SO
An old friend brought it to my attention that I have not written in over 3 months.
"Dang," I said to myself. "That's a long time."
I've also seen "the Dark Knight Rises" a couple of times since it has been out. The film basically chronicles Batman trying to find a way to be in the public eye and provide his community with support, while satisfying his own needs of being alone and working through his personal issues. It speaks to me because he is trying to find the balance between giving people what they want, but staying true to what he needs.
Personally, I know that people want me to be on Facebook because I am easier to reach, but I also know that I need to remember to focus on the people who are important to me in my personal life, as well as time management. Do you see how that film resonates with me? Christopher Nolan is a master at creating emotional connections, that is for sure.
Let it be known that right now, I have decided to work on re-branding all of my social media outlets, with the (apparently) necessary expedience.
Basically, my idea is to make all of these outlets into a more professional work; since I want to write, social media is essential to anything that I do, but I no longer want to use it as so much of a personal form of communication. I am not saying personal communications via Facebook are bad at all, but the crux is finding out for myself how to use these outlets to show my work, with some personal touches. If someone knows me personally, there is no reason to display all of the information I have on Facebook, and there is no reason why they would not text me or call if they needed to talk to me. At the same time though, if a potential employer looks me up for a social media or writing job, my Facebook is not a reflection of who I am professionally because I have not posted frequently or regularly in some time.
Facebook in my personal life is a necessary evil for getting in touch with people I do not know well, but the point I am trying to make is that I would like to make more motivated posts. We are all tired of our "friends" who lament to the world about all of their life's problems via their Facebook wall. We are all tired of people who document every second of their personal life in Tweets. Oversharing is not only frustrating, it is kind of a waste of time for those who are doing the oversharing.
I do NOT want to be either of those people, but I am at the point in my career where I can no longer be on a hiatus from social media. I am trying to find the balance between maintaining without being obsessive or reclusive.
Please, stay tuned for updates. I am graduating from college in a week and have made a couple of topics I would like to write about, so I will be posting more soon.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Blogging v. Journalism
In one of my classes, we have recently been discussing how bloggers and journalists are similar and different, and which rights (if any) bloggers should have in this age of new media. For the purposes of this post's length, I will not go into legal discourse on the subject, but I desire to incite discussion on the differences between these two sources. I am curious to know with whom the general public puts their trust.
Journalists:
- Receive training and education to gain field experience
- Have access to a large number of sources
- Receive backing by a news organization (such as the Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle, etc.)
- Subscribe to a journalistic code of ethics
- Ruin their career if they plagiarize
- Must appear unbiased in their writing because they largely report on facts
- Are assigned stories to report on by their news organization
- Make their money from the news organization itself
- Are "free agents"
- Can be anybody - that is, a blogger may be a very educated, qualified person, but they may also be educated by the "school of life," so to speak.
- Are not backed by a news organization
- Can simply use a blog as their own personal megaphone
- Have access to an unknown amount of sources - they may have access to sources through their job, or they may only have access to what's on the internet (which is not always legitimate information)
- Have no code of ethics, other than a personal one, if applicable
- If a blogger plagiarizes, the worst thing they have to do is just take the post down, according to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
- Give opinions in their writing
- Write about subjects at their own discretion
- Make money from ads or endorsements
The point is no matter what you read, it IS an opinion (no matter if it is blanketed by a facade of neutrality, or unabashedly biased.) Realistically, the differences in both disciplines do not matter so much as it matters that opinions are being shared. I personally believe that the world would be a better place if journalists were to come out with their opinion, rather than try to slip bits and pieces of it in as they can. If you fully disclose your inevitable bias as a journalist or blogger, it becomes more ethical for the reader, because they can understand the context of the opinion presented. Additionally, any writer has the choice to be forthcoming or not. Readers never really know if writers are being completely honest about their sources, opinions, etc.
Do not follow my blog because you simply like what I have to say; that is encouraging, to be certain, but it is not the reason for this blog. Follow me because you are interested in forming your own opinions more fully, and gathering more information about random subjects. You should not believe something because I tell you to believe what I do, and you should not believe a journalist because they are trying to appear objective. Be aware that ALL people come with a bias, and it is impossible to remove.
Thoughts?
I hope you will continue reading.
Image source: MemeGenerator.net (URL: http://memegenerator.net/instance/16907138)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Love and Action.
If you're still following me, you're a saint. I apologize for my lack of posts this month. I have been working, working, and more working, and have had little time to think about anything else but school or work, let alone slow down and relax.
However, after this week, my schedule should slow down. Note: if you want to learn to slow down DON'T OVERCOMMIT YOURSELF. It's like a death-sentence to your plan to slow down, because even if you want to, you can't. Granted, I enjoy all of my surplus commitments, but still, I don't recommend doing it because it is taxing. Like I have said previously, it's hard to enjoy them if I'm overcommitted.
Anyway, I did find time to do a little bit of reading, thankfully. I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Both were excellent, and left me feeling very empowered. Admittedly, part of my blogging time went to reading those books because I could not put them down.
If you're not familiar with the trilogy, it follows a teenage girl in a post-apocalyptic society through her fight to relieve her family, friends, and people from an oppressive communistic government. Most of her relief efforts are accidental - small acts of rebellion stemming from her independent, creative, open-minded personality, but the large takeaway from the series is not only the tragedy of war and oppressive government structures, but also that small acts based on passion and love can make a world of difference and liberate others. Small acts can be monumental.
As I am starting my career within the next 4 months, I am encouraged by this truth. Small actions have big consequences; I want to make sure that my small actions are motivated by love so that the big consequences can show love to others (even if I don't get to see the result).
Which brings me to a larger quesiton - what exactly is love, anyway?
It's not just a feeling. You can love someone without having butterflies in your stomach (in the romantic sense). Just because you do something unpopular doesn't mean you aren't acting in love, either. So goes the age-old question - "what is love?" (baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.)
Subtle Nineties movie references aside, I have been thinking how to define love lately. Certainly, a definition cannot be nailed down, but I have come to understand that love is dying to oneself. It's serving others and putting their needs above your own. It doesn't take the easy way out.
My point, however confusing, is that Katniss from The Hunger Games embodies what it means to love others. The lesson I take away from the books is that if I do small things with great love (as Mother Theresa says to do), big things will happen in the world. It's encouraging to know that if I stick to that mandate for myself, no matter what my career, I will have a fruitful life.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Reasons to Slow Down
This blog post started with the former video, sent to me by my wonderful boyfriend. Sit back and watch it. It will frame this post the way I want it.
Part of my reasoning for getting off the grid in a sense was to remove junk from my life, and slow down in a sense.
Unfortunately, college has gone by all too quickly. I've been able to enjoy the experience, but working so much (up to 35 hours a week a couple of times) and having a scholarship that requires me to take at 12 hours has made the experience very stressful, and caused me to just be ready to have one full time job (and have that be all that I have to do!). It's so hard to slow down. Essentially, when I finally get a chance to breathe, I crash - I fall asleep, just lay around, etc. People tease me once in a while about this... and I can't blame them. It's funny, I could probably sleep anywhere if given the chance... which is NOT normal. Like Carl says in his video, this can be perceived as lazy, but I've learned to just do me, and know my own limits. I don't recommend cramming as much in as I've had to, but it's been necessary for me and slowing down is the reason I've been able to make it work.
I think this is mainly because when I slow down and I am able to focus on refining myself, I know myself and my abilities much better, and am able to do other things better as a consequence. Being able to other things better means possibly making an impact on the world, God willing.
This past week, I was in New York City for spring break. It was a lot of fun. We crammed a lot in, but we didn't overdo it, which was so nice. What struck me most about the city was the amount of stuff there was to do. There was just SO MUCH of EVERYTHING. More is definitely more in that city: more big business, more clothes, more good food, etc. Realistically though, a lot of it is junk, just like social networking has been in my life. It's cool and everything, but it distracts us from what's important.
The biggest realization I had was that all of these things that people have invested so much in will fade. Buildings simply do not last forever, and whether someone is a Christian or an athiest, we all believe that someday the world will end. If the world ends, everything physical we've invested in will be meaningless, which is why slowing down is necessary.
The fact is that when we slow down, we invest in people and ideas that change our surroundings in a positive way. Instead of doing everything quickly to serve the institution, serve intentionally to serve the people and the morals you believe in. This can make the world a better place. For me, serving people and morals is the way I am able to glorify God, because I believe God works through those purposeful acts of service. And when I'm glorifying God rather than things that are man-made and will crumble, I am able find joy, even when I feel like I can't do enough in a day. That makes it easier to slow down.
My point is this - remove the junk, whatever it is, from your life so that you can focus on what really matters. You'll be more at ease and live life more joyfully, which will be contagious and spread to other people.
The biggest realization I had was that all of these things that people have invested so much in will fade. Buildings simply do not last forever, and whether someone is a Christian or an athiest, we all believe that someday the world will end. If the world ends, everything physical we've invested in will be meaningless, which is why slowing down is necessary.
The fact is that when we slow down, we invest in people and ideas that change our surroundings in a positive way. Instead of doing everything quickly to serve the institution, serve intentionally to serve the people and the morals you believe in. This can make the world a better place. For me, serving people and morals is the way I am able to glorify God, because I believe God works through those purposeful acts of service. And when I'm glorifying God rather than things that are man-made and will crumble, I am able find joy, even when I feel like I can't do enough in a day. That makes it easier to slow down.
My point is this - remove the junk, whatever it is, from your life so that you can focus on what really matters. You'll be more at ease and live life more joyfully, which will be contagious and spread to other people.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Getting off the grid.
I have decided that (now that campaigning, group projects, excuses, etc. are over) I'm getting off the grid. What that means is that I will be logging out of Twitter and Facebook, and having someone change my password so that I am not able to access it until further notice. The minimum amount of time will be until Easter, but I am going to try to wait until at least my birthday on April 24.
If you really care to see what thought-provoking, profound ideas are on my mind, you can find me here (or, of course, email me at SarahECrumley@gmail.com).
Here's why I'm doing this:
If you really care to see what thought-provoking, profound ideas are on my mind, you can find me here (or, of course, email me at SarahECrumley@gmail.com).
Here's why I'm doing this:
- Time Management
I currently work two jobs and am involved in two organizations (well, now only one because COSGA's over). This is IN ADDITION to 12 hours coursework, not including study/homework time. I have had a problem with getting distracted easily for my whole life. To be honest, I think I have A.D.D., but I also do not believe that medication is always the best way to go to fix that. I want to be able to manage my time myself, not because medication causes me to focus. Facebook and Twitter only add to my already distracted nature. They cause me to stumble when I am trying to be focused, because I get caught up in what's happening everywhere else but in my own life. And that's kind of a dumb thing to be wasting my time on. I would much rather read an informative news article if I need an update on the outside world, instead of what people I was acquainted with freshman year of high school are doing. So I've decided that if something is going to distract me and take away from my time management, it might as well be something worthwhile like catching up on the news, finding a useful recipe or craft on pinterest and actually making it (once in a while), blogging/writing, or reading a book (all of which are things that I love, and none of which are things I've made time for in the past 6 months). - Relationship Management
One of the main reasons for me staying on Facebook is to stay connected with people. I am not the type of person who deletes people I don't really know anymore, though, so at almost 1,100 friends, I don't think I'm really staying connected with people I care about through Facebook. There are many other ways to stay connected, such as text messaging and email and *gasp* even phone calls. These are much more meaningful options and I would rather express that I care about people in this way as opposed to not having time to text back because I was too busy on Facebook or something. For a while I have had the excuse that Facebook keeps my events in line for me, but I've come to realize that if I'm likely to go to one of those events, I will have already found out about it through another means. - Shifting My Focus
What's on Facebook and Twitter is not real. It's words in cyberspace. Sometimes those words have meaning, but as I mentioned before, there's other ways to explore the subjects that hold meaning to me in my life than through cyber relationships. As a communication major, we often discuss the instability of cyber communication; messages (whether intentional or unintentional) sent over social media websites can be informative, such as in the cases of promotions for companies and public relations, or they can be interpersonal/person to person. Messages between people often hold different meanings for different people - many people value conversations on Facebook, and many people see it as a shallow thing. I'm not saying either is right or wrong, but I think that when you place a high value on a wall post, chat message, or profile picture, then it's time to utilize other means of communication that aren't public or possibly unintentional. I definitely value when people post on my Facebook wall to say something nice, but I would rather someone send me a text message saying that, or an email, or something more intentional and less unconscious (not to say that it's always unconscious. BUT even if it's conscious, use another outlet) way to send that message. I'm sure other people would rather me do the same. This is actually a hard thing for me to give up career-wise, especially if I go into PR and Facebook changes again, because I might not understand what is going on anymore, but I think it will be worth it for my own sanity.
As for what you think about this, I'm not sure that I care. BUT I really did want to get back into blogging and writing, and I think this is the perfect way to do that, because it's an interesting topic. At the end of the day, if no one reads my blog and I'm just able to write about things I'm interested in, it's a good day, because I get to do something I love. I just figured I might as well share these thoughts, because maybe you'll get something out of them. I hope that you do.
To sum it all up, thoughts are real, the written word is real, which is why blogging is okay with me, but seeing that "@johndoe loves #dubstep" or "John Doe: I'm going to Chipotle for lunch today. Can't wait!" are not really thoughts that will add to my understanding of the world or will push me to be a better person. My ultimate goal in life is to grow closer to God and bring others closer to Him. I want to continue to refine myself in the decisions that I can control in order to bring glory to God; no, I will never be perfect, but the easiest decision I can make is to not let myself be distracted by things that will eat away at my short time on this earth. If you want to make an impact, you have to be intentional about where you put your time, and I would rather put my time into something like a blog, than something that's oversaturated like Facebook.
Yeah, that's about all I have right now...
I'm looking forward to this experiment.
For me, this is the best way to live my life, and whether you feel the same or not, I hope that you are able to live your life in a way that brings you closer to meeting your personal goals.
This is mine.
Friday, February 24, 2012
If you're an Aggie, READ ME!
Given my writing skills and logical thought process, I've been thinking it would be a good idea to utilize social media to express why you should vote for my friend Drew Nelson for Senior Yell Leader. It's been on my mind a lot the past few days... so here's the reasoning I have behind all of this. Maybe you won't agree, but I really hope that you will. I can't explain my opinions to everyone by myself, but social media makes it possible for you to hear them if you want, so please listen up!
Growing up, I, like Drew, was indoctrinated in the ways of the Aggies pretty much from the time I left the womb. My dad was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and couldn't wait to be the father of not only a well-raised woman, but a Second Generation Aggie. When I decided to come to Texas A&M in the fall of '08, I was so excited to experience all of the traditions - Muster, Bonfire, Midnight Yell, 12th man, and of course, our own Fightin' Texas Aggie Yell Leaders (whoop). I got as involved as I could and made lots of new friends, branching out in ways that I never thought possible in high school. I changed a lot, and met a lot of people who were LEGIT and gave me a new perspective on life. Texas A&M was SO MUCH MORE than I imagined it could be. Voting for the new yell leaders came around my freshman year and I voted 5 for Yell. "Why?" you may ask. Well, I believed 5 for Yell to represent the traditions of this university (which I loved and had brought so much positive change through my life) as I am sure many of you may... I thought that if someone wanted to be a Yell Leader so badly, they should join the Corps... but I now believe otherwise, and I'm about to tell you why.
If there's one thing I've learned throughout my college experience, it's that tradition has to adapt to changes. It's amazing enough that we still have yell leaders, with all of the changes that have gone on, which people think is weird, but we keep it because of tradition, right? Now, many people argue that the tradition is within the Corps. Well, when you think about it, the tradition started when there were no students here BUT the Corps. When they started letting women in, people got upset, when they let greek life on campus, people got upset, and when they let non-regs in, people got upset (not necessarily in this order, but you get my point). BUT were all of these things worth it? Yes. Would we know any of the people we know today if these things did not happen? No. Should we have a candidate that reflects who we are as a student body today? I believe so, but I can't really tell you that until I go further, because the way you might think someone represents you must be established.
Still, many people would have argued not even 30 years ago that you didn't deserve to be here because of tradition. So if you are greek, female, non-reg, homosexual, african american, etc. Then based on the argument that non-regs shouldn't be yell leaders, you shouldn't be here either, because tradition says so. This argument is a self-defeating principle... do you not see that? It's a logical fallacy.
I believed this logical fallacy until I met Drew Nelson.
And I'm not saying if you believe this, you're any less of a person. Let's be real, yell leader is a relative thing. It's not a matter of life or death, even if we do think it's important.
Anyway... I met Drew during Fish Camp (an organization which upholds/teaches tradition...) my sophomore year, a year when I really wanted to branch out and form deep connections with friends. Drew and I started getting to know one another and really hit it off. I was in town for the first half of the summer, so it was great because we got to hang out a lot without the business of a normal semester with organizations and such. Drew was so kind to me, and really took the time to reach out to me as a friend. He took the time to help me move (more than once), only accepting a "thank you" in return. He wrote me encouragement letters while I was at summer camp (which is a difficult, taxing experience, if you've ever done it)... when I was at my breaking point, receiving those letters helped me serve those children when I didn't feel like it anymore. He helped me be a better person. At Fish Camp, he impacted freshmen and stood out as a leader, and was all around an AWESOME counselor because of his love for Texasw A&M. In fall of 2010, Drew told me he was running for Junior Yell. "I only vote for people in the corps," I explained, "because of tradition."
You may say I'm biased, but in the aforementioned situation, I was clearly not biased based on logic, but rather because I was naive. Yes, this is a biased article, but I believe it to be biased based more on logical ideas, which is why I believe my opinion is worth hearing.
Through his passion for this university and desire to be involved in the lives of so many different people, Drew won my support in his campaign and vote last year - NOT because he was a non-reg, but because he is the most deserving, hard-working person I have met in my life. I mean that. I am not kidding, he never sleeps. Those of you know know Drew, know this. But those of you who don't, may not comprehend how hard this person works, and how involved he is in the lives of many members of the student body through student organizations. I quickly figured out that he was too busy trying to make an impact on so many people in the student body that joining the Corps would have been counterproductive. I have never met a person who is genuinely able to be involved in so many peoples lives at once, but he does it. He just has that gift. He is the most self-sacrificing person I know.
If you had the opportunity to get to know him like I have, you would feel the same way. 20 years of "tradition" in your mind would gain a whole new meaning.
Now... another argument you may have, and this is where it gets tricky, is that the corps picks men that uphold the values of Texas A&M University. Well, my friends, sadly, that has not been proven to be the case throughout my college career (if it had, maybe I would still see them as better than Drew, but I do not). Looking at the facts, the Corps is not even officially endorsing 5 for Yell this year. That means that the values of the Corps are not reflected in their choice of candidates. I will not name names, but if you have been paying attention this year, there have been multiple scandalous things that have happened regarding the yell leaders. Nobody is perfect but there has been little said to address absences and other rumors to the student body, which says that they have SOMETHING TO HIDE. While I cannot base this on evidence, I can say that they haven't said anything to clarify... if there is nothing to hide, it follows that there would be no problem with clearing up rumors, am I right? And I haven't heard anyone doing that... Is that the kind of person who upholds the Corps' values of honor, integrity, discipline, and selfless service? You decide, but I don't think it is; someone who came clean about either the truth of the rumors of lack of truth to them would possess those qualities. Had certain individuals addressed their shortcomings, I would be willing to objectively consider voting for them, but covering everything up is not what this university stands for. It is not in our honor code, and it is not something our students do, either. I will not illuminate individual candidates' shortcomings, but if you'd like to find out more, look up stuff from the batt. www.thebatt.com
Please don't be deceived, I'm not trying to disrespect the Corps, or the individuals in it. I love the corps. My dad was in the corps, and my dad is one of my closest confidantes. I think that what the Corps is able to do is great, and I'm blessed that members of the corps go on to serve in whatever fields they go into. The military enables us to be free, and I'm thankful that the Corps serves as a place to get military training and comradery.
The fact of the matter is, when it comes to Yell Leader, I want to vote for someone who is going to uphold the VALUES of my university. Values supercede tradition; values are where tradition comes from, so without values, you cannot have tradition. Drew Nelson represents these values. I don't see another candidate who does, whether they're in the Corps or not is irrelevant.
You can research the other candidates for yourself, but for the final part of this post, I will attempt to express for you the ways in which he expresses those values, which are my reasons for believe he is the most capable of representing our student body, and upholding our traditions. These are both Texas A&M University's core values, and the values of the Corps of Cadets:
Honor-
Drew is an honorable man. He is honest and forthcoming. He has been involved in things such as carpool, to help save the lives of aggies. He is always at silver taps, to bring honor to those who have fallen.
Integrity-
Drew does what he believes is right, even when people aren't always watching him. During campaigning, he has held members of our team accountable to making sure we are not being hurtful to other candidates.
Discipline-
Drew is incredibly disciplined in his studies. He is a PPA student, which is a difficult program to get into without good grades and hard work. He's at every sporting even he can go to... that's a lot of sporting events.
Selfless Service-
Drew has helped me move a total of 3 times. That's pretty selfless. He's also been a part of organizations such as MSC Hospitality, which is a service organization.
Excellence-
Drew does everything to the best of his ability. This is evident in his organizational involvement, studies, and constant presence as part of the 12th man.
Leadership-
Drew has held leadership positions in MSC Hospitality, Reed Rowdies, and is a member of OL AGS, an organiation comprised of men in leadership. He leads even as a member, which is servant leadership... personally, I believe servant leadership to be the most important form of leadership, because it is leadership without credit.
Loyalty-
Drew grew up in College Station, and has always been an Aggie. He not only is a loyal member of the student body, but a loyal friend as well.
Respect-
Drew leads a respectful campaign. As members of his campaigning team, he asks that we be respectful of other candidates and opinions, and not do anything that would be perceived as hurtful or below the belt.
For more information on these values check out:
http://www.tamu.edu/about/coreValues.html
http://corps.tamu.edu/
The best way to adapt to the changing world is for the university to stick to its values. I know that if we do that as Aggies, the traditions will stick too. The logical choice, then, is to vote Drew Nelson for Senior Yell, because he's the best chance we've got at upholding the traditions we care so much about. Thank you for listening, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Growing up, I, like Drew, was indoctrinated in the ways of the Aggies pretty much from the time I left the womb. My dad was a member of the Corps of Cadets, and couldn't wait to be the father of not only a well-raised woman, but a Second Generation Aggie. When I decided to come to Texas A&M in the fall of '08, I was so excited to experience all of the traditions - Muster, Bonfire, Midnight Yell, 12th man, and of course, our own Fightin' Texas Aggie Yell Leaders (whoop). I got as involved as I could and made lots of new friends, branching out in ways that I never thought possible in high school. I changed a lot, and met a lot of people who were LEGIT and gave me a new perspective on life. Texas A&M was SO MUCH MORE than I imagined it could be. Voting for the new yell leaders came around my freshman year and I voted 5 for Yell. "Why?" you may ask. Well, I believed 5 for Yell to represent the traditions of this university (which I loved and had brought so much positive change through my life) as I am sure many of you may... I thought that if someone wanted to be a Yell Leader so badly, they should join the Corps... but I now believe otherwise, and I'm about to tell you why.
If there's one thing I've learned throughout my college experience, it's that tradition has to adapt to changes. It's amazing enough that we still have yell leaders, with all of the changes that have gone on, which people think is weird, but we keep it because of tradition, right? Now, many people argue that the tradition is within the Corps. Well, when you think about it, the tradition started when there were no students here BUT the Corps. When they started letting women in, people got upset, when they let greek life on campus, people got upset, and when they let non-regs in, people got upset (not necessarily in this order, but you get my point). BUT were all of these things worth it? Yes. Would we know any of the people we know today if these things did not happen? No. Should we have a candidate that reflects who we are as a student body today? I believe so, but I can't really tell you that until I go further, because the way you might think someone represents you must be established.
Still, many people would have argued not even 30 years ago that you didn't deserve to be here because of tradition. So if you are greek, female, non-reg, homosexual, african american, etc. Then based on the argument that non-regs shouldn't be yell leaders, you shouldn't be here either, because tradition says so. This argument is a self-defeating principle... do you not see that? It's a logical fallacy.
I believed this logical fallacy until I met Drew Nelson.
And I'm not saying if you believe this, you're any less of a person. Let's be real, yell leader is a relative thing. It's not a matter of life or death, even if we do think it's important.
Anyway... I met Drew during Fish Camp (an organization which upholds/teaches tradition...) my sophomore year, a year when I really wanted to branch out and form deep connections with friends. Drew and I started getting to know one another and really hit it off. I was in town for the first half of the summer, so it was great because we got to hang out a lot without the business of a normal semester with organizations and such. Drew was so kind to me, and really took the time to reach out to me as a friend. He took the time to help me move (more than once), only accepting a "thank you" in return. He wrote me encouragement letters while I was at summer camp (which is a difficult, taxing experience, if you've ever done it)... when I was at my breaking point, receiving those letters helped me serve those children when I didn't feel like it anymore. He helped me be a better person. At Fish Camp, he impacted freshmen and stood out as a leader, and was all around an AWESOME counselor because of his love for Texasw A&M. In fall of 2010, Drew told me he was running for Junior Yell. "I only vote for people in the corps," I explained, "because of tradition."
You may say I'm biased, but in the aforementioned situation, I was clearly not biased based on logic, but rather because I was naive. Yes, this is a biased article, but I believe it to be biased based more on logical ideas, which is why I believe my opinion is worth hearing.
Through his passion for this university and desire to be involved in the lives of so many different people, Drew won my support in his campaign and vote last year - NOT because he was a non-reg, but because he is the most deserving, hard-working person I have met in my life. I mean that. I am not kidding, he never sleeps. Those of you know know Drew, know this. But those of you who don't, may not comprehend how hard this person works, and how involved he is in the lives of many members of the student body through student organizations. I quickly figured out that he was too busy trying to make an impact on so many people in the student body that joining the Corps would have been counterproductive. I have never met a person who is genuinely able to be involved in so many peoples lives at once, but he does it. He just has that gift. He is the most self-sacrificing person I know.
If you had the opportunity to get to know him like I have, you would feel the same way. 20 years of "tradition" in your mind would gain a whole new meaning.
Now... another argument you may have, and this is where it gets tricky, is that the corps picks men that uphold the values of Texas A&M University. Well, my friends, sadly, that has not been proven to be the case throughout my college career (if it had, maybe I would still see them as better than Drew, but I do not). Looking at the facts, the Corps is not even officially endorsing 5 for Yell this year. That means that the values of the Corps are not reflected in their choice of candidates. I will not name names, but if you have been paying attention this year, there have been multiple scandalous things that have happened regarding the yell leaders. Nobody is perfect but there has been little said to address absences and other rumors to the student body, which says that they have SOMETHING TO HIDE. While I cannot base this on evidence, I can say that they haven't said anything to clarify... if there is nothing to hide, it follows that there would be no problem with clearing up rumors, am I right? And I haven't heard anyone doing that... Is that the kind of person who upholds the Corps' values of honor, integrity, discipline, and selfless service? You decide, but I don't think it is; someone who came clean about either the truth of the rumors of lack of truth to them would possess those qualities. Had certain individuals addressed their shortcomings, I would be willing to objectively consider voting for them, but covering everything up is not what this university stands for. It is not in our honor code, and it is not something our students do, either. I will not illuminate individual candidates' shortcomings, but if you'd like to find out more, look up stuff from the batt. www.thebatt.com
Please don't be deceived, I'm not trying to disrespect the Corps, or the individuals in it. I love the corps. My dad was in the corps, and my dad is one of my closest confidantes. I think that what the Corps is able to do is great, and I'm blessed that members of the corps go on to serve in whatever fields they go into. The military enables us to be free, and I'm thankful that the Corps serves as a place to get military training and comradery.
The fact of the matter is, when it comes to Yell Leader, I want to vote for someone who is going to uphold the VALUES of my university. Values supercede tradition; values are where tradition comes from, so without values, you cannot have tradition. Drew Nelson represents these values. I don't see another candidate who does, whether they're in the Corps or not is irrelevant.
You can research the other candidates for yourself, but for the final part of this post, I will attempt to express for you the ways in which he expresses those values, which are my reasons for believe he is the most capable of representing our student body, and upholding our traditions. These are both Texas A&M University's core values, and the values of the Corps of Cadets:
Honor-
Drew is an honorable man. He is honest and forthcoming. He has been involved in things such as carpool, to help save the lives of aggies. He is always at silver taps, to bring honor to those who have fallen.
Integrity-
Drew does what he believes is right, even when people aren't always watching him. During campaigning, he has held members of our team accountable to making sure we are not being hurtful to other candidates.
Discipline-
Drew is incredibly disciplined in his studies. He is a PPA student, which is a difficult program to get into without good grades and hard work. He's at every sporting even he can go to... that's a lot of sporting events.
Selfless Service-
Drew has helped me move a total of 3 times. That's pretty selfless. He's also been a part of organizations such as MSC Hospitality, which is a service organization.
Excellence-
Drew does everything to the best of his ability. This is evident in his organizational involvement, studies, and constant presence as part of the 12th man.
Leadership-
Drew has held leadership positions in MSC Hospitality, Reed Rowdies, and is a member of OL AGS, an organiation comprised of men in leadership. He leads even as a member, which is servant leadership... personally, I believe servant leadership to be the most important form of leadership, because it is leadership without credit.
Loyalty-
Drew grew up in College Station, and has always been an Aggie. He not only is a loyal member of the student body, but a loyal friend as well.
Respect-
Drew leads a respectful campaign. As members of his campaigning team, he asks that we be respectful of other candidates and opinions, and not do anything that would be perceived as hurtful or below the belt.
For more information on these values check out:
http://www.tamu.edu/about/coreValues.html
http://corps.tamu.edu/
The best way to adapt to the changing world is for the university to stick to its values. I know that if we do that as Aggies, the traditions will stick too. The logical choice, then, is to vote Drew Nelson for Senior Yell, because he's the best chance we've got at upholding the traditions we care so much about. Thank you for listening, and if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
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