Technological Burden

So, four years ago I bought a brand new Dell Computer. I was so excited because I had a very old Mac in my room which was not serving the purposes I wanted. I spent $850 on this computer, a reasonable price for a 15-year-old I would say. Well, my mother decided she wanted to have a better computer downstairs for her use as well (and, her typical use on the computer is to check email and sign-up for the Keith Urban fan whatever). Within two weeks, we each had a new computer coming to us, and a week after that, wireless internet hooked up for them both.
It was not long after this that I decided I should have talked my mother out of this purchase of her computer. I didn't know how to tell her but she did not know how to use the computer as well as she thought. She called my downstairs one day and told me the Internet was broken. I looked at her with one of those my parents don't understand anything looks and she told me that the site she wanted to access--hotmail--was not allowing her on and that meant the Internet was broken. I told her that hotmail was a site and that is not what controlled the functionality of the internet. She, of course, being the mom, tried to convince me that I was wrong. Easily, I logged into facebook and proved to her that I knew more about technology than she did.
It seems funny, when you think about it, that everyday functions are now being done by the computer. What once took hours now takes seconds. Communication is at the push of a button instead of the end of the Pony Express. The older generations do not have the same grasp of technology that those under 20 or 30 have. It is all to do with how they grew up.
For instance, if we look at my mother, a computer was introduced to her at the same time it was to me. Since I was still in school and was young enough to grasp the concept, this modern device came easily to me. My mother, not so much. It is not easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
Would it make sense to sit down with every adult and teach them these technological advancements? Probably not. Some, given time, can come to solve the basic problems, but most cannot come to understand all of the keys and functions without step-by-step instructions.

If one thinks about it, it will not be long before our generation is too old to fully comprehend all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Technology is constantly changing: Hybrid cars, GPS, ect.

Soon, the world will be run by computers. The movie iRobot gives some depth on this idea, as does Eagle Eye. Both show the burden of having technology that is too advanced for its human counterparts. If this result will ever happn, no one can be sure, but soon, all the simple jobs will be gone. Education will be done by computers and human intelligence will become just that--human!

My mother did not know all there was about her computer when she bought it and we do not know all about the computers we are now creating. Whether there is a connection, no one can say. Just wait and see!

Personally, I cannot wait for super smart computers....ones that will do MY homework for me. :)

"Waiter, Bring Me Water"

Shania Twain, country singer phenomenon, on her UP! album in 2002, sang the hit Waiter, Bring Me Water. In these present times, it seems this song may be appropriate to describe the conditions of Valley City. Fargo. Grand Forks. North Dakota in general.

In 1996-1997, North Dakota experienced the great flood, which left Grand Forks powerless for some time. Many can recall the incident, and many also prayed that it would never occur a second time. They got their wish: This year’s flood is worse than 1997.
Again, a big thank you goes out to Mother Nature. Without her additional snow, we may have had an enjoyable spring, but that is too ordinary. It was not like, as North Dakotans, we could not handle the snowfall, but what set this year apart is that the snow never ceased. Since the snow was also very wet, when it landed on the ground, it soaked in and froze. As the winter months continued, the snow accumulated on the ground, piling up into mounds that would take weeks to melt. When the sun did finally shine and some of the snow did melt away, it froze and the piles grew ever taller. This is simply related to the fact that the ground was frozen and none of the water could soak in and disappear. It needed to go somewhere, and this led the water to the streets.
Aside for the amount of snow that fell this year, 1997 did not have the over ground flooding that North Dakota is experiencing now. This comes back to the amount of snow that did not melt. Now, it is April and temperatures are reaching the 30’s and 40’s. This means the snow that did not melt previously is beginning to add water to the river. And, since the temperature is increasing, snow becomes rain. The water levels in rivers across North Dakota—including the Sheyenne, James, and Red—have risen to dangerous levels, threatening the residents in the 39th state.
Record snow fall plagued North Dakota in December alone. The amount of snow left people immobile and the freezing temperatures rendered the snow in the same manner. The combination turned into the nightmare now being faced by the state.
In order to solve this, citizens and lawmakers alike have turned to creating sandbags and contingency dykes throughout residential neighborhoods. The water has already broken through one dyke, since they are not meant to withstand days of pressure. This morning, my family was told to evacuate their house, which is located on 8th Ave. Later, dorm residents were asked to not return or to leave as it is. What will become of the flood of 2009? Only Mother Nature can truly tell us where our fates lie. And, knowing the unpredictable force of this woman, soon Valley City could be known as Valley Lake. It looks like we have to wait and see.

You sing it, Aretha Franklin!

I have to admit, although it is not something I wanted to say, I am entering a stage of writer's block. I am running out of material to blog on, and this is weird for me because I never run out of stuff to say. This can be a good thing, or bad, considering your point of view.
So, as I sat at Speech Practice one night and an interesting topic was brought up: Do children (today's youth) respect their elders?
Who does not remember hearing their parents say, "Respect your elders" every time we would get into a little spat with someone. Heck, we were kids. We did not know any better. But, growth and maturity come with age, and now, looking back, we did have plenty of respect for our elders if you take a look at today's youth.

What is respect? According to dictionary.com, there are 16 definitions for the word RESPECT. Here are three I find important:

to hold in esteem or honor
to show regard or consideration for
to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with

I do my observation hours out at BCN, and as I sat there one day, a student walked in crying out, "Hey douche-bag." I looked and saw that he was referencing the teacher. I was appalled! I knew if I ever called one of my teachers a douche-bag, my mouth would more than likely be tapped up tight. The teacher was very relaxed and just spoke to him back, but I still couldn't believe that I had heard that come out of his mouth in reference to a person in a position of authority.
Another personal situation I have had with this came on Saturday, April 4, during my regional tournament. My head coach asked me to give the pep talk to my kids, and so I walked in with smiles and excitement. I tried to share my enthusiasm with the kids, but most would not stop talking for me to get a word in. I told one student she had to be quiet because I was older and it was my turn to talk. She mouthed back at me, and then a junior girl stepped up, "He's not just older, he's our coach. Respect him enough to let him talk!"
I do not blame the kids though. I believe (and please, no one take this offensively) that parents are becoming younger and younger, and therefore, kids are being raised in different households than we were brought up in. Drugs, drinking, and sex are all things that are moving down in the schools. I was alarmed when I heard that a seventh grade girl at my high school was pregnant. Honestly, I didn't even know that was possible.
It comes down to what parents do an say. Since parents are still in their late teens-early twenties when they are having kids, they are still living their lives, so children are raising themselves. It is a sad notion when you walk into a second grade room and hear the F-word come out of the children’s' mouths.

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me." It is funny to say this, but it means less and less as our generations continue. It is time to teach children how to have respect once again.

I leave you with this quotation from James Baldwin:

"Children have never been very good at
listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate
them."

Where are we headed?

As I sat in my Intro to Education class on Monday morning and heard something that I had never expected to hear. In North Carolina, a man walked into a nursing home and killed 8 people. My instructor, Amy Anderson, told us that one lady covered her face because she didn't want to watch the man kill her.


My heart fell as I listened to this story. What kind of sick, twisted monstor does something like this? These people are 80-90 years old and this man thinks that they will be able to defend themselves against his treachery. I just simply could not believe it!


I know that I am supposed to focus my blog on Arts and what not, but I am also allowed to speak on Culture, and I believe this is a cultural issue unlike any other.

I pose you this question: Where are we headed? Where is our culture going if a man will walk into a nursing home and kill 8 innocent people?


And where are we heading when a murderer gets sympathy for it? When I was looking for information about this, I found an article saying that the gunman had cancer. Does this make it right? But also, what is the right way to respond to this situation? Murder to deal with murder? Where is the Meander Right? The Right to a Trial by Peers. That has been replaced by an officer with a gun.


Our society is going to a place where no one is ever going to be safe. Our discussion in my class on that morning then brought us to deciding what a school could be called:

• Daycare
• Social Institute
• Knowledge Facility
• Jail

Safety is something that our country used to pride itself on, but as of late, there is a serious lack going around.

"Sunday's incident was the third major shooting in the south-eastern US this month. On 10 March, a 28-year-old man killed himself, his mother and eight others in a shooting spree in Alabama. Days later, a Cuban immigrant killed his estranged wife and three others in Miami before taking his own life."

What does this lead to? As individual citizens of the United States, should we begin to focus on what is really important? Let us all go back to second grade: We have the teacher preaching up there, "You have certain needs. Love and Belonging..." When our second graders have a better idea of friendship and belonging than our adults, we know there are issues.

It comes down to doing our part. Remember Abraham Maslow? He integrated a hierarchy of needs into American Education. And just as it should be, love and belonging falls right after safety. Ultimately, that is the need that we do not have: Safety.

How do we fix this? We start to care. We start to understand and accept. As a culture, we can all start to realize that people are people, no matter what the color of their skin or the number of years they have lived. Life is too precious and when one man can take another's, where does that leave us.

I am reminded of a set of dialogue from the 2004 Blockbuster iRobot.

Detective Del Spooner: What if I'm right?
Lt. John Bergin: [sighs] Well, then I guess we're gonna miss the good old days.
Detective Del Spooner: What good old days?
Lt. John Bergin: When people were killed by other people.

Let's get away from this. In North Carolina, they have a way to go, but as a world, we can head ourselves in the right direction.

When in Europe...

Do as the Europeans do?
Okay, it does not quite flow the same, but still, it was a cultural experience unlike anything else.

Singing Through Amsterdam and London

42 residents of Valley City (or nearby) travelled to Europe for Spring Break and it was truly a culture shock. We travelled first to Amsterdam, and right away, saw people whom we would never have called different than ourselves. At points, it was hard to remember which face belonged to our group because they all looked alike.

When I prepared for this trip, I expected the basic Eurotrip type feeling: Girls in bikinis accompanied by a lot of alcohol and drugs. True, all of this was there, but what lay hidden away behind was a culture that we may have long forgotten about. These people live in a place that has such a unique design and natural beauty, I could not believe people take it for granted. This website, which gives basics on the Red Light District, said something I found very believable: They have all this, but that is not what they are about! Having seen it, I can truly say I believe it is true.

The thing that really got me while in Amsterdam was the Anne Frank House, which is now a museum. If you have not seen it or read the book, I feel pity on you (not to be mean). But, of course, this book is way too popular to not be read, so crises averted. Back on track, we were allowed inside the house in which this family hid for nearly two years; one can't help but feel a brand new respect for what these people went through. People sat, staring at the walls--ones that Anne had seen every day--and cried. It was hard not too! This is something we grew up hearing. It's the same with 9/11. It is one thing hearing about the towers going down, but when I went to New York in April last year, and saw the GAP where the towers used to stand, it brings a whole new perspective on everything.

Another huge cultural experience was in the cuisine: Croquettes! These are like a meal that has been deep-fried. They are quite tasty (in moderation) and found to be quite enjoyable. Along with these, the Pancake Houses were extravagant. At one point, a student had a pizza on his flapjack. Another received a pancake that was topped entirely with ice cream. Our waitress couldn't believe that we did not top our pancakes as such. She was even more shocked when we compared sizes. "But they are dis thick, no?" she asked. And we explained that in America, we stack our pancakes. I swear, she about fainted.

Our trip then took us across water to London. It was comparable to our New York or L.A., except with more history. And boy, did it have history. For one, Westminster Abbey took me completely by surprise. There lay people that had formed their country. They were responsible for great things: Handel and his music, Shakespeare and his writing, Mary, Queen of Scots and whatever it is that she did.

Basically, through this blog, I wanted to capture just a little bit of what their culture has taught me about my own. I want to know about the stereotypes that people from Holland or England think when they come to the states. The one thing I did not sense was the Eurotrip environment.

Wouldn't it be nice...

Wouldn't it be nice to be as famous as Chris Brown? If you haven't heard the recent news about Chris Brown, after he attacked fellow singer Rihanna, he is now being allowed to see her and have contact with her. He abused her one night when they were a couple, and they have recently been seen chatting and making amends.

Ah, this must be the life. To abuse someone and then turn around and be forgiven just like that. I mean, everyone must go through the exact same thing, right? Forgiven so easily and paid for commenting on an article. What a pile of crap! I mean, honestly. Let's think about this. Chris Brown abused Rihanna, and as a star, of course the entire world found out. But instead of facing the repercussions that others would, he is let off with a warning.

I know that this has been discussed in previous blogs, but I would just like to reiterate how stupid celebrities take their power. They are not the most amazing people in the world. I have seen my share of talent here on campus, and some of our students have more talent than some of the celebrities who gain millions of dollars for their performance.

Maybe I am alone here, but I am tired of celebrities taking advantage of their figures. They get out of so much because of a movie they have been in or a television show they appeared on. It is to the point where most of the laws being broken are not being enforced because the ones breaking them are too good to punish? Shia LeBeouf after his DUI was told to go back to work. He was not allowed to do anything extensive because he hurt his hand during the crash.

Okay, so next time I get picked up for a DUI (not that it has happened), I will just tell the officer I have to get to a movie set. If it works once, it should work for me.

Celebrities are to the point where their public image is no longer apparent because they are doing good things. It is different if a person is the center of attention because of donating to a charity or something of that sort. However, when one hears a story about celebrities doing things that ruin their reputation, than that is very different.

For instance, Zac Efron, everyone's favorite High School Musical star, was recently in the news because his mother bought him condoms. If this is not a hard-hitting news story, I do not know what is. Is there a reason that this is being reported, and especially since Efron's main fan-base are children. Some of these children probably do not even know what a condom is, so why tell them?

Celebrities need to realize that there is more to society than what they do in a movie. Because one day, and I hope one day soon, celebrities will be treated like people. The United States is founded that all men are created equal, but I guess celebrities are the exception to the rule.

Advanced Children? Add to the solution...

How many of us remember the days of our youth? I am not speaking high school glory days, but actual youth. Back in 1st or 2nd grade when everything was new information and students had an undeniable urge to learn. And then, as children progress in their education, they lose this desire and it is replaced with utter disgust of the entire school concept.

However, at this young age, each of us discovers something about ourselves, whether it be a passion or a talent. We all find out that we are unique and we must build upon these abilities to find our true potential. And this is not something that can be done alone.

Students who are too smart for their own good are not a problem in our society, but not encouraging them to reach further can grow to have damaging effects. In 2005, a 1st grade student was finding her mathematics class boring and had trouble paying attention. This was not due to her lack of motivation, but was a result of her already in-depth knowledge. If the student already understands the material, why is it necessary to reteach the information to them? To them, they are just wasting their time, even as young as 1st grade, and if they are not pushed, then they will have to settle and their edge will die out.

However, if these students are encouraged to do better...to achieve more...they feel a sense of accomplishment and these traits remain as are. The students can strive to meet their own goals, but when someone assists them, the outcome is far greater.

The debate arrives in the time they spend on their studies. If a student enjoys school, that is one thing, but to devote every second to this can be just as harmful as committing no time. When is it too early to push these students even more: Basically, advanced placement classes.

In Tampa Bay, 9th graders are allowed to take advanced placements classes, which means they are learning information that some of us would not have learned until our senior year in high school, or maybe even our freshmen year in college. This is where the fine line between a devoted student and an obsessive one comes in. The student may spend too much time doing homework and not enough time doing kid things. Many people may tell them "you are only young once." Is this true? Or are some kids growing up to early?

According to Kim Jorissen, English teacher at BCN high school, "Teaching is a lot like acting. You must keep the student engaged. If they are not picking up on the information, some of the problem could be in their attitude, but the majority rests upon the teacher. Not every student learns the same, but you have to teach as if they all wanted to learn, and the ones who care will pick up what you are putting down."

This is the paradox: When do we push the students, and when do we back away? "We should push them, if that is what they want. If it is going to harm their character or themselves as people, then yes, we should back away. But if taking trig is not hard for them as 9th graders, then why not let them? If it does not weigh them down, then who are we to stop them?" says Micki Bucholz, a sophomore at VCSU.

I guess on this issue, I am in the middle. I cannot decide which is better; hiding children's talents from them when their young or allowing them to become too smart? Is this was NCLB (No Child Left Behind) is about? Or is there more to it?