6 Blueprint
FEATURES
April 13, 2017
FEATURES
April 13, 2017
Blueprint 7
U.S. MILITARY TEACHES DGS COMMUNITY THE VALUE OF DEDICATION DGS upperclassmen anticipate their chances to serve country after high school By Eileen Tyrrell, Online Entertainment Editor While many seniors at DGS are deciding on what college to attend, a few students have already fully enlisted in the military. Enlistment, which typically takes one to two weeks, involves physical and mental exams, a career test, and finally an oath of enlistment, which officially binds the participant to their selected branch of the military. Junior David Stefanovski described the enlistment process. “It’s not like in the movies where you sign a paper and then all of sudden you’re on a bus to boot camp. It’s a huge system of mental and physical evaluations,” Stefanovski said. “It’s unreal when the process is finally over.” Selecting which part of the military to join can be a tough decision. For senior Jacob Liaromatis, however, it was a nobrainer. “I was initially looking at Navy and Air Force but I never got a response from
Stefanovski said. “Once I finish my senior year, I get to go to part two of my training...Then after that I get to continue my service as an infantryman in the Army while attending college in Illinois with my tuition paid in full.” Joining the military can be a controversial decision, but senior Sonja Renowden says that her parents fully support her decision to enlist in the Marines. “I’ve wanted to join the military for my entire life,” Photo courtesy of Jacob Liaromatis Renowden said. “My parents are actually really happy with my decieither, so I contacted the Marines. They sion to enlist. I’m very lucky to have supresponded immediately, so the choice portive parents who was pretty clear,” Liaromatis said. love what I want to For Liaromatis, his career in the Mado with my life.” rines is beginning soon. Enlisting in the “I’m actually leaving for boot camp on military requires a July 10,” Liaromatis said. “But I’m still tremendous amount going to college in the spring of 2018 at of dedication and ASU through my GI bill.” commitment, but for Things are a little different for Stemany students it’s fanovski, who is still a junior. worth the work. “I chose the National Guard because they have this program called ‘SplitOption,’ which allows me to go to basic training the summer of my junior year,”
Teachers learn valuable life lessons from time in different branches of military
“I’m proud of my choice,” David Stefanovski said. “I’m the closest I’ve ever been to living my dream.”
ROTC gives students chance to balance military, college life I wanted a normal college life while being able to pursue my dream of being in the military,” Nuccio said. Lamar spoke to how the military has changed his college experience to being slightly less-than traditional. “Each day...I wake up at 04:15 a.m. and get ready for my Battalion physical
to obtain it. “So the initial application is very lengthy, it’s a very time consuming The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps process, you have are a common gateway high school life to apply online on to a life prepared for the military. By this website and being a part of ROTC, stuyou have dents can learn and train to write to be a commissioned officer multiple in the United States Armed essays... Forces upon high school Then graduation and enrollment after I in college. finished my application, you ROTC not only helps do the interview with the students train to be in the professor of military scimilitary, but it provides ence.,” Nuccio said. them with opportunities While the process is in the future. 2016 alumextensive, he explains nus Ramarro Lamar and that the benefits are great current senior Nick Nuccio considering Nuccio’s famboth participate in ROTC. ily will not have to worry “I talked to people who about spending thousands enlisted, and they all said of dollars a year for his if they could, they would education. go back and do ROTC. So I “They especially liked the decided to drop the recruitscholarship because it was ment and enlistment and a lot off their hands,” Nucgoing into commissioning to cio said. ROTC,” Nuccio said. Scholarship or not, Lamar DGS alum Ramarro Lamar during ROTC training at University of Nebraska. What sets ROTC programs Photo courtesy of Ramarro Lamar described what makes being apart from enlisting is that, in most training which... in the military program so cases, students simultaneously get Sets the tone for the rest of my day. We extraordinary, also...have a building on campus dediboth a military and college experience. “I wanted to join the one percent of cated to us and many other resources Nuccio talks about how his desire for Americans that have the responsibility a typical college experience contributed to help us,” Lamar said. of upholding the rights and liberties we Nuccio and Lamar were both reto his enrollment in the ROTC program all enjoy here in the United States. The at University of Louisville in fall 2017. cipients of ROTC scholarships. Nuccio experiences and people you meet in the describes the process he went through “I decided because I’m not enlisting armed forces are simply unmatched.” By Michelle Hroma Online Editor-in-Chief By Gisselle Cervantes, Copy Editor
out decision...It was simply economic,” Esposito When the bell rings at 3:20 said. p.m., most students leave While the DGS behind. Students rarely military gave each think about the lives that staff veteran a differmembers lead outside of the ent experience classroom. What most students the staff members do not know is that some teachlearned valuers at DGS are veterans of the able lessons that United States military. they still apply to Social Studies Department everyday life. For Chair Dr. Christopher Esposito, Kirby, learning to PE teacher Vincent Garramone rely on others was and social studies department just one of many secretary Linda Kirby served life lessons that in the National Guard, the Air Dr. Christopher Esposito had his college tuition paid for by the Army National Guard. the Coast Guard Photo by Claire Pikul taught her. National Guard and might need some help, but there’s noth“Being aboard a the Coast Guard, ing that’s going to stop us,” Garramone ship, you rely on your shipmates to enrespectively. For said. sure that it all works well,” Kirby said. each of them, it was All three teachers chose to enlist for As valuable as the lessons learned in an experience that different reasons; both Kirby and Garthe military were, however, Esposito taught them valuramone joined the military with the emphasized the importance of fully able life lessons. influence of family and friends, while considering the commitment that one “Just that canEsposito enlisted immediately after makes when they enlist in the United do attitude, that’s high school and served while attending States military. huge. We call it the college with his tuition paid for by the “There’s a ton of questions that you growth mindset, Army National Guard. have to ask yourself, and they’re deep that mindset that “Plain and simple, [I enlisted] to pay and they’re moral and go much farther you can do it. You for college. It was not a long, thoughtthan thinking about a flag, or a salute or the National Anthem.” By Sarah Major, Print Features Editor
DGS Students look ahead to potential futures in military By Gillian Thomas, Copy Editor Some students at DGS are beginning to consider enlisting in the military early on in their high school careers. Just as others are preparing for college, these Photo courtesy of Sonja Renowden students are also contemplating their post-high school plans in different branches of the military. Sophomore Melissa Weidner and junior Meredith Mahoney are both contemplating enlisting in the Air Force. When asked why she wants to join the U.S. military, Weidner spoke about what that responsibility means to her. “I want to join it because people do so much for us, so why wouldn’t I return the favor?” Weidner said. Mahoney also explained her reasoning behind wanting to enlist in the Air Force. “I would want to do the Air Force because I feel like it’s the most interesting, regarding technology,” Weidner said. Mahoney is looking at the military from a practical standpoint for her future. “I would love to serve this country,
“You better get past patriotism and you better think long and hard about the moral consequences of decisions that you’re going to make,” Dr. Christopher Esposito said.
and it would set me up in a great place. I also think it’s just an exciting job, like parachuting and flying and fixing planes for a living and tracking down other planes,” Mahoney said. Mahoney spoke about her passion for aviation as part of the reason she is thinking about enlisting. “I love planes and air control and
would be enlisting either before and then that way once I get out of college I could serve, or I would enlist afterwards, so that way I have my degree and then if I still really want to do it [I can],” Mahoney said. Weidner’s parents are supportive of her decision, though they have their concerns. “My dad reacted pretty well. He really encouraged me to do it because he has a lot of friends who went into it, or their sons or daughters went into it. But they’re kind of skeptical about how I would feel after because a lot of people he [my dad] knew after aren’t doing that well with the traumatizing events,” Weidner said. Mahoney has not told her parents about her possible enlistment, and does not plan to Graphic by Rylan Dreyer until she has that’s what fascinates me. I would also be able to parachute for a living if made a final that’s what I want to do, which is one decision. of the parts of my dream job,” Mahoney “I haven’t told them, but I think they said. have a feeling about it. I’m sure they However, neither Mahoney nor Wei- will be okay with it because it’s my dner are sure about the timing of their choice,” Mahoney said. enlistment or the decision itself. “I’m definitely going to college. I