Reaching Lifelong Goals as a Nontraditional Student » University

Non-Traditional Student Article – Front Page News

Redfokker — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:13:10 +0000

Breaking news!! Non-traditional students find success at OSU! My daily Oregon State University newspaper, The Daily Barometer published a wonderful article about Non Trads. I was surprised to find my photo (at left) on the front page, above the fold on this morning’s edition. The author of the article, Kayley Hanecek, spent about an hour and a half interviewing me about life as an older student in today’s collegiate life. Her research into the Non-traditional Students at Oregon State was quite complete. There are 4,615 Non Trads at OSU out of a student population of around 22,000. The rate of increase over the past couple of years is over 8%, which is most likely due to the downturn of our Nation’s economy. She goes on to highlight the ASOSU Non-Traditional Student Task Force and the work they are doing on behalf of the older population at our university. The article tells my story of being out of school for 35 years and finally coming back to earn my long desired college degree. I am proud to represent my fellow older students. My story is probably a little more unique than the majority of Non-traditional Students, my gap in school attendance is not the norm for the demographic. Many of us are dealing with issues of balancing family life, work and everyday life with the goals of our studies. The older student is a minority in education today, but a growing section of the population in higher education. Non trads make up around 20% of the student body at Oregon State University. Which makes the Non Trads in colleges today one of the fastest growing “minorities” . In the Nation’s community colleges this percentage is probably higher as the older population is in a retraining mode. The article also listed that I have been maintaining this Reaching Lifelong Goals.com blog and that I am a volunteer at the Albany Civil Theater. (actually, it is a CIVIC theater, but we are quite “civil” to each other…) Kayley tells my story of Non Traditional Student life in a detailed and entertaining way. It is difficult to condense a lifetime of being a working stiff in the real world, but the author tells it like it was! The final line of the article is my quote, “I’m unique, I’m just a geek having fun” I do declare that indeed, I am a History Geek and my college experience is proving to be a great deal of fun. I am finally having the experience and fun of being a crazy college student, I’m just a little too old to pull all-nighters anymore!

The title of the article says it all “Non-traditional students find success at OSU” Open this link and have a good read!

History Major’s Dream Vacation – USS Constellation

Redfokker — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:20:27 +0000

After leaving the wonderful Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, I changed “history gears” into my love for 17th and 18th century sailing warships. After finding parking, which was an experience in downtown Baltimore, we had a hike of a few blocks towards the harbor attractions. This day was working on being quite hot, about 90 degrees. We deserved a treat, so we found the Cheesecake Factory Restaurant in the shopping area near the water. An added treat for me was the fact that our table overlooked the item of my bucket list quest….the USS CONSTELLATION! As we were walking, I could see masts tops in the distance, and my heart was racing. I think that I picked up my pace a little too much for Patty in anticipation of being on the decks of this ship. After a wonderful lunch and decadent cheesecake, I was primed for my visit to this historic ship. The urban renewal project that the City of Baltimore undertook to create a destination center for this area is truly wonderful. The centerpiece of Baltimore Harbor is the restored (or in the ongoing process of actually…) 1854 Sloop of War the USS Constellation. The original US Frigate Constellation (1797-1853) was part of the fledgling US Navy. The original Constellation was a contemporary to my all time top bucket list item….”Old Ironsides”, USS Constitution. The ship that survives today is the second ship of the US Navy to carry the name USS Constellation. It was built as a Sloop of War in 1854. The Constellation’s claim to fame is that it is the only remaining sailing ship from the Civil War period. She served proudly off the coast of Africa intercepting slave trading ships and saved over 700 Africans from a life of slavery. The USS Constellation served as the midshipmen training vessel for much of her long career. Officially decommissioned in 1955. She was restored to resemble the 1797 Frigate configuration. Through historical detective work, the controversy about her age and claims that she was not the original Constellation found that this ship was actually the one built in the 1850s after the original had been broken up. By the 1980s, she was in terrible shape with almost a 36″ hogging in her keel (deformation due to structural problems). She was again drydocked in 1994 and after a costly and extensive rebuilding as a Sloop of War (actual ship from 1854) was back on permanent display in Baltimore’s inner harbor on July 2, 1999.

Today, this ship is one of the finest examples afloat of the last days of sail powered warships. I was excited to go and visit my brother-in-law, mostly to see my nieces and family, but the prospect of being near Baltimore and this ship was another high point in our East Coast vacation. I was very moved by stepping onto the deck of this ship. All of the rigging and tall masts towering over me, the feel of being “afloat on history” was very exciting. I had to have my photo at the beautiful wheel of the ship. Walking aft, it was just like being a midshipman during the 1880s, seeing all of the ropes belayed and the deck fittings shining! All of the decks of the ship are open for viewing and Patty and I went down the ladder to the gun deck. Close quarters to be sure. At the present time, the ship’s guns are not “run out” through the gunports. There is restoration work being done and they were tied down and not on display as they would have been during wartime. No worries, the excitement was still there, so our tour went toward the stern galleries and the captain and officer berths. The stateroom has been restored and display of the officer’s wardroom table and the captain’s quarters were very nice. The tight quarters of a ship of this era is really something to experience. In the bow of the gun deck the ship’s sick bay is displayed with artifacts of the ship’s doctor and information about medicine at sea.

The next deck down is where the crew lived at sea. The hammocks were hung in the same way as during the life of the ship. Very low ceiling here, while taking pictures and just loving the experience, my attention slipped and I bonked my head on the timbers. Focus, focus. The next deck down is the Orlop deck or the hold. This area is where you can see the old timbers of the original ship still exposed. The feeling of the age of this floating artifact is really evident down in the deep recesses of the hull. The working restoration “shop” on board the ship is in the bow of this deck. All kinds of restored blocks and tackle, huge cables of rope and a good ole’ workbench for the restoration workers is on view here. The entire ship is still being worked on by volunteers on a regular basis. The work is ongoing, continually improving the look of the ship into its original condition. At right is a picture of the pumps used to pump the bilge of the ship and they are all original, with lead linings in the pipes and cast iron fittings, this was a look into the past. This pump station is on the gun deck and you can see the cannons in their stowed positions by the gunports. (Remember, you can click on all the photos in these postings to see a more detailed, larger view.) It was another lump in the throat experience being on this ship. I have built scale models of these old sailing ships over the years, researching the projects extensively, but there is no comparison to actually step onto one of my original “historical loves”.

I wanted to get some outside pictures of this wonderful ship, so Patty retreated to the air conditioning of the adjacent mall. I did not tour the other ships that are displayed in the inner harbor but they are special as well. The WWII Submarine USS Torsk is across the water moored next to the Aquarium (definite must do on our next trip, I am a Tropical Fish nut also…) and the light house ship Chesapeake is also on display and available to tour. The Baltimore inner harbor is a beautiful place with much to see. A whole day could be devoted to all the sites. We were eager to get out-of-town before rush hour so I quickly finished some photography and said goodbye to another Bucket List item being checked off. The next day would be the Washington DC National Mall tour bus. We made our way back to Joe’s house in Greenbelt, MD to spend an evening with family. I was still basking the glow of my day at two impressive stops on my History Major’s Dream Vacation.

History Major’s Dream Vacation – College Park MD Air Museum

Redfokker — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:11:03 +0000

The oldest continuously operating airport in the WORLD is in College, Park Maryland. Founded by Wilbur Wright in 1909 when he came to give flying instruction to the US Army’s first military aviators. The College Park Air Museum is a wonderful facility that is partnered with the National Air Space Museum. They have a great little collection of civil aircraft and some replicas of the first planes that were used for the US Military. Another high point of this museum is its child friendly exhibits. My niece, Natalie who is 3 had a wonderful time there while her Uncle Mike was drooling over the airplanes. She had a great time, they have pilot uniforms and hats for the kids to try on, and a cool exhibit (right) that floated balls in a jet stream. All of the photographs in these posts can be clicked on for a larger look. Be sure and check out my niece, she is a cutie!! Many of the aircraft on display are from the golden age of aviation and have ties to this old airfield. One special exhibit that I found fascinating was an unrestored original experimental Berliner Helicopter from 1924 (above left). The Berliner Helicopter, on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, is the culmination of the experiments in vertical flight by Emile Berliner and his son Henry. On February 23, 1924, this helicopter achieved an altitude of 15 feet (at College Park Airport) with a maneuvering radius of 150 feet, while maintaining a speed of about 40 mph. This flight, in front of U.S. Navy officials and media, was acclaimed as the first controlled helicopter flight. The collection also contains some wonderful replicas of early (1909-1911) aircraft that were used to train the first military aviators in the USA.

This 1932 Monocoupe 110 is typical of the popular civil aircraft that frequented the airport during the 30s and 40s. This aircraft is suspended from the ceiling and makes for a colorful display. The museum has a number of these private planes from the mid-century, really a fun time for an aviation buff. I also was very impressed with a small-scale diorama of the College park aerodrome circa 1911, the scale was about 1:87 (HO railroad scale) and the model work was superb! The photo at the right shows a small section of the diorama, click to see the detail!

At the end of our visit to the Air Museum we were treated to a tour of my Brother in Law Joe’s laboratory on the University of Maryland campus. Joe is doing his post doctoral work at the U of M and his field of study is in evolutionary genetics as a Biochemist. Way over my head, he is a brilliant individual. The Terps, for Terrapins have a claim to fame that I found wonderful. Muppet founder Jim Henson was an alumnus of this university. So I would suppose that Kermit the Frog is as well. They have a statue of Kermit and Jim Henson on campus by their memorial union. Natalie likes Kermit, and enjoys visiting this statue when she is on Daddy’s campus.

All in all, Labor Day 2010 was quite wonderful. The whole family had a wonderful time and Aunt Patty was able to get some real quality time with her niece as well. With the “all about me” nature of our vacation schedule of going to museums, ships, trains etc. it was nice to spend a day just having fun and visiting family. This was of course the main purpose of our vacation, family time with Patty’s brother and sister. Tomorrow we will visit my über bucket list item….the National Air and Space Museum on the Capitol Mall of Washington, DC.

I Held Linus Pauling’s Nobel Peace Prize in My Hands Today!

Redfokker — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:53:50 +0000

It has been quite an interesting first two weeks of Fall Term here at Oregon State University. I have been very bad about posting to this Non Traditional Student Blog over the Summer break, I will endeavor to remedy this over the next few days. Oregon State University has a great claim to fame with the collection of Dr. Linus Pauling (1901-1994) Papers. As part of my Historian’s Craft course this term we were given a tour of the collection today. We learned about the life of Linus Pauling, the only recipient in history of TWO individual Nobel Prizes and an alumnus of OSU. To actually hold in my hands the Nobel Peace Prize medal was an experience I will not soon forget. The “rush” of history came over me as I examined this three-inch medallion worth about $20,000 (lots of gold, it was heavy). We then were treated to a backroom tour of the collection where we held a letter to Dr. Pauling signed by Albert Einstein, a box of letters from all of the Kennedy’s and his collection of molecular models he used in teaching. The Oregon State Special Collections also hold the papers of numerous other famous scientists and authors. A real treat was access to the rare book vault with books dating back to 1470! These were hand written manuscripts, Guttenburg had not printed his Bible yet! The holdings also include two 4000 year old clay tablets with early Sumarian writing, Wow!! Needless to say, I was moved by this class session deeply. I have not had to occasion to be brought to tears by a college class session to date as a Non Traditional Student, today was a definite first. This collection is available for research to everyone. Even though this tour was special for our class, anyone has access to these artifacts…they only need to come to Corvallis Oregon to view them. The college course that I am taking is basically, “the history of History”. It is specifically designed to teach new historians about the profession. We are focusing on the American Revolution, my professor’s specialty, but the concepts are universal to Historiography. My next two years in college are all going to be upper division classes such as this. I am in History Heaven!! Granted, the reading load for my Eastern Asia History class and this Historian’s Craft class is HUGE!! I have to keep telling myself, if you didn’t want to do a lot of reading, you should have considered something simple like brain surgery or astrophysics! I am also into my second year of German. By taking an entire year of German during the Summer Term, I have been through the initiation by fire and one term at a time will be a welcome change.

During the Summer Break, my wife and I traveled to the East Coast to visit family. Of course, this was another major event in my life as I was able to click off many “bucket list” items in my “places to see before I die” goals. This blog has always been about Reaching Lifelong Goals, and I did achieve a number of them on this trip. Over the next few blog posts, I will chronicle my History Vacation. I came back with over 1600 digital images of planes, trains and automobiles that I was able to see. This was made possible by my WONDERFUL WIFE, who I owe so much of this experience to. I saw history through my new eyes as a History Major and a future Historian, the experience was grand!! This photo is of me at the wheel of the USS Constellation, in Baltimore harbor, with tears of the joy of reaching a lifelong goal in my eyes. Stay tuned…

Non Trad on Campus Summer Term

Redfokker — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:43:30 +0000

It has been a crazy summer!! I am taking 16 credits with a Math class and a full year of German. We just finished our second “term” this Summer. It works out to about a term (GER111, GER112, GER113) every 12 days. I received a B+ for my German 111 and a “shaky” B for my second term. I’ll have to pick up my game and pull an A for the final term if I want to have anything like an acceptable GPA this summer (my standards are a little high, I get upset with anything less than a 4.00) My math class is the final requirement for my baccalaureate core and I will be getting an A in this class. Summer term is kind of relaxed in other ways, lots of open space in the library, no big crowds in the book store, and parking availability! The campus of Oregon State University is quite beautiful with wonderful trees and lots of green areas. It is a pleasure to spend my days just walking around “My” campus. I get a little misty eyed, realizing this experience is a culmination of a life long goal. I do have some free time to walk around and just enjoy the college experience that has been 35 years delayed. Most of my day is spent in the OSU Valley Library. My floor is the 6th, where all of the wonderful collection of history books reside. I will be spending a lot of time digging through the racks, browsing and researching History projects. With the pace of keeping up with German lessons, I have tried to limit myself to only a couple of sessions a week.

The whirlwind pace of German in Summer Term is a real challenge, but I can recommend this type of total committment to a language first year if you can swing it. I am packing a lot of information into this old non traditional student head, it is nearly full, not much more room left! When you start dreaming about conjugating verbs and vocab tests, it must be a sign of information overload… One benefit of this type of class schedule is that you really get to put learning skills to work in a major way. Starting in the fall, I’ll be heading into second year German, only taking one section per term. I will have to shift gears and make sure to study a little German every day and not put the homework off til the night before a class.

One of the buildings on campus that I will be spending many hours in is Kidder Hall, which is located across the Quad from the Valley Library. This facility is one of the older buildings on campus and it has a “vintage college” feel to it. I am taking in all of the experiences of being in college with an appreciation of what I missed so many years ago. Even the creaking floors and windows excite me! Being a non traditional student is more to me than just returning to school. It has become a life changing experience, and I am trying to get every last drop out of it. Older students returning to college is the overall theme of Reaching Lifelong Goals.com, but I’m finding the experience to be so much more than that.