May get into trouble for using guns...

[Mackey]

I kind of admire how some people can spill their guts here regarding their mistakes regarding guns. And I believe you've received a sufficient public flogging here ... but you've also gotten some very sound advise.

I personally believe that you may have a very difficult time professionally recovering from this. But there are worse things in life.

 

[Hammerhead]

In my opinion, even though I haven't looked at the video, you've done nothing wrong if you weren't shooting the microwave on school property. Your presentation may have nothing to do with guns, but their opinion on the destruction of the microwave doesn't matter. Your grade should be considered based upon the whole of your academic work and not because some paranoid half-wit says "OMG, gunz r baad, mmmmkay! I'm telling!"

I agree with the idea of taking the recorder and having it running. Remember, legally they have no leg to stand on, especially as you were expressing your freedom of speech by destroying the microwave. It's your 1A right to use your 2A as an example.

 

[BE Mike]

This raises questions in my mind.
1. Knowing what you know now; would you do this again?
2. Did you clean up the remains of the microwave oven and haul it off to an approved waste sight?
3. Having read the criticisms of your gun handling, do you think that you need to learn and follow more closely, the safety rules of shooting?
4. Do you think that the video portrays you as a responsible gun owner and puts gun owners in a good light?
5. Do you think that you have to take in consideration the views and opinions of others before you act in an academic environment?

I can think of a lot more questions, but you should ponder these and others. After you have thought about this for a while, you need to ask yourself the final question. Am I mature and responsible enough to be an educator of children?

 

[D ReedSniper]

This raises questions in my mind.
1. Knowing what you know now; would you do this again?
2. Did you clean up the remains of the microwave oven and haul it off to an approved waste sight?
3. Having read the criticisms of your gun handling, do you think that you need to learn and follow more closely, the safety rules of shooting?
4. Do you think that the video portrays you as a responsible gun owner and puts gun owners in a good light?
5. Do you think that you have to take in consideration the views and opinions of others before you act in an academic environment?

I can think of a lot more questions, but you should ponder these and others. After you have thought about this for a while, you need to ask yourself the final question. Am I mature and responsible enough to be an educator of children?

Starting with the last question first, I would say, No. I am not ready to educate children in my own classroom. I am about to enter my 5th semester, that is, if I do not get kicked out tomorrow. I am still learning. Now, I know what to tell children not to do. Behaviorism, learning through experience.

No, I do not believe that with my video, that I put gun owners in a positive light. I will, tomorrow, work my hardest to make sure gun ownership stays in a positive light. I was not shooting at anything living. However, my direction of aim and gun control must be taken into consideration.

But, as Captain Bligh has pointed out, I believe they will be going over academically whether I should remain in the Education program. I understand that posting my video on here granted INGO the right to "educate" and inform me of my wrong doings.

And yes, I did pick up the pieces and disposed of the microwave.

 

[D ReedSniper]

1. yes, I would do this again. As in, shooting the microwave, but not blowing it up. I will not be adding videos to my future presentations unless they pertain to my subject topic.

5. No, I did not consider the viewpoints of the academically incharge. I did not think of how they college elite would view it.

However, the adults a.k.a students, enjoyed my videos.

 

[hrdwarhax]

I start off by saying that I have the same Jacket. lol now, im not going to be a safty nut or anything because that is taken care of and then some. now I understand where you are coming from with the public speaking bit, I have the same problem. had i been in yor shoes, I wouldnt have shown a single gun in the video. loaded or otherwise. that being said. I accually did enjoy the exploding microwave. and I would have shown that part, maby with some music behind it. let me paint the scene. a Microwave on a treestump or a table or something. the camra on a tripod so it doesnt move. have the firecracker with a long fuse so you arnt in the shot. have the music start up as you start filming and light the fuse. have words come up saying "The Microwave's Power" or "The Magnitrons Might" then as the thing explodes freeze the frame and start talking to the class about your project with the power point or whatever. that way. you have a bit of fun and no flags are raised. fireworks are a couple of bucks and anyone can get them. In closing. i wish you the best of luck. try to stay below the radar. know your rights. and keep shooting

 

[BE Mike]

Starting with the last question first, I would say, No. I am not ready to educate children in my own classroom. I am about to enter my 5th semester, that is, if I do not get kicked out tomorrow. I am still learning. Now, I know what to tell children not to do. Behaviorism, learning through experience.

No, I do not believe that with my video, that I put gun owners in a positive light. I will, tomorrow, work my hardest to make sure gun ownership stays in a positive light. I was not shooting at anything living. However, my direction of aim and gun control must be taken into consideration.

But, as Captain Bligh has pointed out, I believe they will be going over academically whether I should remain in the Education program. I understand that posting my video on here granted INGO the right to "educate" and inform me of my wrong doings.

And yes, I did pick up the pieces and disposed of the microwave.

We have all done things on impulse that we regretted later. Live and learn. It seems to me that you are gaining more from this than a grade. IMHO, gun owners should always be cognizant of how they are being viewed by the fence sitters. We need all the friends we can get.

 

[jgreiner]

This organization scares the carp out of overly zealous university officials who misuse their authority on First Amendment issues.

Mission - FIRE

FIRE has won numerous cases against colleges that have overstepped the boundaries and punished students for protected speech, and a college that gets on their bad side gets a great deal of very poor nationwide publicity.

They have a t-shirt here:

Donor Benefits - FIRE

I'd call and ask if they could make an exception and rush one out to you for a few bucks. And then wear it into the meeting with the Dean.

BTW... the good folk at FIRE are extremely strong on free speech about firearms at colleges, and have gone to bat for many over the issue.

What Jack posted. These guys TERRIFY *sshat educator types. if you get grief, get in touch with them.

+1 Jack!!!

 

[jgreiner]

1. yes, I would do this again. As in, shooting the microwave, but not blowing it up. I will not be adding videos to my future presentations unless they pertain to my subject topic.

5. No, I did not consider the viewpoints of the academically incharge. I did not think of how they college elite would view it.

However, the adults a.k.a students, enjoyed my videos.

At LEAST it was a paint can, and not a CAT that you put in the Microwave....can you IMAGINE the wrath of PETA if you had?



*This was just stated as a joke. No cats were harmed in the process.

 

[El-Cigarro]

Oh, well! You used a microwave, Elvis used a television! Looks like your Power Wheels Jeep had "A bad day", T O O ...... Good Luck!

 

[mainjet]

Facebook is awesome! Oh the things we people will post on Facebook.

Those things will never come back to haunt you. You should throw some naked pictures up there too so that you make darn sure you will NEVER get hired as a teacher.

Yea, I can see why the dean wants to speak with you. The whole look and the actions that you are taking there are probably pretty darn scary to many people out there.

My suggestion as a parent would be get that stuff off your facebook. When you speak to the dean I would not spend a second trying to paint gun owners in a better light. I think that you may have ruined your chance at that and therefore you are probably not the best spokesperson for the cause. They are just not going to listen to you in that reguard. In fact it may even make you seem a little more off your rocker.

What I would do is apologize profusely for acting inappropriatly by using that video in the context of what was being taught. Explain that in an effort to bring some levity to the situation you made some very poor decisions for which you are very sorry. Continue by saying, after more thoughtful consideration you fully understand how that video seemed very out of place and possibly scary to some people.

Tell them that you will be happy to apologize to the class and the professor and that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Now we here on INGO love to shoot and shoot at things like junk. So blowing up a microwave is fun but within the proper context and environment. Suppose I am in Biology class and we are going to disect a pig. When I get up to do my presentation I show a video of me slaughtering a pig on my families farm - seems a little freaky doesn't it? But wait, we all like bacon don't we? Yea, but that video I showed was out of place and therefore it makes people question my sanity and my career path.

So, as a parent, shut up and beg for mercy if you want to stay in school. Clean everything off of facebook that you would not like a future employer, a judge, a prosecutor, a girlfriend, a girfriends parents, your parents, priest, God or little sister to see. Because once it's on the internet they potentially will all see it when you least want them too.

Right, Anthony Weiner!!???

Good luck and I mean that. I hope that you are able to get past this and do very well. I have a daughter in college right now and I tell her the same dribble.

 

[stryguy]

Listen, I'm 37 with a graduate degree (so I know university life). I worked for Michigan State University for years before moving down to Indiana. I'm going to be pretty blunt here.

You basically just sabotaged your own college career.

First

I agree with Mainjet. Clean up that facebook account or just assume you'll never be employed in the profession you're seeking. Just as your GPA in highschool decided your college choices, this will decide your employment choices. Don't fool yourself into thinking video taped and photographed activities won't come back to haunt you.

Second

If you were my kid and I knew this was coming down the pipe then I would encourage him to apply to other schools immediately. Get your transcripts and gain acceptance before you see this turn into a dismissal from the Education program and that's on your record. If you start the process of looking for another school now you'll likely be accepted prior to this thing resolving completely. If you find out the Associate Dean wanted nothing more than an assurance this would never happen again, well count yourself lucky and you're out a few bucks for applying to the other schools. If you see this going horribly and you're going to be removed from the education program or, worse yet, the university, then you can switch over immediately and not have this hanging over your head.

Third

Consider how your poor sense of judgement landed you in this position in the first place.

 

[greyhound47]

Can you say "Trenchcoat Mafia"? So many things wrong with your vid and your poor choice of where to show it. I highly suggest dressing professionally and stating that you committed no crime except that of poor judgement and that it will not happen again. You can't win this one. Swallow your pride, take the beating, then live and learn.

 

[cobber]

I could see Monty Python doing this in an amusing fashion, with some absurd narration and music, but this video just seems destructive without much redeeming value. Better production values and some humor would have made a very different impression. If even INGOers are expressing concerns, well...

Good luck with the dean. And you might think seriously about cleaning up your Facebook site.

 

[D ReedSniper]

I could see Monty Python doing this in an amusing fashion, with some absurd narration and music, but this video just seems destructive without much redeeming value. Better production values and some humor would have made a very different impression. If even INGOers are expressing concerns, well...

Good luck with the dean. And you might think seriously about cleaning up your Facebook site.

I did not intend to establish a "dark" feeling to the video. it was meant as hey, this guys going to blow something up. Cool. And WOW! he shoots it!! But as shown, mainstream dictates that out of the ordinary characteristics, such as clothing and longer hair, that it is wrong and makes the outcast less than human. As Jeff Foxworthy said, "When you hear a Southern accent, you automatically want to deduct a 100 IQ points...."

 

[D ReedSniper]

Also, I deleted my whole account. Alas, I have screwed myself already..

 

[gunowner930]

What I would do is apologize profusely for acting inappropriatly by using that video in the context of what was being taught

^This.

It wasn't relevant to the material you were supposed to discuss. I'd love it if a fellow student brought in lesbian porn videos to show the class before a presentation, but it doesn't make it appropriate or relevant to the presentation. The instructor probably thought you were a little crazy for videotaping yourself destroying microwaves too. I agree with other posters, apologize for using those videos as part of your presentation.

 

[sepe]

1. yes, I would do this again. As in, shooting the microwave, but not blowing it up. I will not be adding videos to my future presentations unless they pertain to my subject topic.

5. No, I did not consider the viewpoints of the academically incharge. I did not think of how they college elite would view it.

However, the adults a.k.a students, enjoyed my videos.

Last semester on a different IU campus, in a required theatre class...we had an assignment to write a short play and then perform it in the classroom. There were several that involved firearms (2 groups, mine and another). The professor knew about it and wanted to get it cleared prior so if someone was seen carrying a prop gun on campus, nobody would freak out. It wasn't said outright that it was not allowed but it would be preferred if we used small, brightly colored cap guns. Even then we had to let the other students in the class know and the professor had to let the professors in nearby classrooms know that there would be a cap gun going off several times and at no point was there any reason to think anyone was in danger. This was something that would have been fine in the theatre rooms or in the auditorium. We still got a visit from the campus cops, even though they laughed as soon as they heard it was coming from a theatre class. 1 professor, that was informed prior, didn't think it was appropriate. That is all it takes.

Even with the other students thinking nothing of it, the professor will be looking at things differently and may be more concerned with dedication and commitment to the program (even though the shooting/blowing stuff up bothered them).

 

[D ReedSniper]

I am giving up. I know I messed up big on this one. Things are going down hill after this. I should probably be saying my goodbyes..

 

[slimplmbr]

Did you have the meeting already?