RM Vivas
US Veteran
In this post: http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...trophy-guns-update.html?662944=#post141292204 I explained how the senior level capstone class in my pursuit of a BA in history required me to come up with some sort of thesis.
I chose to look at NYPD Trophy Guns, the Bloomingdale Trophy in particular, and determine whether Trophy Gun winners were more likely than their peers to advance faster and higher up the Department ladder.
I wrote the thesis, handed it in and got an A in the class.
That was Fall 2021.
Earlier this month I received this email from my class instructor:
Now, you have to understand that public speaking is a bit scary for me.
Against my better judgement though, I figured I'd do it. I'm contemplating an MA in History and this might be good application fodder.
I said I'd do it and a few days later these showed up in my email:
Oh ****; now I'm committed to this!
So I buckled down and banged out a 13-minute or so presentation, ginned up some powerpoint slides and hoped for the best.
Title card of my slideshow:
So I sat at the podium, watched the other presentations and politely clapped when they were done. As each presenter sat down it was one presenter closer to being my turn.
Finally I got introduced, did my presentation, didn't poop, puke or pee myself and sat down.
Somewhat surprisingly, most of the Q&A's directed to the presenters were directed at me.
Here is a shot of me pontificating:
The Q&A went pretty well I thought.
Someone asked me about how the whole Trophy Gun project came to be and I thought my telling of the story was pretty good. If I can trim the video and figure how to post/link it I'll do so; I think I came across halfway decent and it is kind of a funny story.
Anyway, the symposium ended, I wiped out the snack buffet and slipped out the fire exit with my computer case loaded with bags of chips and 8-ounce mini-cans of soda.
Fast forward to Monday.
I swing by the History department and the first thing the secretary says to me is "Congratulations!".
"Huh? For what?"
"Have you checked your email?"
"Uh, no."
"Go check it, you won."
I set up my laptop, hit my university email account, and.......:
Hey, how about that!
There is an award ceremony Thursday that I'm going to.
I'm hoping that this will be a little blurb I can put in my Master application that might help. Also, I'm hoping it'll catch the eyes of someone who might be able to steer my towards some kind of grant/scholarship/foundation sort of thing.
And for people wondering, yes the award comes with a check but I am donating that back to the History Department; I'm financially more secure than I was when I started college decades ago so maybe they can get that money to some guy who is in the sort of straits I once was as a freshman.
RM Vivas
I chose to look at NYPD Trophy Guns, the Bloomingdale Trophy in particular, and determine whether Trophy Gun winners were more likely than their peers to advance faster and higher up the Department ladder.
I wrote the thesis, handed it in and got an A in the class.
That was Fall 2021.
Earlier this month I received this email from my class instructor:
Now, you have to understand that public speaking is a bit scary for me.
Against my better judgement though, I figured I'd do it. I'm contemplating an MA in History and this might be good application fodder.
I said I'd do it and a few days later these showed up in my email:
Oh ****; now I'm committed to this!
So I buckled down and banged out a 13-minute or so presentation, ginned up some powerpoint slides and hoped for the best.
Title card of my slideshow:
So I sat at the podium, watched the other presentations and politely clapped when they were done. As each presenter sat down it was one presenter closer to being my turn.
Finally I got introduced, did my presentation, didn't poop, puke or pee myself and sat down.
Somewhat surprisingly, most of the Q&A's directed to the presenters were directed at me.
Here is a shot of me pontificating:
The Q&A went pretty well I thought.
Someone asked me about how the whole Trophy Gun project came to be and I thought my telling of the story was pretty good. If I can trim the video and figure how to post/link it I'll do so; I think I came across halfway decent and it is kind of a funny story.
Anyway, the symposium ended, I wiped out the snack buffet and slipped out the fire exit with my computer case loaded with bags of chips and 8-ounce mini-cans of soda.
Fast forward to Monday.
I swing by the History department and the first thing the secretary says to me is "Congratulations!".
"Huh? For what?"
"Have you checked your email?"
"Uh, no."
"Go check it, you won."
I set up my laptop, hit my university email account, and.......:
Hey, how about that!
There is an award ceremony Thursday that I'm going to.
I'm hoping that this will be a little blurb I can put in my Master application that might help. Also, I'm hoping it'll catch the eyes of someone who might be able to steer my towards some kind of grant/scholarship/foundation sort of thing.
And for people wondering, yes the award comes with a check but I am donating that back to the History Department; I'm financially more secure than I was when I started college decades ago so maybe they can get that money to some guy who is in the sort of straits I once was as a freshman.
RM Vivas
