Support.
It's huge in life, and it's huge in college. Early on, the biggest "theme," if you want to call it that, was spontaneity. Now, the theme is support.
Without support in life, you can't do anything. Sure you can be independent, but you need support. You can only get so far by yourself.
Here are some examples of support so far that I've seen.
Rugby:
Yeah, it's a team sport and every team sport needs supportive teammates. That's a given. Support in rugby means so much more. Support is needed in the rucks. Support is needed when the ball carrier breaks free. It gives him options. Support is needed to push across the try line. The team preached support, support, support this season. It was a huge key to them ending their season with two wins. Not a great overall season on paper. But it was their second year in their conference and second real year playing competitively.
They preached support and got support. That team has a bond with each other that I haven't seen with a group in a a long time, maybe not ever.
Butler
I'm not in Butler anymore. I've been home once since I moved here and don't plan on going home until Thanksgiving break. Butler is an interesting place, I'll tell you what.
First of all, everybody at PPU that went to Butler is incredibly supportive of each other. No matter where you came from or what you've done, you're here now. We all have that Butler connection that makes us all close. I can't think of a single Butler grad that is currently at PPU that I haven't had at least one conversation with. Butler is really killing it down here though.
Second of all, the lip dub. Wow the lip dub. For those who don't know, I organized and produced the first Butler lip dub video last year. I really learned through putting that whole thing together that support is so huge in life. That was one of the single most challenging, stressful and rewarding experiences of my high school career. Coordinating everything almost by myself was incredibly challenging. I lost sleep over that video.
We barely had support from administration and staff. It was a struggle just to get permission to film in the school. After the school day was over, when a number of clubs and teams had practices. There were around 150 students that stayed after school for the production. 150 out of a student body of over 1,200.
We did what we could with what we had. When the contest voting period began, it was obvious that we were outdone. We weren't just outdone, we were embarrassed. Seneca Valley, Pine Richland, Gateway and a number of schools comparable in size produced lip dubs that received hundreds of thousand views on the internet and received publicity from local media. They all had support from staff and administration.
I met the guy who put together PR's lip dub. He said that without the support of his principals and other staff members, it wouldn't have been possible. He said that he saw so much spirit from his classmates shown off that day at a school where school spirit was almost non existent. Like Butler.
Apparently, Butler's administration got the message. Principals saw the videos from Seneca and Pine Richland. They saw that it was worth it to take just a little bit of time out of the day to practice and put together a lip dub video. BTTV's staff this year put together a lip dub that I could have only imagined doing.
It was fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm from students at my alma mater. They were genuinely happy to be there. BTTV received support from staff and administration to produce the video. Because of what I did last year, they realized that they made a mistake by not investing more time and effort into supporting me and the rest of BTTV in making the video last year.
I'm happy to have laid the framework for this year's video. I smiled the entire video. I couldn't have been more proud. These kids deserve to win this lip dub contest. The program receives money that it desperately needs to repair equipment and purchase necessary items to keep the phenomenal media program at Butler in tact. After BTTV's budget was slashed to $0 a few years ago, they rely on funding from selling DVD's of events. Money is hard to come by and equipment needs repaired.
Voting starts on November 14th and I will give information on how to vote when the time approaches.
Bottom line:
It was hard to do that video last year without support. It was extremely difficult. Everyone involved made it work and because of us, this year's video was made possible. With support this year, they were able to pull it off. With a dedicated crew and advisor, they were able to pull it off.
Without support, there would be no video. No pride. No program.
U-View
I have found my place at Point Park. I have found my home. I have found some of my best friends. They are all at the TV Station here. U-View television has taught me so much in such a little amount of time.
The upperclassmen have accepted the freshman and taken him under their wing. Everybody supports each other because we all have the same end goal: Put together a quality program.
We'll be competing for jobs when we leave here. But for now, we're all in this together. That's what I love most about U-View. When somebody screws up, we tell them. When somebody does a great job, we tell them. We're open and honest and up front. We give credit where credit is due and criticize, not to degrade, but to improve. We want to see everybody around us get better each time we walk into the studio.
Tomorrow night I'm going out for wing night with a number of the guys from the studio. On Sunday we got a big group of us together and went to Pitt's campus to play football. Those were three of the most enjoyable hours that I've had here yet.
I don't know what I'm going to do when some of these people graduate. There weren't too many upperclassmen that I got to know or attached to in high school. Partially because the schools were divided into grades 9-10 and 11-12. These upperclassmen have made me feel so welcomed and so at home. I love it here and I owe it so much to a lot of them.
Others
There are others here, one person in particular, who I cannot specifically mention due to an upcoming event as previously talked about in another post.
There are two gentlemen in very high places that have shown me, as a freshman, unbelievable support. Not only are they great contacts, but they are great people. They know people in high places and have a lot of useful knowledge. The Dean of Students has also shown his support for me in my upcoming event that I really can't wait to detail and tell everybody about.
Another person here has been, and will continue to be, incredibly supportive and helpful with me in my planning and preparation for this event. There is so much that this individual has done so far that I can't even begin to describe.
Not so supportive
This is a rant. A short rant.
If students are held to a high standard of excellence and almost forced to attend every class and arrive on time, facing significant grade deductions if late or absent, then why aren't professors?
Why aren't they held to the same standard? I have had minor problems with one professor here that is pushing me to a whole new level of frustration. If one is paid a decent amount of money to do a job, don't you think that they should do that job efficiently and actually show up at a decent time?
This professor is consistently late to class. Today, he was only four minutes late, a new record. Impressive. Last Thursday? 20 minutes late. 20 minutes.
If I was 20 minutes late to certain classes, I would't even receive credit for attending. His teaching method is frustrating and disorganized and based on his own personal beliefs and experiences, rather than objective fact. This professor preaches objectivity in his field, yet contradicts himself when he tells people that they are wrong for thinking one way when it disagrees with his own. Even if his view is not accurate.
I don't even know my grade in the class. This professor is the epitome of vague, unwillingness to help and frustration.
Rant over.
In summary
Support.
That's it. Support.
It's critical and I'm noticing it more and more every day. I have friends that are incredibly supportive. The real friends would do anything to see you succeed and place their own happiness well lower than yours. Sure we are all competing for jobs. Real friends want to see you succeed.
It means a lot to me when a senior graduating in a couple months takes time out of his day to show the freshman how to work something and shoe him how things run. Even though freshman aren't typically allowed to use certain equipment, he shows me that equipment anyways.
It's things like that that mean a lot to me. Supportive friends can never be replaced.
When you don't have support, you can only go so far. I am so fortunate to have support here and from back home.
I'm learning more and more each day about people and their tendencies. I'm learning the value of support from a myriad of places and it is really opening my eyes to a lot of things.
Support.
Because, why not?
Josh
It's huge in life, and it's huge in college. Early on, the biggest "theme," if you want to call it that, was spontaneity. Now, the theme is support.Without support in life, you can't do anything. Sure you can be independent, but you need support. You can only get so far by yourself.
Here are some examples of support so far that I've seen.
Rugby:
Yeah, it's a team sport and every team sport needs supportive teammates. That's a given. Support in rugby means so much more. Support is needed in the rucks. Support is needed when the ball carrier breaks free. It gives him options. Support is needed to push across the try line. The team preached support, support, support this season. It was a huge key to them ending their season with two wins. Not a great overall season on paper. But it was their second year in their conference and second real year playing competitively.
They preached support and got support. That team has a bond with each other that I haven't seen with a group in a a long time, maybe not ever.
Butler
I'm not in Butler anymore. I've been home once since I moved here and don't plan on going home until Thanksgiving break. Butler is an interesting place, I'll tell you what.
First of all, everybody at PPU that went to Butler is incredibly supportive of each other. No matter where you came from or what you've done, you're here now. We all have that Butler connection that makes us all close. I can't think of a single Butler grad that is currently at PPU that I haven't had at least one conversation with. Butler is really killing it down here though.
Second of all, the lip dub. Wow the lip dub. For those who don't know, I organized and produced the first Butler lip dub video last year. I really learned through putting that whole thing together that support is so huge in life. That was one of the single most challenging, stressful and rewarding experiences of my high school career. Coordinating everything almost by myself was incredibly challenging. I lost sleep over that video.
We barely had support from administration and staff. It was a struggle just to get permission to film in the school. After the school day was over, when a number of clubs and teams had practices. There were around 150 students that stayed after school for the production. 150 out of a student body of over 1,200.
We did what we could with what we had. When the contest voting period began, it was obvious that we were outdone. We weren't just outdone, we were embarrassed. Seneca Valley, Pine Richland, Gateway and a number of schools comparable in size produced lip dubs that received hundreds of thousand views on the internet and received publicity from local media. They all had support from staff and administration.
I met the guy who put together PR's lip dub. He said that without the support of his principals and other staff members, it wouldn't have been possible. He said that he saw so much spirit from his classmates shown off that day at a school where school spirit was almost non existent. Like Butler.
Apparently, Butler's administration got the message. Principals saw the videos from Seneca and Pine Richland. They saw that it was worth it to take just a little bit of time out of the day to practice and put together a lip dub video. BTTV's staff this year put together a lip dub that I could have only imagined doing.
It was fantastic to see the energy and enthusiasm from students at my alma mater. They were genuinely happy to be there. BTTV received support from staff and administration to produce the video. Because of what I did last year, they realized that they made a mistake by not investing more time and effort into supporting me and the rest of BTTV in making the video last year.
I'm happy to have laid the framework for this year's video. I smiled the entire video. I couldn't have been more proud. These kids deserve to win this lip dub contest. The program receives money that it desperately needs to repair equipment and purchase necessary items to keep the phenomenal media program at Butler in tact. After BTTV's budget was slashed to $0 a few years ago, they rely on funding from selling DVD's of events. Money is hard to come by and equipment needs repaired.
Voting starts on November 14th and I will give information on how to vote when the time approaches.
Bottom line:
It was hard to do that video last year without support. It was extremely difficult. Everyone involved made it work and because of us, this year's video was made possible. With support this year, they were able to pull it off. With a dedicated crew and advisor, they were able to pull it off.
Without support, there would be no video. No pride. No program.
U-View
I have found my place at Point Park. I have found my home. I have found some of my best friends. They are all at the TV Station here. U-View television has taught me so much in such a little amount of time.
The upperclassmen have accepted the freshman and taken him under their wing. Everybody supports each other because we all have the same end goal: Put together a quality program.
We'll be competing for jobs when we leave here. But for now, we're all in this together. That's what I love most about U-View. When somebody screws up, we tell them. When somebody does a great job, we tell them. We're open and honest and up front. We give credit where credit is due and criticize, not to degrade, but to improve. We want to see everybody around us get better each time we walk into the studio.
Tomorrow night I'm going out for wing night with a number of the guys from the studio. On Sunday we got a big group of us together and went to Pitt's campus to play football. Those were three of the most enjoyable hours that I've had here yet.I don't know what I'm going to do when some of these people graduate. There weren't too many upperclassmen that I got to know or attached to in high school. Partially because the schools were divided into grades 9-10 and 11-12. These upperclassmen have made me feel so welcomed and so at home. I love it here and I owe it so much to a lot of them.
Others
There are others here, one person in particular, who I cannot specifically mention due to an upcoming event as previously talked about in another post.
There are two gentlemen in very high places that have shown me, as a freshman, unbelievable support. Not only are they great contacts, but they are great people. They know people in high places and have a lot of useful knowledge. The Dean of Students has also shown his support for me in my upcoming event that I really can't wait to detail and tell everybody about.
Another person here has been, and will continue to be, incredibly supportive and helpful with me in my planning and preparation for this event. There is so much that this individual has done so far that I can't even begin to describe.
Not so supportive
This is a rant. A short rant.
If students are held to a high standard of excellence and almost forced to attend every class and arrive on time, facing significant grade deductions if late or absent, then why aren't professors?
Why aren't they held to the same standard? I have had minor problems with one professor here that is pushing me to a whole new level of frustration. If one is paid a decent amount of money to do a job, don't you think that they should do that job efficiently and actually show up at a decent time?
This professor is consistently late to class. Today, he was only four minutes late, a new record. Impressive. Last Thursday? 20 minutes late. 20 minutes.
If I was 20 minutes late to certain classes, I would't even receive credit for attending. His teaching method is frustrating and disorganized and based on his own personal beliefs and experiences, rather than objective fact. This professor preaches objectivity in his field, yet contradicts himself when he tells people that they are wrong for thinking one way when it disagrees with his own. Even if his view is not accurate.
I don't even know my grade in the class. This professor is the epitome of vague, unwillingness to help and frustration.
Rant over.
In summary
Support.
That's it. Support.
It's critical and I'm noticing it more and more every day. I have friends that are incredibly supportive. The real friends would do anything to see you succeed and place their own happiness well lower than yours. Sure we are all competing for jobs. Real friends want to see you succeed.
It's things like that that mean a lot to me. Supportive friends can never be replaced.
When you don't have support, you can only go so far. I am so fortunate to have support here and from back home.
I'm learning more and more each day about people and their tendencies. I'm learning the value of support from a myriad of places and it is really opening my eyes to a lot of things.
Support.
Because, why not?
Josh
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