Poetry

After seeing this video from a friend's post on Facebook, I decided to also include my response to it in today's blog.

Poetri doing DATING MYSELF on Def Poetry

(Posted by Poetri on his YouTube Channel)

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Poetry

by: Daniel

Poetry beautifies an ugly world

Creating us to explain what you couldn't say at all.

It opens a world to a vast sea and across the pond.

Poetry allows us to extend our arms

To open up barriers to soon be broken.

Decisions, Decisions...

I think the hardest thing for me is making decisions.

You've had decisions made for you most of your life. Then the day comes that its your ultimate decision and you're lost. 

As the Resident Assistant two years ago in one of our traditional residence halls, I saw a lot of the incoming freshman dealing with same difficult decisions that I had to make my freshman year. Looking back at that, though, those "difficult" decisions were really trivial and it was difficult just because my parents were not on campus. 

Thinking back to when I was going to high school and living with my parents, it was easy in the sense that it was a yes or no. Going to college really give the students an opportunity to make your own decision. Students also receive the "gift" of taking the responsibilities for the actions taken by their new-found decision-making. It is the student responsibility to figure out the opportunity costs behind each decision they make. I think another reason why I ask a lot of questions is that I have a fear of failing the first time, but isn't everyone afraid of that?

There's no such thing as a stupid question...

I may get funny awards, and what not, because of being inquisitive, but I see that asking questions is an advantage to becoming more knowledgeable in life.

Inspirational Commercials are the Best

Inspirational Commercials are the Best:

Olympians' Moms

"P&G - Proud Sponsor of Moms" is very inspirational to me. The Olympic athletes are great, but I think what made them be where they are today is the support from their parents. I was watching a video about Ryan Lochte's mom talking about her son. Hearing her stories probably is a story of all proud mothers. A story of how they couldn't be happier of the children they have. Every word a mom says is from the heart when talking about their children. In the good and the bad times, the mom's story of their child arises above all else. I bet that every night, that last thing in their minds are their children. It may keep them up at nights. We are still kids in all mother's eyes no matter how old we are. I think the best way to end this post is to say I love you, Mom. You're the reason why I'm here. What else is more better to be thankful for than having you as my mom.

A Trip of A Lifetime

As I unpack my bag, the memories start pouring out and on the floor along with salt and sand from the Dead Sea. Yesterday, I was a world away. Today, I’m back to what is my reality until graduation. This summer’s opportunity to travel across Israel for 10 days changed my life. Okay, everybody says that, but I’ll try to put it into words that will inspire you to study abroad. One of the best parts of the adventure was that it was paid for by Taglit-Birthright Foundation. Taglit is Hebrew for discover. I was the only Atlanta Jew in my group, so y’all know I represented well. My El-Al (Israeli airline) flight departed from JFK airport in New York City and was where I met the other group members for the first time. I thought it was interesting how we all bonded together – instantly. Our Israeli tour guide called our group mishpucha. We were mishpucha, family in English- it was true. We were a group that didn’t splinter into clicks here or there. We were one united front. Before leaving Atlanta, a lot of people asked the typical question, “Aren’t you afraid and concerned for your safety?” My response was no, because the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has a strong presence. They operate with a mandatory draft practice. I felt safe because Israelis are prepared and know what to in case something goes wrong. Ironically, a missile hit really close to where we were staying in our Bedouin tents. We were fine when we saw the IDF shoot a flare in to the sky. We were miles away, but were amazed to see the satellite controller adjust the satellite by the latitude and longitude with the confidence of a skilled surgeon.

There was so much to see in so little time, but we made each moment a memory. We traveled from the airport to the northern most point of Israel, on to the Golan Heights, the Sea of Galilee, and finally headed to  the west to chill on the city of Bat Yam’s coast. In Tel Aviv, we met our IDF Soldiers (they were off duty for the next five days to stay with us), where we traveled to Independence Hall, and visited Rabin Square. From there, we traveled to the city of Safed (the center of Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah) and went on to kayaking down the Jordan River. Ha! you thought I was kidding, but we really took advantage of our time.
We then traveled south to the Negev Desert to see an Israeli farm. That night, we stayed in the Bedouin tents and left from there to head to Arad to rest before seeing the sun rise on top of the Masada. We traveled to the southern-most point of Israel, (city of) Ein Bokek; traveled back up north toward the city of Ein Gedi. We floated in (or on, however you want to look at it) The Dead Sea and played in the mud. We were able to learn a lot about our heritage as we visited Yad Vashem (Holocaust Memorial), Har (Mount) Herzl (Israel’s National Cemetary), entered into the Old City of Jerusalem, City of David, and shopped at the Mahane Yehuda (open air market). We ended our trip at Mini Israel, which was a moving model representation of the entire state of Israel. We had our farewell lunch, our group went their separate ways and we made our departure back to the United States. 

A few funny things I would like to note: 

1.) I love food, so I couldn’t  stop eating. Every time someone turned around, I had a food item. 

2.) One of the Jews’ father was one my Dad’s Fraternity brothers. We found that out in Israel!
3.) I danced on our bus for five and a half hours straight. That broke my three hours record for the Orientation trip.

We didn’t have time to buy souvenirs to bring home. There was so much to see in so little time, but we took in so much.

I had two goals before leaving for Israel:
1.) Meet others and make friends

2.) To learn what Israel has to offer to the Jewish people 

I’m glad to say mission accomplished! This opportunity has given me memories of a lifetime, knowledge I couldn’t have gained from a book and new friends for life. I would encourage you to study or travel abroad if you are looking to embrace the world around you and have a love of people.

Prove them Wrong...

This was what I told my friend and honestly how I challenge myself everyday:


Don't let someone tell you that you can't do it. If they do, that is your opportunity to prove them wrong. They will be more proud of you if you prove them wrong than if you walk away accepting what is not true.

That was something I learned when I was in special ed...and yes I've been in that since the third grade.

You know that anything I say has meaning behind it. If it didn't have meaning, then I wouldn't have integrity.

Why are you involved...?

A professor asked me why I was in a lot in organizations.
My response to him was because I wanted to be involved. He then asked me if it was a requirement of my Fraternity. My response was no. I then added by saying that I like to help others.

In any organizations I've been involved with, I do not think there has been a time when they have ask for my help. I helped because I wanted to. It's really hard for me to say that, because I hate to take credit for what I've done. Why should I?

I could type a list of what I've done, but I won't and never will. I will only write my involvements:

Fall 2009 - Present:

• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
• ASCE Concrete Canoe Team
• Bathtub Racing Association
• Drama Club
• Emerging Leaders
• Green Hornet Radio
• Institute of Transportation Engineers
• Order of Omega
• Orientation Leader
• Residence Hall Association
• Resident Assistants
• Service Leadership Endorsement Programs
• Sigma Pi Fraternity
• Student Government Association
• Student Honor Code Council
• Student Life Committee
• The Sting

If you ask me a specific question, like did you help XYZ organization to create X and Y? If I did, I will answer, "yes," because you asked and I'm giving you a honest answer. If you ask me who created X and Y, I'll answer "XYZ organization." That's a honest answer, too.

Why should anyone take credit for something they did in the organization? To me, an organization is one unit. In other words, 30 members are in XYZ organization. They are in that organization for a common goal/purpose. Anything that is done in that organization is seen by others as XYZ organization did that, not A or B member.

In conclusion, when I see the success from something "our organization" did; we did it and I'm proud of our organization.

Organization is the key...

I received an email from one of my teacher in High School.
After I emailed her to tell her about this blog. She replied back to say thanks for sharing, but she also said, "I should send you the pictures I have of your exploding bookbag from back in the day! J"


I asked her to send me it because I wanted to see it. Honestly, I was scared to know of what time this picture was taken of my "exploding bookbag". In high school, sadly every day was "exploding bookbag" day. You would see me walking to the next class and my hands would be full (almost a foot high of things sometimes). If you are wondering why I didn't put it in my bookbag...well it was full, too. You probably would have seen papers flying through the wind because I didn't realize they were missing.

This was the picture.

That was what I was holding. My bookbag (right corner) was full of items, too.

Flash forward to today (5 years later):

I just took these pictures. This crate has every class (core and major) I have taken since starting at Southern Polytechnic State University. I have another one, because this one, as you can see, is full.

To be honest, though, I am still struggling to keep a "nice" binder during the semester. I am working to improve that, but this crate is from the binders that I have during the semesters. At the end of every semester, I organize the messy binders and put it in the crate.

Binders from classes that don't required to be put in order are put in a folder. When I say "order," I mean the class builds on itself chapter by chapter. The binder you see in the back, the order matters.

The crate is alphabetized by course category like ENGL (English) or ENGR (Engineering).

This has been a life saver when the class from the previous semester was the foundation to the class you are taking now.

Over Three Years Later...

It's nice when good memories come back to make you smile.

It was towards the end of August of 2008, and I found a competition online from a website that at the time was very new. During this time, I was very involved with Companion Animal Rescue League (CARL). A rescue group that I still help out to this day.

It was the first ever Helping Hands Charity Challenge sponsored by Brickfish. The Grand Prize for the charity of choice, $250. I was determined to win the grand prize, so I began to make the video.

With help from the CARL's President at the time and a friend of her's, the video was finished and uploaded on September 17th, 2008.

The week after Thanksgiving of that year, I received an email from Brickfish letting me know that the Judges selected my video as the Grand Prize Winner!

It was a pleasant surprise, because it wasn't ranked #1 after the submission deadline. In any case, I really wanted to put CARL's name out because as at this time we were a very small group.

Three years later and almost 600 views from around the world, I'm glad I reached a wider audience. Even though some viewers could not adopt an animal because they were in a different country. At least they saw the vision and our mission in ending pet overpopulation.
               
                 "One Day..." by Daniel

Helping Hands Charity Challenge Brickfish

It means so much more when I can inspire someone, just by using today's technology, while not even knowing the person on the other side of the virtual network of computers. 

My Goals...Long and Short...

They say to always write goals, a to-do list, something to ensure you are in the right direction.
Maybe they were right...

I have definitely learned that this year. To show you my progress, I will show you what I have written:

Short Term Goals:

1. Use your Sunday of every week to set up a WEEKLY to-do list.
2. Effectively maintain a calendar (paper), but ensure to keep the same updated calendar on your phone.
3. Be involved...just not as much: 
1. Use a percentage-based allotment of your time. 
1. (70% academics / 30% organizational involvement)
2. (Of the organization involvement, split the organization into percentages, too)
4. Have fun. Find a hobby that doesn't require the use of Facebook, etc.
1. Blogging sounds like the best option
2. and Tennis...if I can find someone to compete against me...

Long Term Goals (Goals until Graduation Day)

1. Earn my Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology with a specialization in Transportation
2. Acquire a certificate in Land Surveying (or continue to acquire a minor in Land Surveying)
3. Acquire a certificate in Global Information Systems
4. No more Summer classes...need to take a break during the summer to ensure that I do not reach exhaustion again.

Willing to postpone graduation* one more year to ensure the accomplishment of the above goals.

I had started enrollment at Southern Polytechnic State University at the beginning of Fall 2009. The sad thing is that I still remember first move in like it was yesterday.

*Expected Graduation at four years: Spring 2013

A Lesson is Always Learned...

Some of you may wonder why I would published a draft.
In life you may not get the result you want. The same thing can happen in writing. For me, I have the hardest time keeping one stream of thought. People who know me can definitely say I am all over the place, literally.

My mind is always going 100 mph. Even while typing this, I get intermittent thoughts of "oh that's a good thing to say," to "crap...what was that thought I had..." It is truly a constant struggle that is a gift and a curse at the same time. To be honest, when I speak...be ready just to ask me to repeat a few things here and there. This is especially a challenge for me, since I want to become a civil engineer specializing in the transportation to correct the Metro Atlanta traffic. As an engineer, especially for transportation, the cost of the projects are a lot. I have learned to compensate by writing with the utmost professionalism, but another good point to make is to be mindful of your audience.

A resident asked me once, "Why don't you just say it?" He explained to me that there are times to be very formal and times of being very informal. As a Resident Assistant, you have to learn to be assertive, but friendly at the same time.

One of my colleagues describe this the best:

You want to get their attention, firmly tell them your case, and then gracefully place them back down. Finally, reassure them so that they know you're there and you still care for them.

But in Engineering, especially in transportation, it is your job to explain you design considerations. Explain why it works best, and in regards to ethics, why your design is the safest for the public. Whenever an Professional Engineer stamps any plan, it is the trust of his stamp that makes the plans go through. It is his responsibility for the life of the project. No one else is responsible if somethings happens.

That is a lot of risk and responsibility that lies in every Professional Engineer.

To throw you back to the beginning of this blog, the reason why I just published the draft and wrote another is because of what Conan O'Brien said at Dartmouth College for the Class of 2011 Commencement:

(Quote below starts at 20:00 after the start of this clip)

"Way back in the 1940’s there was a very funny man named Jack Benny. He was a giant star and easily one of the greatest comedians of his generation. And a much younger man named Johnny Carson wanted very much to be Jack Benny. In some ways he was, but in many ways he wasn’t. He emulated Jack Benny, but his own quirks and mannerisms, along with a changing medium, pulled him in a different direction. And yet his failure to completely become his hero made him the funniest person of his generation. David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson, and was not, and as a result my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are --- my peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound re-invention.

So, at the age of 47, after 25 years of obsessively pursuing my dream, that dream changed. For decades, in show business, the ultimate goal of every comedian was to host The Tonight Show. It was the Holy Grail, and like many people I thought that achieving that goal would define me as successful. But that is not true. No specific job or career goal defines me and it should not define you. In 2000, I told graduates to not be afraid to fail, and I still believe that. But today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.

Many of you here today are getting your diploma at this Ivy League school because you have committed yourself to a dream and worked hard to achieve it. And there is no greater cliché in a commencement address than “follow your dream.” Well I am here to tell you that whatever you think your dream is now, it will probably change. And that’s okay. Four years ago, many of you had a specific vision of what your college experience was going to be and who you were going to become. And I bet, today, most of you would admit that your time here was very different from what you imagined.

Your roommates changed, your major changed, for some of you your sexual orientation changed. I bet some of you have changed your sexual orientation since I began this speech. I know I have. But through the good and especially the bad, the person you are now is someone you could never have conjured in the fall of 2007.

I have told you many things today, most of it foolish but some of it true. I’d like to end my address by breaking a taboo and quoting myself from 17 months ago. At the end of my final program with NBC, just before signing off, I said “Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen...."

Congratulations Class of 2012!

The Week We All Been Waiting For...(published draft)

It's funny how we get side tracked from what we are doing.


For me, it went from a big, important project to commencement speeches from around the nation. Although this is a blog of an Southern Poly Engineer, what I am writing to you this because I feel it is meaningful for all of us.

The one University that struck my attention because of their speakers was Tulane University. As we all know, Hurricane Katrina was one of the most catastrophic hurricanes for that region. However, their story, the people of New Orleans, is an inspiration to us all.

The people of New Orleans really take pride in their city. Similarly, I can say that about the students of Southern Polytechnic State University. As an incoming freshman in the fall of 2009, (...)

There were two U.S. Presidents who spoke at the 2006 commencement, Ellen DeGeneres made a special appearance at that commencement, too. In 2009, Ellen returned to Tulane as their commencement speaker.



"But, I want to tell you two things seriously that I have learned from a long life. You will be happier if you cultivate what one theologian has called “the discipline of gratitude” to your family, your teachers, to those whose service makes your lives better who are often overlooked — to people who clean your streets and maintain your buildings and serve your food in restaurants. Being grateful in a constant way reminds us that no matter how bad things are, there are a lot of people who are profoundly worse off and it gives us the courage to go on." - Past U.S. President William J. Clinton


I believe the best speakers are those who speak about their life's experiences to teach you (...)

U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton

Commencement Speech (Class of 2006)

Surprise Appearance of Ellen DeGeneres

(Class of 2006)

Ellen's Commencement Speech (Class of 2009)

(....Started another blog)

A few quotes I thought of...

Each quote that I created below tells a story.

These stories that may relate to you or they may not...enjoy!

Today, tomorrow, there are times when you may doubt yourself. Remember this, it's up to you to reassure, gain the confidence, and move forward. In this society, there is never time to dwell on the past.

There is time. Time to think, time to achieve, time to conquer our visions and turn them into reality. It is up to you to make it happen, but with the help of friends and love ones, it can become a more worthwhile achievement.

Take the time to know the people that you meet, because you never know where the road of success can take you.

Life. A complex puzzle. Each puzzle piece is the next step in life. Each piece is earned by working hard and achieving your goals. The complexity of this puzzle is that it is never complete. It is a ongoing work in progress.

A leader can be defined in so many ways. It is just up to you "the leader" to figure what best defines you.

The Greatest Gift from Southern Poly

As seen in the April Issue of The STING...

The Greatest Gift from Southern Poly
Daniel Silver

Starting the first year in the fall of 2009, at Southern Polytechnic State University as a
student was a journey. This is a journey that is still changing my life. Keep in mind that half of
the campus that is widely used today was not even built during 2009 fall semester.

It is ironic using the word journey to describe my first three years at this university,
because orientation here is called Journey. I can recall sitting in the theater excited, but nervous
all at same time. President Dr. Lisa A. Rossbacher's remarks about Journey Orientation 2009 still
resonate today. "We call orientation at Southern Polytechnic State University, Journey, because
of the journey that Southern Poly will take you."

I have learned so many life lessons at this University in my third year alone because of a
mistake I made starting freshman year. As the Assistant Director of Residence Life, Jenny
Brown always says, "We at Housing and Residence Life try to teach residents at SPSU to learn
from their mistakes." This is something Jenny usually calls as a "teachable moment." The
mistake that I made early on is something I now call a teachable moment.

The life lesson I recently learned was to never take on more responsibility than you can
handle. There was a time at Southern Poly when I was involved in over 15 different
organizations, being an officer in over half. It was my life, and I thought I enjoyed being so
involved. I forgot how to have fun without being so involved, and not remembering what it was
like to relax without the tension of the organizations around you.

Taking on too much was my mistake and even though there were warning signs, I didn't
understand what the big deal was. It wasn’t until unexpected events occurred that I realized the
mess I was in, doing too much.

I think this teachable moment was much needed for me. The Latin phrase, "carpe diem"
or "seize the day" means a lot to me, because I wasn't really satisfying what I loved to do but
rather satisfying the needs of others. You are the captain of your life. It is your job to own it and
to, of course, seize the day! Even though I may not be graduating this spring, I feel like this
article should be written to advise others (incoming freshman and graduating seniors alike) that
the greatest gift that any person can get from Southern Poly is the degree, but it is life lessons that
each student learns from within.

Starting a blog...

So you may ask me, why start a blog now?

The answer: This semester has been rough for me. I have learned so many life lessons by the mistakes I made this year alone. After wrapping up my two years as a Resident Assistant, I have kind of transitioned from helping and getting involved to advising others to get involved. I have also found a lot of solitude in writing to express myself.

Speaking to the readers of my blog, another question might strike you to ask, "Isn't the transition that you have mentioned actually no transition at all?"

A little background about me might make you understand where I'm from and where I would like my journey to go...

One of my biggest role models who have inspired me to go far in my life are my Parents. My Mom is the one who taught me to be a Self-Advocate...to ask question and stand up to what you believe is right. She is a very private person, but her compassion and her amazing street smarts has really shined a light of who I am today. My Dad is the one who taught me to have fun...to always put smiles on people faces.

It has been said that the community and people you and I grew up around are what also makes us unique.

I can tell you a few more inspirational people in my life in the order that I first met them:

1. Mrs. Clapham
2. Ms. Huskey
3. Ms. Esposito
4. Jenny
5. Tara
6. Anjli
.
.
.


I believe that all people you meet give you some sort of feedback and inspiration. I always take their remarks and challenge myself to prove them wrong/learn more/to do better.

However, recently, there was one thing that I need to always remember...

"There is No Win in comparison!"

At the end of the day, you are still yourself. Do not let yourself compare to other people around you, because then you will lose sight of your goals.

Without the people who have inspired me, I don't know who I would be now. They are the foundations of my motivation to not give up. When times are tough, they have reasoned my thinking which makes me stop and and reevaluate my Short and Long Term Goals.

To these inspirational people, I thank you!