"Smart Phones and Dumb People"

With these words, the poet in this video summed up a frightening trend emerging with my generation. Just last weekend, while I was hanging out with friends, I looked around and realized that seven of the ten people in the room were fixated on their phones. I see the growing amount of technology being used in the classroom, with the middle school kids being given Ipads, and I remember overhearing one mother tell her son that he needed to read for an hour to be able to use his Ipad that night. When did spending hours on technology start being a prize? I know young children who will not eat a meal without a screen in front of them. I am in no way saying that I am exempt from this trend. Ironically, I found this video mindlessly scrolling through Facebook while texting a friend, all by myself in my bedroom. More times than I'd like to admit, I use my phone as a way to kill time, which I don't have enough of anyway. Overall, I think that we are becoming too dependent on technology to bridge the gap between us and other people.

Talking to people can be awkward, especially if they are strangers. I think a lot of these social medias feed off that fact. It is a lot easier to message someone than walk up to them and talk. When messaging someone you can go back and take the time to say exactly what you want to say. When speaking you can't do that. People feel safer when they can create who they want themselves to be. For example, I could start a Twitter account right now and say whatever I wanted to. I could post pictures of fantastic trips I never actually went on and beautiful people I don't actually know. Everyone else who saw my profile would think I was a guy who had beautiful friends and traveled the world all the time. This ability to perfect our online lives takes away the imperfections of real life; and creates an impossible standard for people. These imperfections in real life, however, make real life real. They show that everybody makes mistakes, and knowing that is comforting and allows other people to try new things and not be so afraid about messing up. I believe that as our online culture grows, our ability to take calculated risks and try new things will also suffer. People could start doing things just so they can post them and get retweets and likes. 

A counter argument:

In the past, every new generation has been accused of being worse than their predecessors in some way. I think that my generation will turn out okay. We will undoubtedly be very different from our parents, but they were also different from their parents, and so on ad infinitum. Granted our difference might be larger in magnitude than our parents due to technology, we will be okay. Someday we will be the ones accusing our children of being unable to take on the responsibilities of being adults. My point in all of this is just take this with a grain of salt.

Jazz Band

I have been in the Marshall Jazz Band for three of the last four years. My sophomore year I took a hiatus from it because I thought I would not have the time. Music has always been a large part of my life in some shape or form. For a long time it was in the form of band. I started band in 6th grade and was in it until 11th. I played the percussion. I decided not to continue band my senior year because it had become more than just a way to have fun and play music. It had lost its fun. Jazz Band, on the other had, has always been an extremely enjoyable and challenging aspect of my music-oriented self. If you haven't realized it yet I play the drum set. I began playing set around 7th grade. I started with lessons from Jeremy K, a music teacher at St. Scholastica. I enjoyed playing set because it was a challenge for me. It made me become coordinated in ways I would have never done otherwise. I also had to learn how to count beats better.
I used to play piano. I played fro years when I was younger, and it is something that I will always regret not continuing. Part of my downfall with piano was the fact that I had almost no sight reading skills and I played by ear. This style of playing and learning music helped me when I started learning set. I was able to not only play the beats but, for the most part, feel the music as a whole. Being able to feel the music means that I don't always play exactly what is written, in fact I almost never do when it comes to the harder rhythms, but I was lucky enough to find an instrument where coming up with your own music is allowed if not encouraged. Some songs, in fact, have only measures with lines indicating the meter and small notes indicating accents; they leave it up to the drummer to figure out what he or she wants to play. This flexibility on music is what makes me love Jazz Band so much. Well, that and the fact that our Jazz Band is made up of some of the most interesting and fun people at Marshall, in my opinion. Because we have so many different instruments, we have different personalities that go along with them. But as different as some of us can be, we all still love music, and this common ground lets us get along. I will always remember my experiences in Jazz Band as some of my best in high school. 

"My Baby"

When I was three years old, my life changed forever. Whether that was a good or bad change was not initially obvious. I don't remember much from when my sister was born, except that all the attention I had been reaping suddenly dried up, died, and blew away. I was suddenly not the only child in my parent's life, which can be a very traumatic experience for a young kid. Regardless of the fact that she was stealing my limelight, I quickly grew into the over-protective brother. As in as soon as we got her home. My father was giving Rachel her first bath in the kitchen sink, and I was walking around the house bawling and screaming "don't hurt my baby!!" Ever since that start, my sister and I have had a fantastic relationship filled with mutual love and respect. Ha ha. Let's be honest, sibling relationships are something that cannot be described to those who have not experienced it. I have liked my sister, been annoyed with her, helped her, sabotaged her, hugged her, wrestled with her (heads up to any guy who wants to date her in the future: she knows how to fight, and she doesn't fight fair), and even downright wanted to disown her. (okay that may be a little harsh..) Before my junior year I didn't have what I would call a solid relationship with my sister. I mean I knew she existed, but she was just that other person living in our house. At some point during junior year, I realized that she and I actually had some things in common. (She will beg to differ, but I still think we are more alike then she realizes) For example, we both liked sports. She is much better than I ever was but we could talk basketball and I could hold a fairly intelligent conversation with her about their new play or the latest drill they were doing. I also realized that I was leaving, and that as much as she says she can't wait to get rid of me I believe/hope that she is going to miss me because I realized that I am going to miss her. (Rachel, if you are reading this you are probably rolling your eyes but I do mean this stuff) As my senior comes to a close, I hope I can continue a good sibling relationship with Rachel after high school. (Sibling relationship is defined as the love/hate thing all siblings have) Rach, I think you are a pretty cool kid and it's been awesome seeing you improve athletically. I can't wait to see where you go in high school and after and I hope we stay in touch after I graduate!

One of the few pictures of us both Rachel and I like. Minus the
vacuum cleaner photo bombing in the background.

P.S. Again, to any guys who are interested in dating her just know that at the Naval Academy all freshman are required to take wrestling and boxing and I'm always looking for punching bags, I mean sparing partners.

Sunshine, Sand, and Manatees

My parents wanted to take me on a senior trip sometime after graduation. The way my schedule was looking and the fact that I have a mere three weeks between graduation and I-Day, my first day at the Naval Academy, made me request to stay home in June so I could see friends. While my parents were initially disappointed about this, they came up with a plan. So this Spring Break, my entire family got on a plane and flew down to Fort Meyers, Florida. From there we traveled by shuttle, bus, boat, and golf cart to arrive at our destination: North Captiva Island. For those of you who aren't familiar with Florida (myself included) Captive is just north of Sanibel Island, which is on the Gulf of Mexico. The island is completely cut off from the mainland, so there are no cars there. The main mode of transportation is golf cart. Our first day there was amazing. Not too hot but a lot warmer than our 30s back home. That night we watched one of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen. The next day it rained and was really windy, but it was still very nice to stay inside and just unwind. The rest of the week was spent walking the beaches, swimming, reading, eating, running, and seeing wildlife. The last day, Friday, we rented a boat and found a lagoon filled with manatees, hiked around a State Park, and went to Cabbage Key for lunch. Cabbage Key was a very popular resort/diner that served an estimated 600 people lunch every day. Their walls and ceilings are covered with one dollar bills with names written on them (which I believe is a Federal Offence...). Anyway, I really enjoyed my trip and going back is something I would definitely want to do later down the road. Here are some pictures from the trip!

The beginning of the trail through the nature reserve

Picture taken on the trail

Another trail picture

The "parking lot" for one of the beaches

Some trees next to our swimming pool. We spent many slow
hours basking in the sun and reading by the pool.

One of the Gulf side beaches after the rainstorm

After seeing many holes and wondering what animal made them, we finally
got a glimpse of the culprit!

Another local animal we saw a lot of

This one was following our boat

A picture of the seemingly endless beach

Random Acts of Shakespeare Part 2

In this scene from Twelfth Night, Sir Andrew and Sir Toby are drunkenly discussing the meaning of life and beef. Sir Toby is making fun of Sir Andrew, who is realizing that he is not a bright man.

Sir Toby: Charlie K

Sir Andrew: Eric D

Location: Development Office

Date: April 25

Reflections on The Lovely Bones

I read The Lovely Bones on a car ride to Michigan. I had a very hard time reading it the first time. I found the subject material very hard to accept, and because of that I had trouble moving on from her rape. After we started discussing the story, however, I was able to get past that. I really enjoyed Skyping Molly. It was awesome to be able to actually be able to talk to someone outside of class about the book and talk to someone who was (sort of) famous. I think this is a good thing for future students to do.

Success and Dreams

Everyone has dreams, aspirations, things they want to do, things they want to see, places they want to go. Dreams are good. They drive us to be better and do greater things. But what do you do when you achieve your dream? When the thing you have been working towards for years is finally yours? The thing that was always at the back of your mind, waiting for a gap in your thoughts to explode through into your brain. The thing you have spent countless hours researching, thinking about, freaking out about, and hoping for. What do you do when you realize that your dreams have become your reality? This is a question I now face. Last week, I received my Appointment to the United States Naval Academy. This one paper was the end result of years of work and focus. Now that I'm in, I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, as cliched as that is. Although this sense of relief and safety is comforting, it also reminds me that for me to continue to better myself, I need to develop new dreams. These could be as big as becoming a SEAL or graduating the Academy, or as small as being able to top 100 push ups in the PRT, or running a half marathon in a competitive time. I think people will always need dreams, because as soon as we stop dreaming, we stop pushing ourselves. And if you aren't pushing yourself to be the best "you" you can be, when you've become perfectly content with yourself, that is when you stop really living. 

Failure[?]

Failure: "omission of occurrence or performance; specifically: a failing to perform a duty or expected action" (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). I know failure. Specifically, I know the consequences related with failure. Failure to do well as a team in football means you lose the game. Failure to study adequately for a test means you don't do as well as you could have. Failure to turn your applications in on time means you aren't eligible for whatever you applied to. Failure to do what is expected of you means people's view of you changes. I think I am driven many times not by the want to succeed, but by the fear of failing myself and the people around me. I have yet to figure out whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. 

You may be wondering why I chose to blog about this or how this thought came to mind. When I was driving home today, it occurred to me that there was only a little over a month until the Naval Academy's admission decision deadline. I turned my application in last September, and it has been five long months of waiting to hear back. Although I am still confident that I will get an appointment (because if I didn't believe that there would not have been any reason to apply,) I wondered what I would think and feel if I did not get in. I immediately thought of a quotation that said (roughly) "the only real failure is not learning from your mistakes." I believe this, but I found it hard to apply to this situation. What exactly could I learn from not being accepted to the Naval Academy? Before I though about it too much and freaked myself out, I switched thoughts. Now, however, the question is hanging in the back of my mind. I hope it is one I don't have to find the answer to.

Lessons Learned Pushing Buttons

Last week, I heard the last buzzer of my high school basketball scorekeeper career. It came at the heels of a short, two year stint working for the Marshall School Athletic Department. During these years I learned many things about sports, friends, and life.

1: Basketball is a pretty fast paced game. If you don't pay attention for the whole game, you can easily miss calls or points. 

2: Pierce R is a great guy. As my coworker, we spent countless nights and endless hours together, and this strengthened our friendship. There are people in my class who I really want to keep in touch with after high school, and Pierce is definitely on that list.

3: My multitasking skills are much better now than before I started the job. Pierce and I got very good (too good, maybe?) at talking while working (or I should say snide remarks...) 

4: Getting flustered after a mistake does no one any good. I occasionally would mess up a score or foul count which usually resulted in a coach or assistant coach not-so-nicely telling me to change it. This seemed to always be while I was watching a referee to get a number for a foul. At first, I would struggle to not get flustered but would end up doing it anyway. After several instances of this, I realized that everything would go smoother if I just blocked out everything except what I was trying to do. This made fixing mistakes much easier and less embarrassing. 

5: This job was one of my first steady sources of income, and as such it was a learning opportunity. I had to learn how to save my money and deposit checks (which I now do all on my phone: very convenient.) This money also helped me afford gas, which is a necessity for one who lives 25 miles from school.

Reflecting on this job, I would do it all over again if I had the chance. Working a couple nights a week worked perfectly into my schedule, and it allowed me to watch all of my sister's home basketball games, which was really cool. Being the button pusher turned out to be an important part of my life during the late fall and early winter.

Land of Ice and Snow

The view across the lake on our way to the caves

Several weekends ago Erin P and I went on an adventure to the Ice Caves on Lake Superior. We left Duluth before noon and made the hour and a half drive to the Caves, 17 miles outside of Bayfield, WI. It was packed. We had to park on the road and it was about a mile walk to the first caves. The wind had a bit of a bite and the sun was hiding behind the clouds, but we were fine in our coats and snow pants. After a brisk three quarter mile walk across the lake, we arrived at the first of the caves. While they started small, we were soon exploring vast ice caverns. We took as many pictures as we could until our phones started dying from the cold.

This is the first year in five that the ice caves have been accessible. The combination of early winter and the unseasonably cold temperature made for thick ice and fantastic caves. We were far from the only ones there. In fact, I heard later that there were a couple thousand visitors that weekend. the farther we traveled along the coast, however, the smaller the crowds were. I was slightly sad when we had to turn around to trek back to the road because the caves seemed to go on forever and each one was more exciting than the last. Below are some of the pictures I took.

Some of the first ice formations we saw. At this point, there were no actual caves to be seen, but these formations were well worth the freezing hand required to take the picture.

While I wanted a clear view of the ice and the seemingly endless lake, I did not want to attempt to stop the flow of visitors across the shoreline.

Another great ice formation. This one was around eight feet tall.

The frozen branches in this picture caught my eye and seemed worthy of a picture.

In one small cave, I looked up and thought this view of the stalactites (and yes, I looked up the difference between "stalactite" and "stalagmite") would be blog worthy.

Still a cool picture, but a reminder of the thousands of visitors the caves have seen. Almost all of the ice in this picture had bee broken off.

This cave was a squeeze to get into, but well worth the efforts. The textured ice looked like something from another world.

The ice seemingly grows out of the rocks that create the shore. Going in the winter makes me want to come back in a kayak and explore them in the summer!

"Big things have small beginnings" (Lawrence of Arabia).  While this quotation originally probably wasn't referring to Ice Caves, it was certainly true in this case. From a small, probably two and a half foot hole, came a large cave filled with textured ice.

A second stalactite picture, this one was a little closer and turned out better, I think.

Shredding Pow

Last Sunday, I drove out to Big Sky, Montana with Alex J and his family. We met my family and some friends at the condo we had rented for the week. We bought ski passes for the next five days and hit the slopes. No matter how long and monotonous the 16 hour drive can get, the mountains are always worth it. I have been skiing at Big Sky resort since I was six or seven. The snow and terrain

The view from the top of Big Sky

there put anything the Midwest can offer to shame (besides, perhaps, Mount Bohemia.) Alex and I have similar experience skiing so we enjoy skiing together when we come out here. If the skiing isn't enough to get you to make the drive, the views will. From the top of Lone Peak, the main mountain at Big Sky, you can see for miles in all directions. The mountain ranges and endless forests are enough to take your breath away, if the elevation or wind hasn't already. 
Big Sky was already a huge ski resort, but last summer they bought two ski resorts next to it, Spanish Peaks and Moonlight Basin, and

Another view of the surrounding mountains

became the largest continuous ski area in the US. Alex and I took full advantage of this and have spent the last three days exploring the new areas of Big Sky as well as visiting old, favorite ones. The weather has been windy, but fairly generous with new snow. Last night, for instance, we got around five inches of new powder. This new snow, coupled with the fact that almost all of the lifts were closed for several hours due to the wind, made for some excellent skiing conditions. Three consecutive days of hard skiing have made me sore and tired, but most importantly happy. And I still have two more to go! 

Lone Peak, as seen from the ridge

Skiing, Part 1: Some History

Skiing. Such an unnatural activity for a human to be doing. I mean, who came up with the idea of strapping two boards to one's feet and plummeting down the side of a mountain? In the cold. And if that wasn't fun enough you can even wear short spears on your hands to stab the snow as you plummet. At face value, skiing seems like a very strange hobby to have.

The first skiers came from cold, snowy parts of the world, namely Scandinavia and Siberia. They would use skis as a method of transportation to speed up travel. In the current day, skiing has evolved to be a for-pleasure recreational sport.

My father started skiing when he was a teenager. In college, he and his best friend became co-presidents of their college's ski club, which basically meant they organized trips out West. My father became very good at skiing, and was excited to teach me when I was born. He had me on the slopes by the time I was two or three years old. His enthusiasm for the sport was transferred to me, and I have fallen in love with it as well. We regularly go out to Big Sky, Montana to go skiing. In fact, a large group of us, including my father, the rest of my family, and Alex J, are going to Big Sky over Winter Break to ski. Last year Alex and I found a great back country gate known as Dakota Back Country. It was some of the best powder skiing I've ever had. Keep checking back to get more stories, direct from the slopes!