Regarding an optional final: I have a "B," which I can settle with. Or, I can take the final - if I score 100% I get an "A" but if I score less than 54% I get a "C." I'm thinking about asking him to count my final double, so a 96% will get me an "A" (and 70% for "C"). Copied below is the correspondence so far, with my latest reply saved as a draft (not sent!).

I don't have all the details about the final exam, but it's scheduled for Tuesday (May 9th) 8:30-11:30am.
I have two exams the day before and one the day after.

If I study hard and get lucky, or if God wills it, I can score above 95%. My test scores so far have been in the 80-89 range in that class.

Any thoughts?

-------

(To Dr. Ken Gustafson)

Ah, darn... I was tempted not to ask; that's the grade I earned so far, though!

Hmm... so by my calculations I need a 104% on the final exam to get an "A."

What do you think about giving me some positive incentive to take the final exam? Perhaps something a little less difficult than 100% for an "A?" If my exam were worth double, a 95% on the test would give me an 89.9 in the course.

-Nick

----- Original Message -----From: "Kenneth J. Gustafson" <Kenneth.Gustafson@case.edu>Date: Saturday, April 29, 2006 3:41 pm
Subject: Re: EBME 327> Nick,> >
I'm sorry about that; I made a typo. 86.5 is a B.
If you don't > take the > final, you'll have a B.>
> I apologize for the confusion, I must have added up too many > numbers today....>
> Ken> >

> At 02:14 PM 4/29/2006, you wrote:> >
>Dr. Gustafson,> >>
> Can you double-check my grade? Your email confuses me, > because it> >says that >90 yields and "A," but it also says that I have an > 86.5 and> >an "A."
Perhaps I don't understand how your curve applies.> >>
> So... do I have an "A" right now? What will my grade be if I > don't>take the final?> >> >Thanks,> >
> >Nick> >> >

----- Original Message -----> >From: "Kenneth J. Gustafson" <Kenneth.Gustafson@case.edu>> >Date: Saturday, April 29, 2006 1:25 pm>
>Subject: EBME 327> > >
Your current grade (curved up) is 86.5 = A> >
> Grades are based on a straight scale: >90=A, <90>80, etc.> > >
> > > The final exam is worth 20% of your grade, therefore you will need> > > to score> > > 100% on the final exam to obtain an A in the course, and 54% to> > > obtain a B.> > >>
> > You may choose to accept your current grade and not take the> > > final, or take> > > the final.> > >>
> > You must let me know your decision by 5 pm Wed. May 3.
----------------

I'm totally missing out on the most amazing conversation right now. Rather than talking about killing zombies, I am doing fencing club stuff. :(

I keep expecting to get a break, but it turns out I have work to do every time.

Ah, well. This summer will be a nice break.
It will, darn it!


I talked to a friend the other night about some problems he was having, and I came to the conclusion that the issue was mainly lack of discipline - he's struggling with a discrepancy between what he WANTS to do and what he IS doing. I tried to advise him about it, but I just didn't have much to offer.

This is such an important part of living well; there's gotta be some good techniques/books about it. How do you do the things you want to?


Of course, I also advised him that it's impossible for people to be perfect by their own power. By myself, I know that I just can not do what's best (which is what I want to do) every time I have a choice. I will never be that strong.
BUT, that's where grace comes in. "For men it is impossible, but for God..."

I like my job. A lot of it is doing electrical work, which is very wholesome and manly.

I may have an interview with Autoliv when I get back.

I am also considering working part-time with my brother Tom at a nursery (for plants, foo'). He has some pretty good stories from there. Apparently he works with a lot of Mexicans, and they have given him a few sweet nicknames. The most amazing one, in my opinion, is "El Castigador," which means, "The Punisher." In a moment of doubt, I suspected that it actually might mean "The Chewer" or something (castigate? eh?), since Tom wants to be country-style, and chews tobacco (foolish!).
Turns out it really does mean "The Punisher." I am almost never envious, but this gets me close...

All right!!

Midterms are finished. I have my two project reports & presentations now.


I was called about interviewing for a job at Autoliv in Detroit. Very cool. I need to do something about finding clinical work (volunteering)!


Bringing my discs to class. Gonna chuck 'em afterwards. The weather has been beautiful.
I am definitely up for some disc golf this summer!
I learned over Easter weekend that my little brother Joe and his friends are getting into the sport.

WTF I THOUGHT THOSE TESTS WERE NEXT WEEK!?!?!?!





Jesus, I trust in you!

Was this your gift to me, or my mistake? Maybe both...

ugh.
heh.

Looked up my birthday (September 29th) on Wikipedia. Some things that caught my eye:

EVENTS
1789 - The U.S. War Department first establishes regular army with a strength of several hundred men.
1789 - The first U.S. Congress adjourns.
(USA! USA!)

1963 - The second period of the Second Vatican Council opens.
(Vatican II was sweet)

1996 - Super Mario 64, a revolutionary platformer game for the Nintendo 64, is released in the United States.
(=D)

BIRTHS
2 BC - Jesus of Nazareth born in Bethlehem of Judea. (Luke 2:1-7)
(HECK YEAH!!! Why does Wikipedia list 9/29 as Jesus' birthday? I don't know, but...wow! Amazing!)
1901 - Enrico Fermi, Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1954)
(My dad worked at the Enrico Fermi plant in Michigan)

DEATHS
2001 - Nguyen Van Thieu, President of South Vietnam (b. 1923)
(I learned about this guy when I wrote a paper on the Vietnam War)

Greek Week has ended. We did well. What happened in rope pull, though?

I suppose I can get working on those applications, and the tests I have coming up and my big modeling project.

What I REALLY want to do though, is dive back into my spiritual development and exercise. I've lost too much touch with the most important aspect of my life.

My days are going fast. My week went fast. College is going fast.

You know what? My LIFE is going fast.

I suppose it won't feel like a long time until life has gone fast.

huh.

Within the last semester, my mother has really gotten into the pro-life movement. Specifically, she now volunteers at a pregnancy crisis center, and also does sidewalk counseling outside an abortion... hmm... should I call it a "clinic?" A clinic is "A private hospital or medical institution to which patients are recommended by individual doctors" [1]. I doubt that pregnancy really counts as a medical disorder. Anyways, continuing with the story...

She sees a lot of sad things there. So many of the people that come by are upset, confused, desparate and despairing. They need help, and apparently they don't get it in that place, because when they leave...
Well, my mom's there to help them - and their unborn child!

It's a hard service, though. When I went home over break, I could tell that she wanted to talk about it - to express the strong feelings she was having in this ministry. My father and brother don't want to hear it, so she and I discussed it at length.
Since I knew that I would return to college, I recommended she write a journal. My mom decided to do it online, so now she's got a blog, too!
Here it is.
Take a look. She writes pretty well.

Whether you're pro-life or not, I think there's respect due. There are a lot of people that believe in important causes, but don't take action. It's usually hard to do what's right.

[1] Online OED

APPLICATIONS.... BAH!

Lots of applications on my plate.
FAFSA
Case Financial aid
Alumni Volunteer Corps
6 Weeks a Jesuit Program
Medical School!!!
Society of Jesus
Clinical volunteering
Summer part-time job

I just started looking into how I'm going to pay for my education next semester. It's just one measly semester of undergraduate education, but my scholarship's run out & my parents have paid enough - they're done. I'm looking at about $20k for the one semester. I'll need loans.

The Alumni Volunteer Corps (AVC) is a program at my high school (U of D), where alumni come back and teach, help with sports programs & exctracurriculars, etc. The school provides room and a stipend. I would like to do this Spring 2007, because it's a good thing to do, and it'll give me experience working in education.

I think I've mentioned the 6 Weeks a Jesuit Program. This summer, I plan to live in a Jesuit community about mid-June to early August. It's somewhere in NYC.

Medical school applications... oi. That'll last from Summer through Spring 2007. The earlier I get things done, the better!

If I decide to become a priest, I'll probably join the religious order known as "The Society of Jesus" aka the "Jesuits." To start novitiate in Fall 2007, my application has to be ready at the end of Spring 2007. It's big and includes a spiritual autobiography. I should start that early.

Then, there's my job for summer when I'm home. I really want to do clinical volunteering for my personal discernment, and also because it plays a key role in a good medical school application. My parents (especially my mom) want me to make some money, too - thus, the part-time job.