Time Flies By

It kind of hit me today that I only have one more semester left before finishing this whole seminary thing and I can't believe how fast the last two and a half years have flown by.  This also reminded me of how much work towards ordination I need to complete in the next few weeks.  I have to fill out the necessary paperwork for three bureaucracies so I can get interviews for them all.  And it has to be done in a certain sequence so that it all fits together nicely.  Hopefully, by the end of July it will all be done and I will just be waiting for orders of where to start the next phase of my military career. 

I am also excited about the future chapter and that makes the necessary pain of all this work easier to bear.  I can't wait to get it all done and then get out there as a full Chaplain and see fruits of the last few years of work and lack of income.  It is also going to be nice as I get a four day weekend each week because I am only in class Monday-Wednesday next semester.  Don't know how I got that lucky, but I won't complain too much.  What is even more exciting is that I won't have an internship next semester, so I might actually have a lot of free time to work on this stuff and also to get out and see some of the more out of the way places of NC and also to go visit friends in neighboring states. 

It Finally Hit Me

It took a few days to finally realize that a mentor and friend in this seminary journey to becoming a Chaplain passed away on Saturday morning. David was my Hebrew instructor my first year here and he was only 38. He was jogging like he was wont to do, he lived in my neighborhood before he left to be a missionary Old Testament professor in Brazil, and had a heart attack. He was having issues getting a visa so was in Atlanta preparing and waiting. We had planned to go to a football game on Nov 7th with his two oldest sons, but he and the family went out of town that weekend. I got the call while out at dinner with non-seminary friends and it didn't fully register until tonight.

I really didn't like David the first few weeks of class. He was dead panned and seemed to have no care for us or any sense of humor. I thought about dropping the class or switching sections. Something told me to stick it out. Our class of 20 dwindled to 8. It seemed ominous. Then we got to know him. He was one of the most caring and able teachers I have ever had. He never gave up on me learning Hebrew. I know that had it not been for David I would have thrown in the towel. I literally remember throwing my books and notes a few times that first semester. He loved teaching, loved Hebrew, loved the Old Testament and it showed. He taught me a new way to read the Bible and a new way to preach what I was reading. He stuck with me and kept helping me out, despite all my frustration and complaining. He saw what I didn't. I came to love Hebrew. After that first semester, I made great grades in Hebrew. I even chose to exegete Psalms for my ordination exams and did fairly well. I never would have had the confidence to tackle Hebrew if not for him.

But it wasn't just the Hebrew class that got my respect. He really, deeply cared for each of us and always wanted to make sure we were doing well. I was glad to live down the road from him. I got to know him and his family, he had a wife and 4 wonderful kids. They would occasionally stop by when walking the neighborhood and always would take time to talk with me when we passed each other running in the area. Great people. It makes you realize how fragile this whole life thing really is. I knew that from working in the hospital, but when someone close dies it hits a bit harder.

David, you will be missed and the world is groaning a little without you here. However, you are now talking with the Biblical characters you so loved.

On The 11th Day of the 11th Month

I think this photo from the WWII memorial sums it up better than I can. A veteran paying respects to his fallen brothers in arms. Thank you to all who have served.

"Sir you are the craziest Chaplain I have ever met"

So said a Gunnery Sergeant yesterday as I was getting ready to run a 5 mile run with the candidates at 0530. I asked him why he said that and he told me he had never encountered a Chaplain that routinely ran and hiked with his unit. I thanked him for the compliment, but when I got back home yesterday that comment really bothered me. I really enjoyed the compliment and am thankful that the Gunnery Sergeant at Chaplain School was adamant about the need to PT with your unit in order to get the street cred to minister to Marines. I took that advice to heart and it is paying great dividends this summer. The more I PT and hang with the unit, the more they feel comfortable talking with me. The respect I get from these runs and hikes allows me to do my ministry in a more effective manner.

The real rub of the conversation was the fact that this senior enlisted Marine doesn't remember his Chaplain walking alongside the unit. That really began to bother me and the more I think about it the more it pains me that some Chaplains let down their units and decide to minister on their terms and schedule not that of their congregation. This may work when one is with a standard parish, but the congregation for a Chaplain just doesn't work that way. They have to see the Chaplain as one of them who is not there only when things go bad. I had another experience along the same lines last week when visiting a candidate at medical. A group of Marines made the joke that their quarantine watch was no longer necessary because if I was there it was a dire situation.

I now know that part of my goal when I finally get back to active duty is to change these stereotypes. We should minister in a way that it is normal to see the Chaplain at every PT session and hike. The Chaplain should be present in all aspects of the life of the unit, just as a normal parish pastor is present in the joys and sorrows of the congregation. At dinner with a friend on Sunday she commented on how similar my experience this summer was to the manner in which Jesus ministered, walking with people in their lives regardless of their situation. I have to admit, her comment really made sense and convicted me to work with my colleagues to limit the number of senior Marines that have limited interaction with their Chaplains.

The last two weeks have been amazing and I am learning a great deal from my Marines. I see such dedication from both staff and student and it drives me during some tough PT sessions. I have seen people in tears pushing through the frustration and pain to complete tasks. I have seen acts of selflessness that show me ways that I fail in that area. Lessons and images that I will carry with me forever. And as one would expect, I have learned new ways of exercising that will keep me fit without the need for a gym. These few weeks are definitely a highlight of my Naval career and I can't wait to get out there full time with the Marines.

OCS Week 1

No I am not a candidate at OCS here in Quantico, I am actually on staff for the next few weeks for some summer training as a Chaplain. I have been assigned to two companies of officer candidates to serve as a semi-Chaplain since I can't do everything a Chaplain does, but it has been a great first week. I can really see myself doing this job for the rest of my working life.

I was able to see the candidates on their first day when the DI's picked them up from the orientation leaders and have been alongside them in many evolutions since then. I have been doing some heavy PT that I have to arrive at around 0510 in the morning to get the brief and get ready to run, etc. I will be going out in the field with the companies, doing the hikes and such with them. I have been sitting in on their classes and of course helping out with worship here on base for the candidates. Today was great seeing about 700 people at worship, even if some of them were just there to catch a few moments of shut eye.

Catching Up

Wow, it has been a while since the last post. It was a busy semester that is now done and I am officially 2/3 of the way done with seminary. I am so ready to get back to doing work everyday. I have learned that I am better off doing things than talking about them. At least next semester I get to do Clinical Pastoral Education at a local hospital and that should be a good balance to the talking of the classes. A weird thing happened this semester however. It was my busiest and most difficult semester but I got the best grades so far. I guess that was the submarine training in me coming out as I played up to the competition.

In other things, I am now officially a candidate for ordination as my presbytery approved me last week. Now I just need to actually buckle down and study for the ordination exams coming up in August. If I pass those I am just some paperwork and interviews away from ordination. Oh yeah and I have to find a job, but the Navy paperwork shouldn't be too difficult. I get to head to Quantico at the end of the month for 6 weeks of training by working as a Chaplain U/I with a company of officer candidates at USMC OCS. I am extremely excited about that and actually know a few of the DI's heading there and my dad knows a few of the candidates heading up that way.

But before all that I get to spend time cheering on Georgia Tech at the ACC Baseball tourney that is here in Durham for the next five days. Plus, Duke made the tourney and is in the opposite group so I can cheer for them both. The fun all starts tomorrow at noon. I think we are heading to two games a day including each 8pm game for all 4 days. It is nice getting a 1/2 off discount because of being a student. It is nice to actually get a significant amount of relaxation time this summer that I didn't get last year.

More Evidence that I haven't really left the Navy

When I was in the Navy there were little books floating around full of quotes and other stupid and silly things done by various members of the crew. The wardroom had on as did the Nukes and the forward guys also kept one floating around. My first ship had one in the wardroom that was started upon commissioning and was still around. The second ship needed some coaxing to find and start one upon leaving the shipyard. These things were vital in crew morale as they provided a great outlet for us to immortalize the humorous and to attack the powers that be. As technology developed, so did the format of these logs. Some are now online with the names changed to protect the guilty. Unfortunately, these blogs get shut down from time to time for one reason or another.

As I have postulated before, there are times when I think that seminary is more like the Navy than the Navy, yet again something smacks of Dejavu. A blog has arisen from the life of Duke Divinity School that is absolutely hilarious. This blog is a satire of things that go on in the life of our community and is a necessary outlet for our frustrations. I think the administration is none too happy with the blog. I just hope they understand the power of satire and don't get too heavy handed and try to ferret out the authors. The student body, for the most part, recognizes the benefit of this and it has really got the ear of us all. I leave the link here for you to peruse at your convenience. Like much satire, you may not get it all, but the letter to Coach K should make you laugh regardless.

Alternative Spring Break

So I did my first ever mission trip over spring break last week. I had the opportunity to take a group of local college students from my internship to Houma, LA to do some work with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. I have to admit, the PDA people seem to have the whole operation down to a science. You pay about $20 day for food and lodging in what they call a pod. That is short for laminated corrugated cardboard tents. They did have hot water showers and a dining facility. It was extremely comfortable and was kind of like upscale camping. There were other students at the camp from California, New Jersey, Tennessee and New York. It was great getting to know people from all over the country and that provided a great experience for all of the students from our group.


The work was a bit different. Usually the groups go and do heavy demolition or construction for homeowners that have pretty much exhausted all FEMA options and didn't have any insurance. PDA provides labor and some materials and most importantly sitting with the owners and providing someone to talk with developing a relationship. We didn't do any of the construction work. We helped move elderly individuals back into their apartments at Bayou Towers in Houma.


This building is section 8 housing and the roof blew off during Ike and Gustav and had been closed for the last 7 months. We were busy cleaning with the residents and preparing other rooms for them to return back to. They hadn't seen their rooms until last week so we were there when they returned and that in itself was pretty powerful. Many stories and relationships with the residents came from the experience and I can truly say it was life forming for all involved on a multitude of levels. As for the management and the conditions that we saw in the buildings, I am still trying to wrap my mind around how poorly run the whole building was and the way in which the residents were treated was appalling, but don't quite yet know how to put those things into words.

Now back to studying. Hopefully it won't be a month between posts but it is a crazy semester.

At Least I Was There

I know this is a few days late, but I had a lot of work to make up after the Duke UNC basketball game on Wednesday. Unfortunately we lost, but it was a good game and I was in Cameron so that is all that really mattered. Hopefully we will win next year. Anyways, here are a few photos from the game:

Carolina entering Cameron from the locker rooms:


A shot of the action:



Starting Lineups:


Dickie V arriving and hanging with a few of the Grad students in line for the game:



The remnants of K Ville, the Duke student refugee camp for tickets:

Exercise + Donuts = Insanity

So I took a small study break yesterday morning and headed over to the NC State campus for the craziest running event I have ever seen. The Krispy Kreme Challenge. I did this last year as well and really enjoyed the idea and watching everything in action. Plus, all the proceeds go to the UNC Children's Hospital ($35K to be exact). As a disclaimer, I didn't attempt the full challenge, I just go to watch and get a little exercise.

So for those brave enough to give it a go:

Run 2 miles from the NC State Belltower (a local landmark) to the Krispy Kreme
Eat a dozen Krispy Kremes (cold ones)
Run 2 miles back
Do it in less than 60 minutes

You can just imagine what happens to most of the participants and there was plenty of evidence on the street. I have put a few photos from the event below. I must say, it is nice to go to a race that the overwhelming majority don't really care about the time. There are always creative costumes and team names and everyone I met was friendly and joking around the entire run. I even met some USNA types that had gotten liberty just to come and run the race. I plan to run again next year to watch and help out the kids.


Festivities at the Krispy Kreme



People eating their donuts, notice the guy with the duct tape, he taped speakers and an iPod to his body to provide tunes for everyone on the race course.


5200 runners lining up. You can see some of the costumes in the crowd.

This is just plain funny

A friend told me about this segment on Ellen and it is just too funny to not attempt to spread around the internet. I laughed so hard and Ellen's reaction to the comment "I love Jesus but I drink a little" is priceless.

Presbytery Fun

So I got back from LA and the Presbytery meeting late Sunday night. Then I spent all day yesterday and today playing catch up from the trip. I now feel back on track. Amazing what a short weekend trip can do to the study habits. I did get to see some great friends, two of whom are leaving in a few months that I will really miss when I travel out there next school year. I did get to satisfy my Jamba Juice addiction, there aren't any out here, and really enjoyed the 70 degree weather. Especially seeing how it is in the teens tonight with a good chance of snow.

Some observations on the meeting. It confirms my suspicion that the PCUSA is just spinning it's wheels around the wrong issue. I posted about it already on this blog. I just think that we are focusing on the symptoms and not the root cause of the denomination losing its focus. There was a meeting here in Durham about an upcoming amendment regarding ordination standards and the wording was so weak that it would pass the lawyer test, but doesn't really change anything or say anything. I guess, it is just more ambiguity for pastors to navigate in explaining what it means to be Presbyterian.

On a positive note, I got a good feel for what it will be like going for candidacy later this year and ordination next year. We had a number of individuals hit those marks on Saturday and I am confident in my ability to navigate the landmines in the process. Now just to pass the exams in August. I was also very impressed by the theological care and debate around the ecumenical statements that the church proposed. It was nice to see something honestly debated and voted on and then everyone going about their business after the vote. Hopefully that trend continues when they vote on the ordination standards later this year.

Perhaps the most amusing thing occurred on Friday night when there was a high speed chase on the 91 in LA. It started at 2217, but the TV stations didn't go live until 2300 and then kept it live until the arrest at 2332, just in time for Leno and Letterman. It was riveting TV with the commentator in the helicopter narrating and getting everyone excited for the pit maneuver that never happened. The driver hit the wall on his own and then slowed down to a stop and got arrested. Got to love LA in January. Last year, I got to watch the Griffith Park fire on TV all night. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a full news cast at night out there in a while due to crazy events.

Well, time to relax a bit before getting some shut eye and try to catch up on lost sleep.

Submarine Community

Last semester I wrote a paper on how the sub force really displayed the basics of discipline that many churches will never have the guts to seek. As I wrote that paper, I started to develop a mental list of other areas that the military could inform the church on. Granted many of the ideas will be based on my Submarine experience, but as I get into the Chaplain community, I am pretty sure that these ideas will encompass most of the other warfare communities and service branches I work with/in.

I was browsing a submarine blog yesterday and ran across a post that discussed the basis for respect and authority in the submarine world. I knew that only one's ability to perform was the basis for true authority and respect in that world and I am pretty sure that if the church focused on granting the same criteron, who knows how things would turn out. I am thinking there is a very large paper in this somewhere. Maybe later when I have time, if that ever happens again.

I needed this....

A friend posted this on his facebook account yesterday and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time. On Wednesday I had to endure a dedicated pacifist hold court in a small group discussion of our ethics class. Now, in all honesty, I appreciate and want pacifists in the world. They provide a great check on some of the horrors of war and violence. What really torqued me about this guy was his close-mindedness and how he was spouting off about how if you aren't of his belief you aren't really Christian. Talk like that does wonders to further your argument. Luckily, we will have more opportunities to discuss items and hopefully he will start to let others talk. But, this photo really summed up my feelings and gave me quite a laugh yesterday. Maybe I will email it to him at the end of the course. He needs to know that he can mouth off and be close minded because of a number of people laying it all on the line for his rights.

Let It Snow

After freezing here in Durham for the last week, we might actually catch a break and enjoy some snow overnight. They are predicting from 2-5" for this area and I can't wait. Even if school doesn't get canceled, it doesn't matter. I just want to throw a few snowballs and see some snow finally. I lived in Hawaii for so long I have only seen substantial snow when driving across country or on ski slopes since I joined the Navy in 1996. I hear it snows during the winter, but have forgotten since my childhood. I think the last snow over 1" that I saw was in 2003 at Snowshoe and other than that it was in 1993 in Atlanta. So I say bring it.

Update 29 January

So I had serious camera issues but here are photos from last week.

This Could Get Interesting for Some Chaplains

Today while listening to the news, I heard that Obama's Press Secretary told a Youtube Q&A session that he would repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy for the US Military. That made me think back to a conversation I had with an Active Duty Chaplain after the election in November.

First: I personally don't care about anyone's sexual orientation whom I serve with or have served with in the past. When I was on the boat, the only thing I cared about was if a certain individual would be able to back me up when needed and not do anything to endanger my life or the lives of the others on board. For me it was that simple. During qualification boards, the only question I asked to determine their worthiness to wear fish was, "Is this guy going to keep all of us safe in any situation no matter how dire?" If I felt he would, he got my vote. If not, back to studying.

Second: This post is not about discussing the pros and cons of the present policy or for the repeal of that policy. I am only discussing the ramifications for an already significant shortage of Navy Chaplains (other services have them too, but out of my lane).

After the election, I was discussing how I was certain that Obama would repeal the policy within the first 100 days of his administration. I never expected the announcement to come before the inauguration. I just assumed it would be buried in some obscure bill and would just happen overnight. When my fellow member of the Chaplain Corps and I were discussing this, we pondered the effect of repealing that policy and allowing openly gay individuals to serve would have on certain denominations. Many denominations still have issues with ordained women, something I witnessed at Chaplain School. Mostly they behave in a passive aggressive mode or just completely ignore the women. The women in my class were understandably frustrated at this kind of behavior.

So, we discussed some possibilities for Chaplains of denominations that are openly hostile to the idea of homosexuality, much less allowing gays to serve openly.

1) They just resign over the issue, or at least leave the military after their commitment is over.

2) Their denomination pulls all of their endorsements over the issue. This would result in losing a certain number of Chaplains overnight as when you lose your endorsement, you are done as a Chaplain. Doubt this would happen, but it is not unforeseeable.

3) They stay in the military and try to convert people back to being straight. The military does have policy in place to deal with this behavior, so if it happens would bring swift punishment.

4) They stay in and refuse to even minister to openly gay members. They would have policy behind them:

SECNAVINST 1730.7B

Chaplains shall not be assigned collateral duties which violate the religious practices of the chaplain’s faith group, require services as director, solicitor, or treasurer of funds other than administrator of a Religious Offering Fund, serve on a court-martial or stand watches other than that of duty chaplain.

OPNAVINST 1730.1D
Chaplains shall not be assigned duties that violate noncombatant status or the religious practices of the chaplain’s religious organization, undermine privileged communication, as defined in reference (m), or involve the management of funds other than the ROF.

or,

5) The best option in my opinion: They continue to do their jobs and minister to every individual in their care.

It is my prayer that #5 proves to be the option all individuals with a theological stance against gays utilize. This defines ministry and it is what all Chaplains are called to do.

The second interesting thing about all this is what happens to the force if a large number of Chaplains leave over this issue? The mainline denominations have done a good job keeping people out of military ministry through their explicit or implicit behavior towards the military on either theological, or more recently political views. The mainline denominations have let this important ministry opportunity pass them by and that has significantly changed the demographics of the military and the church. So, when a large number of Chaplains jump ship, there is no one around from other denominations ready to fill the gap because they misunderstand what military ministry is all about.

Just my thoughts. It should be interesting to watch it play out over the next few months.

A Decisive Victory, Finally!

Finally, in our 4th season over two years of outdoor and indoor soccer, my divinity school team achieved an overwhelming victory in soccer (11-3). The scores are much higher in indoor as the momentum can change instantly and a rash of goals can erase any kind of lead. For reference, we only scored 6 goals all season last year. I even scored 2 and haven't scored a goal in over 5 years because I normally play defense. We are still only 1-1 in this season and have had a few times around .500 in other seasons, so I am cautiously optimistic about our chances to finally earn a playoff spot. I find this amazing because we never load the team with ringers and people outside our program like many of our competitors seem to feel the need to do all to win a simple and cheap T-shirt.

One Reason Why Seminary at Duke is Great

Great Basketball and the ability to have some great seats in which to watch said sport. It is nice to see Duke at #2 right now. Hopefully that will continue this season (At least until Georgia Tech). I know Tech probably is a long shot at a win, but one can dream.

Way to Go Buffy!

Congrats to my old ship, USS Buffalo on winning the Submarine Squadron 15 Battle "E" for 2008. For those not familiar, it is presented to one ship in each squadron every year for overall excellence in doing the job we get paid to do. Unfortunately, I don't get to share in this award as I transferred a year too early. It seems that I leave ships the year before they win the award. For a list of all other winners in the force and the individual category winners a blogger named Blunoz has both lists for everyone to view. Again, good job to my old shipmates and keep up the good work. You have deserved this for a few years now.

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

For all the submarine type readers, I have to disappoint you in this post as the title actually describes my estimation of the PCUSA denomination. There are many similarities between the two behemoth organizations and I will mention a few of them here. I spent the last few days at the Montreat College Conference and got to hear an amazing keynote by Congressman John Lewis. His book just doesn't do justice to hearing his powerful story in person. What an amazing man with a phenomenal story that evokes confidence and hope in humanity.

I don't want to focus on his story, because I could never do it justice, but a common thread I noticed in listening to two leaders of my denomination. One was the moderator and the other the head staffer of the church for Campus ministry. Many people think the denomination will fracture and split over issues that are in the press for all denominations. However, after following the discussion for a few years and applying some good old submarine thinking of root causes. I think the root cause is a lack of denominational identity.

Whenever a proposal or issue rises to the top of the denomination at the General Assembly, it seems the PCUSA decides to take it on and study the issue. They then release a report and say it is on their radar. There are a myriad of issues which follow this pattern. What happens is that precious resources of time, talent and money are thrown at all sorts of issues and all of them important to some group of people. I appreciate acknowledging everyone's worth in the body. However, with so many issues to grapple with everyone suffers.

Take campus ministry for example. I think they said there were 64 universities affiliated with the denomination and another significant number that have campus ministers. However, as the resources have dwindled, the church as significantly reduced their support for nurturing the members who are in college. The conference is a start, but really a band aid and political gesture so show the denomination cares as no real support stems from the conference. Kind of like a steinke hood. There is no real movement or support for college ministry because there are too many things to occupy the denominational offices.

This is similar to one complaint many submariners make about the sub force, myself included. The sub force, around the same time of the Greeneville collision, decided to make everyone experts in every single mission area a submarine could possibly encounter. When I was a Junior Officer out in Pearl, each squadron focused on one or two mission areas and everyone knew what the squadron's main mission was. We learned basic competency in each area, but became experts in a few areas. We felt confident in our ability and overall mission impact and accomplishment. This new focus puts a great strain on the entire force to excel in so many areas that the overall performance seemed to suffer. There is no way to be the best in everything imaginable, humans are designed that way.

Thinking about the church, a denomination can't do it all and shouldn't try. We are told the church is a body with every person having a distinct function. Congregations and denominations are no different. This doesn't mean that my function is more important or vital to the overall body. If I am the hand, I can't be the eyes but I do appreciate what the eyes accomplish. Each denomination seems to be wanting to be the sole expert in every possible function of the universal church and that just seems absurd. This all got me to thinking what would be a good model for a denomination.

Well, maybe the PCUSA needs to spend the time at General Assembly prayerfully discerning what the denomination is called to act upon for the next two years until the next meeting. The church should make a statement of what their vision is and actively work toward that vision. I think they should take a stand and stake a claim to a certain number of issues/movements and put all of their effort into that. This is not to say that individual congregations can't work on their own. They should as each congregation needs to discern their place in the world. But if an outsider can't determine what issues are truly important to the denomination, they will leave it aside. In my experience, churches that succeed, and by extension denominations, are those that you know what they stand for. If you don't agree with their views you respect them and move on, if you agree you stand with them. There is an old saying, if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

That being said, the other issue is that if a congregation wants to leave let them. Sign over the property recognizing they are our Christian brothers and sisters. Just because people are in different places theologically doesn't mean we can treat them as enemies. Let them go in love and make sure the path back to the denomination is just as loving if the priorities align once again. I just think that all sides on these denominational issues are looking for the complicated answers when the simple answer is usually the correct one. This idea, while still rough keeps the ability to be a theologically diverse organization, but still allows for a graceful exit for those who don't agree. People on the outside look at our behavior and turn away for good. We need to set the example and put aside our pride and take a stand on living a life of love for everyone.

My two cents.

One Benefit of Being a Student Again

Traveling!

I am home for a short 24 hour break in travels. I have been able to accomplish a great deal over the last 18 months, especially the last semester now that I don't have a church I work in right now. I was down in Atlanta yesterday for the Peach Bowl where my Yellow Jackets were soundly thumped by LSU. Special teams and a lack of defense contributed to the embarrassment. However, I can deal with the loss. I had a great time visiting friends and just being at the bowl game. We did not get to a single bowl game in my time at Tech, even going 1-10 one season, so I am glad to attend any game. What I like about this photo is the Chick-Fil-A cows that were parachuting from the ceiling before the game started.


In the second half, the engineering side of the home crowd took over as the game was quite boring by that time. So, the Tech students began to make paper airplanes out of the sheets of paper placed in every seat at the Dome. There was one that went from the upper level in the end zone out to the 30 yard line. It took a little while, then the LSU fans got into the act, with less spectacular results. Then the PA announcer decided to threaten the crowd with prosecution for throwing paper airplanes. Though, after a paper airplane almost hit a thrown ball in play I can understand why they were a little upset. However the impromptu contest of engineering prowess was the most exciting part of the game after the first quarter. LSU put up 28 points in the 2nd quarter alone. Here is a photo of some of the aftermath of the paper airplanes. There were probably 500 along each sideline at the end of the 3rd quarter.


Now it is a night of watching football and off to Montreat for the College Conference tomorrow.