Sudden Death

The sudden death of a friend or family member changes us. Adults like to say that teenagers think they are indestructible. They don't really think that. They just don't think. Period. We all have moments when our thoughts lapse and we make mistakes. Often, those mistakes are forgiven by the fates. Sometimes, they aren't. The quick text while driving. Reaching for something on the floorboard...just for a second. Walking out of the house with the burner left on the stove. Backing up without checking our mirrors. Assuming we are healthy without getting a physical exam. Over the past few weeks, three young athletes have collapsed and died after games in which they excelled. Sudden death. From triumph to tragedy in the blink of an eye.

How are we supposed to come to terms with death? It's too late for bargaining or deal-making. Death has come to live among us. Death has taken one of our own and left a void. We can fill that void with bitterness and blame, anger and accusation. That path leads to destruction. But why? Why did this person have to die? The question is valid, but no good answer exists. We search our faith and spirituality for answers that will bring comfort and help us accept the loss and keep moving forward with life. For Christians, a heavenly reunion awaits. And yet, in our friend's home, the grief has just begun. Always, always.

As my student said to me after attending the funeral of his friend...our innocence is lost. 

Death swirls around us, touching strangers everyday with terror and torment. And then, it touches someone we love, and the meaning of death becomes real. It is the end of physical existence. For those who were loved by others, existence lives on in memory and longing and love.

Too many browsers!

Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer -- which browser is best? The web page you're working on will look and work differently depending on which browser you are using. This is one situation where I think we have too many choices. Why can't one download of Media Player or Flash work for all the various browsers? I try to remember the KISS theory -- Keep It Simple... We're trapped behind the lines in a marketing war. Technology is supposed to improve our lives and simplify our tasks. We've got a long way to go!

Accepting Change

Do you have a choice? Change happens whether we are ready to accept it or not. Change can be forced on you by circumstance, or it can be embraced with joyful abandon. The start of a new academic year brings with it tremendous change for students who are new to college. It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s frustrating. It’s wonderful. Day to day experiences create opportunities to adapt to change -- new people, new classes, new roommates. Some of it works; some of it doesn’t.

Deal with it. This is real life. Take it from someone who spent too much time looking back. The past is over. Keep your eyes focused on today and the opportunities that might come your way...today.

Backseat Driving

Forty miles into the trip and I'm on the phone looking for something we left in the hotel last weekend in Dallas. Not a good start.

Sticks, stones and words that hurt

One of my new students this semester loves to read. That shouldn't be such a surprise. After all, I teach college classes, which require hours of reading. When I ask my students each semester about their reading habits, many of them say they don't like to read. Two recent studies confirm the value of reading for children as well as adults.

Of course, I came across this information through my reading. A newspaper columnist last week wrote about a study comparing early language development in professional, working class and welfare families. Children from welfare families had smaller vocabularies and received fewer statements of encouragement from their parents than children from working class or professional households. The study revealed that by age four, children from homes where parents were professionals were exposed to 30 million more words than children from welfare families.

Teachers and schools are held accountable for student performance. Maybe it's time we started holding parents accountable for those crucial early years of language development.

Another study that followed a group of nuns for many years revealed that the complexity of thought is a factor in Alzheimer's patients. The nuns whose language development was more extensive at a young age had less risk of contracting Alzheimer's disease as they grew older.

We've all heard the saying that "a mind is a terrible thing to waste." Reading to young children unlocks their potential. Words do matter, and words of encouragement and praise are important.

Who makes the rules?

Panola College has a smoking policy that prohibits smokers from lighting up within 25 feet of a building entrance. The policy was approved by the board but has not been enforced...but that is changing this month.

I hate smoking so I'm all for the new rule. Smoking infringes on the rights of nonsmokers because it fouls the air. Students who smoke probably don't realize that the odor permeates their clothes, backpacks, hair and breath.

The rule will be inconvenient for smokers who will have to stand outside or sit in their cars to smoke, but it will bring a breath of fresh air and less litter to our campus.

Two weeks in...

What is it that's so exhausting about starting a new semester? New kids on the block don't know the difference between the MIL, MAR, RHEA, GUL and STU buildings. High school students are on campus from 8 to noon.  Late registration ended yesterday, so we're really just getting the semester started.

Planning your life around a college semester works great, until the unexpected happens...illness, death, accident or some other disaster disrupts the ordinary routine of a 16-week term. To the people at a community college, you're more than just a number, so when these things happen, talk to someone about your options. Stop by the office of Student Success in the Miller Administration Building and ask to talk to an advisor, or talk to your professor.

Let's hope disaster doesn't strike you this spring. Let's hope inspiration strikes you and energizes you to approach your courses with excitement and enthusiasm. Here's hoping Spring 2010 turns out to be a great semester for you!