Honors College Report: September 28, 2011

Honors College Report

September 28, 2011

iPads Arrive!: Gave out 63 iPads today. Their delivery should lead to many interesting changes in how I teach the Honors Seminar. We will also monitor how they use their iPads as academic tools in other classes.

Activities and News:

• Dustin McDaniel spoke to an overflow crowd at the annual Matriculation Ceremony last Sunday night. He gave a well-received speech on the value of education in today's increasingly competitive world. His speech was followed by a reception in the Reynolds 2nd floor Atrium.
• The Honors College participated in the annual bed race and won a prize for creative decoration. Their float bore the title Freak Show.
• The Honors College will take a full busload of students to see the Chinese Acrobats at the Perot Theatre in Texarkana on Tuesday, October 11. Riders filled the bus within hours of receiving their e-mail invitations
• Deborah Wilson and Edward Kardas have analyzed their latest data looking at first-semester non-cognitive performance of honors and non-honors students from last year. They will present those data in Phoenix in October at the annual meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).
• Edward Kardas, Suraj Manandhar, and Deborah Wilson will conduct a panel discussion at NCHC on the deployment and use of iPads in honors.

Campbell, David: Beloit List

Professors versus Students:  The expanding “Generation Gap” between today’s elder instructors and the prospective Class of 2015 is festering into a very much awkward relationship between two groups of people with very different backgrounds and childhoods.  Some more naïve or sarcastic youth in today’s society may say that the ‘90s children who are now today’s students played with Tickle-Me-Elmo and the ‘60s children who are now today’s professors played with spoons.  The ‘90s generation grew up with the full experience of an ever-rising pinnacle of technology and the ‘60s generation grew up with a variety of dusty spoons. This comparison presents some problems already, namely the problems of misunderstanding and miscommunication.

             

Communication bridges gaps. Today’s professors grew up learning the art of writing and sending letters.  Nowadays, students are using the Internet to “connect” with others. But are they truly connected? The United States Postal Service is going bankrupt because of this new era of connectivity – something that is truly shocking to the elder members of our nation. It has never been easier for students to communicate with other students. However, is the elder generation being left behind, unable to keep up with today’s fast-paced information-run society?

             

Up until recently, taking a college course online was unheard of.  But now students may register for an online class at many a university. In such courses, students may not ever make face-to-face contact with instructors. In such a passive environment, is academic growth truly being promoted? Certainly, the online program is intended to provide for making things more “convenient” for both student and professor, but how rigorously is the student being tested if the class they are taking is merely an open tab on their Internet browser while they are primarily focused on watching a video on YouTube in their pajamas eating cheese curls? It seems that education is gradually on its way to becoming something of a necessary hobby. Are students and professors both okay with this?

Interaction these days simply is not as intimate.  Back in the day, universities were not being constantly challenged to accommodate more and more new students every year.  Hence, students were students and not statistics, a series of receipts, or government funding opportunities. With the changing times, many professors no doubt feel overwhelmed by having to teach well over 400 students per class.  Therefore, it is nearly impossible for an average professor to make personal connections with each and every student that they have in their classes. This pushes the student and the professor further apart – there is less communication between the two, less discussion, and less understanding of their mutual thoughts and feelings. Students are simply numbers and professors simply instructors. In today’s instant-gratification lifestyle, the ability for professors to see the occupied seats as individual people becomes blurred, and vice versa. There are universities yet that dare to cross this line, to connect the dots in hopes for universal acceptance. But the simple fact is that professors and students are rapidly becoming of black and white comparisons, rather than being united in the grey area of humanity.

Denotatively speaking, a professor is a “lecturer or teacher in a field of learning”. In those terms denotative terms, one might as well hand professors their money and let them lecture. But a dictionary will not provide both groups fulfillment of their feelings, hopes, and aspirations of teaching and being taught. A generation gap should not divide us into students and professors. We are all one thing, and that we are both human.

Nunn, Florence: Beloit List

Today’s students, as well as faculty, take many things for granted. Whether it is the new technology that the Class of 2015 has grown up with, or that some of the students today actually have an appreciation for what their professors have been through, all involved can be considered at fault. Although it seems as if students and faculty have nothing in common, these generations have many more links than they realize. However, the differences are much more prominent.

When the faculty of today was learning, they didn’t have laptops, iPads, or any other sort of technology. The only tablet they had was the one they wrote on with their pen or pencil (whichever they preferred). Todays’ students often complain about having to type essays or read notes online, not realizing just how easy they actually have it. On the other hand, these students have had a lot more to deal with. They are often expected to grow up more quickly than most generations, at least in some areas. During the faculty’s education, women in school, especially graduate school often came as a shock. Today, however, women are expected to do just as well as men, often for less pay. Todays’ generation does tend to take equal education for granted. Another prominent difference is that todays’ students missed a lot of controversial events in history growing up that several of the older faculty lived through. Todays’ students have always had integrated schools and equal rights. Many professors’ however can remember a time when “colored people” or even women weren’t allowed at certain universities, or it was at least frowned upon. Todays’ students however are much more accepting, and often don’t see a difference no matter the nationality, gender, or religion of a fellow student.

             

Though the list of differences could go on for pages, the similarities are rather abundant as well. Both generations have one main thing in common. Both are learning, and both have a thirst and drive to learn and better their selves. Although students and faculty often don’t see eye to eye, perhaps they should. Many students today are looked at as “typical teens.” What several members of the faculty don’t realize is that many students grew up with parents older than them. Some faculty would be surprised to hear that todays’ students listen to Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or Reba McEntire. Although all of todays’ students don’t, many do. Not to mention those students who know all about past events because family members who lived through them, or a “unique” student who grew up in a small discriminatory town who understands what segregation was like in its late stages. How many faculty would be surprised by a student whose favorite actor is Rock Hudson, only followed up by his onscreen love Doris Day? Students as well, have some catching up to do. Many faculty understand todays’ generation much better than they are given credit for. Much of todays’ faculty can work an iPad just as well as any student, and some keep up with the latest trends whether it’s wearing Toms’, listening to rap, or watching the Kardashians’, some faculty really knows what’s going on with todays students.

            

 Though they seem very different, both generations have something in common. Perhaps the important thing isn’t realizing that they are alike, but realizing that both generations could learn a lot from each other, and perhaps learn to completely get along. Most importantly, faculty and students need to see that they are both after the same goal, educate more people for the bettering of the world.

They're here...

They are here, at least some of them, that is. We'll start giving them out Monday. Don't call us, we'll call you :-)

Hill, Lillee: Beloit List

The generation gap is very common in higher education.  It can make communication and understanding between faculty members and students challenging.

The generation gap can have a negative impact on the experience of students while in college.  Students want answers to emails right now and text books on iPads.  However some faculty members don't respond to emails instead expecting students to come to their offices during office hours.  IPads in class? Forget about it!  I have a class where I won't even be allowed to take notes on my iPad, and the professor isn't even that old!  I believe the biggest thing that perpetuates the generation gap is technology.  Sure, pop culture gets in the way, but anyone can catch up on pop culture with a quick Internet search.  Technology is a little less easy to catch up on.  I feel technologically behind because the freshmen grew up with computers but my family didn’t have one until I was in high school.  I can understand how faculty members could feel like they are at a loss when it comes to technology; when they were in college, a computer was big enough to fill my living room and people had to use punch cards to operate them. 

The generation gap does not just affect faculty members and students; it can also impact the relationships between traditional and non-traditional students.  I am one of the non-traditional students and can say firsthand that the generation gap is really challenging to get around when dealing with other students.   I was born in 1985 and most of the freshmen class was born in 1993.  That eight year age difference combined with my upbringing frequently leads to me saying "huh" when a freshman is talking to me.  In the comments listed for “The Beloit College Mind-set List Welcomes the ‘Internet Class’” 'drjeff' mentions that they have had cell phones since they were young.  I, on the other hand, didn't get one until after high school.  They can only remember the Space Shuttle Columbia breaking up, but I can remember when the Challenger exploded during lift-off in 1986.  There are so many things that they don't know about, that sometimes I feel extremely disconnected from them.  I know how to use a TV with a dial and rabbit ears, unlike the freshmen, because the first TV we had was an old one given to us by my grandmother which she had had for years in her den.  I have experienced many of the things that my classmates can’t understand or have no experience with.  I can play a vinyl record, which most of them can’t do but I’m sure many of the faculty members remember how.  In fact my parents still have a record player (and I think even an eight track player) in their house.  I’m sure if I have so much trouble connecting to the ‘Internet Class,’ due to the generation gap, faculty members must frequently find it a vast, impassable void.

There are many times when I am at a loss for how to relate to the freshman class due to the generation gap.  I am sure that the faculty members must feel this way about all of us.  Many of them can remember the fire in the Apollo 1 craft that killed the crew.  That makes three American space related disasters in their lives, two in mine, and only one for the freshmen class.  Events such as those shape our lives and how we see the world.  The generation gap shapes how we express what we see in our lives and the world.

O'Neal, Kara: Beloit List

Technology in the last twenty years has drastically changed every aspect of how we live, from the way we communicate to the way we read the newspaper.  These changes have occurred more rapidly for some faculty members who were born before the Internet was available.  They remember when life was simpler and not constantly filled with electronic devices.  For students, however, technology is just a part of life.  Everyone has a cellphone, everyone has a Facebook page, and everyone goes surfing- on the World Wide Web that is.

        

The college learning environment has transformed itself the last few years.  When faculty members attended college 30 or more years ago they carried notebooks and pencils.  This year’s entering college freshmen will no longer be seen carrying just these items.  They will likely be carrying an iPad or a laptop as well.  Incoming students may not even be physically present on a college campus, thanks to online college courses.   Assignments will no longer be completed on a typewriter.  They will instead be typed up on a computer and then printed out.  Some assignments may never even reach actual paper.  E-mail is much faster and more efficient.  Research has become much easier in the past few decades as well.  Students no longer have to go to the library and check out a huge stack of encyclopedias to pore over as past generations have had to do.  All they have to do is fire up their computer, iPad, or smartphone and Google whatever subject they need to research.  With the single click of a button, an overload of information is available to them within seconds.

     

 Technology has not only changed the way faculty members teach and the way students learn, it has also changed the way faculty members and students communicate.  Both are now able to communicate much quicker and easier than ever before thanks to Facebook, text messaging, e-mail, and Blackboard. Class is going to be canceled on Friday?  Instead of having to contact each individual student, faculty members can now simply send an e-mail or put a post on Blackboard for the entire class.  Students can e-mail faculty members if they have a question about an assignment, rather than having to wait until the next class.  However, the lack of face-to-face interaction can hinder the faculty member/student relationship.

        

Although technology has made college life easier for students, it sometimes makes teaching harder for faculty members.  Unlike students, who have grown up with all of the technology changes, faculty members remember the way classes were taught in the past and may find it difficult to change their teaching style.  Good, old-fashioned lectures are becoming endangered as Blackboard, PowerPoint, and other technological ‘teachers’ are introduced into the college environment.  If lectures were to be done away with completely, students would suffer as well as faculty members.  A human teacher can understand students’ needs in ways technology is incapable of doing.  Technology cannot take the place of a good teacher. 

           

The world is changing, the college environment is changing, and faculty members must learn to adapt to these changes; but on the same note students should not disregard the past. They should respect the knowledge that the faculty members have to offer.  Technology will never replace wisdom.   Students need to realize the importance of human interaction over technology.   Although there is a gap between these generations, although both generations look at the world in different ways, they can each learn from one another.   Faculty members can look to students and learn of the future; and students can look to faculty members and learn of the past.  Without the past there is no future.

Goecke, Colby: Beloit List

With each new wave of students entering into college, there are steadily more and more differences between students and faculty.  The members of the faculty have often lived their lives with certain experiences or facts that have always been present and real to them. The students have their own experiences and items that, to them, have always been common place, and these items may or may not be in line with those of the older generations.

            

 In the current situation, the entering class of 2015 is known as the “Internet Class” due to the fact that they have grown up with the World Wide Web and other electronic media being ubiquitous in all of the phases of their lives.  The faculty charged with teaching these students, however, have not been exposed to these elements until relatively recently.  They are still grappling with the very concept of portable communication and information highways. Social networking is a staple in young student’s lives. Older generations have always used letters and the occasional phone call to communicate over long distances. Personal one-on-one interaction has always been almost a thing of the past for today’s students. This is even true in the classrooms, where professors are being replaced with TV screens and computers displaying someone in a far away place instructing many classes at once.

            

 People and events that are real and living to many older faculty members are just lines in a history book to their younger students. An appreciation for world changing elements such as the Civil Rights movement or key political issues is very often not felt by incoming freshman. These types of issues can prove very difficult for faculty members as they often will connect with a particular subject or issue and expect that their students understand when often the students have no idea of the feelings that are brought about by the issue. Often times, relatively new concepts are seen as simple facts of life by today’s students. For example: The world has always been trying to “go green”, the Internet has always been available, and no one is ever further than a text message away.

            

 These are not necessarily good things. The fact that so much has always been so readily available has led to an issue of a complete lack of appreciation for how good today’s students have it. Faculty members have lived without such sophisticated technology and therefore, know how to not only live without it, but also understand the value of it when used in the right manner.  This issue is not one-sided however, in many cases the older faculty members are still somewhat in the dark as to the capabilities of much of today’s technology and thus, are unable to use it to its full potential.

             

While the differences between these two groups are very apparent, there are things which are shared by both. A major example of this is the labor issues that have been faced by both generations. While the exact issues and circumstances are certainly very different, the struggle for equal and fair treatment for working individuals has been a common problem for years. While certainly viewed differently, the interaction between individuals is certainly highly prioritized by both groups. The older generation has done so with letters and face-to-face interaction while the younger generation prefers instant messaging and social networking. However, the fact remains that both seek to get closer to their peers and those with similar interests.

Sams, Sawyer: Beloit List

            Students and professors today do not have a whole lot in common with each other.  Students these days are in to all the latest technology, fashion trends, and music while their professors don’t really like to stray from their own comfort zones of what they already know.  It’s a common problem between two generations known as the generation gap.

             

Students today have access to many ways of learning and have several tools, which make their learning experience easier.  With online textbooks, classes, and tutors, students of today don’t even have to step into a classroom to get an education.  In fact, some universities work entirely through the Internet.  The goal of this type of learning experience is to make an education easy to obtain for anyone.  While this may be more convenient for students, it does take away the luxury of being able to talk to a professor in person.  Being able to talk to professors allows a student to create a relationship with them and feel more comfortable about asking questions and getting help.

             

Many professors used pen and paper, typewriters, books, or maybe even an early version of a computer to complete assignments while they were getting their education.  They were also able to talk to their professors about classes and assignments.  Many students today, however, use laptop computers, electronic tablets, and the Internet to complete and turn in assignments.  Many professors are forced to use more high tech equipment so they can successfully teach their large classes.  Smart boards, projectors, and electronic testing make it easier and quicker for them to show information as well as receive it from students.  Some professors even use assistants to teach their classes for them while they perform research, service projects, or other activities.  This means the students may rarely see their professors.  Some professors have so much to do that they don’t have time to meet with their students one on one.  These students must rely on study groups and graduate assistants instead of getting help from the professors themselves.  This could ultimately cause the student to not do as well in the class.

             

Students of today also seem to have different mindsets than those of their professors.  For instance, they may hear the same word, but each may have different meanings for that word.  For example, a student may use the word “like” as a reference to a function on Facebook or as just a space-filler in a sentence.  Their professors, however, may use it as showing they have interest in something or as the start of a simile.  There are many words like this that may make it harder for some professors to understand their slang using students.  Some students may not be able to understand their professors because they use big words that are not commonly used in the pop culture that they are familiar with.  This problem is common with many young people because they watch TV instead of reading books that could help expand their vocabulary.

            

 Students these days like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Katy Perry while their professors are into 70’s and 80’s music. Professors like reading and watching documentaries while students like watching horror films and partying all night.  Most students are all about what’s popular and new in the world.  Their professors, however, are more interested in the problems in the world and how they can be solved.  This all has to do with the generation gap which has always been an issue with different generations and, more than likely, always will be.

             

As times change, the types of students in college will also change.  They will be raised differently from how their professors were which means they will probably have different values and ideas than they do.  There will always be this generation gap between students and their professors.

Cobb, Lacey: Bucket List

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of people talk about their bucket list. I’ve been to a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field and to the Mall of America in Minnesota, but I haven’t really put my “to-do list” into perspective yet. So, before I kick the bucket, there are five things I can think of that I would like to accomplish.

             

Number five on my list is learning American Sign Language (ASL). I know several people who use ASL to communicate, and I think it is amazing how hand gestures can say so much. Next, I would like to make a hole in one. Even though I’m not that great, I love to play golf. If I ever achieved this, I would probably never pick up a club again. Learning to do a backhand spring is third on my list. I am intrigued by all of the things gymnasts can do and how graceful they are. I would certainly be ecstatic if I could learn to do this move. Ever since I watched Soul Surfer, I have wanted to go surfing. I enjoy being in the water a lot, which is why it is number two. Finally, my most desired thing to do before I die is to go on a mission trip to another country. I want to help people who have no idea what it’s like to have clean water to drink and a good meal to eat. But most of all, I want to help spread the Word of God to those who have no knowledge of Him.

             

Although some of my things may seem far-fetched, it’s always good to have

dreams. Mark Hansen said, “By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in

motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.”  This list is just a beginning to the things I want to achieve.

Cobb, Lacey: Beloit List

 This school year begins with a class of freshmen who has grown up with the Internet. Most all of these students are equipped with laptops, smartphones, and the latest of all gadgets, the iPad. In fact, some of these items are even replacing textbooks. However, the Internet is not the only difference between the two generations; sports and everyday terms have also changed from before the 1980s to the early 2000s. So, how exactly does the mindset of the Internet Generation differ from that of Generation X? 

The greatest difference between today’s freshmen and their professors is the access to Internet. While some professors may still be adjusting to and learning about everything on the Internet, the class of 2015 has rarely gone a day without it. Everything is literally at the touch of a button or the swipe of a card. Bag phones have been replaced by smartphones. Nowadays, students can get a degree without ever stepping foot into a classroom thanks to online classes. Handwritten letters have been replaced by email.  While this new generation considers the Internet second nature, the mindset of the Generation X is quite a bit different. Blackboard isn’t simply a message board that hangs on the wall, and typewriters have been traded for personal computers where fixing mistakes are just a backspace away.

However, the Internet is by no means the only difference between the two generations. What about the days when college coaches didn’t make millions of dollars? Or when students actually cared about their education? Has anyone ever really considered how great of a change these things are? The faculty can probably remember the days when the news’ headlines weren’t about which professional sports player used performance enhancement drugs, something Generation Z can’t say. There was also a day when stadiums didn’t have skyboxes and tailgating was not a way to celebrate for the upcoming game, but instead a term for following a vehicle too closely.

Aside from sports, Generation X can probably also remember days when water didn’t come in plastic bottles, “C” was an average – also referred to as satisfactory - grade, and Facebook meant looking at an actual book. Now, what would we do without water bottles to carry around and Facebook to keep up with family and friends who live far away? The letter grade “C” is no longer satisfactory because Generation Z is about going above and beyond.

So much has changed over the years; the Internet Generation can’t recall a year when Martin Luther King Jr. Day wasn’t a holiday, much less remember when parents didn’t stress about the viruses birds and mosquitos carry. There is a t-shirt for almost every occasion. Faux trees are used far greater than real trees at Christmas time. What exactly is a dial? There are more channels on TV than letters in the alphabet. Women have babies at all ages, and who is Michael Jordan? Playing the Wii is considered exercise. All grown-ups argue about is the health-care policy. Most everyone communicates via text message.

Above is only a small portion of the differences between Generation X and Z. There are so many more differences in the two generations than similarities. Nevertheless, just as it replaced Generation X, the Internet Generation is likely to be replaced by another generation with even greater knowledge and technology. As Bruce Krajewski stated in his article, The 2011 Mind-Set of Faculty (Born Before 1980), the “you” – Generation Z – that is you will eventually become the “they” – Generation X – that is us.

Jeon, Heekyung: Bucket List

There are several things on my mind I wish to accomplish before I die, so that I could say I lived my life with no regrets.

First, I would like to go to pharmacy school and start my career as a pharmacist. I have wanted to be a pharmacist since I overheard my doctor saying that his patient’s eyes were totally ruined because a pharmacist gave him a medicine without an examination and a doctor's prescription. I would always place patients' care in the first. Also, I'd like to make medicines to cure rare diseases.

The second thing I would like to do is to continue volunteering. Whenever I have contributed to others, even though all I could provide was just a little bit of help, it always gave me a great pleasure. I strongly believe that a little help makes a big difference.

The next thing on my bucket list is to keep learning and studying until I die. I am passionate about studying a lot of things I do not know well. The more I learn, the more it fascinates me. Although my major is chemistry, I would love to explore other subjects such as geography, philosophy, humanities, and the arts. Learning makes me think more deeply about life, the world, people and, gives me a wider perspective.

Last, I want to travel all over the world and learn about other cultures. As a child, I went to other countries and could see what I would have never known if I only stayed in my country. The people, the food, the culture, the language were all different. For the first time, I was scared of what I have not experienced before but soon realized we are all the same people no matter how different cultures we have. Those experiences inspired me to think more about other people and their unique cultures I could never see in Korea.

Owens, Landon: Bucket List

Life is so short that within one blink we can wake up and realize that we are near the end of it.  There is so much that we can do and so little time to accomplish it.  These are the five main things I hope to experience before I “kick the bucket.”

             

One experience I would like to have before I die is flying one of the Blue Angels airplanes.  I believe that this would be one of the most exhilarating things to do for anyone.  I would love to take the plane through a series of barrel rolls and dramatic falls through the air before landing and throwing up all over the place.

             

Another experience that I wish to have before kicking the bucket is participating in a rally car race.  It would be an extreme adrenaline rush to reach speeds of 100 miles an hour or more on small winding roads.

            

 Then, I would love to jump off of a huge skyscraper in the middle of a city and parachute to the ground.  I am not terrified of heights, however, I can become shaky when I look over high edges.  I would love the feeling of just running and jumping to see the whole city before me as I fall through the sky before opening my parachute.

            

 The next experience I would like to have before dying is to visit outer space.  I can only imagine being so far away that the earth that I think of being so vast is only a speck drifting through the blackness of space.  It would be amazing to have that experience to change my perspective.

             

If I could change someone’s life that would be the ultimate experience for my bucket list.  Since I’m not sure how I could accomplish this while I was alive, I hope that my organs could be donated, after I die, to someone that needed them to live.  This would be the best experience even if I weren’t here to see it.  I believe that fulfilling this bucket list would allow me to live my life to the fullest, and I hope to someday complete it.

Parks, Caleb: Bucket List

Although I hope that I will not die soon, I think about things to do before it is too late. Visiting Alaska and learning to surf are two things I wish to accomplish before I die.

I have always believed Alaska to be a fascinating place. The unique combination of natural surroundings, beautiful rivers, tall mountains, and distinct wildlife that I have seen on television seem to be a view of America when it was natural – before settlers began to alter the landscape. Furthermore, the fishing and hunting opportunities are great in Alaska. I spent my childhood in the country near other fishers and hunters. Although I do not enjoy fishing as much as hunting, I find the concept of ice fishing exciting; imagine cutting a hole into the ice to fish! Moose hunting in Alaska has also thrilled me for a time. The challenge in learning an animal's habits then exploiting those habits to stalk and kill it. The meat is another pleasant reward – a friend told me that moose meat is delicious.

Although I generally avoid beaches, I have always envied skilled surfers. I have been to the beach four times and after each visit, I yearned for the ability to surf more and more. I was so close to many surfers, yet never had the opportunity to “ride the waves.” The movie, Soul Surfer, made me appreciate the sport even more. I saw some of the different tricks that surfers can perform. Tricks I would like to learn include the Tube Ride where a surfer maneuvers him or herself into a wave as it breaks over his or her head and the “360” where a surfer gains altitude then spins in a full circle. Another reason for my surfing fascination is my interest in skateboarding; however, the potential for severe pain and broken bones prevents me from skateboarding well.

I know that these are not my only bucket list items, but they are the main ones. I don't want to die without experiencing Alaska and surfing.

Acharya, Prashant: Bucket List

Five is the number I have been assigned for my bucket list but my mind is running through five million different thoughts.  If the question was rephrased to “what won’t be in your bucket list?” then I could have possibly kept it below five. Anyway, since I have to follow the instructions, here it goes.

The top of the list would always be “travel every corner of the world.” Till now I have actually been only in three countries, my birthplace Nepal, India, and now the United States. I have been at airports in Qatar and United Kingdom but they don't really count. Basically, I have been nowhere. I want to see the different places that grace this planet.  I want to set my foot in Cape Froward, the southernmost point in mainland South America and then maybe fly to Antarctica to see some penguins dance. I want to figure out what’s so green about Greenland, see Sahara Desert right in front of my eyes while riding on a camel, and also boat my way through rivers in Vietnam.

I don’t want to do all that traveling when I grow old and need a scooter to move around. I want to travel now. For that dream to come true I want to “win a multi-million dollar lottery.”  All my life I have won nothing even after buying god knows how many lottery tickets. I believe I deserve to be rewarded for my persistence. So I want to win a huge lottery.

Despite my desires to go around the world and to drive an Aston Martin or a Ferrari I also want to make a better world. I include “doing something significantly good for the better of this planet and the human race as a whole” to my bucket list. When I am in my death bed and I am remembering my life, I wish that I helped to build a hospital in a poor village or helped educate children.

I have been a huge soccer fan forever now and I support Italy like crazy. So “witnessing Italy win a world cup live in front of my eyes” has to be in my bucket list. Back in 2006, when Italy beat France to become world champions, I was in front of TV and the joy that swept me was overwhelming. I was screaming like a mad person, unable to control my happiness. I want to relieve that moment and I know it will be even better this time.

Terming my interest in movies as a mere “hobby” is a huge understatement. Watching movies is a passion of my life. So, to watch at least 5000 movies including every one of IMDB top 250, AFI 100 and including all the works of Bergman, Tarkovsky, Hitchcock, Kubrick, and all the great movies to be ever produced in the world of cinema is a quintessential part of my bucket list.

So that’s that, my own bucket list.

Goff, Jacob: Bucket List

Since birth, every human is instilled with a want or a need to be successful. Success for me is measured in the comfort of living without the stress of how my bills will be paid, or how I will eat three square meals daily. But comfort also includes things that I want to do, and these things are what make up my bucket list.

The first thing I would like to do is march for a DCI drum corps. DCI is an organization nicknamed “the major league of marching.” It is comprised of the best musicians and marchers from around the nation and the world. Being a member of one of these corps would mean that I am a good enough musician to perform with the very best.

Next, I want to teach music at a university. This has been a dream of mine since I started band in sixth grade. College is a place where the best of the best go to learn and this is no different for musicians. A band full of talented musicians has so much potential when directed skillfully. I want to explore all of the musical possibilities available to me and stretch my talent to its limit.

Lastly, I would like to own a 1968 Shelby Cobra GT 500-KR. Every car collector wants a Shelby Cobra because they were so unique and so well-made. These cars were designed for power and performance and that is part of what makes me want one. They also tell anyone who sees them that the person driving is living the good life.

These three things may not seem like much to some people, but they are all things that will stay with me through the rest of my life. The experiences I get through the things on my bucket list are what make them so appealing.

Marsh, Daly: Bucket List

As a freshman in college I am now realizing who I want to be for the rest of my life. I am defining myself by my interests and my hobbies. Within these interests, there is a list of things I want to do before I die. This is my Bucket List!

             

Starting at number four, I’ve always wanted to go cliff diving. Similar to sky diving, cliff diving consists of jumping off the top of a cliff and pulling a parachute rip cord. I believe this would put a little fun in my life. Just the idea of putting my life on the line in a controlled “death fall” is kind of new and cool to me. 

             

At number three, I would love to teach myself how to play the guitar. I’ve always loved country music, and the guitar is one of the key elements in this genre. Being able to just sit down one day and play the guitar would be a real accomplishment for me.

            

 My number two item on the bucket list would be to find the love of my life. I want a woman that I could spend the rest of my life with. Someone that I could take back home and my family would love to be around her. My hope is that she will be everything that I ever dreamed or hoped for in a woman.

             

Finally, the number one thing I want to do before I die is become a pilot. It has been my dream to fly a plane for as long as I can remember. The thought of me actually being the pilot of a jet blows my mind.

             

From number four to number one I hope to tackle my bucket list one by one. Therefore completing my life with everything I want to do.  

Goecke, Colby: Bucket List

                  Throughout the course of our lives, we often have many dreams and aspirations.  Some of these dreams are to perform a certain action; others are to someday achieve a certain honor or place, or to simply possess a tangible item.

                   

 I love flying and the thrill that goes along with defying gravity.  While being a business pilot will certainly be an exciting adventure and amazing career, I hope to someday go even beyond that. I would like to become a personal pilot for a business tycoon.  As a personal pilot, I will be able to better connect with my employers rather than knowing that they sitting in an office somewhere.

                  

 I have a fetish for high performance cars.  Any mention of horsepower or speed immediately grabs my undivided attention. Due to this fact, it is only natural that I would desire to someday own several “super cars”. Not just sports cars. I want the cars that turn heads and cause hearts to beat in excess of safe levels.

                  

 Travel has always been a keen interest of mine. Of all the travel hotspots in the world, I plan to visit New Zealand. The breathtaking landscape and beautiful climate are the aspects that dream vacations are made of.

                  

 The National Rifle Championships at Camp Perry, Ohio are known as the “World Series of Shooting Sports”.  A dead shot my entire life, I have always dreamed of someday taking part in the world famous competition just to see how I would do.

                   

Returning to my love for speed, I have always had a strong desire to drive on the Autobahn.  A competitively capable car on the speed limit free European highway would provide for a free-running thrill unlike most any other.