The following quote I pulled from the book, "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,". This is a very inspiring book, with a very powerful message. I wanted to share these quotes with you, take it and interpret into a meaning in which you see fit.

"Use whatever knowledge you have but see its limitations. Knowledge alone
does not suffice; it has no heart. No amount of knowledge will nourish or sustain your spirit; it can never bring you ultimate happiness or peace. Life requires more than knowledge; it requires intense feeling and constant energy. Life demands RIGHT ACTION if knowledge is to come alive..."

"..If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever. Your MIND is your predicament. It wants to be free of change, free of pain, free of obligations of life and death. But change is law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality..."

"...'Mind' is one of those slippery terms like 'love'. The proper definition depends on your state of consciousness. Look at it this way: you have a brain that directs the body, stores information, and plays with that information. We refer to the brain's abstract processes as 'the intellect.' Nowhere have I mentioned mind. The brain and the mind are not the same. The Brain is real; the mind isn't....'Mind' is an illusory reflection of cerebral fidgeting. It comprises all the random, uncontrolled thoughts that bubble into awareness from the subconscious. Consciousness is not mind; awareness is not mind; attention is not mind. Mind is an obstruction, an aggravation. It is a kind of evolutionary mistake in the human being, a primal weakness in the human experiment. I have no use for the mind."

-The Way of the Peaceful Warrior-

Posted by Derrick Chery at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hello there, I had a great past couple of weeks. I just got involved with a mentoring program that Wentworth hosts called N. E. X. T. It is a really exciting program because it allows me to have a direct impact on someone's life and hopefully guide him in the direction of what he wants to do. I am also facilitating a workshop for all the mentees within the program, titled 'The things I wish I knew before entering College'. This is a great opportunity because I know when I was in high school, I would have loved to go to a workshop like this, facilitated by a college student. Getting a students perspective is very important and I hope to enlighten all of them.

Mentoring is not the only thing I have been involved with, I am facilitating an after school program for middle school students at the Irving Middle School.It is a Solar Car Design apprenticeship sponsored by Citizen Schools. I just completed a lesson plan with my assistant Jessica, and let me tell you, this is definitely going to challenge my creativity skills. That is okay though, because with every struggle is a pay off! Working with these kids will have it's rewards, especially if we win a competition, in which we will enter upon completion of a solar car.

Giving back to the community is a joy and passion of mine. My personal goal is to live in a better place and the only way to help in the creation of a better place is to positively impact the youth. Until next time, Peace, Love, and Chicken Grease.

Derrick Chery

Posted by Derrick Chery at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well it is back to school again and I'm not going to lie I am pretty excited. It was a long holiday break and for me, it was intense.

I coach a 7th grade basketball team for my hometown of Canton. It is a travel team and is very competitive. We are now 5 - 2, beating two second place teams, moving us up to to tie for 1st. As a coach I don't really care so much for wins and losses but more to see the progression of the players and as a team.

Giving back to the community is very rewarding and so much fun. My new years resolution is to give back more than I gave back last year. This semester NSBE is organizing a Solar Car Design Project where memebers will be working with middle school students from the Boston area.

The way I see it, as college students we are already in a good position to be successful, why not give a hand or direction to those who want to be as well.

Posted by Derrick Chery at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it is the last week of classes at Wentworth. Of course in the last week, that's when all the professors like to assign their final projects and tests. I tell you one thing, if you haven't been to the library all semester long, it quickly becomes your new best friend. The library becomes the resource to all of your work and turns into the center where you meet all your groups to put the final touches on your projects. I have embraced the library all year long and luckily I have been on top of my game.

A piece of advice for entering the final days of classes is start all of work when it is assigned. Other wise you'll find yourself up all hours of the night, scrambling to complete it. The best thing you should do, is stay positive, focused and determined to get the grade you deserve. The reason for that is often times you may find your self distracted and it can lead to frustration and depression. Try working with a partner or a group of people during this time to avoid stress and to gain support from your peers. Till next time, happy holidays.

Posted by Derrick Chery at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey Guys! What a weekend I just had! Celtics are winning big and still undefeated, The Revolution is going to the championship, and the chapter of NSBE at Wentworth had a blast at our Regional Conference.

The Conference featured over 1,200 students from the whole region, with chapters coming from Africa and Canada. The workshops were incredible, networking was great, and the career fair was amazing. The different amount of contacts I retrieved from the conference was unbelievable. Raytheon and United Technologies sponsored the event and distributed tons of giveaways. Paul Britton a general member of our chapter even won an XBOX 360.

The technical workshops were great, we listen, and worked attentively, and with all that work comes its rewards. Picture 1,200 students dressed up and business attire all day, then dressed up for a "Red Carpet and Black tire Affair" theme for the dinner. Now after working hard all day looking good and impressing all the representatives from the different companies, picture all 1,200 getting a room with music and partying and dancing all night!

With hard work and perseverance comes great rewards. Remember patience is a virtue. Till next time, peace love and chicken grease.

For more information on the National Society of Black Engineers follow the link:

www.nsbe.org

Posted by Derrick Chery at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wow, coming off a great week here at Wentworth! On November 1st, 2007, Wentworth hosted its very first talent show brought to you by the National Society of Black Engineers. There was tons of talent showcased at this show. Hosting the event was the comedian Corey Manning of the Boston area, who tagged team with a very famous local DJ Dres. With both their experience in getting the crowd wild and pumped, it made this show intense.

There was dance, beat boxing, rapping, singing, and poetry readings. It was a replica of The American Idol set up where after each performance the MC Corey Manning talked to each performer on stage as well as the judges. The interaction with Corey, the performers, judges, and the crowd was very special as all parties participated with great enthusiasm. First place won 2 Celtics tickets to the Golden Stage game 11 rows back from the floor!!

The turn out was great which brought about 200 people to the event. Each performance brought something special to the table and the variety was great. The dance team not only used the stage in Watson Auditorium but all seven of them did several back flips off stage and into the crowd. It was crazy. At the end of the show Corey using his great personality got all the performers on stage and got the whole crowd dancing!! This is certainly something the National Society of Black Engineers will be doing every year.

For more information on Corey Manning please visit:

www.coreymanning.com

For more information on the National Society of Black Engineers please visit:

www.nsbe.org

Posted by Derrick Chery at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wentworth, great location, great city, great people, and an even better sports town. Living on any campus has it's downs but all of them defiantly has it's perks. Wentworth's perks are it's greats sporting teams. The Red Sox are on a verge of wining the world series, the Patriots are undefeated, thus far, and the Celtics are on the road to the championship!

With all of the academic theories that we as students learn in class and apply in the work force,it is always good to get your mind off things. Right down the street Wentworth has the historical Fenway Park where the Red Sox just recently won the pennant. Down in Boston a few exits up is the TD Bank North Garden where the Celtics play and the Patriots are right in Foxboro! Plus you can buy your tickets to any sporting event right in the Student Leadership Programs office.

Eddie Griffin performed at Comedy Connection this past weekend.

Not only is Boston great in sports, but has incredible celebrity attraction. In the past several years many movies has been filmed right here in Boston. Also, be sure to check out the best comedy club in the country. The Comedy Connection was rated number 1 in the US.

Now remember there is always time for laughter, a time for work and a time for play. So long as you balance out your work and play you will have probably the best time of your life at Wentworth.

Life is about living and laughing enjoy yourself in everything you do.

Till next time, peace, love and chicken grease!!

For more information on The Comedy Connection follow the link:

http://www.symfonee.com/comedyconnection/boston/home/Index.aspx

Posted by Derrick Chery at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wentworth is a small school accommodating about 4,000 students. With this small community it is easier to talk to professors, because in their eyes you are not just a number but a student that he/she wants you to do well. Energy, economy, honesty and system is what the students of Wentworth learn over the years at our school. the ability to interact amongst each other as a team or as an individual give us an edge in the workforce.

Leadership is one of the most sought out characteristics employers look for. The Student Leadership of Programs has a special part in developing students into leaders. With it's abundant opportunity to have the responsibility's to either create or join one of the many student organizations within the office. The SLP office headed by Peter Fowler has made tremendous strides in making diversity and over all support for the students his number one priority. For the students who take advantage in utilizing the SLP office's , the staff are not just staff memebers, but they are our friends. Peter and his staff look out for the student's best interest at all times, and is full support for the development of future leaders of tomorrow. Till next time peace, love, and chicken grease.

For more information on the SLP office please follow the link below:

http://www.wit.edu/prospective/campus/studentAct.html

Posted by Derrick Chery at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

10/12/2007

The birds are chirping, the leaves are turning colors, and the weather is cooling down, the fall is here, and with that brings another great year at Wentworth. My name is Derrick Chery, I am a construction management major, and President of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and I am excited about another year at Wentworth.

Recently Wentworth has just had its annual mock interview which turned out to be great turn out. Mock interviews are simulated interviews with actual company representatives that come to Wentworth to give students an opportunity to practice their interview skills. I went two years in a row meeting with several different companies at a time and it proved to be a very valuable experience. The companies I was interviewed by, critiqued me about my over skills as far as interviewing and taught me how to exploit my strengths and defend my weaknesses. It is defiantly an awesome opportunity that all students should participate in.
Wentworth has a great reputation with a large number of companies pertaining to every major at our school. With its strong relationship with these companies, students are giving a great opportunity to land their dream job! Be sure to check out our career services page and see more information. Till next time be safe and at peace.

Check out Career Services at Wentworth!

http://www.wit.edu/prospective/coop/overview.html

For more information on the National Society of Black Engineers please visit out website: www.nsbe.org

Posted by Derrick Chery at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)