#back when I was in high school my environmental science teacher showed us the 20 year plan for our county.

[albino-parakeet]

There’s this plot of land where I live that sits before you get to the highway. All my life it’s been this really pretty area filled with this native grass that flows like waves when the wind blows hard enough.

But now everytime I pass it, I just think “they’re gonna tear it up soon”. There’s been no evidence yet, but I know for a fact the county is gonna sign off on some stupid thing to have a Chic-fil-a or whatever built there and it’ll be gone.

I mean hell they already built a Walmart on top of a swamp that was nearby. Wish this state cared about their forests, swamps and marshes. But nooo we need a Walmart. We need another dollar general.

[likeastarstar]

The House Call

Summary: As a full time grad student and part time drug dealer, you have a lot on your plate and Namjoon being a shitty school project partner is NOT helping, ok?!

masterlist.

Okay, so you were a drug dealer.

Nothing major! It was just weed, which would be legalized quickly, given the way the rest of the world was going. It was just to get you through grad school, you only sold to friends. You kept your circle tight, not many people even knew you dealt. You were very selective, which is why when Seokjin asked to share your number with his friend, you were unsure. But he was your most reliable customer, so his friends must be too.

What made it even worse was that he apparently was too busy to meet up at your usual drop spot- insisting to pay extra if you did a house call instead. You agreed, obviously, but still. It was annoying.

You had things to do, there was a huge project due the next morning and your partner hadn't done his part of it. He looked smart enough when you were paired up- he had glasses and everything. How were you supposed to know he was lazy as shit.

A buzzing in your pocket interrupted your internal rant- who the hell was calling you this late at night?

"Hello?" You snapped, letting your bad mood seep through your tone.

"Uh, hi- I had a question about the project."

Namjoon- your project partner. Of course. You groaned, walking up the steps to the apartment complex to where you were meant to drop off the weed. All of your conversations with this new customer had been through Jin, a fact that you regretted deeply.

"Get it over with, you know you really should've done this sooner," You sighed, checking the apartment numbers twice before knocking on the door.

"I normally would've but I've been really stressed, ok?" He apologized, a shuffling sound coming through the line.

You rolled your eyes as the door in front of you opened, revealing-

"Namjoon," You gasped, taken aback. He was Jin's friend? What are the odds. You hung up quickly, raising your eyebrows dramatically, "What are you doing buying weed instead of working on our project?"

He looked shocked himself, towering over you with his phone still pressed to his ear. He was dressed more casually than you were used to seeing, his hair disheveled in a way that oddly looked better than when he tried to tame it.

"I told you I was stressed," He mumbled, "Come in. I didn't know you were a dealer."

"I didn't know you smoked," You bit back, rolling your eyes.

You pursed your lips but stepped into his place, looking around curiously. It was nice, decorated in a way you wouldn't have expected from a 20 something year old boy. His place was relatively clean, other than the multiple empty cup noodles placed in random areas and the insane amount of paper laying around, "is this all schoolwork?"

"I'm taking a lot of classes," He shrugged, "How much is it?"

"Uh- thirty," You answered, picking up the nearest piece of paper. It was for micronutrients in the human body. the human, a class you had taken two semesters ago on a whim. "No wonder you're stressed out."

He handed you the money wordlessly, trading you for the paper in your hand. You looked at him for the first time since you walked in, only now noticing the dark circles under his eye and the way he had seemingly bitten his lower lip raw. You groaned, feeling all of the annoyance you had minutes ago turn into sympathy.

You shoved the money in your pocket and handed him his weed, pulling your backpack off your back, "Get high, take a break."

"I can't take a break right now, I'm so fucking behind on all of my classes-"

"Chill, I'll help you. Light up, we'll work on the project together and then I'll help you on micro. I got an A in it, I'll tutor you."

So that's what you did, working through the mountain of shit he had piled up in his living room side by side. You never really noticed how funny he was before, both unintentionally and intentionally. He offered your own weed to you and you accepted, feeling nice and relaxed by the time you had gotten around to tutoring Namjoon on other subjects.

"Do you understand it a little more now?" You asked, looking up at him. He was sat beside you on the couch, thighs touching yours with an arm stretched behind your head on the couch. He nodded and frowned, correcting his work and leaning towards you to show you. "Y-yeah, that's right."

He smelt really good- like sandalwood and honey. You couldn't help but stare at the way he was sucking his cheeks in in concentration. Why the hell was this guy a environmental science major? He could be a model.

"You're a really fast learner," You noted, your voice soft and hazy, the way it always was when you were high.

"You're a good teacher," He mumbled, smiling sleepily at you.

He looked so cute you couldn't help it, leaning forwards to kiss him. Namjoon was caught off guard, freezing for a moment but his lips were soft and his skin was warm, drawing you in before you snapped back to reality, pulling away sharply.

"I shouldn't have done that," You gasped, leaning away from him awkwardly. You had to get out of here- eyes already searching for your belongings. Embarrassment crept up on your skin, heating your cheeks. Maybe you could blame it on being reallt fucking blazed, which you were.

"No," He said suddenly, catching your arm with a hand around your wrist, "I should've done it."

What?

"Why do you think I wanted to be your partner for this project?" He smiled, eyes lighting up in a cute way you hadn't noticed before.

"Um, because I'm the smartest person in class?" You guessed, playing with his large hand idly. His fingers felt good between yours, tingling shocks sparking in the places where his skin touched yours.

He laughed softly, nodding sheepishly, "That too- but more than a good grade, what I wanted was you. Part of the reason I'm so behind in class is because all I do during lecture is stare at you- you're not very good at controlling your facial expressions, did you know that?"

You pulled your mouth into a tight line, smiling awkwardly. It was true, you had been known to show every thought passing through your mind on your face. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"You're really scary," He shrugged plainly, as if it were just an obvious fact. "You yell at me a lot which makes me nervous and horny at the same time and I've been trying to figure out whether that means I'm a freak or not."

"It's a good thing I enjoy yelling at you," You noted, more to yourself than him.

"You can yell at me whenever you want, baby," He said jokingly, grinning down at you. Holy shit, he had really nice teeth.

You barely had time to process his words before his lips were on yours, leading the kiss this time. His hand cradled the side of your face, thumb stroking your still flushed cheeks delicately as his other arm wrapped around your waist. You placed your hands on his shoulders, squeezing the muscle under your palms and pulling him closer to you. Namjoon guided you onto his lap, holding you closer him. God- he was warm and strong and so, so soft.

His hands stayed in their polite place at your waist, kneading into the flesh of your sides with a purpose. Namjoon was a good kisser- an easy balance of dominant and soft. He knew where to push and pull, reading your body like it was second nature to him. First kisses could be awkward, but this one was perfect.

His tongue licked a tentative swipe along the edges of your mouth and you reached up to sink your hands in his hair, pushing his head to the side slightly as you parted your lips and allowed him to deepen the kiss. His tongue was soft against yours and he tasted like smoke and something sweet, your favorite strain of weed invading your senses.

"We should do this more often- maybe not the tutoring thing, but this- the kissing thing," He said, parting from you for a moment.

You nodded eagerly, pulling him back towards you, "Yeah, definitely- the kissing thing. Maybe if I give you enough time to stare at me outside of class, you'll do better too. I really can't date anyone below a 3.5 GPA you know."

"Okay, calm down," He pouted, narrowing his eyebrows at you, "I have a 3.8."

"I have a 3.84," You bragged, "Don't worry, I'll tutor you."

He stifled a laugh and began kissing you again. You smiled and reminded yourself to thank Kim Seokjin for asking you to make a house call.

(A/N: giiirrrl what the hell? I don't have a 3.84 in my program...maybe I should've gone into a creative writing grad program instead....LMAO)

[promethes]

how an idiot like me got into good schools

A quick run-through of my academic history and how I got into good colleges will be below the cut! I’m also including a list of some of the schools I got into for reference. I apologize in advance for how messy this is, but my memory is shitty and I remember random things that I keep throwing in lol. (and for people congratulating me, thank you very much, but I got into all these schools last year lol! so keep in mind I graduated high school in 2019)

If all you came for are the basic stats and you don't want my rambling: I went to a public school GPA: around 4.4 on 4.0 scale (3.9 unweighted) SAT: 1520/1600 APs: 10 (4 3s, 2 4s, 4 5s) Extracurricular: mainly NHS (around 300 volunteering hours), StuCo, Varsity Golf, and Quiz Bowl

EDIT: comments made by the readers who reviewed my application are available here!

First off, I am not an einstein! I am blessed that I pick up on stuff easily and gifted in academics, but I’m nowhere near a genius. For a little backstory, I went to a public school in Michigan for the entirety of my pre-k - 12 education. When I was in the third grade, the district introduced an accelerated program. We took a quasi IQ test and if we tested high enough (I think the threshold was 80%? If I remember correctly I got a 97) we were put in a class that was 2 years ahead in English and Math. We stayed grouped together for the rest of our public schooling, basically a core group of around 20 people. Since we were the first year of the program and our grade was exceptionally gifted for some weird reason, it was a very high achieving group of students, so I’m going to include their stats along with mine for comparison because colleges also factor in your peers when they look at your stats.

I’ll start off with basic stats:

I got a 1520 on the SAT. My grade had around 5 - 10 people achieve over 1500. Some of them had been studying for years, while others (me) did not know that the SAT existed until that year and couldn’t afford any private tutoring and had no patience for the study books from the library. I’m lucky to have an aptitude for the skills they were testing. I did not take any SAT subject tests.

For GPA, I think I ended up with around a 4.4 on a 4.0 scale. I was around 15/350 when it came to class standing, so I was far from the valedictorian. I think our valedictorians got around a 4.6 or 4.7.

I took 10 AP tests. I got a 3 in APUSH, World History, Language and Comp (I fell asleep lol), and Chem (I will get into this class a little later). I got a 4 in Literature (I fell asleep. Again.) and in Psychology. I got a 5 in Calc AB & BC, Comp Sci Principles, and Environmental Science.

AP classes were really pushed in my high school, especially onto my grade, and I don’t like being told what to do lol so I pushed back and took fewer AP classes than most of my peers (valedictorians ended up with maybe 15? It’s crazy) and basically only took classes I was interested in or that I had to take because I had exhausted the rest of the curriculum.

I also dual-enrolled in 2 classes at the local community college since I’d exhausted the curriculum at my high school for things I wanted to do (english and comp sci). I want to make it clear that I never sat down and planned how I was going to maximize my schedule or how I’d take the most advanced classes, I just fell into it since we had already essentially skipped two grades. Most people didn’t dual enroll since they wanted the AP GPA boost.

For extracurriculars, I mainly focused on Quiz Bowl, Golf, NHS (volunteered around 350 hours in 3 years I think) and Student Government. I never had any leadership positions and just kind of fucked around most of the time. Most of my peers held several leadership positions throughout the years and did like a bazillion things. 5 of them even traveled to Europe for some science research thing where they presented their research. I was not that big of a nerd.

In junior year, I stumbled on something called Questbridge and decided to apply because I wanted the money for the scholarship. I became a Questbridge college prep scholar, which then led me to apply for the National College Match. I didn’t rank any binding schools so I didn’t match, but I did apply to several schools with their application. If you are a low-income high achieving student, I highly recommend looking them up. I was the first person in my school to do this program and encouraged my peers to do it too. I think 4 of us were Questbridge scholars.

As you can see, I had good numbers, which probably got me past the first wave of application look throughs. However, I’m fairly confident that what made me stand out was my essays. I always stress this to whoever asks me for advice: do not write a perfect essay, write YOUR essay. I can only imagine how bored those poor people are of reading about someone winning a soccer game or a spelling bee. Add some pizzazz in there. Talk about your flaws and your mistakes and your unique life experiences! 

For example, my personal essay wasn’t even in essay format! I wrote it like journal entries, focusing on my sophomore year when my life was Extra Tumultuous and I was going through homelessness. I did not say I was homeless once in the essay. I just did day by day entries of what my life was like during that time and through that the readers were able to see that I loved to read, that I am fiercely protective of my single-parent family, and they saw how I handled adversity. I want to stress that I’m not encouraging poverty porn at all. I did not write it to make the reader feel bad. I simply relayed what I thought about in a day, focusing on both big and small.

I also wrote about funny things related to academics, partly to explain my transcript and partly to be funny. This is the AP Chem thing. I actually dropped out of it after one term (so about a third of the way through) so I could dual enroll in a class I was interested in instead. My chem teacher HATED that since I was good at chemistry (hate it. Hate that subject so much) and tried to convince me to stay. One of the things he said was “You’ll never be ready for college if you don’t take this class! You wouldn’t even be able to pass the AP test!” so I said bet. dropped the class and signed up for the AP test that same day and showed up almost every day for the rest of the year and dicked around the entire class, taking naps in the back of the lab, sitting on his desk, cracking jokes about whatever he was teaching. I got a 3 on that exam purely out of spite with only half the information I needed. So write about stuff like that. It’s fun.

The fact that I had no guidance in writing the essays was actually really good for me since I just kind of let loose. My UChicago essay read like I was on crack, and they loved it so much that they literally mentioned it during the welcome speech for their little college visit in April.

And don’t sweat over the small stuff! The short answers don’t have to be perfect and mind-blowing, just answer honestly. For the “why Yale” supplemental essay I just ranted about how beautiful their library is for a good 300 words (at some point I said I needed my inhaler because it was that breathtaking. I made a Yale admissions officer read that.) I ranted about Howl’s Moving Castle to Columbia. I told them my favorite magazine was the American Girl ones for their arts and crafts! I have a friend at Columbia who literally sent them a picture of her in a duck costume as a supplement. They loved it. So don’t lose your mind trying to sound worldly and educated. You’re like. 17. Just answer honestly and don’t think too hard about it.

I was also extremely lucky to have a dedicated counselor who sat down for hours with each individual student to write fantastic letters of recommendation. She really made it clear what I had achieved and what challenges I’d faced.

So. tl;dr: I got lucky. Unless your parents donated a couple billion to the school, there are no guarantees. Sometimes you can have the stats and perfect essays and amazing extracurriculars and you can still get rejected because they don’t think you’re a good fit with the school compared to the rest of the applicants. There’s limited space in the student body. I got into schools my valedictorians didn’t get into even though I was academically less than them in every possible way. So let yourself shine through your essays and know you’ll end up in an environment that values the person they saw in those essays.

I got into a lot of schools, and don’t really have a record of all of them, but here are some of the top ones I can remember off the top of my head:

Yale, Columbia, University of Chicago (likely letter), Northwestern, University of Michigan, Northeastern, CWRU, UNC Chapel Hill, and a couple other schools here and there that slip my mind at the moment.

[fatchange]

How to Talk to a Climate Change Denier

I love the winter season. The cool crisp air, the misty mornings, my warm bed. The problem is that winter is becoming a thing of the past, as our planet faces neverending summers. As I write this post, the Antarctic is 65º F (18.33º C). This is the hottest temperature ever recorded. As a mother, it's tough to accept what my kids will face. At this point we need ALL HANDS ON DECK. We have less than 10 years to slow down the cataclysmic effects of climate change. So how do we talk to climate change deniers and win them over?

Despite all of the evidence, there are people who don't believe human activity (burning of fossil fuels, which creates excessive greenhouse gas) causes of climate change. They're at our dinner tables, at work, at school, and on Facebook. They're our friends, family, acquaintances, pastors, coworkers, or teachers. They may share our concerns about extreme weather events, but they don't accept the science of climate change.

We Need All Hands on Deck.

They come up with the strangest reasons why climate change isn't happening or it's a hoax. Some extremists believe it's a plot by the Illuminati to depopulate the earth. A close relative of mine believes that the governments of the world are secretly geo-engineering extreme weather events to lower the population. Here are a few of the statements I've heard.

"The weather changes all the time. There's no way to predict if the earth will continue to warm."

"Human history is a few thousand years, the world is billions of years old, we can't possibly know the weather patterns from thousands of years ago."

"The scientists claimed the earth was cooling in the 1970s, now they say it's warming."

"The earth is in a natural cycle of warming. Humans have no control over it and we can't do anything about it."

"The sun is getting warmer and producing more heat, thereby heating the earth more."

"The magnetic poles are changing, which increases the heat."

"Only God can change the climate. The end times are near."

RELATED CONTENT: 13 Things We Can Do Today About Climate Change.

Yes, these are REAL responses I've personally received when discussing the realities of climate change. There's a reason why these statements exist. Similar to the tobacco industry in the mid-20th century, the oil and gas industry came up with plan to seed doubt about the causes of climate change and they were very successful.

We are all products of our environment and the communities we live in. I'm not better than anyone else. I just woke up from 'The Matrix' a little earlier. We're dealing with a misinformation campaign on a massive scale, such as forming "scientific" advisory committees, writing papers, utilizing conservative media to deliver talking points, and buying off lawmakers.

How to Talk to a Climate Change Denier (and win them over)

1. Don't Insult Them

...because they don't believe the causes of climate change.

If you want to convince someone of your point, don't insult their intelligence, talk down to them, or call them names. Insulting someone will immediately put them on the defensive (and rightfully so). Psychologists have determined that our brains interpret humiliation as physical pain. This is a profound point. If we are publicly called out and told "YOU'RE WRONG" our brains react as though we are in physical pain. From an evolutionary perspective, humans along with other species instinctively avoid pain.

Humans are hard-wired to double down on our own point or run away even if we're wrong because admitting that we are wrong hurts. You can apply this to many other things, like politics, medical decisions, and conspiracy theories.

If We Are Called Out Publicly Our Brains React as Though We Are in Physical Pain.

That doesn't mean we can't speak truth to misconception. We can and we should. We can speak in an assertive, tactful manner that doesn't denigrate or humiliate, yet shows our authority to speak on this subject.

RELATED CONTENT: See how to Lower Your Household Emissions Instantly

2. Stick to the Facts

Present Climate Change Data.

Learn the basics of the causes of climate change, climate change data, and greenhouse gas emissions. Here are the facts about climate change from NASA, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the scientific community:

Skeptics are correct with regard to human history, but they are not correct with regard to measurement. Central Greenland ice-core records provide paleoclimatic temperatures dating back hundreds of thousands of years.

"Scientists have evaluated all-natural forcings and factors capable of driving the Earth's climate to change, including orbital (Milankovitch) and solar forcings, and it is only when the anthropogenic forcing is included that the observed modern warming can be explained."

"Scientists have also quantified the warming caused by human activities since preindustrial times and compared that to natural temperature forcings."

"The Earth's climate only changes in response to warming or cooling forcings. No known natural forcing fits the fingerprints of observed warming except anthropogenic greenhouse gases."

"Changes in the sun's output falling on the Earth from 1750-2011 are about 0.05 Watts/meter squared. By comparison, human activities from 1750-2011 warm the Earth by about 2.83 Watts/meter squared (AR5, WG1, Chapter 8, section 8.3.2, p. 676)."

"What this means is that the warming driven by the GHGs (greenhouse gasses) coming from the human burning of fossil fuels since 1750 is over 50 times greater than the slight extra warming coming from the Sun itself over that same time interval. Models use the physics of our world with data from empirical measurements and scientific observations serving as initial starting parameters."

"CLIMATE CHANGE IS A FACT, BASED ON DATA AND EQUATIONS. It’s science (not politics). The human-causation of the current observed warming over the past half-century is well-documented and well-established and is uncontroversial in a scientific sense."

"In comparison, there has never been a period in the last 2,000 years when temperature changes have been remotely as fast and extensive as in recent decades. The difference between the two is stark. By the mid-20th Century, global temperatures had exceeded those of the Medieval Warm Period and global temperatures have significantly warmed even more, since."

"The effects of global warming on the timescale of human lifetimes are irreversible, are happening now and will continue to worsen in decades to come: 'The removal of human-emitted CO2 from the atmosphere by natural processes will take a few hundred thousand years (high confidence). Depending on the RCP scenario considered, about 15 to 40% of emitted CO2 will remain in the atmosphere longer than 1,000 years. This very long time required by sinks to remove anthropogenic CO2 makes climate change caused by elevated CO2 irreversible on human time scale. {Box 6.1}'”

"But it IS stoppable. Recent public discussions of '12 years' (now 10 years) point to having a limited window before some of the worst effects of global warming and climate change become locked-in. In reality, the effects are a continuum and many things like ice sheet mass losses and subsequent sea-level rise will still occur for centuries and millennia to come, due to the human burning of fossil fuels to date. But just as when you're in a well that the stoppage of digging makes the well stop getting deeper, so too is it true that time yet remains to make a difference, for those generations yet to come."

RELATED CONTENT: Learn how to conduct a Household Environmental Audit.

3. Make it Personal

Connect the realities of climate change to their daily lives.

Stop posting pictures of polar bears. It's sad, but the unfortunate truth is that discussing the plight of the most climate-vulnerable animals, like polar bears, does not have the effect we intend it to. So what does have an effect?

The Australian wildfires were horrific. The sight of wildfires destroying an entire continent resonated with people because it was PERSONAL. Seeing people running toward the beach for sanctuary with red skies in the background was PERSONAL. Watching kind souls rescue koalas from burning alive was PERSONAL. People lost their homes and their lives. One billion animals were lost. That figure is mind-boggling. I still can't fathom it.

People Losing Their Homes is Personal.

In the United States, midwesterners are experiencing historic floods, 20-year rains are happening every year, some areas are in severe drought, the southeast is getting hurricanes no one has ever seen before. This is real and it's happening right now.

Lastly, the elephant in the room is PHYTOPLANKTON. Phytoplankton produce about 60% of the planet's oxygen. There's already some indication that warming oceans are killing phytoplankton. What happens when 60% of our oxygen goes? It won't be sea-level rise that kills us. It will be oxygen deprivation. THAT'S PERSONAL.

4. Accept Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is real y'all and we all have it.

So what is cognitive dissonance? It's a psychological theory first investigated by Leon Festinger. Festinger discovered that people are prone to have "conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors" to reduce their own discomfort. In simple terms, we know something intellectually, but we reduce the importance of that belief to relieve our psyche. We find ways to justify behaviors, instead of acknowledging it.

The Scientific Community Needs to Communicate More Than Just Science.

We all do it, to various degrees. We don't exercise when we know we should, we smoke, we lie, we buy $5 shirts made in sweatshops, we buy meat from animals kept and slaughtered cruelly, we buy SUVs despite the environmental cost.

Our own death is the ultimate cognitive dissonance. We all know that we're going to die, but we don't want to acknowledge it. YES, I JUST WENT THERE. It's uncomfortable right?

So what does cognitive dissonance and climate change have in common? We know that 90%+ of scientists agree that climate change is happening and the causes of climate change are from human activity. The remaining scientists who dispute climate change typically work for the oil and gas industry. Yet, depending on one's belief system they will doubt this consensus.

A 2012 study suggested that the scientific community needs to communicate more than "scientific evidence." "It also has to create a climate of deliberations in which no group perceives that accepting any piece of evidence is akin to betrayal of their cultural group.”

5. Find What You Agree On

Even if someone cannot be convinced about the causes of climate change, they typically do agree on something.

Our current culture is TOO disposable. Remind people of how our grandparents lived (minus the racism and sexism of course). My grandmother cleaned up messes with cloth towels, put bread in the freezer, and mended her clothes. Most people can relate to this and agree that reusables are better than disposables.

People have an idealized view of what life used to be like in the mid-20th century. Before the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) was created, pollution was legal. You can see these vintage photos of what the United States looked like before pollution was regulated. It's important to remind people that the good ole' days weren't necessarily good.

EVERYONE wants clean water, clean air, and good food to eat. THIS IS COMMON GROUND.

Remind people of what their children and grandchildren will face when they're gone. We all want our children to have a better life than we did.

Appeal to their religious or intellectual beliefs. As a Christian, I believe God has charged us to be good stewards of his creation. This is a value that people from various backgrounds share.

RELATED CONTENT: Learn How To Go Zero Waste When You're Broke.

6. Discuss What They Can Do as Individuals for Climate Change Mitigation

When someone talks about systemic change (change on governmental or corporate levels) people's eyes glaze over. In public administration, climate change is what's known as a "wicked problem." Theorists Horst Rittel and Melvin M. Webber first used the term "wicked problem" to refer to problems that were unsolvable, hard to define, unique, lack criteria. The list goes on. Thnk world peace, hunger, poverty, and now...climate change.

People want to know WHAT THEY CAN DO as individuals to help. We can control our behavior as individuals easier than we can solve "wicked problems." Ultimately the only way we will slow down climate change will be at the governmental level through voting for climate-friendly candidates, running for offices ourselves, and supporting policies for renewable energy.

However, getting people to acknowledge their part in the climate crisis is the first step to systemic change. Listed below are 16 things we as individuals can do to mitigate climate change.

The biggest thing people can do is VOTE. Vote for candidates who will fight for environmental protections (regardless of affiliation). Did you know that many environmentalists don't vote? If you are privileged enough to live in a democracy please VOTE and donate to a politician who will fight against climate change.

CONSUME LESS. "72% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from household decisions, including mobility (especially using cars and planes), diet (especially meat and dairy consumption), and housing (heating and cooling, and electricity consumption)." --Guardian 06/29/2019

EAT LESS BEFF & DAIRY. "Meat and dairy with other agricultural practices, such as fertilizer, and land-use changes, such as deforestation and soil disruption"...generate more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire European Union. --Forbes 04/04/2019

FLY LESS. "A one-way flight across the Atlantic from New York City to London emits one ton of carbon dioxide per passenger. Aviation emits about 860 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, or about 2 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions." --Vox 09/27/2019

PLANT A GARDEN. During World War II they had victory gardens. Throughout history people have had potager (kitchen) gardens on small patches of dirt, in a pot on their window sill, or on their porch. Growing your own food (however small) will lower your disposable plastic waste.

LISTEN TO INDIGENOUS VOICES. Indigenous people were the first environmentalists. All over the planet they are fighting against the fossil fuel industry. From the Amazon to the Australian outback to Standing Rock to Hawaii. Support indigenous voices on social media and donate (no amount is too small) to help their cause (which is your cause too). Visit Indigenous Environmental Network.

WATCH OUT FOR GREENWASHING AND SAVE YOUR MONEY. Biodegradable products are problematic. There is a distinct difference between biodegradable and compostable. Compostable means an organic product can be broken down in the environment when exposed to certain factors and oxygen flow.

DRIVE LESS. "A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year." Combine errands to make car trips more efficient. Remove excess weight from your car and use cruise control. --US EPA

MANAGE YOUR FOOD WASTE. If food waste was a country it would be the 3rd largest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet. One-third of all food produced in the world for human consumption never reaches the consumer’s table. Learn how to manage your leftovers properly with some tips from the U.S. EPA. Here is a food waste tool kit to help lower your food waste in your home and community. If you have space to compost consider learning about composting.

SAY NO TO FAST FASHION. "The apparel and footwear industries together account for more than 8% of global climate impact, greater than all international airline flights and maritime shipping trips combined." Buy secondhand clothing or from ethical/fair trade manufacturers. --CBS News 04/19/2019

JOIN A BUY NOTHING OR GIVE AND TAKE FACEBOOK GROUP. A buy nothing group is a hyper-local group focused exclusively on the barter economy. Members give secondhand items away or receive them. ⁣The Buy Nothing Project has local chapters all over the world. Visit buynothingproject.org.

ADOPT ENERGY EFFICIENCY MEASURES. Energy efficiency is the cheapest and easiest way to lower emissions because saving energy is more efficient than making new energy. Change your 5 most used light bulbs with ENERGY STAR models. Learn all about adopting energy efficiency measures here.

DIVEST YOUR FUNDS FROM OIL & GAS COMPANIES. This may be a tough sell to a climate change denier, but give it a go anyway! Oil and gas companies are the biggest polluters in the world. Many are investor-owned. These corporations have known about climate change for decades. Yet they have funded and promoted climate change denialism. Go to gofossilfree.org to learn how to divest your funds.

LOWER DISPOSABLE PLASTIC USAGE. Recycling isn't on this list for a reason. Recycling is a failed concept that gives consumers a false sense of security. Most disposable plastic thrown in the recycling bin is never recycled. Instead of recycling, lower your disposable plastic usage. "Plastic contributes to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle." --Guardian 05/15/2019

GO ZERO WASTE. Don't let the title fool you, there is no such thing as zero waste. Even the most ardent zero wasters produce waste. Zero waste is about conscious consumption and lowering your individual waste stream. It is an old concept and the way people lived for centuries before consumerism exploded in the mid-20th century.

REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR, REPURPOSE, ROT, and RECYCLE. The first mantra of zero waste is to refuse. Is there something you have been purchasing that can be purchased in sustainable packaging, can you make it yourself, or go without it? CARDBOARD and ALUMINUM are typically better than plastic.

Compost food scraps. Organic material in landfills creates methane, which is a greenhouse gas. If you don't have access to composting, plan out your meals by inventorying your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.

7. Discuss the Positives

Renewable energy can bring jobs and economic prosperity.

Depending on someone's circumstance, they may have different motivations and ways of helping the cause. Finding what motivates people is key. I would highly recommend the books 'Switch' and 'Microtrends.' 'Switch' explains how we can make dramatic changes to our communities with little to no resources or authority, by "directing the Rider, motivating the Elephant, and shaping the Path."

Direct the Rider - The Rider is our RATIONAL SIDE. Motivate the Elephant - The Elephant is our EMOTIONAL SIDE. Shape the Path - BUILD A PATH TO SUCCESS.

We need to have a vision of the future to promote it to others. What do people want? A peaceful life, with prosperity, and safety. If we can have renewable energy for the same price as fossil fuels isn't that a great idea? Windmills, solar panels, carbon sequestration, and biomass are the future. Clean energy needs workers. Clean energy can bring prosperity to areas hit hard by plant closures.

It's hard to think about prosperity when basic needs aren't being met. Rent is too high, food is expensive, and they don't have healthcare or are underinsured. Supporting policies that benefit working people such as access to affordable healthcare, parental leave, and livable wages will help people envision a better future for their lives and their children. It's hard to focus on climate change when you're behind on your bills and living hand to mouth.

I hope you've enjoyed the 7 Ways to Talk to a Climate Change Denier. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please share with me in the comments or on Instagram.

Ready to Join me on this journey? If you'd like access to exclusive content, please sign up for my zero waste newsletter. If you'd like to keep up to date on new posts or Follow my blog with Bloglovin

[transienturl]

the first half of the ask post you didn't reblog because you're doing them all anyways

Thanks, me!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?Option 7, None of the above: highball glass. I looked up the glassware model I like; apparently the manufacturer calls them “nordic cooler glasses.” I much prefer glassware made of glass to any other type, and dislike the ridges/patterns on a lot of drinking glasses. Yep, I’m this picky.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?Chocolate. I like chocolate’s texture and the way it melts, and I don’t like eating bits of paper.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?Cotton candy. Bubblegum is gross.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?Uhh… hm. “Smart,” probably, which wasn’t particularly helpful. They probably had a bunch more to say but I don’t remember what anymore.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?I like this ask post! As mentioned, glass cups. I like how soda cans feel in the hand but the drinking experience is just alright. Plastic is just unpleasant.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?I had to google “boho” and I’m still not super clear on what it encompasses, but it seems kinda neat! Also I have no idea what grunge really means. If I had a feminine body and thus felt like dressing up, I’d definitely pick boho out of the google image results of each of those terms.

7. earbuds or headphones?Both; if I wear either for too long I switch to the other for comfort. But I’m at least somewhat an audio enthusiast, so I could go on for a long time here. Ex:

The soundstage of open-back headphones is really unparalleled for one. Apple’s earpods/airpods actually fit me and have basically no microphonics, which usually are a big issue with IEMs for me, plus their resolution on the high end is surprisingly great.

Insert the rest of this discussion here.

8. movies or tv shows?I watch either of these not from seeking them out but from circumstance, but often wind up liking them. I’m one of those people who thinks, “I’d watch that,” and then never watches whatever that was. So I don’t really know which I do or would prefer.

9. favorite smell in the summer?Uh… hm. That’s a really good question. What’s most interesting about it, I think, is just the list of smells people associate with a season. Of course there’s environmental ones like rain, but for summer I assume you have to go with, I dunno, fair food or something like that.

Anyway, no idea! I can’t think of a lot of meaningful smells that aren’t food, honestly.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?I remember enjoying capture the flag a lot. I dunno if I was actually good at it, though. I did have pretty good short-duration speed, so I was a decent defender. I don’t really remember what else we did.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?Nothing. (I don’t like most American breakfast foods much, though that’s not why.)

12. name of your favorite playlist?I called it “the playlist which is entirely fire” because why not. Alternately, the playlist with all of my music is just named after me.

13. lanyard or key ring?Key ring; I’m not a… yeah actually that joke would only work for people who went to my high school and follow this blog (hi Xander).

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?That’s also a really good question and I’m positive I have an answer, but I can’t think of it. I eat candy once every like 3 months, so it doesn’t exactly come to mind easily. The candied pecans I just tried are pretty good, though. Insert reference to my halloween fanfiction.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?Y'know how there are some things that you remember deciding at one point were your favorite, but don’t remember well enough to properly consider now? A lot of my favorite pieces of media are like that, but I have at least some confidence in the decision I made at the time. Not so much here. I remember thinking with surprise that I enjoyed The Mill on the Floss when I read it in class, so that’s what comes to mind, but I think it’s the wrong answer. I’m pretty sure there are some books I really enjoy that I’ve forgotten were originally for class. Random example that I think is also wrong: The Hobbit. The Giver is pretty darn good, too. Fahrenheit 451. I don’t remember this being the case but we might have read A Wrinkle in Time in a class. Et cetera.

Wait, no, actually, I figured it out: Island of the Blue Dolphins. (Which, actually, goes in the “this might be too much of a childrens’ book to enjoy rereading” category along with Summerland, The Great Tree of Avalon, The Marino Mission, What the Moon Saw, The Secret of Platform 13, and Island of the Aunts, all of which I loved at the time of reading. And potentially also The Book Thief, although I doubt it. Can you tell I like award-winning children’s books, though?)

16. most comfortable position to sit in?With crossed legs or on my feet, which people seem to find weird.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?I only have one regularly-used pair of shoes.

18. ideal weather?Still. I can’t stand wind of any kind. A range of temperatures is nice (not too hot; not *too* cold but snow is pretty so I’ll allow a wide range in that direction.)

19. sleeping position?In a ball, or at least partially curled up.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?I haven’t written on paper in like a decade. I had to recently in order to leave a sticky note on something and had actual trouble making it legible. Essentially everything I write is on this 2013 Macbook Pro keyboard.

21. obsession from childhood?Um… existentialism? The pretend world my sisters’ and my stuffed animals lived in? Popular science topics and things from video game worlds, all of which went into said pretend world? Jet aircraft? Algebra and geometry puzzles? Configuring laptop computers?

22. role model?John Green. People who can communicate/present things effectively.

23. strange habits?I’m sure I have a ton. I’m not going to delay posting this to come up with any, but I’ll think about it. But especially if we’re using western society as the ‘norm’ for the sake of the question, I think there’s a ton of stuff I do that’d surprise people.

24. favorite crystal?Hm. I like the colorless ones like diamond, I guess? I just generally like gemstones, especially in fiction when they have powers. Oh, how’s this: I tend to like crystals that are (semi)transparent, so they have depth to them and change appearance as they’re rotated.

The other weird, mostly-unrelated thing that comes to mind is when I made a necklace for my best friend in elementary school and spent a lot of effort picking out the right sort of pendant, but I don’t think it was actually a crystal. (I often wonder what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t moved; I bet we’d still be close.)

25. first song you remember hearing?Neat question! I have no memory of a particular song being the first. My parents played music a lot when I was little, so a lot of their CD collection makes me think, “I’ve been listening to this since far before I noticed that I was.” The most recent one of those I heard and wrote down was Cathedral of the Pines by Tim Janis.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?…complain about the heat? :D Hm, I don’t have a lot of outdoor hobbies.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?…complain about the cold? :P I do like to ski somewhat. And I like hot cocoa.

28. five songs to describe you?

Eric’s Song – Vienna Teng

Doubt – Ruby Day

…hm. Looking through my playlists and the #media tag on this blog, there’s a ton of songs that I like, and where that fact tells you something about my taste in music, but it’s hard to find songs whose content particularly tells you something. Let’s just go with songs I find some meaning or relevance in?

Laughing With – Regina Spektor

Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog/various covers

Okay, I ran out of songs with particular meaning; let’s finish up with one whose meaning is arguably a lack of particular meaning?

Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell

29. best way to bond with you?Talking, I guess. Boring answer, maybe, but I think most bonding experiences I’ve had were just two people talking about something important.

30. places that you find sacred?My elementary school? Is that a weird answer?

Other than that… a lot of places, really. Depending how you use “sacred,” I think it could apply in my mind to lots of unique places, especially natural-wonder type things.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?I haven’t got one. None of my clothes are things I’ve picked out to look good, honestly. The thing that makes me feel more “ready to go out and kick ass than usual” is, like, bringing a phone charger with me in case I run out of battery in the process of whatever ass kicking it’s going to be, and that’s not an outfit thing.

32. top five favorite vines?Remember vine? Good times.

1. A Legendary Argument (https://vine.co/v/enUmZjLFgw2/); the “just do it” “no” one

Yeah, that’s it. I don’t know of any other ones.

33. most used phrase in your phone?I… don’t know how to tell. That sounds like a cool thing to figure out but I dunno how to see that.

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?None, thank god.

35. average time you fall asleep?Too late.

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?No idea.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?I don’t really know what context to think of this question in. Like, is there a time both would be valid options? Anyway, suitcase. Honorable mention: backpack.

38. lemonade or tea?I only like either of these in moderation. Usually I’d say lemonade, but lately I’ve been disliking acidic drinks more than usual, so maybe I’ll say tea. Actually, what I like is chrysanthemum tea, which you can get at dim sum places sometimes.

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?I’ll go with lemon cake. I can only eat a really small amount of lemon meringue. If someone made more of a lemon meringue tart with a really thin layer of lemon (maybe 10mm or a bit less) and a lot of crust and meringue, that could be really good though.

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?If “bad” counts as “weird,” let’s just say it involved sexual misconduct.

41. last person you texted?My dad (a link to instructions to get free in-flight wifi; nothing interesting).

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?I prefer to put stuff in pants pockets so I have them if I take off my jacket, but then my pants fall down because I have no hips and my pants are all regular-person sized.

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?I immediately crossed off everything except hoodie and cardigan. With a different body I’d definitely pick cardigan.

44. favorite scent for soap?Unscented.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?Eh, I mean, I think they all have potential. I’d pick sci-fi or fantasy over superhero; print comics have never interested me at all, though I’m sure there’s interesting stuff in there too.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?I feel like it’s just whatever you’re used to, honestly.

47. favorite type of cheese?Maybe fresh mozzarella? Either way, it’s going to be something people who really like cheese would barely count as cheese.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?If I were a fruit… not to take it too literally, but I can’t think of a better way to interpret it. Um… a ground cherry, because it’s cute and has a place to hide in.

49. what saying or quote do you live by?“Hope is the correct response to the human condition.”

There are probably better ones that correspond to things I live by more, but that’s the one I have a quote for. Guess who it’s by? I’ll give you one guess.

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?Not sure. Show of the Weekend (@outsidextra) definitely wins “hardest laugh that I can remember recently” though.

[buginetta]

27 questions tag

Rules: Tag the person who tagged you, answer the questions and tag 20 people: i was tagged by the angel that is lisa, @ladybuginettes!!

1. How tall are you? 5′2″ (fun fact: i thought i was 5′3″ for about a year before i went back to the doctor’s for a check-up and they stole that inch away from me)

2. What color and style is your hair? it’s dark brown. i have side bangs and it’s naturally straight, but i braid it/put it in a bun/ponytail so often it becomes wavy a lot of the time. right now it comes to the lower part of my chest but i think i want to cut it to a little below shoulder length again

3. What color are your eyes? brown. ROMANTICIZE BROWN EYES

4. Do you wear glasses? nope

5. Do you wear braces? no but i might be getting invisalign this year

6. What is your fashion style? it’s been a lot of leggings and hoodies recently but my style is very casual. if i’m not wearing hoodies, i’m probably in a random tee-shirt but i love floral dresses. i wear vans religiously

7. Full name? ashley marie something

8. When were you born? 1998

9. Where are you from and where do you live now? i’m from california and i’m still here! i lived in florida for a few years but i’ve moved back

10. What school do you go to? currently at a community college but i’m waiting for an answer to my transfer application for this fall!!

11. What kind of student are you? i’m embarrassingly studious. not nearly as much as i was in high school, but i have a 3.7 gpa (stupid environmental science & bio brought it down with their stupid b’s) (ha it’s bullshit)

12. Do you like school? eh, depends on the class and teachers really. your school experience is really dependent on the people you interact with and if you like the major you’re studying. i’m a psychology major so i have a pretty good time

13. What are your favorite school subjects? psychology and english!!

14. Favorite TV shows? miraculous is a given, friends, she-ra, dragon prince, you (it was surprisingly good, i wasn’t expecting it to be), sex education, grey’s anatomy, the flash, criminal minds, & girl meets world (it deserved better)

15. Favorite books? oh lordy okay, prisoner of azkaban, the pact by jodi picoult, all the bright places by jennifer niven, the truth about forever/along for the ride/lock & key/just listen by sarah dessen (can u guess who my favorite author is)

16. Favourite past-time? i used to love writing poetry but i don’t have nearly as much time or motivation/inspiration anymore. i’m starting to read more again though so i can actually say it’s my favorite past-time again

17. Do you have any regrets? the last date i went on

18. Dream job? unrealistically, i’d love to be an actor or something along those lines. maybe a music video concept creator. realistically, with psych as my major, i really want to get into the field of addiction and help people who struggle with it, as well as their loved ones who get the backlash of it

19. Would you like to get married? it’s part of the dream

20. Would you like to have kids someday? i think i would, but i know i want to adopt at least one child

21. How many? i think two would be my limit

22. Do you like shopping? only when i don’t have money to, bc then it’s a game to see how much i can stress myself out with my resulting receipts

23. What countries have you visited? well i live in the u.s., but i’ve visited china, taiwan, hong kong, and canada

24. What’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had? i think my dad’s best friend was trying to sabotage a date of mine by attempting to k*ll us?? idk i remember him trying to chase after the car with a knife and i woke up absolutely terrified

25. Do you have any enemies? my co-workers

26. Do you have a s/o? i wish

27. Do you believe in miracles? i do!!

i’m just tagging at random so if you’ve already done this or if it’s annoying, i’m sorry!! @marinettas @ladybugs-mask @yikesml @stinkysocksout @drabblesofcass @chatalyst @totographs

[english-ext-2]

Viva Voce (NEW)

Please note exact requirements will vary across schools, and all analysis here is based on the sample assessment/support material from the NESA website 

The Viva Voce is the first formal assessment task, worth 30% of your internal mark. It’s the only assessment carried over from the old course, so some of the information here is recycled from my original post. 

The Viva is a 15-20 minute panel interview where you present your Major Work to your teachers and respond to their questions. It’s basically “selling” your MW and its concept: “hey, look at how great my idea is! This is the form it’ll take, here’s the research I’ve done so far, and this is how I intend to carry it out.” You will also need to submit your Major Work Journal for review. 

According to the sample assessment material on the NESA website, the presentation could include the following:

A thorough explanation of the purpose, audience, context and form of your Major Work

Acknowledgement of the sources you have used in developing the proposal and inquiry question

An outline of your plan to complete the Major Work project including a timeline

References to your journal to assist in explaining choices made and research completed.

Before I unpack the above, I want to briefly address concept. You obviously need to explain to the panel what your MW is about, but concept also underpins your understanding of purpose, audience, context and form. I have other detailed posts on developing a concept, but for our purposes here I just wanted to highlight concept as key to how you explain everything else required of you in the Viva. 

Explanation of purpose, audience, context and form (+ concept) of your MW

While it’s important to explain each of these individually, it’s just as (if not more) important to link them together.  

Purpose: Basically what you’ve set out to do with your MW. At this stage, it should not be something bland like “I aim to entertain my audience” or “I want to make people think”. Literally anybody could say that about their major. What is it that you want your MW to do specifically? What is the “conceptual purpose” of your MW, if you will. You might like to start out brainstorming a list of verbs, or thinking about the messages/themes you want to explore in your major.   

Audience: Who is your Major Work intended for? Which group of people will respond to your major in the way you want them to? Again, broad answers along the lines of “the general public”, “high school students”, or “young people” won’t cut it. You need to delve a little deeper. Running with the last two examples, it’d be more “high school students who are highly active on social media” or “young people frustrated with their experience of the political system”. Specificity! It’s your friend.  

Context: To quote the NESA glossary, context is “the range of personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace conditions in which a text is responded to and composed.” Replace “text” with “major work”, focus on “composed”, and you’ve got the gist. You need to be aware of your context (how your MW links to Advanced and Extension, for example) AND situate your MW in its context, e.g. a critical response on female journalists in WWII would require some knowledge of wartime reporting, government propaganda, censorship, attitudes towards women in journalism, etc.  

Form: Most obviously, what is your form? And why have you chosen it? I’m not sure as to how detailed an answer teachers expect from the second question, but you should have some idea beyond “I like it.” This is where tying form to the other elements becomes important. What makes your form the most appropriate for your concept, purpose, and audience? 

Putting it all together

Running through every permutation of purpose, audience, context and form would take far too long, so I’m going to limit this section to the relationships I personally find to be the most important. Please note that I’ve chosen to pair the elements for simplicity’s sake, but they all feed back into and overlap with one another.  

Form and audience

Let’s say your major is a short story. Your intended audience would obviously not be film critics or even people who enjoy watching films. In other words, your intended audience should be directly related to your chosen form.

But there should also be a consideration of how your concept factors in: for example, why did you choose poetry to explore environmental activism on climate change? It could be because poetry is a strongly emotive form, and climate change is an issue that rouses great passion in your intended audience of green activists seeking new, culturally relevant ways to express their concerns around the consequences of failure to act on this issue.

(Btw there’s no shame in saying that you chose a form because it means a great deal to you personally! Familiarity with and fondness for a particular form is a perfectly legit reason to choose it. Just that it can’t be the only reason.) 

(I pulled that poetry/climate change example from thin air, but turns out it’s a real thing.)

Audience and purpose

Your understanding of one is shaped by the other, the why of your MW informing the who and vice versa. Just as you wouldn’t buy someone a gift you know they’ll absolutely hate, you wouldn’t create a MW for an audience unlikely to appreciate it.

Say your major aims to deconstruct the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope in science fiction film and encourage change in the way women are represented in this genre. Film critics and/or cultural studies academics might be interested, but they’re not in the best position to push for change. A better fit would be, say, directors and producers working in the sci-fi genre who are interested in subversive or transformative gender narratives.

Form obviously plays a part here too, since you may have decided a podcast is the best way to reach your affluent and online audience.     

Form and purpose

Why is your form best suited to doing the thing you want your MW to do? Or to quote from the NESA description of the Major Work: “The form of the Major Work must be chosen deliberately to contribute to the authenticity, originality and overall conceptual purpose of the work.”

To go with my sci-fi example from above, deconstructions of popular tropes are very well-suited to critical responses (and academic audiences). But as I noted, the purpose of encouraging change in the film industry demands a more visible platform that you’d get with a podcast. If, however, you were more interested in deconstruction-through-satire, a short story or short film would be the better choice.

Acknowledgement of the sources you have used in developing the proposal and inquiry question

It should be self-evident, but bears spelling out in full: cite specific sources. “I read an interesting article online” isn’t as strong as “I read an Atlantic article about how teenagers use Instagram to debate the news, which informed my thinking about the ability of social media to polarise, and the evolution of news consumption among young people.” Let the extent of your independent investigation shine! Show off the knowledge you’ve accumulated! Own your research, basically. (Also ironic in that you’re acknowledging other people’s work, but you get what I mean.)

It wouldn’t hurt to link those specific sources to your proposal and inquiry question. I don’t know how thoroughly you’ll be expected to explain those links, but something like the following would be a decent example: “This Atlantic article helped to narrow the scope of my inquiry question about the impact of social media on news-gathering behaviour to young people, instead of everyone.” The key thing is to at least mention various sources and show the teachers you’ve actually been doing relevant research.

Action plan outline, including timeline

Hint: structure your plan in relation to the composition process. Obviously, the particulars are going to be specific to your major. But be realistic in your planning. Try to strike a balance between micromanagement and no time management at all: while you don’t strictly need to break the entire EE2 course up into minuscule steps like “week two: write the opening scene”, it’s also not helpful to say you’ll tackle the entire investigating stage in January. To reiterate: the points under each stage of the composition process provide a good guide for your action plan.

Be aware of your own and others’ limits too! If you know you’re a serial procrastinator, can you really crank out a first draft in three weeks? Will you be able to secure feedback from your learning community in the week before an assessment block? You also need to account for any other Major Works you’ve got and remember the workload from your other subjects. How will you fit EE2 around them? There’s nothing wrong in keeping your timeline tight, a kind of platonic ideal to which you aspire, but it shouldn’t be so unrealistic as to be impossible.  

I say it in my guide to the composition process, but remember that your action plan will likely change throughout the year. Life happens! Something might happen in your personal life; you could come down with the flu; maybe a friend is late in getting their feedback to you, and you find yourself falling behind schedule. It’s not the end of the world. You can adjust your action plan as you go - working around obstacles is part and parcel of EE2.  

References to your journal to assist in explaining choices made and research completed

You should be able to point to specific entries in your journal to explain why you made a decision, which is a good time to remind you to keep your journal up to date!! Back-filling entries is a pain but also procedurally unsound, since you can’t return to your state of mind and exact train of thought when you made a decision.

Preparing for the Viva

You’ll be given the questions 15 minutes beforehand, but that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare. Make sure you are familiar with and prepared to discuss your major’s concept, form, purpose, audience and context (particularly links to Advanced and Extension coursework).

If you’re still in doubt, the old English Extension 2 Support Document includes a handy list of starting questions, a sample of which I’ve copied below:

Concept

What concept have you developed for your Major Work? Describe it.

Why are you interested in this concept?

What are your sources of inspiration?

How is your concept an extension of the knowledge, understanding and skills developed in English (Advanced) and (Extension) courses?

Purpose

What are you aiming to achieve during the Extension 2 course?

How are you planning to achieve this purpose?

Form

Have you decided on the form in which you would like to compose?

Why have you chosen this particular form?

Intended Audience

Who is the target audience of your work and why?

The questions you answer in the Viva will be different and/or tailored to your MW specifically, but the list above broadly covers the things you’ll be asked. You don’t need to write an entire essay in response to each question; dot points are fine. The Viva is not a speech, so your language doesn’t need to be as formal.  

Practice, practice, practice

If you’re worried or anxious about fronting up before a panel, I recommend doing a practice run with a close friend. Grab your notes, MW journal, a stopwatch, and someone you trust, then get them to pitch you the list of questions you’ve prepared for. Use the stopwatch to keep yourself within 15-20 minutes. Practicing will build your confidence and familiarity with your notes, as well as help you cut down on any waffle you might be inclined to.    

During the Viva

The preparation is one thing, communicating what you’ve prepared to the panel is another. Of course, a lot depends on who the teachers are, how comfortable you are with them, your own confidence levels, etc. I can’t really help you there. All I can suggest is that you try to convey your interest and enthusiasm to the panel. It’s your project, and you want it to succeed. Channel some of that passion into the way you present your MW. You’re pretty much stopping short of grabbing each teacher by their lapels and yelling LOOK AT THIS FANTASTIC IDEA I HAVE.

The teachers will ask you questions related specifically to your MW, ones which are spontaneous and based on their understanding of your MW as you’ve presented it to them in the Viva. Again, try not to stress. The teachers are not looking for ways to trip you up, they’re helping you to think about the direction your MW could take. One of the most important things you’ll learn from the EE2 course that isn’t mentioned in the learning outcomes is taking criticism. It’s about being able to accept (reasonable) critique of your work and striving to improve those areas, as well as exercising control over your creative process, i.e. not taking absolutely every single suggestion put forward unless you truly believe they’ll all benefit you.    

Post-Viva

When you get your marks back there should be comments as well, like suggestions on what you could be reading, or questions that might help you orientate the direction of your MW. Take these on board, and discuss them with your English teacher(s) as soon as possible. The assessment tasks are certainly there to assess you, but they’re also ways to keep you on track and help you to make your MW better. (Keep in mind what I mentioned above about taking criticism/feedback.)

[armeniaitn]

California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian Motivated by the Armenian Experience to Promote ...

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/politics/california-assemblymember-adrin-nazarian-motivated-by-the-armenian-experience-to-promote-27693-30-06-2020/

California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian Motivated by the Armenian Experience to Promote ...

Nazarian found out that the representative was Republican James Rogan, whose Congressional district included one of the largest numbers of Armenians in the US.

Several Armenians, he said, got together to discuss the situation and decided to run a campaign for an Armenian for Glendale City Council as a first step to preparing a candidate to challenge Rogan. After they succeeded in getting Rafi Manoukian on the City Council in 1999, Nazarian said they wanted attorney Paul Krekorian to run against Rogan.

US national political developments interfered, because Rogan had become a House manager in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton and that in turn led to national efforts to identify and support a candidate against the latter, which turned out to be Adam Schiff. Krekorian instead ran for State Assembly but lost. Nazarian said, “Fortunately, we learned a lot from that loss and we were able to come back and win that seat six years later.”

Who was part of that initial group of Armenians? “Paul and I have been joined at the hip and have been working together for over 20 years…When I say we, I mean Paul, myself, our consultant, Eric Hacopian (who has been both my consultant as well as Paul’s), and a young group of Armenian activists who are now in their 30s and 40s, and have all become chiefs of staff or are holding different political positions.”

What they shared, Nazarian said, was the idea that it was not enough to campaign one time. Armenians had to work their way through the process, becoming staffers, and then political directors of unions, major corporations or other organizations, lobbyists or specialists in specific issues (e.g. environmental or civil rights issues) so that there would be a broad supporting network in place when needed for those directly in political office. He concluded, “So you become part of this long march of becoming embedded in the political system.”

Nazarian, Krekorian and Hacopian thought, said Nazarian, “if we run a campaign and if we energize the young voters, they’ll participate and they’ll come out. When you bring ten people out at least one or two are going to stay on, and they are going to continue in that career or arena. So we started through campaigns to generate a lot of interest.”

Nazarian recalled that there was no Armenian organization committed to voter registration. He said, “Every community organization was too busy doing too many different things, so if they did a drive, it was for a week or a month.” Instead of setting up a new organization just for this purpose, the campaign process itself served as registering method and raised its own financing.

After the 1999 city council win, the 2000 Krekorian loss, in 2001, 2003, and 2005, and in every successive Glendale city council, school board, community college and then city treasurer and clerk race, Nazarian said they successfully expanded the number of Armenians in representative office in Glendale. Beyond this, he said, “My goal was always to further expand and look at how you can integrate Armenians more in the mainstream political arena rather than just in the confines of its own community, a small geographic political community as well.” Speaking to issues people find important would create a constituency base outside of just the Armenian community, he said.

It should be clear that Krekorian and Nazarian were Democrats from the very start but many of the new registrants, Nazarian said, did not want to choose a party, and therefore they were being registered as “declined to state.” Though Armenians are in general a conservative community, over time, without any pushing, more Armenians began to register as Democrats, he observed.

A second important component of the process was after registration to encourage Armenians to vote in large numbers at a higher percentage than the average population. “If Armenian Americans start voting at a rate of 50-percent registration,” he said, “guess what is going to happen? Everyone is going to want to talk to Armenians. That is how you get attention.” This approach became so successful, Nazarian proudly remarked, that the New York Times stated that in the race between Rogan and Schiff in 2000, it all came down to which of the two would be a better advocate for the Armenian community and recognition of the Armenian Genocide (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/07/us/2000-campaign-house-races-republican-s-unusual-gift-vote-house-floor.html?searchResultPosition=2 and https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/17/us/2000-campaign-california-emotions-spending-run-high-one-close-house-contest.html?searchResultPosition=1).

Nazarian on Armenian Issues

As an assemblymember, Nazarian has directly accomplished a variety of things for the Armenian community. To increase the momentum of Armenian political involvement, he worked to raise money for the California Armenian Legislative Caucus to create an annual fellowship program for Armenian youth to come for two months and be assigned to an assemblymember’s office or a committee for an internship. This creates a whole new set of opportunities for Armenian-Americans to become embedded in the bureaucracy and American political system.

Every year he has played a leading role in advancing a resolution on the Armenian Genocide and getting other legislators involved. He said, “I usually ask a colleague to introduce it because I want my colleagues to carry the Armenian Genocide resolution. It shouldn’t just be the token Armenian doing it.”

Adrin Nazarian speaking at the April 23, 2018 Armenian Genocide observance event at the state capitol

He followed the same principle by creating an essay and visual arts contest to motivate students of all backgrounds to learn more about the Genocide, with the reward of a free trip to Sacramento and $1000 from the California Armenian Legislative Caucus. However, he said, “I don’t want to just commemorate the Genocide. I want to show that we are better for it and California is better for it. Because of the Genocide, there is a thriving Armenian community that contributes to the arts, literature, science, medicine and politics of California.” So instead of writing directly on the Armenian Genocide, every year the essay contestants must nominate and highlight a notable Armenian-American with a strong connection to California to the California Hall of Fame located in the California Museum of Sacramento.

Nazarian has worked to expand the teaching of the Armenian Genocide in the California state curriculum, building on the initial 1985 bill AB1273. In 2014, a bill Nazarian authored, the Armenian Genocide Education Act (AB1915), was signed into law encouraging the use of Armenian Genocide survivor and witness oral testimony in human rights lessons in California classrooms and professional and resource development for teachers on the Genocide. Nazarian followed up with the California State Board of Education and the Instructional Quality Commission, concerning a new history-social studies curriculum framework, adopted in 2016, which expanded the language and scope of treatment of the Genocide. Nazarian said, “So whether it is in US history, world history or civics, whatever year or grade level it is, there is ample coverage of the Armenian Genocide and how that shaped that community’s and subsequently that region’s outlook or cultural presence, with a lot of migration to other Middle Eastern countries as well as into the United States.”

Another step against Turkish genocide denial is the Divestment from Turkish Bonds Act (AB1320), introduced and primarily authored by Nazarian, and signed into law in October 2019. It prohibits the boards of the California Public Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System from renewing investments in Turkey, or making any additional or new ones, after federal sanctions are imposed on Turkey. Nazarian said, “it was a labor of love and very difficult. This was something I wanted to work on when I was first elected. When I saw that there was a movement among the UC [University of California] students and they were passing resolutions on campuses to divest any campus investments, I thought this was a good time to use that as a starting place…”

Nazarian admitted that the bar for action, based on federal sanctions, is set pretty high, but pointed out that other things have happened as a consequence. He said that CalPERS instituted a geopolitical risk factor in its decision making, so that forthcoming investment decisions concerning Turkey would be calculated differently than in the past.

Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, third from right, led a 9-member California legislative delegation to Yerevan (Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex, October 5, 2017; photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia)

On a different topic, Nazarian is a supporter of Armenian charter schools. He was one of the founding members of Ararat Charter School, established in 2010. He also strongly supports the public education system but remarked that until recently despite waves of new immigrants, including Armenians, Israelis, Iranians and Filipinos, to the San Fernando Valley, nothing was being done to cater to their needs and integrate these new populations at the district level. Charter schools, he said, offered an avenue to achieve this.

General Assembly Work

Nazarian said, “When you are elected to an office like this, you obviously are the voice of your constituency. You represent their interests on the policy issue areas, whether through the legislation you are crafting, or the way you are voting on bills.” Consequently, he said, “I think, first and foremost, the important issue is to listen and to make yourself available.”

Adrin Nazarian, at right, recognized Lusy Gradzhyan and Avo Koshkaryan, of Lusy’s Mediterranean Cafe and Grill of Van Nuys, as the 46th Assembly District Small Business of the Year (Sheraton Grand Hotel, Sacramento, June 16, 2014)

You work as a problem solver for constituents. He said: “If my constituents have a problem with the DMV [Department of Motor Vehicles], the Department of Health Care Services or medical-related issues, or if they did not get their cosmetology license, preventing them from getting that job, they can call my office and I will help expedite those issues.

You also regulate and oversee industries, so that they run in the paths and vision set out for them, he said.

Legislatively, Nazarian’s concern for equity, mentioned above, motivated him to formulate a bill on foster youth even in his first term in office. He said, “When you look at all the different constituency bases, you see that this is one group that is one of the most voiceless that there are, and if you don’t speak out for them, hardly anyone else will.” He proposed the expansion of a program which would allow foster youth to stay at UCLA year-round to become immersed in the positive environment, but the bill only got one vote in the policy committee. He said, “There were such entrenched interests; there were organizations working in that arena for so long that they don’t want the funding sources to shift. They don’t want anything to change, even if it is better for the constituency that they are serving.”

In a more successful effort connected to equity, four years ago he developed a bill to give every child when born in California a savings account with at least a nominal amount, while encouraging local jurisdictions and philanthropic organizations, along with parents, to help complement this amount. Nayiri Nahabedian, a member of the Glendale Unified School District’s Board of Education, served as an adviser to Nazarian on this. In 2019, the California Kids Investment and Development Savings (KIDS) program with universal opt-out enrollment was established through two bills he promoted.

Nazarian was always interested in the elder community, his second main focus. In 15 years, he said, one out of four Californians would be 60 or older, and this “tells you everything else is going to come into question: our level of healthcare service, our education quality, how we are advancing individuals to the workforce so they can provide the services necessary, what we are going to deem essential service providers.” In 2019 he became chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Aging and Long-term Care.

Nazarian felt that “right now we are not doing a great job.” Those taking care of the elderly are being paid the bare minimum.

Nazarian’s third general area of emphasis is infrastructure; he serves on the Assembly’s Committee on Transportation. He explained, “For me, infrastructure is critical for the long-term stability and resiliency of the Los Angeles area.” As the car culture capital of the world, Nazarian said that oil companies and the auto industry benefited while a good public transportation system was lacking. Now that real estate is at a premium, he said, “we have to make the hard investment of purchasing properties to build rail.”

In addition to transportation, water is critical, he said, for California, especially when Los Angeles is located in practically a desert region. He said that there was a large underground reservoir of water contaminated over the decades by industry and business, so that it would take some time to clear it up.

Aside from constituent votes, an assemblymember needs financial support to stay in office. Nazarian exclaimed, “Campaigns are ludicrously expensive. It has become so expensive that you really can’t have people who decide to jump in and see what this whole process is about… Who is the political process open to? You either come from supported groups that want to make sure they have their candidate in office, or you have to be independently wealthy, or you have to have the right name or the right heritage or background to reflect an area. Or you just have to work your tail off.”

Nazarian said that as a staffer for 14 years, he benefitted from getting to know a lot of community leaders and overnight had over 100 local endorsements. He did not seek out public office endorsers, he said, because “you don’t need to know or care whether someone from Northern California is endorsing me, but whether someone down the street from you is.”

Though not always dominant, outside money plays a big role. In his first assembly race, a teachers’ association disliked one of his opponents with a lot of money, so they spent around $400,000 to attack the latter, while three charter school organizations spent over 1.8 million dollars to support his opponent. In this race, Nazarian only got two contributions from Sacramento organizations, while most of the latter either stayed neutral or did not support him. He raised about 60 percent of his money from his electoral district, he estimated, and perhaps 95 percent in all was from the greater Los Angeles area, because of his Armenian supporters and friends. That, he said, “allowed me when I came up here to be very independent. I am a progressive Democrat, but I had the benefit of also just voting exactly the way I felt would be best to serve my district, and in all honesty, where I want to see California go as well as a state.”

In later races, Nazarian said that various organizations, such as the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, “when they saw the work that I am doing, and saw that the work that I care about actually ends up benefiting their membership, started supporting me.”

He added that the Assembly committees he serves on also made a difference. For example, when he got onto the Health Committee, he said, “as the various segments of the health industry got better acquainted with me, there was support coming in from places I never thought I would get support.” He said that the pharmaceutical industry has been a very big supporter although on various occasions he voted against its interest.

Why? He responded: “Whether I support them on that one issue or not, they know we can work together on figuring things out on a myriad of other issues. Yes, I will vote for the transparency bill that allows the public to know three months in advance when they want to raise their prices, but at the same time I will speak out against health insurance companies that are superfluously contributing to costlier access to medication, [costs] that the pharmaceuticals themselves did not contribute to.”

Ultimately, Nazarian concluded, “I could either vote up and down with labor or with business, or I could vote for my constituents. When I vote with my constituents, sometimes I am going to vote against labor and sometimes I am going to vote against business. At the end of the day, you end up not belonging necessarily to any one group, but you are being a representative of your constituents.”

Outside money, however, continues to play a big role in American politics. Nazarian said, “Until we have real political campaign contribution reform and make it into public money, so that we are not creating an environment where campaign contributions create a cloud of influence, … then we are going to continue having these issues and not really trust the system that is contributing to long-term policymaking.”

Black Lives Matter

Nazarian said that he viewed the Armenian Genocide not just as an Armenian issue, but as an issue for humanity. The same thing is true for ongoing oppression of blacks in the US. He said, “Martin Luther King [Jr.] said that you have to protect the weakest link, because an injustice in one place is an injustice in every place. Of course we are going to have the issues which we are having now, because we don’t resolve what has happened in the past. This is one of the motivating factors for why I even got involved in politics.”

He continued, “We had the Civil War. We had the civil rights movement 100 years later, but there still has not been resolution, and from that resolution, programs or investments that help create parity between communities to a place where you don’t even have to think about the programs anymore. Every time an upheaval would break out, we would then come up with temporary solutions that would become these benefits to a very small segment of the community rather than an overall benefit and progress for the entire community, so you have disparities within the black community as well.”

Although Nazarian serves a very diverse electoral community, where whites are around 20-23 percent of the population and Latinos 45 percent, blacks are fairly few, less than 5 percent, according to Nazarian. Nonetheless, his perspective led him as an Armenian to become allied with the black, Latino and Jewish communities. He said, “I always worked in the margins and I tried to find friends in communities where the common denominator was the same, where they felt disenfranchised, where they felt that they were passed up, where they felt they had their own challenges.” He added, “That is also when I realized the importance of relationships and being able to reach into different communities, establishing that trust so that when they ask me for something I also can help them with those issues.”

He went on to say that he hoped this movement will have staying power, because it is getting a lot of young voters engaged, and that they will begin to work to improve things within the existing political system, though entrenched interests will fiercely fight to keep things the way they are.

Nazarian on the one hand pointed out that the fact that Los Angeles city had a large police capacity allowed it to stop outbreaks of violence and plundering during the protests, unlike places like Santa Monica and West Hollywood. However, he questioned the need for use of rubber bullets and tear gas, saying, “We are doing things that even the UN convention does not allow or advocates against.”

Nazarian supported some of the contemporary demands for police defunding, declaring, “I think there are a lot of misnomers and lack of communication on the issue. If you were to really explain what it means, there are a lot of aspects of it that make sense. I think it needs to be implemented over time.” He noted that in Los Angeles police forces had been continually bulked up into paramilitary units. Furthermore, he said that since he has been in office, the legislature has rolled back a lot of the sentencing enhancements that had been passed in the 1980s and 1990s.

He said, “You look at the investments California has made in the last 20 years. We have built 20 prisons. We only built one UC campus. Which is a better investment? Providing more opportunity for investment and research and potential economic flourishing because you are producing kids who are going off and doing research and analytics? Or do you want to put people in prison and pay upwards of $80,000 a year to house them without rehabilitating them? To me, these things are not even a conservative or liberal issue. It is a matter of what you want your society to look like.”

He also said he has worked on bills on gang database related issues (e.g. AB829 in 2015-16) which would allow a better means to contest wrongful designations as well as not to treat less serious violations in the same manner as graver crimes.

While he supported much of the current movement for change, he also said that when violence accompanied the protests, “I am extremely sympathetic to the businesses that lost their life’s investment. What hurts me most about this is that usually it is the common denominator people who usually end up suffering the most.”

Read original article here.

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Climate Change

The Greta Thunbergs of San Diego: Why We’re Walking Out of School Friday

On Aug. 20, 2018, a Swedish schoolgirl skipped class to demand lawmakers take stronger action on climate change. Her three-week strike sparked a movement.

At her nation’s Parliament, Greta Thunberg held a sign and handed out leaflets saying: “I am doing this because you adults are shitting on my future.”

This Friday, Gretas around the world will join the now 16-year-old activist in Global Climate Strikes (or Climate Walkouts). They include four who spoke last week to the San Diego school board:

●    Vanessa Cascate, a 17-year-old senior at Mission Bay High School, who plans on studying environmental policy.

●    Elea Castiglione, a 15-year-old sophomore at San Diego High School, who plans to study law and international relations and one day enter the political system either domestically or internationally.

●    Annie Do, a 15-year-old sophomore at Serra High High School, undecided on her study plans in college.

●    And Joya Saxena, a 17-year-old senior at Scripps Ranch High School, who hopes to study political science and journalism to become a community organizer and writer.

Aided by the climate action group SanDiego350 and blessed by unanimous school board resolutions in the San Diego and Sweetwater Union districts, students from at least 20 schools and colleges will leave class around lunchtime for marches and rallies — many with the public invited.

“We are excited to join students in this climate action rally,” San Diego schools Superintendent Cindy Marten said in a statement. “We also want to make sure our students are safe and do not leave our school sites for their safety and security.”

Back in Sweden, teacher Benjamin Wagner joined the Nordic protests. He said: “Greta is a troublemaker — she is not listening to adults. But we are heading full speed for a catastrophe, and in this situation the only reasonable thing is to be unreasonable.”

The San Diego Gretas seem to agree.

“Helping plan and speaking at walkouts is a very empowering experience,” said Elea. “I think it shows me that yes, we are students but we are also leaders with real power to change the system that is abusing the Earth.”

Said Annie: “By walking out, we want the world to see that we care, we’re terrified, and we need people to listen.”

San Diego school board remarks:

●    Elea Castiglione: We are done waiting for politicians to make change.

●    Annie Do: We can’t wait until we’re old enough to be the ones in charge.

●    Joya Saxena: We are the change and we are the future of this planet.

Masada Disenhouse, executive director at SanDiego350, said thousands of students will take part in San Diego County — among 600 similar events in America and over 2,000 worldwide in 150 nations.

This global strike comes a day before a Youth Climate Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York and the UN Global Climate Action Summit this coming Monday.

“This will be the largest climate demonstration at K-12 schools ever in San Diego – the most schools, and the most students,” SanDiego350 said. “Students are organizing actions in at least 16 high schools, with more adding on every day.”

Students at San Diego State University and University of San Diego will have parallel events Friday.

“My personal expectation is that all students will want to be involved in the walkout, since it has such a great impact on our lives and future,” Vanessa said. “There will be zero repercussions for student involvement, so realistically there should be no reason that a student wouldn’t want to participate.”

The local Gretas were queried about their plans and motivations. Interviews were conducted by email:

Times of San Diego: How long will the walkouts last?

Vanessa: Each event depends on what works for their school; some may last throughout lunch, others will have a “sit in” and will last all day. My school (Mission Bay) plans on our event lasting about two hours, but it may be longer depending on students who want to stay after school.

Elea: At San Diego High, we will be walking out at 12:20.

Annie: Most of my fellow activists are having short walkouts, lasting up to an hour. However, some plan to walk out and skip school all day.

Joya: At Scripps Ranch High School, we’re trying really hard to have our event last from 10 a.m. to the end of the day because only having the event for 30 minutes defeats the purpose of a walkout.

How many will involve marches — such as to San Diego City Hall?

Vanessa: My school will be walking to the Kendall-Frost Marsh, and we extended our invitation to teachers, parents, and we will be joined by professors, scientists and university students who want to get involved.

Elea: In our walkout, we will be walking to City Hall, as we have in the past. Hopefully we will be marching in cooperation with community members and schools. At City Hall, we will have student speakers and an open mic.

Annie: I only know of High Tech High planning that, so far.

Joya: A high school in Vista is having a sit-in at their City Hall.

How did you all get personally involved?

Vanessa: I believe I have always felt a personal connection with protecting the environment, but my Eco Club that I joined a year ago granted me a platform to become actively involved in speaking out.

Elea: I have always cared deeply about the planet, but last year I decided to speak at my school’s climate walkout in March. That was an amazing and fulfilling experience for me. I also feel that it is not only my civic, but also my moral duty to stand up for the planet that cannot stand up for itself.

Annie: I got involved with SD350 this summer, after learning about the climate crisis in school. I decided that I didn’t want to sit around and do nothing about it while my peers were out there, fighting the good fight.

Joya: I got personally involved because I’m inspired by Greta Thunberg. I used to hear a lot about climate change as a kid but Greta Thunberg showed us that we, the students, can actually fight for change and do something about it.

How long have you each been involved in climate action?

Vanessa: I’ve been involved in climate action for about a year now, and I’ve personally transformed my own lifestyle, along with my family’s, to a more sustainable and aware one in order to reduce our carbon footprint, and reduce our contribution to the climate crisis.

Elea: I think that my whole life I have been taught to respect and care for this beautiful planet we call home. I have only become actively involved in the movement for climate justice in the last few years. Helping plan and speaking at walkouts is a very empowering experience. I think it shows me that yes, we are students but we are also leaders with real power to change the system that is abusing the Earth.

Annie: I have only been involved since July.

Joya: I’ve been involved for only five months, but I’ve already gotten so much experience out of it.

How political will these walkouts be — given the major opposition to your efforts come from Republicans? Will you register voters, advocate for any candidates?

Vanessa: Regardless of political beliefs, this climate crisis affects everyone, no matter the age, economic background or political preference. So my hope is that, as youth, we will seize this opportunity to unite under one common goal. Though this issue is rooted to political ignorance, this is not the time for parties to debate the legitimacy of climate change. We will not be endorsing or opposing any political parties as to ensure that everyone feels included in the march for our future.

Elea: The climate is not a political issue anymore. It is a matter of whether or not we get to continue to live on the planet for the generations to come. We are not looking at our walk out as a Republican vs. Democrat issue, but as a statement to any politician or individual who stands in the way of climate justice. The Earth does not have a voice, so we are standing up and using ours. Yes, people will attempt to make this a political issue, but really it is an issue of who believes in science and who will fight to leave behind a livable planet.

Annie: I’m not sure about other schools, but at Serra we are opposed to President Trump’s wish to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

Joya: We do not endorse any one candidate, but we will be registering voters and advocating for the Green New Deal.

How are your teachers reacting to your activism on climate change?

Vanessa: Personally and luckily, the staff at my school seem to be very supportive and have given me positive feedback, such as they are inspired seeing youth advocate for their demands — especially because it will affect us the most.

Elea: I have had strong support from my teachers. As individuals who dedicate their lives to educating youth, they see the importance of giving us a healthy planet to grow up and thrive on. They also see the impact and change that can result when youth stand up for what they believe in.

Annie: All my teachers are very supportive.

Joya: I haven’t told a lot of them, but I heard the environmental science teacher is being really supportive of our movement and we’re so excited to have him speak.

Anything else readers should know about your involvement or the Sept. 20 event?

Vanessa: I encourage adults to join a walkout near them, and express their support for our cause. The more people participating, the greater the impact and awareness!

Elea: Now is the time to stand up for what matters, this planet and creating a future for our youth. My peers and I are using our voices to advocate for the change that this world needs. I encourage others to also participate in this historic movement for climate justice.

Annie: I would like readers to know that not all teenagers follow the negative stereotypes that we’re typically associated with. By walking out, we want the world to see that we care, we’re terrified, and we need people to listen.

Joya: I want readers to know that September 20 is just the beginning. Through this event, we hope to inspire kids like us to take action on this issue and be fearless. We want to give kids hope that they, too, can change the world for the better. *Reposted article from the Times of SD by Ken Stone on September 17, 2019

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Meghan in Karen Walker & J Crew for Auckland Arrival & The Royals Meet a Very Special Young Woman

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/meghan-in-karen-walker-j-crew-for-auckland-arrival-the-royals-meet-a-very-special-young-woman/

Meghan in Karen Walker & J Crew for Auckland Arrival & The Royals Meet a Very Special Young Woman

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Auckland for the penultimate day of their first joint Commonwealth tour.

The day began with a visit the North Shore to dedicate a 20 hectare area of the Carol Whaley native bush to The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy. The event was organised by the QEII National Trust – the New Zealand link to the QCC. Their mission is to partner with landowners to protect special places on private land for the benefit of present and future generations.

They received an official greeting from QEII National Trust board member Gina Solomon.

The rainy weather didn’t deter students from delivering a terrific musical performance.

What better way to start the event than with a spot of Welly Wanging? Mike Jebesen from the QEII National Trust said: “We wanted to give the Royal couple a taste of rural New Zealand, and there’s nothing more quintessentially Kiwi than a gumboot throw!. I know gumboot throws are something usually associated with Taihape, but rest assured, we have the blessing of Andrew Watson, Mayor of Rangitikei, to run this competition. Andy was pleased to hear that even though the couple couldn’t make it to Taihape, that gumboots would feature in the royal itinerary.”

In the end, the Duchess was victorious and the red team won.

When awarded the Gumboot Trophy, Meghan said to the children “You should put it in your school. Now that’ll make a show and tell!”

The Duke and Duchess were joined by a group of children from environmental education group Trees of Survival to plant trees.

They helped plant various trees, including a puriri tree (native to the North Island) and a kōwhai tree. Omid Scobie noted: “Duchess Meghan planted a New Zealand kōwhai tree, which was one of the distinctive flora she had representing the Commonwealth country on her wedding veil. It produces bright yellow flowers in spring and is a favourite food of tree geckos, tui, bellbird and kererū pigeons.”

During a speech Prince Harry said: “My wife and I are delighted to be here at the opening of this covenant, which will form part of The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy network. The sooner we fully appreciate our surroundings and how interconnected we all are the better. Not just for our planet, but for the balance of all its inhabitants.”

Harry and Meghan unveil the plaque.

A closer look at the plaque. Fun fact: the post is an old railway sleeper.

Harry and Meghan were presented with a beautiful NZ merino Swandri blanket and a pair of gumboots for Baby Sussex.

Earlier this morning, Harry and Meghan had the privilege of meeting Eva McGauley. Wellingtonian Eva was invited to attend the Prime Minister’s Reception with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Auckland. Unfortunately doctors orders mean Eva is unable to fly today but when the Royal couple heard her story, they invited her for a quick catch-up at Government House instead. Below Eva and her mum Kate.

Eva was greeted with hugs by Harry and Meghan.

Speaking about the meeting on her Instagram page: Eva said: “I am so honoured and thankful to have been invited to Government House to meet with Meghan and Harry this morning!!! They are such kind down to earth people who were really interested in the work Evas Wish does. We were welcomed so warmly by Dame Patsy Reedy and Sir David Gascoigne into their lovely home and it was one of the most memorable and wonderful moments of my life. Thank you so much to everyone who made this happen.”

The Duke and Duchess have met an immense number of young inspirational people in New Zealand and brought their stories to a global audience. Eva is the personification of inspirational, bravery, selflessness and positivity. Read Eva’s story in her own words:

‘I grew up in a tight knit family with four people who served as my “co-parents.” My mum, my grandmother, my great-aunt and my godfather. All of whom are political, opinionated and feminists. That’s not to say their political views lineup, in fact it is quite the opposite! They fit perfectly on a spectrum of far left, left, right and further right – Christmas dinners can heat up very quickly! They differ in political stance, religion and traditions but they all agree on one thing – that love is one of life’s greatest gifts. This lesson has stuck with me and plays out in different situations daily. I truly believe that recognising the power of love and how precious it is makes you a better, kinder human being.

When I arrived at high school I had lost my appetite for learning a bit. I am very lucky to mainly have had amazing teachers through all my years at school but in the year before high school I began to lose my interest. This was quickly rectified when I arrived at Wellington High School. I once again found myself surrounded by teachers who challenged me and genuinely wanted me to do my best. I had started to warm up to them but I remember the exact afternoon that it all clicked into place again. 

It was the afternoon I went to my school Feminist club for the first time. My friends and I went along and awkwardly sat in the back not knowing what to expect and found ourselves being brought into a world of amazing, strong women and men who believed that what we thought and said had value. We also began to learn about some of the horrors of this world and I became determined to fix them. 

Due to a happy mistake, I became involved with Wellington Rape Crisis. That first Feminist club meeting was right at the end of the school term and we wanted to feel empowered like that again, so we went along to a fundraiser at a local church for Wellington Rape Crisis. It was a cupcake baking and craft evening. As we entered the event we gave $5 and wrote down our emails. I thought I was paying to be let through the door but it turned out I had just signed up to become a fully fledged member of Wellington Rape Crisis.

In my second year of high school I turned fifteen and it was around then, in the August of 2014, that I began to feel sick. The glands in my neck began to swell and I became tired. At first I was misdiagnosed with glandular fever, a viral illness that makes you feel constantly exhausted. By the end of the school year it was starting to become hard to focus and I only made it in for 3 days of the last two weeks of term. ​By late January 2015 I could barely get out of bed and the pain was unbearable. Eventually we went to a different doctor who took one look at me and sent me to hospital. We went into Wellington Hospital on the 4th of February 2015 and by the 5th we knew it was cancer and were in our new home; CHOC – Christchurch hospitals Child Hematology and Oncology Centre. 

​Around now was when the idea for EvasWish surfaced. It was just a spark at first, an idea existing purely in my subconscious and it wasn’t until one day when I was in the car with a dear friend of mine, Wellington City Councillor Simon Woolf, that it became something more. We were at a red light when he asked me the usual question of “What do you want to do?” but the way he asked it was different to most so I replied “Change the world.” He then told me to answer with more detail before the light turned green. I ummed and panicked before suddenly blurting out something along the lines of “I want New Zealand to have an online messaging service for people affected by sexual violence.”

Evas Wish has raised $65,000 for initiatives to combat sexual violence and supporting those impacted by it. This year, Eva started a Bachelor of Arts majoring in political science at Wellington’s Victoria University. If you would like to learn more about Evas wish or donate please click here.

The Duchess wore the £254 Fathom Jacket by New Zealand based designer Karen Walker. The dark navy piece is described as: “True to Karen Walker style, the Fathom Jacket blends masculine elements with a cropped, feminine fit. Cut in Salvador Suiting, a subtle check, this tailored design features peak lapels, single button fastening, front pockets and back vent. The perfect year-round jacket.”

The Duchess wore a pair of J Crew Toothpick Jeans. It appears Meghan’s pair are the charcoal wash (with thanks to What Meghan Wore). The jeans are described as: “Our toothpick jean + a higher rise = a nipped waist, great stretch and legs for miles—even without heels. Plus, they’re super-flattering thanks to Perfecting Pockets that hold you in, lift you up and are really comfortable too.” US readers can take 35% off a pair of the jeans with code FLASH.

Meghan accessorised with the Boh Runga Discologo earrings Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gifted her and her Tattoo Diamond Pendant by Jessica McCormick.

Meghan wore the Muck Boot Reign Wellies (with thanks to Meghan’s Fashion). They are available at Amazon.

Meghan has changed into her Burberry trench and a Brandon Maxwell dress for the afternoon’s events.

We’ll see you shortly with a post covering those engagements! Source: http://madaboutmeghan.blogspot.com/2018/10/first-look-meghan-in-karen-walker-j.html

[apsbicepstraining]

Margaret Atwood: a high priestess of fiction who embraces the digital age | Claire Armitstead

The Handmaids Tales joyful reception on the small screen reminds us of its ever-energetic generators spooky prescience

Once or twice in a generation, a tale is suggested that vaults out of the literary corral studying to be a phenomenon, well known to beings the world over who have never read the book: George Orwells 1984 is one and Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale is another.

So its perhaps not remarkable that a new 10 -part TV series based on the romance has struck a chord. Starring Elisabeth Moss as handmaid Offred, the succession launched in the US last-place month and comes to the UK later this month trailing superlatives.

At 77, Atwood blends the loftiness of a high priestess who does not stand moron gladly with an unstinting generosity to those she deems not to be foolhardy. She is a heartfelt environmentalist, with a special interest in chicks, which she shares with her husband, Graeme Gibson.

If her determination to live by her principles occasionally seems incidentally comic as when she embarked by barge on an international tour of a stage show publicising the second tale of her MaddAddam trilogy, The Year of the Flood she also brings to her politics a healthy dose of intentional humour.

On a recent trip to her Toronto home, her longtime UK publisher Lennie Goodings was amazed to converge her carrying a paper bag bellying with four large-scale rubber turkeys. She established them to me with that joke, manager on a tilt, wicked smile of hers. They yelped when she pressed them. It turned out that she and Gibson were about to present the trophies at an annual RSPB competition. The winners each receive a rubber goose from Margaret, at which point she deports them in a squeezing squawking choir.

Atwood traces her refer with the environment back to a childhood spent criss-crossing the groves of Canada with her entomologist leader. She was the second of three children, and the familys itinerant life meant that she did not going to see full-time academy until she was eight years old. She embarked producing her poetry while a student at the University of Toronto, acquired her firstly major literary award for a poetry collection are presented in 1964, and three accumulations later diversified into fiction in 1969 with The Edible Woman, about the status of women driven mad by consumerism.

She is a exceedingly hands-on person, says Goodings, a fellow Canadian, who has been her publisher at at the feminist imprint Virago since 1979. Her self-sufficiency comes from her childhood but also from her participation in the early days of CanLit[ Canadian Literature ]. She designed her own cover for her first journal of poetry, The Circle Game, with the red-faced specks you buy at stationery stores. In the early days of Virago she enjoyed and learned alongside us bookshop point-of-sale information such as shelf airstrips and dumpbins.

Once she and I passed in a taxi to an happen with a large cardboard lady a replication of the figure on the handle of[ her 1988 novel] Cats Eye. She loved it.

Her hands-on approach has carried her forcefully into the digital period. As an internationally successful author who has been awarded 24 honorary magnitudes in six two countries, been shortlisted five times for the Booker prize( acquiring it in 2000 for The Blind Assassin ), and who was more recently invited to Norway to implant a manuscript for 100 years as the first participant in The Future Library project, she faced the tricky issue of a monumental carbon footprint. She undertook it by inventing the LongPen, which enabled her at least to do volume signals without leaving her home.

Her penultimate novel, The Heart Goes Last, began its life on the fanfiction scaffold Wattpad, and she has 1.6 million Twitter partisans, to whom she tweets a dozen times a day on subjects arraying from the urgent need to protect the monarch butterfly to the vilification of Hilary Clinton.

She has also made cameo appearances in The Handmaids Tale, and as an cataclysm survivor on Zombies, Run !, a fitness app blending an audio drama with an immersive jogging competition, which was devised by her protege, the English novelist and gaming wizard Naomi Alderman.

The two were brought together through a mentoring strategy run by Rolex. Four of us got flown out to Canada to meet her and I belief she picked me because I was funny, says Alderman, who ascribes Atwood with the convent settle of her recent novel, The Power, which is in the running for the Baileys prize. Shes really implied me in their own families in a way I hadnt expected. Ive been bird watching in Cuba with her brother and his wife, and to the Arctic.

Atwood has said she was reluctant to get involved with the strategy, and some of her more institutional mentoring rapports ought to have little encouraging. As a teacher she was pretty hectoring, says one former student on a imaginative print MA. She read all our first assemblies and we each had one grilling with her about our journals. Almost all the questions she requested was, And then what happens? And then what happens? so I predict plot is pretty important.

Her abrasive line-up has also been evident in run-ins with the science fiction parish as to which category her fictions are all part of, insisting that they are speculative myth on the basis that: Discipline story has demons and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen.

The veteran SF columnist Ursula K Le Guin countered in a Guardian inspect: To my memory, The Handmaids Tale, Oryx and Crake and now The Year of the Flood all exemplify one of the things science fiction does, which is to extrapolate imaginatively from current trends and events to a near-future thats half prediction, half wit.

Published in the mid-1 980 s, with a Canadians mounting chagrin at the religion revitalization she was detecting over their own borders in the United States, The Handmaids Tale, a legend of a theocratic territory in which young woman are treated as clutch mares by a merciless revolutionary upper-clas, has become a staple of the curriculum in the English-speaking world.

In the late 20 th century, when a progress in feminism appeared irreparable, it seemed a cautionary tale of what might well. At the Hay festival in 2003, Atwood herself argues that it had little general relevance than the first fiction in what was to become her MaddAddam trilogy about a world-wide facing the consequences of environmental meltdown. Oryx and Crake, she said, addressed world-wide issues whereas The Handmaids Tale was specifically about America.

But three decades after The Handmaids Tale was produced, there are many all-too-real the locations where the denizens of the fictional republic of Gilead would feel at home, from Donald Trumps increasingly dictatorial and misogynistic US where objectors against two abortion-related greenbacks turned up at the Texas senate in March dressed in the long ruby-red costumes and white bonnets of Atwoods handmaids to a Nigeria in which schoolgirls are seized en masse, and a changing number of theocratic countries across Asia and the Middle East.

The Year of The Flood, are presented in 2009, boasts Gods Gardeners, a religious sect devoted to the melding of science, religion, and sort, whose hymn-singing was promulgated in a strange roadshow.

Atwood herself opened the depict, intoning on a monotone from a wooden throne. As Diana Quick, one of the musicians, echoes: Peggy was rather eerie on that amusing promo make because she had written all their carol of praise and she took to blessing everyone, as it were, ex cathedra. I recall she had had great hopes for it and was quite theatre struck, and then very disappointed in its implementation of the piece.

Perhaps we were too far away to see that wicked smile, though an endnote to the tale proposed to not. In it, Atwood invited readers to listen to the Gardeners hymns on her website and to use them for amateur devotional or environmental purposes. If she sometimes takes herself preferably too seriously, she has surely gave the right to do so over a 60 -book career which shows no sign of ceasing to produce spookily prescient books.

Anyone inclined to be said that The Handmaids Tale is still a parochial parable should consider its relevant to even presumably radical societies in an age of a mass surveillance that would have been inconceivable when the novel was written. Like their fellow citizens of Gilead, we have internalised the distorted reasoning of Atwoods sinister Aunt Lydia, the apparently kindly supervisor who is actually a commonwealth stooge. There is more than one various kinds of democracy. Discretion to and exemption from, she says. In the days of disorder, it was freedom to. Now “you think youre” being given discretion from. Dont underrate it. As Orwell almost said, Big Sister is Watching You.

Potted profile

Born: 18 November 1939

Age: 77

Career: Started out as a poet and has to date written roughly 60 books for adults and children. She has also created opera libretti, television dialogues and a graphic novel.

High spot: Prevailing the Booker prize in 2000 with The Blind Assassin, the fourth of her fictions to be shortlisted.

Low quality: The Handmaids Tale has been censored from schools and libraries all over the US for being anti-Christian and sexually lurid and has appeared on the 100 Most Frequently Objection Books for the last 20 years.

What she says : Optimism necessitates better than world; despair entails worse than actuality. Im a realist.

What they say : The National Book Critics Circle of America gave her a lifetime achievement give this year for her groundbreaking myth, environmental and feminist activism, and work to community as a co-founder of the Scribe Trust of Canada.

The post Margaret Atwood: a high priestess of fiction who embraces the digital age | Claire Armitstead appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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[markjoeckel]

BizTalk Arlington - O.K. Carter Notes For The Arlington On Tap Segment - April 25th 3-4pm

Radio Show notes April 25

Local politics warming up

Early voting started yesterday and things are already warming up politically, though not because of the election but with consequences that may affect the election. It’s all about smoking. The Arlington Council passed a toughened smoking ordinance on a first reading two weeks ago 6-3, leaving bingo halls alone but eliminating smoking from most other places…sexually oriented businesses (if you can still find one here in Puritan City), pool halls and bars. The council is supposed to vote on it tonight in what is normally a routine second reading item on the consent agenda, which means they wouldn’t even talk about it.

Since then the nightclub industry and the vaping people have suddenly figured out what’s afoot and gone a little bonkers. The saloon crowd quickly gathered what’s reported to be a 1,500-signature petition protesting the ordinance change. The Arlington Republican Club voted more than 60 percent against the ordinance.

So many people showed up with the big petition last week that they overloaded the City Hall Elevator and it stalled.

Long story made shorter, expect quite a crowd at City Hall tonight asking the council to reconsider the ordinance change. Everybody involved is being lobbied…more proof that no matter what happens in the world, somebody’s ox gets gored.

What will happen is anybody’s guess but don’t be surprised if the whole thing ends up tabled until after the election May 6.

Writer and Pundit Donna Darovich to wrap up Arlington on Tap season 

Humorist, satirist and author Donna Darovich will close out the current Arlington on Tap downtown happy hour and lecture series with a nostalgic and funny recollection: The Life and Times of the Old-Time Fabulous Arlington Citizen-Journal.

Save the date: May 9, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Maverick’s Bar and Grill, 601 E. Main St.

“Before the world of social media and before the C-J was essentially blended into what is now the Arlington Star-Telegram, the Citizen-Journal dominated the role of informational gate keeper for what was important – or not – in suburban boomtown Arlington,” said Darovich. “The paper had a terrific run from 1897 until the 1990s.”

About that Eastern Star property, all 28.5 acres of it

We talked about the school district buying the property just south of AT&T Field for a 2,500-seat performing arts center but the district also has athletic plans…happened to sit next to a school board member at a recent event…as we guessed one of the athletic facilities will be an Olympic-rated pool, a natatorium. It also appears this will be the main gymnastics venue for the district and quite likely will also include a facility for increasingly popular wrestling that can be utilized for other activities.

By the way there’s also going to be a 500-seat blackbox theater that will be used for both district and community performance events.

Does the district need 28.5 acres? My source said no…that they’ll probably eventually sell 20 or so acres and put it back on the tax market. No doubt there are already investors looking at that, hoping to glom onto higher traffic expected from a new enclosed Texas Rangers Ballpark and all the activity the Texas Live Complex is expected to generate.

IT’s ALL IN THE LIGHT

The American Society of Mass Spectrometry has named UTA chemistry professor Saiful Chowdhury (Sah-full Chowd – hurry) as one of the leading emerging investigators worldwide work developing new techniques using mass spectrometry to differentiate protein modifications linked to cancer and aging. Chowdhury has developed new strategies using spectrometry biomarkers for things like leukemia, pancreatic and colon cancers; genetic- and aging-related illnesses, along with parasitic, bacterial and viral infections.  He says new technique is an easy an inexpensive easy and inexpensive way to make precise diagnosis and there marker make it possible to design very specific treatment strategies instead of the old scattergun throw all kinds of chemo and radiation at it. Very cool

Road Closures downtown for up to a month…be patient

 Abram Street, from Oak Street to Elm Street

▪  Center Street, from Front Street to South Street

▪  Mesquite Street, from UTA Boulevard/Border Street to Front Street

StageCraft Friends of the Duncan seek smaller performing arts venue

Something musicians, dancers, speakers and theatrical performers need in Arlington is a small, affordable venue…a new group – StageCraft Friends of the Duncan -- is forming that aims to collaborate with the city to use the Duncan Center in Vandergriff Park…the idea is that the group would buy portable risers to create theater-style seating and also replace the center’s lighting and audio systems (all of which is now more than three decades old)…The venue would seat about 200…pretty cool idea. Interested parties include Miss Persis School of Dance, American Jazz Performers of Arlington, Arlington Master Chorale, Timeless Concerts, Dance Theatre of Arlington, Arlington Music Teachers’ Association, the Arlington Community Band, the Barbershop Quartet, Gown Town Theater and I Am! Among others. Since the risers are portable, the center would still be useable for other purposes.

Tiny House fever on the UTA campus…Davis south of Abram

In the shadows of much larger construction projects like the Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building and residence hall-dining hall-parking garage projects on the west side of campus, a smaller development is taking shape that molds student minds as they head out into the professional world.

Students from the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs are building tiny houses as their senior design projects on Davis Street, between Greek Row Boulevard and UTA Boulevard.

How small?

One house is only 360 square feet and the other dwarfs the first coming in at 390 square feet. In their coursework, faculty and students are calling the structures micro houses.

The units will be sold once completed, proceeds be used for future projects…so it’s a good opportunity to buy one, but might want to check local zoning regs first.

Maybe you don’t want a single family residence, even a tiny house? Pretty soon you can check out The chocolate-brown complex on Lamar Boulevard north of Interstate 30 (between Cooper and Collins near Rolling Hills Golf Club)  that’s been taking shape for about a year.

The four-story structure occupies land that once was home to three blighted apartment complexes built in the 1970s.

It’s the first phase of the Arlington Commons, an upscale apartment complex that will be marketed to young urban professionals…i.e. millennials who often prefer lifestyles not requiring a lawnmower.  It will feature big balconies and a roughly 450-space parking garage that the apartment building wraps around, almost hiding it from view. It will provide close parking spaces for tenants on the upper levels. Lots of downsizing seniors also seem to be interested. Pre-leasing starts in May, with the first occupancy in August.

Where is it: 425 E. Lamar Blvd., on the north side of Lamar, between Ryan Plaza and Van Buren drives.

The $50 million first phase sits on 5.6 acres of the 24-acre site. The four-phase, $200 million project would be built over the next 10 years with at least the originally planned 1,328 units---year that’s a lot of units. School district probably going nuts about it.

Hall of Famer coming to Town

Emmitt Smith will be keynote speaker at The Salvation Army’s Annual Inspiring Hope fundraising luncheon on Wednesday, May 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer helped win three Super Bowl championships as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Smith’s football life actually began when he played on a youth football team at The Salvation Army when he was eight years old.

Like most children who lived nearby, Smith went to The Salvation Army every day after school. The organization provided a place for kids to gather, make friends and participate in activities they couldn’t afford to do otherwise.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concludes no connection between Nichols, health claims

The Arlington school district says there’s been significant misinformation with respect to Nichols Junior High School. They’ve provided a list of entities they collaborated with…Tarrant County Public Health Department; Environmental Protection Agency, Arlington Fire Department, and independent experts (Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, Inc.; EFI Global Engineering, Fire and Environmental Services; Engineered Air Balance Company, and; Estes McClure, and Associates), and now National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have all tested and/or reviewed the tests and have concluded that there is no credible evidence that Nichols Junior High has caused anyone’s illnesses. They say the threatened lawsuit has no data to support claims of harm. No doubt this will all continue for a while.

 The chamber of commerce small business winners have been announced. Get their awards at a Chamber event in May.

FOR-PROFIT CATEGORY

Stripe-A-Zone Inc. – Founded in 1950, Stripe-A-Zone is one of the nation’s premier pavement marking companies. In 2016, Stripe-A-Zone was recognized as a Top Contractor in their industry and has received similar accolades through various other professional organizations. The company is deeply involved in community endeavors – the Chamber Board, Arlington Rotary, Arlington library, Boys & Girls Club, AISD Education Foundation, Crossroads Christian Church, Women in Philanthropy, Salvation Army and other entities.

Sutton Frost Cary LLP (SFC) – SFC provides tax and assurance and consulting services to various industries. SFC has more than 45 employees, including eight partners and 23 CPAs contributing to their record growth. SFC and staffers are involved in the Chamber (and Young Professionals), Rotary, United Way, YMCA of Arlington, Leadership Arlington, UTA Accounting Alumni Association, Dental Health for Arlington and others. Beyond involvement, the firm contributes to numerous entities like SafeHaven, Boys & Girls Club, Theatre Arlington, Patriot Dogs, Levitt Pavilion and many more.

NONPROFIT CATEGORY

Arlington ISD Education Foundation – the Arlington Independent School District Education Foundation serves the students, teachers and staff of the AISD in Arlington and adjacent communities within the school district by fulfilling extraordinary education needs and initiatives not financed by the district or state funding. Through collaborative efforts, the Foundation has shown growth in volunteer support, fundraising initiatives, grants distributed for classroom instruction, diversity and increasing support to economically disadvantaged children.

VETERAN-OWNED CATEGORY

Jim Ross Law Group, P.C. – the Jim Ross Law Group is a general practice litigation law firm based in Arlington. Jim Ross is a veteran having served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. Staff member are  active in the Arlington Police Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics, Salvation Army, Arlington Public Library, Theatre Arlington, Junior League of Arlington and many other programs.

Internet access just too expensive? Arlington residents may be eligible for low-cost, high-speed internet through Charter’s new Spectrum Internet Assist (SIA) program. How would you know if eligible? If already a recipient of National School Lunch Program (NSLP) free or reduced lunch, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the NSLP, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) age 65 and older only

Charter is offering the fastest internet speeds (30/4 Mbps) at a $14.99 per month rate for qualified customers in an effort to make broadband more affordable for low-income families and seniors.

A recent Federal Communication Commission report on broadband access found that 34 million Americans lack access to high-speed broadband in the home. About 5 million families with school-aged children in the United States don’t have access in the home.

[mrandyzavala]

Community Bulletin January 25

School News

» CNY Head of School Letter

Happy New Year! On behalf of the faculty and staff of Concordia International School Shanghai we extend a very warm welcome to our new families! At the same time, it's always great to see our returning friends back on campus after a break.

We invite all families to participate in the Chinese New Year celebration which takes place on Thursday, January 26th in the PC Ford gym at 10:00 am. It's a wonderful school tradition and a fun time to celebrate with our host country, China!

It's an interesting schedule this year as in the same letter we welcome you back, we also bid you safe travels for the Chinese New Year! Wherever in the world you find yourself, we pray God will continue to protect and guide you in your walk each day. It's great to be a Phoenix!

Blessings,

Mary Scott

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Singing Valentines 2017

Our Concordia High School Choirs have been singing about love on Valentine's Day for over 10 years! And once again the Concordia Singers, Collegium Men's Choir, Bel Canto Woman's Choir and Chamber Singers are preparing Singing Valentines that you may purchase and send to your friends, family and loved ones. For 50-100 RMB you can choose a song to be sung to your "special someone" on the Concordia Campus during morning classes on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 from 8:15 – 11:15 AM. We have 5 song choices..... ♥I Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis (sung by the Collegium Men's Choir) ♥Love Is An Open Door from Frozen (sung by Bel Canto Women's Choir) ♥I'll Be There by Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 (sung by Concordia Singers) ♥Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Freddie Mercury (sung by the Chamber Singers) ♥Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink Look for more information and order forms outside the Choir Room, M201. (Also attached here) The final day for placing orders will be Friday, February 11.

For further information please contact choral director, Meg Ideker at meg.ideker@concordiashanghai.org

» Phoenix Shop

The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» The Admissions Office is receiving applications for the 2017-18 school year.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to help us plan for staffing and programs. If you intend to enroll your child in either the PS3 or PS4 classes, we advise you to apply by early March. Information can be found here about the application process.

» Sewing Classes will begin on Thursday, Feb 9.

If you would like to participate, stop by the sewing room on next Luther Hall in the Phoenix Commons.

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Season two sports are wrapping up with their final competition at APAC. To find up-to-date scores and watch live streaming go to http://apac-asia.org/.

The season two sports banquet will be help Tuesday, February 14th. If you have any questions, contact Chris Bishop.

PSO

» Bake Sale & Treat Sale

To All Bakers please note there will not be a bake sale class in January 14th. All bakers that were due to bake in Jan will be moved to February 14th. If you cannot bake then please email Maria Marquis, the PSO Bake Sale Chairwoman at psobakesale@concordiashanghai.com. Anyone who would like to bake or donate any bake goods for

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO.

Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are nearing the completion of hiring for next fall.

After Chinese New Year we will be introducing the new staff and who will be moving internally in more detail, but we are happy to announce that the following openings for 2017-18 have been filled:

HS Social Studies

ES ELL

ES PS4

Aquatics

MS Learning Support

ES K

ES Gr 1

ES Gr 2

MS Gr. 6 Math/Science

ES PE

Assistant Director of Activities

Assistant Head of School-Personnel

The remaining positions remain to be filled:

Family Life Counselor-final interviews underway

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal-contract offered

Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator

Director of Marketing-finalists identified

A growth position as an ES classroom teacher (grade level to be determined) Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only) For details on how to apply go to http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

» Used 13 inch Viola for Sale

We are looking for people who are wanting my daughter's used 13 inch viola. She was using her viola very gently and is in excellent condition!!! Please let me know if you are interested.

Nobue Ko (Email: nobue888@hotmail.com Cell phone number: 13262250802)

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jnZ1uA

[mrmarknewman]

Community Bulletin January 25

School News

» CNY Head of School Letter

Happy New Year! On behalf of the faculty and staff of Concordia International School Shanghai we extend a very warm welcome to our new families! At the same time, it's always great to see our returning friends back on campus after a break.

We invite all families to participate in the Chinese New Year celebration which takes place on Thursday, January 26th in the PC Ford gym at 10:00 am. It's a wonderful school tradition and a fun time to celebrate with our host country, China!

It's an interesting schedule this year as in the same letter we welcome you back, we also bid you safe travels for the Chinese New Year! Wherever in the world you find yourself, we pray God will continue to protect and guide you in your walk each day. It's great to be a Phoenix!

Blessings,

Mary Scott

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Singing Valentines 2017

Our Concordia High School Choirs have been singing about love on Valentine's Day for over 10 years! And once again the Concordia Singers, Collegium Men's Choir, Bel Canto Woman's Choir and Chamber Singers are preparing Singing Valentines that you may purchase and send to your friends, family and loved ones. For 50-100 RMB you can choose a song to be sung to your "special someone" on the Concordia Campus during morning classes on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 from 8:15 – 11:15 AM. We have 5 song choices..... ♥I Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis (sung by the Collegium Men's Choir) ♥Love Is An Open Door from Frozen (sung by Bel Canto Women's Choir) ♥I'll Be There by Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 (sung by Concordia Singers) ♥Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Freddie Mercury (sung by the Chamber Singers) ♥Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink Look for more information and order forms outside the Choir Room, M201. (Also attached here) The final day for placing orders will be Friday, February 11.

For further information please contact choral director, Meg Ideker at meg.ideker@concordiashanghai.org

» Phoenix Shop

The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» The Admissions Office is receiving applications for the 2017-18 school year.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to help us plan for staffing and programs. If you intend to enroll your child in either the PS3 or PS4 classes, we advise you to apply by early March. Information can be found here about the application process.

» Sewing Classes will begin on Thursday, Feb 9.

If you would like to participate, stop by the sewing room on next Luther Hall in the Phoenix Commons.

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Season two sports are wrapping up with their final competition at APAC. To find up-to-date scores and watch live streaming go to http://apac-asia.org/.

The season two sports banquet will be help Tuesday, February 14th. If you have any questions, contact Chris Bishop.

PSO

» Bake Sale & Treat Sale

To All Bakers please note there will not be a bake sale class in January 14th. All bakers that were due to bake in Jan will be moved to February 14th. If you cannot bake then please email Maria Marquis, the PSO Bake Sale Chairwoman at psobakesale@concordiashanghai.com. Anyone who would like to bake or donate any bake goods for

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO.

Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are nearing the completion of hiring for next fall.

After Chinese New Year we will be introducing the new staff and who will be moving internally in more detail, but we are happy to announce that the following openings for 2017-18 have been filled:

HS Social Studies

ES ELL

ES PS4

Aquatics

MS Learning Support

ES K

ES Gr 1

ES Gr 2

MS Gr. 6 Math/Science

ES PE

Assistant Director of Activities

Assistant Head of School-Personnel

The remaining positions remain to be filled:

Family Life Counselor-final interviews underway

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal-contract offered

Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator

Director of Marketing-finalists identified

A growth position as an ES classroom teacher (grade level to be determined) Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only) For details on how to apply go to http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

» Used 13 inch Viola for Sale

We are looking for people who are wanting my daughter's used 13 inch viola. She was using her viola very gently and is in excellent condition!!! Please let me know if you are interested.

Nobue Ko (Email: nobue888@hotmail.com Cell phone number: 13262250802)

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jnZ1uA

[mrrolandtfranco]

Community Bulletin January 25

School News

» CNY Head of School Letter

Happy New Year! On behalf of the faculty and staff of Concordia International School Shanghai we extend a very warm welcome to our new families! At the same time, it's always great to see our returning friends back on campus after a break.

We invite all families to participate in the Chinese New Year celebration which takes place on Thursday, January 26th in the PC Ford gym at 10:00 am. It's a wonderful school tradition and a fun time to celebrate with our host country, China!

It's an interesting schedule this year as in the same letter we welcome you back, we also bid you safe travels for the Chinese New Year! Wherever in the world you find yourself, we pray God will continue to protect and guide you in your walk each day. It's great to be a Phoenix!

Blessings,

Mary Scott

» Save The Date for the 14th Annual Gala & Auction on March 11. Tickets on sale February 13 - March 3. Tickets cost 850 RMB each.

» Follow us on Concordia's Official WeChat Account.

Get the latest updates. New information will be sent out once a week. Scan the QR code.

» Singing Valentines 2017

Our Concordia High School Choirs have been singing about love on Valentine's Day for over 10 years! And once again the Concordia Singers, Collegium Men's Choir, Bel Canto Woman's Choir and Chamber Singers are preparing Singing Valentines that you may purchase and send to your friends, family and loved ones. For 50-100 RMB you can choose a song to be sung to your "special someone" on the Concordia Campus during morning classes on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 from 8:15 – 11:15 AM. We have 5 song choices..... ♥I Can't Help Falling in Love With You by Elvis (sung by the Collegium Men's Choir) ♥Love Is An Open Door from Frozen (sung by Bel Canto Women's Choir) ♥I'll Be There by Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5 (sung by Concordia Singers) ♥Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Freddie Mercury (sung by the Chamber Singers) ♥Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink Look for more information and order forms outside the Choir Room, M201. (Also attached here) The final day for placing orders will be Friday, February 11.

For further information please contact choral director, Meg Ideker at meg.ideker@concordiashanghai.org

» Phoenix Shop

The Phoenix Shop is open Monday through Friday at the lunch hour, 11:30 AM-1 PM. Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 PM.

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» The Admissions Office is receiving applications for the 2017-18 school year.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to help us plan for staffing and programs. If you intend to enroll your child in either the PS3 or PS4 classes, we advise you to apply by early March. Information can be found here about the application process.

» Sewing Classes will begin on Thursday, Feb 9.

If you would like to participate, stop by the sewing room on next Luther Hall in the Phoenix Commons.

» Towel & Blanket Drive

Do you love animals? Want to help bring comfort and warmth to rescue animals during this cold winter? The HS Environmental Committee is holding a Blanket & Towel Drive. Drop off your unwanted blankets and towels in the box by the HS office. On Saturday, Jan. 14th, there will be a day trip to the Best Friends Animal Shelter in Songjiang to bring these towels and blankets to the rescue animals there to help keep them warm and cozy. For more information about the Best Friends China animal charity, visit http://ift.tt/1J6tjGK.

Athletics & Arts

Season two sports are wrapping up with their final competition at APAC. To find up-to-date scores and watch live streaming go to http://apac-asia.org/.

The season two sports banquet will be help Tuesday, February 14th. If you have any questions, contact Chris Bishop.

PSO

» Bake Sale & Treat Sale

To All Bakers please note there will not be a bake sale class in January 14th. All bakers that were due to bake in Jan will be moved to February 14th. If you cannot bake then please email Maria Marquis, the PSO Bake Sale Chairwoman at psobakesale@concordiashanghai.com. Anyone who would like to bake or donate any bake goods for

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO.

Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Open positions for the 2017-18 School Year

We are nearing the completion of hiring for next fall.

After Chinese New Year we will be introducing the new staff and who will be moving internally in more detail, but we are happy to announce that the following openings for 2017-18 have been filled:

HS Social Studies

ES ELL

ES PS4

Aquatics

MS Learning Support

ES K

ES Gr 1

ES Gr 2

MS Gr. 6 Math/Science

ES PE

Assistant Director of Activities

Assistant Head of School-Personnel

The remaining positions remain to be filled:

Family Life Counselor-final interviews underway

Administrator: HS Assistant Principal-contract offered

Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator

Director of Marketing-finalists identified

A growth position as an ES classroom teacher (grade level to be determined) Support Staff openings:

ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

Accountant (PRC only) For details on how to apply go to http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Service Opportunity Hosting families "Service Through Friendship"

This program offers the opportunity to be a "Big Brother" to two of WILL Foundation boys for one or two nights. The boys will be paired. They're between the ages five and twelve. They could share a bed or enjoy camping-out on a rug. (Sleeping bags available.) But, be warned, they eat like bears Contact david.chaveriat@concordiashanghai.org Click here for more information. Thank you. Looking for host families for the following dates:

Chinese New Year – January 27 – February 4. You pick your dates and boys. Very flexible.

Saturday February 17, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Friday February 24, 2017 3:20 pm until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Friday March 10, 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday March 18, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10AM 1 night

Friday April 28, 2017 3:20 PM until Sunday 10 AM 2 nights

Saturday May 6, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Saturday May 20, 2017 2 PM until Sunday 10 AM 1 night

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.

» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Shanghai Griffins Basketball » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source)

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

» Moms In Prayer International

Experience the joy of replacing anxiety with peace and hope by lifting up our children, teachers, staff and community with thanksgiving. Join other moms who meet twice a month on campus to seek guidance and wisdom for our children, our school and the Concordia community. Friendly to women of all languages. Please contact Michelle Wu if you have any question.

Classifieds

» Used 13 inch Viola for Sale

We are looking for people who are wanting my daughter's used 13 inch viola. She was using her viola very gently and is in excellent condition!!! Please let me know if you are interested.

Nobue Ko (Email: nobue888@hotmail.com Cell phone number: 13262250802)

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

Please check next week!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» Health Office Information

Concordia's Health Office has put together this useful list of emergency telephone numbers and addresses in both Chinese and English. Click here for the list or contact the Health Office for more information. Flu Shots For information on Flu shots, contact the Health Office. Contact Jenny or Yukki directly.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices, are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications.

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2jnZ1uA

[apsbicepstraining]

Margaret Atwood: a high priestess of fiction who embraces the digital age | Claire Armitstead

The Handmaids Tales joyful reception on the small screen reminds us of its ever-energetic generators spooky prescience

Once or twice in a generation, a tale is suggested that vaults out of the literary corral studying to be a phenomenon, well known to beings the world over who have never read the book: George Orwells 1984 is one and Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale is another.

So its perhaps not remarkable that a new 10 -part TV series based on the romance has struck a chord. Starring Elisabeth Moss as handmaid Offred, the succession launched in the US last-place month and comes to the UK later this month trailing superlatives.

At 77, Atwood blends the loftiness of a high priestess who does not stand moron gladly with an unstinting generosity to those she deems not to be foolhardy. She is a heartfelt environmentalist, with a special interest in chicks, which she shares with her husband, Graeme Gibson.

If her determination to live by her principles occasionally seems incidentally comic as when she embarked by barge on an international tour of a stage show publicising the second tale of her MaddAddam trilogy, The Year of the Flood she also brings to her politics a healthy dose of intentional humour.

On a recent trip to her Toronto home, her longtime UK publisher Lennie Goodings was amazed to converge her carrying a paper bag bellying with four large-scale rubber turkeys. She established them to me with that joke, manager on a tilt, wicked smile of hers. They yelped when she pressed them. It turned out that she and Gibson were about to present the trophies at an annual RSPB competition. The winners each receive a rubber goose from Margaret, at which point she deports them in a squeezing squawking choir.

Atwood traces her refer with the environment back to a childhood spent criss-crossing the groves of Canada with her entomologist leader. She was the second of three children, and the familys itinerant life meant that she did not going to see full-time academy until she was eight years old. She embarked producing her poetry while a student at the University of Toronto, acquired her firstly major literary award for a poetry collection are presented in 1964, and three accumulations later diversified into fiction in 1969 with The Edible Woman, about the status of women driven mad by consumerism.

She is a exceedingly hands-on person, says Goodings, a fellow Canadian, who has been her publisher at at the feminist imprint Virago since 1979. Her self-sufficiency comes from her childhood but also from her participation in the early days of CanLit[ Canadian Literature ]. She designed her own cover for her first journal of poetry, The Circle Game, with the red-faced specks you buy at stationery stores. In the early days of Virago she enjoyed and learned alongside us bookshop point-of-sale information such as shelf airstrips and dumpbins.

Once she and I passed in a taxi to an happen with a large cardboard lady a replication of the figure on the handle of[ her 1988 novel] Cats Eye. She loved it.

Her hands-on approach has carried her forcefully into the digital period. As an internationally successful author who has been awarded 24 honorary magnitudes in six two countries, been shortlisted five times for the Booker prize( acquiring it in 2000 for The Blind Assassin ), and who was more recently invited to Norway to implant a manuscript for 100 years as the first participant in The Future Library project, she faced the tricky issue of a monumental carbon footprint. She undertook it by inventing the LongPen, which enabled her at least to do volume signals without leaving her home.

Her penultimate novel, The Heart Goes Last, began its life on the fanfiction scaffold Wattpad, and she has 1.6 million Twitter partisans, to whom she tweets a dozen times a day on subjects arraying from the urgent need to protect the monarch butterfly to the vilification of Hilary Clinton.

She has also made cameo appearances in The Handmaids Tale, and as an cataclysm survivor on Zombies, Run !, a fitness app blending an audio drama with an immersive jogging competition, which was devised by her protege, the English novelist and gaming wizard Naomi Alderman.

The two were brought together through a mentoring strategy run by Rolex. Four of us got flown out to Canada to meet her and I belief she picked me because I was funny, says Alderman, who ascribes Atwood with the convent settle of her recent novel, The Power, which is in the running for the Baileys prize. Shes really implied me in their own families in a way I hadnt expected. Ive been bird watching in Cuba with her brother and his wife, and to the Arctic.

Atwood has said she was reluctant to get involved with the strategy, and some of her more institutional mentoring rapports ought to have little encouraging. As a teacher she was pretty hectoring, says one former student on a imaginative print MA. She read all our first assemblies and we each had one grilling with her about our journals. Almost all the questions she requested was, And then what happens? And then what happens? so I predict plot is pretty important.

Her abrasive line-up has also been evident in run-ins with the science fiction parish as to which category her fictions are all part of, insisting that they are speculative myth on the basis that: Discipline story has demons and spaceships; speculative fiction could really happen.

The veteran SF columnist Ursula K Le Guin countered in a Guardian inspect: To my memory, The Handmaids Tale, Oryx and Crake and now The Year of the Flood all exemplify one of the things science fiction does, which is to extrapolate imaginatively from current trends and events to a near-future thats half prediction, half wit.

Published in the mid-1 980 s, with a Canadians mounting chagrin at the religion revitalization she was detecting over their own borders in the United States, The Handmaids Tale, a legend of a theocratic territory in which young woman are treated as clutch mares by a merciless revolutionary upper-clas, has become a staple of the curriculum in the English-speaking world.

In the late 20 th century, when a progress in feminism appeared irreparable, it seemed a cautionary tale of what might well. At the Hay festival in 2003, Atwood herself argues that it had little general relevance than the first fiction in what was to become her MaddAddam trilogy about a world-wide facing the consequences of environmental meltdown. Oryx and Crake, she said, addressed world-wide issues whereas The Handmaids Tale was specifically about America.

But three decades after The Handmaids Tale was produced, there are many all-too-real the locations where the denizens of the fictional republic of Gilead would feel at home, from Donald Trumps increasingly dictatorial and misogynistic US where objectors against two abortion-related greenbacks turned up at the Texas senate in March dressed in the long ruby-red costumes and white bonnets of Atwoods handmaids to a Nigeria in which schoolgirls are seized en masse, and a changing number of theocratic countries across Asia and the Middle East.

The Year of The Flood, are presented in 2009, boasts Gods Gardeners, a religious sect devoted to the melding of science, religion, and sort, whose hymn-singing was promulgated in a strange roadshow.

Atwood herself opened the depict, intoning on a monotone from a wooden throne. As Diana Quick, one of the musicians, echoes: Peggy was rather eerie on that amusing promo make because she had written all their carol of praise and she took to blessing everyone, as it were, ex cathedra. I recall she had had great hopes for it and was quite theatre struck, and then very disappointed in its implementation of the piece.

Perhaps we were too far away to see that wicked smile, though an endnote to the tale proposed to not. In it, Atwood invited readers to listen to the Gardeners hymns on her website and to use them for amateur devotional or environmental purposes. If she sometimes takes herself preferably too seriously, she has surely gave the right to do so over a 60 -book career which shows no sign of ceasing to produce spookily prescient books.

Anyone inclined to be said that The Handmaids Tale is still a parochial parable should consider its relevant to even presumably radical societies in an age of a mass surveillance that would have been inconceivable when the novel was written. Like their fellow citizens of Gilead, we have internalised the distorted reasoning of Atwoods sinister Aunt Lydia, the apparently kindly supervisor who is actually a commonwealth stooge. There is more than one various kinds of democracy. Discretion to and exemption from, she says. In the days of disorder, it was freedom to. Now “you think youre” being given discretion from. Dont underrate it. As Orwell almost said, Big Sister is Watching You.

Potted profile

Born: 18 November 1939

Age: 77

Career: Started out as a poet and has to date written roughly 60 books for adults and children. She has also created opera libretti, television dialogues and a graphic novel.

High spot: Prevailing the Booker prize in 2000 with The Blind Assassin, the fourth of her fictions to be shortlisted.

Low quality: The Handmaids Tale has been censored from schools and libraries all over the US for being anti-Christian and sexually lurid and has appeared on the 100 Most Frequently Objection Books for the last 20 years.

What she says : Optimism necessitates better than world; despair entails worse than actuality. Im a realist.

What they say : The National Book Critics Circle of America gave her a lifetime achievement give this year for her groundbreaking myth, environmental and feminist activism, and work to community as a co-founder of the Scribe Trust of Canada.

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