The Future of Our Schools

Today’s society has become a really dangerous place.  Kids are being abused at home, bullied at school and because of these things; they are bringing the violence into the schools in even more ways.  Just today, a story came up on CNN News about a teacher being shot by a student.  At a California vocational school, a 22 year old young man went to the bathroom, came back and kicked the classroom door in and began firing.  His target was his instructor and the instructor was ultimately killed.  Stories like these seem to be popping up more frequently. 

And just last year, almost a year to the date, in Tacoma, Washington a Special Education teacher was shot outside the school by a man who was infatuated with her. CBS News tell us about 30 year old Jennifer Paulson was shot by a man she went to college with.  There was no history of any romantic relationship between the two, but the killer, Jed Waits, would call her repeatedly in a day, sent her roses and a bear, and even showed up to her school unannounced (she claimed she had never told him where she worked.)

There is also the case of Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado that unfortunately so many people recognize and know.  On April 20, 1999, Dylan Lebold and Eric Harris set a goal to kill hundreds in their high school with guns, knives and bombs.  They didn’t kill hundreds, but they did take the lives of twelve students and one teacher before they  killed themselves.  The young men had the massacre planned for close to a year before actually following through with it.  They used Internet sources to show them how to create these explosives and by the day of the attack, they had guns, knives and 99 explosive devices.  They set up a pipe bomb in the cafeteria, planning to kill all 488 students eating lunch (anyone who survived, they were going to shot) but for some unknown reason it did not go off.  It was said that in that the 47 minute ordeal, 188 rounds of ammunition was fired, 30 bombs exploded and 46 did not.  The men also planted bombs in their cars and at home but none went off.  So why do people feel the need to do this?

As a future teacher, this absolutely petrifies me to even begin to think about.  All three of these cases were sad and not completely explainable.  And I only picked three; there are hundreds upon hundreds of cases such as these that happen all of the country.  It seems to me that between media and bullying, these were some, if not all, of the causes as to why these students feel the need to do such a thing.  The media boasts violence in many aspects today and “if the media says it is okay then I can do it” seems to be the mind-set of younger children.  It scares me to imagine the future if these stories are already this bad right now.

Putting a Price on Love

So I know I am not the only person in the world to see all of the advertisements for online dating sites.  These sites claim to have everything from tips to meeting the person of your dreams to even being sites exclusively for talking to people with the intention of meeting our soul mate.  I decided to do some internet searching on online dating, so I went to Google and typed in the search box “how to meet the person of my dreams”, my results were pretty interesting.  I got anything from sites with books that insist that I need that specific book to find the person of my dreams, tips on how to act, and even sites offering to help.  According to one site, The Top 10 Ways to Meet the Woman/Man of your Dreams, the top ten ways to meet the person of my dreams are "joining a community group, smiling, updating your wardrobe, getting out of everyday routines, challenging yourself to meet new people, approaching people, going to the gym, online dating, being unique and putting ideas into action."  According to the site, these are the exact things someone needs to do to meet the person of their dreams. 

On the other hand, Ehow.com also claims to have everything someone would need to meet their special someone.  How to Meet the Man of your Dreams consists of thinking about what you want in a life partner, making a list of qualities that are important to you, joining an online dating site, creating a profile that would make you proud, and meeting matches in public places.  These are mostly centered around the idea of online dating.  How to Meet the Woman of your Dreams is just a little bit longer.  The steps include getting to know yourself first before meeting her or talking to her, taking a journal to write down notes about what comes to mind for your future, talking to someone trusted about the special lady, meditate on what you learned and decide what qualities are most important to you, find the hobbies that she does, look at all the notes you’ve taken and figure out exactly what this perfect lady is like, make two lists – one with the most important qualities and one of the places she would go, and make it a point to visit those places at least once a week.  Now, the list for men to find their women was definitely different than the women’s list to find their men.  It just goes to show how every site really thinks they know what’s best.

So this may make some of you laugh, but I decided to try the online dating (yes, I am extremely happy with my boyfriend, I just said on it that I was looking for friends,) so I went to Match.com to try this out.  I made a profile two days ago and didn’t touch it until tonight.  When I went on the site it informed me that I had 43 people view my profile, 27 people were interested and 1 even “winked” at me.  So it gave me the option to see who was interested so I clicked on it.  The only way to see these people one might ask? Yep, I was going to have to subscribe to their site.  And subscribing, a minimum of 6 months for $17.99.  So all of these places tell us to try online dating and what do they do, charge to use their site.  I just don’t feel it’s right to put a price on love.  

All That Money for One Day?!?

So recently my boyfriend and I have talked about getting married and all that fun stuff.  Well, after we talked about it, me being the planner that I am, I started looking into a venue, a photographer, the dress, the cake, the flowers and all the other goods that anyone would need for a wedding.  I am a one of those girls who has had my wedding picked out and planned for as long as I can remember, but I can honestly say I never knew how expensive it was to get married. 

First we have to pick somewhere to get married.  I narrowed it down to two places but neither one is cheap.  I was raised in the church so I want somewhere that will reflect that.  Integrity Hills has the cross in the window frame but Stonegate Glass Chapel is just absolutely gorgeous.  As well as picking a place, we have to find a photographer that will be there with us.  I’m from Lebanon, he is from Neosho, and the venues we’re looking at are in Branson so if we are going to pick someone we know to take pictures they are going to have to travel as well. 

Then there is the dress.  My mom and I LOVE watching “Say Yes to the Dress” and we watch it all the time.  It wouldn’t surprise me if every girl’s dream was to get a dress from Kleinfeld’s Bridal in Manhattan, but I have to live in reality.  I cannot spend a minimum of $2000 like the dresses at Kleinfeld’s.  I couldn’t imagine spending that much on my dress alone.  It’s unreal for a girl from little Lebanon, MO to first be able to travel to New York, then to pay for the dress.  So for a dress, it looks like my choices are David’s Bridal, Norman’s or ETC Bridal in Lebanon.

And then there’s the cake.  My ideal cake would be four boxes alternating on top of each other.  The bottom layer would be marble.  The third layer would be white.  The second layer would be chocolate.  And the top layer to be red velvet.  I’m not sure what I want for the decorations or even the colors.  I’m stuck between something black and red or black and pink.

But then for my flowers, if I get my absolute favorite flowers, I have to go with black and pink.  I told my mom want kind of flowers I wanted and she looked at me like I was crazy.  Ever since our first date, my boyfriend randomly buys me flowers, just because.  I think every time but once he has gotten me pink Stargazer Lilies and if they aren’t that, they are pink roses.  Those have really just become our flowers and it’s kind of hard to imagine getting married without them.

I know, these aren’t all the expenses that are needed for a wedding. I’m also missing tuxedos, bridesmaid dresses, the rings, food, and a whole lot more.  But it’s just scary to think about all of the things that really go into a wedding.   As a little girl, I never thought it would be that hard to plan a wedding but now that the time is closer, these are all things I have to start thinking about.  

Who Are we Really Letting Adopt Children Today?

Foster children are usually placed in foster homes for all sorts of reasons, but with that, each child has their own story.  According to Child Welfare, as of September 30,2008, there were approximately 463,000 children in the United States that were in a foster home. With this many children in foster care, how much do we really know about all the families that these children stay with? Do we know if the parents are stable? As for 10 year old twins, Victor and Nubia and their adoptive parents Jorge and Carmen Barahona, we really didn’t know all the details.

According to CNN, Victor and Nubia were placed with the Barahona family in 2004 and Florida’s Department of Children and Families was called to the home several times but they could never find reason to take the children back.  Well, Monday morning Jorge Barahona’s truck parked on the  side of the interstate with Barahona and Victor covered in chemicals and Nubia dead in the back.  Jorge “told police he was distraught over the death of his daughter and had intended to commit suicide by dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself afire, the affidavit said. Barahone said he didn’t go through with his suicide plan because his son was with him, the document added.”  According to Fox News, Barahona also taped the shower curtain to the wall and burned the boy with acid.  The boy also had “previous evidence of torture all over his body: a fractured clavicle and arm, scarring on his lower abdomen and buttocks and ligature marks on his wrists, implying that this 10 year old child had been tied up like an animal, straining to break free.”  With stories like this, it makes me really question some of the families these children are placed with.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not by any meaning saying that every foster family treats their children like these parents.  I have family members who are foster parents as well as friends who were placed in foster homes.  But this is by no means an acceptable lifestyle for any human being to live.  How could the Florida Department of Children and Families not know that something was wrong?  They had received several calls over the years about issues at the home but they never could find anything wrong.  They even got a call on a weekend but said that they don’t work weekends.  And just a few days after that call, they found Nubia dead.  Just because they “don’t work weekends” doesn’t mean that they could just blow off these children.  These are lives we are talking about, and helpless children nonetheless.  It really floors me to think that the social workers put off the case until a day they worked.  There is a good chance that they could have saved Nubia’s life; but now we will never know.  I really hope that this article is a wake-up call to the many social workers out there and not putting off their cases until a week day, especially if something doesn’t seem right.  

The End of the World

The end of the world; anyone and everyone have their own opinions on the matter.  Will it be 2012, 2029, 2036, 2182 or any other year?  Well, today on Fox News an article was posted that was titled “Doomsday Determined? Asteroid Apophis Could Strike Earth in 2036.” Russian scientists are now predicting that the asteroid Apophis will hit Earth on April 13, 2036. This website also has an article posted July 28, 2010 titled “Scientist Warns Massive Asteroid Could Hit Earth in 2182.”  These are both added to the numerous suspicions that the world is going to end December 2012.  Why is it everyone thinks they can predict when the world ends?

It seems like everyone just wants to be able to put a time stamp on their life.  Like it’s better for them to know when their time on Earth is done so they can try to get everything they want done before that day.  Personally, I don’t want to live my life on a clock.  We don’t know how long we are given, so why put a time restraint on it? Why not just live?

Whenever scientists talk about “Doomsday” of whatever sort it may be, people automatically freak out.  But then if people aren’t notified when something like this is projected, they freak out.  So either way, people aren’t going to stay calm.  The scientists also try to calm fears by saying that the odds of it hitting Earth are 1-in-250,000 and that’s if it actually hits Earth.  They are also saying that it will probably disintegrate before it gets to the planet.  But honestly, how does knowing that a 900 foot long asteroid is barreling towards Earth calm anyone’s fears?

The other big talk is the world ending in 2012.  There has really just gotten to be some absolutely crazy ideas as to how this will happen.  The website is www.december212012.com and what it does is give everyone reasons why and how the world will end that “fateful” day.  Some of these disasters that are predicted to take place in North America include a 40-mile-long mudslide in Washington state, an 80-ft-high tsunami on the Atlantic Coast, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the Mississippi River Valley, a 195 MPH hurricane in Florida, and climate changing ocean disruptions in the North Atlantic.  There are also speculations that the magnetic poles are going to shift which will cause worldwide superstorms. 

It is so easy to sit here and guess how we’re all going to die.  Whether it is by mudslide, tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, or magnetic pole shifts, it is going to happen.  It’s just a matter of time.  And honestly, I do not want to just sit here and guess what is going to be the final factor that ends my life.  It is depressing and slightly ridiculous. Rather than sitting here and wondering, I just want to live my life for the moment, rather than always trying to guess when my last day is.  It isn’t fun and it just wastes the time we have already been given. 

Snow Days

So, I can honestly say that the snow we have gotten the past week is the most snow I’ve ever seen in my life.  And being in Joplin, I can say that the efforts to remove the snow were far from exemplary. I don’t know if it’s just Southern’s campus that I am talking about or what.  But it’s been pretty ridiculous. 

I live on campus. So you would think that things would be pretty great. That’s not quite the case.  It started snowing Monday night and when I got up Tuesday morning I went to take a shower.  I noticed that the water would not get any warmer.  In fact, it was actually getting colder.  About 20 minutes later, our RA came by and told us we couldn’t use hot water because the pipes were in danger of bursting.  So we were out of hot water most of the day Tuesday.  Eventually it was turned back on and we could enjoy hot showers.

Then there were the roads.  Now, I understand that we got like 18 – 20 inches, but they didn’t even start to remove snow off the parking lot on the dorm side until Friday.  And when they did finally get ready to clear them off, they sent us a text saying we had to move our cars by Friday morning (I know some of the commuter students got the text as well.) Well, the first problem with this idea was the fact that I drive a Mustang GT. It doesn’t go anywhere in the snow, at all.  And they are expecting me, as well as several other students with little cars as well, to move them.  The roads were still completely covered! Well, I didn’t move my car to the commuter lot, and at first I felt bad.  When I woke up Friday morning and like 150 other students didn’t move their cars either, I didn’t feel so bad.  I eventually did move my car, on Monday. And when I did, it took me about a half an hour and the help of one of the Campus Security Officers to get it out.  And even with the lot cleared, I still spun; so there is no question that I wouldn’t have been able to move it Friday. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t completely dislike the campus people, really. It just seems like this year, things really haven’t been that great.  We have been without water at least half a dozen times and hot water several times.  The internet for my building pretty much doesn’t work at all (though it’s been said, it’s because I’m not on the side with the router) but still.  It just seems like there are so many things that are going wrong around here and it’s kind of discouraging.  These people have been helpful to use though.  When our air conditioner was having problems they came and fixed it and they did get the water problems fixed.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say, if it hadn’t snow so much lately, none of these problems would be going on : )

Why are we not supporting those who protect us?

This video is really sad.  This wounded police officer losing their home because he was injured helping a woman in danger.  Off-duty officer, Paul Phillips came across an off-duty drunk officer holding a gun and in the process of spraying a woman in the middle of the road with Mace.  When Officer Phillips intervened, the drunk officer fired 17 round into Phillips ultimately ending his career.  He was shot in the arm and hand (possibly other places too, but the video did not go into that detail) and after receiving 8 surgeries, his hand will never be the same.  While the other officer was on trial, Paul’s wife Stephanie lost her job.  With both parents not having a job and the pension from his job, they cannot keep up with payments.  This is what might just cost the Phillips family their house to foreclosure.  A man who had spent his life serving his community and loved ones and friends was going to lose his home because he couldn't pay for bills.

Why don't people do something about this? Why doesn't someone in the community step up, help the officer and his family.?  Why don't they attempt to help the family?  The family faced such a difficult time after Paul’s accident and the fact that he couldn’t go back to the thing he has loved doing for years.  Then when his wife lost her job as well; they are obviously struggling.  I don’t see why the community doesn’t do more to help the family and other officers injured on the job.  Yes, he wasn’t on duty when he was shot, but he was doing his job.  He was helping a woman and because of his bravery and act of selflessness, he ultimately saved her life.  If can be so willing to help someone he doesn’t know, why can’t people be willing to help him?  It is aggravating how selfish people have become today and won’t even help those who help us every day without a second guess.  They expect to be helped but then they expect someone to help the person in need and to let them go.  This was an officer.  A man who faced death, probably several times, it wouldn’t have been too difficult for people in the community to have fundraisers or just donate money to help to family survive. 

This just really irritates me. People today are so selfish.  I understand that the bank does need to be paid, but there are so many people in the world, surely one of them could help this struggling family.  I just wish for me personally, there was more I could do to help these parents allow their children to stay in the same home.  Moving really isn’t always fun, and under those circumstances it’s even worse.  Maybe one day people will be more willing to help those who help them, but it really is disappointing to see this family suffer until people step up.

Teen Idols

So while I personally do not have kids, I do have a 14 year old sister, and it floors me at some of the people she does or did see as an idol; the first person coming to my mind was Miley Cyrus.  Don't get me wrong, she is a very pretty and talented (depending on who you talk to) person, but it really seems like the past few years she has gone downhill.  She started out as "Hannah Montana" on the Disney Channel where she was a typical teenager with a not so typical secret; she was a superstar as well.  She kept this secret from everyone but her close friends and family.  Her career as Hannah Montana began to blossom and with that so did her popularity.  But it seems that as Destiny Hope Cyrus (yes, that is Miley's real name) hit the big times, she grew up a lot faster than our regular children do.  It seems that a lot of teen superstars are forced to grow up a lot quicker than usual.

Not long after her 18th birthday, a video of Miley on TMZ of her smoking Salvia from a bong.  I had no clue what Salvia even was, but according to WebMD, "an herb that some teens use for hallucinogenic properties."  The effects of Salvia has also been compared to LSD.  In the TMZ video, Miley is giggly and confused and keeps asking if a plant is dripping or if someone is her boyfriend.  These little girls look at her and see her smoking from a bong, does that mean they will want to do that too? Because if Miley does it, then she should be able to do it too? I'm sorry, but if I had a child, that is the last thing I would want them to look up to.

I'm not sure how much everyone out there knows about Miley's music videos but "Can't Be Tamed" and "Who Owns My Heart" are not appropriate for young audiences.  I don't even want my sister to see those. In her video "Can't Be Tamed" some of the lyrics are "For those who don't know me I can get a bit crazy. Have to get my way, yep 24 hours a day 'cause I'm hot like that," and "I go through guys like money flyin' out the hands They try to change me but they realize they can't."  I don't think little girls understand what they are singing about, but if Miley Cyrus can, they can too.

How can these acts be deemed appropriate for young girls? They are showing our girls that they can wear little clothing and be provocative and they will get everything they want in life.  It's false thinking and can be risky to these girls.  That's not the type of attention they should be attracting, especially at such young ages.  Apparently, some others are starting to agree with me.  According to the NY Daily News, Miley was named "Worst Celebrity Influence in 2010." These kinds of videos and actions are definitely going to make me more cautious when I become a parent to make sure that my children don't look to inappropriate actions as an idol.