Speed Weeks have started here in Daytona and it’s a busy fortnight of fumes, physics, and practice. Spring has also come and gone – it lasted all of four days and now Summer’s definitely showing how badly she wants to be here.
The big news this time around is the performances of the Color Guard team during Speed Weeks. After an exciting learning experience at the Tulane International Drill and Color Guard Competition in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, where the Color Guard performed phenomenally well given it was our first competition, we were chosen to perform a week later for the Daytona 500 Qualifying rounds. From that performance, some scouts picked us out and are now interested in having us perform for the Daytona 500 itself (the Superbowl of racing, from what people tell me). We have something of an interview this coming Saturday to confirm our slot, and, if we continue our standard with some improvement, your ERAU Joint ROTC Color Guard will be on national television for the presentation of the colors this coming Sunday.
Otherwise, major things coming up are working with the races themselves (primary money-maker for the Unit) and some mid-term tests in various classes. I’m also gearing up for my lecturing at the IX International on the Science and Quality of Life in Vilnius, Lithuania, continuing my now three year tradition of lecturing as well as teaching English for a Student International Summer Workshop through the former Universitas Studiorum Polona Vilnensis. It’s a long string of preparation for both classes and research/a lecture, but I’m hoping that the prospects of this will help me re-find my focus and motivation that’s been strangely missing since mid-winter break. Perhaps one factor, be it an element or cause, could be my recent alienation of classical studies and continuing my side-line St. John’s College education.
That’s all for now; classes are classes are classes. This semester’s no different than others aside from the extra curriculars. Keep those questions and thoughts coming. They help give a good sense of what all everyone’s interested and give me more ideas to write about. Find the email in prior posts.
Til then, all the best and best wishes to all.
Onward and upward,
David
