Its now officially 2009 and I am officially a week late in welcoming myself to the new year. There are big things in store for the year 2009.
The beginnning of the end will be the mark that I leave at Longwood University in the next 4 months as I graduate in May. During my last march, I plan to issue notice to all, that with it being my last time around, I plan on doing big things and living it up as a senior. Its what you work so hard for the previous 3.5 years for so that you can enjoy the finish.
Another big thing for the "Oh so fine, 2009" is the massive job search that hundreds of thousands of college students will be doing, which is the post-college job search. I began years ago looking searching and networking all that I could to set myself up to be the best prepared that I could be. We'll see how it pans out for me.
Earlier today, I met with some high ranking officials within Dominion working to see if they had positions open within their departments, but even after two years of interning back with the company during the summers and over my winter breaks, all I currently have is a paycheck and job experience, however, not enough experience that is desired by most major companies that are hiring during these tough economic times. Industries nation and worldwide both want someone with years of background who is tested and well polished. Me personally, I have been rubbed with semi-fine sandpaper, but I am still waiting for a company to mold me and make me the quintessential worker that they desire so we can both prosper. I guess we'll see what happens in a few months.
Soon after I depart from college though, I am planning to take a cross country trip to the Grand Canyon in June. It will be my first trip and definitely something that I am thoroughly looking forward to going out and doing. It is one of two high adventure trips that I was not able to experience during my time as a Boy Scout and now I will have an opportunity to travel with a group of Eagle Scouts and their fathers as a reuniting trip and chance for all of us to experience something amazing.
It's not finalized, or even planned at this point, but while I am at the Grand Canyon, I plan to go the extra 700 miles or so to Eastern Los Angeles to see my big sister Desiree. I can't even express how much I miss her these days with her working as a big-time Marketing and Research Consultant for LG. It sucks not having your sister around.
Anyways......
That's all to come in the near future. As for now, I have twenty-seven minutes left in my day today. Tonight I have a BCS National Championship to watch with Florida, hopefully destroying (and yes, I mean destroying), an Oklahoma squad which continually wins only to come back to big games only to have their hearts ripped out again and again lose tonight. That will be followed by my final day of working for the winter back at Big D (Dominion) and then I can start the rest of my future processes after I safely return to Longwood.
Signin out....
Chris "Tebow loving for hopefully man-handling Oklahoma) Marks
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Friday, July 18, 2008
Summer and Longwood
This summer has rapidly gone by and I have found that I have nearly 1 month until I head back to school for my final year. This whole process has happened far too quickly and I truly feel that I just need to go to college for the rest of my life. It has too many upsides with short classroom days, friends in close proximity and nearly every day open to get work done. Not to mention the friendships that were made over the years and the memories that we share. It baffles me to know that after the next 10 months, many of the people whom I have come into contact with at Longwood I will most likely never see again.
I have made friends while working various other jobs over the years, and I feel that I have a good support base for when I am forced to leave the college atmosphere and continue into the world of adulthood. It will just be a large mental state change for me. It will no longer bewhat parties to go to for the weekend and which club meeting to attend, but instead will be which bill do I pay for first and which improvement around the house or apartment should I work on first.
Right now I, plan on focusing on the end of my summer working and then preparing to have another great year at school. You'd better believe that I plan to live it up during my last year at Longwood. I know that it will forever be missed in my heart after I leave. I am jealous for the future generations for all of the great things that the school is adding and how I wish that we had it when I came in as a Freshman.... especially the dominant basketball team that is soon to come!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Birthday/ Senior Week
My 21st Birthday was yesterday. I spent most of the day with a severe headache and feeling woozy. Sleep I found is an essential desire for one who has just celebrated the festivities. I have found that during my time here at Longwood with the vast majority of the school gone, that the town of Farmville is practically deserted. There is never anyone walking around near the bookstore or around Curry and Frazer. It becomes a rarity to see people out on Iler field hanging out or a group of more than two walking down Brock Commons. It resembles a fancy ghost town at night, without any cars on the road past 9PM. The usual Friday and Saturday night hustle and bustle of Longwood Students that grace the town on their way to or from a party is minimal if at all visible. I can now say that I've seen Longwood in a much different life when it solely becomes the full-time, year round faculty on the campus. Those who keep the place running you'd think wouldn't have much to do over the summers between semesters, but it is visibly apparent in there faces that there is more than meets the eye.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
CHI walk with Virginia Tech Remembrance
Last night, CHI moved with a special purpose across the Colonnades walkway. CHI is a secret society on campus which maintains and promotes the spirit of Longwood. They failed to pass out CHI droppings, but realized the significance of that the spirit of Longwood must be put on the backburner because last night, April 16, symbolized the first year of remembrance of the tragedy that happened the Virginia Tech.
The walk brought a humbling effect to the crowd the watched eagerly as the unknown and hooded students came walking through. The signs that were posted in Dorrill Dining Hall and on Joanie on the Stonie both clearly stated that there would be no droppings handed out. Droppings are the "all important" collectibles that students collect giving them a 'piece' of Longwood spirit. They are very rare to come by and even with the prior announcement that they would not be handing out droppings, there was still a rather large turnout despite the cold weather.
During the walk, CHI members who normally wear blue robes with a white shaw and a blue Rotunda decided to sport a different look for the occasion of the night. The Hokie orange was shown and a maroon Rotunda instead of the usual blue.
During the middle of the walk, the CHI train stopped just before Joanie on a Ponie to announce that they wanted a moment of silence to remember those who's lives were lost and affected by the events that happened exactly one year ago. Some people embraced others, some held hands, and many others stood and kept to themselves thinking of those who were affected by the events. It is not something that will ever go away and Virginia Tech has left a lasting affect on the entire nation. Campuses nation wide had services, vigils or remembrances to honor those who had fallen. Virginia Tech has widely affected schools in other ways as well in attempts to change the campus safety policies.
CHI appeared to not want the distraction of droppings to prevent those in attendance from getting the message that the walk last night was solely Longwood's spirit recognizing Virginia Tech and all that the school has been through. Hopefully the group will continue to recognize the most important things in life and continue to put that first and foremost above all aspects of life.
The walk brought a humbling effect to the crowd the watched eagerly as the unknown and hooded students came walking through. The signs that were posted in Dorrill Dining Hall and on Joanie on the Stonie both clearly stated that there would be no droppings handed out. Droppings are the "all important" collectibles that students collect giving them a 'piece' of Longwood spirit. They are very rare to come by and even with the prior announcement that they would not be handing out droppings, there was still a rather large turnout despite the cold weather.
During the walk, CHI members who normally wear blue robes with a white shaw and a blue Rotunda decided to sport a different look for the occasion of the night. The Hokie orange was shown and a maroon Rotunda instead of the usual blue.
During the middle of the walk, the CHI train stopped just before Joanie on a Ponie to announce that they wanted a moment of silence to remember those who's lives were lost and affected by the events that happened exactly one year ago. Some people embraced others, some held hands, and many others stood and kept to themselves thinking of those who were affected by the events. It is not something that will ever go away and Virginia Tech has left a lasting affect on the entire nation. Campuses nation wide had services, vigils or remembrances to honor those who had fallen. Virginia Tech has widely affected schools in other ways as well in attempts to change the campus safety policies.
CHI appeared to not want the distraction of droppings to prevent those in attendance from getting the message that the walk last night was solely Longwood's spirit recognizing Virginia Tech and all that the school has been through. Hopefully the group will continue to recognize the most important things in life and continue to put that first and foremost above all aspects of life.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Intern Position
Sometimes it is better to be lucky than anything else in the world. The chance that life is going to follow its pattern just as they should is very slim. There are twists and turns that take place every second in the world that I believe are pre-planned thoughts by a higher being. Not all people may see things the same way that I do, but it is my belief and we all have a right to believe what we want.
Last summer I worked as an intern at Dominion Resources in Media Relations. This position came to me just by chance. I had been working with a neighbor of mine, Billy Davis, who owns his own landscaping company and does various jobs around Virginia and sometimes neighboring states. I was working with him through the summer around my schedule with Dick's Sporting Good's and after one night of working at Dick's, they told me that they didn't expect the volume to be as heavy the next day as they had thought and that they would not need me to work. Well God works in mysterious ways and I immediately went to talk to Billy after getting home from work and he said it would be fine for me to work with him the next morning.
The next day, I rose before the roosters crowwed and went with Billy to work a job in residential area of Cary St. On the way, he told me that the lady we were working for worked at Dominion, which happens to be where my father works as well. Once there and working, I was frequently moving from the backyard to the front picking up tree's and planting them in holes I'd dug in the backyard. To my luck, or God's work, I was leaving Billy's truck after picking up a tree from the front when a lady walked out. I saw her Dominion ID and thought that maybe she would know my father, because apparently he knows at all at the 'Big D.' She said that she did not know my father, but then we got to talking and she found out that my major is in Communication Studies. She then began wondering what the heck I was doing manual labor for when Dominion has an intern program. I began communicating with this lady, Irene Cimino, at least once every two weeks during the school semester, and eventually I landed a job with Dominion the following summer.
Now, after working for an entire summer and winter at Dominion, I found myself almost back to looking for other jobs and wondering what the world has to offer. I had been observing the Dominion website and monitoring my position from the last 8 months to apply when I had the free time to be careful and particular about the details. I recently went back to the Intern application website and found that it was no longer posted. They had taken the job posting down and I felt that I might have missed out on a golden opportunity to go back to a place where I had a great history and experience in the position. To my luck though, the boss of my former manager personally sent me an Email requesting that Dominion would like to have me back if I was still planning on doing so. Life's plan takes its twist and turns in mysterious ways, I've learned that sometimes it is a hassle to try and keep up with each individual one, but eventually everything will work out just as it was planned to do.
If you'd like to read more about the twists and turns that take place in your life or other people's personal lives, I'd like to recommend a book that I am currently stuck in the middle of, but anxiously waiting to finish, When God Winks. Check it out.
Last summer I worked as an intern at Dominion Resources in Media Relations. This position came to me just by chance. I had been working with a neighbor of mine, Billy Davis, who owns his own landscaping company and does various jobs around Virginia and sometimes neighboring states. I was working with him through the summer around my schedule with Dick's Sporting Good's and after one night of working at Dick's, they told me that they didn't expect the volume to be as heavy the next day as they had thought and that they would not need me to work. Well God works in mysterious ways and I immediately went to talk to Billy after getting home from work and he said it would be fine for me to work with him the next morning.
The next day, I rose before the roosters crowwed and went with Billy to work a job in residential area of Cary St. On the way, he told me that the lady we were working for worked at Dominion, which happens to be where my father works as well. Once there and working, I was frequently moving from the backyard to the front picking up tree's and planting them in holes I'd dug in the backyard. To my luck, or God's work, I was leaving Billy's truck after picking up a tree from the front when a lady walked out. I saw her Dominion ID and thought that maybe she would know my father, because apparently he knows at all at the 'Big D.' She said that she did not know my father, but then we got to talking and she found out that my major is in Communication Studies. She then began wondering what the heck I was doing manual labor for when Dominion has an intern program. I began communicating with this lady, Irene Cimino, at least once every two weeks during the school semester, and eventually I landed a job with Dominion the following summer.
Now, after working for an entire summer and winter at Dominion, I found myself almost back to looking for other jobs and wondering what the world has to offer. I had been observing the Dominion website and monitoring my position from the last 8 months to apply when I had the free time to be careful and particular about the details. I recently went back to the Intern application website and found that it was no longer posted. They had taken the job posting down and I felt that I might have missed out on a golden opportunity to go back to a place where I had a great history and experience in the position. To my luck though, the boss of my former manager personally sent me an Email requesting that Dominion would like to have me back if I was still planning on doing so. Life's plan takes its twist and turns in mysterious ways, I've learned that sometimes it is a hassle to try and keep up with each individual one, but eventually everything will work out just as it was planned to do.
If you'd like to read more about the twists and turns that take place in your life or other people's personal lives, I'd like to recommend a book that I am currently stuck in the middle of, but anxiously waiting to finish, When God Winks. Check it out.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Politics of Today
2008 is an election year today's news has been found to be dominated heavily by just that. Election coverage can be found nightly on almost every news television station. If not on a TV, then the coverage is definitely covered in newspapers and Internet sites alike. One topic that I have been attempting to pay close attention to has been the energy crisis debate. With my history of working for Dominion Resources, I have a new understanding about the energy field and some of the many things that go on within a power company in our nation. The candidates have debated and made their cases. I know that I have already decided to back Barack Obama, now it's almost time for you to decide who the candidate is that you plan to support.
Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama have all laid out plain and simple what their plan is for our energy future. The only difference is the importance on each candidates list and how hard it was to find their 'simple' plans. Hillary Clinton listed issues on her website to what I believed were the most important to her campaign, where Energy was listed as the fourth out of fifteen. It sat only behind strengthening the middle class, affordable health care, and ending the war in Iraq. I think that I can accept that for now. She has an comprehensive 12-point plan to changing America's current state. She wants to incorporate carbon emission programs forcing utilities and industries to make cleaner and more efficient energy. One of the big things for electric utilities is clean coal technology, because this would force many companies to invest heavily in changing over their current plant into a different view.
John McCain's energy plan I believe was the most simple out of the three candidates. Just because it is simple however, does not mean it is the best solution for our future. John McCain's website shows his plan, but also his lack of interest in this topic of our nation's energy. McCain has a three line plan to solve all of our problems.
"He has offered common sense approaches to limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster, reduce our dependence on foreign supplies of energy, and see to it that America leads in a way that ensures all nations do their rightful share."
I dont know about you, but for me, I'd like a little bit more reassurance about what is to come with out nation. Renewable energies, fossil fuels, and global warming as a result of much energy consumption is currently a big factor on my radar and will only become a larger part if I am to join an electric company post graduation.
Barack Obama decided to go into the most depth with his plan for changing our nation's energy future. A detailed 19-point plan as to the changes he wants to implement are led into by a section discussing the problems that we currently have. On his website, he is the only candidate to lay out the problems before beginning to discuss the solutions that he wants to put into place. He also includes his speech on energy and his energy plan. For a candidate who is willing to place that much information for his plans out in the public, there is no way he can run for election with a platform such as that and not implement those plans if elected. I believe that he will bring a sense of energy security that this nation needs in the future.
We all know that it will not happen overnight, but every knows that good things take time. I don't expect Barack Obama to be an instantaneous hit with the nation immediately after he takes over, especially while adjusting to new members in the Senate and Congress. Given the proper amount of time, I expect to see some wonderful changes to come in the future though that will make our nation as a whole a much better place to live.
Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama have all laid out plain and simple what their plan is for our energy future. The only difference is the importance on each candidates list and how hard it was to find their 'simple' plans. Hillary Clinton listed issues on her website to what I believed were the most important to her campaign, where Energy was listed as the fourth out of fifteen. It sat only behind strengthening the middle class, affordable health care, and ending the war in Iraq. I think that I can accept that for now. She has an comprehensive 12-point plan to changing America's current state. She wants to incorporate carbon emission programs forcing utilities and industries to make cleaner and more efficient energy. One of the big things for electric utilities is clean coal technology, because this would force many companies to invest heavily in changing over their current plant into a different view.
John McCain's energy plan I believe was the most simple out of the three candidates. Just because it is simple however, does not mean it is the best solution for our future. John McCain's website shows his plan, but also his lack of interest in this topic of our nation's energy. McCain has a three line plan to solve all of our problems.
"He has offered common sense approaches to limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster, reduce our dependence on foreign supplies of energy, and see to it that America leads in a way that ensures all nations do their rightful share."
I dont know about you, but for me, I'd like a little bit more reassurance about what is to come with out nation. Renewable energies, fossil fuels, and global warming as a result of much energy consumption is currently a big factor on my radar and will only become a larger part if I am to join an electric company post graduation.
Barack Obama decided to go into the most depth with his plan for changing our nation's energy future. A detailed 19-point plan as to the changes he wants to implement are led into by a section discussing the problems that we currently have. On his website, he is the only candidate to lay out the problems before beginning to discuss the solutions that he wants to put into place. He also includes his speech on energy and his energy plan. For a candidate who is willing to place that much information for his plans out in the public, there is no way he can run for election with a platform such as that and not implement those plans if elected. I believe that he will bring a sense of energy security that this nation needs in the future.
We all know that it will not happen overnight, but every knows that good things take time. I don't expect Barack Obama to be an instantaneous hit with the nation immediately after he takes over, especially while adjusting to new members in the Senate and Congress. Given the proper amount of time, I expect to see some wonderful changes to come in the future though that will make our nation as a whole a much better place to live.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Procrastination
A friend once said to me that procastination is like masturbation, because in the end, you're only fucking yourself.
This phrase used to mean very little to me until I began working on a group video project. This group project consisted of myself and two other group members who were given the task of coming up with two different videos and scripts as a group and then another video package that was put together individually by myself. In working with my group, I quickly learned that waiting to the last minute to try and finish a project especially with limited resources in a definite no-can-do. The other life-long lesson that I learned is that it is near impossible for someone put together something flawlessly the first time with a program that they have never used. Has anyone ever tried doing work on Final Cut Express?! Most of you probably have not simply because it is a program for Mac computers... second of all, it is not offered standard with a Mac computer. It is an expensive add on program that that is only used by those who make take the steps to purchase and install it on their computers. After that, there is an 1162-page instruction guide on how to use every aspect of Final Cut Express. The majority of people in life have never read a book that was over 1000 pages, yet alone an instruction manual for a random program that discusses how to crop out a fraction of a second. Learning a program such as FCE is something that takes time and like mom used to say "good things take time." So to all you readers, realize that good things take time and you can't do something very well if you choose to procrastinate. You'll only screw yourself over in the end.
~Royaly Screwed
This phrase used to mean very little to me until I began working on a group video project. This group project consisted of myself and two other group members who were given the task of coming up with two different videos and scripts as a group and then another video package that was put together individually by myself. In working with my group, I quickly learned that waiting to the last minute to try and finish a project especially with limited resources in a definite no-can-do. The other life-long lesson that I learned is that it is near impossible for someone put together something flawlessly the first time with a program that they have never used. Has anyone ever tried doing work on Final Cut Express?! Most of you probably have not simply because it is a program for Mac computers... second of all, it is not offered standard with a Mac computer. It is an expensive add on program that that is only used by those who make take the steps to purchase and install it on their computers. After that, there is an 1162-page instruction guide on how to use every aspect of Final Cut Express. The majority of people in life have never read a book that was over 1000 pages, yet alone an instruction manual for a random program that discusses how to crop out a fraction of a second. Learning a program such as FCE is something that takes time and like mom used to say "good things take time." So to all you readers, realize that good things take time and you can't do something very well if you choose to procrastinate. You'll only screw yourself over in the end.
~Royaly Screwed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
