October 12, 2004
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The Daily News
1 Yesterday I found through Ms. Hooper that three keys on the acoustic piano in the lab were damaged. Um...folks? If you accidentally messed up an instrument, please report it. If you did it thorugh vandalism, get help. Why on Earth would you seek to vandalize something in this building, where you have top-notch teachers working their tails off for the kids?
2 Actually, why would you vandalize ANYTHING, ANYWHERE on this campus? It shows an incredible amount of thoughtlessness and sloth.
3 Kindly reconsider.
4 Show respect for the arts, for goodness sakes. How sad, really.
5 Okay, so let us sally forth. Grades are due on Wednesday, so I might warn a lot of you NOT to drive your teachers crazy today, even if you are "trapped" for two hours. Maybe, just maybe, you could spend that time learning, listening, and getting yourselves smarter. What a concept.
6 My, oh my.
7 I spent a good part of last evening looking over students' works, giving constructive criticism, and enjoying some bright writing, an art that I certainly hope to teach, and that I hope a lot of you will try to master.
8 That's what we teachers want, more than you'll ever imagine. Sometimes when we are grading, we get upset at laziness, inattention, immaturity, and all the rest, because no matter what else, we do model the spirit of hard work and perseverance. We MODEL it.
9 Look to the BEST teachers you have. Do they slack? Do they quit, or get ornery when things don't go their way? Or do they smile, and see every "problem" as a challenge, smile, encourage, and work until they can't see?
10 Does Tracy Wolcott whine and moan, or get lazy? Does Paz Rocha? Does Heidi Hooper? How about Coach Jimmy of Tennis fame? Beth Kilduff? These are fighters, tough workers who don't laze out on you, who WORK hard to be the very best. I could name a whole bunch more teachers, but you get the drift.
11 So yeah. Just letting off a little steam after seeing vandalized pianos and sloppy, lazy efforts in my English class. I just wanted a lot of you to think about the virtues of working hard, of being tough, and of pushing yourselves to realizing your true potential.
12 And role models are allowed to laugh, enjoy others, and even let off a little steam now and again. We aren't saints by any means, just people who work hard, and want nothing but the best and good times for our students. And we are all tough generals in the war against idiocy. Enlist now.
13 Enough of that. Let's get back to normal things. I understand Eminem's new video Just Lose It, lampooning Michael Jackson has the gloved-one up in arms, to the point of a massive lawsuit. Among other things, it has Eminem dressed as Jackson, dancing, when his nose flies off, and he jumps to the ground groveling for it. I hear it gets worse, but my! Nothing like a little controversy to start things off.
14 And in baseball, some fun stuff! After years of being kept out of the playoffs by the ever-obnoxious Atlanta Braves, Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and the Houston Astros are in it, after having STOMPED the Braves in enemy territory, 12-3. A HUGE tomahawk-chop in yo face!!
15 And, oh my! Tonight, in Yankee Stadium, we once again have the Yankees and Red Sox. The Yankees always seem to get to the Series, and the Red Sox...uh, can you say, "1918"?? The past few years have seen these two in some bloody battles, so this should be a huge one. Like most Americans, I am rooting against the Yankees, because unless you're from New York, and a Yankee fan, that's the American way!!
16 And that's about it, sports' fans. All apologies for the lecture, but I ain't erasing it. Read it, and become a powerhouse.
17 That's all, folks.
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