2008-2009: Nathan Proctor

It is Almost Here

Well another week of classes, and more meetings and assignments. I got back an English essay and both a test and a quiz in Calc. I am happy to report that I Have straight A's from what I have gotten back so far. and That means I am well on my way to they 4.0.  But I must give credit to the great staff here at Norwich. My Calc teacher does an outstanding job teaching the material and the people in the Learning Support Center can really help you improve your essays. When I first got here I thought that going to a place called the Learning Support Center would be for dumb people that can not pass on their own. But now I wish I had listened when my cadre told us that it is a place to make good students better. I am setting up appointments there all the time for essay help and work shops on study skills that any good student can get some improvement on. They are changing the name of it next year to something that will not get the reaction I first gave it but if you show up here next year or a few years down the road and want to find it just ask where the LCS is and any one on campus should be able to help you out.
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The lacrosse season is almost here and it looks like it is going to be a great year. I am so ready that I took Friday off to think of other sports and played a very fun game of Ultimate Frisbee with some people from campus. Unfortunate for me though the ground in the field house has been cold enough to freeze water to it because as we were playing I slipped and managed to injure my right wrist. The infirmary has looked at it twice now and believes that I may have bruised the bone. they say that it should heal on its own in a few days if that is what I did but with all doctors there is no way of knowing if it is what we think it is or if it will heal as fast as we think it will so for now I am on restricted PT and I am only able to type with one hand because I can not turn my wrist so it will sit nicely on the key board. So I hope you like this blog because it is all one handed.

Lets see, last weekend my company and five others went to go snowboarding and skiing up at sugar bush. And I must say that was a blast. I have never been snowboarding before but I really want to keep doing it now that I have gotten a taste of it. My brother taught me as much as I could learn while trying not to fall and I think they are proud that they have a brother that does not fall all the time any more. I can not wait till I can go again on my own time and really make a day out of it.

What else is going on? We are doing our best out here, trying to not let the cold get us down. And as always we are getting closer as a company that will have each others back through four years here and beyond.

Well that is all I have right now, if you have any questions please leave a comment. and if you have left comments in the past I just want to check that you have gotten a response because I post them as comments on the same blog but I never know if you find out that I have. I know I get an email every time someone posts a comment but do you get an email if I comment back?

Any ways that is all for now,

Hope you enjoyed super bowl because I know that every one here is tuned in to the big game.

Nathan Proctor

Just another week in paridise

Hello everyone

So that's another week down and one less to go before Spring break and the first Lacrosse game.

This week was a lot like the last, we had the same classes and a new set of Corporals watching over us. Though this week we got the first steps in for starting the lacrosse season with physicals and a captain's practice to get our skills back up. And on Friday we had a Battalion level room inspection. Even with all that the week was pretty good.

This week I have two more practices before the season starts and tomorrow the school is taking all the freshman in first and second battalion and going to sugar bush to go skiing or snowboarding. It is going to be so much fun.

Well school is good so far and I am really happy where I stand right now in all of my classes.

Well I guess that is all I have to report for now. Let me know if you have any questions about what is going on.

Later for now

Nathan Proctor

Well it's back to the grind

Hello everyone,

I have been gone a while and I am sorry that I have not posted in so long. But we are all back. It is second semester and the ball is already rolling and you just have to keep running if you do not want to get caught in a jam here at Norwich. 

So this semester will be a little different than last, I have the lacrosse season coming up and I am taking a few less credits and hoping that they will allow for me to have a good lacrosse season and do well in school. I am taking more English, Applied Calculus, another Naval Science and The study of the World's Economy.

My goals for this semester are to improve my Physical Fitness score, get as close to a 4.0 as I can and of course make people want to come to as many lacrosse games at Norwich as I can.

This semester the school starts teaching us as freshman how to lead and help all the upperclassmen refine their skills even more as leaders in our every changing world. The juniors that have been leading the freshman all first semester are now taking a step back and letting some sophomores step in and lead us while they take orders from our juniors. It is like they are all stepping up and forward together. So now we have Corporals that lead us to where we need to go and they tell us what to do. The Sergeants step back and give them orders and let them execute them. That way the Sergeants get to see what it is like to be an Officer in the Corp and the Corporals get to see what it is like to be Sergeants.

Well you are all amazing for reading this far, If you have any questions that you want answered. Please ask them because you can not get the answer unless you ask.

And for any of you out there that are planning on coming here next year I have a big hint for you.

Are you ready??

In this school you have to love what you do and do what you love because at the end of the day when you are tired from working you butt off that is what you can think of when as you go to sleep. That is the kind of thing that can help you get through the tough times that Norwich offers to you. The chance to be stronger, smarter, and in many ways better than people that live a boring life in a normal college.

Well that is all for now,

Nathan Proctor, RCT

Finals

Wow, where have I been.

Well, school is almost done for this term and as of Wednesday we are on our own to prepare for finals and all that good stuff. Two weeks ago we were all on Thanksgiving break and then we are back here again but now it’s the end of the year.

Last time I talked to you guys we were still in the gutter and locked on all the time and now we have a little bit of freedom. We can walk around outside out of the gutter and we don't have to sit at attention all the time for meals so that makes life a lot more comfortable. To earn these privileges we were given four tests: a Physical fitness test, a basic knowledge test about the school (a.k.a. Rook Knowledge), we had a Drill and Ceremony basics test and a very tough room inspection. And after the first round of testing most of the companies did not have privileges but we followed the school motto and kept on trying.

The lacrosse season is getting ready for our season next year, our coach off recruiting on his weekends. And we have been hitting the gym as a team twice a week to get faster and stronger. And then on Tuesdays and Thursdays our captains try and plan some kind of practice or scrimmage so we keep our skills up.

The temperature is dropping a lot here. Today was the coldest it has been so far. This morning it was -5 degrees before wind chill. BBRRRrrr

As far as Norwich goes it seems that we are all settling in for winter and the transition from the basic training of following to the first steps to becoming the great leaders that Norwich is known all over the country for.

Well that is really all that is going on here, everyone is preparing to go home and studying for finals but it has gotten a lot quieter. Some people like it and others don't but what you expect we are all getting set into a routine that will get us through the winter and into the cold months of Vermont spring.

That is all I have for now hope I hear from you guys if you have any questions.

Bye

Hey everybody,
I feel like I have had no time to write so I am a little behind. Today is Sunday and many people do not know that on Sunday everything changes. We have a day just for studying. No one sounds off it is so peaceful on Sunday that sometimes you forget that it is not always like this. Most companies have a later wake up time and I get the feeling that it is just a whole lot more relaxed. On a normal day you have the chow hall open all day and you can stop in any time basically and get a little food or snack but on the weekends the chow hall only serves two meals a day and you ether eat a lot or you bring back a lot of food to just enjoy at your leisure. After your first meal you go back to the barracks and you "conduct study hall." Really this just means don't be load, do not take privileges that are not yours and get your work done. That lasts for the majority of the day, from around 1100 to around 1700 (5 p.m.) when you will be going to second mess. Most people take a break in the middle and go to the gym or go for a run and sometimes you can get permission to get a ball or Frisbee and go play a little game with your Rook brothers and sisters. That is always a lot of fun. Then after the second mess you go back and they might have a little class on something or other like this next week we are getting tested to see if we can move out of Rookie Basic Training. So tonight we might have a class on some of the stuff we might get tested on. Its mostly stuff we already know but might not think about own our own time. Then it is back to study hall and at around 2120 you start getting ready for bed.

That is a normal Sunday, some people go to church around the time of second mess. And we all make phone calls at some time or another to our parents or our friends.

If you have any questions about what happens around here on the weekends I would be more than happy to answer your questions. Hope all is well out side the walls of Rookdom, I will talk to you guys later.

Have a great day,
Nathan Proctor

Regi Ball and a Weekend Break

Hello Again,
    So last time we were all getting ready for Regimental Ball. It was great, we all had a blast and got a chance to get to know some of our underclassmen. Some people had there girlfriends come up and join the festivities. I was lucky to have a date, she was not someone that I knew but it was nice to have someone that I got to hang out with for a while. They played a bunch of music and at around the 1100 they played Goodnight Saigon and for those of you who have never been to Norwich that is one of the highlights of the night. Every Company gathers with there original company and we all have our own little chant. It is a very bonding experiences.
   That was a night that I will always have and a moment with my Rook Brothers that I will never forget. As the weekend went on we enjoyed a bit of time to our selves and some time that we could just relax. Then it was back to work and school and all the extra stuff that makes it fun.
   The lacrosse team started doing conditioning with the strength coach on campus and I think it is really going to help me out get in the best shape of my life. And the Naval Battalion took our fitness tests. I improved my score by a little and my roommate improved his score by 41 points, it was great.
   Now it is Mid Semester Break and one of my Rook Brothers brought me and my roommate Benjamin to his house in Rhode Island. Thank you Nelson.
   It's awesome we are getting a chance to hang out and be our selves a little bit more and get to see another side to each person as they were before Norwich changed them.
   Well we are pre paring to work our way through to Thanksgiving Break and then we all get to relax in our own ways and most of us will get to see our families again. That should be interesting. Plus for me and the rest of the Naval Battalion we have the Navy Marine Corp Ball in just a week or so and that will be great.
   Until next time, Nathan Proctor

Two weeks

Well it has been two weeks since my last post and a lot has happened. Last weekend everyone's parents were allowed to come up and see what has been happening here. So of course we had a lot to prepare for. We made banners for our respective companies and got ready to compete in a Jodi and marching competition. All of these events were judged and Kelo won the Jodi and Marching competition and  Hotel won the Banner but I know both our banner and our Jodi got some major recognition. Then for those of you who have been reading before the lacrosse game was great. We won game 6 to 2 and I got to play the second and fourth quarter. We have some work to do but I think by the time we hit the real season we will be ready for a new year. Grades are looking good this semester so far but we still have half a semester to go, so just got to keep plugging a long.    

My parents came up for parents weekend and it was really nice to see them again. They were nice enough to take me and one of my rook brothers off campus so we could enjoy a few hot meals and a rack that we would not have to make in the morning. We enjoyed a trip to Walmart, I never knew how much could have in a Walmart. We had a two nice dinners and got to see a movie that has not been out for a few months. My parents enjoyed themselves for a while watching the Artillery crew do their deminstration. It was all around a very good weekend.  Thanks Mom and Dad again for coming up.

    Now it is the end of another long week as we get ready for another fun event, Regimental Ball. Basicly the start of acceptance from our upperclassmen and our first Ball here at Norwich. I have a date coming up and she seems really cool. I have not met her before but she is a friend of my rook buddy, but I am happy to have a date it should make the night a lot more fun, plus meeting new people is always an enjoyable event. So to prepar we have been learning some songs to sing to our dates that our Cadra told us to learn because everyone needs a good laugh or a memorable moment for this weekend. And something else really cool we got issued our Dress Blues and most of us look pretty good in them.

      It is the start of another week and Norwich and all of us here are working hard. Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you ask about anything you want to know.

Until next time.

A New Week with a New Story

Well, hello everyone,

It is the start of a brand new week and I am pumped, a little tired from the weekend but still pumped. This is the week of the Marine Corp FX. That means that I am going to be gone for part of the week end and out in the field with the Marine ROTC group, these are some of the things that I look forward to doing whenever I can. This Saturday was going to be the lacrosse scrimmage against Green Mountain but they were only going to bring half a team so our coach told them “no we don’t want to play you guys.” Now this may seem like a bad thing but actually it is really great because we got another game planed already. And to top it all off that game is going to be at home on parent’s weekend. Saturday the eleventh, we are going to play Anna Maria College. I got asked if we were going to have a game over parents weekend, well I am happy to report that we will and I plan on enjoying every minute of it and hope that anyone that is coming to parent’s weekend will stop by before the football game.

What a weekend. This weekend I feel like I was very busy. Friday was a full day of class with lacrosse practice for two hours in the rain, which was so fun. Then Saturday I got up early and had lacrosse practice again for two hours, and it sprinkled a little Saturday. After a good 6 on 6 short field scrimmage I went back to the dorm and got ready for an overnight adventure. Saturday night through Sunday morning I helped test night vision technology for the Army. It was kind of a long night with not that much sleep but I am very happy that I got the chance to do it. After such an eventful night I was looking forward to the possibility of a little nap back in the dorms and I would have gotten one too but I had a project to work on with my group so I geared up and headed down to the library to knock out some work before our meeting. We were studying the luxury hotel industry and how it had been doing from an investor’s standpoint, very educational. Then it was back to the dorms for the ending for a normally weekend with a short phone call home and a quiet evening.

Now it is Wednesday and what a good week it has been so far. All weekend and Monday and Tuesday we were in Super Summer B’s. That means a lot of walking around in white shirts gray trousers. But now it is Wednesday and as a special event we are in ACU’s and it feels nice to not have to walk around in the rain in Summer B's.

Well I hope all you out there are having a great week.

Thanks for reading

Nathan Proctor

Anything New

      Well it feels like just another week now. What a weird concept, I have had my whole world flipped and in about a month I am already bored with it. This is not to say that there is nothing new going on around here or that I have nothing to do, that is not it at all. It just seems like after all this time waiting for a new beginning that I was kind of expecting more. This last week the lacrosse team started it's Fall season. I am jumping right in and loving it. We have what seems to be a great start to a new season. This year we have a new coach and he is a real motivate, running drills and coming early with lots of enthusiasm. Next Saturday we have a scrimmage against Green Mountain College, I don't know much about them but it is at home and I am pumped.
       Foxtrot is doing good, we unfortunately lost one of our own last week. He was one of our football players and he got another concussion and was told not to play football anymore and that was a big part of him being here at Norwich so he transferred to another school and we had to say goodbye for now but everyone of us here still consider him one of our Rook Brothers.
       We spend a lot of time around here doing our own thing now, not as much of it is as a group other than eating in the evening and formations, but we still are really tight here and we all look out for each other.
         Well I hope you keep reading and please post a comment if you have any questions for me or for other people from Foxtrot, I would be more than happy to answer your questions.
               Nathan Proctor

Fair

The Tunbridge fair was Sunday and I got to work there for the Naval Battalion. We all got up and were ready to go at 0530. By 0730 we were there and ready to work, they gave us jobs and told us what to do and then the day began. I signed up for the whole day because we were going to earn money based on the number of people that we had come out so I was eager to show them that the Norwich Naval Battalion are a bunch of hard workers. I got assigned to ticket sales at the Bravo post with one of my Rook buddies. We worked hard in the rain and the cold. The Naval Battalion fed us breakfast of bagels, muffins, fruit and juice and it really started the day off right. After a few hours the rain let up and we started to see the sun, and for those of you from Vermont know that when the sun comes out and it has just rained you’re in for a treat. The heat picked up and so did the humidity. We were all sweating just standing around let alone working hard. At around noon we got some lunch, they made us burgers and chicken for the main course and gave us other food like salad, fruit, pasta salad and desserts. It was all good and then it was back to work, selling tickets and directing cars. At around 2 my Rook buddy and I got relieved and were allowed a little bit of time to just check out the fair, what a treat. They had rides and food, animals and music. We got fried dough and it was really good. After our little excursion to check out the part it was back to work. This time I got sent to Alfa post and was set to work stamping people’s hands so they could come back into the park if they wanted to after leaving. And that was what I did; I made sure that any one that was leaving but wanted to come back would not have to spend another 10 dollars to enjoy what they had already paid for. Then another guy came and relieved me and I went back up to Bravo post to see if I could work there, and that I did for about 20 minutes before getting a call that they wanted the extra from Bravo post to report to HC, so I went and they told me that I was going to head back to campus. I was kind of surprised but at the same time I was kind of happy, the last few weeks have taken its toll on me and I was already tired so I went back happily. Back on the hill I went right to third mess and had a great dinner and was sent to my hole to conduct study hall for the rest of the evening. It was a good weekend and no one will ever change my mind about it.
      Well I know I just posted but I think this topic disserved its own post but the same rules apply here; if you have questions, please ask them.
      Hope you enjoy reading and that you will keep reading.
      Nathan Proctor