Alan's Corner

So I’ve been getting a lot of nosebleeds lately.

I honestly don’t know why. I know that most will say its probably because I don’t drink enough water, but the thing is….I do drink a lot of water. I mean, A LOT of water. Average about four bottles of water every day.

I also get frequent…

yo man, get that checked out, might be TB. I had a lecture on that today in class.

QUIT JROTC.

I cannot stress this enough. To all of you freshmen and sophomores, trust me when I tell you that it’s not worth it. I was once in your position. My coach constantly advised me to quit, but I was adamant about my commitment to the program. As fun as it seems, the repercussions of…

Marilyn, I’m going to have to disagree with your first tip, unfortunate that it had to be your first. You generalized the entire program, not just of this school, but all schools that do host the program. You mentioned that the negatives outweighed the positives. What negatives might I ask?

Sure, you may have benefited more from another program other than JROTC, but that’s not to say every single person will be in your position. If you’re generalizing JROTC, how many alumni have passed through Andrew Hill and graduated from that program and have had a successful life? I doubt you really know the number.

You said, “Colleges and scholarships have absolutely NO idea how much time you devote to the program.”

Let me begin by telling you that you aren’t in college yet. Period.

Scholarships do exist for those who do well in JROTC, granted they are for military purposes, but it’s a scholarship nonetheless.

“Your time is MUCH better spent in an international program (Key Club, Interact, etc) or something that pertains to your major/interest (HOSA, Model United Nations, etc).”

What do most people take away from organizations such as Key Club or Interact? A lot of good qualities, such as leadership, improving time-management, improving organization. That’s just a sample of the many qualities those clubs can offer. Yet, you’re telling me that JROTC doesn’t do the exact same thing? Being in JROTC cadets, students, whatever have the opportunity to rise amongst their peers and everyone has a fair chance of advancement. Students also have the benefit of understanding JROTC isn’t just a class, it’s a class/club/after-school commitment, and knowing how to balance that with school and personal life? Time-management, bingo. Adding on to that, your organizational senses start to tap in a bit early in my opinion in JROTC, because things are expected of them and they must meet deadlines; should they fail, there should be repercussions.

I’m sorry Marilyn, but this part is plain ignorance,

“And seriously, JROTC makes you stress over unimportant things. Why would you let a program that colleges don’t even recognize consume so much of your time?”

First off, define “unimportant things”, competition? Drilling? Fundraising? Community service? Wearing uniform, marching? - What’s unimportant? Unimportant on what basis? Unimportant to whom? Unimportant to what reference?

Again, YOU ARE NOT IN COLLEGE YET. Why would someone let a program that “colleges” don’t even recognize consume so much of your time?

Marilyn, I really figured that Annie and I have taught you better. At least I’d figure you’d develop a sense of tact after these years.

The little stint on saying people should stick to something that pertains to their major is just stupid. What about someone who joined a chess club? Are they going to major in chess?

What makes you think JROTC doesn’t help out a resume? Have you written a resume and submitted it to a credible employer who happens to be looking for someone who has been in a leadership position?

The bottom line is Marilyn, colleges DO CARE. And if capitalizing it places the necessary emphasis that you’re seeking, I hope it caught your attention. JROTC isn’t a program about useless shit as you generally bash it as; it’s a program that teaches students about leadership, time-management, and organizational skills - just to tie back to what I mentioned before. Colleges, employers and furthermore will notice that you’re a step above a lot of people just because you’ve been exposed to a structured organization with facility.

Sure, MUN, HOSA are great organizations, I’m not knocking them, they teach students a great deal about what’s out there. But JROTC teaches students what’s out there, and what is your potential. There were countless times in MY JROTC CAREER where I wanted to quit also, and I developed a sense of diligence and perseverance, a skill which proved to be extremely useful in MY COLLEGE DAYS. I became a natural public speaker, I have confidence in my voice, I held myself at a higher standard than my peers.

Employers noticed it; I mean I am going for my TARGET CORPORATE MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP’S FINAL INTERVIEW… WHICH WAS A FOUR INTERVIEW PROCESS.

I mean, I don’t know Marilyn, I know you’re a very smart person who’s bound for great things, but your shitty attitude about a program which you probably didn’t need ruins your reputation as someone I held in high regards.

How unbelievably irresponsible for someone in your stature say such stupid and ignorant things about a program where you looked up to certain people.

Just to let you in on a little secret, I credit JROTC as helping me get to the position that I’m at now. There aren’t a lot of people I know that have the confidence and willingness to be the best they can be.

I want to add another alternative here… if JROTC is such a useless program filled with unimportant things… then what would that mean for a student who spent their entire high school life doing a certain sport which they did not follow up in college?

Might I say… that sport is useless too? Perhaps even filled with unimportant practices that are irrelevant to their cause? You tell me Marilyn.

It is currently 255AM and I am in resident hall number 203 at Sixth College in UCSD. I must say that I am sooo ready for college! These past two days have been one of the best events that I have attended. I have also met some very friendly people and learned that college is all about freedom….

I must admit I welcome sadness with open arms. It’s like an old friend that I haven’t seen in a very long time. It brings out the best and the worst in me. I feel as if it gives me more depth to be an unhappy person. Is that strange? It’s so out of character to not keep a smile in my pocket. At…

I know you don’t understand chinese.

but

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GjthJRHEvc&feature=related