Show j i VICA Can Excite You i I Iby by Randy andy Bruso VICA Have you ever had an experience that excited you so much that you just hadr had r to tell teIl everyone about it No Im I'm not talking about sex or religion or your unexpected expected A A on yo your last quarters quarter's report card Im I'm talking about VICA t I Ive I've v been a member of VICA for two y years rs Last year I competed in the skills Olympics for the Recreational 1 Vehicle Mechanics Program but bu I didn't find out completely what I was getting into Oh sure they try to tell you what it is all about but until you start preparing for the Skills Olympics Contest you just dont don't know how much work youre you're facing What do you mean I have to take this engine apart and put it back together 50 times I said Not only do you need to take it apart and put it together 50 times that's only one of three different engines you'll need to do that to the advisor said with a curious smile I found out later he meant Why does anyone really want to do this More good news was given to me as I was just getting the last engine put together engines in 3 months I thought I deserved the gold medal just for the effort Now I was told I had to memorize 3 service manuals when stacked on top of each other looked like the New York City Phone Book I thought for sure I was a guarantee winner after all that but Now I want you to find all the things I have done to these engines to make them not work right said the advisor with that same smile again Yeah right what did you do to them I asked The advisor said with almost a lugh in his voice There are at least 17 things wrong with each engine and I want you to find them and fix them so the engine will run Now Im I'm really worried Not only do they want me to take apart and put back together engines memorize the New York City Phone Book not just the white pages but the they want me to play playa a um find-um and um fix-um game with an advisor that smiles too much 21 The day before the big Skills Olympics the advisor sayd Now laughing out loud you know tomorrow your going to have to wear all white except for your shoes What I said are they going to check my underwear too The advisor said Well see wont won't we Then he sent me home for some last minute studying and to get a good nights night's sleep I think the advisor had more fun watching me getting ready for the contest than he should have The next day at am a.m. in the shop all the contestants were given ven breakfast coke and doughnuts thanks to Scott Price Dale Hogan and Lynn The contest was hard We didn't finish until 1 30 pm p.m. I felt good I felt prepared I felt a little sick to my stomach The Awards Ceremony was that night at 7 30 pm p.m. You know how time can act like its it's moving at about a minute per hour Finally its it's time to find out who won I really dont don't care car if I win as long as the contestant from B. B BYU Y U. U 1 r Third place BYU yeah big cheer Second place Surge Burton L oh yeah bigger bigge cheer And now the first place winner and our states state's representative at the National Skill Olympics Randy Bruso All right oh yeah biggest cheer of the night At least that's what it sounded like to me I. I While I was standing on the stage getting that gold medal hung around my neck I saw the advisor standing in the front row clapping and cheering and andi z i i you guessed it smiling and laughing But this time it was a little different More of a I knew yo you could do it all the time and see it it- does pay to practice and gee its it's a good job to be a teacher V t After the pictures were taken I went over to the advisor took my medal off and put it on him This wasn't easy because he was wearing his cowboy hat at the time I said You deserve this as much as I do now well we'll see if you can prepare me for the nationals what a feeling VICA is one of the greatest experiences Ive I've ever had in my life Its It's not the destination that's most important its it's the scenery along the way Yes I went to the nationals and no I didn't didn t win What I learned along the way is what's important Did I tell you I got a job and it turned into a partnership Now Im I'm rich all because of VICA well maybe not all I know the advisor is back with another group of students and smiling at them the same way he did with me but if any of them will work hard and keep trying their success will be assured I encourage everyone to participate in VICA to get an experience you'll want to tell everyone about Join VICA It Its It's s a reat place t to start |