The Reed Feed

Xmas Letter Online Content

Reed — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:04:31 +0000

Happy Holidays! Here is some online content that corresponds to my holiday letter this year.

Work Changes: A few pictures from our holiday party this year.

Teaching:

My trip to Atlanta with the students:

My fall 2011 students doing a challenge course:

My fall 2011 students doing a scavenger hunt:

Weddings:

Photos from my trip to Charleston and Paul and Caroline’s wedding.

Shocks:

In my opinion, this is one of the best speeches in modern time. President Obama speaks at the Tucson Memorial for those lost during the attack on Representative Gabriel Giffords.

President Obama Speaks at Tucson Memorial

My letter to the editor about Andrew Gaeckle

Loss

RIP Beau

Gamecocks

Until next year,

-R

My letter to the Editor about Andrew Gaeckle

Reed — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:27:49 +0000

**Part of this may, or may not, appear in the Daily Gamecock and/or the State Newspaper. I felt a need to explain how much Andrew means to us that know him well. I haven’t heard back from either of the papers regarding the submission so I thought I’d go ahead and share. Feel free to add reasons why he rocks via comments and/or share this letter.

1/31/2011

Dear editor,

I write today wishing my friend and former USC Student Body President, Andrew Gaeckle, a speedy recovery. Early Saturday morning, Andrew was senselessly robbed and shot in Washington, D.C. He is recovering from a gun-shot to the back that fortunately, missed his spine. While he is expected to make a full-recovery, this event reminded his family, friends, and USC alumni just how blessed we are for having Andrew. We are counting our blessings that he is alive.

Andrew is one of the best people I have ever known. Andrew and I have been friends since his freshmen year in 2005 when we lived in the same dorm, tailgated, and attended just about every football game together. This friendship would become stronger as we both took leadership positions a few years later in 2008, when I served as President of the Grad Student Association (GSA) and he was President of the Student Body (SGA). That year was a bit controversial for us as Andrew and I led different sides of a spirited debate about USC student governance. Instead of taking the debate over SGA and GSA personally, we worked together despite the pressures not to. We proved that even at the student leadership level, you can disagree without being disagreeable and get things done.

Learning about what happened to Andrew sent shock-waves through the throngs of people who know and love him. For those of us who are lucky enough to have Andrew as a friend, it is hard to describe just how much of a source of positivity, force for good and compassion he is. Examples of Andrew’s goodwill are numerous: his mission trips, his devotion to those less fortunate, his ability to make us all laugh, his leadership and vision, and his loud, goofy, yet always welcome, cheers for his Gamecocks. In fact, we all have our own “Gaeckle” stories. Thankfully, his story is not over.

In 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot by a would-be assassin in what many thought was his heart. As history would have it, the bullet entered Roosevelt’s body but never reached his heart because the politician’s thick folded speech in his breast-pocket slowed the blow. Roosevelt did what many would never contemplate after being shot, he opened his folded pieces of paper and went on with the speech: “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”

While it is quite clear that the events that transpired on Saturday leading to Andrew being robbed and shot in Washington, D.C., differ greatly to that of Roosevelt’s story, it is clear that in many ways we are just as fortunate not to have lost Andrew. Andrew’s service as a friend, leader, and Gamecock alumnus will continue. Similarly, anyone who knows Andrew would consider “Bull Moose” an appropriate symbol/nickname. Comparisons to Teddy Roosevelt’s personality aside, Andrew proves that in fact, it will take more than a bullet to kill his drive.

Suffice all this to say that Andrew Gaeckle is one former student body president, alumnus, and Gamecock fanatic who made a difference during his time at USC and in Columbia, SC. In fact, we are blessed to continue having him in our life as a true friend and shining example of USC. He is a strong and amazing person, and thank God he is going to be with us all much longer.

Please join me, and his Gamecock family, in wishing him a speedy recovery! Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Reed T. Curtis

Boycotting Ignorance (written on Nov 7th 2008)

Reed — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 16:30:47 +0000

In response to the attack on Congresswoman Gifford yesterday, I’m posting a note I wrote on November 7th 2008 on Facebook.

Boycotting Ignorance

by Reed T. Curtis on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 8:28pm

To my fellow “friends”:

Over the past few days I have been taken aback. After a hard fought election there is bound to be disappointment. However, since the evening in which one of the most historic and beautiful moments in our nation’s history occurred, I have been shocked by my “friends” behavior and attitudes. Yes, Obama won, yes, he may bring change you might disagree with, and yes your candidate lost the election. However, the comments written in facebook statuses have utterly proved one thing: I associate myself with a slew of racist, ignorant, and unloving people. While I am perfectly capable of distinguishing one’s actions from one’s character, I have to say I am done with putting up with the ignorance I have seen. I have seen “friends” state:

“We just elected the Antichrist”
“Oh well, he will just get shot”
“Great, give the terrorist the nuclear codes”
“Wait and in 4 years see how f-ed up our life is because of Obama”
“if I was a forefather I would run back to England”
“they elected a dune co**”
“the white house is now ghetto”
“if Obama can’t change America maybe he can at least nig***-rig it”
“I think that Obama is like Hitler and is truly evil. “

And the examples go on and on and on. I actually suggest that everyone that reads this takes time to make a comment below with your collection of ignorant status comments. I would like to start an archive to show just how remarkable the true colors of “friends” are.

Regardless of your political beliefs, the fact of the matter is we have a new President-elect. The job of President is by far the hardest job in this world and I am disgusted by the comments I read stating Obama doesn’t love his country. First of all, your ignorance just adds to the proof that he loves the country, no one would sacrifice their personal safety, and the safety of their family if they didn’t care for the country. In fact, presidential candidates always take a personal risk for their safety. However, for this man, Barack Hussein Obama, his risks are increased by the very ignorance that I have seen this week. I have “friends” that insinuate that this man is a terrorist (a claim that brings with it hatred and encouragement of violence against those labeled as such), a Muslim (see previous, however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being Muslim), a radical socialist (a claim that is so absurd I refuse to describe the uneducated nature of such an attack), and the Antichrist (an attack so disgusting I want to vomit).

I’d like to remind the readers that when Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking about his dream, the same ignorance screamed from the mouths of racists that called him a radical communist. In addition, it was the same religious zeal that led racists to argue that civil rights for African Americans were the works of Satan. It was Strom Thurmond himself that spent countless hours reading the bible out loud during his filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. It was also the bible that was used to argue against women suffrage, the abolition of slavery, and currently is fighting to continuously remove the inalienable rights that one’s “forefathers” wrote about, aka: gay rights/marriage. It is this same ignorance that has been touted as holy, yet has been found to be hatred each and every time. Yet, some of my “friends” subscribe to it. I assure you: your ignorance has spoken, and I for one have decided to take action to get rid of it from my life.

I welcome political debate and I actually love it. In fact, I cherish my many friendships with conservative Americans. I have great love for them and respect their right to debate and challenge my political beliefs. However, it is those that are showing their true ignorance that I will no longer associate myself with. I draw a distinction very clearly between debate and hate. If you are surprised when you are no longer my friend on facebook, don’t be. This is your notice. I am officially boycotting ignorance. Join the movement and start deleting. It is not worth my time nor energy to associate myself on facebook with those whose actions and speech would disgust me in real life.

I could care less if you think Obama will not be the best president, but you have NO right ruining the emotional and triumphant moment that many African Americans have waited for all of their lives. For you to cloak your racism by quoting the bible is dehumanizing. I would like you to start looking in the mirror and proceed with your condemnations. I have never been so disappointed with “friends” in my life. I pray, yes I pray that you find education, for no good educational experience should have allowed you to think this behavior was acceptable. It is pure hate, and how dare you think I would consider you my friend despite these incessant actions. I forgive, but you have work to do.

This is the start of my boycott, feel free to join.

–Reed

Visiting Friends

Reed — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:26:04 +0000

This weekend I visited Jake and Sharon Rambo, some of my favorite people! I also got a chance to have lunch with my brother Andy and catch up. Jake was my college roommate at the University of South Carolina (well the only roommate I didn’t have issues with). He and Sharon recently had their first baby, Cole Rowan. I get to serve the unofficial role of “Uncle Reed.”

We had a great time and I got to meet the baby. Below are a few pics. Keep hope alive!

-R

The Elusive American Dream?

Reed — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:13:32 +0000

I want you to stay positive out there folks; however, here is another shadow of thesis:

View this document on Scribd

Happy 4th!

Reed — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:59:52 +0000

I’m heading to a party with my new found Wilmington family (Michelle, Keith, Amy, and others) and I can’t wait to enjoy some bocce ball. Thank God for America!

“Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country.” ~Sinclair Lewis

Red Light

Reed — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:17:16 +0000

One of my favorite songs ever. Enjoy the song, the lyrics, and the amazing Johnny Lang.

You can run a red light
Give up at a red light
You break the mold
When running through the tolls
Speeding through your whole life

When things look low
You’ve gotta keep stong
Feet to the grass
You’ve gotta walk it off
The bows been tied
Too tight to laugh
Feet to the ground
You’ve gotta walk it off

National Champions 2010

Reed — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:22:17 +0000

They did it! My Gamecocks are the National Champions of College Baseball! First national championship title for the University of South Carolina. It was a tense last game, but they pulled it off.

The chicken curse has been deep fried.

GO COCKS!

GO COCKS!!!!

Reed — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:42:50 +0000

My gamecocks are rocking the baseball world! Playing in the College World Series finals, the gamecocks beat UCLA last night 7-1. If they win tonight, they win it all. GOOOOO COCKS!!!

Clam-diggers

Reed — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:40:15 +0000

The air is back on and I am no longer wearing make-shift clam-diggers; however, it was fun walking around speaking in a British accent and saying “Please Sir, I want some more?” to my co-workers.

See: