Some of these are assignments in an English class
March 3, 1996
Family Ties
College life has drastically changed my relationships with the members of my family. I was born into the world with a mother, a father, and a lot of attention, because I was the first child and the first grandchild. I can always remember having a very close relationship with my parents. During my toddler days, my mom would make peanut butter-filled cracker sandwiches for me while I watched “The Bozo Show,” and then I would read books with her. When my dad returned home from work, the two of us would play a very, very intense game of basketball on my Nerf basketball goal. The intensity was so high in this competition because every game that we played always came down to a last second shot, and the result of this final shot determined, what I considered to be, the “Championship of the World!” The loyalty of my family actually grew stronger as my younger brother and baby sister entered the world. My family is very competitive, including my mom. We have always played a variety of sports within the family. My mom and dad really put up with a lot of abuse that we were enforcing on the property. There were constantly two dirt regions in our otherwise thick grass lawn due to home plate and pitcher’s mound. Our garage door took a beating when I would throw tennis balls against it and field the return ground balls with my baseball mitt. My dad even let me cut portions of our lawn very short, emulating the green of a golf course. I know that many fathers would not allow his kids to play in this manner because of the result of slight damage to the property. There was a limit to what we could do, but my parents really let us enjoy our childhood. I now realize that happiness is much more important than material items, because it seems as though I really abused some of the things that we owned.
I received quite a bit of attention when the time to go to college arrived. My parents were very interested on how I was doing in basketball, and they kept in close contact with me. I really started noticing changes in my mom’s actions when she started taking a defensive approach when I left for school. When she would call me at Troy, she would always worry that I did not have time to talk to her, and she would just try to make me happy. She did not want me to get tired of talking to her on the phone, so she would end the conversation early. This technique was not a part of her arsenal in my younger days. I would have to talk (or listen) to her as long as she wanted no matter what I was doing, and she thought that doing this to me was genuinely funny. During my first quarter of college, she would almost treat me like a king when I came home on a particular weekend. She would not make me clean up the house with my brother and sister. I think her biggest fear was that I would not enjoy myself at the house, and that I would never come back to the place that I consider “home.” I never took advantage of the situation because it was just not like my mom to treat me like that, and I just could not accept the charity.
There has never been a choice when my dad was around the house, and there never will be. If he saw me watching television while my bother and sister were picking up the house, then he would shoot his BRAD KREHBIEL face right at me. This gesture is a cross between a serious Clint Eastwood and an irate Nick Nolte (48 Hours), but it is definitely known as the BRAD KREHBIEL face. Needless to say, I would be cleaning quickly without hesitation. My dad has also changed in a way. It seems that he is more interested in what I am doing in college than he was in what I did in high school. He has always treated me like an adult, and I have always been in an excited or motivated mood after talking with him, but now it is evident to me that I am just talking to my buddy. My upbringing was so tight in the family that I will always be best friends with my parents.
Okay — we’re close, but were not “The Waltons.”
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March 7, 1996
College Life
The transition from high school to college can be very difficult if you are not prepared. During Pre-College Orientation, many important tasks go unnoticed to the inexperienced student. This is a time in which you are “babied” through registration, assigned an advisor according to what field of study you plan on pursuing at Troy State, and select a meal plan. Most students find out on their own how to register. You have to obtain registration sheets from the student center and make an appointment with your advisor in order to register. Organization is the key to an easier registration. Pick out your classes before speaking with your advisor, and pay any fines that are currently pending. After your sheet is signed and approved by your advisor, take the registration sheet to the building of your major and pray that all of your classes will be open.
The first quarter of college can be very miserable, no matter what school you attend, if you do not know many people to enjoy the experience with during the quarter. Alcohol is not necessarily the answer to having fun through your first quarter of college, because many people who party hard during this stretch usually fail out of school and are not around for their second quarter. The grades during this critical period are very important if you honestly plan to climb to the sophomore level the following year. There is an equilibrium where one can have fun and continue to make his grades. I have managed to avoid alcohol, and I enjoy the parties. I have been busy during my collegiate career, yet I have handled a 3.84 grade point average without having to keep my head buried into books all of the time. I believe anybody who puts forth a sufficient, serious effort can maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
Adapting to a roommate can be a difficult challenge. I am one of the lucky ones who got a nearly perfect roommate, but most people are not this fortunate. When living with anybody, it is imperative that each roommate has his time alone. Living with people all of the time can get stressful, and everyone needs his space. Although a few sacrifices may be involved, cooperation is mandatory in a successful roommate relationship. With only one television, each must compromise on which shows to watch. Also, sleeping habits may interfere with past lifestyles. Music is another item which will have to be compromised. Living with someone can be very enjoyable if the occupants can settle a few of these differences.
The home cooked meals of long ago are no longer in effect. Fast food and the cafeteria will be you options. There will be plenty to eat in the cafeteria, but the desire to eat might not exist. If you live on campus, then a meal plan must be selected according to your appetite. There are a few different options, but the most popular among Troy State students is the 5-plus meal ticket. This allows you to eat cafeteria food five times a week, while spending about 20 points per week on pizza or hamburgers at The Grill, next to the cafeteria. The food is not bad and it should cure your dietary needs.
Using the information in this paper, one should be able to run through the process of registration at Troy State University without too much difficulty. Having gone through the process myself, I understand the complications and the confusion that go along with committing to a university. After getting past the first few days of shock, one can settle down and attend school without worrying about what to do next. Just do not forget to pay the school!
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Ben Krehbiel
English 101
October 20, 1995
Death
Death is the cessation of life. It is a mystery that neither science nor religion has ever solved. Because death is something predetermined and unfamiliar to everyone, it is usually feared. Death is a very individual subject because it is something that one experiences without guidance. Some people are secure with religion and comfortable with death. Other people are so miserable that they actually look forward to death, but most people fear death and try to escape it. Death not only affects the victim, but also the people that were active in the victim’s life. Many people believe that death is more cruel to the people left behind, rather than the victim himself. Olenka, in “The Darling,” says to her deceased husband after his funeral, “I’ve nobody, now you’ve left me, my darling. How can I live without you, . . . ” (150). The problems of confronting death, the emotional stages endured while confronting death, and the response from a man to death will determine the feelings of that man at the time of death.
I believe that death is a problem because of the way people perceive it. People are frightened of death and will try anything to escape from this fear. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” seconds before Peyton Farquhar was executed, he frantically composed thoughts of fleeing his death. I believe that he started his thoughts nearly ten seconds before his death. He convinced himself that he had escaped, but then reality struck him fiercely. Another problem of death is that people want to do more things in life that they have not had the opportunity to do, and dying would demolish these plans. A twelve-year-old child could look up to his parents and want to experience a similar family lifestyle, but there is a possibility that he will die before he ever has these experiences. Although the problems of death are rhetorical, solutions exist to cover the thoughts of death and have optimism toward life.
After one has been informed that he will die soon, the body goes through several stages.
The initial emotional reaction is shock, and the human realizes he is not immortal. When confronted with death, a person is likely to lose sanity if he is not prepared for death. After the shock is gone, denial is the next stage. This is basically what one suffers during his attempt to escape the doom. From denial the fugitive from death undergoes an emotion of anger at himself, or more likely, at God. From this point the position of the man’s emotional state can transcend one of two ways. First, he could enter a hope or prayer to be saved. Others regress into a condition of depression over the loss of everything. Death steals all materialistic items away from the possessor. This depression staggers into quitting on life and accepting the unavoidable outcome.
The stages of death tell the reader very much about the emotional state of characters near the time of death. The manner in which the characters react to the crisis determines the result of their fate.
How a person responds to death depends on the quality of that particular person’s life. Most people get used to living and the thought of death scares them very much. Another approach to death is from people who struggle to live throughout their lives. These people want their lives to end as a form of relief from the world and their troubles. This is the case with Belcher in the story, “Guest of the Nation.” Belcher is just about to be killed when he turns down the chance to pray and says, “I’m ready, and you boys want to get it over.” Belcher has been miserable and is complacent of his life. He has accepted that he will die, which makes it easier for him to die. There are some people that put great religious faith in God, and pray for eternal life. This group views death as a transition toward heaven, not a complete end. Although people can escape death temporarily, it is inevitable that everyone will die sometime. The responses to death reflect the attitudes of certain people toward death, whether it is positive or negative.
Confronting the problem of death, analyzing the emotional development of the stages of death, and presenting solutions to these problems help people to understand a little bit more about death. Death has always been feared because it is unknown. Is death really supposed to be a topic to be concentrating on? Death comes across negatively in almost every way. Life is of much more importance and should overshadow death, but unfortunately humans focus on negative themes because usually the positive themes are taken for granted. Personally, I believe in everlasting life with Jesus Christ and I must state that I have experienced the greatest eighteen and a half years that I could have ever asked for. I believe that my life will progress even more as I live.
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Ben Krehbiel
November 7, 1995
English 101
determinaTion = SUccess
My decision of choosing Troy State University to continue my education was unique. I received athletic (basketball) and academic scholarships from Bethel College, an NAIA division school located in central Kansas. I would still have to pay $8000 for one year to attend that college. Yet playing basketball for a Division One school has been my dream ever since I fell in love with the game at a very early age in my life. My other reasonable option was to attend Troy State University on an academic scholarship that would cover tuition expenses, and I would try to make the basketball team as a walk-on. I could pursue my dream, and attend a university for $3200 per year. I felt as though this option was an inexpensive risk, and I thought I had everything to gain by coming to Troy State. My determination to play NCAA Division One basketball is what brought me to Troy State University, and this determination allowed me to succeed in making the Troy State Men’s Basketball Team, joining the Sigma Chi Fraternity (EO), and declaring a major of great interest to me.
Making the Men’s Basketball Team at Troy State has been amazing for me. One must have determination to put on basketball shoes every day, run up and down the basketball court with athletes of much greater talent, and compete with their level of play. Because of my lack of foot speed, I must always be in the best position on the floor according to the situation. My physical abilities are not equal to my teammates’ abilities, but I carry some of the “intangibles” of athletics. I am very teachable, and I maintain a good attitude that expands to my teammates. I also do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, which keeps me one step ahead of the rest of the players. Going to school without the benefit of playing basketball would make college life less fun. I will become a better player, and one day I will contribute to the team.
Joining a fraternity was one of the last things on my mind as school started. However, a few of my good friends are members of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and they asked me to come to the fraternity house. I really enjoyed talking to the brothers of the fraternity, and I decided to become a pledge. Pledgeship requires one to strive each day to meet his goals. Pledgeship has taught me to manage my time wisely during the week. One must be determined for more than four months to be initiated as a brother after pledgeship, and I will do it.
After choosing to attend Troy State, I had to select a major. Although I was not sure of what I wanted to do in my career, I reluctantly chose Computer Science as my major because I really enjoy computers. I love to solve problems, and computer programming is really exciting to me. I will continue to chase this degree for the next few years. A computer programmer is usually not the type of person that owns a sociable personality. I do not have a typical computer programmer’s personality. I get along with many different people, and I believe this will be a huge advantage for a company that wants good relations with people.
I have maintained determination in basketball, in the fraternity, and in my classes throughout the first quarter at Troy State. Without determination, a person has no drive or purpose, which makes everything meaningless. I want to win at almost everything in life, and I strive to be the best person that I can be. I think that Troy State was definitely the best place for me, and with determination, I will succeed in my collegiate career.
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Ben Krehbiel
Turkey Day ‘95
On Thanksgiving of 1995, I received an incredible surprise. I was watching college football games at my grandma’s house in Kansas, when all of the sudden, the coach for the University of Kansas Football team walked through the front door. My heart stopped in excitement because I really did not believe that he was actually coming to eat Thanksgiving dinner with us.
The story behind Coach Glen Mason coming to the small town of Minneapolis, Kansas, to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my family is quite simple. He was dating my aunt. I was aware that there was a chance that he would come, but it seems like he is always on the move, so I was not really sure that he would actually make it. My ears were focused into everything that he said, which was not much, in front of my grandparents. He talked about his two kids, and gave us a few stories about cute things that they have done. I was really nice because he did not talk about himself all of the time, as one might think that a football coach would. The thing that surprised me the most was the way he cannot stay in one place for too long. We were watching the Michigan-Ohio State football game on television, and Ohio State was suffering its first loss of the season during their last game of the season, and Glen Mason grabbed the phone and called a couple of his buddies. Coach Mason played football at Ohio State and there had been rumors that he was leaving Kansas to coach at Ohio State.
I had met Coach Mason earlier in the year at my aunt’s house, but that stay was only about 20 minutes long. He gave me his T-shirt that he was supposed to wear to the practices because it was too large. It was an athletic shirt, with the letters XXL in the middle of the front part of the shirt. I saw a picture of him during practice, and he was wearing the exact same shirt, but it was an XL. I have the shirt that he was supposed to wear. In fact, his name is even written in marker on the inside of the T-shirt. This is probably very insignificant to anybody else, but I thought that it was very neat.
On Christmas Day, the Kansas Jayhawks went to Hawaii to play in the Aloha Bowl against UCLA. The big story at the time was that Coach Glen Mason was leaving Kansas to go to the Georgia Bulldogs. He had already committed to Georgia earlier in the week. My aunt went to Hawaii with the team. Christmas morning my grandpa called me and told me that Karen, my aunt, had called him and said that Coach Mason had decided to stay at Kansas. This was a shock to me, and the media did not even know yet. Sure enough, it was announced right before the game was played, and I knew something that the whole country had to wait for. It was a very neat feeling to know the inside track on something important like this.
In order for one to grasp how much this meant to most of us, you would have to understand that my family eats, drinks, and breaths the University of Kansas Jayhawks. This was really a highlight for me in 1995. After eating Thanksgiving dinner with him, I will always remember Coach Glen Mason, and I will always respect him as a person and a coach in the future.
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