one more bit of extra media...

I could only do 1 video on each I think, so here is one more. It is sort of a struggle of a video, but essentially i put the camera in my PFD while I was surfing on Jaws on the Nolichucky. You can't see as much as I would've like, but oh well, it is what it is.

Extra Media

Raft carnage in Charlotte... oh how we hate rafts and thus love this

Final journal entry!

Final Journal Entry

So it has definitely been a long time since I wrote a journal. Anyways, since my last entry I have had a lot happen in terms of the project itself (as in the presentation and all), but no so much happen in terms of kayaking at all. In my last entry I discussed my written document. I ended up doing what I had layed out there, that is, I wrote an article and got it published in The Falcon Flier. Honestly, I have now learned that not many people actually read the paper, but I feel like I wrote a pretty successful article and I think the consensus from those who did read it is the same. I feel like just writing that article hopefully had an effect on at least a few people where as the blog didn't seem to do much at all. If nothing else, actually writing the article really drove home the point of it to me.

Also since my last entry I have done my rehearsal, as well as my final presentation. The rehearsal went fantastic. I was a little worried because I realized partway through that the clock was broken so I had no concept of how long I was talking. It worked out though, and my timing was on the money. In general the comments were that I did a really good job, so that really helped me feel like I was doing well. Some of the comments were to maybe add a few more pictures actually of me, as well as to add a diagram, or at least bring in all my gear so I could easily show different things that they couldn't see so well in the pictures. They all said I seemed nervous for the first few minutes, which I definitely was, but that after that it was smooth and I did well. That was a great relief because that was my biggest worry. I was just afraid I would babble and talk to fast and all sorts of things but that didn't really happen so I was happy to hear that. Another common comment was that I did a really good job of talking about what I actually learned and gained through everything, which is the primary point of it all anyways so that helped me be sure I was on the right track as well.

I didn't really have a whole bunch to add to my powerpoint for the final, but I changed some pictures and such like they suggested, and I tried to make a diagram. It turned out that my diagram was really bad once I finished and looked at it so I opted to scrap it and just use my actual gear to demonstrate things if need be. When it came to my final presentation I felt totally ready beforehand. Well, until it was time to set up. I was supposed to use the chorus room, which had a class in it the period before. That meant I couldn't really set up my z-drag pulley how I wanted and make sure it was all right before I started. Everyone just funneled in and it was time to go pretty much right away. I was more anxious than nervous, but I knew I was ready and I had done the work. Unfortunately when I went to demonstrate the z-drag something wasn't set up right. I tried to switch part of it that I thought was the problem, but that wasn't the issue and I actually messed it up more in the process. I ended up just moving on from it after it didn't work and continuing my presentation. The rest of it went fine, but I was angry about the demonstration not working. It turned out that I just needed to push the boat over a little in one direction and everything would have been fine from the start. I really think that my rehearsal went a lot better than the final because of the demonstration but I knew it was all okay. I mean the demonstration, while it looks really bad that it didn't work, was not a big part of the grade or really even of my presentation. Also, I know if I had to do it 100 more times I would get it right 99, it was just that one that I messed up. I ended up with like an A- average on my presentation so I was right in that it was okay. I mean I wish I hadn't messed up, but it all ended up alright. I know the grade is not really what is really important, and I think I learned a lot from the presentation and from the demonstration not working and all.

There isn't really much left. I just need to figure out how I would like to turn in my written document. I think I'm going to end up basically cutting it out and gluing it on a page, laminating it maybe, and putting it in a presentation folder sheet thingy. That's about it. I'll be completely done after this is posted and I do that as well. I think I have enough media in my blogs, but I'm going to add a few more probably as well. So that's about it. Hasta luego senior exhibit.

Entry 3, application stuff

January 10, 2009

So it has been quite a while since my last entry but with the new format that is acceptable, which is quite nice. Anyway, since my last entries from my trip a lot has happened. I have paddled a few times on the Rappahannock. Nothing too exciting has really happened though. I can't recall if I mentioned my paddle got broken on the plane ride home in my last entry or not, so it did. I had flown with it 5 times before and they never made me sign anything special. This time they did and of course they broke it. I got a new AT Eddy and am yet to use it. I borrowed Mike's extra when we went because it took forever to actually get my new one. I am excited to use it in the pool session I am going to have. Speaking of which I have since gotten pretty much everything set up for that. It was a heck of a lot harder and more complicated than I had anticipated. I contact the Virginia Outdoor Center (VOC) about renting them and at first was told that I would have had to have been a certified instructor but upon explaining my intentions and experience they decided to allow me to rent. I had been going through Ben, who was the manager at VOC. We had enough contact to figure out the details about what would be required and cost and whatnot but did not really set dates. When I asked Mrs. Wimble about dates I realized how difficult this would be. I had wanted to have a few pool/roll sessions on consecutive weekends but I realized that simply couldn't happen. For one, every other weekend the VOC has pool sessions at the YMCA and thus their kayaks are not available. From there, either we have the conference swim meet at our school or winter break or something until pretty much the middle of March. But January 17^th worked so that was going to be the date for the first session. But when I tried to solidify this with Ben I faced some issues. First it just took a very long time to get a response via email so around December 22 or so I called VOC figuring someone would call back after Christmas or so. This happened as Bill Micks called and of course when we finally got in touch and were both home and able to discuss it I had an email from Ben. He was leaving on January 7^th for 3 months but we were going to get everything settled, or so it seemed. However apparently Ben didn't get the message I left on his cell phone in time, so I called Mr. Micks again and we were figuring it out. He was really helpful and we have it set for the 17^th. I just need to get waivers for the 5 people using the kayaks and 15 dollars from each of them. I actually thought from Ben it would be 15 each time but it is really only 15 dollars for each person for pretty much as many times. Also I will need to meet Mr. Micks at VOC at some point before just to figure out which boats and all and where/how to get them since they will not be open when I go to get them. That's about it but I will add to this entry after the 17^th.

January 21, 2009

So I had my first ever pool session just this past Saturday the 17^th. It went pretty well. In the morning I borrowed a friends pickup truck and picked up the boats and was supposed to leave the waivers there (I later realized I forgot them in my dad's car so he put them there). Everything else went smooth in terms of getting the boats and paddles and all. Oh and I sort of got offered a summer job at VOC when I met with Mr. Micks earlier this week (I just wanted to say this because I'm excited about it). I couldn't fit them all in the pickup easily so we just stuck mine and one from VOC in my dad's truck. We got everything there, got it inside, rinsed everything off like I was told I needed to do and were ready to go. My pupils I guess you could call them were Paige, Courtney, Raleigh, Evan and Nicholas. Mrs. Blashford and her husband Mike were there as well. I hadnt really thought much about the different levels of experience I had. Nicholas was rolling by the end of a pool session Mrs. Blashford did last year or the year before. Raleigh was there too but didn't get it as quickly. Evan has done some paddling but not in whitewater kayaks and Courtney and Paige have no experience. I demonstrated how spray skirts work and they all got them on and got in the boats with some help putting the skirts on the boats. Next each one flipped and pulled their skirt just so they knew how that felt and worked. Everyone did well at that which was comforting. Next I had them do some stuff on the wall with hip flicks and all. I realized I might have been in a little over my head with 5 people. It was just too many people with too varying of an amount of experience. It made it tough because will some were struggling just flicking their hips with the side of the pool others were ready to really get the roll. I felt split between who to try to help. Mike helped with those who were farther along leaving me to help the others. Everyone made progress which was nice. I think for the next time (sometime in March) I will try to get someone else in to help as well so that I can focus more on helping just one or two people and still be sure no one is left out at any point. It went well though. Everyone said they had a good time and they definitely all made some progress. That's about it for that. I have since changed my written document though. The blog just wasn't really working as I had hoped. Maybe it will be revived later, but for my senior exhibit written document I have now decided to write an editorial for the school paper and maybe even the Free Lance Star, who knows. I think I will focus on my troubles rolling on my trip and what I learned from that and applying it to life in general. I am excited about this article and hopefully it will be in one of the next few issues of The Falcon Flier. I guess that is about it for now. More to come...at some point, probably after my practice presentation to the teachers or maybe even after my full presentation. We will see, I'm leaning more towards the former of those two options though for sure.

And I will add pictures later...

Journals from my trip

Sorry for it being sloppy, it was written in a van with 12 other people while we were driving through mountains and such. If any translation is needed just ask me, I can read it all...

After our meeting...

After our meeting the other day I feel pretty comfortable. My plan for my actual presentation is to spend a few minutes with just intro and why I chose my topic and such. From there I will go into discussing what I learned and other things from my Swiftwater Rescue course with a powerpoint full of all kinds of pictures and such that go along with what I am saying. From there I will go into my demonstration of a z drag pulley system. After that I will discuss my trip with pictures and all, especially the issues with my rolling and all. After that come the pool sessions and how they went, what I did in them and the troubles and all and successes and what I learned. Then I will discuss my written document, a mention of how I changed it and possibly have them read it. That will be about it. Throughout the whole thing I will have a powerpoint going with it. It will have pictures and possibly videos in it as well. That's the plan for now.