Politicking

This last Thursday night I had the opportunity to attend our Republican caucus. It was the first such meeting I have ever been to, and I really didn't know what to expect. I initially thought about attending because I simply wanted to learn more, and my roommate was running for state delegate and wanted me there. Then Elder Cook of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles encouraged us in a CES fireside to attend our caucus. Then (as the final nail in the coffin) there was a letter from the First Presidency in Sacrament meeting last Sunday asking us to participate in such meetings. I'm pretty thick sometimes, but luckily I was paying enough attention this time to know I need to be more involved in the political process.

So what was it like? Well we met at a high school, and there were about 65 of us from our precinct. Our precinct chair ran the meeting fairly well despite the fact that it lasted 2 1/2 hours. We voted for state and county delegates and each nominee was given an opportunity to tell about themselves, followed by a Q&A. It was very educational.

I learned that it is much easier to get involved in politics than I previously thought. Maybe I am still naive, but it seems to me that you don't have to be anything special or have a lot of money to make a difference on a local level.

I learned that there really are a lot more people out there that feel the same way I do about our country than I thought there were.

I learned that there is a spirit associated with politics. You may smirk at that, and think "there sure is a spirit in politics, but not the kind you feel at church...", but I really believe that the spirit of patriotism motivates us to get involved. Can anyone who truly loves our country be indifferent toward the men and women that are chosen to govern its affairs?

Leaving the caucus I felt a desire to do more and know more about what is going on. If you haven't read section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants lately, I suggest taking some time to study it. What struck me the most was the first verse,

"We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society." Doctrine and Covenants 134:1

If you have any suggestions for me on how to know more or do more, please leave a comment!

A DPH Update

I realize it has been months since I have posted anything on my blog. Here is my update:

1) At the end of January I flew to Arizona to interview for the MBA program at ASU. It was a quick trip but tons of fun. I surprised Kim (her roommate Katie picked me up from the airport and snuck my into their apartment). Here are some good times from that trip.


Notice that Grant's pizza is twice the size of mine. I'm certain he ate more than me that night.


The interview was actually not that great. They had an entire day event that included a tour, sitting in on a class, eating lunch with current MBA students, and an informational session, and then the interview at the end. I enjoyed everything but the actual interview. It just felt a little strange. But that was why I made the effort to go down, to "study it out".

The good news is that the very next day I had an interview with BYU. Which went very well, and leads me to my next DPH update...

2) I will be starting the MBA program at BYU this August. It is a full time program so I will be leaving my position at England Logistics in July. My current plan is to study Supply Chain Management (operations) and minor in Information Systems. Go Cougars!


3) The last DPH update includes my sister Kim, who I will be traveling to Italy with this May. I've never been outside of the continental U.S. so I am very excited. We will fly into Rome and leave from Zurich, so if any readers have been to Italy or Switzerland, we are looking for suggestions!

Holidays!

I was home last week to be with mom and dad for Thanksgiving. I don't have many pictures but here are a couple. You might have already seen this first one on Dad's blog. I put the smiley face on the pie... but you couldn't have planned the cherry filling bubbling out any better if you tried.



While I was there we spent a day at Bodega Bay. Dad and I both went boogie boarding and caught some good waves. We also got a good nap in, there is no better place to nap than on the beach.



THEN tonight my roommate and I went and bought a Christmas tree! We had a good time decorating it and the rest of the room while we listened to Mannheim Steamroller.



HO HO HO!