Greg Mendenhall

Plans for Fall '06

Hello all! I hope all is well with you as you are reading this blog. I am thrilled as I found out I am a Residential Assistant, and I will be working in Ballard North this coming fall. For those of you who do not know what a "RA" is, a RA is one who works with other Residential staff members to develop and maintain an atmospohere that promotes residential communities through exellence in academics, integration, and personal development opportunities for students. Each RA will follow, administer, and enforce policies and procedures as outlined in the Manual. *thanks to Campus Life for the job description.* There are two wings on each floor of every dorm, meaning there are two RA's on each floor, one per wing. The role of a RA, according to Campus Life, encompasses programming, administrative, and staff responsibilities, and such, requires flexibility from the individual in this position, as well as to serve a resource to both residents and staff, while upholding the goals and policies of Campus Life.

Alright, enough technical terms about the job description for a RA. I'm just so excited to have the opportunity to work with other RA's and CRE's. I know it is not an easy job, but I look forward to the challenge, and I will meet that challenge.

]]> Another thing about the fall of '06 is that I will be carrying another heavy course load yet again. This semester I have nineteen credits and six classes. Next semester, I will also have nineteen credits, but this time with seven classes, not including one credit for the RA class I am required to attend. Altogether, I will have twenty credits, a heavy course load, a job (actually two, if you include being a GBLOGger, which I don't because I write for entertainment), and that all sums up to a busy semester. I am excited to come back in the Fall, and I hope to acheive all my goals, which include getting a good GPA, handling the heavy course load, and the only way I can acheive my goals is to have good time management.

Well, I'm off to hit the books, as I have two important tests tomorrow! Have a great weekend, and don't forget to change your clocks on Sunday, April 2nd!

Greg

Spring Break, or it was supposed to be.

This year's spring break wasn't as exciting or fun as I thought it would be. I expected it to be full of thrills, and it was the complete opposite. I was supposed to go home to Ohio to spend some quality time with family, friends, and my girlfriend, and I did just that. However, something happened that crushed my spirits. Well, three things happened...

]]> On Friday the 10th, I was supposed to leave Ronald Reagan Airport at 4:55, but my plane didn't leave until 6:30, and I was already at my gate at 3:30! 3 hours of my time was wasted by sitting in the airport...boy, was I frustrated! Nonetheless, it was a good flight, and I got to see my parents and younger sister.

Monday afternoon, I found out from my girlfriend that my good friend whom I graduated with last year had died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. This was heartbreaking to me because my friend, Andy, was a young man of intelligence, and he was one who helped me throughout my high school years. Andy was attending college majoring in physics before his death. He was a strong Christian who had stong beliefs in his faith and he was involved in his church (one that his father was a pastor at), and he did not deserve to die at all. It is funny how people who die don't deserve it while those who do deserve to die, don't. The thing that disgusts me is that Andy (and his friend) was killed by a drunk driver who was trying to evade police. It was the driver's eleventh DUI offense, and the maximum sentence he can have in jail is between ten and twenty years, for killing two people. I cannot believe this guy did not learn after his first DUI. Instead, he decided to go ahead and do it ten more times. It shows that poor decisions can lead to life-threatening situations. The ironic part is: The drunk driver was released from the hospital the same day Andy died. I am pretty upset about this situation, and I want to be able to help people realize how much of an impact drunk driving can have on people.

Another unfortunate incident was the death of Tara McAvoy, a classmate of mine at Gallaudet University. Also known as MIss Teen Texas, she was killed by a train on the same day Andy died. Tara was supposedly walking along train tracks when she got hit by a train. Reports state that she was talking on her sidekick and telling her mother that she was on her way to meet her at work. Tara's death was sudden, but it shows what can happen in the real world when you don't pay attention. I am upset about this death as well, as I knew Tara as a friend. This death helped me realize I need to put my sidekick away and use it only when absolutely necessary while out in public. Hopefully other Gallaudet students and sidekick users feel the same too. You must always be aware of your surroundings, especially if you are deaf.

Both deaths, Andy's and Tara's, had an impact on me, but it also taught me that I shouldn't take life for granted, and I should live each day as its last. My prayers goes out to the Hopkins and McAvoy families, and I know both families will get through this tough time in their life.

Other than the two tragic incidents, spring break was a wonderful time for me to spend with the people who I care for most. Well, I best be going, as I need to complete some homework assignments. I'll post again later this week :)

Thanks for reading,

Greg

Academic Bowl!!

Hello! I hope all is well with you! I apologize for not having posted this blog earlier, but the blog server was down, so I was unable to post. Keeping true to my promise, I will write about my experience at the Midwest Regional Academic Bowl, which took place at Bloomfield HIlls, Michigan.

]]> I was a Gallaudet student representative, and I volunteered to work as a Powerpoint Operator/Scorekeeper. The last time I went to the AB was in 2004, as a student at Champion High School (our only showing in the history of the school). We placed in 4th and we won the Sportsmanship Award, which was quite an honor. That experience was excellent, and this one was just as excellent. I am fortunate enough to have participated in the AB both as a student participant and as a student volunteer, because I know not many students have that opportunity. I have met a lot of wonderful high school students from all over the Midwest, and I am impressed with their intelligence, as most of the questions were not easy. I applaud John Hersey High School and Indiana School for the Deaf for their excellent 1st and 2nd place finishes. I look forward to working the National Academic Bowl, and I expect it to be hotly contested between several teams. Since coming back from Spring Break, I have been on the go, doing this and that, and I've barely had time for myself. The end of the semester is coming to an end soon, as we only have 5 weeks of classes left. Because of that, I have a lot of papers and projects to complete, some of which I better start now, so until later, take care!

Greg

High School Academic Bowl

Hello blog readers!

I thought I'd write one last blog before I leave to Michigan tomorrow morning. I am attending the Midwest Academic Bowl at Lahser High School in Michigan as a student representative and volunteer. I will be working as a scorekeeper or a powerpoint operator. Volunteering for this will give me the opportunity to complete the required eighty hours of community service in order to graduate. I am thrilled to attending, as I like to see competition and I may see several students from the past when I participated in 2004. I will be back Sunday afternoon, and I will post pictures of the Academic Bowl and explain how successful it was. I hope you all have a great week/weekend, and don't work too hard!

I am going to steal Tyler DeShaw's salutation and say con amistad!

Con Amistad,

Greg

P.S. Check out the website for the Academic Bowl at academicbowl.gallaudet.edu! :)

A General Blog With No Title

Hello Blog Readers!

I spent the weekend at home in Warren, Ohio, and I must say it was a good weekend. I had some difficulties, but I managed to get through most of it, and I had a wonderful weekend, spending time with the people who mean most to me (the list includes my parents, sister, girlfriend, and some friends). I was home for less than twenty-four hours, and the cause of that was because I had to catch an early train Sunday morning, so I stayed at a friend's house overnight Saturday night (She lives two and a half hours away). Overall, I thought it was a good weekend. I was surprised when I came back to D.C., as there was snow EVERYWHERE! It is not common for D.C. to get a lot of snow, but I took advantage of the amount of snow and we had a snowball fight, which was a lot of fun! I will post the pictures of the snow at the end of the blog. :)

I feel I need to dedicate this blog to my mother, who is a very hard-working woman. My mother is a wonderful woman who wants the best for everyone in our family. She has done a lot for us, and three years ago, when my mother mentioned she wanted to go back to school to receive her Master's degree, we supportd her every step of the way. I was proud of my mom, going back to school getting a Master's degree in Social Work. It was hard for her at the beginning, balancing work, family, and school; but she was able to get through it, and last weekend was her last weekend of school. My mother went to school once a weekend a month at Case Western Reserve University, and she will be graduating this May. I cannot wait to see her graduate, because it means a lot, not only to her, but to me as well, because she is an excellent role model for children, as she followed her goals and reached them. My mother deserves the very best, and I want to commend her on her recent success.

Now, I know I have went off the subject a lot in this blog, but I felt that it was neccessary to praise my mom for her hard work, as it is finally paying off. This shows me that you can be successful in anything you want if you work hard and do your best. This goes for everyone, and no one should set their own limits, as there are none.

]]> Okay, enough praise to my mother. Now back to me and my busy life at Gallaudet. I am taking six classes this semester, with the maximum-allowed nineteen credits. It is a lot of work, but it is worth it, and in the end, it will pay off too. I like this challenge, as I am able to learn more about myself and experience new things. Also, taking up six classes (which are History, Intro to Psychology, Precalculus, English, Public Speaking, and Linguistics) help me broaden my intelligence; which is neccessary for college students. This has been a tough, yet great experience so far, and I must say I enjoy it.

As you can see, I do not have much going on in my life, as I am busy with coursework and homework. I am pretty much occupied with homework, but it keeps me out of trouble and focused on school. That is the main reason for me having a lot of classes. I will post again later in the week, so be prepared to read something!

Yours truly,

Greg

P.S. Here are the pictures I promise I'd post!
This was a picture I took outside of D.C. on my way back Sunday afternoon.

This was just outside D.C. when I arrived. Beautiful, isn't it?

A Freshman's Introduction

Hello, my name is Gregory Mendenhall (call me Greg) and I am 19 years old. I hail from Warren, Ohio, a small town about an hour south of Cleveland. I was mainstreamed throughout my educational career at an excellent school district named Champion, which was about a fifteen minute drive from my home. Champion has a deaf education program, and it contains about a total of 75 students. Champion has also taught me a lot, academically and personally. I owe much of my success to my wonderful teachers and interpreters. Also, I had a great support system at home, parents who supported me every step of the way (I do consider myself fortunate).

Because I was mainstreamed, I was a bit wary of coming to Gallaudet, but like I said, I had a great support system in my parents and teachers, and they encouraged me to come to Gallaudet. Also, the summer before my senior year, I attended the Young Scholars' Program for two weeks, and it was one of the most memorable experiences in my life. I met numerous high-ranking people in the duration of the program, and they also encouraged me to come to Gallaudet. I know some of you may be asking why was I a bit leery about coming to Gallaudet. There's a lot of reasons, which include me being afraid of leaving my family and friends, I was afraid I wouldn't fit in at Gallaudet, and because I had been mainstreamed my entire life, I thought I wouldn't be able to understand what was going on.

Leaving home was difficult, but I made friends fast at Gallaudet, and we are now like brothers and sisters. Fitting in at Gallaudet was easier than I thought it would be. It also taught me in order to make new friends, you need to break out of your shell and introduce yourself to new faces every once in a while. Trying to understand what people were saying was not has hard as I thought it would be. A week or two after arriving at Gallaudet, I could understand what a room full of people were saying. I tend to worry about little things a lot, and in the end, I was worried about nothing. I am happy I chose Gallaudet, and I am thankful for the people in my support system; because without them, I probably wouldn't be where I am today.

]]> The first semester at Gallaudet went by without a hitch. It went by really fast, and before I could soak it all in, it was Christmas break! Home for a month! I didn't want to go home, because I thought I'd be lost without my friends, who I've lived with for several months, but we all have maintained contact and we are still close. It really helps when you meet new people during New Student Orientation (NSO) Week. NSO Week occurs a week before school starts, and all new freshmen and returning students are required to attend. It covers all the basics about Gallaudet University, from where buildings are located to where you can get help. It is very helpful for all new students, and that is where I met a lot of my current friends, besides waiting in the lunch line introducing myself to strangers.

As a History and hopeful Secondary Education major, I must say Gallaudet University is a great place to earn a post-secondary education degree, and I know I belong here. Gallaudet University has done a lot for me, and it has been a very positive experience, overall. I am proud to be part of the class of 2009, and I look forward to the future years I spend at Gallaudet. I will stop blabbing, as I want to have something to say for my next blog.

Until next time,

Greg