I survived the Savannah Blackout 08'

So, I went to Savannah for spring break this year with a bunch of friends, I needed to unwind before going home after a rough few weeks. I needed some time to think and ponder my life away from the pressures of home and Savannah was the perfect place to do it. During the day, we would spend our time on Tybee Island lounging by the pool or on the beach and at night we would hang out and celebrate St. Patrick's Day on River Street in downtown Savannah. On Saturday night around 11:30pm, we had already been enjoying ourselves for a number of hours when my brother called to warn me that we had a tornado near our house in Charleston and that the weather was heading our way. At that point, I wasn't too concerned about much. Then the wind started to pick up and the next thing I knew, all the power in the entire city went out. It was mass chaos. Everyone was screaming and yelling, people started looting and breaking into cars, cops were running all around us and in the middle of all the mayhem, someone swiped my friend Kaity's wallet, with her car key in it to our ride back to the hotel. So after about an hour of trying to find our way through the chaos, we finally found the car in the parking garage we left it in. We called triple A and they told us it was too dangerous for them to come into the city and we would have to wait until the morning to get the spare key. So we figured we would wait in the parking garage because we were somewhat sheltered from the mayhem until our other friends could get back from the condo and get us. After about 45 mins, the parking garage kicked us out and told us we could not stay there. So we started to head for a safe location while people were breaking into cars and stuff when our friends called and said the city was blockaded and we would have to walk to meet them at the blockade, which was only about a mile away, but the city was pitch black and it started to rain. Finally we decided to go for it when a guy came running at us and told us to run bc everyone walking up ahead was getting robbed, so we turned the other way and ran. Then we found a large group of people and followed closely to them and finally made it to our friends at the blockade and safely back to our condo. It was the most sketchy situation of my life and I lived in NY for eight years.

Resume: Should I Lie?

After reading the article on lying on your resume, it really got me thinking. How often do people actually lie on thier resumes? Is thier a common thing? Are nurses and doctors and teachers lying on thier resumes and not getting caught? That is scary. I would never have even of thought about lying on my resume, and I cannot fathom the fact that someone would lie about something so important.
I also felt that the article was a bit biased by trying to make us feel sorry for Mary. Yes she was a wonderful worker and all, but someone who would lie about something as big as a masters degree deserves to be fired. Thier is a simple way for that not to happen to you, dont lie on your resume and dont lie to potential employers.

Presentations

After viewing all of the class presentations, their are a number that really stood out to me. My favorite was Lindsey's presentation on poultry showmanship. Of course I am biased due to my love of poultry and involvment in poultry showmanship, but I thought her presentation was very informative and unique compared to a number of other presentations I saw. I think the class really enjoyed seeing the chicken and actually learning that their was such a thing as poultry showmanship. Majority of people I know and meet do not believe me when I tell them I taught a class on poultry showmanship at Clemson for two semesters, they just find it so hard to believe that one could and would want to show a chicken.
The second presentation that I really enjoyed was Etta's presentation on slang terms. I thought his presentation was very unique and humorous. I have his handout on my refrigerator and my friends and I are using those terms everyday now. My favorite is nooo zeke, I love it!
The third presentation I really enjoyed was Seth's presentation on how to make a creme puff. They were really good and I thought it was great that he made some for the class to try. It was a great way to get the class involved in the presentation, very interactive and creative.
I thought everybody did a great job on thier presentations! They were all original and allowed us to get to know our classmates better.

Mock Interview

This week I had my mock interview for class. I had Ms. Rogers interview me as if I was interviewing for a position in a veterinary school. I had an advantage though because I have already attented a veterinary school interview at Tuskegee Unversity, a private school in northern Alambama. I should find out if I got in by March 15th. The mock interview is a good thing to do though because the more one practices for an interview, the more comfortable they will become for future interviews. It helps a person become more confident about themselves.

Harley, a brittany spaniel has been with our family since he was a puppy ten years ago. We got him from a breeder in Harleyville, SC, which is how we imaginative people named him Harley. He quickly became part of the family and developed a special bond with all of us. He got the paper for my dad every morning and was his special fishing partner, he protected my brother and I from the boogeyman on our side of the house and was a constant companion of ours while we explored the marshes, swam in the river and got into general mischief. He was the perfect puppy, he never chewed on furniture and never had an accident in the house, ever. Once, a contractor that had done some work in our house came back and broke in through one of the back doors while my mom was upstairs sleeping. Harley attacked and bit the man until he ran off and was caught by a security guard leaving the neighborhood. Harley traveled with us back and forth to Florida and New York and was only separated from us when we were on vacation, but mom always hired someone to stay at the house with him so he would not have to go to the kennel. Harley was a member of the family. Recently, he took an extra role taking care of my mom while she was dealing with a number of health issues. She had to stay home a lot, and Harley was always by her side, taking care of her while no one else was there.
Before I came back to school from Christmas break, I noticed Harley's breathing was suddenly labored. I took him to the clinic where I work and Dr. Senf and I did an ultra-sound while my Mom watched. I noticed immediately that Harley was extremely ill, Dr. Senf looked at me and then looked at my mom who just started to cry. Harley had cancer in his lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and thyroid, it was just going to be a matter of time. We took him home with plently of pain killers and antibiotics. Mom had a photographer come and take pictures of my brother, Harley and I before I left for school and I said my goodbyes. I was told Harley was doing well, eating and spending his days with Mom at the house when she was in town and with dad at the office while she was gone.
I decided to go home this past weekend to see everyone, especially Harley. When I got home, Harley was not their to greet me as a I pulled into the garage. I walked into the house and found him sound asleep on his favorite couch in the den. His breathing was awful, and he could barely get up. He was not the same dog I left just 6 weeks earlier. I convinced my family to come with me to the clinic on Saturday morning so we could do a quality of life assesment with Dr. Senf. We quickly realized, it was time to let Harley go. Dr. Senf said he would come to the house on his way home so Harley could go peacefully at home. We took Harley home and mom cooked him some left over filet, and gave him american cheese and salami, his absolute favorite. We then all sat out on the porch with Harley and watched the squirrels climb in the trees, his second favorite pastime after fishing. At 130pm, Dr. Senf arrived with a technician and we said our final goodbyes. Harley passed away on my parents laps while he laid on his favorite couch. We all stayed strong until he was gone and then the tears came flowing. Harley was not coming back. This morning, Dad had to go to the end of the driveway and collect the morning papers himself, Mom could not sleep without Harley's snoring from the chair next to the bed, and my brother had to sleep with Harley's favorite duck. Later this afternoon, before I came back to Clemson, my parents friends came over with a squirrel satute. It was the perfect memorial for Harley. He loved hunting squirrels but could never catch one. So when his ashes return to us, we are going to place them right next to the squirrel so he can finally catch one.


On the lighter side of things, my Dad's 5oth birthday is in two weeks, and next Thursday, my Mom is flying four of his best friends from college to Charleston to spend a long weekend with him. I am going to drive to town and pick them up on my way back to the house and we are all going to walk in the back door and surprise him.

Cover Letters

The article on cover letters was filled with information that I would have thought was pretty much common sense for most people. It described a cover letter as everything I would have though a cover letter would be. A lot of the points that the article discusses are very valid and should be followed whenever writing a cover letter for a resume.
Researching a company is very good advice. By researching a company not only are you becoming more aware of the type of business you are getting involved in but you are also showing your potential employer you can take initiative and care about what you are getting involved in.
I also agree with the writer's opinion that a cover letter should be written to help you stand out amongst possibly hundreds of other resumes a potential employer may be viewing for a job. It is important that a cover letter is written as professional as possible, it is the opening to your resume, a preview of the type of person you are.
I think this article was filled with very useful information that should be followed by anyone writing a cover letter.

Interview Articles

Since I am graduating in May, I have begun to interview with a number of veterinary schools and potential employers. It is important to be well prepared both mentally and physically for all interviews. The articles from the website we viewed this week for our blog all have great tips on preparing yourself for the interview process.
The first article I read was titled "How to deal with interview stress," written by Caroline Levchuck. The article contained a number of great tips on preparing yourself for an interview so you are not so nervous or worried. It is important to appear calm and collected as well as confident while on an interview. The only way to do this is to not be stressed or nervous before and during an interview. The interviewer will pick up on your stress and nervousness. It is important to show up early so you have time to collect your thoughts and relax. The more time you allow yourself to relax, the less nervous and stressed you will be. Before my interview at Tuskegee Veterinary school last week, I was very nervous. I had to collect my thoughts and relax before I want in and assure myself that everything would be fine. I remembered how I felt this past summer when I was interviewing potential employees at the veterinary clinic that I was manager at. I could tell how nervous some people were so I wanted to make sure that my interviewer at Tuskegee would not see my nervousness.
The second article I read was "Four Questions to ask a Potential Manager," which was also written by Caroline Levchuck. This was also a very good article to read before an interview. When I was interviewing potential employees at the veterinary clinic, I always thought more of a person when they asked me questions. It showed me they were serious about the job and had actually put some thought into the job and what duties it would entail. At the end of my veterinary interview last week, the last question they asked me was if I had any questions. Luckily I had thought of a few questions to ask so they could tell how serious I was not only about veterinary school in general, but in Tuskegee's veterinary program specifically.
Both articles were very informative and well written and they provided good advice to anyone interviewing for a position some where, no matter how old they are and how many interviews they have done previously.