Working Hard or Hardly Working?

This past semester, two Willard House residents decided to take a job working at DX, the 7-11 like dining hall hotspot. Open till 2 am, John Carr and Jackson Strawn work every Wednesday night from 7-3 AM. Quickly rising through the ranks of DX workers, they're known as the dynamic duo to their supervisors: quick, efficient, and great at making less than acceptable food products for the masses. Like Joe said in his blog about yours truly, I do get a strange satisfaction about seeing them in their uniforms hustling around under the strict eye of Virginia Tech Dining Services. I don't know what it is... and I get the feeling watching Jackson work more than John. When I get to watch Jackson wear that tiny hat and make wraps, I feel like flying. Words however, are not enough to explain this love of mine, so I have included a small picture gallery, taken during my multiple visits to DX on Wednesday nights over the past semester. Enjoy...

Jackson eagerly filling bags with fried treats.

Tasting the product before sending it out eh John?

You're really good at that Jack.

So happy. What is your favorite dining hall on campus?

The Split Personality of Evan/Thomas/Bug Underwood

A lot of people know the Willard resident known as Evan T. Underwood, but at the same time, a lot of people are being fooled daily by this mystery man. You see, single personalities are for us lesser mortals such as myself. "Evan Underwood" actually has three personalities, which we will examine in full.

Evan Underwood This is classic Evan, the one most Blacksburg residents know and love. A child of mother nature, Evan enjoys trying to communicate with the birds and other small forest animals that inhabit the Willard property. Always on the lookout for a new place to hang a birdfeeder, Evan is in all probability the sole provider for most of the squirrels in a three mile radius. Quiet and thoughtful, Evan likes to reflect on things like the way strands of light hit the trees on a whimsical summer evening, or the leaves on the majestic sycamore tree after a cool, fall rain. This personality is probably active about 60% of the time.

Thomas Thomas (drawn from the T in Evan T. Underwood) is the professional, well-put together and quick thinking personality of Evan. Only on display when Evan is dressed and looking dapper in a full suit, Thomas espouses power and confidence with every step. Creative, forward thinking and full of leadership potential, Thomas would be an asset to any Fortune 500 company looking to make that next step. Thomas is not nearly as active as much as Evan is however, only available about 10% of the time.

Bug Unpredictable. Edgy. New. These words all come to mind when thinking about the man known simply as Bug. The name, taken from Michelle Underwood (the mother of Evan Underwood) was originally a nickname before blossoming into a fully separate personality. Bug's emotions are all over the place. Sometimes, super focused, he will be seen marching with a determined look in his eye off to conquer some ill-defined goal. Other times, he will simply disappear for days on end, with no word as to where he has been, and sometime seemingly no recollection of his previous whereabouts. Bug can also be outright aggressive, verbally and physically attacking his smaller and subservient brother, Adam Underwood. No matter what mood Bug is in, you can always expect the unexpected. Bug appears more frequently than Thomas, yet less frequently than Evan, about 30% of the time.

I hope this has given you some insight into the possible schizophrenic like symptoms displayed by Mr. Underwood and observed by the Willard House members. Can you think of any circumstances where you have witnessed Evan's personalities?

A Day in the life of James Harris

ZZZZZZ ZZZZ ZZzz zzzz zz... whats that? you can hear me snoring in the other room? Oh cool guys let's all make jokes about James skipping class again and act like he can't hear you. i'll just call jackson from bed to set things straight. I have a B in that class, besides i was up late watching dexter. it's almost 11am, time to take my favorite quilt that i may or may not have stolen from sam and sit on the couch in the other room- its part of my waking up routine. Now on to shower and flex in the mirror. Joe will never have powerful thighs like these, no matter how much protein he eats.

Headed to East Mont today to hangout at lunch, i really hope katie doesn't take the backroads- those things are dangerous. Too bad we won't be able to play basketball or volleyball during lunch today. I love beating high school kids in sports.

Back from the school and headed to class with jackson, i've been selected to act out part of a play in class. The professor only asked me to recite a few lines, but i figured i'd go the extra mile and paint my face green since i'm supposed to be a tree. I always love volunteering to participate in class skits. I want my teachers to like me, just in case i ever forget to turn in my final paper or something like that...

Home from class and its time to relax. Good thing i just got a hookah to smoke in my room while i listen to bob marley and wear my drug rug. Hopefully kyle will stand in the hallway and sing every word of every song. Why would he do that? He's a Lamers.

Date night tonight with allie, can't wait to wear my new chacos out on the town. On the way there i have the urge to fart, roll the windows up and laugh at allie... as much as this amuses me i decide against it- Maybe on the way home.

Got back just in time to sit with everyone on the porch. Maybe Casey will come over. He and Joe really like each other for some reason... i can't figure that one out.

Time for bed, but not before i guilt trip someone into going to Dx with me. Jackson and John are working tonight, my favorite. For some reason i get this strange satisfaction out of seeing Jackson at work. Not really sure why, but either way Dx is sooooo good. Can' wait to eat it in my onesie as i watch Dexter. I might sleep on the couch tonight. That way i'll definitely wake up in case some one tries to rob our house again. Better go grab my baseball bat from underneath my pillow, just in case. The bat is a little beat up, thanks to Jackson going at it with a machete a while back (still bitter about that), but it will do the job if the Willard thief happens by for round 2. Dexter is getting really intense. I start to breathe heavily and bite on my headphone cord-what was that noise behind me?!? I grab my bat to go investigate only to realize it was just a mouse. What a noisy 8th roommate. I sit back down to finish Dexter, can't wait to see how this episode ends. Its almost as entertaining as beating Joe in super smash bros. I miss my fish Zeta, and Zeta II at that. Maybe i should get another, I could name it Zeta III... zzz zzzzzz zzZZZ ZZZZZZ

Another Year Almost Gone

I know, I know. It has been quite the stretch of time since I have written a blog for the house. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. I was trying to wait until Joe wrote a "Day in the Life of James" blog, but that day never came.

For the past few months, fans and groupies have been clambering for the day when they could read another blog post. Lucky for you, that day is today.

So for what may be the first blog of 2012, and definitely of March, I would like to update you on what the Willard House Residents have been up to for the New Year.

Evan "Bug" Underwood has been up to his usual antics. Much like Ray Mysterio and Wild Mongolian Camels, Evan is hard to pin down and even harder to track. From what I can tell, this last semester has been spent in and out of the house. He has started running about four miles a day, to get his already lean body in shape for his job this summer, where he will again be directing and doing hard manual labor.

"Skinny" Jackson Strawn hasn't had any real updates since the last time I blogged. He has however stopped his traditional mid-day naps, a routine which had kept him well rested and able to stay awake late into the night. Now, he enjoys going to bed around 9 oclock, after a warm glass of milk, a nice bath, and a massage from Sam Bowman.

John Carr is moving on up in the world. Soon to be a graduate of Virginia Tech, his after college plans remain vague. Go to KU grad school? Remain in Blacksburg? Go to Chesapeake? Do some other adventurous seemingly spur of the moment thing I've yet to hear about? Who knows. But We can all count on John to keep us guessing.

Sam Bowman will also be graduating this year along with JC. Currently working at the Virginia Tech scientific research place in Roanoke whose name escapes me, next year Sam will work there three days a week, and live in the basement dungeon by himself, as Joe is moving in with Evan topside. He plans on buying a nice couch, and possibly a plasma screen, 80 inch tv to take up an entire wall in his large dungeon of fun.

Jeremy Mateyk the Engineer of the house, Jeremy spends a considerable amount of time at the Werelab on campus, where they do engineering experiments trying to combine DNA of humans with wolves and stuff.

Joe Danehower Oh...the other engineer of the house, Joe has been dressing more and more like a dad all semester. Nice slacks with a plaid pattern dress shirt tucked in, along with sperrys make him look the part of a father of three off to a weekend Cookout at the church. Joe went to Ring Dance last weekend with Claire Waldrop and drives a lancer.

James Harris On a diet once again, James has been hungry and grumpy for the past few days. Additionally, he will be staying in Blacksburg this summer with Sam Bowman and Jackson Strawn, which is sure to be a good time.

Sorry this wasn't that funny,gimme a break though, as it has been a while since I've used the ole lightning wit.

<3's
James

Whiteness: A Comparative Study of the U.S. Occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic

This semester at Virginia Tech, I am in a class that has been studying the history of the Caribbean. The history of this group of islands is incredibly complex. From the moment Europeans discovered the “New World,” the Caribbean has been wrought by hegemony and the capitalistic motivations of imperial powers. Typically regarded as merely a vacationing destination, this narrow, western characterization of the Caribbean falls miserably short of the true nature of the region. Our final assignment in Dr. Hidalgo’s “History of the Caribbean” class is to create a piece of public history, in order to display an authentic segment of the rich history that exists in the Caribbean.

With all that being said, this blog post is about "whiteness" and its affect on western decision making, specifically during the United States’ occupation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. By “whiteness,” I mean a socially constructed phenomenon that has been established as the racial standard in the Western World. Race is a constantly evolving characteristic of class and social stratification. The effects encompass a large spectrum that range from the justification of prejudice, to the definition of beauty. The concept of race is fabricated and has no objective reality; yet it affects almost every part of the world we inhabit. Whiteness has been glorified as the archetype of humanity, as well as the subject of pseudo-scientific research and the eugenics movement. The point I am trying to get across it this: Whiteness, insofar as my research concerns, is far more than skin color, it is shorthand for something much larger.

“Whiteness” permeates the island of Hispaniola. White privilege existed on Hispaniola far before the United States occupied the island in the early 20th century. In fact, racial polarization began on Hispaniola the moment the first Europeans stepped foot on the island during Columbus’ famous voyage in 1492. However, the U.S. occupations of Haiti in 1915 and the Dominican Republic in 1916 solidified the racial identities of the two nations as well as racial hierarchies within each country.

Whiteness was largely the determining factor for how the United States handled the occupation of each country. It affected how U.S. troops viewed and treated the people, the types of public works undertaken, and he ways each country was governed. A comparison of the U.S. invasions of Haiti and of the Dominican Republic uncovers two differing American objectives predicated upon whiteness. In Haiti, the United States saw a black nation with a history seeped in slavery and revolution. Consequently, the United States wanted to create a docile, subservient, black nation. In the Dominican Republic however, the United States identified a nation with a strong desire for development; a nation that could be made white. While Americans did not view Dominicans as white, they did see the possibility of ‘whitening’ the country. Through the occupation of the Dominican Republic, the United States wanted to create a more advanced, pseudo-white nation, capable of self-government and modernization. The Dominican Republic could not be white, but it was far closer to whiteness than Haiti.

This distinction between Haiti and the Dominican Republic can help explain U.S. marines’ actions after the invasions. Many of the marines hailed from a Jim Crow South ,noted for lynching African Americans. In Haiti, there was an incredible amount of unnecessary bloodshed. Newspaper headlines describing the state of the Haitian occupation exclaimed “slaughter,” and “shameful abuse of power.” On October 15, 1920, The New York Times published the writings of “Henry A. Franck, the noted traveler and authority on the West Indies” and his report of:

“How American marines, largely made up of and officered by Southerners, opened fire with machine guns from airplanes upon defenseless Haitian villages, killing men, women and children in the open marketplaces; how natives were slain for sport by a hoodlum element among these same Southerners…"

Marines in the Dominican Republic did carry out thoughtless acts of violence against Dominican civilians, although not to the extent they did in Haiti. Moreover, unlike in Haiti, the United States went to great lengths to cover up or deny the violence when possible. When confirmed cases of injustice or maltreatment of nationals became public, the Military Government heavily punished the perpetrators. “Black” Haitians could be lynched with impunity, while “pseudo-white” Dominicans, connected to international media could not.

The education systems implemented by the occupation forces mirrored the segregationist schooling in the US. White Americans applauded Booker T. Washington for championing industrial education for African Americans. Liberal arts education would be reserved for whites. Similar policies were followed on the island.

In Haiti, the education system was eventually remodeled in 1922, seven years after the initial invasion. The Americans emphasized vocational and agricultural education, while Liberal arts programs were eliminated. Gendarmerie Commandant Butler summed up the ambition of the U.S. in Haiti when he said the goal was to “make Haiti a first class black man’s country.”

The United States followed a very different plan for the Dominican Republic. There, the military government quickly undertook a plan to overhaul schooling industrial education took a back seat to the main objective, of eliminating illiteracy. In the eyes of American officials, the possibility of the Dominicans becoming more “white” gave them privilege to legitimate education. Haitians, mired in their blackness, were expected to simply develop economic skills.

Many other aspects of the United States occupations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, reveal the influence of whiteness, the perpetuation of whiteness and the western concept of race, as well as played -and one might argue continued to play- a crucial role in informing western decision-making and international policies. I am exploring many of these aspects in my senior capstone research paper. Please, if you have any input, questions, thoughts, or ideas, post them in the comments section. It may really help me as I enter the final stretches of completing my paper.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post,
Merry Christmas and God Bless,
John Carr

Bibliography

Calder, Bruce J. The Impact of Intervention: The Dominican Republic During the U.S. Occupation of 1916-1924. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1984.

Calder, Bruce J.. “Some Aspects of the United States Occupation of the Dominican Republic 1916-1924.” PHD diss., University of Texas at Austin, 1974.

"LAYS HAITI KILLINGS TO SOUTHERN MEN." New York Times, October 15, 1920.

Painter, Nell Irvin. The History of White People. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010.

Renda, Mary A. Taking Haiti: Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001.

SCHMIDT, HANS R., JR.. THE UNITED STATES OCCUPATION OF HAITI: 1915-1934. Ph.D. diss., Rutgers The State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, 1989.

Welles, Sumner. Naboth's Vineyard The Dominican Republic 1844-1924. Vol. II. New York, New York: New York Payson & Clark Ltd, 1928.

Issac Nagle Holding it Down

I sit here in the B apartment in my bed, overlooking the vast wasteland that has become the Willard complex. The sky is grey, but there is no rain. The parking lot is filled with debris, newspaper, some sort of weird glitter, and random pieces of costumes from Hallowillard. Its terrifying. On one end the old basketball goal sits crooked with an old bike tired hanging from a string tied to it, while on the other end the skate ramp is filled with pine needles. There is no one to clear it. Everyone is gone. And the scene is like a bleak, post-apocalyptic wasteland.

It happened about four days ago now. On Thursday night the Virginia Tech Hokies won their final home game of the year against the Univerity of North Carolina Tar Heels and ever since then people have started to disappear. Not many at first, but one by one they all left until it was only me. A man alone with his thoughts. And his smartphone. With an eTrade app.

So upon entering this new world I try and find companionship. There is a possum who lurks around these parts, occasionally digging in to our trash when I leave it out. While we once were enemies (I've tried to kill him unsuccessfully many times), we now realize that we only have each other. What once started as a malicious dual of man vs. nature has now turned into some sort of ultimate bond between friends. Our lives depend on each other. I've named him Owen, and now he is all I have.

In this blog the gentleman of the house usually give you an update on the whereabouts of each other. For now I can only give you the last known locations of the men of B. Mike Lewis was to go on a missions trip to Haiti, but his car is still here, so he must have walked. Atta boy Mike. Brendan O'Connor had tickets with his family to see Cirque dul Soleil, but since he hasn't returned I can only guess that he joined them. John Leonard was last seen packing two guns into his car and driving off into the sunset. He must have known the apolcalypse was coming.

As for the rest of the apartments and the house, no signs of life have been detected. I've broken into A twice to reset their internet router, and the boys of C lock their house up pretty tight, so their was no getting in there. The house boys must have dissipated right out of nowhere because all of their glasses are still left on the porch, about thirty in all.

So now as I carouse around this vacant wasteland I can only hope that this is all some sort of dream and that come one day soon (Sunday perhaps) I'll wake up to find all of my dearest friends back home with me. Then I will yet again be able to have Old Testament talks with Joe Danehower and the other house gentleman. I'll be able to get medical advice from Dr. Sweeney. I'll be able to watch the boys of C pwn some n00bs on MW3. I'll be able to shoot things off the deck with the boys of B. What a beautiful day that would be.

But seriously gentleman, I love and miss you all and can't wait till you get back. I hope your break is spiritually refreshing and that your time with your families is great. The gift of community that we have here is unreal and I think I take that for granted. It becomes much more obvious when we aren't in it though. Like a fish out of water eh? Anyway, love you dudes a lot.

The Last Man Standing,
Isaac Lane Nagle III

P.S. The men of B, I asked Owen the Possum to move in, I hope that's alright. Mike, I put him in your room. Be careful though, he doesn't love to be surprised. He also hogs all the blankets.

HaloWillard 2011

What comes to mind when I think "October"? I'm glad you asked. Yes, it is a month, so that is probably the first thing I think of. But secondly? HalloWillard. An event greater than Halloween. And it's two days before, so you know it's better. But just saying that probably won't convince you, which is why I decided to make a Top 10 Reasons to Come to HalloWillard List.

1. Live Music. Where else are you gonna listen to two spectacular singers for only $2 in one night?

2. Costumes. Everyone loves getting dressed up like witches and other crap like that. So we're gonna let you wear whatever costume you want here. You're welcome.

3. Sam Bowman is gonna be here. He's super good looking.

4. Leland Pearson is dressing up like his look a-like Mr. Tumnus. Don't act like you've never seen the similarities. Slap some horns and hooves on Leland and he could star in the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia movie.

5. Petting Zoo. This isn't a joke. House resident Evan Underwood is currently in the process of locating small animals to be present for a petting zoo. We've procured chickens, ducks and possibly a small goat thus far. We are in the market for a donkey.

6. Fun games. Pumpkin bowling? Super creative.

7. A special appearance by Gus Chiggins. Who doesn't love an imaginary prospector showing up and leading everyone in a a round of Square dancing?

8. The great outdoors. It's in the parking lot, so you can breathe all the fresh air you want.

9. Issac Nagle is going to dye his hair red for this event. Whaaat?!

10. There are gonna be baked goods! You can even bring some!

If those aren't ten good reasons to come from out of town to see this event, check out this video which will make it all the more clear...