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One Month

Posted in Bobby Black '17

One Month… or thereabouts, I haven’t really kept track of time.

It’s been a month since I started at Wabash. Yes, I have been bogged down by classes and events and what have you, but that’s kind of the point. I get a chance to get out among people I don’t really know and learn about topics that I actually find interesting without having to deal with a bunch of other, less interesting topics.

Of course, there are other things that I have to deal with; I’ve been working on my time management, and I do think the pressures of college have helped me a lot in that regard. I’ve been planning out my days and picking out important things to focus on, something that I never really did in high school (and several other people can attest to). With everything going on around Wabash (be it homecoming last weekend or some big exam), having a schedule really helps me get things done, because I have a clear goal that I can focus on. And focus is everything; do you know what you can achieve with good focus. Other than staring at things for a very long time, you can get pretty much anything done. I managed to paint 47 30mm tall miniatures with focus… and actual painting, but focus was really important!

Not mine (well, the blue guy is, the other guys belong to Professor Porter), but you get the idea

… Yeah, I’m ranting now.

Anyway, happy one month of Wabash. Hopefully it will continue.


Chapel Sing: My Thoughts on that

Posted in Bobby Black '17

So, Chapel Sing. Yeah…

I really don’t know what to say about this.

I’m not saying it was bad. Rather, it was an experience; all the guys standing in their lines, singing while Sphinx Club members try to catch them slipping up, all of it is better if the viewer is present than if they’re just reading about someone talking about it. Being new to this experience, I have no idea if it’s better watching or singing (probably singing), but most of the participants seemed to have fun… although some of the Sphinx Club members seemed to have had a little too much fun.

That, however, is not a bad thing; it is the job of the Sphinx Club to protect and spread the traditions of Wabash. Chapel Sing is a very important tradition, and they need to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible, otherwise the entire experience is lost. Yes, I could try to make an argument that they should have eased up a little with hunting down people making mistakes, but I don’t think it would be a very strong argument. They’re just doing their job, and we can’t blame them for that.

If any non-Wabash readers are here, I would recommend going to Chapel sing sometime in the future, just for the experience. I’m not saying you should fly halfway across the country just to see a bunch of guys singing a song (although that hasn’t stopped people from going to rock concerts), but if you ever happen to be visiting on Homecoming Week, stop by and check it out. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself.


Spirit

Posted in Bobby Black '17

 I went to the football game today, and what really caught my attention was the spirit. I know Wabash is a spirited school, but this was new to me. Not because I wasn’t expecting the spirit, but because I have never experienced that kind of spirit before.

A bit of explanation; my high school’s football team is pretty good (although I’ve never been a big fan of sports), however the fans are not. They’re not rowdy and disorderly… in fact, they’re not much of anything. My high school has all the spirit of a moldy stick; most Tualatin High students tend to just stand around and talk to each other instead of cheering on their fellows. They don’t sing the fight song, they don’t participate in the chants, most don’t even applaud when the team scores a touchdown.

Now that I have experienced Wabash, I see that as kind of lame.

Yes, football games are a good chance to meet up with other people, but it’s still a game and it’s still your school. You should show that you support your school and want them to succeed, otherwise why didn’t you call your friend up and go out for dinner or something instead? This is especially true at college, where most of the people around you are going to be your friends for life; you want to build meaningful experiences with them, otherwise you’re going to waste your time at college and be alone in the world.

And that’s bad.

So enjoy the spirit of the school. It will help immensely.


Sleep

Posted in Uncategorized

 Sleep.

Let’s talk about sleep. President Hess said in his opening speech that we need sleep (one of his four Gets: Get to Bed). Sleep is probably the most important thing a person can get while in college (except for the education itself, but sleep gets you that).

And for some reason, I don’t think we’re getting this. Sleep, that is.

Now, an excuse could be made for someone working on homework or Pledge Activities (although going back to Hess’ speech, everything bad happens with “it was late at night”). But then there are those that spend their time surfing the internet and playing video and computer games when they should be doing their homework. I’m not saying sacrifice your fun and become one of those homework drones who sits in their room or study hall and does nothing but write essays and answer math problems, and thus has no social life; what I mean to say is that there should be some moderation.

Get some (read: most) of your homework done during the afternoon, and take a break or two in between so you don’t get too ground down by. If you have conflicts, like sports or something, work around that. Whatever you do don’t wait until 12AM to get your 1,000 word paper done (you will have to write a paper like this. Search your feelings, you know it to be true!). Putting everything off to the last minute not only makes your work not as good, but it also deprives you of sleep, thereby making it even harder for you to function both in class and out (remember how I said you could collapse in the middle of Chapel Talk? Yeah, that might happen without sleep. Now imagine collapsing in the middle of Chapel Sing).

In short, get some sleep. You’ll function better, and you’ll be able to get stuff done without overstretching yourself.


Wabash-Week 1

Posted in Bobby Black '17, Uncategorized

 Week one of Wabash is over. It’s rather quiet out on campus, but I guess that’s not a bad thing; we all need a chance to rest and get ready for next week, otherwise we’d probably end up overstretching ourselves and collapsing during the middle of Chapel Talk.

And that’s terrible.

No really, it is; Chapel Talk is a very big and important tradition at Wabash. Everyone should go to Chapel Talk. Not only is it a part of the Wabash experience, you also get a chance to learn from other Alums about their experiences at Wabash, and how it shaped them into who they are today. Oh, and you get to practice the fight song. Never forget the fight song.

Have a link in case you forgot the fight song, because you shouldn’t have:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNX083Sy0vg

Listen to that a few dozen times, and then listen to it again until that’s all you can think of.

Chapel Talks and the fight song are part of what makes Wabash… Wabash. They are two very important and beloved traditions that help us keep in touch with the college’s past, and it helps us build connections that will be invaluable in the future (who knows; your first employer might be a Wabash Man).

Oh, and everyone should get involved in something. Sports, glee club, Dork Club (campus gaming club), I don’t care, just get involved. It helps you meet up with others that share your interests, and it helps with the connecting that I mentioned earlier.