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Welcome to Fall Semester 2021.

What a challenging year it has been.

But here we are, enthusiastically ready to face the future.

Come what me.

Growing up, one of my family's favorite thing

to do was to camp the Flaming gorge and to go rafting on the

green river below the flaming gorge dam. To prepare to float the river, it was

necessary to take the raft to the boat launch just below the dam and unload the raft

with all the equipment needed to float the river such as oars, life jackets, and other essential items.

Then my parents would drive separate vehicles

to the little hole boat launch,

the destination of our rafting trip, leave one of the vehicles there, and then drive the other. the when I was about 13, my younger sister and I were left to tend the raft and the equipment

while my parents drove to little hole.

While my sister and I sat visiting on the edge of the raft facing the water's edge.

We were abruptly thrown from the raft into the river, along with all of our equipment.

A very strong gust of wind had suddenly blown down the canyon wall, lifting

the side of our raft and flipping it up over our heads. The raft continued to flip with an acrobatic-like motion

tumbling side over side several times, barely touching the river with each

...