Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Ready or Not, Here Goes Nothing!
I'm a definite night owl who can hardly function before 8 am. I tend to relate math to Egyptian hieroglyphics. I was born and raised in Iowa and I love having a warm bagel with cinnamon and sugar on cold winter mornings. I also love new experiences and I long for the chance to embrace the new opportunities I am given. Like every typical teen, I live for the weekends when I can finally just relax and spend time with my friends or a nice book. Don't start picturing me as a lazy sloth just yet though. I am a hard worker who has spent all 4 of my high school years being involved in just about everything. From my failed attempts at being a basketball stud, to my performances on the school play stage, I have done it all. I am very happy to have done so too because each and everything that I tried, and at times failed at, I learned something about myself. So much so that I can now say that when it comes to math class, my calculator really is my best friend and that I write my best work when it is nearing my bedtime. I have been told that life is all about learning and accumulating new experience. Going to college in the fall of 2011 can definitely be considered a new experience and I cannot wait to jump in head first, calculator in hand and with a big smile.
Friday, October 22, 2010
No hope for Ethan...
I am officially angry at Edith Wharton. Does she not realize that love stories are supposed to end happily ever after?! Because in Ethan Frome she falls short of giving this novel a happy ending. Instead of having Ethan and Mattie (his true love!) die in their suicidal sleigh ride, or have them run away to well anywhere, she has them live and continue doing so in the house with Zeena, Ethan's soul sucking wife. If you ask me, that is just not fair! Or very creative. Wharton could have molded the book in any which way she wanted, but she settled on a miserable ending for the two loves. I'm disappointed and a little let down. Only because I am a fan of happy endings and of the hope that they contain. Ethan Frome is full of hope's exact opposite: destitution. And that breaks my literary heart!
Monday, October 18, 2010
It only gets harder...
The other day I was talking to a friend and he said, “It only gets harder.” The “it” he was referring to was life and my oh so clever response that will forever go down in history as, “Ohhhh crap.” Sure, it wasn’t clever in the least, but it was exactly on queue to what I was feeling. Everyday I juggle high school homework, online college homework, cheerleading, having a boyfriend, keeping up to date with my family, trying to keep a social life, and doing my best to keep my friends happy. And it seems like everyday a new task is thrown at me with a wink and a “Good luck!”. I am getting to be so well practiced in all this juggling of my life that the circus is bound to pick me up any day now and recruit me. Here’s the thing though. I don’t want to be this practiced at juggling. For once I just want to focus on one thing. I want to go to cheerleading practice and think about cheerleading, not the stack of books sitting on my dresser top menacingly. I don’t want to have to leave the sleepover early because I have lots of homework to do the next day. I just want to stop, drop, and rollllllll away everything that I am carrying on my shoulders everyday.
I’m not meaning to make life sound like a burden, but it starts to feel that way right around the time your writing a very overdue blog post at 12:30 am on a Monday night (Sorry Mr. Hyer!). Its only Monday, but already I feel like it’s all just a little too much. And as my future-seeing friend said, “It only gets harder.” If I think now is hard, just wait till I start college. If I think college is hard, the everyday stresses of car payments and house payments and bills is certainly to be even more stress inducing. So I have to ask when does it end? When does the world finally stop spinning at warp speed and turning my life into a blurr? When do I get to sit back, relax and just breathe?
Sometimes (like tonight as I was at play practice for example) I feel like I am just going through the motions and I don’t want to live that way. I am a senior in high school, I should be enjoying every bit of this last year among the people who I have grown up with! I just feel like I can’t sometimes. I can’t be carefree because I have so many other things that I should be doing instead. So what do I do? Do I just stop caring and let all my responsibilities fall to the way side? That doesn’t seem like a good idea. Or do I just keep going through the motions? I am not a fan of that option either. I need some advice. Some legit, possibly tell your children someday, advice. Afterall, it only gets harder.
I’m not meaning to make life sound like a burden, but it starts to feel that way right around the time your writing a very overdue blog post at 12:30 am on a Monday night (Sorry Mr. Hyer!). Its only Monday, but already I feel like it’s all just a little too much. And as my future-seeing friend said, “It only gets harder.” If I think now is hard, just wait till I start college. If I think college is hard, the everyday stresses of car payments and house payments and bills is certainly to be even more stress inducing. So I have to ask when does it end? When does the world finally stop spinning at warp speed and turning my life into a blurr? When do I get to sit back, relax and just breathe?
Sometimes (like tonight as I was at play practice for example) I feel like I am just going through the motions and I don’t want to live that way. I am a senior in high school, I should be enjoying every bit of this last year among the people who I have grown up with! I just feel like I can’t sometimes. I can’t be carefree because I have so many other things that I should be doing instead. So what do I do? Do I just stop caring and let all my responsibilities fall to the way side? That doesn’t seem like a good idea. Or do I just keep going through the motions? I am not a fan of that option either. I need some advice. Some legit, possibly tell your children someday, advice. Afterall, it only gets harder.
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Wage Gap.
For the longest time problems in the "real world" didn't seem to affect me. I was just a seventh or eighth grader who was going to be in high school forever! But Graduation is around the corner and I'll be starting college soon, so the problems that affect my parents will soon be affecting me! One of these problems is the wage gap between men and women. Not only is it unfair, it is also illogical and it affects practically every working woman in today's society!
I think it is gender bias that causes the pay difference between men and women. Women have more opportunities in today’s society, but they still do not have equality. Sixty years ago it was believed that a woman’s “place” was in the home. Her main priority in life was to get married, have a family and care for that family. She was supposed to cook meals, take care of the house, and manage the kids. Today though, a woman can do whatever she wants with her life. She can soar amongst the stars as an astronaut, speed around the track as a racecar driver and climb political ladders to become well-respected leaders! More than likely, she won’t get paid as much as her male counterparts. As a matter of fact, a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar that a man does for doing the same job.
This pay gap is a result of the “glass ceiling” that exists in the workplace. This term is used to describe the unfair treatment of women. They can perform their jobs just as efficiently, sometimes more so, then men yet they still are not paid as much or as likely to advance in a company. Ceiling refers to the way that women are blocked from moving up in the ranks of their companies and in their careers while the glass part entails that the reasons are not always reasonable.
Some publications declare that the reason women are paid and promoted less is because of their desire to do it all. Women want to be good mothers, good friends, and good businesswomen. Because of that desire they are less likely to accept higher risk (and higher paid) jobs whereas men tend to focus on their careers more. But women need those higher paying jobs. Especially those that are single mothers. A woman has a family support! A men does as well, but if we are to be honest, in most families, Momma is the BOSS!
I believe that it is unfair to hold a woman back merely because she wants more out of her life then a stack of spread sheets to go over by 5 o’clock. Just because they want a family to go home to doesn’t mean that they are less competent then the men they work with. The wage gap needs to be closed, and with it the double standard that follows close behind.
I think it is gender bias that causes the pay difference between men and women. Women have more opportunities in today’s society, but they still do not have equality. Sixty years ago it was believed that a woman’s “place” was in the home. Her main priority in life was to get married, have a family and care for that family. She was supposed to cook meals, take care of the house, and manage the kids. Today though, a woman can do whatever she wants with her life. She can soar amongst the stars as an astronaut, speed around the track as a racecar driver and climb political ladders to become well-respected leaders! More than likely, she won’t get paid as much as her male counterparts. As a matter of fact, a woman makes 77 cents for every dollar that a man does for doing the same job.
This pay gap is a result of the “glass ceiling” that exists in the workplace. This term is used to describe the unfair treatment of women. They can perform their jobs just as efficiently, sometimes more so, then men yet they still are not paid as much or as likely to advance in a company. Ceiling refers to the way that women are blocked from moving up in the ranks of their companies and in their careers while the glass part entails that the reasons are not always reasonable.
Some publications declare that the reason women are paid and promoted less is because of their desire to do it all. Women want to be good mothers, good friends, and good businesswomen. Because of that desire they are less likely to accept higher risk (and higher paid) jobs whereas men tend to focus on their careers more. But women need those higher paying jobs. Especially those that are single mothers. A woman has a family support! A men does as well, but if we are to be honest, in most families, Momma is the BOSS!
I believe that it is unfair to hold a woman back merely because she wants more out of her life then a stack of spread sheets to go over by 5 o’clock. Just because they want a family to go home to doesn’t mean that they are less competent then the men they work with. The wage gap needs to be closed, and with it the double standard that follows close behind.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Elementary Insight from a 12th Grader.
Everyday I come to school and learn something. Last year I learned math formulas that might as well been Egyptian hieroglyphics and chemistry problems that made my head want to self-combust. So far his year I have learned that I really don’t have a personal philosophy, but I am getting genuinely close to finding one. I have learned that I really do rock at using Google translator in Spanish and that sooner or later my entire Adult Living class is going to get “the talk” but with much much more detail. I have also learned that people can call me conceited or fake or an airhead or annoying or boring, but what really matters are the words I choose to describe myself. Four weeks into my senior year, and I have already learned so so much. But some of the most important lessons I have learned haven’t come from my teachers, they came from my fifth graders.
As a senior cadet for Mrs. Merical’s 5th grade classroom, I spend at least 45 minutes with some of the coolest 5th graders I have ever met each and everyday. I walk through the classroom door and the class immediately stops paying attention to the science lesson in front of them just so that they can give me smiles and “hello!”s. I’m sure you can imagine how special that makes me feel. But it only makes sense for me to feel that way because each and every one of them is special too. One boy draws awesome dragons. Another loves sour candy. One girl does some of the best scrapbooking I have ever seen! While her friend loves telling me stories about her baby niece. As for the class as a whole, they all LOVE fungus. I squirm and say “ew ew ew” in my mind while helping them write down their data about their individual fungus biospheres residing happily in empty jumbo size peanut butter jars under Mrs. Merical and Mrs. Sieler’s desk, but not the fifth graders. They are full of “Cool”s and “Wow”s and “That’s gross… but Awesome!”s. Lucky for me, the fifth graders are the ones learning about fungus. I am learning a different lesson all of my own.
Lesson number one: Patience. I am learning a lot of that. Mrs. Merical and Mrs. Sieler have more patience then the Titanic had people. When one student refuses to do their assignment and has a million and one excuses as to why they can’t, my patience starts to wear off. But I have learned that it’s important not to let it do so. As soon as you get flustered, the student gets flustered. Or like a bear, they sense your “fear” and become even more disagreeable. You just have to stay calm and sensible and not loose your sense of humor about it.
Lesson number 2: Fart jokes are funny. If you ever spend any amount of time in a room full of fifth graders you will soon learn that they laugh about everything. Sometimes it’s a funny video clip that Mrs. Merical is showing to the class but most of the time they are giggling about something completely random. And… I love it! Between 5th and 12th grade I have kind of forgotten how to laugh about nothing. Between people being mean and teachers calling for my focus and attention all the time, I finally gave in and just stopped laughing as much or as often. According to the fifth graders, that’s not cool. And science agrees. According to studies, laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, and increases the good hormones like endorphins (natural painkillers) and neurotransmitters. So next time your walking past Mrs. Merical’s room and hear them laughing, its safe to say that a good fart joke has been told and that I am laughing right along with them.
Lesson number 3: 5th graders are people too. Baby talk is okay when a child is still in the “gogo gaga” stage, but to talk down to a 5th grader (or a 1st grader for that matter) is not right or recommended. Why? Because they are brilliant! It’s my biggest pet peeve to be spoken to like I am an idiot and it surely annoys them too. Instead of talking down to them since they are younger than me, I choose to talk to them like they are my age. Because even in 5th grade, they know what drama is and what working hard entails. No one should ever make them feel as if they don’t. One of them might be the next President of the United States one day!
Lesson number 4: Do things with Gusto! They plant flowers like it’s up to them to save the environment. They decorate the lunchroom with posters and streamers and banners and even blue Christmas lights just to get everybody excited for Homecoming week. They make colorful signs promoting healthy habits that are to be up through out the elementary. These three things have one very important thing in common: Gusto. Mrs. Merical’s fifth graders don’t approach things with a frown and whine “Do we haveeee to?”. Instead they go all out. All the time. With EVERYTHING they do. And I think, “Why don’t I do that?!” Why don’t I sit down in front of my lap top and think “I’m going to make this the better paper on poetry EVER READ!” Because I should! The bigger I dream, the more I will achieve. I can’t possibly make my dreams come true without a lot of that 5th grade gusto! So thank you, my gusto-loving fifth grade friends, for teaching me how it’s done.
You don’t have to be in a classroom to learn and you don’t always gain knowledge from a book. Sometimes you find yourself learning in the most unexpected places and from the most unexpected people. Thank you boys and girls for teaching me how to be patient, how to laugh about nothing, how to treat others as my equals and how to live my life with gusto. I never thought I would learn so much in a classroom where my legs can’t even fit under the desks and from kid’s who don’t think that fungus is gross.
XOXO,
Katie :)
As a senior cadet for Mrs. Merical’s 5th grade classroom, I spend at least 45 minutes with some of the coolest 5th graders I have ever met each and everyday. I walk through the classroom door and the class immediately stops paying attention to the science lesson in front of them just so that they can give me smiles and “hello!”s. I’m sure you can imagine how special that makes me feel. But it only makes sense for me to feel that way because each and every one of them is special too. One boy draws awesome dragons. Another loves sour candy. One girl does some of the best scrapbooking I have ever seen! While her friend loves telling me stories about her baby niece. As for the class as a whole, they all LOVE fungus. I squirm and say “ew ew ew” in my mind while helping them write down their data about their individual fungus biospheres residing happily in empty jumbo size peanut butter jars under Mrs. Merical and Mrs. Sieler’s desk, but not the fifth graders. They are full of “Cool”s and “Wow”s and “That’s gross… but Awesome!”s. Lucky for me, the fifth graders are the ones learning about fungus. I am learning a different lesson all of my own.
Lesson number one: Patience. I am learning a lot of that. Mrs. Merical and Mrs. Sieler have more patience then the Titanic had people. When one student refuses to do their assignment and has a million and one excuses as to why they can’t, my patience starts to wear off. But I have learned that it’s important not to let it do so. As soon as you get flustered, the student gets flustered. Or like a bear, they sense your “fear” and become even more disagreeable. You just have to stay calm and sensible and not loose your sense of humor about it.
Lesson number 2: Fart jokes are funny. If you ever spend any amount of time in a room full of fifth graders you will soon learn that they laugh about everything. Sometimes it’s a funny video clip that Mrs. Merical is showing to the class but most of the time they are giggling about something completely random. And… I love it! Between 5th and 12th grade I have kind of forgotten how to laugh about nothing. Between people being mean and teachers calling for my focus and attention all the time, I finally gave in and just stopped laughing as much or as often. According to the fifth graders, that’s not cool. And science agrees. According to studies, laughter reduces the level of stress hormones, and increases the good hormones like endorphins (natural painkillers) and neurotransmitters. So next time your walking past Mrs. Merical’s room and hear them laughing, its safe to say that a good fart joke has been told and that I am laughing right along with them.
Lesson number 3: 5th graders are people too. Baby talk is okay when a child is still in the “gogo gaga” stage, but to talk down to a 5th grader (or a 1st grader for that matter) is not right or recommended. Why? Because they are brilliant! It’s my biggest pet peeve to be spoken to like I am an idiot and it surely annoys them too. Instead of talking down to them since they are younger than me, I choose to talk to them like they are my age. Because even in 5th grade, they know what drama is and what working hard entails. No one should ever make them feel as if they don’t. One of them might be the next President of the United States one day!
Lesson number 4: Do things with Gusto! They plant flowers like it’s up to them to save the environment. They decorate the lunchroom with posters and streamers and banners and even blue Christmas lights just to get everybody excited for Homecoming week. They make colorful signs promoting healthy habits that are to be up through out the elementary. These three things have one very important thing in common: Gusto. Mrs. Merical’s fifth graders don’t approach things with a frown and whine “Do we haveeee to?”. Instead they go all out. All the time. With EVERYTHING they do. And I think, “Why don’t I do that?!” Why don’t I sit down in front of my lap top and think “I’m going to make this the better paper on poetry EVER READ!” Because I should! The bigger I dream, the more I will achieve. I can’t possibly make my dreams come true without a lot of that 5th grade gusto! So thank you, my gusto-loving fifth grade friends, for teaching me how it’s done.
You don’t have to be in a classroom to learn and you don’t always gain knowledge from a book. Sometimes you find yourself learning in the most unexpected places and from the most unexpected people. Thank you boys and girls for teaching me how to be patient, how to laugh about nothing, how to treat others as my equals and how to live my life with gusto. I never thought I would learn so much in a classroom where my legs can’t even fit under the desks and from kid’s who don’t think that fungus is gross.
XOXO,
Katie :)
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