seems strange to think I have a brother-in-law...--into town to hang out, too. We went to KidSpace, which is a large, wood-based park similar to "Castle Park" in Altoona, PA. It has lots of towers and stairs, bridges, tunnels, etc. to play in, and it's fun for kids of all ages. Like me! We also went to a park and fed the ducks and the fish some bread, and had lunch for ourselves at Krystal. It was the first time I had eaten at the burger place, and I got chicken. I was quite pleased with my choice after seeing the "burgers" that were their specialty. We headed back to the house, and I let Chris drive around in the yard for a while before we took out their dog, Piper, and I ran around with her while Chris mowed the lawn a little. After a bit, we went inside to cool down, get some water, and play the Wii.
Later that evening, we got everything packed up, the car loaded, and headed for home! Now that I have a home again, one that is Stephanie's and my place, I really look forward to going home.
We met up with a couple of her friends Friday night as we got into town to see Pixar's latest addition to the animated movie front: WALL-E. It was creative, well-animated, and had a fairly well-written plot line. I liked The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc. better, though.
Saturday was pretty lazy. During the morning at least. We slept in for a while, and then arose to some delicious pancakes made by Stephanie's mom. Then we talked about what we were going to do for the day...and then didn't start it until nearly three hours later, or finish until another five hours after that. We were decorating/cleaning/revamping Stephanie's dad's office space for him while he is out of town for a while. That evening, Stephanie, and I watched the Stargate movie (she has been introducing me to the series, and finally showed me the movie that kicked everything off).
Sunday, we went to Mayfair and sat in on the college-age Bible class so Stephanie could see some of her friends, since they were in town for the summer. During the afternoon we did some more laundry, and I watched the EURO2008 final between Germany and Spain. Spain won, 1-0 on a terrific goal from Torres in the first half. It was an intensely-fought game for all 90+ minutes, but Spain pulled it out and brought back their first major title in 44 years! In the evening, we drove over to Ben's for the weekly Bible Study at his place with Ginny, Christian, Michael & Lindsay, Sean, Rob, and Bethany. Afterward, Stephanie and Ginny were able to hang out for a bit, and I went with a few of the guys to play some "beach" volleyball (sand courts only, though, no ocean).
Monday, after another slow start, Stephanie and her mom went out on the town for some time together, and I took her younger brother--my brother-in-law...it seems strange to think I have a brother-in-law...--into town to hang out, too. We went to KidSpace, which is a large, wood-based park similar to "Castle Park" in Altoona, PA. It has lots of towers and stairs, bridges, tunnels, etc. to play in, and it's fun for kids of all ages. Like me! We also went to a park and fed the ducks and the fish some bread, and had lunch for ourselves at Krystal. It was the first time I had eaten at the burger place, and I got chicken. I was quite pleased with my choice after seeing the "burgers" that were their specialty. We headed back to the house, and I let Chris drive around in the yard for a while before we took out their dog, Piper, and I ran around with her while Chris mowed the lawn a little. After a bit, we went inside to cool down, get some water, and play the Wii.
Later that evening, we got everything packed up, the car loaded, and headed for home! Now that I have a home again, one that is Stephanie's and my place, I really look forward to going home.
Monday, April 28, 2008
And So Another Month Ends
Here I am, sitting in the second-floor computer lab in Morgan Hall on a beautiful mid-spring day in Tuscaloosa, enjoying a brief respite from the go-go-going of the end-of-semester flurry that involves a last week of work, "Dead Week" (in which the students are more dead than the week, as a fellow Avanti observantly noted), studying, attending a last few classes, cleaning up my room and getting it ready for check-out next Thursday, and helping Stephanie put the last details in place for our imminent wedding.
As of now, though, I have one less class to worry about. And to make it even better, it was my least favorite course of the semester! There must be a better way to teach business communication, but apparently it has not be discovered yet at this campus. That is alright though, because I do not have to see the inside of Bidgood 373 another time this semester.
Remaining on my plate are three accounting courses and my second introductory Spanish class, which have finals between Tuesday and Thursday of next week. I am looking forward to my cost accounting final, because I like the applicability of the material, but it is likely going to be the toughest one of the bunch. Intermediate accounting, on the financial side of the spectrum, will be challenging as well, especially if there are many multiple choice or short answer questions, which are never my strong area. Numerous times now, I have aced or nearly aced the problem sections of accounting tests, only to have my grade lowered by bombing the accompanying non-traditional questions.
Last night, upon my return to town with Stephanie from a last weekend of wedding planning and house preparation in Huntsville, we went to the boathouse for a last hurrah of the semester with the crew team, enjoying some hang-out time and some deliciously grilled food, thanks to Drew and Jason, the team's expert charcoal chefs. Katie-Beth, one of the members new to the team as of this semester, had made up a sheet of "superlatives" for the team to vote each other. I received "Best All-Around" and "Most Likely to Succeed."
May is going to be another crazy month, full of ends, beginnings, excitement, hopes, apprehensions, and adventures. Thursday is May 1 (Mayday! ...right?), and I will be working for a few hours and then going to my last three accounting classes. Friday is a longer day at work, with my last Spanish class dropping in at one o'clock. Then begins the weekend before finals week, and Saturday marks one week until the wedding! Saturday and Sunday will hold more studying and getting ready to move out. Monday does not have any scheduled events (gasp!), but I will be able to keep myself busy with preparing for my intermediate accounting final on Tuesday morning, and my cost accounting and Spanish finals on Wednesday. Tuesday, I take my final starting at 11:30, and then I may be able to relax a little...but then Stephanie will be leaving town that night or the next morning, so I will be helping her pack up and check out of her room. Wednesday, most of my family will be driving down to visit for a little bit in between my two finals. Thursday, I have my last final at eight in the morning, and then I will be finishing up my packing, checking out, picking up the tuxedos for my groomsmen and myself, picking up one of my groomsmen from the airport, and settling in for the night. Friday, the rest of the family and wedding party will be arriving, and in the evening the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner will take place. Saturday, of course, is the day I have been counting down to with Stephanie for the last two months--our wedding! Sunday...well, that is the day after the wedding... Monday...we will still be honeymooning for a little bit longer. The rest of that week, Tuesday through Friday, we will be going through "Orientation MAY-nia" with the Avanti team, which will culminate with our first orientation session at the end of the week. Friday afternoon, after all the new students are oriented, Stephanie and I will be driving down to Panama City for the rest of our honeymoon. Five days later, we will drive up to Huntsville to get ready to leave with Stephanie's family for their big family reunion in West Virginia. We will be traveling and visiting for the next week before leaving the day after Memorial Day to drive back to Alabama. The day after we arrive, Stephanie and I will head back to Tuscaloosa, and the day after that, we will start work again with a two-day freshman orientation.
That was my month of May--minus the 31st--in one long paragraph. Hopefully sleep and other rest will be plentifully interspersed through that...
Ah, I think that tidily tames my blogging urge for the time being. Now I am going to get back to something a little more useful.
Until next time.
As of now, though, I have one less class to worry about. And to make it even better, it was my least favorite course of the semester! There must be a better way to teach business communication, but apparently it has not be discovered yet at this campus. That is alright though, because I do not have to see the inside of Bidgood 373 another time this semester.
Remaining on my plate are three accounting courses and my second introductory Spanish class, which have finals between Tuesday and Thursday of next week. I am looking forward to my cost accounting final, because I like the applicability of the material, but it is likely going to be the toughest one of the bunch. Intermediate accounting, on the financial side of the spectrum, will be challenging as well, especially if there are many multiple choice or short answer questions, which are never my strong area. Numerous times now, I have aced or nearly aced the problem sections of accounting tests, only to have my grade lowered by bombing the accompanying non-traditional questions.
Last night, upon my return to town with Stephanie from a last weekend of wedding planning and house preparation in Huntsville, we went to the boathouse for a last hurrah of the semester with the crew team, enjoying some hang-out time and some deliciously grilled food, thanks to Drew and Jason, the team's expert charcoal chefs. Katie-Beth, one of the members new to the team as of this semester, had made up a sheet of "superlatives" for the team to vote each other. I received "Best All-Around" and "Most Likely to Succeed."
May is going to be another crazy month, full of ends, beginnings, excitement, hopes, apprehensions, and adventures. Thursday is May 1 (Mayday! ...right?), and I will be working for a few hours and then going to my last three accounting classes. Friday is a longer day at work, with my last Spanish class dropping in at one o'clock. Then begins the weekend before finals week, and Saturday marks one week until the wedding! Saturday and Sunday will hold more studying and getting ready to move out. Monday does not have any scheduled events (gasp!), but I will be able to keep myself busy with preparing for my intermediate accounting final on Tuesday morning, and my cost accounting and Spanish finals on Wednesday. Tuesday, I take my final starting at 11:30, and then I may be able to relax a little...but then Stephanie will be leaving town that night or the next morning, so I will be helping her pack up and check out of her room. Wednesday, most of my family will be driving down to visit for a little bit in between my two finals. Thursday, I have my last final at eight in the morning, and then I will be finishing up my packing, checking out, picking up the tuxedos for my groomsmen and myself, picking up one of my groomsmen from the airport, and settling in for the night. Friday, the rest of the family and wedding party will be arriving, and in the evening the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner will take place. Saturday, of course, is the day I have been counting down to with Stephanie for the last two months--our wedding! Sunday...well, that is the day after the wedding... Monday...we will still be honeymooning for a little bit longer. The rest of that week, Tuesday through Friday, we will be going through "Orientation MAY-nia" with the Avanti team, which will culminate with our first orientation session at the end of the week. Friday afternoon, after all the new students are oriented, Stephanie and I will be driving down to Panama City for the rest of our honeymoon. Five days later, we will drive up to Huntsville to get ready to leave with Stephanie's family for their big family reunion in West Virginia. We will be traveling and visiting for the next week before leaving the day after Memorial Day to drive back to Alabama. The day after we arrive, Stephanie and I will head back to Tuscaloosa, and the day after that, we will start work again with a two-day freshman orientation.
That was my month of May--minus the 31st--in one long paragraph. Hopefully sleep and other rest will be plentifully interspersed through that...
Ah, I think that tidily tames my blogging urge for the time being. Now I am going to get back to something a little more useful.
Until next time.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Forced March
So before March slips away, I need to squeeze one post in.
Life is busy, especially right now. I have been going from five o'clock in the morning until ten or eleven o'clock at night five days a week, with usually full Saturdays with wedding planning and regattas, and by the time Sunday rolls around to start off a new week, I'm driving back from Huntsville or getting a smidgen of homework completed, and then the week races by again!
A typical day sees me waking up around 4:50, getting up at five to get ready for crew practice, arriving at practice about 5:30 and change, rowing for an hour and a half, not including warming up and other preparatory items, driving back to the dorm at approximately 7:45, showering, dressing for the day, packing my required books and notebooks, walking to work at 8:30, working until 10:45 (or 11:45, depending on the day), walking to class and meeting Stephanie en route, and attending anywhere from one to three classes. Then, again depending on the day, either a) eating a late lunch with Stephanie or b) going back to work, attending organization meetings, and finally getting back to the dorm as early as four and as late as seven. At that point, I have just finished up with scheduled events; no homework for classes, afternoon workouts for crew, or service for organizations has been begun, let alone completed.
Roughly, a week broken down into scheduled hours per activity looks something like this:
And with that, I bid you all a good night. I must recharge for all this activity at some point, so yes, as unlikely as it may seem, I do get to sleep from time to time!
Life is busy, especially right now. I have been going from five o'clock in the morning until ten or eleven o'clock at night five days a week, with usually full Saturdays with wedding planning and regattas, and by the time Sunday rolls around to start off a new week, I'm driving back from Huntsville or getting a smidgen of homework completed, and then the week races by again!
A typical day sees me waking up around 4:50, getting up at five to get ready for crew practice, arriving at practice about 5:30 and change, rowing for an hour and a half, not including warming up and other preparatory items, driving back to the dorm at approximately 7:45, showering, dressing for the day, packing my required books and notebooks, walking to work at 8:30, working until 10:45 (or 11:45, depending on the day), walking to class and meeting Stephanie en route, and attending anywhere from one to three classes. Then, again depending on the day, either a) eating a late lunch with Stephanie or b) going back to work, attending organization meetings, and finally getting back to the dorm as early as four and as late as seven. At that point, I have just finished up with scheduled events; no homework for classes, afternoon workouts for crew, or service for organizations has been begun, let alone completed.
Roughly, a week broken down into scheduled hours per activity looks something like this:
- Classes: 14 hours
- Work: 12 hours
- Crew: 10 hours
- Avanti: 2 hours
- Beta Alpha Psi: 2 hours
And with that, I bid you all a good night. I must recharge for all this activity at some point, so yes, as unlikely as it may seem, I do get to sleep from time to time!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Surrender
Surrender is difficult.
I am not one to quit, to admit defeat, even in some situations where the rational thing to do is just that.
But even more than just simple giving up is giving oneself up to another. God calls for complete surrender to him, but he does not force that upon anyone. While he wants us--me--to lay everything before him and let him take control, we still have the choice, we must still make the decision to surrender. God may allow circumstances to affect me, to break me, to cause me to look toward surrender, but I still have to choose to let myself fall, or else it means nothing.
I am not one to quit, to admit defeat, even in some situations where the rational thing to do is just that.
But even more than just simple giving up is giving oneself up to another. God calls for complete surrender to him, but he does not force that upon anyone. While he wants us--me--to lay everything before him and let him take control, we still have the choice, we must still make the decision to surrender. God may allow circumstances to affect me, to break me, to cause me to look toward surrender, but I still have to choose to let myself fall, or else it means nothing.
Indoor Rowing Championships - UTChattanooga
Yesterday I was, and for the time being, I am the best rower this season on Alabama Crew. In the Collegiate Men's Open 2000m and Open 500m Dash, I placed 6th/27 and 5th/12 respectively, with close to personal record times.
Having achieved this level of accomplishment, I am not without my misgivings: how do I acknowledge what I have done without either downplaying it ("Aw shucks, it was nothing") or bragging about it ("Yeah, that's right, I'm the top dog")? I want to be like Eric Liddell, who gave God the glory for his success and neither downplayed nor boasted regarding his speed and success.
I have been blessed with athletic ability, a determined and perseverant spirit, a fiancée that encourages and builds me up unceasingly, and teammates and coaches that push me to continue to improve. By myself I would not be able to achieve the same successes, because a one-man team does not truly exist.
Having achieved this level of accomplishment, I am not without my misgivings: how do I acknowledge what I have done without either downplaying it ("Aw shucks, it was nothing") or bragging about it ("Yeah, that's right, I'm the top dog")? I want to be like Eric Liddell, who gave God the glory for his success and neither downplayed nor boasted regarding his speed and success.
I have been blessed with athletic ability, a determined and perseverant spirit, a fiancée that encourages and builds me up unceasingly, and teammates and coaches that push me to continue to improve. By myself I would not be able to achieve the same successes, because a one-man team does not truly exist.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
One Month Into The "New Year"
So here I sit on my "fitness ball," a low-key addition to my core workouts for crew and such, typing out another post, more than two weeks after I last bestowed my thoughts upon this blog.
Classes are shaping up pretty well, and much like last semester, I like all of my instructors. Some of them were quirky or intimidating at first, but through their lectures and interaction with their respective classes, I have come to respect and enjoy each of them. I have my first test coming up next Thursday in AC389, a more advanced computer applications class dealing with accounting information systems (AIS).
Crew began the day after I last posted, and now nearly three full weeks of practice are over. Tomorrow afternoon we will be driving up to Chattanooga for our first competition, the Indoor Rowing Championships at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga gym. I am eagerly looking forward to the competition; I heard a great deal about it last year, but I was unable to go because of resident adviser interviews that were being held the same day. However, this year, no such obstruction is in place, and I will be contending for a first place time on the team, as I have been hot on Drew's heels since we started this semester. I beat him by 12 seconds on a 6000m time trial, and he beat me by two and four seconds respectively on the first and second 2200m time trial, so it has been close.
Stephanie and I are continuing to plug away at wedding planning. She has been doing a wonderful job of organizing tasks and getting them completed and checked off the list. One of her strong points is definitely that of organization. She likes having a planner with all of her assignments, homework, and obligations laid out neatly and concisely, and then she works through them as they come along. I help out where I can, offering my input and opinion where needed, and supporting hers when I do not have a preference. Yesterday it was 100 days until the wedding!
It is tax season, and I am going to be attempting my first real individual tax return. Hopefully I have retained something from last semester...
I am in the midst of something I thought I would never do: pledge a Greek society. Do not fear, it is not a fraternity; I am pledging Beta Alpha Psi, an academic honor society for upperclassmen accounting, finance, and MIS majors. Along with crew and Avanti, BAPsi is going to be one of those "other" large time-consumption items on my schedule.
Speaking of Avanti, we are gearing up for SROW, the annual Southern Regional Orientation Workshop. This year it is going to be held in Columbus, which is Stephen's hometown, which is pretty cool. Sadly though, I probably will not be able to connect with the Sauciers, even though it will be my first time in that area of Georgia since the fall of my freshman year!
And that is a general update of the last 18 days.
The end.
Classes are shaping up pretty well, and much like last semester, I like all of my instructors. Some of them were quirky or intimidating at first, but through their lectures and interaction with their respective classes, I have come to respect and enjoy each of them. I have my first test coming up next Thursday in AC389, a more advanced computer applications class dealing with accounting information systems (AIS).
Crew began the day after I last posted, and now nearly three full weeks of practice are over. Tomorrow afternoon we will be driving up to Chattanooga for our first competition, the Indoor Rowing Championships at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga gym. I am eagerly looking forward to the competition; I heard a great deal about it last year, but I was unable to go because of resident adviser interviews that were being held the same day. However, this year, no such obstruction is in place, and I will be contending for a first place time on the team, as I have been hot on Drew's heels since we started this semester. I beat him by 12 seconds on a 6000m time trial, and he beat me by two and four seconds respectively on the first and second 2200m time trial, so it has been close.
Stephanie and I are continuing to plug away at wedding planning. She has been doing a wonderful job of organizing tasks and getting them completed and checked off the list. One of her strong points is definitely that of organization. She likes having a planner with all of her assignments, homework, and obligations laid out neatly and concisely, and then she works through them as they come along. I help out where I can, offering my input and opinion where needed, and supporting hers when I do not have a preference. Yesterday it was 100 days until the wedding!
It is tax season, and I am going to be attempting my first real individual tax return. Hopefully I have retained something from last semester...
I am in the midst of something I thought I would never do: pledge a Greek society. Do not fear, it is not a fraternity; I am pledging Beta Alpha Psi, an academic honor society for upperclassmen accounting, finance, and MIS majors. Along with crew and Avanti, BAPsi is going to be one of those "other" large time-consumption items on my schedule.
Speaking of Avanti, we are gearing up for SROW, the annual Southern Regional Orientation Workshop. This year it is going to be held in Columbus, which is Stephen's hometown, which is pretty cool. Sadly though, I probably will not be able to connect with the Sauciers, even though it will be my first time in that area of Georgia since the fall of my freshman year!
And that is a general update of the last 18 days.
The end.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Some Thoughts
*Caution: Entering Rant Area*
What is the average marrying age in America? The world at large? Hm, I do not know those numbers off of the top of my head, but I do know that it is getting older. The 20th century brought a lot of changes to the way young people mature--especially here in America. And America is where I am going to stay for this, because it is where I have grown up and actually know.
First of all, what is this whole "adolescence" thing? Up until the early 20th century, the term did not even exist, let alone the stereotypes now associated with its use. There were children, young adults, and adults--and those young adults were given and expected to shoulder various responsibilities which corresponded to their ability. They were not babied for many years beyond puberty, softened by society into 18-year-old individuals that are still children unable to carry themselves in life, because to do so has never been expected of them!
Can a 14-year-old take on the same weight and responsibility that a 30-year-old may? Probably not, but there are plenty of tasks that he can do, and should be assigned to do as part of his routine. Growing up, I have been blessed with the company of young men that have taken on responsibility at a relatively "young"--as thought of by society--and thrived, even excelled!
Adolescence has been a recently invented "age group" that now stretches from early teenager-hood to the early 20s. The term itself is actually several hundred years old, originating in 1482, meaning, quite literally, "increase, grow up." However, that period of growing up is looked upon in a much softer, tamer light today than it was five centuries ago! Those having the distinction of being an adolescent usually balk at handling any extraneous responsibility (because they are rarely called upon to do so), are mentally and emotionally immature (even if they have a mature exterior), and are often unable to conduct themselves properly in society. However, I do not move to place the blame entirely on those individuals for their behavior, for it is what they have been taught. If an individual is treated as a child, he will behave as such.
A boy--young man, really--at 10, 11, or 12 years of age in 1482 was trained in either his father's trade or the occupation of another man as an apprentice. He could work around the house, on the family land, and in society to a small extent. Similarly, even up into the 1800s, "boys" possessed responsibility of which boys today would never dream! They were taught to handle horses, how to use a firearm, to farm, hunt, track, trap, build, and so many other practical skills.
Today, how is a boy's time occupied? Any suggestions from the audience?
Well, for starters, what boy wants to go outside when there are computers, Playstation 3s, GameCubes, XBox 360s, PSPs, numerous cable channels, stereos, and a snazzy HDTV inside with which to be entertained? There are a few boys that will still go outside, or that will be inside, but with a book--but it is a very few. The men of today are softies--because the boys from which they grew were never challenged to be strong, and not until they had been adults for quite some time did they finally step into the real world and take on jobs, families, house payments, grocery bills, and other responsibilities. And then those men turn around and raise the next generation of boys that will be the next generation of men. It is a vicious cycle.
It is high time for that to cease being the trend, and for responsibility to directly correlate to capability.
Something to ride on a future train of thought: what would happen if technology as we knew it suddenly became totally useless and completely irreparable?
What is the average marrying age in America? The world at large? Hm, I do not know those numbers off of the top of my head, but I do know that it is getting older. The 20th century brought a lot of changes to the way young people mature--especially here in America. And America is where I am going to stay for this, because it is where I have grown up and actually know.
First of all, what is this whole "adolescence" thing? Up until the early 20th century, the term did not even exist, let alone the stereotypes now associated with its use. There were children, young adults, and adults--and those young adults were given and expected to shoulder various responsibilities which corresponded to their ability. They were not babied for many years beyond puberty, softened by society into 18-year-old individuals that are still children unable to carry themselves in life, because to do so has never been expected of them!
Can a 14-year-old take on the same weight and responsibility that a 30-year-old may? Probably not, but there are plenty of tasks that he can do, and should be assigned to do as part of his routine. Growing up, I have been blessed with the company of young men that have taken on responsibility at a relatively "young"--as thought of by society--and thrived, even excelled!
Adolescence has been a recently invented "age group" that now stretches from early teenager-hood to the early 20s. The term itself is actually several hundred years old, originating in 1482, meaning, quite literally, "increase, grow up." However, that period of growing up is looked upon in a much softer, tamer light today than it was five centuries ago! Those having the distinction of being an adolescent usually balk at handling any extraneous responsibility (because they are rarely called upon to do so), are mentally and emotionally immature (even if they have a mature exterior), and are often unable to conduct themselves properly in society. However, I do not move to place the blame entirely on those individuals for their behavior, for it is what they have been taught. If an individual is treated as a child, he will behave as such.
A boy--young man, really--at 10, 11, or 12 years of age in 1482 was trained in either his father's trade or the occupation of another man as an apprentice. He could work around the house, on the family land, and in society to a small extent. Similarly, even up into the 1800s, "boys" possessed responsibility of which boys today would never dream! They were taught to handle horses, how to use a firearm, to farm, hunt, track, trap, build, and so many other practical skills.
Today, how is a boy's time occupied? Any suggestions from the audience?
Well, for starters, what boy wants to go outside when there are computers, Playstation 3s, GameCubes, XBox 360s, PSPs, numerous cable channels, stereos, and a snazzy HDTV inside with which to be entertained? There are a few boys that will still go outside, or that will be inside, but with a book--but it is a very few. The men of today are softies--because the boys from which they grew were never challenged to be strong, and not until they had been adults for quite some time did they finally step into the real world and take on jobs, families, house payments, grocery bills, and other responsibilities. And then those men turn around and raise the next generation of boys that will be the next generation of men. It is a vicious cycle.
It is high time for that to cease being the trend, and for responsibility to directly correlate to capability.
Something to ride on a future train of thought: what would happen if technology as we knew it suddenly became totally useless and completely irreparable?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
First Days At School
Today has been a pretty lazy day thus far--Stephanie and I walked to her room after eating lunch in Fresh Foods with Steph, Casey, and Blake, and now she is touching up some makeup before we head off to the Student Health Center and Men's Wearhouse to pick up a prescription and for me to try on tuxedos, respectively.
We arrived back on campus late Sunday morning, and after hastily unpacking Stephanie's car, we ate a quick lunch in Lakeside and then drove over to the rec center for our four-hour Avanti training session with the rest of the crew. The time was filled with various small--and large--group activities like relays, races, and cheer-making that encouraged working together toward a goal and creativity. Our first training session wrapped up with some catered Q'Doba victuals, and we cleaned out quite a bit of food.
That led up to our first orientation, Monday morning, starting at 6:45 in the Ferg. I worked the Campus Drive/McCorvey Drive corner by the Ferg parking deck with Toaster, and we talked a lot about the summer orientations, people that he had met, people we saw that day, crew, and other random stuff. I was glad to be outside, because for some reason, it was very hot and stuffy inside, and I would have been quite miserable had I been cooped up in the Ferg with lots of other people, standing behind a table!
My favorite parts of the day were running into the ballroom, where all the new students were sitting, and giving them a big excitement boost with an energetic rendition of the fight song, and also working with the business students in Bashinsky to get their schedule figured out for the semester. I met many interesting people, and I spent the first 40 minutes or so running between the two main lab rooms, being a courier for papers and forms that needed to be cleared for various students.
Today, I slept in, and then a little later in the morning I went down and started working with Stephanie on wedding planning items--or more correctly, I lounged and read WORLD as she talked to her mom and looked at prospective photographers. Afterward, I was moping a little because it was after noon already, and we--in reality, I--had not done anything yet, but she reminded me that she had indeed been taking care of things, and that I could have been, but I chose not to...I will be soon though, even if it is just trying on tuxedos. Meh.
We arrived back on campus late Sunday morning, and after hastily unpacking Stephanie's car, we ate a quick lunch in Lakeside and then drove over to the rec center for our four-hour Avanti training session with the rest of the crew. The time was filled with various small--and large--group activities like relays, races, and cheer-making that encouraged working together toward a goal and creativity. Our first training session wrapped up with some catered Q'Doba victuals, and we cleaned out quite a bit of food.
That led up to our first orientation, Monday morning, starting at 6:45 in the Ferg. I worked the Campus Drive/McCorvey Drive corner by the Ferg parking deck with Toaster, and we talked a lot about the summer orientations, people that he had met, people we saw that day, crew, and other random stuff. I was glad to be outside, because for some reason, it was very hot and stuffy inside, and I would have been quite miserable had I been cooped up in the Ferg with lots of other people, standing behind a table!
My favorite parts of the day were running into the ballroom, where all the new students were sitting, and giving them a big excitement boost with an energetic rendition of the fight song, and also working with the business students in Bashinsky to get their schedule figured out for the semester. I met many interesting people, and I spent the first 40 minutes or so running between the two main lab rooms, being a courier for papers and forms that needed to be cleared for various students.
Today, I slept in, and then a little later in the morning I went down and started working with Stephanie on wedding planning items--or more correctly, I lounged and read WORLD as she talked to her mom and looked at prospective photographers. Afterward, I was moping a little because it was after noon already, and we--in reality, I--had not done anything yet, but she reminded me that she had indeed been taking care of things, and that I could have been, but I chose not to...I will be soon though, even if it is just trying on tuxedos. Meh.
Friday, January 4, 2008
One Last Morning
This morning at six o'clock, I woke up for the last time in my bottom-bunk bed in the bungalow, the gas heater valiantly thwarting the frigid 14 degree air outside. I had finished repacking my clothing and miscellaneous items last night at 20 till midnight, and so when I got up and donned several layers--including a never-before-worn Barcelona scarf from Stephanie--I packed up the Volvo.
For me, it was the last day of my second Christmas break in college, and the last time I would be leaving 280 Old State Road as a regular resident. Stephanie, Connrad, and I were packing up and leaving; Stephanie to head back home and to school, Connrad for two weeks in San Diego, and I was preparing to leave forever.
Now, 18 hours later, I sit on "my" bed in the basement guest room at the Casto's residence in Lacey's Spring, trying to keep my weary eyes open long enough to finish this brief post. We made the 911 mile trip in 15 1/2 hours--which includes about an hour's worth of stops. I only missed a couple turns: in Baltimore trying to get back to I-95, and on 1-24 west of Chattanooga, looking for Rt. 72.
Stephanie and I have been blessed once again with a safe journey over many miles, and we are looking forward to our second semester of sophomore year, and our wedding in 18 short weeks. Yes, we finally set a date: Saturday, May 10, 2008--just under a month shy of our meeting, two years ago this June, and 15 months after we started dating last February.
What a time it has been, no? God has been awesome in his providences and blessings in the last two years...well, for all of my life, really, but in recent memory, he has been an undeniably present help.
For me, it was the last day of my second Christmas break in college, and the last time I would be leaving 280 Old State Road as a regular resident. Stephanie, Connrad, and I were packing up and leaving; Stephanie to head back home and to school, Connrad for two weeks in San Diego, and I was preparing to leave forever.
Now, 18 hours later, I sit on "my" bed in the basement guest room at the Casto's residence in Lacey's Spring, trying to keep my weary eyes open long enough to finish this brief post. We made the 911 mile trip in 15 1/2 hours--which includes about an hour's worth of stops. I only missed a couple turns: in Baltimore trying to get back to I-95, and on 1-24 west of Chattanooga, looking for Rt. 72.
Stephanie and I have been blessed once again with a safe journey over many miles, and we are looking forward to our second semester of sophomore year, and our wedding in 18 short weeks. Yes, we finally set a date: Saturday, May 10, 2008--just under a month shy of our meeting, two years ago this June, and 15 months after we started dating last February.
What a time it has been, no? God has been awesome in his providences and blessings in the last two years...well, for all of my life, really, but in recent memory, he has been an undeniably present help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
