My Trip Over Seas

My Trip Over Seas

With it being 7 months since Meaghan Smith has seen her boyfriend, who is in the

United States Army and is stationed over in Iraq, she will see him for the first time as she

is now a member of the U.S.O performance squad on the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading

team.


Meaghan will be departing the United States at the end of June to do a 3 week long

performance tour for the soldiers fighting the war over in Iraq. The tour will be visiting

many major Iraq cities where there is a large amount of American soldiers including

Mosul, Basrah and Baghdad, where her boyfriend is currently stationed.


“It has been over 7 months since I have seen Rob,” said Meaghan Smith, 23, current

Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader. “It is such an exciting experience to be able to see him for

the first time as I am performing for a good cause, not to mention this is the first time he

will see me as a Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader.”


The U.S.O performing tour group for the Ravens will consist of 12 current team

members. There will be 4 female members of the stunt team, 4 male members of the stunt

team and 4 female members of the dance squad. All members going have been on the

team for 3 plus years and have devoted much of their time and lives to the Ravens

organization. The members will have routines to be performed, items from the Ravens

organization to hand to the soldiers and letters from the other members of the team

wishing their safe return to the United States, along with autographed pictures and

calendars.


This opportunity is one that Meaghan has dreamed about her whole life. She has

given countless volunteer hours doing charity appearances for the Ravens and it seems to

have paid off. Not only does she get to travel to a country she has never been too who is in

need of some “cheering up”, but she gets to do it when her boyfriend of 3 years is stationed

over there.

“ My coaches are aware of the situation I am going into,” Meaghan says. “They realize

it’s going to be very emotional for me but they trust in my professionalism and

mannerisms to handle my self.”


Other team members from the Baltimore Ravens, whom have known Meaghan for

years, know how anxious she is to get over to Iraq to see her boyfriend.


“I can’t wait to see the joy on her face when she first sees her boyfriend,” says Tina

G., directory of the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team. “The fact that I can be apart of

something that special makes my job all the more enjoyable.”


The team will be wearing purple, white and black camouflage-like cheerleading

uniforms, representing their own NFL teams colors, but keeping with the pride of the

Army. They will be sleeping in Sadam’s old palace, and visiting Iraq food markets and

getting a chance to interact with their citizens. The girls will be highly guarded by troops

as well as wearing bullet vests and helmets while walking around the towns.


It has been more than 5 years since the Ravens have been able to send over

cheerleaders for the U.S.O performance, and many other NFL teams such as the Eagles,

Cowboys and Dolphins do a similar tour to our soldiers in many other countries as well.


After the 3 week tour, Meaghan will get to greet her boyfriend at the Baltimore

Washing International Airport as he returns back to the United States after serving his 9

months of duty.


Having a group of dedicated males and females, who already do such a great job of

representing one of the best NFL teams in the country, perform for our dedicated males

and females in the armed forces, “Is an honor,” said Meaghan, “That I am fortunate and

grateful enough to get a chance to do so.”

Assignment 4

Wall
Yesterday, a one alarm fire in the 200 block of Aisquith Street in Baltimore leaves one

woman injured after an explosion in an apartment building.


Arnetta Sands, 36, resident of the apartments on Aisquith Street, was cooking in her

kitchen when the insecticide she was spraying ignited. The wall between Sands apartment

exploded landing on the neighboring baby’s crib.


Andre Henderson, 10 days old, resident of the apartments on Aisquith Street, lay in his crib

after the wall collapsed. Police said after they remove portions of the wall off the crib, he was

rushed to the hospital with possible smoke inhalation, but Hopkins treated and released him with

no injuries reported.


Police also said Sands was taken to Church Home and Hospital with 1st degree burns to

back and arms, but treated and released with minimal injuries. Fire Investigators said the fire in

the kitchen was accidental. The one alarm fire left fire damage to kitchen and furnishings but no

substantial damage was reported.

Assignment 3

Holdup

Yesterday the Greenmount Avenues Provident Savings Bank was robbed by three black males, with no injuries reported.

One suspect was wearing a red hat and a red football jersey, the second was wearing a white fishnet shirt and the third was wearing red tennis shoes. The three men entered the bank armed, pointed the riffle at the manager and ordered the four bank employees and the two customers to lie on the floor.

The robbers ransacked several of the teller’s cages and stuffed the money into two white pillowcases. After clearing the bank, the three suspects ran east along the north side of the bank where they dropped the .22 cal sawed-off rifle.

No arrests have been made in this case and all three suspects are still at large.

Assignment 2 Post 1

Home At Last

Father, Commander John Geisen, surprised his family and came home a week early after being in Iraq for over a year.
"I literally was carrying a tray full of food when my Dad, dressed in full uniform, came walking through the door with a dozen red roses," said Gretchen Geisen, 21, Towson University Student. "He said "he was finally home and would never leave me again." "It was such a relief to hear that our family would be whole again."
Life as a "navy brat" is difficult on every member of the family. Traveling from state-to-state and country-to-country every three years, makes settling down into a "home" more of a challenge than just your average move.
"Once you are finally settled in, and getting used to new friends and a new school, you have to pick up and start all over again," Geisen said.
Military life may seem glamorous and spectacular with seeing the world and multiple moves, but when you get an inside look, it isn't all glitz and glam.

Writing Assignment 1 Post 2

Phelps PHiasco

The controversial picture was taken of Michael Phelps smoking the marijuana pipe, Phelps is now contemplating swimming in the 2012 Olympics.
Although he is unsure of his next steps in his swimming career, he has goals he wants to achieve in the swimming world and has been discussing them with his family and coach.
Coach Bowman said that he doesn't see Phelps withdrawing from the London Olympics in 2012.
This weekend, Phelps will spend much needed time with his two sisters and mother discussing his second public offense.
Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County, S.C., said that if he can prove Phelps had smoked marijuana in his district, he will press charges on the 23-year-old.
Returning to the pool, Phelps said it brought a certain normalcy back to his crack life.
Although Phelps is a young 23-year-old boy, he is still a 8-time gold medalists in the Olympics where he is 'Americas Idol'. Phelps being the big super star that he is, should be careful with what he does around his "friends". He is watched, photographed and talked about every time he enters a room.

Writing Assignment 1 Post 1

Phelps PHiasco

Since the controversial picture was taken of Michael Phelps smoking the marijuana pipe, Phelps is contemplating swimming in the 2012 Olympics.
Although he is unsure of his next steps in his swimming career, he still has goals he wants to achieve in the swimming world and have been discussed with his family and coach.
Coach Bowman said that he doesn't see Phelps withdrawing from the London Olympics in 2012.
Over the weekend, Phelps spent much needed time with his two sisters and mother discussing his second public offense.
Sheriff Leon Lott of Richland County, S.C., said that if he could prove Phelps had smoked marijuana in his district, he will be pressing charges on the 23-year-old.
After returning to the pool, Phelps said it brought a certain normalcy back to his crack life.
Phelps said that this has opened his eyes to the simple fact that he is always being watched, photographed and talked about every time he enters a room.



http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/olympics/bal-te.sp.phelps05feb05,0,3171313.story