I'd say that Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman is a provocateur (an agent of change) because he has the ability to notice subtle changes, be okay with uncertainty, and know how to create change.
He's noticed subtle changes in operating methods such as signal calling (in 2009, the script was, "NS 204 clear Oakwood, out." Now, the script is, "Clear Oakwood, NS 204."). While some rules and radio communication standards are now left out, the message is clearly understood and keeps safety in place.
Wick is okay with uncertainty, as he is running one of the five Class I railroads in the United States that is foregoing change mandated by Congress. This change is the implementation of Positive Train Control, which is a system of safety double-checks that will prevent the majority of accidents in the future.
Finally, he knows how to create change, as he recently began a steam program. In 1994, all east coast railroads ruled that steam locomotives were not allowed on their systems. In 2011, Wick brought on the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the Fort Wayne Historical Society and their two steam locomotives: Southern Railway 630 and Nickel Plate Road 765 (respectively). In 2012 and 2013, these locomotives have toured about half of Wick Moorman (Norfolk Southern)'s system of track, and more trips are to come in the future. Basically, Mr. Moorman restarted a program, 18 years dead, and has it running strong and supported already. Through this, he displays resilience and courage.
To increase my chances of becoming a provocateur, I can build relationships with my friends, and in a way, "take the upper hand." Basically, I will have enough influence on them to bring about change that I want to happen. I need to be accepting of uncertainty and able to notice changes (which I'm pretty good at doing). Then, I can apply my control over my friendships to create change if I want to.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Project Interview (1/28 Assignment)
For the week of January 28th, we were to interview an expert in the field our final project is in. So, I chose to interview Dr. Joel Aquino, my IB Physics teacher. I asked questions, he answered, and I responded. Below is the interview script:
1. What experience do you have in the field of geology?
-That’s
impressive! I’m going to assume you’ve evaluated land as part of your job
before.
2. So,
what goes into evaluating an area of land?
-The
water flow patterns, slope of hills, soil qualities, placement of settlements
in the area, and similar locations will be analyzed. If the area is deemed
suitable for building, it may be done. If not, an alternative solution must be
found.
-It sounds like there is a lot to
this process, so I guess we’ll continue in your area of expertise.
3. How
are the slope of land and water tables examined without actually going to the
site?
-USGS and TIGER data can be viewed in three dimensions in
specially-built software.
-That
seems complicated to be able to analyze.
4. How
does this software work?
-It
takes the data and color-codes it, ranging from blue being the lowest in
elevation to red being the highest in elevation.
-If
it’s that easy, then it must be pretty wide-spread.
5. How
often is USGS and TIGER data used in land analysis?
-It’s
often used as a preliminary method of analyzing potential land development
sites and is used to simulate land movements after grading is done for the
project.
-Now I'm going to ask some questions about the
program and data itself.
6. What
does TIGER stand for?
-TIGER
means Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing.
-There
must be something special sense the data is encoded and referenced.
7. What
program do I need to look at TIGER and USGS data together?
-TransDEM.
-Now
let’s move toward my focused application of this information.
8. How
long would the process of planning and environmental studies and preliminary
design take for a short rail line?
-I would estimate that this would
take about 6 years to complete. One year for planning and five years for
environmental studies. The preliminary design would overlap the last two years
of environmental studies.
-That
sounds like a really long time.
9. Despite the long wait, what
benefits could a new rail line bring to a community?
-A new railroad could help a town
grow industrially and therefore economically. It would also make it easier to
access, thus making living there more convenient.
-I
know a lot of towns like their heritage and their ability to be easily
identified, though.
10. So
in the interest of maintaining the ability to identify a town based on the
surrounding land area, how much would change if a new rail line were built?
-That
all depends on the route chosen and how much grading is required. If a town really wants to keep its looks, the
rail line will likely be more hilly and harder to negotiate, but the payoff the
town will receive from its presence could make up for that entirely.
-That’s
a lot to consider. Well, thank you for your time, Dr. Aquino!
HMP and Technology
I think my project is going to lead me to a pretty cool discovery that I will be able to recreate for fun in a simulation; I'm looking forward to it. I will use USGS and TIGER Digital Elevation Models for the majority of my project.
Let's take a break and look at what I do for fun. Here are three of my favorite videos that I've created!
A Tribute to "Mad Dog" Mike - retirement video made, by request, for a railroader. Filmed last December
Lafayette, IN 8/31/12: The Big Two Doing Business
I toured Purdue University for a second time in September and October of last year, and here's an hour's worth of railfanning just south of downtown. I got to spend the time with a kid from Wisconsin and his dad that were here for the same purpose!
The Chase of Southern 630
This is a video of a 109-year old steam locomotive moving north from Atlanta to Salisbury, NC in June of last year. This was a 75-mile long chase, and we saw the train in 6 different places on the way.
Here's a link to some stuff I'll use in my project:
USGS Data: http://www.usgs.gov/
TIGER Data: http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger.html
USGS Data: http://www.usgs.gov/
TIGER Data: http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger.html
Blogs:
(Dis)connection
Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, has spend the last 10 years of her life studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. She spent the first 5 years of this study focusing on shame and empathy and is no exploring the concept of wholeheartedness. She poses the question, "How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?"
So, I've been asked to answer the following four questions:
1) How would I answer, "Sometimes, I am afraid that I am not enough."
2) How do I define vulnerability?
3) Why do I struggle with vulnerability?
4) What did I tell myself when faced with something I thought was insurmountable?
1) I've been here with my relationship, and my answer normally consists of me saying, "No matter your shortcomings or struggles, I love you and I'm going to support you. You make me the happiest person in the world because I know I have exactly what I've always wanted (and then some) right in front of me. Trust me, you're always enough."
2) Vulnerability is a weakness that prevents you from standing up and defending yourself.
3) I struggle with vulnerability because I've always been put down. From an early age, I've been made fun of for liking trains, and it still happens every now and then. Because of constantly hearing that I was a weird person that could never fit in, I subconsciously took it for truth. Until I realized that the people who make fun of me probably aren't going to succeed as much as I already have, I struggled. Now, I just let it come in one ear and go out the other, and I laugh about it.
4) I told myself, "Get out of the Jeep. You won't know if you don't try." (I was scared that I'd driven an hour only to have to go back home a few minutes after my arrival, but I knew that I had to see what the situation was either way.)
So, I've been asked to answer the following four questions:
1) How would I answer, "Sometimes, I am afraid that I am not enough."
2) How do I define vulnerability?
3) Why do I struggle with vulnerability?
4) What did I tell myself when faced with something I thought was insurmountable?
1) I've been here with my relationship, and my answer normally consists of me saying, "No matter your shortcomings or struggles, I love you and I'm going to support you. You make me the happiest person in the world because I know I have exactly what I've always wanted (and then some) right in front of me. Trust me, you're always enough."
2) Vulnerability is a weakness that prevents you from standing up and defending yourself.
3) I struggle with vulnerability because I've always been put down. From an early age, I've been made fun of for liking trains, and it still happens every now and then. Because of constantly hearing that I was a weird person that could never fit in, I subconsciously took it for truth. Until I realized that the people who make fun of me probably aren't going to succeed as much as I already have, I struggled. Now, I just let it come in one ear and go out the other, and I laugh about it.
4) I told myself, "Get out of the Jeep. You won't know if you don't try." (I was scared that I'd driven an hour only to have to go back home a few minutes after my arrival, but I knew that I had to see what the situation was either way.)
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