A Vision of Students Today

I was just introduced to this video through one of my classes at WVU and I thought it was brilliant. So much in fact that I just had to share it. I know many of you are either past, present or future college students and will certainly identify with the message in this video. As I'm wrapping up my undergrad degree this summer, and entering Grad school in the fall, I can relate in a big way.

"A short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University."

So what do you think? Do you agree with the message here?

"Steal This Film" Really Takes Me Back A Few Years

I just had to watch a couple videos for one of my classes. Steal This Film Part 1 & 2. Good stuff and it really took me back a few years to when Napster, Kazaa and similar sites were really popular. These are a must watch if you're a techie, nerd, geek, or the like.

Part One




You can view part two of the series after the break....

What I Did During Spring Break 2011

Spring Break is the time of year that has become infamous with college kids partying hard (too hard) and having the time of their lives. I'm not quite in that position. Those days are long gone for me. I'm 37 years old, have been married to my wonderful wife for 16 years and have 3 wonderful children. So what did I do during the Spring Break 2011? Well, I stayed home with my 2 year old son and 10 year old daughter. 

In years past, during spring break, we would’ve traveled somewhere as a family. Recently it was North Carolina, Florida, or just up to Rhode Island, to visit relatives. Well the latter is true this year, but for a more somber reason. And not all of the family went. 

Since the passing of my Father-in-law back in January 2011, my wife has come down with a serious case of homesickness. And I can’t blame her. Unexpectedly losing a family member, when you yourself are living out of state, can bring on feelings of “What if I was still living there?” and “Maybe if I was there, I could’ve prevented it”. Not to mention the typical feeling of not spending enough time with that person when they were alive. It can be a very trying time both physically and mentally. 

So this year on spring break, we decided it was best for my wife to visit Rhode Island to spend time with her mom as she tried to get accustomed to life without her husband for the first time in over forty years. She is also recovering from Breast Cancer and needs all the help she can get physically. So I spent the week taking care of our two youngest children while she took our twelve year old daughter with her to Rhode Island. Besides wanting the company on the plane ride, our daughter was old enough to help out quite a bit. So I dropped them at Pittsburgh International Airport on the Saturday morning of Spring Break and picked them back up on that Friday. 

Although I didn’t have anything real exciting to talk about on this particular Spring Break, it was a great week of bonding with my two youngest children and memories that will last a lifetime. My wife had a very productive trip to Rhode Island. She accomplished a ton of stuff in helping her mom and also had a great week of bonding. 


Sometimes it’s not about where you went, but rather who you spent it with. However just so this isn’t too much of a downer, I attached a video of what might be the absolute best vacation song ever; Kokomo by the Beach Boys. It’s also from one of my favorite movies of the 1980’s; Cocktail. I’m listening to it right now and it’s making me want to pack my bags and head for an island somewhere. 

Coming Down the Homestretch to Graduation.....

     So who else is ready to graduate? I hear ya. I've heard many stories of students doing the 5-year plan or even 6-year plan in some cases. Thankfully for me, This will only take me 4 1/2 years...for my first degree.

     I started my journey back in the Spring of 2007. It was a crazy adventure to even think about. I had recently turned 33 years old and was looking for some type of higher education and had the opportunity to pursue it. What complicates the journey however, is I am also a husband and Father of two children (at the time, three now!) but I still took the plunge.

     I was a high school dropout, but not because I couldn't handle it. More because I was bored and chose to screw off instead. So starting a huge commitment like college was a huge leap of faith. I honestly would not have done it if it weren't for my wife taking the plunge at WVU at the same time. We have attended this past 4 years together and will graduate within months of each other; her this May and me this summer.

Who Else is Missing the Glory Days of WVU Football?

  There was just something special going to a WVU Mountaineer football game a few years back. It feels like just yesterday I was giddy with excitement for the next WVU game to watch Pat White and Steve Slaton tear up the turf. We got as close as one game away from a National Championship! 

Oh how the years pass by so fast. Our beloved Pat White doesn't even play football anymore. After a rough stint with the Miami Dolphins, he's now playing minor league baseball with the Kansas City Royals. Slaton is still (barely) with the Houston Texans in the NFL. 

It's sad when the good times are gone, but rather than live in the past, we must feel blessed to have been a part of such an exciting time for WVU football. I will never forget those days, the electric feeling in the crowd, the chants of "Let's go!!...Mountaineers!!" from the thousands of screaming students and fans.

If you haven't attended a WVU football game in your college journey so far, you really need to. Especially when they're doing good, it's not just a game, it's an experience you'll never forget.

WVU Campus...In the Round...In Your Face!

Here's another panoramic I took from the top of the Oglebay parking garage. Crazy, right? ;-)

Beautiful Day in Morgantown Today...

Woodburn Circle Panoramic

 Such a nice day today in Morgantown on the WVU campus. Teachers were cool letting us out early in some classes, including Comm 293H (holla!). Above is a badass pic I took after class using the iPhone and the 360 app. I frickin love this app. The pictures it takes are beyond words. You don't realize how cool something really is until you see the WHOLE thing in the same picture. Peace!