"'Scoot' along, 'scoot' along like I know you do"

This is my last post ever at least on this topic. With all of the threats against service men and women and civilians, the Colonel/Commander of the Detachment recommended that we, as cadets, lie low and stay vigilant. He or any of the other cadre have yet to contact me directly about my blog, but I feel as even though I post very little information about ROTC, the Air Force, and my experiences in it, it may be just what some threat to our freedom needs. Thank you for all your love, fun questions, and support throughout these blog posts.

Because this is my last blog post, I thought I would end it with a somewhat embarrassing, happy, semi-sad, ridiculous story.

Yesterday (Thursday), I road a an electric scooter. The night before yesterday (Wednesday), my computer fell off my bed and onto the area of my foot where I had surgery a few years ago. Needless to say yesterday was an adventure full of pain, scooting,  inconveniently placed handicapped door openers, and a whole lot of navigating.

Yesterday morning, being Thursday morning, I had Physical Training at 5:50 am. It was in Rec Hall, today, instead of the usual Multi Sports Facility (next to the Bryce Jordan Center). Rec Hall is right outside my dorm, so I didn't have to wake up as early as usual. I walked out of my dorm around 5:20 am this morning instead of the usual 5:00 am. My foot being swollen and black and blue, I could only put an Ugg Slipper on my foot. Cue the Regina George "Mean Girls" quote, as I walk out of my dorm in sweats and one foot having a slipper on and the other having a sneaker on. It took me 15 minutes to get to Rec Hall, which usually it only takes me two minutes.

Before I walked out of the dorm, I swore that the first cadre I would NOT tell was the Colonel; I would tell the Captain or the Non-Commissioned Officer first. I have had very limited interactions with the Colonel because I am intimidated by even his presence. He is so accomplished and revered by everyone.

As I walk into Rec Hall, the first person I see is exactly who I was trying to avoid, the Colonel. Uttered from his mouth is, "What did you do Cadet?"

I kindly and embarrassingly respond with, "Well, Sir, my computer feel off my bed and onto my foot yesterday night and now it is some pretty colors."

He responds, "Well, I guess you will have to sit out then."

During our whole brief one minute contact, I kept on internally saying, "Oh my God". I sound stupid and silly. A computer falling on my foot is such an undignified way to get injured."

PT started and I had to fall out of the flight and not participate in PT. I was actually really looking forward to it because I love Rec Hall PTs.

There were two other Cadets who had injuries and so they had to fall out too. Mid-way through PT, I got the brilliant idea of asking one of the Cadets, who has a broken foot, if he had anything like a knee scooter. He said that he only had an electric scooter (a Hover-round) and that he did not need yesterday because he had one class and that he would bring it up in his car after PT.

I had class at 8 am in Forum, a test at Pollock testing center at 12 noon, and a Air Class in Wagner at 2:30 pm. There was no way I could walk across campus or even efficiently take the bus across campus.

I went to my 8 am in Forum without the scooter because he couldn't drop it off until a little after 9:00 am because he lives downtown. It took me 15 minutes to walk to class in what usually takes 5 minutes.

Right before the end of my class, he dropped off the scooter outside my classroom door in Forum. At the end of class I had one of my friends open up the door and help me figure out the whole scooter thing. It was like driving a car again. There was a forward and reverse switch. Before I could head back to my dorm I had to figure out how to get the scooter out of the Forum building door. Front and back I go, until I can figure out the angle to get out the door.

Out I go down the pathway to my dorm which has a "wheelchair accessible door" but no elevator. When you scan your card to the accessible door, the door stays shut and doesn't open automatically, it doesn't even have a switch to open it. I ask my friend to open the door and I zoom into the lounge and park my scooter.

The first task of the day is done (getting out of Forum).

Next task: getting out of the dorm and getting something to eat.

I have to ask someone sitting in the lounge to open the door because it is not as "wheelchair accessible" as one may believe. I decide to go to the Hub to get Starbucks; a safe option because I know that there are "handicapped door buttons" and where the elevators are.

Off I go rumbling on down the brick sidewalks on Pollock Road towards the HUB. There were so many stares, much like the ones I get while in uniform, since I didn't have a visual cast or brace on.

Next Task: getting into the HUB and the elevator.

There are so many extremely nice people, but sometimes when the buttons are conveniently placed, you just want to hit those automatic door openers and tell them to move out of the way.

To get into the elevator, I had to first pull up to the buttons and then pull face first into an elevator, only enough that I was in and could still reach the floor buttons. The elevator was not big enough to turn around in, so in order to get out of it I had to back up (cue the recollection of car driving skills).

I got to Starbucks and parked my scooter because stanchions are evil for an electric scooter.

I got the Starbucks' coffee, peoples' stares and all. I am back on the scooter scooting to Pollock Testing Center. Whoever thought of the brilliant idea of so many brick sidewalks at Penn State?

I get to the testing center an hour early because I was so worried that I would have technically difficulties with the scooter, since it was raining. I got off my scooter and sat down on one of the benches and began drinking my coffee and embracing the pain I was (and still am feeling in my foot).

I find out from the nice, blonde check-in lady that there is a nifty handicapped door/entrance. I get on my scooter and I wheel myself over to the entrance. Didn't the lady forget that I was sitting there, waiting to go in. I get into my test and there is no great place to park my scooter; I ended up having to move it 2 times for other test takers. To get out of the glass bubble, I had to ask someone to hold open the door because there is no automatic door button.

I scan my scrap paper and give my ticket to the lady and off I "go into the wild blue yonder" to the University Health Services Center to go on the hunt for Epsom salts. I have to click another inconveniently placed button to open the door and then I have to figure out the right angle to get through the skinny door frame. I get off my scooter and go into the pharmacy; there are no Epsom salts to be found.

I get back on my scooter and I notice that it is rather dirty from the rainy day and that there is a paint mark on the tire and the arm of the chair. I must have run into something, so I go to the bathroom to get a paper towel and water to get it off. I spent twenty minutes removing the paint because I wanted to return the scooter the way I got it.

Last stop Wagner Building and then I was done for the day!

What a tiresome day full of skinny hallways, un-handicapped accessible doors, inconveniently placed door operator buttons, and running into things.

TIFFANY N. SEIBERT