I was in the gym with my group of rowdy and highly competitive day camp boys. My co-counselor and I have many 8-year-olds and also some 7-, 9-, and 10-year-olds. The kids were playing Star Wars, a version of dodgeball that they absolutely love. I, on the other hand, always vote against playing this game because almost every time we play, at least one kid ends up crying. Today was no exception.
I didn't really see what happened but suddenly one of my boys was crying. I have a few boys who will cry if someone so much as pokes them, but this crier wasn't one of them. I saw him storming off to the side of the gym just as my CIT's were stopping the game due to arguing. (Like I said, Star Wars never seems to turn out well.)
The crying boy made it to the side of the gym and angrily punched the door to an adjacent office. Wanting to help him calm down while avoiding getting hit myself, I stood behind him and reached over his shoulders, grabbing his hands. This is my go-to move for upset kids as it both restrains them and feels like a big hug.
"Calm down, buddy," I whispered to him, "if you hit someone, you'll have to go to the office."
He soon ceased to seem dangerous so I let him go and we sat down against the door he had just hit.
"What happened?" I asked, but he was still fuming and did not respond. After I asked a few more times, he responded by informing me that he didn't want to tell me what happened because I would not be able to help.
"Try me!" I countered, knowing I would almost surely be able to help solve this dilemma if I knew the details.
He continued to insist I would not be helpful and that it wouldn't be worth it to "risk it". This went on for a bit. Then I remembered that I had seen a certain other child push the crier so I asked if that child was involved, already knowing he was. I suppose this led to my gaining his trust as he then told me which other boys were also involved. We walked to the nearby camp office where I sat with the four of them and let each tell his version of what happened. We eventually came to a peaceful solution and left to go join the rest of the group.
As I walked with the boys from the camp office to our group's classroom, I looked over at the original crier, who was still visibly upset and holding back tears.
"So, was I helpful after all?"
"Yes," he admitted and broke into a grin.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Friday, July 19, 2013
Three Strikes, I'm Out
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| Image via c1planetsavecom.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com |
You know it's serious business when you find yourself emailing back and forth with the Associate Dean of the College of Education. Ya, that's what I've been doing the past few days.
Undergraduate education majors at my university spend their last three semesters in an on-site program involving two semesters of classes and one of student teaching. Students must apply and be accepted to the Teacher Education Program, or TEP, the semester before beginning the three-semester sequence. I was planning to apply this fall, start next spring, and graduate in May 2015.
The requirements to apply are pretty simple: Applicants have to have taken or be currently enrolled in about seven specific classes and have passed the first of a series of state competency exams required for licensure. The test is offered every three months.
I thought about taking the test in January, but it fell on my 21st birthday, so I decided to wait.
I was planning to sign up for the April test but didn't get around to registering until the day after the first deadline which would have added a late fee to the cost. I decided to sign up for June instead.
I was all set to take the test in June, but because of living at my parents' house for the summer and generally being in non-school mode, I forgot to attend. It wasn't until that night that I realized my mistake.
So there you have it: three perfectly good opportunities to take this test and still I have not taken it. Course-wise I am eligible to apply this fall but rules are rules and this test is required for application to the TEP. My next opportunity to apply would be in the spring which would put me in the less awesome three-semester sequence (the same courses but the program is run by a different professor) and cause me to graduate a semester later. Now I just have to see what, if anything, the Associate Dean can do to help. Like I said, you've probably dug yourself into a pretty darn deep hole if you are emailing the Associate Dean.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Proud of All the Wrong Things
I see it all over nowadays, but maybe it's been happening for years and I am just now noticing. People are very proud and they aren't afraid to show it via Facebook posts, bumper stickers, or just flat out saying so.
People are proud of a lot of different things, too. Some are proud to be gay. Others are proud to be straight. There are those who are proud of their race and/or ethnicity. Some are proud to be Democrats while others are loud and proud Republicans. Some people are proud to be Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, while others feel great pride in claiming atheism. On the road are visible displays of proud parents of middle school honors students and proud smart ass dog owners whose Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls are apparently smarter than the aforementioned honors students.
Yes, we are a society of very proud people. But at the end of the day, do you have something to actually be proud of? You didn't do anything special to become whatever ethnicity you may be; you were born that way by random chance. In other words, you don't get any credit there. In fact, what right do you have to be proud of virtually any of the attributes from the previous paragraph? What did you do to become a Republican? Spend five minutes registering to vote? And why should you get to feel proud to be a believer in a certain school of thought? Did you do something meaningful to the world?
Characteristics such as race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, political party affiliation, religious views, and even perceived intelligence are so superficial compared to ones that are actually important. Put together any combination of the above traits and you still don't have anything to be proud of. What really matters is what kind of person you are. Are you kind to strangers as well as family? Do you stick up for the little guy? Are you ethical or a cheater? Do you spend your free time helping others or sacked out on the couch watching TV? Imagine the day when the signs and banners advertising pride in superficial things were gone and replaced simply by "Proud to be a good person". Our world would be forever changed.
People are proud of a lot of different things, too. Some are proud to be gay. Others are proud to be straight. There are those who are proud of their race and/or ethnicity. Some are proud to be Democrats while others are loud and proud Republicans. Some people are proud to be Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, while others feel great pride in claiming atheism. On the road are visible displays of proud parents of middle school honors students and proud smart ass dog owners whose Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls are apparently smarter than the aforementioned honors students.
Yes, we are a society of very proud people. But at the end of the day, do you have something to actually be proud of? You didn't do anything special to become whatever ethnicity you may be; you were born that way by random chance. In other words, you don't get any credit there. In fact, what right do you have to be proud of virtually any of the attributes from the previous paragraph? What did you do to become a Republican? Spend five minutes registering to vote? And why should you get to feel proud to be a believer in a certain school of thought? Did you do something meaningful to the world?
Characteristics such as race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, political party affiliation, religious views, and even perceived intelligence are so superficial compared to ones that are actually important. Put together any combination of the above traits and you still don't have anything to be proud of. What really matters is what kind of person you are. Are you kind to strangers as well as family? Do you stick up for the little guy? Are you ethical or a cheater? Do you spend your free time helping others or sacked out on the couch watching TV? Imagine the day when the signs and banners advertising pride in superficial things were gone and replaced simply by "Proud to be a good person". Our world would be forever changed.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
When Life Gives You Lemons (or $600 in extra meal plan money)
This past year was my third year of college and after eating virtually all my meals in the dining hall my freshman year and most dinners there my sophomore year, I had had enough. I do live on campus, though, and there is a Subway in one of the classroom buildings in which I have several classes, so I decided to sign up for a meal plan that was exclusively dining dollars. These credits spend like cash at any of the restaurants and food courts on campus. I found out that I could get a 400 dining dollar plan for $350. I called my parents and they agreed it was a good idea, so I signed up.
I bought Subway for lunch a couple times a week and occasionally bought food from other venders. Toward the end of the school year, I started noticing that the receipts I received when I used my dining dollars showed I had quite a bit of money on my card, even more than the $400 I had originally signed up for. Assuming it was an error, I continued to ignore the ridiculously high numbers until about two weeks before school ended when I finally made my way into the ID card services office to find out what the deal was.
To my surprise, it turned out that the $600+ credit still on my account was not an error. I had thought I was signing up for $400 for the year, but actually the plan was $400 per semester. Could I cancel the credit from the spring semester and just use up the leftover from the fall? Nope! I left the office pretty upset about the money I was wasting because of my mistake.
Soon after, I had an idea. While most of the venders who accept dining dollars are on campus, Papa John's pizza also accepts the credit. So, the Tuesday of finals week, just days before my huge credit was to expire, I went onto the Papa John's website and ordered 33 extra large pizzas. I was called shortly after by an overwhelmed pizza maker to inform me that my order would take longer than the promised fifteen minutes. I assured him that was just fine.
I showed up at the restaurant about an hour later to pick up my pizzas. When they were all loaded up, my trunk was pretty full...
About fifteen minutes later, while following my phone GPS, I found myself in an area of town I had not frequented. I pulled into the parking lot of the soup kitchen and unlocked the car doors and trunk to allow the pizzas to be carried into the kitchen. Several hundred hungry people, many of them homeless, ate Papa John's the next day for lunch. Extra dining dollars well spent!
I bought Subway for lunch a couple times a week and occasionally bought food from other venders. Toward the end of the school year, I started noticing that the receipts I received when I used my dining dollars showed I had quite a bit of money on my card, even more than the $400 I had originally signed up for. Assuming it was an error, I continued to ignore the ridiculously high numbers until about two weeks before school ended when I finally made my way into the ID card services office to find out what the deal was.
To my surprise, it turned out that the $600+ credit still on my account was not an error. I had thought I was signing up for $400 for the year, but actually the plan was $400 per semester. Could I cancel the credit from the spring semester and just use up the leftover from the fall? Nope! I left the office pretty upset about the money I was wasting because of my mistake.
Soon after, I had an idea. While most of the venders who accept dining dollars are on campus, Papa John's pizza also accepts the credit. So, the Tuesday of finals week, just days before my huge credit was to expire, I went onto the Papa John's website and ordered 33 extra large pizzas. I was called shortly after by an overwhelmed pizza maker to inform me that my order would take longer than the promised fifteen minutes. I assured him that was just fine.
I showed up at the restaurant about an hour later to pick up my pizzas. When they were all loaded up, my trunk was pretty full...
…and so was my back seat!
About fifteen minutes later, while following my phone GPS, I found myself in an area of town I had not frequented. I pulled into the parking lot of the soup kitchen and unlocked the car doors and trunk to allow the pizzas to be carried into the kitchen. Several hundred hungry people, many of them homeless, ate Papa John's the next day for lunch. Extra dining dollars well spent!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Declined!
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| Image via us.123rf.com |
My mom and I soon realized what the problem was. You see, Scout operates a permit service for those wishing to visit our neighborhood. Applicants must submit a request and pay their fee, then wait for Scout to make a decision. Those construction workers had failed to apply for a permit!
Oh, and does the Scouty Permit Service actually approve anyone? Nope! Scout spends his days in the office with a big DECLINED stamp, pounding it on application after application. We humans think we are in charge, but the dogs know who really runs the neighborhood!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Mali is… Everywhere?
Because my dog was a mix and not a purebred, I really have never seen a dog that looks just like her. But that all changed today, thanks to Google! Just for fun, I searched "beagle springer". Wow, Mali may have passed away, but I now know that Mali has a whole army of mini-me's running around. Check it out!
Here are some shots of Mali for reference:
And here are the Mali mini-me's:
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| Cinco photo via www.dogsindepth.com |
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| Bailey photo via www.flickr.com |
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| Ricky photo via www.flickr.com |
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| Pepper photo via www.adoptpetrescue.org |
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| Buster |
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| Buster and a sibling this photo and previous via www.pethavendogs.blogspot.com |
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| Michael photo via www.recycler.com |
So fun! Which "mini-me" do you think looks most like Mali?
Monday, April 29, 2013
It's Really Not That Radical
Nearly a third of individuals in this demographic have tried it. In fact, people in this demographic are two to six times more likely to try it than the general population. It is estimated that more than 1500 individuals from this demographic die from it every year, making it the leading cause of death for this demographic.
The fact is that nearly half of gay teens will attempt suicide and it's not that hard to figure out why. 90% of them have been harassed at school and they are bullied 2-3 times more than straight teens. Gay teens may come out to their parents only to be kicked out of the house, abused, or made to go through processes designed to rid them of their gayness. Being excommunicated from their religious group and/or told they are destined for hell doesn't help, either.
There is a teaching in Judaism that to save just one life is as if you have saved the entire world. Stopping these suicides will not take any radical changes in your beliefs. You don't need to support a hook-up culture; you can maintain your current value of saving intimacy for commitment, but just extend that value to include people of all orientations. You can continue to support strong, two-parent families, but just allow your picture of a perfect family to be headed by any two individuals who are in love and have committed their lives to each other, whether they are a man and a woman, two women, or two men.
If people were choosing to be gay to cause an uprising, I can see how people would be upset and unsupportive. But they're not. Honestly, why would anyone choose to be gay? Because they think being bullied and denied rights sounds like fun? More and more scientific research is showing a correlation between biology and sexual orientation. God made everyone a little bit differently, and some people happen to be gay. Let's move our culture toward being more accepting off these people who are so much more similar to us than different.
Statistics from speakforthem.org and nyaamerica.org
The fact is that nearly half of gay teens will attempt suicide and it's not that hard to figure out why. 90% of them have been harassed at school and they are bullied 2-3 times more than straight teens. Gay teens may come out to their parents only to be kicked out of the house, abused, or made to go through processes designed to rid them of their gayness. Being excommunicated from their religious group and/or told they are destined for hell doesn't help, either.
There is a teaching in Judaism that to save just one life is as if you have saved the entire world. Stopping these suicides will not take any radical changes in your beliefs. You don't need to support a hook-up culture; you can maintain your current value of saving intimacy for commitment, but just extend that value to include people of all orientations. You can continue to support strong, two-parent families, but just allow your picture of a perfect family to be headed by any two individuals who are in love and have committed their lives to each other, whether they are a man and a woman, two women, or two men.
If people were choosing to be gay to cause an uprising, I can see how people would be upset and unsupportive. But they're not. Honestly, why would anyone choose to be gay? Because they think being bullied and denied rights sounds like fun? More and more scientific research is showing a correlation between biology and sexual orientation. God made everyone a little bit differently, and some people happen to be gay. Let's move our culture toward being more accepting off these people who are so much more similar to us than different.
Statistics from speakforthem.org and nyaamerica.org
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