Free Topic

Well, seeing as this week is a free topic, and I will be graduating on the 20th of December in about a week, I figure that is probably about as solid a topic as any for my final free topic blog post.

Graduation, all semester, has loomed as that ever elusive goal that I somehow managed to miss. Being 16 hours short of graduation last semester really gave me a batch of mixed emotions, as well as an accompanying extra semester here at clemson. With a good portion of my friends graduating on time, including one of my roommates, the fact that I was still going to be here another semester made me feel almost left behind. Logically, not graduating in four years on a curriculum of 141 hours with a semester in charleston that, other than my studio and CSM class, was composed of all elective courses made perfect sense to me. This, though, still didn't ease the idea that I had somehow failed at college; that, once this semester started, I no longer belonged here because I should have graduated already.

On the other hand, it was a nice feeling knowing that I'd get to spend another semester as a student, a regular student with no architecture studio taking most of my time, with only 12 hours of classes after I took two over the summer. This combined with the fact that I did still have a few friends here, including my brother who came in this year as a freshman, helped me feel at home, as well as give me some sense of purpose by allowing me to help my brother settle in and pass on to him whatever advice I could to make things easier.

With these two ideas bouncing around my head like a pinball all semester, it has made things interesting in unexpected ways. Now, though, the semester is over, and I will in fact be graduating soon. Now, a new battle of feelings has sprung up. I will no longer be able to identify myself as a student of Clemson University. I'm now a real adult who has to get a job and make my way in the real world; a monumental revelation to say the least. This combined with how much I will miss the place that has not only been my home for four and a half years, but has also, as I stated before, been a major part of how I defined myself for this time period has brought upon me, a new internal conflict. I look forward to my upcoming years as a member of the "real world," but I still can't shake a feeling of nostalgia, a reminiscent loss of part of myself. I have no doubt that, in time, this will fade, and I will settle into a new life that I plan on making as fulfilling as possible. Until then, I will enjoy the memories marking an era in my life that has now all but culminated. Unfortunately I guess, all good things must come to an end.

Dual Coding Theory

The dual coding theory is an idea I find quite interesting. It is certainly evident in most commercials, and I have even found it in movies quite often as well(probably not always intentionally though).

The first occurance that came to my mind was the Geico commercials with the cavemen. The one I remember most is the advertisement, with the caveman in the airport on the moving belt, with the song "Remind Me" by Röyksopp playing in the background. Between the commercial and the song itself, I always get a good laugh. I also remember this commercial everytime I hear the song. An example from a movie I actually had a conversation about the other day is the movie "Reservoir Dogs." In this movie there is a scene where Michael Madsen's character, Mr. Blonde, tortures a guy, including cutting off his ear and attempting to light him on fire, while listening to "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel on the radio. Now everytime I hear that song I think of that scene (great scene by the way).

The theory can also be used in a negative way such as the "Head On" jingle mentioned in class(it makes me want to beat my head against my desk), as well as the "Truth" commercials with people lying in the street, as if dead, to portray the death rate caused by smoking(they certainly make me glad I'm not a smoker).

At any rate, there are potentially millions of examples that could be called upon to prove both the occurance, and the effectiveness, of this in advertising. The theory truly works, and is a very strong and simple tool for committing things to memory.

Group Communication

As far as group work goes, I've had my share of experiences. As a part of architecture, often you have to work with others in order to complete a project. This can be anything from simple advice/feedback to full fledged group projects where tasks ranging from design to production can either be shared or divided among group members. Some of my experiences have been enjoyable, while others have been, at the very least, less than satisfactory.

My proposal group for this Business Writing class has thus far fallen somewhere in between; though it has, in fact, rated much closer to the enjoyable side. I like working with all of my group members, and like the project for the most part (although it does feel a little tedious to me). I feel that my group has a solid, working chemistry, and all get along well. My one complaint would be that we probably do not get as much done during our meetings as we should. We plan things well, but our execution seems to fall just shy of where I think it probably should be. I have no doubt that our group will produce some very acceptable and imaginative results, and am proud to be working on this project with the people in my group. Hopefully, though, we will be able to step up our production during our future meetings.

Free Topic

This weekend I finally saw Transformers for the second time, and, even though the DVD doesn't provide the entertainment experience of a movie cinema, Transformers was still as awesome as the first time I watched it. For me, this movie was the culmination of years of hoping and praying that one day I would finally be able to see the autobots and decepticons that I love so much battle it out in a live action movie. As far back as I can remember Transformers have always been my favorite characters. I had numerous transformers toys, especially Optimus Prime (THE man...if such a term applies to a robot), and even owned The Transformers Movie (the original 1986 animated movie of course) on VHS. I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I watched it, and of course was traumatized every time I saw Optimus Prime die. That was the single most stupid and cruel thing to ever do to a kid. It still gets to me now when I watch the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD that I'm fortunate enough to own.

The purpose of all of this is to explain how much I love Transformers, and how much I would have been devastated had the movie turned out unsatisfactory in some way. I came into this movie originally with especially high hopes, and typically that leaves me ultimately disappointed in a movie. Usually when I have very high expectations for a movie, it fails to live up to what I had hoped. Considering the nature of my love for the characters in this movie, it was probably the most excited I've ever been for a movie. Frankly, I would rather they never do a live action Transformers movie rather than go through the years of subsequent therapy after seeing it ruined.

This, fortunately, was not the case at all. The movie, directed by Michael Bay (most likely the greatest action director around with movies like Bad Boys 1 and 2, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, and The Island to his name), was nothing but enjoyable. There was even a stand-off scene in which the camera circled the characters during the shoot-out. Very reminiscent of Bad Boys 2. It was full of comedy, the action as I already mentioned was heart-pounding, the storyline was solid, and most importantly of all, the special effects were utterly amazing. The cast was loaded with star actors such as John Turturro and Tyrese Gibson (a surprisingly good actor for a musical artist) as well. There were also references to the first movie such as "One shall stand, one shall fall;" a quote from Optimus (major Badass), to Megatron (Uber villian) in the original movie. Even Peter Cullen who voiced Prime in the animated movie was brought back to do the voice in this one. It was the fulfillment of a dream to see my lifelong favorite characters battling it out in computer generated renderings so real you could practically see your own reflection in the shining, painted metal. A lesser man would have cried. All I can do now is continue to enjoy a true cinematic triumph, and wait, ever so anxiously, until Transformers 2 (projected to release in 2009...though I'll certainly enjoy Iron Man in the mean time). This is a movie I would recommend to anyone, especially the youth of today (I've seen the crap they watch on tv now). If you haven't seen it yet, it would behoove you to do so immediately.

Interview Reflection

For me, the interview was not necessarily anything new. While in Charleston, I had to interview with five different architecture firms for my internship, so after that I had a grasp of how the interview would work. That said, it was nice to go through it again as a refresher before I graduate and enter the business world after the conclusion of this semester. It allowed me the chance to experience the interview process again in a non-threatening setting before I have to go through it in the real world.

Not only is that the case, but the class, in general, is a true help. I first thought it unfortunate that this was the only class I have this semester that actually requires any work outside of class. This is entirely opposite of the truth, though. I am actually glad now that I put off taking this class until now. It has forced me to get all of my things together (i.e. resume, cover letter, etc.) before I graduate and enter the real world.

Digressions aside, I feel the interview went quite well. I was told I did not seem nervous at all, and that my eye contact and body language looked good as well. I was also told my answers and explanations were good too. There were a few potential items that could use some minor improvement, but other than that, I was told my resume and cover letter looked good. Overall I feel the interview was a good experience, and one that I both enjoyed and am glad to have participated in.

Presentation Thoughts

For me, all of the presentations were quite interesting. I find it hard to pick just one that really stood out, but since I have to, it would have to be Jays regarding carnivorous plants. I honestly would have never thought I would have any interest whatsoever in any sort of presentation on plant life. To hear Jay speak about it, though, was actually a real treat. The information he presented was all very intriguing as well as informative. Most importantly, he presented the topic with excitement. One could tell that the information he was giving was something that was important to him, and something he certainly knew a lot about.

A few of other the presentations I really liked were the ones on barbecue, human trafficking, and of course The Office. The presentation on barbecue was surprisingly interesting as well as presented with a passion for the material. Being excited about the topic goes a long way. The human trafficking presentation was also surprisingly interesting, and rather moving in a depressing, hopeless sort of way. I watch enough movies to have assumed that that was a problem, but not quite to the scale that was presented. Finally, the presentation about The Office, was just that, about The Office. I don't really feel much explanation is needed here. The show is quite funny, and even though I am not an avid watcher, I have seen it enough to know the characters and was quite entertained by the presentation.

Free Topic

Well, this week is a free topic week, so I figure it is only fitting that I blog about that thing that has contributed more to my topic being a week late than school work or even the Virginia Tech football game combined. That thing, as all video gamers out there already know, is the truest reason behind the phrase made so famous by Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That thing being the most devastating two syllable, four letter word to all college careers, and ultimately leading to countless, sleepless nights, and probably countless failed classes, around not just the nation but the entire world...HALO. Yes, a large portion of my time this past week (since the evening of Friday the 6th) has been devoted entirely to the new, third and final installment of easily one of the most sought after first person shooters (or any genre of video games for that matter) in the history of video games.

Halo 3, the conclusion to the trilogy, continues right where Halo 2 left off. Master Chief (the main character, and the last remnant of a military developed line of artificially enhanced soldiers known as Spartans) has just saved both earth and the galaxy from the ignition of a second ancient, planet sized, ringshaped, superweapon known as a halo. The ring was nearly fired by The Covenant, a coalition of many alien races bent on both a religious genocidal tear against humanity, and a misguided prophecy that the halo weapons will somehow set into motion a religious journey ultimately ending in a transcendant resolution for The Covenant. Now, Master Chief, has just fallen back to earth, and must stop The Covenant once and for all. More importantly, though, he must stop an even greater evil, The Flood (a parasitic, single consciousness which seeks to assimilate all sentient life into itself) which was released from its prisons on the first two halo rings in Halo and Halo 2.

I think this Halo is quite possibly the best of the trilogy by remedying a few flaws of both the first two games as well as providing an awesome conclusion to the story. Halo 2, though both fun and enjoyable as far as the storyline goes, had a couple of flaws which, I felt, detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game. First off, they ruined the pistol by decreasing its power as well as taking away the zoom. Many people felt this weapon was too powerful in the first halo during multiplayer games as it was both powerful up close as well as accurate and lethal from long distances. I agree with this to some degree, but feel that this actually improved the multiplayer aspect of the game by making this weapon a sort of neutralizing element against people with sniper rifles from long distances as well as the shotgun from close range. The third game brings back a lot of the power from the first game, though, it unfortunately did not revive the zoom function. I was also glad Halo 3 used only a rechargeable shield as with the second game rather than a rechargeable shield and life bar in the first. It prevents worrying about gathering health pick ups as well as simplifying the functionality of the health meter system. Another thing I saw as a flaw in the second game was the Arbiter missions. They provided an excellent way of progressing a side story in the trilogy so as to allow a meshing of the storylines in the third installment, but they were unfortunately somewhat tedious, in my opinion, as well as preventing gameplay with Master Chief, the major icon of the games. There are no Arbiter missions in the third game which was a relief to me, but he is a computer controlled aide (player controlled in co-operative gameplay) so as to keep his character involved. I found this to be a wise compromise and was glad to see how this worked out. This game also brought back the new weapons from Halo 2 as well as the assault rifle, which was left out of the second game. This combined with the continued ability to dual-wield some weapons as well as enhanced controls made the game much more enjoyable than either of the first two Halos. One of the best developments in the weapons realm with this game was the new ability to break a turret off its stand and carry it around. This is not only highly useful, but in all honesty, its simply just damn fun to do. The multiplayer, and XBOX Live in particular, also feels more like the multiplayer of the first Halo. This I enjoyed since, for me, the second Halo's multiplayer was lacking something, though I am still unsure of what that is. There are also new vehicles (i.e. the Brute Chopper and the Mongoose) which add a nice little surprise and flare to the r'epertoire of Halo 3. All in all, this was an incredible installment to the Halo trilogy, and one which I feel will hopefully lead to several future installments (despite the fact this was meant only as a trilogy and not a series).

Anyone who has played this game already will undoubtedly know all of this already, and probably have opinions of their own. I only hope that anyone who has not already played this game will give it a try. Believe me when I guarantee that you will not regret it.

Resume Articles

The first two articles that caught my attention were very similar to each other, so I figured I would simply mention them both together. The same is true with the second two articles I noticed, so I plan to mention them together as well.



The first two articles I noticed were "More Sneaky Job Hunter Tactics: Faking an Insider Referral" and "Why Sneaky Resume Tactics May No Longer Aide Job Hunters." Once I read both of these articles, the thing that struck me most was the levels of creativity people will go to in order to deceive companies and corporations in order to gain job opportunities. The embedded texts for online searches as well as the colored text on the same colored background were very simple ideas, but things I would not have previously even thought of. The two ideas for writing what appears to be an insider recommendation on the resume, and especially the idea involving the "confidential" envelope going to a major executive seem excessively deceitful to me. Personally I feel that if you need that kind of effort getting someone to look at your resume you probably are not going to get the job anyway. Not only that, but the second article explained how, in a lot of cases anymore, many tactics, especially those of an online nature, are not only being foiled by newer technology, but being punished in some form or capacity. It seems to me that these tactics are not only unnecessary in many cases, but they are an unnecessary risk as well.



The next two articles that caught my eye were "Just One Job? Three Tips For Creating a Broad Resume" and "Five Resume Tips For When You Can List Only One Employer." These articles grabbed my attention since this will be my situation when looking for a job after graduation this December. Both articles were of benefit and both mentioned bolstering experience so as to broaden your resume. The other points of advice were quite helpful as well. Showing progression and adaptability seem fairly obvious as well as grouping skills and using subheadings though the explanations for each is helpful. I found the branding statement particularly interesting as well, though it seems it may be similar to a more specific objective statement.

Interviewing Tips

The first article that caught my attention was the one titled: "Ability to Pull an All-NighterCan Be as Useful as a B.A." I immediately had interest in this article considering the enormous amounts of all-nighters I pulled in architecture just for studio alone. These sometimes amounted to as many as one or two every other week, and quite often two or more in a row. Reviews for architecture students, which can often amount to as many as one a week, are often equivalent to tests for most other students classes. In these reviews we have to pin up our work present it to a panel of jurors, often in a formal presentation setting, then answer questions and receive feedback for future development and learning. After the review we are then graded on our presentations as well as the thoroughness, thoughtfulness, logic, and creativity of our work. The knowledge that the many, many all-nighters I pulled, as well as the group collaborations and time scheduling, can be mentioned in interviews and resumes as "soft skills" on top of the obvious skills and knowledge aquired through classes.

The second article that I was interested in reading was "You Can Say Too MuchWithout Even Speaking." This article at first glance seemed like it might have some negatives of body language such as doing something too often rather than not enough like I usually seem to hear about. Most of the article seemed to address largely standard issues I have always heard concerning interviewing etiquette. The thing that did surprise me was how people can maintain too much eye contact. It had previously never occurred to me that too much eye contact for an extended period could be awkward for the interviewer since I have always heard you must make strong eye contact in an interview situation.

The final article that really caught my attention was "A Job Hunter's GuideTo Recruiter Code Words." This article was not quite what I was expecting. From the title, I felt this article perhaps may have meant specific words used in interviewer questions which could give the interviewee a more substantial idea of what the interviewer is looking for with each question or statement. Due to this misjudging of the article I found it less intriguing that I anticipated, but somewhat interesting nonetheless. The terms used in this article seem as though they could be usedful for shorthand notes if you are the interviewer, but do not seem to be of a whole lot of use to an interviewee since they do not give much insight into how well an interview is going unless the interviewer allows the interviewee to see his or her notes afterward.

Some of the information in these articles is common sense, but a good deal of the information seems to be thoughtful and most likely previously unknown to the general public. The list as a whole seems as though it is very substantial as a help and advice resource for interviewees.

In Ten Years Time

In all honesty I'm not sure exactly where I picture myself in ten years. I could be in Charleston, married, and working for an architecture firm designing houses with more classical styles, or I could be in Chicago or New York, single, and working for a large firm aiding in the designs of commercial skyscrapers around the world. Either of these options, as well as many other possibilities, seem not only viable, but also entirely likely. This uncertainty most certainly stems from my current indecision on exactly where I want to be or what I want to be doing in ten years time. Although my hopes regarding my future are still in development, there are a few details I prefer to think will be realities over the course of my next ten years.



First, I will most likely be living in a large city. Chicago, New York, Charleston (though perhaps not a true metropolitan archetype), Los Angeles, Atlanta, Seattle, or any other of a host of large cities around the nation are, at least at this point, entirely possible. The largest reason for this is that architectural careers just are not found in small towns. In order to find the best jobs in the architectural field, one must live highly populated areas where there is a true need for architectural development. My auxiliary reason for living in a large city is, for lack of a better way to say it, because I want to. I grew up in Gaffney, SC which is not exactly a place of many people and many things to do. After living there for sixteen years and spending four years in small town Clemson (as much as I love it), I feel I need to be in a larger place with more to it on a day to day basis. This coincides with two, week long architecture trips Junior and Senior years to New York City and Chicago, as well as eight months, including a full semester's studies, in Charleston Junior year. These gave me some incredible experiences as well as an urge to live in any one of these cities.



Secondly, I want to hold a position which allows me to not only design structures, whether they are residential or commercial, but also have the opportunity to involve myself in some aspect of their building and construction also. This would be ideal, though I would be happy even if the construction aspect only extended to building furniture and/or models. The semester I studied in Charleston, I was part of a design/build studio, an introduction to craft (ITC) class, a building arts class, an internship with school credit, and a construction science and management class. I also had the opportunity to hold the position of shop czar in the woodshop which is located in the bottom floor of the old jail in Charleston. My studio, ITC, and building arts classes were all based on not only design, but building and working in the world of materials. I did work with Lexan (similar to plexiglass) and wood in studio, I built a large mahogany and maple toolbox as well as a couple of mahogany exit doors for the old jail in ITC, and I gained experience in iron working, stone carving, and masonry in my building arts class. I even had the privilege of helping build a timberframed structure as part of an interior design project I was working on for an art gallery during the Spoletto festival that summer. Each of these awesome opportunities furthered my desire for building and construction rather than merely design. Add to this the fact building models has always been my favorite part of my studio projects, and this leaves me with no other alternative than to work in a position where building, in some capacity, is a part of my job.

Over the next few years after I graduate, I plan to work for a year or two (most likely in Charleston), attend grad school (not sure where, though Clemson or the Illinois Institute of Technology are possibilities), and then get a job in most likely Chicago or New York City (though they are not the only possiblilities) for at least a couple of years. After that I really do not have any idea other than the two aforementioned details. Either way, I look forward to discovering just what my next ten years have in store.

Introductory Post

Well this is my first blog post ever. I have never actually kept any sort of diary or journal either, so I hope it is found to be, at the very least, acceptable. At any rate, my name is John Babcock, and I am a Senior here at Clemson. I am majoring in Architecture, minoring in Psychology, and should be graduating in December, barring any unforseen complications. My hometown is Gaffney, SC though I was born in Colombia, SC.



I chose my major because I always enjoyed drawing as well as designing and building things with blocks and Legos. I also took an industrial technology class in ninth grade where nearly half of the class grade was based on hand drawn floor, electrical, and plumbing plans as well as elevations and a scaled model of a house of our choosing. After taking that class I knew that Architecture was the field I should enter, and despite the many long hours in studio, I am still happy with my choice. As part of my major, I have had to take a couple of public speaking classes which should be of some benefit to a group. I have also had to develop some familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and I also have some experience with Microsoft Power Point.



As far as interests are concerned, I love movies, and my favorite type of music is rock in most all of it's capacities. My two favorite tv shows are Seinfeld and Scrubs, but some of my other top shows are Heroes, Stargate SG-1, Burn Notice, and Man Vs Wild. I played baseball when I was younger, and soccer for about eight years including a couple of years in high school. I enjoy paintball when I have the time and money, and have rowed for Clemson Crew.