<p>I-Day wasn’t great. I got yelled at by about four cadre for half an hour because I couldn’t get something they wanted me to say right. It was bad. Later, I had to sound off the seven basic responses for a long time because I couldn’t get them right. Overall, not a good day.</p>
<p>The second day wasn’t much better. We woke up early, took forever to get ready, all the while the cadre are yelling. Later at the AFT (which is passable even if you are from sea level), I passed by 13 seconds. It wasn’t a great day either.</p>
<p>After about the second day of sleep deprivation, I lost track of the dates (although I eventually began to write them down). Anyway, one day I went to bed in my PJs and when I woke up the next morning, the uniform was ABUs. I got dressed quickly, not realizing until I went to the bathroom at chapel later that I completely forgot to take off my PJ’s pants. I actually got saluted by another Basic in the bathroom for that.</p>
<p>The chemistry placement exam was kind of difficult. What made it more difficult was the fact that about half the people in my flight DID NOT realize there was a periodic table on the back. One of our cadre asked us how we did and someone said they didn’t realize there was a periodic table on the back. He asked the next person and they said the same thing. He asked everyone who didn’t know there was a periodic table to raise a paw and about 15 people did. He couldn’t get over it and there was much unrestrained laughter. The CompSci test was long and boring, so I bubbled in “Class of 2012” on the back.</p>
<p>Random: I saw redhead on I-day and on our first mail call. I was going to say hi on I-day, but then she made the basic in front of me report in and everything.</p>
<p>Speaking of mail, mail is good. Unfortunately, one of the first letters I got had a piece of gum in it (compliments of flymom), which I had to give up. We also didn’t go to mail for the first time until about the fifth day.</p>
<p>Receiving our class motto: “2012, Never Falter, Never Fail!”. Enough said.</p>
<p>We were marching back from Intramurals, and one of our cadre was complaining that we didn’t have our “lightsaber flashlights.” He started calling one of the basics up front “Yoda.” He made a little chant for us “Lightsabers are hot, basics are not.” One of the basics pointed out that it rhymes, to which he replied “Hey basics, we have a Dr. Seuss here!” That same cadre made one our basics use the giant serving spoon during one of our Viking minutes because he kept on shoveling it in. With another basic, he always called her out at meals when there was dessert, pointing it out that it would make her fat or telling her how many calories it had in it.</p>
<p>Our first Ultimate Frisbee game I got backhanded in the face and got a nice swollen lip with a little blood thrown in. One of B-Flight’s cadences came from one our basics when he started chanting “Blood makes the grass grow, kill, kill!”</p>
<p>One table per squadron is reserved for the squadron staff. To be put at that table is usually a bad thing. However, I was always sitting at the table next to it and needless to say, it was pretty hilarious. They made the basics call the juice “V-8 Vroom Vroom” or they would ask for something and then when they got it, they’d pass it back and then ask for it again a minute later. They made the basics at the table greet one of the cadets as “Cadet Boom-Chack-A-Lock-A-Boom-Chack-A-Lock-A-Boom.” They also called the table to attention once and when the basics stood up, they made them sit down. A minute later they did it again, and when nobody stood, they asked them what they were doing. Everyone stood and they told them to sit down. </p>
<p>Our squadron commander also never liked to be greeted, so whenever we started to, he’d always tell us to shut up.</p>
<p>We got to take our first knowledge test in the front leaning rest. Not fun…</p>
<p>Playing chicken with another flight is also fun because no one ever turns. We end up ramming each other and trying to push the other flight out of the way. We even went so far as to ask the cadre if the guidon could go into “present arms” (pointy end straight ahead) and if we could increase to ramming speed.</p>
<p>We actually had to learn part of the song “Buttercup” and sing it to our cadre after we formed up for breakfast. Our singing skills were so amazing they told us to stop. Remember those cadre who yelled at me the first day. I met one of them and she remembered me, but she was hilarious, doing stuff like slamming basic’s doors, leaning against them, and them telling them to open them up. About half an hour later, three of the most senior group staff came to that end of the hall and started screwing up people’s rooms. Me and the person I was with hauled it out of there when the all went into one room.</p>
<p>The PFT is hard the first time. I failed by 13 points with the following stats: 11 pull-ups, 8’4" long jump, 64 sit-ups, 50 push-ups, and a 2:05 600m run. I’m a runner and the run was HARD!!! Before the PFT, all the men in our flight were using the bathroom (two stalls and two urinals) so it was slow going. So I, in my infinite wisdom, asked if we could use the empty women’s bathroom to “expedite the process.” I didn’t hear the end of it until the change of command yesterday. It was quite a funny moment.</p>
<p>Field day was amazing. Interceptors won Push Ball. Thats all that matters about field day, because the final game consisted of about 100 people (only 40 total should be playing) because they didn’t score a point in the allotted time, so they told everyone to get on the field. I got a bloody nose as did a lot of others, but one guy in my flight has his arm in a sling. The Wings of Blue demonstrated for us. The basics also won the All Stars: Basics vs. Cadre Sprint Relay. Overall, Interceptors finished second.</p>
<p>1st Beast was good times, bad times, and tired times. Second beast begins soon…</p>
<p>Squadron 33!</p>