Construction continues

Husband Dear has been on the construction site till 11:30 pm tonight. Him, another professor, and a group of determined students were putting up the roof over the steel joists. When he came home, he was so tired his hands were shaking. And I greeted him with: "you can't take a bath, you can only take a quick shower, our bathtub is almost completely plugged up". While not a big deal, and can be easily dealt with through mechanical (a snake-like device to push through the pipe) and chemical (bacterial/enzymes hopefully, or corrosive if all else fails) means, it's still a pain in the arse.

Coming back to the students on the construction site. Every time Husband Dear teaches one of these design/build classes, the students end up belonging to one of the two categories: some do the minimal amount that is required, others go all out, and engage with the project with a sense of ownership and pride. The stay late, come early, take on responsibility, propose solutions to problems as they arise and then lead others in implementing them. WHile I know some of the students beforehand and can, in some cases, predict who will go which way, there are always a few surprises. This time around, there are a few students who came into it a bit wide-eyed, not knowing what to expect, and ended up completely enamored with the process and the product. One guy is really into plants, and is working with Brian, our plant faculty expert, on rounding up donations from people's gardens, and then taking care of planting them so they survive the impossible heat. Another guy is really into the steel work. He is learning how to use all pieces of equipment that are needed on the project, drills, sanders, welders, saws of various kinds, you name it, he wants to figure out how it works.

Interestingly, the hands-on students are not necessarily the same students who excel in the classroom and with the computer applications or hand drawing. Some are. In either case, is there an "achievement gene"? Is it a part of personality, or something that you get by interacting with people who are that way, and you want to emulate them? Is it a question of finding the right thing? Is everybody wired for striving in SOME area? Are some people wired for striving in anything they take on?

Interesting.