Notes.

Racing to the Finish

2011-11-25T21:25:00.001-05:00

Three months have passed since this blog was last updated and a lot has been happening as you could imagine. Between this and the previous post, I have managed to complete my solo cross country, and begin preparing for my check ride. I had the fullest of intentions to photograph and document my cross country venture, but once I was in the airplane, my focus fell to flying the airplane. I had no time to take any pictures. When you're up there by yourself, things tend to change a bit. The security of the flight instructor is removed and it is your complete responsibility to ensure you're doing things right.

To sum that cross country up, it was one of the longest trips of my life. Even though I had previously flown the same route with my flight instructor, I had no one to talk to, no FM radio to listen to, and at one point, I had to make sure I wasn't getting the C-152 I was flying caught up in the wake turbulence of a jet. I even resorted to singing to myself while on the last leg of my route. I had actually become that bored. Never in my life was I so happy to see my home airport come into view on the horizion. After landing and securing the plane, a feeling of satisfaction swept through my entire body, knowing I had just completed yet another milestone of my flight training journey.

Upon finishing one milestone, it is now time to prepare for the final stretch, which is preparing for the checkride. For those who do not know what I am talking about, a check ride is a combination of an oral and practical examination from an FAA Examiner. Think of it as an intensified driver's test. To add further complications to the matter, my schedule is jam-packed with a rehearsal and performance schedule for a show that I am currently acting in. This leave s little time for perparation.

However, I have discovered that I tend to work better when I have set a definitive deadline for myself. This same thing happened to me during the portion of my written test. I never set a deadline to prepare myself to take the test. I kept (forgive the pun) stalling. It was not until one day that I bit my lower lip, mustered up the courage, and set a date to take my written test. From that point, I began a rigid study schedule, preparing myself for that test and managed to successfully pass it.

Now in preparations for the checkride, my instructor and I have began going back to the basics. Turns around a point, slow flight, stalls, engine out procedures, steep turns, navigation, takeoffs and landings, etc. I tend to do well in everything, but my skills still definitely have room to improve. Some days, I am able to go out and nail everything and other times things just seem to fall apart. One of the many mysteries of aviation.

So from here, all I need to do is set a date for that checkride, and begin my preparations towards that date. Feelings of nervousness and anticipation set in as the gravity of the moment begins to settle. However, if I am able to pass everything completely, I will be a licensed pilot, and won't have to worry about another checkride again. At least until my instrument rating.

Hitting the Books

2011-08-21T21:37:00.000-04:00

This post is long overdue, but I figured since I have a moment, I'm able to provide this update. Better late than never!

Nearly a month ago, I managed to muster up enough discipline to sit myself down and initiate study sessions for the next milestone in my flight training: my private pilot knowledge test. This was something that I was actually not looking forward to. It meant that I would have to muster up enough structure and discipline to make myself study. To be honest, I had already had my fill of that lifestyle back in graduate school. The late nights, the rigid schedule, and the occasional naps. While the naps were cherished down time, I did not look forward to putting myself back through that structure. However, I also realized that putting off this knowledge test was not going to make it go away. Resigning myself to this thought, I began my study sessions.

Once I established my rhythm in studying, it came quite natural. Every night, I would sign myself away for nearly two hours and review practice test questions, make weight and balance and wind correction computations, review Federal Aviation Regulations, the list goes on and on. Then, using the study software I happened to be using, I would study the material that I was had just covered to see how well I retained the information. Scores were initially dissatisfying, but over time, they began to improve.

I found that using this method, I was able to cover all the material required for my knowledge test in about a week. This ended up giving me plenty of time to review and take more practice tests and after an additional four days of simulated practice tests, my test date had finally arrived.

A little anxious, I entered the testing site with my calculator, E6B computer, plotter, pencil and plenty of paper to make calculations on. I sat down at the computer, entered in all my information, and was soon taking my test. Again, I felt myself go into a cadence. I felt confident answering questions, because I knew the answers to each of them. Double checking my answers where I had to make calculations, I spent a little extra time on questions requiring numbers and mathematics. Finally, I came across one question that sent my head spinning. Trying not to get myself overworked, I concentrated, did my calculations, picked an answer, and moved on.

Time seemed to crawl by, but after about an hour and fifteen minutes I managed to complete my test. Upon completion, I receive a notification that I had not gotten all questions correct. While I would have loved to receive a score of 100%, I knew that this was probably not likely. I got the proctor's attention to let them know that I had finished my test, and also had the ability to review the questions that I had missed.

Looking at the test questions I missed, I suddenly felt myself get angry. I had actually missed questions that I knew the answer to, but in my cadence, did not fully read the test question. Still a bit irked, the computer graded my test- Pass. While my grade was not as high as I wanted it to be, a wave of satisfaction came over me knowing that I no longer had to worry about this test again.

While I never have to worry about this test again, I realize some mistakes I made that every student and student pilot out there can easily avoid:

1. Take your time. I knew I developed a cadence during this test, but it's a good idea to stop after every few moments and do a mental check of yourself. With the PAR test, you've got plenty of time to answer your questions, so take as much time as needed.

2. Read each question. Twice. This may sound stupid, but it works. The first time you read things, it can be very easy to skip over an important detail. The FAA test questions often want you to found out a few things to come up with your answer, and leaving out a word can cause you to miss a question.

3. Check your answers. No matter how confident you are in knowing that you got a particular test question right, re-read that test question and confirm to yourself that you got the question right. Don't just assume that you know you got the answer right and move on.

4. Develop a strategy. This is something that worked well for me in preparation for the test, as well as taking the test. I structured myself in a way that I would have a good amount of time to review for the test, put myself through some simulated tests, and then actually take the test.

5. Look at your available answers. The FAA likes to be sneaky with these. They can often put answers that have similar meanings together, or provide an answer that you may come up with if you make a miscalculation. Either way, these are some "gotcha" questions that the FAA uses. On the other hand, there are also quite a few questions that have answer choices that are completely illogical. These can definitely be thrown out, reducing your chances of getting a question wrong.

6. Practice, practice, practice. Once you've reviewed your test, put those knowledge bits into practice. Apply them the next time you fly or in the next opportunity you have to do them in real-time. This makes them practical, and easier the next time you do them.

7. Keep studying. Just because the test is over does not mean that you can give it up. This can be a pitfall to many pilots. You will need to be ready for your oral examination and your checkride as you continue on in your training, so make sure that these details aren't too fuzzy as you continue to build up your time flying.

While I can keep on making a list, I think seven tid bits of information will do for now. Remember to keep at it and don't give up. Once you build up enough motivation, you can make yourself do anything. Happy flying!

Leaving the Nest

2011-05-24T22:53:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, I accomplished yet another milestone in my flight training. I left the traffic pattern flying solo. A little apprehensive and nervous about this entire flight, I had to work my jitters out. As I walked from the ramp to the airplane, biting my lower lip, I prepared myself mentally for this short flight, and began my preflight inspection. After having a few preliminary items taken care of before I went up, I hopped in the plane and began running through my checklist. Cranking the engine, and tuning the radio to the ASOS, I set the altimeter, noted the wind direction, and switched to ground frequency to request taxi clearance. Once I received my clearance, I throttled the plane up just enough to start it rolling.

With my nervousness somewhat at bay, I continued my taxi to the designated runway, completed my run up, set my gages and called the tower. "Hickory tower, Cessna 411 is holding short runway one nine, ready for VFR departure to the north." "Cessna 411, continue holding short." "Holding short, runway one nine." Holding short gave me another moment to double check everything, and prepare myself for this flight. "Cessna 411, Hickory tower. Cleared for takeoff, runway one nine, right turnout approved." "Cleared for takeoff, one nine, right turn out approved." Pushing the throttle in once more, I taxied to the center of the runway, added full power, and began my takeoff.

Feeling comfortable with this procedure since I have done it many times, I continued down the runway, watching my airspeed begin to build, I began my rotation and started to climb. As the plane continued to climb, I noted that the air was smooth. Climbing to my turnout altitude, I began my right turn. It was at this moment, I took a moment to myself and looked around. There I was, alone, flying the plane all by myself, and things were going well. I felt a smile creep across my face.

Turning on a north heading, I began to make perform some maneuvers required for this particular lesson, S-turns and turns around a point. Things went as well as they could have for someone who hasn't done them in a while. Shaky, and then building with improvement. After performing these maneuvers to my satisfaction, I then headed to another local airport, where I would be meeting with my flight instructor to discuss our approaching night cross country flight.
Establishing myself on the pattern altitude, I entered the 45 degree for a left downwind pattern, announcing my position. Following through I turned to base, and then onto final. It was here that I noticed I hadn't timed things right. I had cut my downwind too short, and was now high on my final approach with a short distance to descend. Pushing the nose down, the plane began to pick up speed. Chopping all the power, I attempted to re-establish my airspeed, and stabilize the plane so that I could land it in an acceptable spot.

The closer I got the the runway, the faster the airspeed increased. From the plane, I watched my aiming point slide out from underneath me. Rather than trying to hold together an approach that was falling apart, I pushed the throttle to the wall, retracted a notch of flaps, and announced on the CTAF I was going around. Bringing myself back up to pattern altitude, I made my turn to crosswind, and then back to downwind Following through, I made sure this time to extend my downwind, turned base, and again on final.

Noticing once more I was a touch high, I pulled power and pushed the nose down. Getting a bit fast, I pulled more power, and pulled the nose up. Gliding down at a better rate, but coming in high from slowing the plane down, I touched the plane down somewhat abruptly a bit beyond the aiming point. Happy that I was able to put it on the runway, I taxied to the ramp to meet with my flight instructor.

After a brief conversation, it was time to return back to my home airport. Taking off, and leaving the traffic pattern, I received clearance to land. After turning base, and then to final, I found that I was established on the right path, the right airspeed, and was set for a nice landing. As I flew the plane just short of the aiming point, I leveled off a touch above the runway, and once over the aiming point, chopped the power. The plane gently settled right onto the runway, the tires releasing a brief squawk to confirm I had touched down.

As soon as the wheels touched down, I knew that at least with this landing, I could not have done any better. Sure, I could have been a little more to the right to be on the center line, but my goal here was to touch the wheels down in the aiming point. Having accomplished that goal, and having done it very smoothly, I was completely satisfied with my flight for the entire day.

The best part of all this, was that day, I decided to put my video camera in the back of the cockpit, and filmed my entire flight. So, not only was I able to remember my aced landing, but I could go back and watch it as many times as I wanted. Having been satisfied with my day's flight, and having the confidence and knowledge to know that I was capable of flying solo and able to leave the traffic pattern, I taxied back to the runway, shut the engine down, and secured the plane. I was proud of myself and what I had accomplished that day, and I looked forward to what my next day of flying had in store.

The Beginning

2011-05-09T17:53:00.002-04:00

Today it occurred to me that while I have been posting many of my entries on my experiences in learning to fly, I have yet to mention how I developed an interest in aviation. To confirm my suspicion, I went back through all of my previous entries to see if I had written about it, and indeed I had not. So here it is, the event that set it all into motion...

It was September 18, 2009. The first time that I would step foot on an airplane, and a day that would spark an interest that eventually turned into a blazing fire. It was my first year of grad school. A month into classes, I was ready for a break. So I had decided, in a rather random plan, to visit a friend in Pittsburgh PA for her birthday. The plan was to see Wicked, and then to chill out in her apartment back at school. She also happened to be a Higher Ed student working in Res Life, and a fellow undergrad from UNCA. I booked my flight weeks in advance, and tried to demystify the new experience of air travel: what I should pack, what I can bring on board the plane, when I should get to the airport. All the basic stuff.

Finally the day of my departure, I was dropped off at the airport ready for my flight to Pittsburgh. Flying with US Airways, I walked to the counter to check in. After presenting my ID, I checked in and paid for my checked bag. In doing so, the ticket agent laid two passes on the desk, which I then took and closely examined. Still somewhat confused, I looked up to the ticket agent and said, "Excuse me, but what ARE these?" "Those are your boarding passes," she said. Still not fully understanding, but knowing I just asked a stupid question, I replied a meek "Oh." Looking at the tab of my boarding pass, I headed to security.

I found security to be an easy process. With dozen of people in front of me, I simply followed suit. Removing my keys, watch, wallet, belt, and shoes, and then proceeding through the metal detector, I was cleared and then proceeded to the gate. Once at the gate, the rush of excitement of adventure ran through my veins. The excitement and newness of the airport environment had me looking everywhere. What caught my attention the most were the other planes at the gates. I was taken aback at how big these machines were. Since they appear to be tiny from the sky, being in close proximity and witnessing their true size was a new experience for me. My excitement was such that you could compare me to a dog being taken for a ride on a summer day. I wanted to take in and experience as much of this as I could.

As moments passed, my plane finally arrived at its gate. Paying attention to the gate agent, I waited for my loading zone to be announced and made my way down the jet way. With great excitement and eagerness my heart started pounding as I walked closer and closer to the plane. Finally, I arrived at the door, and started something I always do whenever I now board a plane: I casually touch the outside of the plane, just for a moment. I know it sounds quite childish, but the fact that the piece of metal I just touched will soon be thousands of feet above the air travelling at hundreds of miles per hour is a feat of astounding engineering to me.

I boarded the plane, found my seat, buckled up, and prepared for takeoff. The experience still new to me, I made sure when booking my flight I got a window seat. I was always looking out of that window, even when parked at the gate. I can still see the winglet at the tip of the left wing. The the rest of the passengers boarded, and the crew prepared the plane for departure. Sealing the cabin, the crew began to address the passengers. Many of what I would assume to be experienced travellers paid no attention, but I was a different story. Listening to every direction, I pulled out the safety card, and studied it, then quickly put it away. Soon after, I felt the slight jolt of the push back, and from that moment I knew we were on our way.

Still in push back, I then heard the the low groaning sound of an engine beginning to spool up. First one, then the other. My palms began to sweat. This was actually happening. I was actually getting ready to fly. Never before, in my 23 years of life had I actually even been in an airplane. I felt my heart racing as we began our taxi. The plane taxied to the end edge of the runway, and then paused for a moment. Soon after, the pilot addressed the passengers that they were cleared for takeoff. This was it. My palms wet, and my heart racing, the plane inched forward to take the runway.

Once lined up, I heard the whirr of the engines for a second, and then a gigantic roar. Suddenly a controlled, violent force pushed me into my seat. The plane began its run down the runway, picking up speed every second. I was elated with excitement. Looking out the window I saw the shadow of the airplane begin to drift father and farther way. It then occurred to me, we were flying. "Oh my God, I'm flying!" I said to myself with a smile across my face, as we continued ascending into the skies.

The entire leg of this trip, I could not stop looking out of the window. Cars, houses, land patterns, it was all a new sight to me, and something the other passengers were taking for granted. About an hour later, we landed in Charlotte. I deboarded the plane, now familiar with the experience and sensation and went to look for my connecting flight. Very satisfied with my first flight ever, and feeling quite at home, being a North Carolinian who hadn't been home in months, I enjoyed the sights of planes at the terminal as I walked to my gate.

Once at my gate, I again sat down and enjoyed the scenery. I was actually glad that I had a connecting flight, because it meant that I would once again get to experience the rush of takeoff, and the views from the sky. Now that I had one flight under my belt, I knew what I was doing. The plane pulled to the gate, and once again, I boarded, and buckled in. Ignoring the emergency brochure this time, I departed to Pittsburgh, again with a smile on my face during takeoff.

Enjoying a great weekend and a great trip, I returned back to Norfolk, enjoying both legs of my return flight. Once back in my apartment, I began my research. I began looking at planes on YouTube, trying to figure out what I flew on, and what kind of other planes were out there. I made trips to the Norfolk airport to watch the planes come in and out when I was stressed out from grad school. I knew once I had made that first flight I had to explore this newly found interest as much as I could. Every opportunity I got to fly, I took it, enjoying every part of the experience.

Little did I know that taking that first flight would lead to an exploration in learning how to fly. Little did I know that I would become somewhat obsessed with aviation. And little did I know of the challenges that would be ahead of me in discovering and exploring this newly found interest. I can say with all honesty, that I've enjoyed the experience, and I am looking forward to what will be happening as I continue.

Addiction.

2011-04-01T23:54:00.009-04:00

It's true. I think I have a problem. I've been trying to stave myself off of this, but it is a difficult, up hill battle. Before I go too much into this. This addiction is not a bad one. (Or is it?) I would like to hope that this habit is helping my skill. It all started about a week ago. A feeling of nostalgia came over me, so I decided to try something. When I was younger, I had these two combat flying simulation games, Jane's Longbow (1&2) and Jane's F-15 Strike Eagle. These games ran on my family's old Gateway 2000. If I can remember correctly, this dinosaur had a Pentium II (233MHz) processor, 32 MB of RAM, and a 4GB hard drive, running Windows 95 and later on a Windows 98 upgrade.

I would spend hours on this computer, playing Longbow 2 (my most favorite of the games) flying around in an AH-64D Apache Helicopter, launching hellfire missiles at enemy tanks. Flying missions with the joystick, I was unstoppable.

So, this past weekend, I decided to see if I could rustle up that old nostalgic feeling. I found those games, and attempted to install them on my desktop computer. My current system, compared to that old Gateway is miles ahead, featuring a Pentium 4, 2.26 GHz, 1.5 GB RAM, and a 160GB Hard drive, running Windows XP. A custom built machine, it was a high school graduation present. After an attempt to install these games, to my surprise, I found that they successfully ran. With a smile across my face, I then looked to find my old joystick, the Microsoft Sidewinder 3D pro. Unfortunately, I did not have so much luck with the old joystick. I assume the years of storage, coupled with the years of use finally took its toll. A tad disappointed, I began a search for a replacement joystick. When I bought the old one new, I recall a $70 price tag. I'm not that big of a computer gamer, so I set out to find one at a reasonable price. To my luck, I found a nice $35 joystick a Best Buy, and after a quick plug and play connection, I was off again, flying that Apache, shooting off hellfire missiles at those enemy tanks.

This nostalgic feeling of satisfaction caused the gears in my brain to begin turning. My focus turned to aviation. Initially in the start of my flight training, I had considered buying Microsoft Flight Simulator to add to my training experience. I decided against this, because my instructor mentioned that most students who come off Flight Simulator tend to be unable to take their eyes off the instruments. I figured by now that I had enough experience under my belt, that I could be able to avoid this.

After coming home and installing the game on my machine, I was immediately blown away by it's features. What surprised me the most was the fact that I could fly out of my home airport that I do my training out of. What was even better is that I can actually get simulated weather accurate within 15 minutes of what is occurring at the actual airport. The icing on the cake is that I can also fly the airplanes I my dreams, Mooneys, Learjets, and CRJs. Of course, I have to adjust to each aircraft, for now, I'm sticking with the 172.

Upcoming in my training is my first cross-country flight. So as an added idea, I decided to fly my cross country in the sim. Everything went well, and from what I did in the sim, I feel even more comfortable getting in the actual airplane. Tracking VORs has become easier to understand, and flying traffic patterns has sharpened my skills too. At least in flight simulator.

Since I have installed this program, I have NOT been able to take myself away from it. As soon as I am home from work, I am on it, getting in as much practice as I can.

I think I may have a slight addiction.

Another Step

2011-03-22T16:06:00.009-04:00

It was a warm March day. Sunny skies, calm winds, and great visibility. Translation: a good day to fly. This wasn't another ordinary day of flying for me. It was time to solo again. After being unable to solo the past few weeks due to sickness, weather, and other issues, there was finally a break in the weather. My instructor and I jumped in the plane, ran through our checklists, and to make a long story short, we taxied to the runway. Several planes were out that day, giving air traffic control a run for their money. After concluding our run-up and a few other items, we were ready to for takeoff.

We were cleared for takeoff, but not before ATC snapped at us for asking which traffic pattern to fly. Apparently, asking for traffic pattern before you take off was too early for them. Lining up on the runway, pushing the throttle to the wall, the airplane slowly picks up speed and in a few moments, lifts off the runway. We continued up and climbed to 500 feet above the ground and began making our designated traffic turns. Everything went smoothly as we followed the downwind leg, to base, and then on final. The plane glided onto the runway, the main gear touching first, as the front wheel drifted down slowly as the plane bled off airspeed. One landing down, two more to go. Clearing the runway, we returned to the taxiway and prepared for two more take offs, all which went very well.

After making our other two landings, we returned the plane to the ramp for fuel. We had a lot of flying to do afterwards. As the plane was fueled, the feeling of excitement and anxiety crept its way through my veins. It was time for me to solo once again. Although I had done this before, somehow, this only slightly eased my tensions. With a few last pointers from the instructor, I hopped in the plane, ran through my checklists, and received clearance for taxi to the designated runway.

Approaching the hold short line, I did my run-up, and ran through the final points of my checklist. Now it was time to fly. I radioed the tower, and was cleared for take off. To my relief, all the busyness of the traffic had dissipated, leaving the entire runway and traffic pattern to myself. As I had done many times before, I lined up on the runway, added full power, and began my takeoff. Seconds later, I was airborne. With long range fuel tanks filled to the top, I noted the plane took a little longer to get off the ground, but soon enough was flying. I climbed to 500 feet above the runway, and began making my turn from crosswind to downwind. Announcing my pattern position, I was cleared to land. I continued on my downwind, turned to base, final, and glided to another decent landing.

To make this long story short, I did the same thing two more times, and called it good. I was half tempted to make another takeoff, but decided against it, as I had probably given fate enough opportunities to mess with me while in the plane all by myself. I taxied to the ramp and shut the plane down with complete satisfaction knowing that I had done well.

My day, however, was only half over. I now had to wait until it was dark. As you continually build on your flight training, new challenges come your way, and on this day I was presented with the first opportunity to fly at night. My flight instructor and I went off into the city to run a few errands and to waste some time so that it would be dark enough for us to fly. After tinkering around a bit, we returned to the airport and began making our preparations. With everything taken care of, we again hopped into the plane and received clearance for taxi to the designated runway. By this time, the sun had set, and only a few rays of daylight remained. The only useful light available was the little red cabin light in the cockpit that shined just enough on the instrument panel to barely discern the gauges. I was already nervous. We were cleared for takeoff. Able to use only my landing light to center the plane on the runway, we picked up speed and slowly rotated to lift off to begin our climb.

By the time we cleared the airport, it was completely dark. It was about at this time, as we were making our climb while tracking a VOR, that I noted how differently the airplane was acting. The plane seemed to be flying itself. All I had to do was set the proper trim level, and keep a few fingers on the yoke. The plane practically did the rest. As we continued flying, I was making turns so smoothly, it reminded me of what if felt like to fly on a commercial airliner. Really, I'll give all this credibility up to the weather conditions. Less winds to kick you around, and cooling temperatures with clear skies and a full moon. It was a beautiful night to fly.

As we continued, we transitioned to some aspects of flying that really make me nervous: slow flight and stalls. I generally don't like to fly a plane using these maneuvers, but you have to learn them in order to be safe. Adding the condition of doing this at night contributed more to my anxiety. I did find however, that after utilizing a trick another instructor taught me, slow flight came very easy, and to my benefit, I was considerably less nervous. It did me well to hear my flight instructor giving me positive feedback.

Then came the stalls. First a power off. These aren't so much an issue with me, as they are considerably less "violent" than their counterpart, power-on stalls. Without loosing so much as a hundred feet, I was able to stall the plane, recover, and climb out of the stall. The power on stall was a bit different. After initiating the stall, I had an adequate recovery, but not well enough to meet practical test standards. Perhaps another day. Power on stalls are a little more "violent" because the plane struggles to continually fly with the wings pitched at an angle that prevents airflow over the wings to generate adequate lift . This creates a necessity to utilize more input of the control surfaces at the occurrence of the stall, and if not corrected properly, can result in dangerous situations.

After taking care of the slow flight and stalls, we moved on to some night landings. This was by far my favorite part of the flight. Continuing to track a VOR, we discovered that we had overflown our intended airport. So we turned a 180 to see if we could catch sight of the airport beacon. After a minute of searching, we finally located the beacon, but no runway lights were in sight. This didn't really cause me much concern. Airport lights at uncontrolled fields are usually on a timer, and can be activated by clicking the airport's radio frequency a few times. After getting the weather conditions at the airport, we clicked the airport's frequency. Seconds later, the airport lit up in colors of blue, yellow, and red. It was like a Christmas tree. We entered the pattern and prepared to land.

Landing at night is a little tricky. Visibility is reduced, and you can only rely on your landing light and airport lights to determine where your position is relative to the runway. As we continued on our final approach, I noted that the airport lights drifted closer to the plane than what I was used to. Although it was the same rate at which I make landings during the daylight, I felt as if we were flying faster than what I was used to. However, I was able to make a good landing.

After making our first landing, we practiced a few more take offs and landings, and then decided to head back to our home airport. While en route, I noticed that while I could see the beacon of the home airport, I could not see the runway lights. After a few clicks of the frequency, I again saw the lights magically come up. Nothing is more gratifying than see the airport you're going to land at after a long day of flying. We landed, taxied back to the ramp, and secured the plane for the evening.

Overall, it was a great day to solo, and a great day to discover the wonders of night flight. Slowly but surely, I am drawing to a close of my flight training, but coming up are a few cross country trips that I am looking forward to making. That night, I left the airport wearing a smile on my face, having the satisfaction of a job well done.

Reality Check.

2011-03-11T11:33:00.002-05:00

My last post was about owning an airplane. This post is a little more realistic. A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with the pursuit of owning an airplane. I did the research, I looked up prices, and played with finance calculators. No matter from what perspective I tried to look at it, the numbers didn't look favorable. I just couldn't afford to make such a purchase, whether in part, or in whole. A few weeks have passed since the last entry. My head is a little more stable, and my goals, a bit more manageable. While at some point I would hope to own an aircraft, I have come to terms with the fact that ownership is not possible for me right now. Airplanes are expensive. There's the cost of the actual plane, plus maintenance, avionics upgrades, insurance, hangar fees, fluctuating fuel prices, the list goes on and on.

Airplanes are a great way to travel. If you can get with a pilot who is safe and has some experience under their belt, you're in for some great experiences in the air. It's faster, considering there isn't a speed limit, unless you're within specific altitudes and airspace (at which, most airplanes, aside from jets won't normally cruise at 200 knots), and through effective navigation and communication with air traffic control, those long car rides turn into relatively short airplane rides. Plus, when you consider the General Aviation sector, you don't need to worry about baggage fees, lines, the TSA, layovers, and other commercial airport hassles. In general aviation, you can most likely arrive at an airport that is closer to your final destination than most commercial airports. The only drawback to all of these conveniences is...money.

In ground school, you learn about the four forces of flight: lift, weight, thrust, drag. These are, "physically" speaking, what keeps planes maneuverable in the air. This is the proper answer to give when you are asked this question on your knowledge test, or by your FAA examiner.

However, ask any pilot what the four forces of flight are, and they will most likely give this "humorous" answer: dreams, reality, money, FAA. As a favorite comic of mine often says, "It's funny because it's true." Airplanes are money hogs. That's a fact. So if you happen to make enough money where you can continue to keep one of these things in the air, then I would love to be like you one day. Unfortunately, today is not the day, and I do not see that day in sight any time soon.

However, while I have accepted that now is not the right time, I have continually planned on what I would like to accomplish while I continue in my flight training.

1. Finish my private pilots license- This has been a slow process due to being employed full time, and only being able to fly on the weekends. I do not complain about this. I'm thankful to have a job, and one I love at that. I have set a goal completion date, and I am constantly working towards that goal by studying for my knowledge exam, and continually practicing in the air.

2. Take a year off from training- Some may say this is a bad move. I agree. But the sabbatical from training will allow me to replenish funds for my next round of training, and in the time between, I can continue to build flight hours. Remember, flight training is expensive.

3. Add an IFR rating- An IFR rating becomes very beneficial to pilots, because you're no longer restricted to visual flight rules (VFR). This means if you happen to get in some soupy weather, you can be all the more proficient in flying your plane through it. Although IFR rated or not, it's best to avoid bad weather. Sometimes it can be unavoidable. I would much rather have an IFR rating and feel comfortable flying by gages, than being a nervous VFR pilot who has found himself in a tight spot.

4. Add a Commercial rating- This is where it gets fun. At this level, you can start charging your passengers. This doesn't mean that you'll be flying a jet for an airline (but if you've got the money, you can get the training). But if someone asks you to fly them to the beach, it's perfectly legal to charge them for it. This means that if things go wrong in the air, you're paid the big bucks to make sure that people stay safe.

5. Add the CFI- I'm still not sure how I feel about this one yet. Being a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) requires, you guessed it- time and money. Working full time doesn't really allow me to fly often, so this CFI rating would require some patience. However, both the commercial rating, and the CFI rating are a great way to generate some return revenue on your investment in your flight training. More often than not, I would say that you can get more students than you can passengers wanting to take beach trips. Being able to teach on the weekends, I wouldn't be able to have many students, but that's ok with me. I prefer to work closely with a few students, especially in the flight training environment.

So there it is, my expensive and (forgive the pun) lofty goals. Each one will require time and money. I always seem to find myself chomping at the bit in an effort to move forward, and often times I find that I'm not ready to make such an advancement. With these goals, as with all the other aviation goals I've had, I have to keep telling myself one thing. "Small steps."

Chasing the Dream

2011-02-14T21:08:00.007-05:00

I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. Once again, my attentions in this post have been directed towards aviation. A lot has happened since I've chosen to embark on this adventure. Since my last post, I've experienced my first solo, and have continually been able to enhance my piloting skills in the left seat. Learning to fly has been interesting. There have been times when I've been ready to walk away from it all, but after some down time, I start clamoring to go back up again. It's an obsession. Maybe an unhealthy one.

My attentions have started to turn to ownership. Aircraft ownership. After doing just a minimal amount of research, I've quickly learned that owning an aircraft is extremely expensive. A simple airplane will cost a little over $100,000. The one I want costs right over $600,000. Or course, these are brand new models. Still, pre-owned airplanes, even ones close to 30 years old can still cost around $30,000 to $80,000. That's still too much to sink a wad of cash on. For me, at this point in my life, anyway.

Yet, there are still a multitude of options. Home built kits are available. I've happened to recently find one that is comparable to the plane I would love to have (which is posted above). All for a considerably lower price- $50,000. Still, that's quite a chunk of change to sit down on an aircraft. Not to mention the amount of hours that you have to put into assembling the aircraft yourself.

This goes without saying that to accomplish such a dream as this, you first need a lot of commitment. In an effort to make such an investment seems intimidating to someone such as myself, having no ability to make such a large investment. What can be even more intimidating is not knowing when, if ever you will be able to make such an investment.

Before I go any further, I want to stop right here and add something. When I look at all things, I'm pretty blessed. I've been able to to go to school and earn a Masters degree. I've been able to land a job right out of grad school. I've been able to move back to my hometown and be with my family. I've had unbelievable support from family and friends that have enabled me to accomplish what I have so far. I've been able to buy a new car, and afford flying lessons. I am blessed to find myself in a position where anyone who is less fortunate than I am, who has a greater amount of responsibility to their family would give anything to be able to spend money the way I do.

I am not using this post as a way to whine that I'll never be able to afford my own airplane. I'm blessed enough to be able to afford to pursue my interests. However, what I am saying is that for anyone who has any desire or goal that seems overwhelmingly huge, it IS intimidating. It is BEYOND intimidating. It seems impossible. If I am to buy my own plane, I don't even know where to begin. The same goes for a lot of other things...buying a house, for instance.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I certainly can't add the "It'll all work out in the end", or the "If it's meant to be, it will happen." Frankly, I can't help but wonder if this entire aviation pursuit has been a horrible waste of money and time. The further I get into it, the more I start to wonder.

It's been fun discovering aviation so far...but the amount of uncertainty for what the future holds still remains intimidating.

Reality

2010-10-27T11:11:00.005-04:00

In my office, I have a poster from the "glass-half-full" folks of Despair, Inc that features a beautiful orange sunset sinking into a crystal blue ocean, while a hang glider soars out into the sunset. While it is a pretty picture, the caption reads, "There is no greater joy than soaring high on the winds of your dreams, except maybe the joy of watching a dreamer who has nowhere to land but in the ocean of reality." Better yet, just look at the picture below.

No doubt, it's a pretty funny quote. The Germans actually have a word for this- schadenfreude, which literally means "happiness at the misfortune of others." As long as something bad is not happening to us, things can be as funny as hell. Yet, when something happens to us at our expense, it's us who is doing the suffering, and others who are doing the laughing. That's just the nature of life.

As I put this into perspective, I see countless students come into my office looking to start something new or start over. They will tell me about all the things they would like to do. Some want to make money, some just want to explore a new area of interest. And as I sit there and chat with these students, I find myself telling them to chase that dream. Pursuing your dreams has always been sort of a mantra for myself, and something I tell others. I believe that we cannot find any value or satisfaction in our lives until we are pursuing something that gives us personal satisfaction.

However, as we continue to chase the dream, it seems we drift further and further from reality, and it's not until some mishap, some shaking event that brings us back down, crashing into the ocean of reality. It's a sad fact, and it happens more often than not. Perhaps what hurts more than crash-landing in this ocean of "reality" is the recovery. The feelings of uncertainty and not knowing the answers to the questions of what to do next, how to recover, if the dream can be chased again, or if it should be abandoned all together.

It is unfortunate to fall short of your own expectations when it comes to accomplishing something. It's pretty much devastating. But, there is always a tactic to use to avoid crashing into that ocean of reality- HAVE A PLAN!

As simple as it seems, I've seen countless people go into something without ever fully thinking it through. Sometimes, this blind faith is necessary- to go without knowing where you are going. In fact, this lack of planning can sometimes put you in a place that you didn't expect to find yourself in, and what's more is that you've found that you're in a great place to be in. But more often than not, my life experience have taught me that if you're going to act on something, you'll need to think about the options that lie ahead of you before you proceed.

When it comes to education and training, I think the greatest short sight is the lack of financial planning. People underestimate the cost of the endeavor they pursue and when the money runs out, progress stops. This is a result of improper planning, and failing to budget time and money adequately. Sometimes, we find that we're guilty of not cutting costs- we buy that movie, or indulge ourselves in the $5 lattes from Starbucks without ever thinking how this affects us financially in the long run. But, it all adds up. If you spend $5 on a latte Monday through Friday, you've spend $25 in one week. Over a month you'll have spent $100 on lattes alone. Continue to add it up and that's about $1,200 for the year. Just for a frozen coffee drink.

While lack of financial planning does have the impact on your plans for the future, a lack of planning on the future also has devastating effects. Often times, I have found myself guilty of planning only one goal without considering any other alternatives. When we find that something does not go our way in this plan, we don't have any other alternatives. **CRASH** Hello ocean of reality.

With all that said, here are just three easy steps that I believe will ensure that dreams can continually be pursued:

1. Make a plan- It's better to know what you're going to do, how you're doing, and when you're going to do it.

2. Discipline yourself- Stick to your plan. Don't deviate away from it or distract yourself.

3. Create alternatives- When something doesn't go right, having another option is better than none at all.

On a final note, I think it's great to soar on the wings of your dreams, as long as you also have a parachute packed.

Affirmation

2010-09-29T14:22:00.003-04:00

This past weekend, I had an affirmation involving my interest in aviation. It was more like an epiphany that turned into an affirmation, really. Let me explain. It all started with Netflix. Being a rather new subscriber to Netflix, I was browsing through the selection of movies. Nothing being out of the ordinary, aviation happened to be on my mind. I searched for movies or anything that had to do with aviation, with little luck.

A few weeks later, I found myself again on Netflix. This time, aviation was not on my mind. I was looking for some movie, something to add to my queue. After find a satisfactory title, the usual "You might also like" window pops up. There it was. My eye was drawn to it in a split second. One Six Right. One Six Right is not a movie, but exactly what the tag line described it to be- "The Romance of Flying." I instantly added it to my queue, and move it to the front of the line. As I returned my latest rental, I waited in anticipation for my recent find to arrive in my mailbox.

When it finally arrived, I naturally began watching it. At first thinking that I had wasted my time waiting for this documentary to arrive, the first minutes or so was nothing but symphonic music and shots of airports and airplanes. I began to ask my self, "Is that it? Just planes flying around to pretty music?" I'm glad I was wrong. After what was a slightly long and boring intro, the film began to cut to the chase.

These pilots, these storytellers began talking about their discovery of aviation- whether they seemed to trip into it, or if they had an innate interest in it from the beginning. Somehow, either they found it, or it found them. That's when it hit me. Hard. While I sat back watching this film, I heard pilots talking about experiences. Some would go to airports and watch the planes take off. Others would get a hand radio and listen in on the communication between pilots and air traffic control. At this point, I distinctly remember looking at myself in the mirror with a huge sense of irony. Indeed, I have done those very things, except in a different fashion.

When I was in grad school, and on occasions where I did not have anything to do, or if I happened to be stressed out, I would find myself driving to the airport. Just the glimpse of an airplane took my mind off of whatever I was worried about. I loved to go to the observation area and simply sit back in my car and watch the planes come in and out. There was something unexplainable about it. The sound of a jet engine, the marriage of man and machine and the ability to conquer gravity. The sleek prowess of the aircraft. Perhaps a combination of everything. Watching planes somehow put my mind at ease. I can still find myself feeling like a kid in a toy store whenever I am near an airport. Looking around, trying to spot planes- watching them take off and land, listening for the roar.

Even now as I have begun my flight training, my appreciation and and perspective has shifted. It is one thing to watch planes, it's another thing to fly them. Much like any skill, it takes practice. The more you practice, the more proficient you are. However, that being said, I have a HUGE appreciation for the feeling of flight. And once again, I find it is indescribable.

Shortly before takeoff, you perform a final check of your gages. Throttle the plane up, checking gages and making sure that your controls are free and correct. The plane aches to inch forward with urgency under the strain of the brakes. After everything checks out, throttle down, and taxi onto the runway. Line up on the center line, making sure you're front wheel is straight. Then, full throttle. The engine speed increases, and you gradually pick up speed. Your gages come alive, and as you continue rolling down the runway you gently pull back on the yoke and continually pull back until the nose of the aircraft rotates up. At this point the airplane almost freezes in position for what feels like minutes. Then suddenly, you've separated from land and are now airborne. You continually gain altitude as you leave the runway. As you trim the plane up to continually climb, the horizion increases. Objects on the ground get smaller and smaller. Feel the plane. Where does it want to go? What does it want to do? Adjust the controls, trim. Repeat. Adjust. After reaching your desired altitude, you pull some throttle off, and re-trim. Now you're cruising. Despite the noise in the cockpit, it's serene. Nothing around you but sky. Breathtaking. It is those moments that stress leaves my body. It's just me, and the plane (and the flight instructor, for now).

One Six Right affirmed in me that this idea of me in aviation is not hair-brained, or half hearted. Since the beginning of my interest in aviation, One Six Right has shown me that with a little bit of effort, and some commitment, you can accomplish what you are pursuing, even if it starts with a simple dream. I have learned not to doubt myself, but to take small steps. Sure, it's going to take a while. But after I get to where I'm going, I'll have the view to enjoy.

Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Life I Learned in Acting Class

2010-09-04T21:42:00.014-04:00

Everything I ever needed to know about life I learned in acting class. I have been thinking about this statement for some short time, and the more and more that I think about it, the more evident it becomes to me that it’s true. In my career as an undergraduate student, I was a Drama major. One of the lessons I learned about theatre is that drama imitates life. And sometimes, life imitates drama. Here are a few lessons on life that I learned in acting class.

Lesson One: We all have something to accomplish.
In acting, we call this the “objective.” It’s what a character wants out of the scene. Moreover, there is the super objective, what the character wants in its existence. Sometimes, characters could achieve their objective and other times they weren’t so lucky. Nonetheless, the characters strive for their objective, regardless of the end result. An objective is a foundational piece of what motivates acting. That core desire to gain something. To accomplish something. To earn something. Objectives are usually derived from the phrase “I want to…” Once that objective was achieved, they move on to their next objective.

Lesson Two: There will always be adversity.
These are called obstacles. Obstacles can come in all forms from physical limitations, to specific circumstances of a time period, even to other characters in the story. Some people choose to associate individuals as antagonists. However, I prefer the term "opposing force." Not every story has an antagonist, but every story has an opposing force. There can be no good story line, or plot, without some form of obstacle(s). It is the challenge of overcoming the obstacle that makes acting; it makes the story interesting. Every obstacle encountered is unique to the character. They are forced to finding some way to overcome, circumvent, or avoid such obstacles. Acting calls these tactics, and it’s what actors use to overcome, circumvent, or avoid those obstacles we face. Sometimes these tactics work, and other times they don’t.

Lesson Three: We all walk the hero’s journey.
The hero's journey is the same in theatre as it is in any literary work. Joseph Campbell coined the actually terminology for this model, but since the beginning of literary history, the same formula has been used. To make the long story short, the hero undergoes challenges, opposition, rejection, and through these experiences is transformed, where they are then accepted which ultimately leads to a personal victory and wide popularity.

Obviously, this is a bit different in real life, but some elements of the hero's journey are still true. Not knowing what we face each day, we take it one at a time. Although we we do not face challenges to the point of what we find in classic pieces of literature, they are in a way transforming to us. Specific life events in our experiences change us- graduating from college, getting married, having a child, etc. All of these have some effect on us.

Lesson Four: Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
You will always need to set some time aside where you can examine or work something till you have it perfected. I was always taught that you have to "hearse" before you rehearse. This lesson has been proved to me many times, and the most recently in the new role that I am in with a current production. I have had to sit myself down and run my lines. I've had to repeat these lines many times, not because I was trying to memorize them, but because I was trying to put the right "color" in them. Repetition also helps in memorizing something.
In acting, there is something known as the "Illusion of the first time." This basically means that when you are performing, you have to make your acting look like you are doing this the first time ever. Oddly enough, the only thing that can make you accomplish this, is doing the action over and over and over. Actor don't get good doing things once. They get good because they've done it time and time again.

Lesson Five: Find your beat(s).
Beats are subtle changes in a scene. They can be something small as a change of thought by a character in a monologue, or the change in direction or shift in "power" in a scene. These beats help actors to further find their objective, and also assist in the overall direction of the entire play. Every single scene is littered with beats, and they can be found grouped together, or scarcely found throughout any scene. Chances are though, if you're not finding a beat, you're not looking hard enough.

Lesson Six: React.
Acting is as much of reacting as it is interpretation. It was Sanford Meisner who really brought this idea to fruition in realistic acting. In every scene where there is more than one person (and often one person) you can only do so much with what you are given. You have to pay attention to the subtle actions and words- where the emphases is placed. It is this reaction that makes the scene engaging and draws the audience in closer to what is happening in the scene.

Lesson Seven: It takes a team.
The art of theatre is very much a well oiled machine. While actors are on the stage performing, the audience is (or should be) unaware of the controlled chaos that is happening around the theatre. Stage hands are running around making sure set pieces are in their proper place, helping actors get in and out of costumes. The stage manager is maintaining every detail of the show, calling light, sound and set cues. Actors are running about preparing for their next scene, and the orchestra, if you're watching musical is blowing through a barrage of notes.
Each and every single member of this production team holds an important role. While the actors are very much the ones who are seen the most, if one person backstage fails to do their task, the entire production suffers. Often times, during a production things can go wrong. Again, an entire company must rely on each other to ensure things are safely and effectively taken care of. That's why at the end of every curtain call, before the actors go off stage, they always point to the booth, the orchestra and acknowledge all those who are not even heard or seen. It's because of them, the production runs smoothly.

Putting it all together.
To sum it all up, acting imitates life. I'm pretty sure we are all walking our own journey. The story of our lives are about us, we're the heroes. As we walk the course of our lives, we are destined to face struggles- obstacles. As we overcome these challenges, we can see ourselves transform through the power of learning from our previous experiences. And as we move on from these struggles we begin to develop new goals (objectives) and set a course for accomplishing that goal. Sometimes, there may be a slight diversion, or even a complete change in what you are after (beat) where we have to abandon what we were after and completely change our ideas or goals about something (reacting). As we set this new course, or even change our goal, we find that there are people who surround us to help us on our way. Life is a journey that is not meant to be traveled alone. I firmly believe that we find people who are close to us to help us as we go on our way. They're friends, family, even complete strangers. Don't forget that you're never going through something where you can't get help.

So there it all is. Acting in a nutshell. Life in a nutshell.

Act well your part, for therein all the honor lies.

The Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow

2010-08-30T08:55:00.008-04:00

"Ground, Cessna One Two Papa."

"Cessna One Two Papa, go ahead."

"Cessna One Two Papa, we're here on the ramp requesting taxi via Bravo to runway one nine for a VFR departure to the Northwest"

"Cessna One Two Papa, you are cleared to taxi via Bravo, runway one nine."

"Cleared to taxi via Bravo, runway one nine, Cessna One Two Papa"

*A Few moments later*

"Tower, Cessna One Two Papa."

"Cessna One Two Papa, go ahead."

"Cessna One Two Papa, on the ramp at runway one nine, ready for a VFR departure to the north west."

"Cessna One Two Papa, cleared for take off. Winds at..."

"Cleared for take off. Thank you, Cessna One Two Papa."

That was the beginning conversation between myself, ground control, and air control before I took off on my last lesson. A typical routine conversation between many pilots and air traffic controllers, but this conversation happened to be my second. Ever. My novice to the field of aviation is still apparent, and will be for quite sometime. But I have found that the more you immerse yourself into its realm, the more you will be able to find yourself speaking the language. This past week, I even compelled myself to memorizing the entire phonetic alphabet:

Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel
India
Juliette
Kilo
Lima
Mike
November
Oscar
Papa
Quebec
Romeo
Sierra
Tango
Uniform
Victor
Whiskey
X-Ray
Zulu

It was easier than I thought. I just had to give my mind a task to do involving these letters, rather than sitting in a chair staring at the same words over and over again. So I found that task- license plates. Driving around, or walking through a parking lot, You can see all kinds of license plates, each one with their own individual sequence of letters and numbers. I would look at each plate and from memory, attempt to recall each phonetic letter and use it as a call sign instead of a plate number. Stupid? Yes. Did it work? You bet.

Before I continue, I need to put it out there that I'm not devoting my entire blog to discovering flight, but as it so happens, that's what I'm focusing on as a life long learner at this point. I have a few other posts coming on different ideas, but they will happen in good time.

Now, back to flying. I now have four and a half hours logged of flight time, and things are starting to get interesting. For the first time ever, or at least it felt like it to me, I had complete control of the airplane during my last take off. Once you get into your groove, you'll find that the process is pretty easy to follow:

Line up on center line. Make sure your front wheel is straight. Full power. Use rudder to keep aircraft going down center line. Airspeed at 50 kts, pull back on the yoke to rotate the plane up. Keep pulling back slightly. Plane lifts into air. Continue climb. Maintain an airspeed of 70 kts. Level. Trim.

It's that easy. I may have left a few things our for redundancy, but having that experience of being able to have the controls to yourself without corrective input from the instructor is a bit intimidating and liberating at the same time.

The plane is getting easier to fly, and all the time we're learning new things: Stalls, slow flight, steep turns, more stalls, using the instrument panel, the list goes on and on. The more time you spend in the plane, the more you learn.

But it hasn't been friendly skies the entire time. I have subjected myself to my own personal scrutiny of wondering why I am doing what I am. Why am I spending copious amounts of money for something I have no idea which direction I am going to take after I have earned the credential? Why can this plane be so hard to fly sometimes? Why is some of this stuff going over my head? Am I wasting my time and money? Personal evaluation is important in everything. I have always known myself to be overly critical of myself.

Regardless of what I put myself through, I also need to step back and ask myself these questions: Am I enjoying what I do? Yes. Is what I am doing fun? Yes. Am I accomplishing a goal that I have set for myself: Yes?

Three yeses. That seems worth it to me. Although at this point, Im not sure where or what direction this is going to take me, but as I written before, we don't know where life is going to take us. We don't even know what is going to happen tomorrow. The best we can do is enjoy the ride.

Defying Gravity

2010-08-21T20:58:00.006-04:00

August 15, 2010. Flight lesson two. 1.8 hours logged of flight time. It seems that the newness of the brilliance and shine of the first lesson has worn itself off. This being my second time in the cockpit, I got up in the aircraft somewhat accustomed to the settings, and the feeling of what it was to be inside of this plane.

With a smile on my face, I can say that my first time up in the air as a pilot was everything that I expected it to be. Being at the controls had become an accomplishment, and a dream come true. Although I am still naive about the whole field of aviation, the sound of the engine rumble, and the shake that it sends through the entire plane just as you are holding short of the runway is without a doubt exhilarating.

Although I can recount my first time going up, it would take way too long to account for it in this blog. I will make it short by say from the time the wheels lifted off of the runway, a smile had crept its way across my face.

This Cessna is an older plane. An '81 152 Model. While still a bit uneasy about it being so old, once in the air, I learned that she's still airworthy. As it is, there is still plenty of lessons ahead of me. After all, it was only my second lesson that I just completed. This flight training has been a dream come true. I am still a bit anxious. There is a lot to learn, and at this point, I'm intimidated by it. There's the medical certification, the oral exam, and written exam, all before you can get the "entry" level license. That's just the way it is.

Still, I look forward to this experience, what I am going to learn, and the experience that I will encounter. Some scary, some happy, but all worth it.

Life Lesson: Keep Your Options Open

2010-08-05T13:36:00.003-04:00

As often as we like to make up our minds about things, one of the things that I have learned through the course of my life is to keep your options open. Yes, we like to make specific decisions (or at least I do) about what kind of car we want to drive, what type of clothes we wear, what are we going to eat for supper tonight, the list goes on and on and on. Sure, these are small things, and we can make decisions on small things. The point that I am trying to make is that we need to embrace the ambiguity of life.

Throughout the course of my experiences in life, I have come to learn that humans are life long learners. That is to say we have the capacity to learn something new everyday. One way I would like to illustrate this is in a personal experience of mine.

For about two years now, I have been developing a keen interest in aviation. I can't exactly explain it either, but I am simply amazed at the corporate world of flight. Airports run so efficiently, it takes me back to my days of theatre, where during production, the theatre is pretty much a well oiled machine. It just goes. Plane come in, they land, passengers board, plane takes off again. But it's not just that. The aircraft themselves. The sleek look a plane's angles. The scream of a jet engine. The sheer engineering marvel that we can take a piece of metal and make it fly. Astounding.

In my years of grad school, whenever I found myself to be stressed out, or if I just needed a change of scenery, I would go out to the Norfolk airport for hours, and watch the planes fly in and fly out. When it came time for breaks, I would book flights home instead of driving 6 hours. I would even look for layovers, just so I could get on another plane and experience the exhilarating feeling of takeoff and flight. But it didn't stop there. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent sitting in front of a computer watching YouTube videos of nothing but planes at airports. I think I'm pretty much hooked.

But before all of that happened, the very reason I became interested in aviation was because I flew to Pennsylvania to visit a friend to fulfill my other passion- theatre.

I didn't know that I would become fascinated by planes. Frankly, I was terrified at first, and a bit foolish. I can still remember asking a ticket agent what it was she just handed me- my boarding passes.

So I think the point of this entry is that you never know where life is going to take you. I went to UNCA because I wanted to do drama. Then I wanted to become an RA. I didn't know that that would lead me to a Master's degree. I didn't know that visiting a friend would inspire an appreciation and interest in aviation.

This Sunday, I continue to pursue that interest. I will be making my first flight as a student pilot, in my very first flying lesson. Hopefully by December, I'll be able to fly with my Private Pilot's License. It is a dream coming to fruition.

So, keep your options open. You never know where life is going to take you.

An Introduction (Reprise)

2010-07-07T08:23:00.005-04:00

Perhaps this posting comes about on the account that I have more time on my hands. Perhaps a new thoughts have come to my mind and I am inspired to write about them. Whatever the case, I think I think I need a new introduction.

For quite some time, this particular blog has been dormant. The purpose was to log my progress in grad school; what I had discovered, and the life experiences that I have had out of it. Unfortunately though, this idea fell short, as either I didn't have enough time, or just simply lost interest. Only today does this blog reawaken. And there's a reason why.

Since my last posting (which has been over a year ago) I have managed to graduate from graduate school, land a job within my field, and move back to my home state of North Carolina. I have accomplished some of my dreams as stated in one of my earlier postings. The past two years have not been easy ones, per se. Although life was good, it still had its challenges. Now that I have been able to focus on things other than academics, I can now begin to focus on life as a professional, and life enriching opportunities.

But that's not what this post is about. I don't want to deviate too far away from my point. The point of this blog is to re-introduce myself. It's been nearly two years since this blog was created, a lot of changed, and for those of you lucky enough to trip across the blog as a result of a bad Google search (because I know MILLIONS read it) an introduction is in order.

My name is Mark. I work in the business of dreams. No, I don't work for Disney. I work in the business of accomplishing dreams, reaching goals, and creating new heights. I work in the business of education. The past two years of grad school have taught me that this field is not for everyone. I firmly believe that you have to be "cut out" for what you do. Education is a service industry. It is a people business. Some people will tell you otherwise, but the very core, the foundation of what educators do is to inspire others to develop the discipline to expand their minds, to challenge themselves to new commitments, to learn something new.

As humans, we were given a mind capable of complex thought. Thinkers- Socrates, Plato, Columbus, Voltaire, Nietzsche, Einstein, Hawking, and countless others are no different from you and I. People might've thought these folks were off their rocker a bit, all because they had the ability to think differently. Through centuries, we have been able to take a rock and transform it into a wheel, develop letters and languages, create various forms of art, and engineer a 450 ton machine to take off and soar to 30,000 feet above the earth. Folks, that grey matter in our heads is more than just matter. The brain is a tool, but unlike tools the more you use your brain, the sharper it becomes. All we have to do is put it to good use.

And that's what brings me to the point that I want to make today. So often, I find that students who come into my office face a huge level of anxiety in committing themselves to classes. They are unsure if they have the cognitive facilities to have the means to perform academically. I think they have every right to think that, because if all we have been trained to do for the last 20 years is push a button, and pull a lever, it's all we know how to do. Why would you want to break your comfort zone for a few classes?

It is my job and my goal to take the student that comes into my office saying these things, and to empower them with the desire, motivation, and will to learn, accomplish a goal, and to spread their wings.

So here we have returned to a starting point, and with a new mission in mind. This blog will now encompass the lessons I've learned in life, observations in life, and my own personal opinions (when necessary). It's in the tagline.

Here's to a new beginning. I'm back. Let's do this.

Let the Games Begin!

2009-01-25T21:25:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, I know. Another semester has started up here at ODU, and even though I am heading into the final leg of my first year, this semester is no easier than the first. It is an entirely different beast than what last semester was. This semester is going to be reading intensive. There's a lot to be done, and so far I am managing to stay on top of things.

The end of last semester brought itself out to a good end. I managed to earn a 3.4 GPA which is the best GPA that I've ever earned in my academic career. The time spent at home was amazing. There were plenty of days I would lay in the bed and not get up until 12:00, noon. In addition, I got to spend some great time with the family as well as my beloved animals. Christmas was also wonderful.

Soon after Christmas, I set my sight on a relatively random purchase- the Nintendo Wii. Being it right after the holidays, and the already high demand and rarity of this particular console, I didn't figure that I'd have much luck running one down. I called stores, nothing, I searched online and found some that were definitely at scalping prices. Finally, I I remembered a new store that had just opened, GameStop. So I gave them a call, and low and behold, they had three in stock. I raced down to the store that Sunday night, right after I made the phone call. Upon arrival and to my dismay, they were closed. Very frustrated, I drove home, but not before I lit up my tires in their parking lot.

The next morning, I called the store again just to ensure that I wasn't wasting another trip. So I started to head down there, and I patiently sat in my car until they opened. Upon opening, I went in, and claimed my very own Nintendo Wii. I was amazed that I had actually found one.

As soon as I came home and set it up, things got interesting. Pretty soon, the whole family was in front of the TV, duking it out in a boxing match, or throwing balls down a virtual lane in hopes to rack up that perfect bowling score. Time at home drew to a close, and I returned to Norfolk for more training, and getting ready to training RAs and DRs. Of course, my Wii came with me.

The start of the busy semester came, and I soon had to exchange time on the Wii for time on the books. Assignments, office hours, interviews for internships for the summer...everything barreling down over my head. That's life when school is in session.

Now that I do have a Wii, every time I am out at Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc, I always like to peruse the game section to see if there is anything that catches my eye. I've got all the popular games: MarioKart, Wii Play, etc. I had begun to take some interest in the Wii Fit. I figure that if it does what its supposed to do, I can start loosing weight, like I vowed to at the start of the year.

Let's face it. School and eating habits take their toll, and I have come to discover that I'm not exactly as thin as I used to be. That said, I began a search for the Wii Fit. I wasn't adamant about running one down, but if I was given the opportunity, I certainly would pounce on it!

That being said, I happened to be at Wal-Mart earlier this week, perusing the game section, where I just so happen to be looking for the Fit. An associate approached me and asked me if there was any way she could help me. When I inquired about the Fit, she explained to me that they were out of stock, but I should check back early Sunday morning, because they were expecting a shipment. Sunday morning came, where my alarm clock erupted at 7:15 AM. Without skipping a beat, I rolled out of bed and headed to my computer to look up the store's phone number. (I wasn't about to waste a trip that early in the morning). After being placed on hold, I spoke to someone in electronics, who confirmed that they were indeed in stock.

I was in the store by 8:00 AM, and after picking up a few additional things, I finally had my Wii Fit. As soon as I got home, I sat my things down, still in their bags, tore off my clothes, and (you guessed it) went back to bed for an additional two hours.

When I got up, I was in no hurry, so I lounged on the couch watching tv for a while, and made myself breakfast. Then after a little more TV, I decided it was time. I stepped on the fit, and the challenges began. The experience is definitely "whole body" gaming. The wii fit is definitely a fun and enjoyable experience. It can be used at leisure, or as a workout.

A little later, I did something that I hadn't done in a while. I donned on some shorts, and a light shirt. I was going to work out, Wii style. But before I get into all that. Wii Fit is more than just a balance board. It's a scale, a BMI Calculator, and a balance indicator. During the game, my weight, BMI, and balance were all inventoried. Then I set a weight loss goal for myself.
Now back to the workout. There is a lot of possibility. Just you tube the Wii Fit and see what results come up. My personal workout with the fit was very engaging. I focused a lot on the abdominal exercises, and I am still feeling the twinge! Overall, I am very satisfied.

So there it is. My Wii collection, complete. Perhaps you'll read about my progress here and there, so keep an eye out. Hopefully, I can find some time to work out, and stay on top of the books this semester.

Reflecting...

2008-12-24T11:37:00.002-05:00

I've been waiting to write this blog for a while. I've just been waiting for the right conditions. As I sit here typing this blog, I am sitting downstairs in the comfort of my own home. There is a fire in the wood stove to my right, and it's gentle warmth fills the whole house. My cat, Patches sits in my lap and purrs as she watches letters fill the screen. I've been home for a little over a week, and it feels amazing. Not long ago, I was writing about how I was struggling, how I was running out of steam. I am happy to report that those days are over. This installment is a reflection. A reflection of my first semester of Grad School.

My very first semester of Grad school has been quite an adventure. It all started July 28th, when I moved to Norfolk to start my assistantship. I was so excited to get out of North Carolina. I was a fresh college graduate, ready to move on and see what things the world had for me out there. I decided that Grad school was what I wanted to do, because I had loved being an RA so much, I wanted to be able to help students as a career. So that's it. I moved to Norfolk, a place that I had never been all to start over and begin a fresh start.

Two days before I moved, I get a call from my boss, who had decided to move me to a new residence hall. A BRAND new residence hall. The only catch was, it had not yet been completed, so they would be placing me, the Residence Hall Director and about 270 students in a downtown hotel. I was astounded, and I has happy to accept the challenge. But before the semester started, I got to live out of a residence hall and go through my Graduate Assistant Training. Two long weeks of training crawled by, but finally, I found the end of it.

Then our RAs showed up, and we had to train them. Getting to know them was fun, and I believe that he built a strong staff. Then the move came. A few days before the semester starts, and we move to the downtown hotel. This hotel was amazing. For myself, I got a corner room, with a king size bed, and a view of the harbor. It was nice. For about two weeks. Each day, maid service would come in and change our sheets and towels. But being stuck in the same place with the only way to get to campus was to wait for the shuttle bus took its tole over the extent of our stay. It got boring, and monotonous, and I was become very frustrated. I wanted to move back on camps. I was ready. But the bad thing about it was, the completion date was getting closer and closer. Parents weren't getting any happier, although it seemed that the students didn't seem to mind.

Finally the day comes! Our residence hall reached it's completion date, and hall staff had the privilege of being able to move in early. I had a ton of work to do, like training my desk receptionist staff, getting keys ready, and all the great things like that. Somehow, I managed to get it completed. I went to class, and then after class, I got a van, and moved all my stuff in. I literally swung my apartment door open, and scooted all my belongings in, and shut the door. The next few days would be the challenging one. It was the move. Even though I had already moved in, we were faced with the challenge of moving all 270 residents into the brand new building. Here again, we were faced with angry parents, and lost belongings, and "new building bugs." So many students had no internet, no hot water, no power, etc. It was insane.

Finally things start to become settled. Our new building quirks were working themselves out, and things were getting taken care of. Then one night, my boss knocks on my apartment door, and shared with me the new of one of our residents took and intoxicated 4 story tumble in a stair well. Long story short, blood was everywhere, and the incident really shook the morale of the building. Happily, this particular student made a full recovery, and is now back with us in our residence hall.

As things continue to settle, I lay in my bed, on the verge of falling asleep when our fire alarm goes off. Now I'm sure you've read about this, but I feel that it is definitely mentionable. Turns out, it was a sprinkler. Everything was flooded. Well, not everything. But a lot of first floor damage. After the incident settled, and we called it a night. My boss and I did our research. We found our culprits, and have taken the proper legal action. Turns out, over $6000 worth of damage happened that night.

Finally, exams approached. This was it. The first trial of grad school. I'd managed to successfully work my way through the classes and the assignments, but this would do it. I went into my exams feeling quite confident for some, and "iffey" for some of the others. Turns out I didn't do too badly. For my first semester of Grad School, I managed to pull an A, B+, and a B. 3.4 GPA for my first semester of Grad School. I was quite happy.

So as my first semester of grad school drew to a close, it had been quite an experience. A hotel, a new building, a stairwell incident, a water sprinkler, and exams. It's been quite a semester, and I can say that I am ready to get the whole graduate career over with.

Runnin' on "E"

2008-12-01T11:29:00.002-05:00

I feel as if I am fighting an uphill battle, where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm runnin' out of steam, and my give-a-damn's busted. I'm at the point where I will bullshit my way through an assignment, just so I can call it done. And frankly, I'm perfectly fine with that.

Thanksgiving break was one of the greatest things that has happened to me in a long time. Despite the 6 hour drive, coming home to see my family and my dogs. Two of my dogs in particular were happy to see me. The moment I walked through the front door, after being tackled with a barrage of hugs and kisses from my mother, I sat in the floor for a solid 10 minutes and did nothing but hold and pet my dogs. They were just as happy to see me as I was them. It was one of the greatest things in the world.

Thanksgiving break was also great because of the sabbatical from work that I took. I brought absolutely no work home with me, and left it all back in Norfolk to fend for itself. What I did at home, was sleep in everyday, and when I actually did get up, I did what most rednecks from my area do- make noise. My brother and I both drug out our deer guns. Now, our rifles are sighted in at 50 yards, because, when you're in the thick of the woods, 50 yards is really all you need. Well, we were feeling a bit ambitious, so we took our targets and placed them about 150 yards from where we were shooting. Looking through that scope, that target didn't look any closer, but somehow, I managed to squeeze off two rounds and place them both within an inch of each other inside the target area. Case and point- if you were a deer, you'd be dead. It had been so long since I had actually shot that gun, and I pleasantly surprised myself.

Of course with Thanksgiving, you eat a lot of great food. That was no exception with my break, as I had generous rounds of home-canned green beans, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, and of course, turkey. It's just another thing that makes me miss home when I am up here.

It was a short lived three days that I spent back home, and then I had to return to my current existence that resides in Norfolk. Again, I drove a boring 6 hours back to my apartment, only to again, do the normal routine starting Monday- office hours till 3, class at 4:20, Dinner at 7. Homework/TV for the rest of the night.

As this semester winds down, I have all but a few things in my way. A paper and presentation that are due Tuesday. I have a little further to go on these things, but I am anticipating that they will be finished tonight. Then Wednesday brings another presentation that is due, which I will work on (you guessed it) Tuesday night. After that, all I have to do is submit a paper that I've already written, study for exams and then take my exams.

After all is said and done, I am doing nothing but vegging out on my couch, playing video games, and getting ready to close my building for winter break. Like I said, it's an uphill battle that's being fought by someone who's running out of steam.

I gotta keep hanging in there. Just two more weeks. Just a few fumes left.

There's A First Time For Everything

2008-11-15T23:20:00.003-05:00

Four weeks. Just four more weeks of class left. Out of that four weeks, I have two presentations, two final papers, and two finals to take. I really can't wait to get all it over with. I really can't wait to get back into North Carolina, even if it is for 3 days. A little more on this later, right now, I'd like to talk a little bit about my wonderful fiasco last night.

So, being the responsible student that I am, I completely wasted the past two days, vegging out on my couch, knowing that I should be devoting that valuable, limited time to my papers and presentations. Well, my damned couch just happens to be really comfortable. Trust me. If you eat a good meal, and then relax on my couch watching TV, you'll soon be passed out. That was me for the past two days. Anyways, if I happen to nap on my couch, I usually have trouble sleeping when I actually do go to bed. Fortunately for me, I kind of stayed up into the early hours of the morning chatting with a friend on my Mac. Finally, I got my shower, went through my nightly routine of shaving and skin care, and after a bit of surfing the internet, I finally got in the bed. I laid there, quietly, listening to my radio that was in the other room. It was 1:45 in the morning. I tossed and turned a bit, and finally found a comfortable position on my back. *BAM* My apartment erupted with the sound of an eerie screech that only a residence hall smoke alarm can make. I've been through this routine before at UNCA, but for the first time in my graduate career, a fire alarm happened without me knowing it was going to happen.

I laid there, my eyes wide open. "Shit!" I thought. I covered my ears and laid there for a second more. The sound was so annoying, so penetrating. I didn't want to take my hands off my ears, but I knew that I had to get up, throw something on and get the hell out. Finally, I took my hands off my ears and rolled out of bed. I was kind of grateful that I hadn't been woken up. That would've just annoyed me even more. I put on some sweatpants, but had some difficulty putting on my shirt. With the deafening sound of the smoke detector, I managed to put my shirt on backwards, and struggled a bit to get it turned around. Then, I had to locate my ID, my keys and the damned duty phone (because it just so happened that I was on duty this week) which were all scattered through out my apartment. Finally locating everything I needed, I stepped out into the hallway and started to vacate the building.

Stepping out, I realized that I was one of the first out of the building, so I had to tell everyone else to get away from the building, because I was the grad assistant, and a bad ass. As more people came out of the building, I turned to look at the building. I stopped, and stared at the lounge area for some reason. Something didn't look right, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was because it was so early, or because I was so distraught by the aural assault on my ears, but I was able to finally make the connection. As I looked up into the lounge area, I saw the gushing torrent of what could only be a ruptured sprinkler head. Water was everywhere, it was even leaking down on the first floor and even in the main entry way.

Immediately I called the main duty phone to report the problem, and then followed up with the appropriate people. The fire department and the police department both show up, along with people from facilities management. Facilities entered the building and began the process of turning the water off so they could get up there and assess damage and clean up. It was probably about 2:15 in the morning at this time.

While standing there, watching the sprinkler head rain down on the floor above me, a resident who assumed I was just another resident approached me and asked me if I was a resident of my building, to which I said yes. He then told me that he had a friend who lived in the same building who was very drunk. Well, I had to act on this, so as we walked over, this particular resident looks at me and says, "Uh, you're not a person of authority, are you?" To which I looked at him and said, "Why, yes. I am." Although I was not looking at his face, I could tell that the expression "Oh shit" crept across it. I approached the drunk resident, and damn. What a site to see. This girl was stumbling all over the place, and generally, a mess. I asked her how many beers she had, to which she said, "A couple." "Oh really? How many is a couple?" I asked. I took her ID and did what I needed to do, and told the both of them that I would be documenting them. Then I turned to the resident who confronted me. I could tell he was scared shitless. I asked him for his university ID number. "I forgot", he says. "Well, can you tell me your name?" I ask. "I don't know what my name is," he replies. "Are you intoxicated too?" I ask. "No sir." Obviously, this kid wasn't playing by the rules. "Alright," I said. "You can be cooperative with me, and I can take your information and document you, and call it a night, OR I can end this right now and you can deal with the Police Department." "It's your call," I said. That must've softened him up a bit, because he immediately took out his wallet and produced his university ID card and his name. That was fun.

Back to our sprinkler, it's now about 3:00 AM, and facilities management has shut off the water and is up in the community room, wet/dry vacs a-blaze trying to get all the water up. In addition, they tore up all the water logger carpet in the lounge, and removed all the furniture. But not only did the lounge receive some damage, but the office directly under the community room below, completely flooded. This particular office happened to belong to our Residence Hall Director. We gathered RA staff, and checked rooms, initiated "fire watch" and called it a night. All this, took place over the course from around 2AM to 5AM. Finally, I crawled back in the bed, only to get up 3 hours later for an open house event.

This morning when I got up and was getting dressed, I noticed that some of the water had seeped into my apartment. Although my carpet was not heavily saturated, it was damp. So once again, I call maintenance, who comes in, rearranges my bedroom, and sucks up the water. They brought me a blower to so I could move some air over the carpet, and I've been running it since.

So now, I'm pretty sure that you can see just why I want to get this semester over with. I just really would love to get home, eat some good food, not worry about classes, and just play with my dogs. I want to enjoy life again, and not worry about what's due, or what I have to work on. Another year and a half of this. I can do this. I can do this.

All I Want...

2008-11-05T23:00:00.012-05:00

Heads up! This is a long one.

Needless to say that history was made last night, and I could not be happier. I am proud to be involved in such a pivotal point in our nation's history, and I am proud to say that I helped to bring about that change. I am excited to see the changes that will happen, but I'm setting this aside for the moment, to discuss what is really on my mind. I'll talk a little about this later. But for now, below are post-graduate plans.

As an individual, this autumnal season makes me reflect back to life back at home. These cold weather seasons, autumn and winter, really get me home sick. Perhaps it's the crisp weather, the warm clothing, or the smell of wood burning in our stove at home when we start heating our house. Then again, maybe it could be the holiday decorations, holiday music, home cooking, or just a time of tradition and family, I have begun to think about my life, post-grad school.

I see the bottom line as this: in its most common sense, I want the American dream. I want my slice of the pie. I know I belong back in my home state of NC. I've discovered that a while back. What I want after I earn my Masters degree is a space to myself. A place that I can call home. A place that I can paint, decorate, and make mine. I also want to add a dog to that. I've really been looking into breeds lately, partly because I do miss all my animals back at home. After some extensive searching, I think I want a Boxer to add to that space of mine. A fawn boxer, male, with a docked tail and un-cropped ears. I want to raise him from a pup. I want him to be a dog that will bark and play the very minute I come home after a long day at the office, who wants to lay on my lap while I watch tv, and lay in the bed when I am asleep. A big dog, nothing that someone could stomp into the ground. A dog that people will respect, but adore at the same time. That's the kind of dog I want.

As for my job, I know after I earn my Masters, there will be lots of opportunities out there, because the world of Student Affairs is so small, and the demand is so great. But I feel like I am being torn between my family and a career that could potentially pull me away from them. Being 6 hours from them is bad enough, as I have not been home since July, and will not be able to return until Thanksgiving, and then again for Winter break.

Where I am torn is this: Part of me wants to go into the community college system. Being a former community college student myself, I want to go back to the same institution that I went to and serve and help others there. I want them to realize that there is so much potential beyond the Associate's degree. Perhaps now, even more than ever this is what I want to do. Just this week, I learned in one of my classes that 50% of the undergraduate population in the U.S. are community college students. Out of that 50%, only 10% of those students go on to earn their Bachelors degree. TEN PERCENT!!! I was taken back. To think that I was part of that 10% blows me away. There is some definite room for growth in this area.

What is troubling to me is this: the "four year college" does not lend any respect to the community college. In fact, if you're an educator, student affairs personnel, or work at a community college in any way, and then decide to work at a four year institution, you're chances of getting a job at that four year institution are pretty much ZILCH, simply because you worked at a community college. I think this is a huge inequality. And what scares me is, if I have this interest, I could get an internship at a CC while I work on my masters, but if I apply to a 4 year institution, what will come of that CC experience? What if I get in at the CC and then after a few years decide I do not like it? Where would I go from there?

Regardless, right now, I would love to get on the level with first year community college students, as well as the non-traditionals and encourage them...advise, poke, PROD them to push themselves, to motivate themselves to go beyond the Associates degree, and to work and earn that Bachelors. There would be so much more opportunity out there for them.

And now, back to the political issues. I've posted this on my Facebook, and my MySpace. I might as well post it here. Below is a brief note that I wrote about people's concerns for America's future under the leadership of Barak Obama:

I Just Don't Understand.

I feel the need to get this off my chest. Since the results of the presidential election were announced last night, I have seen countless amounts of Facebook updates and MySpace postings by my friends who say that "socialism" is going to reign now that Obama is president-elect, and that they are ready to move out of the country. This is something that I do not understand.

First off my friends, I ask you to examine the past 8 years. A lot has happened. Yet, some of you say they have been some of the greatest years. I ask you, where were the good times? I challenge you to examine the past 8 years and name me one time where America was great. Under the current administration we've seen the stock market plunge, a failing economy, gas prices soar, and have heard countless tragic stories of so many women and men who've lost their lives, fighting a war that should have ended years ago. We currently live under an administration that subscribes to the philosophy, "If we give to the rich, the benefits will trickle down to the rest." If such is the case, I am still waiting on my Ferrari.

My friends, I think you need to be reminded of the phrase, “The only thing constant is change.” If we cannot adapt to change, then we cannot make it in the game of life. I firmly believe that Obama is going to make America great again; that America is a phoenix, preparing to rise out its ashes and restore its place where freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness again are placed at the foundation of this wonderful nation.

Some of you argue that under Obama’s administration, our faith and freedom of religion will surely suffer. I ask you to consider this: If God is omnipotent, omniscient, all powerful, all knowing, and all loving, then don’t you think He knew this was going to happen? If His will is done in everything, then maybe couldn’t this maybe somehow be a part of His plan? Think about it.

This past election demonstrates to me how great America is. For the first time in a long time, I have actually been excited about my country, excited for change, and excited to see what is going to happen. The journey that America is about to go on is going to be one wild ride, and I am so glad that I have my ticket.

Finally, I leave you with this: Some of you may agree with me. Some of you may disagree with me. Some of you may message me back telling me how dare I write something like this. Others may give me kudos. Either way, I say that’s ok. That’s a part of what makes America great. But no matter who you are: Democrat, Republican, Christian, Atheist, Gay, Straight, Man, Woman- I think we need to follow the words of Senator John McCain, who stated in his secession speech, that we as a nation, as America, need to support Barak Obama as president-elect. America has spoken, and we have said that we trust Obama to be our next leader. I urge you to extend to him that trust. Pray for him, and this great land that we call home.

With all my love and respect,
Mark

I hope this makes sense to people. No matter what, we've got to come together and support Obama as our next leader. Whether we like it or not, he's the guy we put in charge. We need to support him.

That's all for now. Told you it was a long one.

Hanging in the Balance

2008-11-04T21:55:00.003-05:00

What a pivotal time in US history, as well as world history that is occurring right now, at this very moment! Either way, despite WHO becomes our next president, history will be made. On the Republican ticket, Palin becomes the first woman to ever enter the Whitehouse in such an administrative role, where as Obama's victory would leave a benchmark for obvious reasons.

Personally, I do not care who becomes President...Ok. I lied. I do. All I know is that I want to see change. The past 8 years have not been so great, and regardless, I think the entirety of the U.S. can agree that something needs to happen. I wasn't a political science major. I can't exactly discuss politics in depth with someone. I can explain what I believe, what a candidate says they will do, how they will benefit me, and how they match my ideals.

All I know is this: this is really the first election that has really mattered to me. While this is my second election which I have been able to vote, I have actually surprised myself by paying attention to this issues. Really, this is for my family. While I do not agree who THEY are voting for, I am hoping that my candidate pulls through, for their as well as my benefit.

Change is coming. Are we ready?

Back in My Element

2008-10-23T22:59:00.002-04:00

You know, I've really been dreading this week. So far, this week has not been kind to me. Monday, I found out that I have a group project due in two weeks. Bottom line, I have no time to do it. Then, I failed a midterm. I was pretty pissed about that. And then, on top of ALL of that, my assistantship is forcing me to sacrifice a lot of hours this week to work on a program that we call "Haunted Halls."

This is where we are taking one of the community areas in our residence halls, and converting it to a haunted house. I wasn't too happy about this, because primarily, I see myself as a student first, and then a grad assistant second. Academics come first in my life, or at least I try to.

So anyway, long story short, we started doing set-up tonight for this event. It was like undergrad all over again. We were working with wood. Hammering, measuring, making sure edges are flush. I felt like I was back in the scene shop making a set for a show. And in a sense, I was.

For the first time in a long time, I was calling shots. I was making decisions. I was telling people what to do. Damn, that felt good. I have always enjoyed getting down, working with some lumber and building something. Even if it looks like shit.

So today, we put up three flats, and we will return tomorrow to continue building. My hands feel a little rough, and they smell like pine wood. My jeans are dirty from crawling around on the floor, and my hands and wrists are sore from having to use nails and hammers. Damn, I miss this.

This Just Dosen't Seem Right...

2008-10-18T00:48:00.002-04:00

Today's weather here in the area certainly brought back memories of undergrad. Today's weather took a turn for the chilly side. I happened to look at one of the huge digital thermometers at the Ted, where it was a very cool 59 degrees out today. Plus the skies were gray and it got a little rainy today.

It was very poignant to me today as the skin on my cheeks kissed the brisk, cool wind. The first thought through my head, was, "Damn! I need a jacket!" And then it suddenly occurred to me. Something is not right. The cool weather was something that I welcomed, and something that I longed to see (or feel rather). I love it when the cool weather begins to set in. But as I said earlier, something just wasn't right. I felt a touch out of place. I felt like I needed to be in Asheville again.

I have several memories, fond memories of walking from class, and seeing that golden sun pour from the open sky, drenching the crimson and golden maple leaves on the quad. I would just walk, and breathe in the cool air, and bask in the glory of the sun. It was amazing.

Then there are times, where it would be around 7. I would be walking across campus to the theatre for rehearsal for the upcoming show. There would hardly be anyone on the quad, because not many people stayed on on the quad when it cooled off. (Spring is a different story though). Again, the sun would be setting, bleeding through those crimson and golden leaves, and casting Ramsey Library in perfect and warm golden-yellow light. I would be bundled up in a sweater and most likely a scarf. Keeping to myself, I would walk, looking down mostly at the fallen leaves. The leave were so abundant that sometimes, you couldn't even see the grass. And sometimes, you could come across one of those really dry leaves. These were leaves I loved to step on, just so I could hear the crunch. This was a sign to me that fall was here, and winter was coming.

Maybe it's because I'm a fan of colder weather. Maybe it's because there's a part of me that longs to be back in Asheville. Maybe its a little of both. Needless to say, I had a bit of a flash back today about something I miss at the good ole days at UNCA. Being a little heartsick, I went on with the rest of the chilly day, knowing that someday, somehow, I'll be back.

One day.

Just What I Needed

2008-10-14T21:56:00.002-04:00

Being a grad student can become very taxing on your life. Just take my word for it. However, I am approaching the end of a pleasant fall break, which is just what I needed! Since Friday, I have done nothing but lounge around my apartment, watched TV, and watched a few movies. That's it. No school work. Just relaxation. *Sigh* I just hate to see it end.

In other news, contractors came in and actually hooked up the stove in my apartment, so I can actually start cooking for myself, which I have and it has been a JOY to do so. Some furniture for my spare room was also brought in, so I was able to clean some mess up and actually make the room functional. So now, I have set up my desktop and have turned the spare room into a den/study space. So no more homework from the kitchen table.

So tomorrow, its back to the regular routine. And I guess its just something that I'll have to get through. Thanksgiving break comes in November, and then a week and a half will take us to Winter break. Damn. This semester sure has gone by fast.

Life Goes On

2008-10-09T22:56:00.002-04:00

Despite an interesting weekend and a rough start of the week, this week is beginning to ease its way into the weekend. And as an added bonus, its the start of fall break.

Things have been interesting needless to say, what with incidents, school work, I can honestly say there is never a dull moment in this field.

So there's not really much to say here, other than things are going well. School is a pain in the ass, and I don't think it'll ever stop being that way.

Just another year and a half. That's all.

With a New Building Comes New Woes

2008-09-26T15:58:00.002-04:00

The past three days have been a hell of a three days. Being a Grad Assistant, I was able to move into my apartment early (which is very nice by the way) but I was not able to settle until today.

These past three days have consisted of a noreaster, 5 AM mornings and 1 AM nights, and a laundry list of problems that every new building has. The minor stuff, you know. And all on top of that- me being in charge of the entire building because my boss is actually out of town bringing his stuff down from his home state.

With most, if not all of our residents out of the hotel, we can actually adjust to the swing of things. We're on campus. But with that, comes a greater challenge. These first years have become spoiled. Spoiled by the "magic" of turndown service, and weelky room cleanings. At the hotel, you could simply place your trash outside your room, and the folling morning, poof! Its gone! They will soon find that this is not the case now that they are in their residence hall. Already, students have placed their empty moving boxes out into the hallway thinking they will magically disappear overnight. Such was the case on our third floor, that if a Fire Marshal had been in the building, he would've had a hay day writing us citations. You could not see the floor for so much cardboard.

However, added to this, come benefits. As I said, we're now on campus. Our students no longer have to worry about catching the bus, waking up extra early for classes, and every pain-in-the-ass problem you could ever think of. On a personal note, my apartment is pretty sweet. This is my first "official" space since the residence hall room, which by my standards is a HUGE upgrade. I thought I had so much stuff, but since I moved into the new apartment, my perspective of "stuff" has changed.

All that remains for us here in our new building is to become nestled, and once again, find our niche. *Sigh* It's good to be home.

A Welcomed Week of Worrying...

2008-09-22T22:50:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I know that my past few entries have been about thoughts and observations about happenings in class. This blog won't be about that, I promise. Ok, not quite. This will still pertain to student life, but more specifically, mine.

As you may know, I am currently living out of a hotel. I have been for the past month and 5 days. (Who's counting now?) The reason I am living out of a hotel is because I, a Residence Hall Director, and 286 eager first-year students are awaiting the day our residence hall reaches a status of completion. That day is tomorrow. Well, for staff anyway. Tomorrow, the entire staff of my building will begin moving and making the transition into our new building. As exciting as this is, it also presents a great deal of stress and worrying.

There are still a few kinks to work out of the building. And I'm sure, because the building is new, these kinks will continue to be worked out. My assistantship is actually beginning to kick in. These past few weeks, I've had to hire a staff of 8 Desk Receptionists, train them, and schedule them to work. While most of this has been smooth, it has happened at break neck speed.

In a positive light, I was able to enter the building today and see my actual living space near its completion. Furniture has yet to be installed, but hey, at least I have a fridge. Yeah, I think that's all they've installed at this point. In addition to this, I got to take a look at my office. (I have an office?) This is a pretty sweet deal, I won't lie.

So, you may be sitting there in your seat, thinking, "Mark, you've got it made! You've got a brand new apartment, building, office...everything!" Right you are, but you also need to think about the transition into our new building. That's where the worrying kicks in. We're not doing this all in one day. No. That would be hell. We are stretching this over the span of the week. So, by Saturday, theoretically, we will be entirely out of the hotel. It doesn't sound like much, but we have a lot to focus on, and a lot of chances to drop the ball. I don't want to be the one who drops the ball. Although, I do have the innate fear that it will be me who drops it. I always sucked at dodge ball.

So, we'll see how this week pans out. As a student, I'm on top of things. Homework is pretty much taken care of at this point. My greatest concern is getting into my new building. I move my stuff in Tuesday, but I will not be able to settle until Saturday, when everyone is moved in. That sucks. All I want, is to get back in the swing of things.

Here's to worrying.

The Cost of Education

2008-09-15T22:52:00.002-04:00

There's an old saying out there that goes something like this: "If you think education is expensive, consider the cost of ignorance."

While I think this is a witty and poignant quote, it was revealed to me today just exactly what may be the cost of education. Beside of all the student loans, books, homework, and time spent working on education, I believe I've found something that's a little less tangible when it comes to the cost of education- reputation.

In my classes this week, the topic is university leadership; specifically, the university president. Our professor handed out a rather interesting article that just points to how much a reputation can cost. Featured in a 2005 issue of The Chronicle for Higher Education, I read how former president of Harvard University, Lawrence H. Summers made a somewhat generalized comment about women in the field of mathematics and science at a scholarly meeting. He suggested that this situation may be the cause of innate differences of ability from men. Upon hearing this, some women of the conference walked out.

Here, we have the president of a prestigious (not to mention, America's first) institution who makes a shrewd comment at a scholarly meeting. Later in 2006, because of this comment, President Summers steps down as president of Harvard University.

So, what does this mean? What does this imply? Because he is the head of a highly acclaimed university, does it mean that the rest of the University thinks the same? I think one can certainly take it that way. I'm certain in the fact that what took years of a reputation to build up, in approximately 3 seconds, Dr. Summers destroyed. Easy as that.

Opinions mean everything. The thing is, everybody has one. However, the difference between a person and an educated person is that the educated person can back up what they say with tangible proof. If you can support your reasoning with solid and valid research it's good.

Watch what you say, and what you do say, be able to back it up. It could cost you everything.

The First-Years

2008-09-10T19:55:00.001-04:00

A few things that I'm noticing particularly here on the ODU campus are certain idiosyncratic tendencies with our first year students. With these students growing up in a world of instant access and gratification, I am constantly seeing first-years buried in technology.

Let me run this down a bit. I am a Graduate Assistant in a residence hall that is currently under construction. While our completion date is fast approaching, we currently reside in a hotel in the downtown area. Because of this location, the University has arranged buses to commute back and forth to escort these first-years to campus and the hotel. I too take the bus, because it helps me to save gas and because of my "hippie" liberal arts undergraduate education, I realize that this is a great way to be green. These buses run every half hour.

In my commute on these buses, I constantly see these first-years completely absorbed in their high dollar iPods, shiny new smartphones, and super-techy laptops. When riding the bus, one simply hears the lone, constant rumble of the diesel engine, pneumatic pressure release from the air brakes, and the ever present sound of music coming from a student who has no concern for their abilities for hearing in their later years.

This situation perplexes me. Whatever happened to human interaction? What is wrong with verbal communication? These students just sit in silence, absorbed in tech world. And personally, this kind of scares the shit out of me.

I come from a generation before these students, where we had computers, and all the technology they have; it was just a little less refined. Yet, I cannot make myself walk across campus with earbuds in. I can't shut myself out from human interaction; I crave it. This world of fast paced information and instant results is nice, but some people are downing in it. Welcome to generational theory.

I am also drawing an analogy with these students. Really, to me first years can be compared to newborn puppies. They're cute. Cute in such a way that they are utterly helpless. Their eyes are still shut to the real world, and they huddle close together for warmth and support. This is where the analogy ends. These students act like the own the world. They know it all, and have a certain nonchalance about them. I'm not complaining about this behavior, but I certainly can see that they have a long way to go before they actually become "big dogs." I see it as my job, as a future Student Affairs professional to help these little pups open their eyes, get their shots, and grow up to be a healthy individuals.

That's what I'm here for, and that's what I love doing.

An Introduction

2008-09-09T23:02:00.000-04:00

Hi there. Name's Mark.

Call it motivation, or procrastination from readings, (I prefer the latter) this blog is about my life, my odyssey. This blog will be free written, usually containg a general theme, or topic of the current happenings in my life. Sometimes, it will be written from a professional point-of-view, using complete and thorough grammatical style...as much as I have retained anyway. Other times, I may resort to my backwoods raising, and add a few explicatives, conjunctions, slang, and all kinds of shit. It's the nature of the beast. So, with out further delay...

I'm 23 years old, a recent UNCA graduate (GO BULLDOGS!) and a first year grad student at ODU. I'm working on my Masters degree in higher education. I love what I do, and do what I love, even though I'm working my ass off for it. I have an assistantship with the housing office, which is where I got inducted into the world of student affairs.

It all started out with being an RA. Who would've thought two years earlier when I first became an RA that I would soon be embarking upon my first year as a grad student working on a masters degree? Certainly not me. I got a BA in drama. Me? Grad school? What a hell of a joke!

But somehow, I'm here. Somehow, I was chosen. SOMEHOW, I made it a point in my life that I wanted to work with college students, and be a part of their life, whether they knew it or not. That sort of excites me. To know that I can make a difference.

To me, it all comes down to making a difference. It means passing it on. In my first year at UNCA, it was MY RA who reached out to me. Who helped me to adjust to the changing world around me, and who helped me with problems. That meant so much to me, I wanted to get in on the action. I wanted to help others, just like my RA helped me. How little did I know that the step I took in that direction would lead me to a twisting, winding, thrill ride of an adventure known as student affairs.

So here I am, in my own little world, no longer a freshman, no longer an undergrad, but considering myself something I never really do think myself to be: an adult. As much as I hate to deny it, I am one. But hey, I'm still a kid at heart. I still watch cartoons. I still sing and dance in the mirror to my iPod in my underwear. I still act like everyone is watching me when no one really is. I still try and steal attention. (Hey, I was a drama major.)

So there it is, a bit of an introduction. A little bit of me. I'll update this as I can. I consider myself to be a devoted student, which means I'm reading a lot, or doing homework. But if I'm bored, here I'll be, ready to invite you into my life, my odyssey.