Rush Much?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/26/education/26admissions.html?ex=1146283200&en=75ba53d81a3b6883&ei=5070 This is the link to an interesting article in the New York times about colleges who are doing more than ever to woo their acceptees to attend their college. I was reading the article, and as it seems, colleges are doing more and more these days to make sure that the students they accept actually end up attending their college. For example, Swarthmore holds events for newly admitted students complete with indoor soccer with the dean and other such pageantries. I think that this is really a comparable situation to Greek Rush. The sororities weed out the candidates that they feel arent a good fit, but once they establish the list of girls they want to be members of the sorority, the charm is turned on high gear and every effort possible is made to ensure that the girl chooses their sorority. I guess it should surprise me that colleges are finally catching on to this tactic. It is extremely effective, and if you feel like you are accepted, wanted and needed in a group then I suppose you are much more likely to end up joining that group. One of the last comments in the article sums it up for me. A kid says (about Swarthmore) that he feels welcome and like it's already "home". Isn't that what we're all looking for in the end anyway?

Coworker Controversy

Alright Folks- I've got a problem and I'd love some feedback. I work at a church not far from campus with 5th and 6th graders. My primary job is just to hang out and provide counseling and be a good role model. I lead a Wednesday night worship/high energy/playtime/crazy young life-esque event. So here's the conundrum. I have a coworker who has confessed to me that they are an atheist. They say that they dont believe in God, but that the reason they work in a church is because when they were in 5th and 6th grades, the church gave them a moral compass to guide them through the difficult adolescent years. My problem/question is, should we allow this person who doesnt believe in god (but who still gives messages using the bible, prays for the group as a whole and interacts these kids in a "Christian" atmosphere) to continue on working? My big issue is that this person is not bound by the moral code (read: the 10 commandments) that people who are Christians are, so therefore, they feel like they can partake in whatever they want to whether it be drugs, sex or other "immoralities" according to the bible. Is this ok? When I first found out about this, I was astounded, but at the same time, knowing this person to be a person of good character, I decided not to say anything. This has been a personal and moral debate for me since I found out. So the big question is- Out my coworker and take away something from them that they love (because I'm sure that if our bosses found out, this person would be immediately fired), or, keep keeping it a secret, in hopes that this person figure it out for themselves- Please send me your comments/thoughts/ etc!!!

Values

I was watching the movie "Mona Lisa Smile" the other day and it really got me thinking. I've been thinking alot about values, my own personal ones and the ones that society has. I think that these days we are living in a morality-free zone where people make their choices ungoverned by concience. People are getting raped and murdered, and kids are being exploited and exposed to obscene material on tv and on the internet. I sometimes think that living in a time like the time Mona Lisa Smile was set (the 1950's) would be better. Things were simpler, and people were not pressured to live such flamboyant, crazy lives. They were just content to have a family and raise their kids. All the rest of the stuff just wasnt important. I do want to bring up another point, however, and that is that in Mona Lisa Smile's time, women were not allowed the liberties that they are allowed today. There was an expectation that the woman would be a homemaker and that the husband would be the breadwinner. As a highly motivated person, I would have had a problem with this, as I cant convince myself that having kids and being a homemaker would completely fulfill me. So, it is a conundrum that I present, for, if we go back to a simpler time, we give up freedom, and if we stay here, we deal with immorality. Maybe we could all just try a little harder to be better people and teach our kids good values, and hopefully we can reverse the lack of values in this country.

What I've learned about....

The United Methodist Church. I have always been a member of the United Methodist Church. My dad is a pastor for the UMC, so I've always attended. I went through the process of confirmation, which is the UMC equivalent of joining the church. This happened for me in the 7th grade, and I was really confident in my decision. Lately though, Ive learned more than I ever thought I could because I've been working on the other side of the story. I work with the 6th grade confirmation class at Highland Park United Methodist Church, and I have really learned so much about my church. It's been really good. I think that what HPUMC does for their confirmation kids is fantastic. They take them through a year of peparation where they learn all about the Methodist standpoint on various theological issues and then at the end, they have the option (but not the requirement) to join the church. The reason I think this is such a good idea is because they dont have religion forced on them. I feel that if you have your decisions made for you, you'll probably not stay as strong in your faith as you would if you decided for yourself. Also, the UMC is unique because of our standing on our "social principles". We have guidelines that are established officially just like any other denomination. Issues like gay marriage, alcohol, etc are all included. The UMC has an official standpoint on alot of issues, but, the thing that I love is that members are allowed to disagree with the principles if they want to. Their standpoint is that as long as you agree on the basics of our theology (Trinity, Resurrection, etc), then it is ok to disagree on the small things. I just love that I can be a part of a church that is as open minded as the UMC. I like that every member of my church doesnt have the same exact opinions as I do, and that we allow people to make up their own minds about their faith, instead of force-feeding them answers.

So, I was awake at a morbid hour this morning, and I was watching a special on the discovery channel about Global Warming. Now, I know what you think, global warming, huh? Must be another one of those new-age, earth hugging, liberals. Surprisingly, Im not. I just wasnt aware of how serious our problems really are. I'm sure you've all seen the move "The Day After Tomrorow". And while this movie deviates from the facts regarding the time table, it is a very real presentation of what could happen if we dont do something to fix the planet. Over 30 percent of the noxious gasses in our atmosphere are from United States entities. 30 percent!!! Isn't that alarming? When we have such a slight portion of the total population on this planet, it seems unfair that we are allowed to pollute everyone's atmosphere as we do. I think that the United States had better start investing in alternate power sources, and quick, because the polar Ice caps are melting faster than they ever have. Also, people need to realize that the things that we do today aren't going to affect us (most likely) but that they are destined to affect our children and grandchildren. Do we want to leave them an ice age for a legacy? I think not...
(If you're interested in learning more, there's a ton of information on the national geographic website.)

Dallas Morning News Article

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-pitts_30edi.ART.State.Edition1.e983680.html

This link will take you to an article in the Dallas morning news. The article is about how families in California are flocking away much the same as all of the white people did when the african americans were finally allowed to desegregate in the 1950's. The author makes some extremely good points in his article. He talks about how Americans seem to be afraid of Japanese-Americans because they are "smarter". He also points out the fact that an increasing number of American families are taking their kids out of elite private schools saying that they are just simply "too hard". BOO is my opinion on that. I think that this mumbo jumbo about one race being "smarter" than another is ridiculous. Obviously I, along with many other Americans, know an extremely smart "asian person". They always seem to be at the top of everything. I do suggest, however, that this has nothing to do with their ethnicity. Upon researching this subject further, the reason that many Asians excel is because they come from a culture of high achievement. Their parents expect the best from them, and generally nothing less will do. I think that if more American parents would take this stance, we wouldn't be falling pathetically behind with the rest of the world in Science, Engineering, etc. So my word to these parents is- get a life! - you are the one who is setting your child up for failure by not allowing them to reach their full potential!!!

Lately

Lately I have been thinking about what is going on with my life. What do I aspire to? What is it that I'm supposed to be doing in this world? I know that so many other people here at SMU are trying to answer these same questions. There is a world of possibilities. The world is becoming such a smaller place and the opportunities for people to expand themselves and take place in the global market is insane... I think, however, that many of my fellow classmates really aren't thinking about this as far as the long term is concerned. Most people seem to be consumed with social events, boyfriends, and just getting through their next test or paper. It's frustrating because the world is growing all around us and my generation is going to be largely responsible for helping America keep up with our Asian and European counterparts. It scares me that people aren't looking ahead, aren't aspiring to change the world. I wish that people would just take a look at themselves and really think about what it is about them that is special and unique and how they can use it to make a difference, because EVERYONE can and should make a difference...

The Butterfly Effect

I know that it probably seems riduculous to be posting on a movie that came out more than two years ago, but I just saw it and I have alot of feelings about it. Basically, for those of you who have never seen it, it is about a man who discovers that he has the ability to go back in time by using his old journals and has the ability to change things that he doesn't like. Through this process, he travels back several times trying to change things so that he ends up with the girl he wants, has the right friends, the right job and the perfect life. Well, let me just say that things dont go as he had planned.... The reason that I thought this movie was so brilliant was because it explores a facet of the human mind that I think really has never been explored in depth before. I know that everyone has something in their past that they wish they could change. Maybe a regret, an event, relationship or traumatic occurance. "Butterfly Effect" basically explores the scary things that can happen if you were to be able to go back and change things. Life is meant to proceed as it naturally does. The things that happen to us (even the horrible things) have a purpose and a meaning. If those things could somehow be avoided (or changed) what's to say that it wont lead to a greater tragedy in the end? I think that the moral of the butterfly effect is that it's better to live out your life the way you were supposed to than to worry about the what if's and coulda shoulda woulda's that exist.

Barrio School

For a few months now I have been working at an Elementary School here in Dallas. It is in one of the less than delightful areas of town and it has been a life changing experience for me. I originally was assigned to this school to be a reading tutor for my work study job. I was unable to get to the school during normal school hours so I started working with their after school program. As it turns out, the woman who runs the program had been trying to get a drill team started at the school for some of the girls, but since she had no dance experience, she was getting frustrated at their lack of improvement. I had mentioned once to her that I had danced in the past and so just like that I became the coach for this group of girls. I would never have thought that I could learn so much about myself and about the world that I live in in such a short amount of time. A couple of weekends ago, my group marched in a parade and then performed at an event. This was the first chance that I had to actually interact with them outside school and also the first chance that I had to meet their parents. This was a real eye opener for me. One of my favorite little girls' mom showed up to 'drop her off'. She was wearing an extremely scandalous top with abundant cleavage and hickeys all over her neck. Her "boyfriend" who appeared to be no older than 17 years old was all over her. At that time I realized the stark reality that these kids dealt with everyday. I had heard teachers talk about how some kids parents were prostitutes or drug dealers or dealt in human trafficking, but had never really believed it. I also have another little girl in my group who's grandma raises her because her mom was killed by her dad just before he overdosed on Cocaine. These kinds of stories absolutely break my heart. I just cant imagine growing up in a home where your mom is never there and your dad is probably out of the picture, incarcerated or out dealing drugs until the wee hours of the morning just to support his family. I had always thought that poverty was a state of mind, and that if anyone tried hard enough that they could rise above it. Now, I just see that it isn't that easy. I would say about 50 percent of these kids parents are illiterate, 75 percent speak no English and probably close to 95 percent are living below the poverty line, yet these kids are wonderful people. How is it that they are able to cope with so many things that I could probably never deal with? I honestly dont know the answer to that question. Maybe it's because kids are resilient or because they just simply dont know any better, but I do know one thing... that these kids will teach me more than I could ever learn in a classroom and that If I can be 10 percent as strong as them, I will have all the strength in the world.