The Cold War

After World War II, the United States was considered the most powerful country, and the Soviet Union was only one rank below. The two countries were so military and economically powerful that they were deemed “superpowers.” However, because these two countries were powerful, they became skeptical of each other, which slowly created a Cold War in Europe, and also in Asia. Aside from building nuclear weapons just in case the other “superpower” were to impose war, the two countries began to “fight” over Europe and Asia merely to gain an upper hand on each other.
Out of the many events that occurred during this Cold War, the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, and the Berlin Blockade best illustrate the undeniable tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
The Marshall Plan of 1947 was seemingly just intended to help Europe revive from post-war damages. Most of Europe was quick to accept aid from the U.S., except for the Soviet Union and it satellites. In fact, the Soviet Union was against the Marshall Plan because it would make these countries more partial to the U.S., hence more power to the U.S. Also, the Soviet Union saw that this would give the U.S. a better opportunity to put its military in countries closer to Russia, thus if actual war were to break out between the two countries, the U.S. would have the upper hand. Overall, the Soviets rejection of the Marshall Plan showed that Europe was divided between countries that were influenced by the U.S., and countries influenced by the Soviet Union.
The Truman Doctrine of 1947 was even more disliked by the Soviet Union. In conjunction with the Marshall Plan, the plan brought potential military of the U.S. to areas where Soviet spheres in influences (such as the Soviet satellites) remained.
About a year after the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine, Stalin created a blockade of Berlin to stop the unification of the three zones of Germany, stopping all road, rail road, canal traffic, and electricity into Berlin. The Soviet Union was determined to force Germany to stay split into three zones in order to keep their influence in Germany strong. However, the U.S. was determined to unify Germany, assist the distressed people of Berlin, and to enhance the U.S. reputation in order to form more military alliances. So the U.S. began to airlift supplies to Berlin, which the Soviets could do nothing about because if they were to interfere with the airlifts, they would have to declare war. As a result, the Soviet Union was forced to end the blockade in 1949. This worsened the friction between the U.S. and the Soviet Union because now the Soviets had gained a “bad reputation,” while the U.S. came out looking like “heroes.”
The Cold War in Asia was basically an offspring of the conflict going on between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in Europe. Problems broke out throughout Asia’s countries because of the U.S. and the Soviet Union’s attempts to influence the governments of these Asian countries.
Due to the “red scare” or “McCarthyism” that the U.S. experienced in the 1940s and 1950s, the U.S. had an overwhelming fear of communism, which caused the U.S. to take so much time and interest to drive the “commies” out of Asia. The U.S. favoritism towards non-communism was established when President Truman decided to back South Korea (nationalist) when communist North Korea invaded. This battle also turned into an accidental battle against communist China when McArthur got too close to China’s boarder with the intent to start war with China.
But, the U.S.’s presence in Asia was not just to battle the “commies.” There was still a power struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Hence, one of the reasons the U.S. backed South Korea during the Korean conflict because the U.S. knew that a communist Korea would give the Soviet Union more satellites near Japan, which was where one of the U.S.’s primary bases was located. The U.S.’s base in Japan needed to be safeguarded because its placement was close to the Soviet Union, thus making the U.S. more of a threat to the Soviet Union.
The main contrast between the Cold War in Europe and the Cold War in Asia was that Asia was basically accidentally caught up in the middle of the Cold War. Initially, it was Europe that both the U.S. and the Soviet Union were trying to influence in their own favor. Asia became involved when the U.S. and the Soviet Union realized that these Asian countries could be used to threaten each other (e.g. the U.S. having a base in Japan so they could keep a closer eye on the Soviet Union, or the Soviet Union extending it satellites and sphere of influence).

My Graduation Speech

The following was written and performed by me. I was asked to be one of the student speakers at Anoka-Ramsey Community College's graduation ceremony. Note that the following was written to be performed.

Graduated;
But Still Enrolled

Good afternoon graduates. Classes are over, and here you all are: recovering from sleep deprivation, caffeine addictions, and paper-writing induced carpal tunnel or arthritis. Despite those setbacks, you all seemed to have coordinated very well. Several of you chose to wear similar outfits of the same style- and color. Black is a decent color, but I’m thinking hot-pink would have been a more flattering selection; personal opinion, of course.
Reaching graduation isn’t an easy task. It could be; if college was the only thing we had to focus on, but life doesn’t work that way. Though we enrolled here to take college courses, our lives were already enrolled in several other activities: family, friends, jobs, significant -or insignificant- others, sports, religion, extra-circular activities, and/or all of the above.
But why did we do it? Or a better question: how did we do it? How did we manage to maintain all these tasks? Skillful time management? Sacrifice? Or was did we do it because of our human nature? -The effects of Darwinism? When we entered college, our primitive instincts of “survival-of-the-fittest” raged within us kicked in and compelled us to aspire and achieve our highest potential. (PAUSE) –Or was it a mix of all-nighters, cramming, and the assistance of caffeine?
– I had a friend who had a t-shirt that read “I’m severely under-medicated;” I think we can all relate to this.
Anyway… that brings me back to the other question: why did we do it? Why did we pursue our education so diligently? Surely it wasn’t just for the paper certificate and the stylish matching gowns. Perhaps it was the desire to better ourselves. Whether that bettering be in the form of being able to attain that desired career, or in personal gratification. To be able to say “I did that. I was strong enough to do that.” More often, it is a combination of these two things: to personally know what we are capable of, and then being able to go on to prove our abilities to ourselves and others.
Abilities: 100% of us have them… However, according to Dave Roddy from the math department, 67% of statistics are made up; just like this one.
-I continue:
I believe every breathing human has two types of abilities: pleasing abilities, and displeasing abilities.
Our pleasing abilities? Our ability to learn, succeed, improve, love, forgive, and of course, live. And our displeasing abilities? Our ability to misjudge, misunderstand, fail, and… die.
It may occur to you that I neither called these abilities “positive,” nor did I label them “negative.” This may be due to optimism, but I believe that our displeasing abilities can be transformed from - or directed into - pleasing abilities.
How are these displeasing things bad? Misjudging and misunderstanding are difficult because committing them means we must admit that we are wrong; that we made a mistake, and yes, we must correct it.
(PAUSE) Ew.
Nonetheless, this can be a good thing – once we are able to swallow our crusty pride, we can realize that we have misjudged or misunderstood. Then, we have the opportunity to judge fairly and understand something for what it is rather than what it seems.
Failure; it is seemingly difficult to put a positive spin on it. It’s kind of like… picking your nose in public: we all do it, but no one wants to admit to it. But, admitting to failure means you admit to your humanity: as a human, you have the right – and sometimes the obligation – to fail – or pick your nose.
When I was going through grade school, I could barely read. It did not go unnoticed. Because of it, I was held back one year in school, I was often kept in from recess to re-do English homework I had failed. I was put into the – what I delicately refer to as the “dumb” - reading classes. In these classes, I had experiences with three types of teachers:

- Teacher category #1: Teachers who believed that my poor reading skills were a result of my lack of effort, my unwillingness to try, and my short attention span… (PAUSE)

Oh, I’m sorry, I saw a friend of mine among the graduates. Hi Mom. (PAUSE) Oh. Where was I? I’m sorry, I digress.

- Teacher category #2: Teachers who genuinely wanted to guide me to achieving a higher reading comprehension

- And sadly, teacher category #3: Teachers who gave up on me - sending me into the hallway because I had failed the reading test for the third time in a row.

It was because of my constant failure that I received special attention from a particular English teacher. For two years, she slammed me with homework and wouldn’t tolerate anything below a B. I resented her, she infuriated me. She’d drive me so close to the edge that I wanted to go right up to her and say…!
… She’s in this graduating class, isn’t she?
Well… Hello… I… didn’t know you’d be here. You look really great tonight. You… coordinated really well with everyone else I see… sorry Mom…
Because of those two years of painstaking hours of homework, and because of that teacher’s persistence and unconditional faith in me, I stopped failing my English tests. Months after I finally exited her class, I was recommended into AP courses because my English comprehension was college level.
The irony of this story is that my failure led to my eventual success – just as the obstacles we have encountered have made us stronger and smarter. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Friedrich Nietzsche said that… He’s dead now.
“Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so.” These words are spoken by poet John Donne. –and no, I did not site Donne just to prove to my Honor’s Poetry teacher that on October 16 2006 I was really just resting my eyes and totally not sleeping during his lecture on influential poets.
Our friends and family will one day be able to tell generations beyond us how and when we died. But should we live our lives in fear of it?
Pfft. No! Of course not! That’d be silly!
So yes, one day our death will be forgotten, but this proves that death is not noteworthy, because we eventually forget it. But we, and generations beyond us, will never stop celebrating life. We remember the lives of others as others will remember our lives. The story of our lives never dies. History texts, YouTube, photos, saved diaries, and oral stories keep our lives alive forever. Focus on what will be remembered into the infinite generations; fear not death.
Graduates of 2008, this speech, the lessons - the advice we have attained, our overall education is worthless; unless we choose otherwise.
It is each and every one of us who chooses what direction our life will take.
It is each and every one of us who will decide how –and why we make the choices we now, and forevermore, will make.
It is each and every one of us who is capable of learning, succeeding, failing, improving, misjudging, loving, misunderstanding, forgiving, dying, and living.
This power of choice and power of potential gives all of us limitless possibilities and opportunities. But with great power, comes great responsibility.
– (Subtle) And yes I did just totally rip off that quote from Spider-Man.
Congratulations class of 2008, we graduated from college, but remember that we are still enrolled in life; our work is never done. Class dismissed.

Imagine this: being a full-time student striving to achieve a degree, attempting to academically challenge oneself, holding three jobs and leadership positions in Student-Life organizations, and assisting on student-oriented committees. Impractical? Impossible? Insane? Upholding all these responsibilities was a day-to-day task for David Blanchard, a former student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Cambridge Campus.
“I think that the way students are challenged in college… is by having the initiative to make the fullest of their education,” Blanchard explains.
Blanchard’s résumé of academic and extra-circular activities is both bulky and brilliant: both chapter president and VP of the Minn-Wi-Kota region in Phi Theta Kappa, participant in the Honor’s Program, involvement with Student Government, an active member of the Student Life Committee, and a volunteer for various ARCC committees ranging from the building dedication committee to the hiring committee. Also, while participating in these activities, Blanchard was enrolled as a full-time student and held three jobs.
Though maintaining these responsibilities was hectic, Blanchard kept his eyes on the silver lining.
“Everything that I did made me all the stronger,” he explains. “I think that all of the activities I was involved in (at any level) made me a better student, friend, leader, citizen and person as a whole.”
Aside from the personal gratification Blanchard felt from being active at the ARCC, his hard work was well appreciated and rewarded
“While at the Cambridge Campus I received a number of foundation scholarships and a great list of service hours, references and recommendation letters,” says Blanchard. “(Letters of recommendation) mean much more, but don't always pay the tuition statement.”
Blanchard’s ambition not only earned him scholarships at the ARCC, but also helped him in achieving a substantial transfer scholarship at the college he currently attends: St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Presently, Blanchard is working towards his teaching license for elementary education, K-8th grade, with a science cognate, which will enable him to be a science teacher or general education classroom teacher.
Although Blanchard admits that he is not currently involved in Student Life activities at SCSU, he keeps himself preoccupied. With a full-course load, three jobs (sales floor team member at Pamida, Retail Data Collection Associate at The Nielsen Company, and a student manager at the SCSU Computer Store), and a 45-minute commute to and from school, his free-time is crunched. However, Blanchard adds that he plans to become more active in SCSU activities ASAP.
“I know what many of you may be thinking right now: ‘boy... this guy just keeps going,’ but the fact of the matter is… everyone needs motivation. The due date, the incentive at the end of the class, the discount on car insurance, and the feeling of a job well done are just a few forms of motivation that many students have and use. What motivates me is my family -past, present and future-, my friends -including the professors I am close with- and my love for education. Everyone needs to have some form of motivation. Once you find yours, keep the light alive and let that motivator propel you to your highest dreams. I have, and will continue to do so.”

The Generation Gap

Compared to the 1930s, sound recording, radio, movies, and television has drastically changed. George Flugaur, a retired high-school teacher and college professor, well understands these contrasts because he was in his teens during the 1930s, and is still active with today’s technology. Nonetheless, Flugaur is astonished by the significant technological differences between his generation and the current generation.
Sound technology largely contrasts between the current and Flugaur’s generation. Flugaur notes that during his youth, a record had a diameter of about 12 inches. In 1945, the diameter went down to 6 inches, which he believed to be a significant size reduction. However, Flugaur admits that he had not foreseen the format of a record to change to a compact disk (CD), nor did he predict that the diameter could decrease to a mere 120 mm in diameter.
Flugaur emphasized the undesirable aspect of the record’s inconveniently large size. Aside from this drawback, Flugaur admits, operating the actual record player was even less convenient.
“We had a wind up,” he explains. “The volume was controlled by opening and closing shutters.”
Personally, I find the size of a CD to be an irritation; hence, I cannot wrap my mind around the idea of dealing with the size of a record. However, my irritation of the CD is rational. Since downloading music into an MP3 is more time-worthy and normal for me, lugging around a CD in a large CD player seems irrational to me.
Combined with the inconvenient large size of the record and the difficulties of operating an actual record player, Flugaur admits that discovering variations of music was difficult during his generation. He recalls that the only means of finding new artists or music was either by hearing them on the radio, or by going to the “dime stores” and “music stores.” Though still unfamiliar with how to actually use current software, Flugaur is fascinated how easy it is for one to find a variety of artists. Radio stations (including online stations), billboard advertisements, and commercials are just the beginning, Flugaur admits. He looks forward to better understanding how to use iTunes or LimeWire so he can better “discover” musical artists the same way I do.
When radios became affordable, Flugaur’s father was “one of the first” to purchase one. Flugaur admits that his first radio was difficult to operate due to the “many dials,” space-consuming size, unclear stations, and having to replace the radio’s “tubes.” However, there were benefits to the old fashioned radios.
“My older brother could get stations from other countries,” says Flugaur.
The family’s second radio was more convenient (though sadly unable to catch stations oversees). Flugaur recalls the clearer stations being the most memorable benefit of replacing their radio.
What Flugaur admires most about today’s radio is that the parts of radios are not usually replaced and station clearness is rarely an inconvenience or an issue. If a part of a radio does need to be replaced, the whole set is usually thrown out and a new radio is brought in due to the cheapness of today’s radios, which Flugaur enjoys because he has gotten the opportunity to try out several different styles of radio sets. Station clearness is not usually an issue, especially since the update into satellite radio (i.e. XM Radio).
Honestly, station clearness and radio efficiency does not even come to my mind when I think of the radio. The only thing I worry about when tuning into a radio station is whether the station is on a commercial break or not.
Flugaur was not able to attain a television set when it was first introduced to the market due to the expensiveness and their house’s inability to “catch television stations.” After the price of the television lowered significantly and television technology improved, the Flugaur family bought a second-hand Sylvania for $50. However, shortly after, they were able to update to a color television.
“A week (after we bought the Sylvania), the older children and I went bowling,” says Flugaur. “I won a color TV by getting a strike.”
Attaining a television has never raised a red flag in my mind. In fact, there are six televisions in the house I live in (an equal distribution of three TVs in the basement and three in the upstairs). To me, TV’s are everywhere. The only people I know who don’t have a TV are people who make an effort not to own a TV.
Today, Flugaur realizes that his family was somewhat ripped off when purchasing their second-hand television. Although, like others from his generation, he believe he received a better “bang-for-his-buck” when purchasing movie tickets.
In 2008, the average matinee movie viewing costs about four dollars, which includes previews, a movie, and sometimes a short cartoon before the movie (if the movie is child-orientated). Flugaur recalls that, when he was young, matinees were only $0.10 cents and included both a film and a feature film.
For me, I am glad that today’s movies only have previews and the actual movie. Usually I have to plan to see a movie, making it barely fit into my schedule. This also contrasts with my grandpa’s movie-going experience. In his day, he explains, going to view a movie was an all-day experience, not an event one “squeezes” into their schedule.
The entertainment industry has drastically changed for Flugaur. More benefits than drawbacks have occurred in sound recording, radio, television, and movies have. Flugaur believes that neither generation is better than the other. Simply, one generation builds off the other, and someday, another generation is going to look back at the current generation in astonishment.

Feature Article (1st Draft)

Imagine this: being a full-time student striving to achieve a degree, attempting to academically challenge oneself, holding a job/jobs and leadership positions in Student-Life organizations, and assisting on student-oriented committees. Impractical? Impossible? Insane? Upholding all these responsibilities was a day-to-day task for David Blanchard, a former student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Cambridge Campus.
Blanchard’s résumé of academic and extra-circular activities is both bulky and brilliant: both chapter president and VP of the Minn-Wi-Kota region in Phi Theta Kappa, participant in the Honor’s Program, involvement with Student Government, an active member of the Student Life Committee, a volunteer for various ARCC committees ranging from the building dedication committee to the hiring committee. Also, while participating in these activities, Blanchard was enrolled as a full-time student and held three jobs.
Though maintaining these responsibilities was hectic, Blanchard kept his eyes on the silver lining.
“Everything that I did made me all the stronger,” he explains. “I think that all of the activities I was involved in (at any level) made me a better student, friend, leader, citizen and person as a whole.”
Aside from the personal gratification Blanchard felt from being active at the ARCC, his hard work was well appreciated and rewarded
“While at the Cambridge campus I received a number of foundation scholarships and a great list of service hours, references and recommendation letters,” says Blanchard. “(Letters of Recommendation) mean much more, but don't always pay the tuition statement.”
Blanchard’s ambition not only earned him scholarships at the ARCC, but also helped him in achieving a substantial transfer scholarship at the college he currently attends: St. Cloud State University (SCSU). Presently, Blanchard is working towards his teaching license for Elementary Education K-8th grade with a science cognate which will enable him to be a science teacher or general education classroom teacher.
Although Blanchard admits that he is not currently involved in Student Life activities at SCSU, he keeps himself preoccupied. With a full-course load, three jobs (Sales Floor Team Member at Pamida, Retail Data Collection Associate at The Nielsen Company, and a Student Manager at the SCSU Computer Store), and a 45 minute commute to and from school, his free-time is crunched. However, Blanchard adds that he plans to become more active in SCSU activities ASAP.
“I know what many of you may be thinking right now: "boy... this guy just keeps going," but the fact of the matter is… everyone needs motivation. The due date, the incentive at the end of the class, the discount on car insurance, and the feeling of a job well done are just a few forms of motivation that many students have and use. What motivates me is my family -past, present and future-, my friends -including the professors I am close with- and my love for education. Everyone needs to have some form of motivation. Once you find yours, keep the light alive and let that motivator propel you to your highest dreams. I have, and will continue to do so.”

Brazz Tree

The musical compositions of Mazz Swift (violin and vox) and Brad Hammonds’s (acoustic guitar) “Brazz Tree” recently visited Anoka-Ramsey Community College Cambridge Campus.
“Brazz Tree” cannot be categorized into a specific genre. The band’s intent is to combine the elements of various elements of various classifications of music such as “Rock” or “Folk” to create music the band refers to as “Music NWAR.”
For more information about this band, visit the following sites:

• http://www.brazztree.com/
• http://www.myspace.com/brazztree



Sources:

"Biography." Brazz Tree. Brazz Tree. 14 Apr. 2008 .

Brands (Column)

From a young age, my parents exemplified how to maintain a cheap and practical lifestyle. We snuck food into the theater rather than buying the over-priced candy at the concession stands, dad only allowed us to buy new shoes when we had decent coupons, and no matter how much us kids whined, mom refused to buy is the generic clothes: it either had to be on sale, thrift store, or hand-me-downs from siblings and cousins.
Though we did live cheaply, we did not ignore practicality. Sketchers aren’t the cheaper shoes, but we purchase them because we usually outgrow them rather than out-wear them. We bought (and still buy) Columbia jackets because of their durability (we haven’t had to throw one out yet) and because of the company’s generosity (if the zipper on a jacket breaks, you send them the coat and they will repair it, free of charge). We realizes that the cheapest deal isn’t always the best deal, but either is the most expensive deal.
Because I was constantly in the “cheap and practical” mindset, brand names didn’t matter. Material durability and price were (and still are) the first thing I check. Whether the item is from Old Navy or Family Pathways, it doesn’t matter; if it fits, if it’s cheap, if it’ll last, it works for me.
There are times that it is necessary to purchase an item that is expensive, such as an ink cartridge for the printer. Before I would go out and buy a cartridge, I would ask around. What store sells cartridges the cheapest? Where do you buy yours? How long do they last? Even after asking around, I would learn from experience. Perhaps OfficeMax sells cartridges cheap, but if the cartridge doesn’t last long, I have to try another place. Eventually, I find a decent price range and an efficient product (Cartridge World).
Since then, my father has been promoted and the family income has increased. However, our spending habits have not changed.
“The average American family overspends and is in debt,” comments Mary Curtis, my mother. “We aren’t in debt; we live within our means and actually save our money.”
In our family, brand-names are of no importance; efficiency and practicality dominates our decisions.




Sources:

Curtis, Mary. Personal interview. 25 March. 2008.