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13 July 2007
Today was a day filled with finishing touches, joy, and sadness. It began with a late meeting time of 10AM which was probably a good thing considering that a number of us enjoyed one last time together at The Revolution in which S.P. proved that he really is, and Leslie made us laugh with her discussion of the second coming. Soon after assembling, we returned to TAMU to complete our rough drafts, get interviewed by Buck, and complete a hometown news release. During this time, we also received a wonderful Chesapeake Bay share from Audrey as well as enjoyed a presentation on Alaska's Pribilof Islands from our long distance traveler, Betty. We followed up with a closing dinner and tour at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History. The food and exhibits were enjoyable, but the highlight was receiving our School of Rock graduation certificates and fun awards. These included Yolanda receiving the award of quietest rocker and Anica of giggliest.
As we moved back to the hotel, many of us assembled in Leslie's room. There we enjoyed good stories and one last time together. Being on the last flight out, I looked out the window and saw a number of my classmates leave. After spending so much time together, this was certainly a sad moment but at the same time, a good one because many of us were returning to loved ones. Now since I'm the last blogger for this week, I'd like to close with a few thoughts that I believe my classmates certainly would agree with. First, the School of Rock allowed us to interact which world-class scientists who were so willing to share their knowledge. These scientists went out of their way to answer our questions during lectures, side conversations, and even by e-mailing colleagues to obtain answers. They wanted to be sure that they provided the best possible information, and that no question went unanswered. Secondly, we experienced a great blend of instructional techniques that really allowed us to see that climate change recorded in ocean cores is highly correlated with climate change that is happening now and what may come in the future. These included field trips, lab activities, lectures, and tours, much of which extended our knowledge and that we can bring back to our classrooms. We were also able to see how interdisciplinary IODP science is, with expertise from so many fields being called upon to get a complete picture of what a particular core tells. And not to be forgotten, we were also able to draw upon the knowledge of a wonderful group of dedicated teachers of various grade levels and experiences from all over the United States. This certainly enriched our lives in many ways. So as I sign out from our last School of Rock 2008 blog, I believe that although we have now all gone our separate ways, that this is only the beginning. With our new knowledge, resources, and friends, I'm sure that our relationship with the IODP will be a long one. Good luck in all that you do! Reported by Chris Kaznosky
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