Seymour's Purple Mind

Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Wisdom of Human Forgiveness

2005-11-04T00:47:00.000-05:00

Sometime last spring, I noticed that Archbishop Desmond Tutu had been scheduled to speak in Greensboro as part of Guilford College's Bryan Series.

I noticed the date he had been scheduled to speak coincided with the 26th anniversary of one of Greensboro's darkest moments, the deadly confrontation that occurred on November 3, 1979 when Klansmen and Nazis showed up at a "Death to the Klan" rally organized by the Communist Workers Party.

Even more interesting was that the primary topic of Tutu's address was to be South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which Tutu co-chaired with South African President Nelson Mandela.

What struck me as interesting and made me wonder if the scheduling was coincidental or not was that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission had been formed in Greensboro to take a deeper look at what had occurred in Greensboro on that fateful day when I was only 7 years old.

I never followed up on securing tickets for the event, and with the busy season of teaching, it honestly had gotten tucked away in the back of my mind.

The day before Tutu was scheduled to speak, I received a reminder of the event.

jw, a fellow blogger, e-mailed me with an offer of a ticket she would be unable to use.

I immediately e-mailed her back to let her know I was definitely interested in the ticket she offered.

jw even made a special trip to make the ticket available for me. (Thank you, jw!)

I first heard of Desmond Tutu from Ms. Gloria Turlington, my seventh-grade social studies teacher at Allen Junior High School (now Allen Middle School), during the 1984-85 school year.

Social studies that year focused on Africa and Asia. Desmond Tutu had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Ms. Turlington made sure we learned who Tutu was.

I don't know if I gained a clear understanding of South Africa's system of apartheid that year, but over time, I would gain knowledge of that modern-day system of white oppression against South Africa's blacks.

(Ms. Turlington was also my eighth-grade social studies teacher, and from her, I also gained knowledge of the Greensboro Sit-Ins and the Klan-Nazi's deadly confrontation with the Communist Workers Party. Thank you, Ms. Turlington!)

Tutu was an outstanding speaker.

It's amazing to realize that South Africa is now in its 11th year as a democratic society, with apartheid now a part of its past.

Modestly dressed, Tutu's power came through his words.

Hearing him speak, you understood completely why he deserves recognition as one of our world's great leaders.

At about 8:19 PM, after a brief film about Guilford College and introductory remarks by Joan Siefert Rose (general manager of North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC) and Kent Chabotar (Guilford College's president and professor of political science), Tutu stepped to the microphone and began his address.

I don't think I was alone in being fully mesmerized by the beautiful power of his words and thoughts.

At the heart of his message was the profound concept of human forgiveness.

Black South Africans, like black Americans, have every reason not to forgive their oppressors. That they have done so is remarkable. Forgiveness never comes easily, and it often goes against our basic instincts.

Tutu actually began by requesting a moment of silence in tribute to a great American who recently passed away, Rosa Parks.

His next remarks brought laughter as Tutu told of dining in a restaurant and having a waiter notice his strange accent. The waiter asked Tutu if he was American. The waiter then asked, "Are you a famous singer or something?" Tutu told us, "I thought that was good for the soul," inspiring laughter from his captive audience.

He called it a privilege to come to our city, the first in our own nation to explore a truth and reconciliation effort.

Tutu recounted how some expected a race war in South Africa when apartheid was toppled.

Surely, black South Africans would desire revenge--perhaps in the form of violence--against the white South Africans who had treated its black countrymen with such thorough brutality and oppression.

Tutu argued that there was no doubt that the victory over apartheid would occur. In our modern universe, he said, there is no way that evil and injustice can have the last word. (I hope he is always ultimately correct in this view.)

Tutu praised the international community that protested on behalf of black South Africans against apartheid. He acknowledged American college students and others around the world for helping to change the moral climate in his own country.

Tutu said that it was fantastic to be able to say that black South Africans used to come asking for help and received support from abroad so that they are now free.

He pointed out how the skeptics and cynics predicted the most ghastly orgy of revenge but that the prophets of doom were proved wrong.

He added that those prophets of doom were proven wrong in part because of how the truth and reconciliation process amazed the world with the ability the forgive.

Many did call for Nuremberg-like trials as a means of securing so-called victor's justice.

But Tutu pointed out how devastating such trials would ultimately proven for his country.

Some complained that the perpetrators of apartheid were being let off lightly.

But Tutu asked, "Is this the case?"

He pointed out the far superior benefits of the restorative justice pursued through truth and reconciliation compared to retributive justice that focused instead on punishment.

Tutu emphasized that the essence of being human is that a person is a person to other persons.

"My humanity is caught up in your humanity. When you are dehumanized, I am dehumanized," he said.

Tutu said that God is smart: God created us so we can never be self-sufficient.

"I need you for what I lack as you need me for what you lack."

As Tutu remarked, we humans are created for interdependence; we can't say that others are superfluous.

He described how black South Africans gained knowledge of where the bodies were of loved ones who had been murdered. Even finding just a single bone of a loved one at least allowed for closure through a proper burial for that loved one.

As Tutu put it, "there can be no future without forgiveness."

He cited what occurs today too often in the Middle East with the neverending cycle of vengeful violence.

Toward the end of his address, Tutu said, "You and I are created by God to be like God. We each of us have a God-space within us."

He ended by mentioning some of the good things we are made for: laughter, compassion, caring, peace, joy, and happiness.

Tutu named some other great individuals: Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks.

Thank you, Guilford College, for arranging for one of the world's greatest leaders to address our community.

The lessons he shared are ones that will benefit any corner of our earth that embraces them, including our own corner right here in Greensboro.

The Ultimate Halloween Compliment

2005-11-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

Today was not Halloween.

It was the day after Halloween, the beginning of a brand new month.

Students returned to school today, having enjoyed an extra day off yesterday--it was set aside as a teacher workday, a day for teachers to get their grades for the first quarter turned in and work on anything and everything else that we try to keep up with.

A student had warned me last Friday of his post-Halloween plans.

He did not forget to follow through on his plans.

I believe he told me he made a special trip to the thrift shop just to buy a purplish dress shirt.

He wore olive green slacks.

No tie, which I told him ruined the overall effect.

Yes, folks, this young man, in the spirit of Halloween, dressed up as me!

I let him know how great he looked--not because I look great, but because he looked great AS ME. (It's kind of like me getting Tom Cruise or Denzel Washington or Brad Pitt to play me in a movie--automatically, the player looks better than the man getting played!)

I did criticize him for not wearing a tie. I wear the most gorgeous purple ties you've ever seen. My student should have done the same. (Of course, today, of all days, I'm tie-less, so I can't even take mine off and let him wear it. I know, like an extra cape, I should keep an extra tie or two handy at all times.)

Hey, just chill.

No worries.

He returns to Mr. Russillo's A.A., and not long after, he's coming back down the hall, wearing a spiffy purple tie.

I'm thinking, "Wow! Mr. Russillo had a spare purple tie just waiting for a student to put on. How cool!"

I take the young man's picture. (Stay tuned--I will post it if I can get his permission to do so!)

And I ask him, "Where'd you get that cool tie?"

And it's pointed out to me, it's a homemade tie. Made out of construction paper. I kid you not--I thought it was real!

So I learned that I've wasted a lot of money over the years buying beautiful ties. (Don't worry too much--I find them pretty cheap.) As it turns out, I could have made my own for an even cheaper price. Spill some spaghetti sauce on my brand-new tie? No problem. Just rip it off, throw it away and make a new one!

I didn't see this young man the majority of the day because I had to take my class down to the computer lab to take the state computer test. (New format and everything.)

But he made my day.

How many people can honestly say that someone dressed up as them for Halloween?

I know that lumps me in there with all kinds of devilish creatures--ghosts and vampires and monsters and the like--but still, I choose to take it as a compliment.

Thanks, Cody!

Dirty Political Sign Placement in High Point

2005-10-27T23:57:00.000-04:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Citizens in High Point will have the opportunity to vote Tuesday, November 8, 2005 to determine who will represent them on their city council.

In Ward 6, Timothy Daren Brown and Lisa Stahlmann are running against each other.

Over the last few weeks, more and more signs for High Point City Council candidates have started popping up on the roads I travel to get to my job at Southwest Guilford Middle School.

A couple nights ago, I noticed one well-placed sign for Lisa Stahlmann facing me from across the road as I arrived at a stop sign.

Anyone traveling the one-way street you must travel after leaving any of the three Southwest Guilford schools would ultimately arrive at this intersection.

Between stopping and making either a left or right turn, it would be difficult not to notice Mrs. Stahlmann's sign. I took a picture of the sign last night but did not post it. (I teach Mrs. Stahlmann's son and thought I might make a post about teaching the son of a candidate.)

As I left the school earlier this evening, I was greeted with a different sight: someone had placed a sign for Mr. Brown in front of Mrs. Stahlmann's sign.

I hope Mr. Brown had absolutely nothing to do with this dirty strategy.

I hope I am safe in assuming that Mr. Brown would just as well not have the support of someone who would stoop this low on his behalf.

I left the signs as they were and took a picture of what some poor, misguided soul did.

To have placed Mr. Brown's sign beside Mrs. Stahlmann's sign would have been fair game in my book.

But placing it directly in front of her sign can only be labeled as a dirty, "by-any-means-necessary" act by the kind of supporter any candidate would be better off without.

Hopefully a Brown supporter or Mr. Brown himself will have the decency to move the sign and discourage his supporters from behaving with blatant disrespect toward his opponent.

I wish the best to all the candidates for the High Point and Greensboro city councils.

I hope all candidates and their supporters will conduct themselves with respect and civility toward all, including their opponents.

Otherwise, your participation and involvement in our local politics is unwelcome and unwanted.

The Cartoon Is Straight, But The Subject Is Shaky

2005-10-25T23:33:00.000-04:00

I plead guilty: I love Plead the First.

Especially with material like this!

Cartoons like this and this are exactly what the News & Record needs more often.

I appreciate the cartoons they choose to print.

I just wish they'd add more local cartoons.

The wealth of material in this area may not be as grand as having PTL in your backyard, but we still have some mighty fine material that a talented cartoonist could surely mine and exploit without too much effort.

Three Great Halloween Flicks

2005-10-23T23:07:00.000-04:00

The movies I list below are a little less mainstream than the movies some prefer to associate with Halloween.

I would argue that your time would be better spent with these three movies than with most of the rest of the lot.

Two of these are far scarier than most, and all three are better than what many of you are probably used to seeing this time of year.

1) "Frailty" is one of the most chilling horror movies I've ever seen.

As I recall, it's Bill Paxton's directorial debut.

He also stars in it, along with Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe. (The movie also gets two very strong performances from its child stars, Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter.)

What makes the movie so disturbing is its involvement of children and religion.

When I first saw it in a theatre, I didn't walk out thinking "This could be true."

But I did walk out thinking, "What if this were true?"

(I may be making a shaky distinction here, but I think one can be made between those two responses.)

Bill Paxton can come across as one of the most down-to-earth characters you'd ever hope to meet (as he did as a sheriff in "One False Move"), and he has that effect in this movie.

That makes what he does and what he claims to be true even more frightening, I think.

He doesn't wear a mask, and he's not grotesque in appearance or in demeanor.

That somehow only makes his deeds come across as even more sinister.

And at the same time, you're eventually forced to step back and wonder if his deeds aren't actually a good thing, perhaps even God-directed.

It's a disturbing movie, and it's complicated in what it lays out also.

It's been awhile since I've seen it, but I know it left a powerful impression, and it definitely ranks as one of the best horror films I've ever seen--as well as much more than simply a horror film.

2) "Donnie Darko" focuses on a young, deeply disturbed teen who does things that only confirm to us that he needs a lot of help.

He's actually getting that help through a psychiatrist played by Katherine Ross (of "The Graduate" fame).

His parents are supportive and loving, but they don't seem to know what to do about their son's often anti-social ways.

He doesn't seem evil, but he does seem to be battling some internal demons.

In particular, a tall, dark bunny rabbit appears at times, talking to Donnie and telling him to do certain things that don't seem to be things he should be doing. Seeing this particular bunny may forever corrupt any previous images you may have had of cute little bunny rabbits.

The issue of time travel pops up, as do some interesting characters played by the likes of Drew Barrymore and Patrick Swayze. Their roles and purposes in the movie are varied. Jena Malone does a wonderful job as the new girl who makes the fateful decision to "go with" Donnie.

At the title character, Jake Gyllenhaal is great. He is likeable, and I found myself pulling for him, even as I recognized that he's hurting and in need of some help.

The ending is either one of the happiest or saddest endings to a movie, depending on how you choose to respond to it. In that respect, this is not your typical Halloween movie.

But there is an edge of darkness to it, and it is set around Halloween.

It's a genuinely all-around fascinating experience, regardless of whether its logic ultimately holds up.

3) "Dark Night Of The Scarecrow" was apparently made for TV.

I first saw it when I was probably too young to be seeing such a movie.

It scared me to death.

A young child is again a central character.

The story centers around an ugly, stupid vigilante group that forms in a small town when it's thought that a large, mentally challenged man savagely mauled a little girl.

Before giving themselves time to find out the truth--that the man they think harmed the little girl actually saved her from near-certain death at the jaws of a vicious dog--these men kill the low-functioning man who has hidden himself in scarecrow's clothes propped up on a stick out in the middle of a field.

One-by-one the men involved in the cold-blooded murder of an innocent meet the most horrible fates you can imagine.

One scene toward the end shows the little girl out in the field in the middle of the night holding a scarecrow's hand. She's talking to him, calling him by the name of the dead mentally challenged man, Bubba. (Bubba was played by Larry Drake.)

There's another chilling scene involving a tea kettle.

Another involving a silo.

Charles Durning, playing a mailman, stands out as the leader of the vigilante group.

This one's a whole lot scarier than your typical fare this time of year.

Blood and guts don't have to be a part of the recipe to stir up genuine fright.

(I'd almost be willing to suggest a remake of this movie, except that I'd be deeply afraid that Hollywood would mess it up. I believe you might be able to find this in some video stores, though I don't know if there is a DVD version. If not, there should be!)

If you've already seen these movies, or if you rent any of them to watch, let me know your own impressions. Also, what movies would you recommend that are a bit more out of the mainstream?

Repeated Stabbing of the Throat Doesn't Feel Great

2005-10-23T22:11:00.000-04:00

I didn't feel 100% Thursday. I felt weak and tired.

Friday morning provided a better clue as to what was wrong with me.

My throat hurt every time I swallowed, as if someone was stabbing me in the throat with a knife. (I've never had that done to me, and I don't actually know what it feels like--I'm speculating a little bit here.)

It's a sharp pain, and it makes you want to avoid swallowing.

I went into school since I didn't have a sub, but I started to think that it would probably be a good idea to arrange for covers.

My self-diagnosis, based on that pain I hadn't felt in several years but which I was pretty sure I had experienced before, was that I had strep throat. In addition to causing personal misery, it's also supposed to be highly contagious.

So I tried to keep away from everyone.

I got everything together during morning planning, and I arranged for covers, knowing how much I hated to put people in that position but also knowing that it was necessary for me to be able to leave and go see the doctor.

(Covers are fellow teachers who take over your class during your absence when you don't have a sub. If you want to ruin a teacher's day, put him or her in the position of having to cover for your class. Sometimes it's unavoidable. I don't have an exact count, but I think I've used covers a total of three days (maybe) during going-on-10 years of teaching. If at all avoidable, I make sure other teachers don't have to cover my class.)

Left school, went to the doctor, got my throat swabbed, and sure enough, when the doctor returned, he confirmed what I strongly suspected: I had strep throat.

Got my medicine, began taking it, slept a lot, watched some TV when awake, drank plenty of fluids, and now, Sunday evening, my throat is no longer in any pain when I swallow.

According to the doctor, I'm no longer contagious.

Plan to be back at work tomorrow.

Highlights of the weekend entirely indoors?

Got to watch Carolina beat Virginia 7-5. (I loved the way the game ended. You can't beat that kind of entertainment!)

Watched a favorite movie, "Donnie Darko." A good movie to see this time of the year. It is "R"-rated, primarily for its language--the characters don't always treat each other very well or say the nicest things to one another, which actually makes it similar to real life at times. I cry at the end of this movie every time I see it--there's something deeply touching about the ending, once you sit back and think about what just took place.

Greensboro Be Not Proud

2005-10-20T22:50:00.000-04:00

If you live in Greensboro, you should be ashamed by this cartoon (even though it might also inspire a guilty laugh or two).

I almost wish current members of the Greensboro City Council would abandon all hopes of re-election and vote in something worse than we can possibly imagine so that at least a voter or two more might wake up before the Tuesday, November 11th general election.

It extends much deeper and further than Greensboro.

It's an American issue too.

After 9/11, I fully thought that America was going to wake up for real.

Now, I would not argue that America ever really woke up.

We're still WIDE asleep, folks!

And very, very few of us care or have any meaningful embarrassment about all the things that should deeply inspire or shame us.

(It's NOT just an NBA thing!)

New NBA Dress Code Does Not Go Nearly Far Enough

2005-10-20T22:06:00.000-04:00

Click here and scroll down to see the style of dress I would require of NBA players if I was NBA Commissioner.

Too many NBA players are obviously not embarrassed by their words, actions, and overall behavior.

So let's force them to wear a style of dress that may embarrass them into earning back the freedom to wear what they want.

As a teacher, I make a chunk of what NBA players make. ("Chunk" implies a far greater portion of an NBA salary than I actually make!)

And I abide by a dress code.

I don't receive extra money to pay for my wardrobe.

I also have to follow a code of conduct that would result in a gigantic NBA labor loss if it was implemented for even one day for NBA players.

I whine a lot less than NBA players, though I promise you that I have an infinitely longer list of legitimate things to be complaining about.

And I'll be honest: when I deal with students whose behaviors and attitudes can only be described as horrible, I can very often step back and observe that they are merely emulating their favorite heroes in the sports and entertainment industries.

While we're discussing policy changes, let's change taxes so people in the sports and entertainment fields have to pay a special tax that supports higher salaries for teachers. (We could label it a "sin tax" for their poor behavior--I'm not opposed to only taxing the ones who misrepresent the beauty of basketball and the positive potential of the human race. And it's fine with me if it's applied to all areas of sports and entertainment that involve obscene profits and salaries.)

Let's also retire the NBA's public service announcements that feature NBA players touting higher values than they represent on and off the court--allegedly in the name of children.

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson: "It's just tough, man, knowing that all of a sudden you have to have a dress code out of nowhere. I don't think that's going to help the image of the league at all. ... It kind of makes it fake. The whole thing is fake."

Iverson beautifully summed up my attitude toward NBA public service announcements: "The whole thing is fake."

(I'm going to promise Mr. Sun and others not to refer to that post again--unless another great cause pops up--but it brightens my day every time I see it!)

Dudley Assistant Principal Feeds Aggie Pride

2005-10-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

Only a couple years ago, David Jarmon abandoned his post as a sixth-grade math and science teacher at Southwest Guilford Middle School to become assistant principal at my alma mater, James B. Dudley Senior High School.

Southwest's loss was definitely Dudley's gain.

But before any of this went down, Jarmon was an Aggie.

And he still is.

I almost missed the article in today's News & Record about Jarmon's tailgating exploits.

Titled "Game Day Gourmet," this article focuses on the extreme attention to detail these master tailgaters apply to their part-time trade.

It's no surprise that one of Jarmon's favorite pasttimes involves food.

But it's also important for people to know how much genuine love and concern he's shown children over the years.

I know he's having the same powerfully positive impact at Dudley that he had for years at Southwest Middle.

Anyone who's ever met Jarmon will never forget him. He makes that strong of an impression.

I know I'm not alone in missing him at Southwest.

I also know I'm lucky to be able to count him among my friends, and every time I hear from him or see him, it brings back all the good memories of when he was a fellow middle school teacher.

My only complaint is that Jarmon left many of us scarred for life, suffering from regular nightmares, when he crashed one of our pep rallies in a blond wig, a cheerleader's outfit, and pom poms.

You can't erase as frightening an image as that away from your memories.

Don't forget to check out the News & Record story!

There's a picture of Jarmon on the side too.

(NOT in his cheerleading uniform, in case you were afraid to check it out!)

No Biting, Ripping, Clawing, Chewing, Chomping, or Devouring Allowed!

2005-10-18T20:04:00.000-04:00

If you've been bitten lately, you may need more than a rabies shot . . .

Initial Rebirth Of NC NAACP Will Prove Disappointing Without Long-term Results

2005-10-18T19:12:00.000-04:00

The Editorial Staff of the Wilmington Journal shows no restraint in expressing its enthusiasm for the Rev. William Barber's victory against Skip Alston in the state NAACP presidency race.

"Rev. Barber’s victory was extraordinary, and certainly a blessing, because members were losing faith and trust in the leadership – if that’s what you want to call it – of the ethically-challenged Skip Alston, who fancied himself as an “insider” who got things done."

Also:

"Problem was under Alston, the NAACP wasn't standing for anybody, except Alston, who used it to further his profile, to advance his personal agenda."

The editorial includes this bold declaration:

"Our State NAACP has now been reborn."

Hopefully Barber will not fall prey to the same temptations that apparently influenced Alston's leadership.

Barber has won the election and deserves full support.

But he must also prove himself in his new role.

History has seen bad leadership replaced with worse leadership, and that is something neither the NAACP nor our state can afford to tolerate.

As we've seen with some of the regime changes our own country has helped orchestrate over the years, I hope we're not anxiously anticipating Barber's replacement ten years from now.

Winning an election is one of the most meaningless accomplishments a person can achieve in life; the significance of winning any election only comes from what you do with that victory.

I've heard great things about the Rev. Barber. From a distance, I've become a casual fan of his, particularly because of my own hopes that Alston would lose this election.

I hope some day to meet the Rev. Barber, and I hope that he exceeds everyone's positive expectations as president of the North Carolina NAACP.

(More about Barber from the Wilmington Journal. Continued thanks to the Political Agitator for keeping us all informed!)

Beware of Dark Vader and the Under Toad

2005-10-17T23:17:00.000-04:00

The Ramblin' Prose parents are already receiving requests for Halloween costumes from their children.

Abby and Camille seem more interested in their parents' costumes than their own.

Abby wants her mom to be a witch.

Camille thinks it'd be cool for her dad to become "Dark" Vader.

They've reminded me of that wonderful literary creation, the Under Toad, that fearsome, dream-haunting creature Garp warned his sons about in John Irving's "The World According to Garp."

Miraculously enough, they've also reminded me of a favorite Prince tune. At least Herb understands!

For Susan, my mentioning of the Under Toad begot memories of another Irving masterpiece, "A Prayer for Owen Meany." (I loved "The World According to Garp," but I'll have to agree with Susan that "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is on an even higher plane.)

Anyone else interested in adding a connection here?

Katherine Gold Recognized As Southwest Middle's September Teacher of the Month

2005-10-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

Teacher of the Month: Mrs. Katherine Gold

Grade Level: Sixth Grade

Team: The Herd

School: Southwest Guilford Middle School

Nominated by: Ashton Caldwell

Reason for the Nomination: I chose Mrs. Gold not only for her teaching but for her personality also. She is sweet but firm. She disciplines at the right time. I also enjoy the way she teaches. She helps you when you need it, and she is a person that you could talk to if you need to. These are some of the reasons I chose Mrs. Gold.

Additional Information About Mrs. Gold:

Mrs. Gold has lived in High Point her entire life. She earned her degree at High Point University and started her teaching career at Southwest Guilford Middle School in the fall of 1996. This school year is her tenth year teaching sixth-grade math and science. She and Bob Gold, her husband of seven years, have two sons, Bobby (4 years old) and Brandon (1 1/2 years old).

Additional Questions:

What's your best experience/memory as a teacher?

"There are so many. I guess my greatest memories come from when you're working with a child that is struggling and when you take him out of that full classroom and work with him by himself. You can start to see him understand too. It's true, all students can learn. Some just at their own pace. And I enjoy most seeing the light bulb go on, when it seems as though it's been off for awhile."

What else would you like to share about yourself or your teaching?

"I really enjoy teaching with all the staff at Southwest. They're a very special group of individuals."

What are some of your hobbies/interests, besides teaching?

"Watching TV, working out, and being outdoors, especially during the summer."

Congratulations to Mrs. Gold for this honor!

She is one of the many talented staff members at our school. In addition to being a top-notch teacher, Mrs. Gold is also one of the most genuinely nice people you could ever hope to know. Her students recognize and appreciate this trait, as do her fellow staff members. Our school is extremely fortunate to have her, and this honor is well-earned and much deserved.

Cowgirls Transform Themselves Into "Steel Magnolias"

2005-10-16T23:40:00.000-04:00

I almost didn't go to the 7:30 PM production of "Steel Magnolias" at Southwest Guilford High School Saturday evening.

I had just finished my People To People meeting and actually spent several minutes debating with myself whether to drive all the way over to the high school.

Only in hindsight can you sometimes appreciate what a good or bad decision you've made.

I definitely made the right decision: I got to the high school about 7:20 PM.

Besides the people I mentioned here, I also saw former student Lindsay James, who's now a sophomore at Gardner-Webb, as well as some parents of former students.

I discovered from the program that three of the six actresses in the play were students I had taught.

Ashley Martin played Truvy. She played the role of the sassy beauty salon owner exceptionally well, so much so that I had a difficult time recognizing her as the student I once taught. Ashley was one of the pioneer writers for the Rough Writers Express and was a pleasure to teach her eighth-grade year. It was very cool to see her playing Truvy. One of the many great laughs of the evening was when she made her appearance in Act II with a way-out-there hairdo--not that I'd ever laugh at someone else's hairdo!

Kerri Lowe played Shelby. It is not a surprise to see Kerri on stage. She was a member of our school's Odyssey of the Mind team as a seventh grader, and she was one of the hosts of our school's "SW1" TV show as an eighth-grader. She also does ballet. Again, watching Kerri in this role was like seeing a completely different person. Kerri's one of the top intellectuals I've ever known as a students--the main common link between her and Shelby is their strong sense of independence.

All of the characters require great skill by the actresses who are going to play them. Mattie Swanson played Ouiser, and every appearance she made in the play represented attention-getting at its best. Her grand entrances were always dramatic, and the most amazing thing was that she didn't break down laughing herself because her performance was hilarious. Mattie had a great attitude in the eighth-grade and was also a very good student. It takes a special person to be so comfortable in their own skin that they're so completely unafraid to inhabit a role such as the one of Ouiser.

The other three actresses were super also.

As M'Lynn, Sonja Makitan brought tears to my eyes--literally--as she captured the pain and suffering of losing her daughter, Shelby.

Larissa Shirley as Clairee played a wonderful foil to Mattie Swanson's Ouiser.

Rachel Smith did a great job capturing the drastic changes Annelle goes through after being hired to work at Truvy's beauty salon. I checked with fellow teacher Jim Bellows to make sure I was thinking of the right Rachel Smith, and he confirmed that she's the same student who was a member of our school's wrestling team as an eighth-grader. She's obviously multi-talented.

The common quality of all of these talented young actresses is how obviously unafraid they are to pour themselves into roles far different from their own personalities.

There were some wonderful lines in the play, ones that came back to me as ones I had heard before in the movie version.

It's a testament to their abilities as actresses that their performances elicited exactly the emotions and reactions you'd want your audience to experience.

There were countless out-loud laughs from the audience.

I don't know how many eyes became wet during the performance, but I'd be lying if I tried to claim that my own eyes didn't get a little wet. (And just as suddenly as that started to happen, a very funny moment in the play occurred, jerking my emotions back-and-forth rather manipulatively and impressively.)

These are a few of the lines you may recall:

"No such a thing as natural beauty." (from a beauty salon owner's perspective)

"It's the 80s, if you can achieve puberty, you have a past." (sad but often true, maybe even more so now than in the 80s)

"There was something attractive about how stupid he looked (dancing)." (referring to a man that would some day become her husband--do women really think we look stupid when we're doing our best to impress?)

"The nicest thing I can say about her is all her tattoos are spelled correctly." (ouch!)

"I could just spit." (hilarious hearing Mattie as Ouiser deliver this line, for multiple reasons)

The last performance was Saturday evening. Otherwise, I'd insist that you make the same trek I did over to the high school.

I'll try to let you know in advance about their next performance.

Yes, the performers and behind-the-scenes folks are high school students.

But I promise: as you're watching the performance, you'll quickly and completely forget that.

Behind-the-Scenes Stars Of "Steel Magnolias"

2005-10-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

It's been years since I last saw "Steel Magnolias." I remember enjoying it and thinking it was a very good movie. I recall memories of laughing and crying.

But the specific details of the story had become vague--I wouldn't dare label them "specific" any more, at least not in my mind.

My mom told me earlier in the week that she was planning to attend the play version of "Steel Magnolias" at Southwest Guilford High School--the daughter of some friends from church was going to be in it. (Larissa Shirley attended Penn-Griffin Middle School her eighth-grade year, so I didn't have the opportunity to teach her.)

And Jim Bellows, a seventh-grade math teacher at Southwest Guilford Middle School, had told me that Kerri Lowe, a student we had both taught, had invited us to attend.

So after my People to People Student Ambassadors meeting at UNC-G, I traveled down the road to Southwest Guilford High School, arriving just a few minutes before it was scheduled to begin.

Before I even made it inside the theatre, I got to see Gina Greer, Brad Becton, Chris Nielsen, and Joanna Canipe.

I taught Chris Nielsen a few years ago. He's an intelligent young man who's now applying his talents as a carpenter and member of the stage crew. Chris's appearance has changed drastically since he was in the eighth-grade--he inhabits a different body and his hair is very different from back then. I'm embarrassed every time he has to re-introduce himself to me, at which point I'm able to look a little closer and recognize his faint resemblance to his eighth-grade self.

Joanna Canipe was awesome as an eighth-grader, and she doesn't seem to have lost that quality. As a senior, she's already a published poet, and she's obviously involved in the plays Southwest puts on. I have not seen her perform on stage yet, but I remember her powerful voice from her eighth-grade year. Even her classmates, recognized her superior voice when she read out loud in class.

I didn't teach Gina Greer and Brad Becton, but I had the pleasure of getting to know them as eighth-graders.

Gina Greer was a strong, positive force on our Rough Writers Express student newspaper staff its first year of publication. She also was one of our track stars, breaking school records in the shot put.

Brad Becton was the only eighth-grader on our school's Odyssey of the Mind team a couple years ago. We actually had more sixth-graders than members from the older classes that year, and those sixth-graders are now in the middle of their own eighth-grade year.

Katie Scott, who was a member of my Positive Publicity Plus poster-making club, served as the play's Stage Manager.

Kathryn Szelkowski, whom I taught a few years ago, served as Assistant Stage Manager. It was great to find out she was involved in this production.

Josh Hodgson, now a senior, was also one of my students. I've seen him perform on stage a few times, and I've always thoroughly enjoyed his performances. But for this production, he served as Technical Director.

Also, from the program for "Steel Magnolias," the following people deserve recognition:

Tanya Hiller served as director, and Jeff Aguiar was the Assistant Director.

Hannah Ratcliff served as Sound Operator.

The Deck Crew included Brandy Thompson and Paris Torrence.

Special thanks to Margaret Hodgson, Lisa Lowe, Sue Nielsen, Jonathan Scott, Diane Mildon-Smith, Dawn Hurt, Dudley's Beauty School, Donnelle Bivens, Josh Broadwell, and Melissa Kernstine. (I taught Donnelle Bivens also--the program did not identify his role in the play, and I didn't get to see him at the play.)

Congratulations to all of these individuals for the phenomenal job they did on this production! It was a tremendous all-around success.

Preparing For My Fourth Year of Travel With Ambassadors

2005-10-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

I'm preparing for my fourth summer of travel as a team leader for students traveling with People to People's Student Ambassador and Sports Ambassador programs.

The orientation for nominated students and their families from this area was held at UNC-G's Elliott Center Saturday.

The orientation sessions were set up for the different age brackets.

I attended the last one for fifth and sixth graders. It began at 5:00 PM, but families began arriving as early as 4:00 PM.

We gave students their own application booklets, as well as a "Meet Your Delegation Leader" sheet and a "Student Ambassador Interview Information" sheet.

The presentation, which included two short films about the program, an explanation of the application process, and brief statements by students who have traveled before and their parents, lasted about an hour.

This year's trip for fifth and sixth graders from this area is called the 2006 Yosemite Adventure.

I've been to California three times before and have always loved Yosemite. It's been nearly 10 years since my last visit so I'm excited about this opportunity. Plus, it will be neat to observe young students experiencing Yosemite for the first time.

We will also spend time in San Francisco.

Two of my colleagues at Southwest Guilford Middle School will hopefully be traveling with me this year: Diane Cook, an E.C. teacher, and Justin Horne, a fellow eighth-grade language arts teacher.

Special thanks to Tony Hairston, yet another eighth-grade language arts teacher at Southwest, for making this opportunity available for others and me.

How Can The News & Record Make Its Opinion Pages Even Better?

2005-10-15T02:31:00.000-04:00

Editorial Page Editor Allen Johnson:

"The News & Record is exploring ways to make its opinion pages livelier, more open and more informative. And we need your help.

Please share your ideas on the kinds of changes or additions you'd like to see."

Allen shares some of the suggestions readers submitted.

I agree with Chewie's comment:

"In case no one else said it, regarding #4:

Whatever you do, please don't eliminate Leonard Pitts. He gets better every year."

(Someone actually recommended, "Eliminate Leonard Pitts, who contributes nothing." I wish I could express "nothing" as well as Pitts does!)

These are the suggestions I submitted:

1. They should do it on their own, but invite all municipal candidates for the general election to submit a brief statement about why voters should choose them. Devote a portion of the opinion pages to these candidates in the days leading up to the November 11th election.

2. I've seen announcements on the editorial pages for "young" writers, but I've gotten the impression that these notices have drawn relatively low interest. One of the absolute best additions to the News & Record has been "The 'Boro." The opinion pages should aggressively shoot for something very similar in nature. I don't mean to devote quite the amount of space that goes toward "The 'Boro." But create a regular teen opinion column. This is one area where I believe the High Point Enterprise has done a better job over the years. Doug Clark may have more insight into that--I never have checked out the HPE as much as I should, but I do know that over the years its had some form of a regular teen opinion column.

3. I love the News & Record and all that it offers. But it's a travesty that it doesn't have a regular cartoonist to cover local "stuff." With all the homegrown, ready-to-be-exposed-and-exploited material we have right under our noses!?! The Rhino(ceros Times) beats the News & Record in this one area. To me, this would be an excellent investment for the opinion pages--a regularly appearing cartoon that captures our local flavor is one of the most needed additions at this time.

4. More regular use of specific topics to invite a diversity of voices on that topic. This is used sporadically--make it a more regular feature.

5. Believe it was the "Public Pulse." Do that, but rotate more folks in and out. Or at least bring it back. I liked that feature.

6. Would be curious for more regular columns from Tracie Fellers and Ken Irons. Maybe it's not in the cards for them to be weekly like Allen and Doug. But it'd be cool to hear from them through their own at least occasional columns.

7. Continue to think of creative, interesting ways to promote blogging--both the newspaper's own blogs and other blogs in our community. The pieces devoted to (David) Wharton and (Joe) Guarino were great! Continue to do that when it fits and works. Same for "Mixing It Up."

8. Forums sponsored by the News & Record and others have been beneficial for our community, particularly when coupled with extensive news coverage of accompanying issues. Nice combined effort of news and editorial sections. Figure out additional worthwhile topics and issues. Connect with other sponsors, as you've been doing.

9. Continue to tap the local universities and colleges.

10. Believe you've done so before, but continue inviting readers in for roundtable discussions about the newspaper, blogging, and our community.

Fans of Purple Can Be Found At Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

2005-10-15T00:29:00.000-04:00

WARNING: The title of this post may be completely inaccurate. But you may have to read to the end to find out why.

I posted this last night. If you missed it, click here to see a thing of beauty!

It attracted the interest of this commenter:

"Cool Fan !! Are the blades made of soft foam? Where can we get one???"

Yes, the fan's blades are indeed made of soft foam.

Since it was a gift from my father, I didn't know how much the fan cost.

I was figuring it might have cost at least a few hundred dollars for such a priceless item.

But I wanted to get a more precise figure so that you'd know how much money you needed to start setting aside.

Not knowing a better source than the gift-giver himself, I had a great excuse to visit my dad earlier this evening! (Any excuse is a good excuse, as Fecund Stench reminds us).

I have set up the fan in my classroom, and it has generated a respectable level of student interest. A few students have asked me where I got my fan; they want to get one too!

I showed my dad the "purple fan" post and asked him where he'd gotten the fan from and how much it had cost.

He left the room for a minute and returned with a box containing a pink version of the fan he'd given me. On the outside of the box, it had a price tag of $9.99.

But when he got it a couple weeks ago, Dad told me he'd gotten it for half price.

Who wouldn't have bought at least two of these fans under such circumstances?!

And where did he get the fans?

Bed, Bath, and Beyond, of course!

My Dad told me he didn't have any plans for the pink fan.

I told him Brother Brice of Greenville, South Carolina's Bonefish Grill might like one.

I know you're already rushing away from your computer, grabbing your keys, and jumping into your car so that you can head on over to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and pick up one of these babies for your own pad (or classroom).

I'd call first. They may have already sold out.

In that case, you may want to put in your own special order . . . for yourself . . . or for a loved one . . . or for perfect strangers whose lives you hope to brighten.

Hey, can you think of a more perfect gift for a birthday or Christmas or any other gift-giving holiday?

Folks, as you probably already guessed, there are on-line options: there's purple, pink, and even turquoise.

Listed price?

$7.49.

At this point, you're no doubt already jumping up and down, enthusiastically singing "Let's Go Crazy!"!

Yes, let's!

But before you go crazy, please keep in mind that these fans are listed as part of a clearance.

I only wish you the best in getting your hands on one.

'Cause as everyone knows, nothing makes you cooler than owning a cool fan.

Midnight Riders Poster Unveiled

2005-10-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

Since about my second year of teaching, I've been a member of the Midnight Riders Team at Southwest Guilford Middle School.

Drew Sparks (social studies teacher) and I (language arts teacher) are two of the original Midnight Riders. Renee Faenza (math) is working on long-term status as a Midnight Rider now. (If my math's correct, this is year number five for Mrs. Faenza as a Midnight Rider.) Steve Russillo (science) just joined the team this school year and is a welcome edition to the team.

We just received posters, like the one above, with our new logo prominently displayed.

Our team tee-shirts and hoodies--with all of our students' names on them--should be arriving any day now.

We have a new person to thank for our team clothing gear this year. (I believe it was her idea to get the posters printed for us. We have four of them, one for each teacher on our team. Wonder if we should try selling the posters for the students?)

I want to get permission before letting everyone know who deserves credit and thanks for hooking our team up so well.

Pretty soon, I plan to share information about the Rough Writers Express, our school newspaper. That's a different story, for a different day.

A Purple Fan In My Hand

2005-10-13T20:27:00.000-04:00

"Alston Needs To Close His Achievement Gap" (letter to the editor)

2005-10-13T18:59:00.000-04:00

A letter to the editor I submitted Sunday evening appeared in today's News & Record.

I don't know if Skip Alston will read it or take to heart what it says.

But for his political future and the all-around sake of our community, I hope Alston will realize how important it is for him to change the way he too often has chosen to do business.

Multiple Personalities: Playing Both Good Cop And Bad Cop With Skip Alston

2005-10-13T00:21:00.000-04:00

I try to think very carefully about what I'm saying.

In some ways--maybe many ways--I do too much of that.

One thing I set out to do is to try to look at issues from as many different angles as possible.

When I write, I try to take into consideration how others might read what I write. That's important when I'm trying to make a point that I'm hoping others will get.

Tone is another very important consideration. Do I want to come across as angry? Sympathetic? Scholarly? Down-to-earth? I'm always interested in maintaining my own voice, but I own more than one voice. My voices are as diverse as my emotions. I switch codes, depending on my level of personal involvement in issues, the purpose of my writing, who my audience is, and a whole host of other variables.

When I read that Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston had been defeated and would no longer be the N.C. NAACP's president, I knew it was something I wanted to write about.

I got comfortable behind the computer and began typing away. Most of it flowed out pretty smoothly--it was a subject I felt strongly about and already knew where I stood.

I read back over it several times, did make a few changes, but for the most part, the piece remained intact just as it had poured out of me.

It was too long. I knew that. But I decided it still included many worthwhile things for Alston and others to consider. I decided not to whittle it away, even with the knowledge that I might be better off taking the time to sharpen it. Time was a factor. It was late, and I didn't want to drag it out endlessly either.

I actually called my father who was on vacation in Las Vegas and read the entire piece over the phone. If you've read the whole thing yourself, you know that my father has some patience--it took a few minutes to read out loud like that.

He said he thinks it's one of the best pieces I've written.

I've spent longer working and reworking certain letters to the editor so that I can get them exactly the way I want them to be.

And listening to something being read to you over the phone is not the same as reading the words on the page. Our minds process words differently, depending on how we receive them.

At any rate, my dad thought I had expressed my thoughts well on the subject.

I spent a portion of Sunday turning it into a letter to the editor.

At Converge South, News & Record Editor Allen Johnson had been asked if blogging was keeping regular letter writers from writing as much. He mentioned that it may have had some effect and that I was one of the fairly regular letter writers who did not seem to be submitting as many letters as I had prior to becoming a blogger. (My letter writing has always come and gone in waves, depending on my moods and what's been going on in my personal life.)

If I'm correct, my last three letters to the editor have come about because of subjects I've been in the process of blogging about (the International Civil Rights Center and Museum; blogging as a political tool; and Skip Alston's present opportunity to clean up his act in the face of his humbling defeat).

So I finish the letter to the editor, and finally reaching a comfort level with what I'm about to submit, I e-mail it to the News & Record.

Two days later, I receive a message from Becky Layton that she needs me to call back to confirm that I've submitted a letter. That call almost always means the newspaper's planning to print it.

That evening, I shared the right-under 200-word letter with my father.

When he feels that I've done a great job, he tells me.

But he's not afraid to let me know if something I've written doesn't entirely work for him.
This piece had that effect: it didn't work that well for my dad.

One of the problems, he confessed, was that he was so struck by the longer piece, particularly its tone of forgiveness and the chance for redemption, that the letter to the editor paled by comparison.

My dad didn't think the letter maintained the same tone; he felt like it had become more of an attacking letter than what I had posted already on my blog.

I read over the letter and thought about his points.

Ultimately, I was able to see exactly what he was talking about.

I had not maintained the higher ground that is almost always preferable. I had done so on my blog, but when I'd tried to condense it all into a letter to the editor, I had ended up focusing more on the negative past instead of the positive possibilities for the future.

The News & Record bailed me out on this one.

This morning, they excerpted a very positive portion of what I wrote about Skip Alston on my blog. The part printed in the News & Record's "Mixing It Up" section on its editorial pages is full of hope and faith in all that Alston has the potential to do and be.

In a few days, the letter to the editor should appear. Its tone is definitely different, harsher and more critical.

I like the balancing act these juxtaposed pieces will allow me, between criticizing Alston for where he's been and what he's done and letting him and others know that I don't hold permanent grudges as long as honest behaviors and attitudes are involved.

It's kind of like playing your own multiple personality version of "Good Cop/Bad Cop."

"Bad Cop" should appear as a letter to the editor within the next few days

WFMY Owes An Apology To The Candidates And A Correction For Us All

2005-10-12T00:20:00.000-04:00

As Roch Smith, Jr. reports over at Greensboro101.com, WFMY did not cover the election accurately.

The way they reported the results will almost certainly have at bare minimum a subconscious effect on how citizens participate and vote in the general election on Tuesday, November 8, 2005.

WFMY should apologize to the candidates whose campaigns may have been harmed by how the results were reported.

And a clear, thorough correction should also be a part of their follow-up.

Congratulations, Best Wishes, and An Offer To Help All Remaining Candidates

2005-10-12T00:06:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to all of the Greensboro City Council candidates who will be advancing to the general election Tuesday, November 8, 2005.

I thank the other candidates for their positive participation in our democracy. I also wish them the best in their future pursuits.

If you're a candidate who's advancing but did not pick up as many votes as you would have liked, I strongly urge you to start a blog TODAY. And use it EVERY DAY between now and the election to engage our community and make your voice truly known.

Write a letter to the editor for the News & Record, the Rhinoceros Times, and Yes! Weekly right now to publicize yourself and your blog.

Go door-to-door.

Attend community events and meet more strangers than you've ever met in such a short period of time.

Send me your news, and I'll post it on my blog. I'm an equal-opportunity provider. And my offer to post your news on my blog is completely FREE. I'll help spread your good word. Just send me well-written releases and quality information to seymfloy@aol.com.

I highly recommend at least all of the above steps, not to mention all the steps I've failed miserably to mention.

If you don't at least take all of the above steps, consider dropping out and sparing your energy for other pursuits and efforts.

At-Large Candidate Joel Landau Invites Citizens To Visit His Website

2005-10-12T00:03:00.000-04:00

GREENSBORO – Voters heading to the polls in Tuesday’s city council primary can get an in-depth understanding of candidate Joel Landau at his web site, www.JoelLandau.com.

The at-large candidate’s responses to questionnaires from The League of Women Voters, the Sierra Club, the News & Record and Yes! Weekly have all been posted in full on the web site, providing a snapshot of Landau’s views on air and water quality, urban sprawl, corporate incentives, the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission, transparency and accountability in government, and a wide array of other subjects.

Landau, 54, has been a resident of Greensboro for 21 years. He has experience in small business management, budget review and cooperative decision-making. He is running on a platform which stresses open, accountable government, and citizen involvement in the decisions that affect their lives and neighborhoods. To schedule an interview or speaking engagement, call the campaign scheduler, Elaine at 605-0143 or email Scheduler@JoelLandau.com