An "Absurd" Notion

The likelihood that a deranged and/or belligerent individual would walk into a school (or facility like a school) with the intent to shoot, stab, and kill as many people as possible should be small. It should be so small that it should be unheard of. It should be regarded as an absurd notion. However, it isn't absurd. It's common enough that we drill students on how to act or what to do in case of an active shooter. Almost like we drill elementary children to get away from windows and to crouch down in the case of a tornado. We now live in a world were the probability that a tornado strikes a school during tornado season is comparable to the probability that a psychopath walks into a school with a gun.

As disturbing as this notion is, a somewhat comforting one is that our society has acknowledged this danger to a point that we are preparing ourselves. Then comes the issues on how to prepare ourselves. The officer seemed almost desperate to get this point across; how we've been taught to act when there's an active shooter is wrong.

For years I remember being taught a simple three step process, close and lock the door, turn the lights out, and huddle in the corner out of sight. The thinking behind this strategy went like this, if the intruder couldn't open the door easily and couldn't see anyone inside the classroom, he or she would move on. Turns out, this strategy is good at one thing, getting people killed. This strategy is so ingrained in some places that it has made some students into victims by making them passive. What's more frightening is the fact that this information is having a hard time getting out there and some schools are still teaching this old method.

My thoughts during these drills, when crouching or standing in the corner of dark room, usually involved the idea that if someone with a gun came through that door, our only hope would be to charge and overwhelm that individual. Turns out, this is the new strategy that the officer was advocating, that with an extra idea of getting away when possible.

Although it's saddening that the notion of that armed-psychopath walking into a school is not so absurd. I'm truly relieved that there is a new strategy circulating that empowers individuals and doesn't just leave them to be victims. It was always an unsettling feeling knowing that we were defenseless in the case that a shooter did come through that door.

Nothing is Guaranteed

In this past school year, and especially this last semester, reality has been creeping up on me. The overriding theme of this said reality is, "nothing is guaranteed." Though I would have been loathe to admit it, when I arrived here at Drury in the Fall, I felt like all I had to do was go to class. And after four years of going to class I would graduate and move on to a job that would support me and a modest living. In a similar fashion I felt secure in my personal life. However, I've been reminded of one of my own philosophies from times gone by, "nothing is guaranteed."


I came to this philosophy years ago because of, you guessed it, Cross-Country or Running in general. I trained and ran harder than any of the guys on our team, when they ran five miles I ran ten, when they showed up three times a week, I showed up twice a day five days a week and then ran my own long run on the weekend. Yet, they still beat me. In season, when it came down to it, I was fifth man on a seven man team. No matter how hard I tried it was never guaranteed that I be better than those I out-worked. After I understood this there was some heartache, essentially I came to understand that I was no good at what I loved, but eventually it became a badge of honor, I was a work horse that loved what he did and it didn't matter that they were faster. I'm a workhorse.

Just keep plowing..... Just keep plowing....

No matter how hard I try, I still might not make it. But if I don't try at all then I for certain will not make it. That is the biggest change in me. As much as you'd think that would be a motivator, initially there is the heartache. I'm not good enough to coast. I feel like I should be that good, but it isn't so. I don't have Kevin's natural intellect, I'm not outgoing like Chezney, or responsible like Heather. To have a chance at succeeding I have to show up ten times as much as the next guy. What good is a workhorse that doesn't work?

He doesn't look like he's good for much. 

The hour is too late for me to truly salvage this school year as it should have been. But, I've learned and the change in more than philosophy, that is a change in how I act, is occurring.

D. Logan Whittmore


A Note: Near the end of the Cross-Country season referenced in this post, I finished a race as our third man rather than as our fifth. This particular race was on the hilliest course I've ever seen, those individuals that logged fewer miles than myself succumbed to the hills. There were 65 runners in the race; at the half mile mark I was in 50th, I finished 33rd. I passed over a quarter of the field. :)

Carving Out My Own Trail

This guy is carving out his own path. With a machete, in the Jungle. This is how I feel sometimes.

When asked, "what do you want to do?" The answer is simple. I want to coach Track and/or Cross-Country collegiality and/or post-collegiality and I want to be a personal trainer.

Cross-Country at its finest

Most people that I tell this are surprised, some ask "why are you in college?" The answer to that is obvious, to coach at a high level you need a higher degree, to be precise, you need at least a masters degree. So then comes the tricky question, "how do you get there?"

There is no prescribed degree to coach. Here at Drury the Cross-Country Coach has a degree in law. However, the closest thing to a true degree in coaching is exercise physiology. Thus my major in Exercise Science and my two specializations in Exercise Physiology and Sports Management. My plan is three-fold: the most important part is get a bachelor's degree and admittance to a graduate school,

my special program in Exercise Physiology will allow me the knowledge that I need to understand the human body and its responses to different stimulus,

while my special program in Sports Management will teach me how to manage a team's expenses, recruiting, ect.

Here's me managing.

Doing both special programs leaves me at around 70-80 hours, so about a double major, maybe a major in a half. So when I went to the Majors/Minors Fair I was looking for a minor. I looked at minors that contained a lot of humanities like Middle East Studies, Philosophy, or Religion, because

 A) I have two departments to work with (Breech and the Exercise Science department) therefore I need to get in as many program/major specific classes as possible, as soon as possible, therefore I'll be getting a lot of gen. eds in at the end of my college career rather than in the beginning. So I want to look at a minor that contains a lot of classes that satisfy gen. ed requirements.

B)  I would enjoy studying any one of those subjects.

Here's me thinking, or philosophizing, or something. I  don't really picture me doing this naked, but if its a requirement, I'm cool with that.

 At the fair I learned that there is a global studies class that is specific to Middle East Studies, so I'll probably take that class. I also learned that the honors program has one required class and the rest are classes that you designate as honors classes, that is if you can get into the honors program to start with, as you need a letter of recommendation and there is an interview (I think I can get in).

I'm excited about about what the future holds. And with my plans, I believe I'll be prepared for it.

Why I have no money, and how not to be me

Common mistakes made with money (*cough* all my mistakes and bad habits) and how to avoid them.

How to avoid this

Put your money in a savings account and a checking account and leave it. Don't get me wrong, it's good to have both of these types of accounts. But neither of these accounts provide you with any sort of return as their interests rates are typically very low. This statement leads to the question, what else do I do with my money? You should put a portion of your money into higher risk investments like stocks or bonds. An advisable investment would be into money mutual accounts, in these investments you'll give money to a company (such as Vanguard) that will investment your money for you in a diversified fashion. Money mutual accounts will invest in stocks, bonds, and sometimes money markets.

If you walk into any store on a regular basis then you know how easy it is to pick up things you didn't come for or don't need. Flashy signs and good marketing makes it easy to spend money that you shouldn't. That's why making a list is important. Knowing what you're going into a store to buy and having a written list to remind you will help limit compulsive buying.

The gnome makes you "need" the utility gloves.

We all have interests and hobbies, many cost money to keep current or to experience. That's just fine, everyone needs a hobby, but everyone doesn't need many hobbies. Pick a hobby maybe two, and limit your expenditure to said hobby.

Or you end up like me; buried up to your neck with Trading Cards

The small things add up. Keep track of your expenses and you'll start to notice that small expenditures (a soda here, a bag of chips there) add up to a much heftier sum. If you're more aware of these things you are less likely to gut your entire paycheck on little things.

Fitness for The Lay Person

I can tell you from personal experience. Life is more enjoyable when you move. It's to bad that so many people are discouraged from getting fit. By themselves and the culture around them.

The Case Against Physical Activity

This usually revolves around, "why would I do it, If I don't have to?" "but, it hurts!" or even better, "I don't have the time." And any number of other terrible excuses.

But what the usual lay person doesn't understand is that if they felt what it was like to be fit, they would make the time, they would deal with the pain, and most importantly, they would want too.

What It's Like to Be Fit

It's like being at the top of a mountain. When you look around, everything is so beautiful, you feel proud of the great height that you've conquered, and if you've done things the right way, you want to climb that mountain again, or maybe even climb a higher one.

Doing it Right

Many individuals are unwilling to get fit because they see the people that are extremely fit and feel as if they are expected to be just as fit as they are in no time. And on top of that many individuals that are willing to get fit attempt to take on to much from the beginning and either discourage themselves or get hurt. These people need guidance. Guidance like the following video:

This video is not intimidating and  is exciting. Perfect for the regular lay individual.

Let's recap. The two major things that get in the way of people getting fit are:

1) Not knowing the benefits

2) Feeling intimidated by the ultra-fit and or getting hurt by taking on too much to soon

Therefore the predominant message that should be heard by anyone that ever thought about fitness is; you can start easy and the rewards can be great. 

Celebration, Not Discrimination!

The Origin of Diversity

There are theories to how diversity and differences within man came about. The Bible says that God scattered a homogeneous people throughout the Earth after the people endeavored to build a great tower. 

"Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language... So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the Earth." (Genesis 11:7-8)

Modern evolutionists pose the theory of "Out of Africa." This theories "genesis" was posed in Charles Darwin's Descent of Man. 

This theory states that anatomically modern humans evolved within the confines of Africa and then spread through the rest of the world. Under this theory humans would split into different groups and be exposed to different environmental pressures and would therefore accumulate changes that would set groups of humans apart. 

Despite all the theories and debates over the origin of human diversity, I believe that it matters very little in a non-research context.

Discrimination

So many conflicts arise that are based on the differences within mankind. So much pain  and horror is caused by discrimination. Everything from enslavement to the Travon Martin Shooting to the Holocaust have been caused by hatred, fear, and discrimination. 

What is gained by discriminating? Nothing. 

Celebration

What can be gained by the destruction of discrimination? Many things. Including a more unified world.

"Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them." (Genesis 11: 6) 

The Bible says it well. If the people are united "Nothing...will be withheld from them." 

Though the human race can never realistically hope to have a common language (other than math), if we can tear down the walls that separate us (that is discrimination and fear) we can learn so much from one another. So much more would be possible and many ills would be averted. 

If diversity is celebrated and discrimination abated. Th world becomes a better place. 

A Place to Lay My Head (and the money that'll get me there)

When planning for my housing for next year there are several issues and considerations I have to make.

1) I'd like a better place to sleep.

I love living here in Sundy, it's been a true privilege to live in my own room so closely associated with great people like my suite mates (Kevin, Bryce, and Dalton); however, I think that it would be nice to live outside of the dorms. It can get noisy and busy around here at odd hours of the night which means that I have issues sleeping (and maintaining a regular sleep schedule).

2) Money

The biggest concern for me is the money involved in housing. For a while I was thinking of living in town (and outside of Drury housing); however, I am not sure that I actually can do that. Apparently, a person must be at least 21 or have a FAFSA report that indicates they are allowed to do so. I don't think that my FAFSA would allow me to live off campus.

My Options

My first choice in housing to hopefully to stay off campus with a group of guys that I met here at Drury. If that doesn't pan out I"ll hopefully end up in University sweets with my current suite mate (Kevin) and a couple of guys to be predetermined. And if that doesn't pan out, I'll probably attempt to stay here in Sundy.

Financial Aid

Though I have money issues, I wouldn't be here at all  if it weren't for my Trustee Scholarship I received from Drury. The scholarship actually allowed me to come to Drury, otherwise I couldn't have came up with the student loans to be here.

Meaningful Involvement

Entering Drury, I felt that it was important that I be involved with individuals with similar interests; therefore, I applied (and was obviously accepted) to join the pre-health Living Learning Community. Though my desired vocation (i.e. coaching) is not one that most would associate with health services, it is a health related service, and at a higher level my vocation will require knowledge similar a doctor's (i.e. the desired vocation of almost every other student in my LLC). This is important because it means I am involved with those that will be taking similar classes and think in ways similar to myself. 

I spend a lot of my time cooking for a large number of students, to be precise, every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock. In other words I am a student worker here at Drury. I work at the Findley Student Center commons; for the most part I'm the guy who grills in the evenings. Surprisingly enough, this is a great job to  meet people. I have actually made several contacts working there; I even met an individual that I might share an apartment with next year. 

Lately, I've found that I have a keen interest for chemistry (mostly due to a certain excitable chemistry professor) and because of this I am contemplating a chemistry minor and joining Drury's American Chemical Society. Joining the society would give me access to information about the professions in chemistry and give me opportunities to inspire the next generation of scientists; their informational site on Drury.edu states, "Our regular activities include magic shows for elementary school children. We believe that fascinated and intrigued children are likely to pursue higher ends." 

Getting involved is a process. One that I am going about in a controlled manner. I will only ever be involved in the things I am genuinely interested in (baring someone twisting my arm); therefore, in everything that I do I put my full attention or all my effort into, because that's what I do, only the meaningful things.

P.S. I am going to a ACS (American Chemist Society) meeting tomorrow.  

Why I'm Here

My name is Logan and I came to Drury to earn a degree, so that I could move on into the real world where I can live a content, humble life doing what I love.

I Love Running

I found my love for running over seven years ago, when I chose to run cross-country as a seventh grader. Ever since then, I have read, researched, and immersed myself in the science, the sport, and the lore of running. I love running, almost everything about it, and I want to be involved in it, deeply involved in it, for the rest of my life.

That's me on the right in the tye die shirt (#75)

I Love Science

I love science because I love to understand how things work. Most of all, I love learning about how the body works.

Starting my sophomore year in high school I took a biology course every year. The first year was an introductory course and the following two years I was part of an I.B. Biology class. In these classes I learned a healthy respect for life sciences.

                My senior year of high school I dared to enroll in advanced placement chemistry. I took it because it was science oriented and it was possible to gain college credit; however I also dreaded the class, I had never strayed from biology and was afraid that chemistry would prove to be a different beast entirely. I was pleasantly surprised. Though it was an intensive class, I learned a lot about how things work at a deeper more molecular level; which in turn, helped me to understand biology much better. Therefore I am contemplating a chemistry minor.

Running+Science= Exercise science

My love for running and science led me to choose the exercise science major here at Drury. This degree is more of a first step towards a graduate degree that would allow me to head a distance program at a University or a professional distance progam.