Thanksgiving

I have never been more appreciative of my friends, family, and luxuries in my life until this year. Going away to college has really made me value home and my loved ones more than ever. I was fortunate enough to be able to come home to sunny Naples, FL last Saturday and it allowed me to spend three extra days with my family and friends.

For one, the weather this week has been phenomenal. So far, there have been five straight days of nothing but warm sunshine and I have spent these days out on a boat or on the beach. Coming from Dallas, I realize that this is probably impossible in most other places in the country right now. 

Secondly, seeing my friends again has made me realize what they truly mean to me. Being away from them for so long allowed me to get a fuller understanding of friendship. I am extremely happy to be back with all my old high school buddies and it is upsetting that this time is limited.

My family has also been very good to me ever since I moved to Dallas. They call me nearly every day to check on how things are going and constantly doing their best to keep me happy away from home. Seeing them this November has been amazing because it has given me the opportunity to repay them by helping out around the house and doing anything they ask of me. I owe my parents a lot.

I have enjoyed my time at SMU so far, but I don't think I will ever meet people like those at home.

Germaphobe!

In most parts of the U.S., we have turned the corner on outdoor-allergy season and we are now embarking upon the upper-respiratory season.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the weight room.  Or, to be more precise, the men's locker room where half the athletes are coughing up a lung before and after their workout.  Much of this is attributed to the "Thanksgiving Effect."  Kids head home from college in late November to commune with family an friends, then they return to campus carrying all sorts of new germs.  The friendly folks at the health center are swamped with students, and Z-packs are flying out of CVS!!!

Most athletes, will try and push through their workout during their illness.  Class attendance is a different story.  I have often seen classmates at the gym who were not in class due to illness.  They are legitimately sick but refuse to miss a work out.  These weight room junkies deserve respect because they tough out their illness, but sometimes it's best to stay back at the dorm and avoid spreading their germs!

Is My Brain Built For Engineering?

As I am getting closer to picking my college major and setting my future plans, I am not only considering my present and future but especially my past. After all, it is my past choices and achievements that make me who I am today. I keep reflecting on events and memories that vividly stand out in my head. Here is one story that stands out..

I was very young when my true passion was clearly defined. It wasn’t the violin that I confidently enjoyed playing, it was what I did with the violin. I was four years old at the time, and I was waiting in Yale University’s Sprague Hall, for my turn to perform my first solo violin concert on stage in front of my family, and hundreds of other people. As my peers around me concentrated on tuning their instruments and patiently waited to perform, I was more focused and intrigued by my instrument itself.  The pegs, the bridge, the four strings, the fingerboard, the scroll, the fine tuners, the chin rest, the Kun; all these pieces seemed so separate and individual to me.  Maybe it was the beautiful concertos being played by other students that stirred up my creative curiosity, which incidentally lead to the following...

I had become intent on the idea of taking apart my 1/16^th size violin. Unaware of time and what was going on around me, five minutes had passed and I was next to perform. I realized my dilemma and needed my violin in tact immediately... I had taken my violin apart into nearly twenty different pieces.  I’ll never forget the shock and disbelief on my violin teacher’s face. Fortunately, she was able to quickly reassemble the tiny instrument and my performance proceeded.  Playing the violin is still an important part of who I am.  While I don’t intend to major in music, I know I will always set aside time to play for my own personal enjoyment.  Other than an occasional string replacement, my violin remains in tact, fully assembled.

Coincidentally, this early memory of taking something apart was the starting point of my potential college major and career. This desire to take something apart to explore its parts and functionality is still a habit of mine today and really makes me think that I should study a field that relates closely to such curiosity. At SMU, that field is most likely engineering.

An Eye Opening Theory

I understand that you may not be extremely attracted to blogs involving contemporary political issues that involve two or more arguments, but I kindly ask you to open-mindedly read on.

In my philosophy class, I have recently studied an argument against abortion proposed by a man named Don Marquis. His argument against abortion is very straight forward, in that it clearly states that abortion is seriously wrong. Unlike many others who argue for pro-life, however, Marquis’ view is not influenced in any way by religion. According to Marquis, aside from very rare occasions, abortion can be classified as the same thing as killing an innocent adult human being. The reason killing a fetus is the same as killing an adult is because, fully grown or not, both living organisms have futures, and killing a fetus is depriving it of its future. Killing anything with a future robs that particular individual of future events, activities, projects, and accomplishments. If viewed as a series of true statements, “abortion is wrong” can be interpreted as a fact.

A.)   A fetus is potentially an innocent baby.

B.)   The living innocent baby has a future.

C.)   Killing an innocent baby is wrong.

D.)   Abortion is defined as the killing of a fetus.

E.)   Abortion is wrong.

Based on Marquis’ theory, abortion is equivalent to murder and should be treated as a crime the same way killing any human being would be.

After studying this theory, I believe that everyone should read these facts before getting an abortion because it allows them to see abortion for what it really is. I believe that when any person gets an abortion they will almost always feel bad about it in someway or another, and deep down they believe it is morally incorrect. However, because we live in a society that is somewhat accepting of such acts of cruelty, it is overlooked. 

For more information on Marquis Pro-Life argument, click here

A Revolutionary Flight

With one of my favorite movies of the summer being released on DVD tuesday this week, I found it rather appropriate to blog about a an article that reminded me of Ironman soaring solo through the skies. 

99 years ago, French airman Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the English Channel in a plane. Recently, a man named Yves Rossy accomplished this very same 22-mile flight from Calais to Dover using a single jet propelled wing, also known as a jet pack. The flight took just less than 10 minutes and was described by Mr. Rossy as "great, really great". After close weather observations and planing, he was taken up into the air by a plain, proceeded to ignite the jets, and jumped out. Rossy was able to reach speeds of over 125 miles per hour. After crossing the channel, he parachuted back down to earth, being broadcasted live on the National Geographic Channel.

Video and Article of the Flight with the Jet-Pack

I find this to be a revolutionary technological advancement, not only in experiment, but also in the advancement of solo transportation. I believe that jet-packs have potential to be an extremely useful utility for military and even private transport. However, there is still work to be done to perfect it. Even Yves Rossy had to wear special protective clothing so that the jet engine wouldn't burn him because he was just centimeters away. If they can somehow create a jet-pack that would be limited on heat output, and could take off by itself, the possibilities would be endless.

An American Tradition.. Going..going..gone!

When Dr. Stephens told the class that we could blog on whatever we want, I promised myself that I would not post about anything regarding sports. Yet sure enough, here I am unable to resist the urge to write about a rather emotional day I had today in my dorm room sitting in front of the TV as I was forced to say goodbye to what is considered by many as the greatest sporting venue in the western hemisphere. 

Ever since a young age, I was very passionate for the game of baseball. Living just outside New York City, my favorite team was the Yankees. I was fortunate enough to have a father with season tickets who would often bring me to Yankee Stadium to see games. Many of my earliest childhood memories took place in this historic ballpark, whether it was begging my dad for cotton candy, snacking on hot dogs, catching a fly ball, watching crazy drunken New Yorkers brawl with Red Sox fans in the stands, or the monumental post season success that the Yankees had in the late 90's. The visions and excitement I experienced in “the house that Ruth built” are truly unforgettable.

Perhaps the most unbelievable time of my life was in November of 2001, right after the September 11 terrorist attack when our country was in a period of shock and terror. The people of New York City were horribly hurt as a result of the loss of many innocent citizens and firefighters. However, there was one thing that brought the city and country together, and that was baseball, America’s national pastime. I will never forget watching President Bush, who was seriously threatened by terrorists at the time, standing by himself on the pitchers mound, fearless, throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium in the 2001 World Series. I experienced fans around me explode with patriotism and excitement. The Yankees made three “magical” come from behind victories in New York that united our nation as strong as ever. The Yankees healed the cities heart.

Video of the Patriotic time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8WhoiuU3Og&feature=related

Four years ago, George Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees, announced plans for a new Yankee Stadium. He spoke of a day where they would tear down the current complex and move to a brand new stadium nearby. The idea seemed so distant and impractical at the time, but this year when the players began wearing “Yankee Stadium: Final Year” badges on their jersey’s, it became a reality.

Tonight at 7PM, I found myself in tears in front of the TV as I watched ESPN highlight all the memories and traditions of Yankee Stadium as they televised the very last game ever to be played there. Never have I been so attached to a TV for three hours. I literally felt like I was back in the stands with all the best fans in the world. The whole city came together as a family, and it wasn’t just about baseball, it was about pride and sentimental value of such a historic place. An 85-year-old American cultural monument will be destroyed, but the fans and memories will live forever. 

R.I.P. Yankee Stadium - 1923-2008

Yogi Berra’s tribute to Yankee Stadium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4qbfk8t97o