Starry Eyed Surprise

“We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody’s perfect. I think we are all somewhat screwy, every single one of us.” -Johnny Depp

Living with ADHD

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 6:57 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

 

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is defined as a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity or a combination of them all. It can be treated with medicine and therapy; it’s a long-term condition so it isn’t something you can grow out of. 8.4% of school-aged children are diagnosed with ADHD. A lot of parents just assume that their kids have a behavioral problem and the kids can go years without being diagnosed with ADHD, on of those kids is Tyler Loeslein.
Tyler was born in South Carolina on a military base in 1992, her father died before she was born leaving her mother alone with a child. Katherine Schwedler, her mother, eventually remarried and now Tyler has 3 younger brothers. Tyler’s stepfather, Jorma Schwedler, has been the only father she’s ever known so in her mind, he is.
When Tyler was growing up her parents started noticing her inability to focus on one thing for very long. It got so bad that they took her to a doctor. The doctor told them that it was just a behavioral problem having to do with not knowing her dad, so they sent her off to therapy. All through elementary and junior high it got worst and nothing was helping. Finally her parents took her to a different doctor and she was diagnosed with ADHD.
“I knew, I mean there had to be something wrong with me. I honestly couldn’t focus on anything for too long and most of my friends looked at me like I was crazy sometimes. My parents were relieved that I wasn’t just one of those troubled kids. They started me on Ritalin and that first school day taking it was horrible. I got in trouble because I got up and started pacing in the classroom; I just couldn’t sit. It made me feel like I needed to get things done in hyper speed, I was so focused and I had never felt like that before so I didn’t know what to do with it,” stated Tyler.
With her strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, freckles and a contagious smile, her mother decided that cheerleading would be a good outlet to help with all of the extra energy. She was right, when Tyler started cheering it helped a lot by teaching her to focus and use up some of the extra energy, but another problem was about to show it’s face. The Ritalin Tyler was taking had diminished her appetite; she had a hard time eating more than one small meal a day when she took her medicine.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to eat; it was that she honestly couldn’t choke down the food. She tried to not take the medicine on the weekends so she could eat normal portions, but it wasn’t enough. Not realizing the harm she was doing, she covered up her little problem. She didn’t want to give her parents another problem to deal with.
“I remember thinking that they were going to be mad at me because I couldn’t control myself. They really didn’t have any clue what I was going through so I fought my battles myself. I tried eating as much as I could and ended up vomiting most of it up when I was on the medicine. After awhile it happened at school and that’s when I got caught. I was in the bathroom puking my guts up and I heard the door open. I tried to act like nothing was going on but my English teacher knocked on the stall door. I opened it and started crying.” Tyler said.
Tyler finally told her parents and they took another trip to the doctor, she was prescribed a lower dose of Ritalin. Everything seemed to be working out for a while, but another problem was on its way. The lower dose wasn’t working as well and Tyler again was having trouble focusing and this time her grades were suffering. Her parents didn’t know what to do and that’s when the relationship between Tyler and her parents started to suffer.


“It wasn’t there fault, they just didn’t know how to handle it. My grades were dropping, my parents were yelling and I was becoming depressed. This was my junior year and that was the year I started becoming depressed. My life was pretty much falling apart and I just couldn’t handle it. “

Pitbull Perception Problem

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 2:39 am on Friday, November 30, 2012

I read a couple different articles this week and this is one that really irks me. The article is about how pit bull’s have a bad reputation because of the dog fighting. There are people being turned down in Maryland for renting a place because they have pit bull’s all because some person didn’t take care of their dog properly and it ended up getting out and hurting people. This isn’t a breed problem; it’s an owner problem. A court actually ruled pit bull’s specifically to be “inherently dangerous.” Thankfully there are people doing something about it. According to the article the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) is trying to explain that it’s not the breed that is the problem. People are getting the information wrong and blowing it all out of proportion.

The reason this annoys me so much is that my best friend’s family has had pit bull’s for a long time, the oldest one has been in our lives since we were 4 years old and we’ve never had a problem. I can remember times when we were walking this dog and other people walking would move across the street, that isn’t fair at all. To assume just because it was a pit bull that it would attack, let’s not consider that too young girls were walking the dog and completely fine. It’s an unfair accusation due to people being ignorant. This is an important article because people need to be educated on the truth.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/living/mnn-pitbull/index.html?hpt=us_c2

3rd stories

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 4:32 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012

Every dancers nightmare is the argument that starts with “dance isn’t a sport.” It’s an argument that has been brought up many times and while the facts prove dance should be a sport and yet Iowa doesn’t recognize it as one.  (Kari McLeod’s quote) The definition of a sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another. Dance definitely fits in that category. Most dancers practice daily and have competitions against other dancers. These competitions are judged and awarded places on a points system. Doesn’t it sound like a sport to you?

 

In the workplace skill and work ethic should be the basis for your employment. In recent years tattoos have been a big deciding factor for getting hired or not. Why should this say anything about your skill or work ethic? A tattoo doesn’t define how you work. (Tyler Loeslein’s quote) Although many places are letting up on their rules on tattoos, there are still places discriminating against them. The simple fact is that 36% of 18-25 year olds and 40% of 26-40 year olds have at least one tattoo. That is a big majority of who is working or looking for work.

 

Cold and flu season is upon us and one of the worst places to be is school. Whether it’s elementary, high school or college, being all packed together is the best place for germs to spread. Have no fear; there are ways of preventing yourself from getting sick. Obviously we have all heard “wash your hands!” from every adult since the time we were children, but what else can help in prevention? One of the best ways to decrease your chance of getting sick is to eat healthy. Making the right food choices can help your immune system. Another immune booster is exercise; it is a fact that active people are sick less. Drinking juices that come from citrus fruits like orange juice is a great and easy way to help keep you healthy. (Cat) So if you want to avoid being sick this year try taking some of these precautions. Stay healthy!

Nanny charged with murder

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 6:05 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012

A nanny in New York was charged with murder on Saturday after two children were found stabbed in a bathtub in Manhattan. 50 year old Yoselyn Ortega was charged with first and second degree murder. Ortega was recovering at Weill Cornell Medical from wounds that are believed to be self-inflicted. The mother, Marina Krim, had left the two children, Lucia and Leo, with the nanny and was supposed to meet her at 5:30 after taking her 3 year old to swim lessons, but Ortega never showed. So Krim went home and found the two children in the bathtub.

 

I think this is an important piece of news because parents really need to know who is watching their children. Would you leave just anyone to care for your kids? I really think anyone who wants to watch children needs to be background checked and interviewed. For children to be killed by a nanny is horrible and that the mother had to find them in the bathroom and then find their killer stabbing herself with a kitchen knife is truly traumatic. That’s why parents should be extra protective about who they leave their children with.

 

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/03/new-york-nanny-charged-with-murder-in-stabbing-deaths-of-two-children/?hpt=us_c2

 

*sometimes I can’t make things turn into a link? I don’t get it because sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Tattoo Acceptance Revision

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 2:45 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tattoos have become a way to affect getting employed. A question that has come into play is; are my tattoos going to keep me from being hired? A couple of years ago tattoos would be a serious problem for someone getting hired, but recently this has started to change.

Employers have many reasons of their own of why they could accept or not accept tattoos. There are so many variables. Tattoos can be inappropriate, distracting and can give off the wrong impression. You could be applying to work with children and parents don’t want people with marks on their bodies working with their kids. You could be applying to work retail and an employer could argue that people would be less likely to buy from someone due to their tattoos.

Sarah Peterson, 19, of Cedar Rapids doesn’t think that a person’s tattoos should keep them from a job.

“Tattoos shouldn’t be a judge of a person’s work ethic. Tattoos have nothing to do with your ability to do a job or get to work on time. A lot of people have tattoos now, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have one and you can’t put everyone out of work. Also most tattoos can be covered up so that shouldn’t even be an issue,” Sarah said.

Sarah worked at a daycare for 2 years and her tattoos were never an issue. She now works in her college’s speaking center and the only thing that ever comes up that involves her tattoos is the occasional person asking for a backstory. It never affects her job negatively.

“If you are working with children then excessive tattoos may be a bit much. I know it’s hard to define ‘excessive,’ but kids can get the wrong idea. Obviously if you have inappropriate tattoos the have to be able to be covered no matter where you are working, that’s just tasteless,” Sarah answered.

Thinking ahead is a good choice whether it’s considering a job or not.

“The first one, no I really wasn’t. It’s on my wrist and not exactly small. I don’t regret it and it hasn’t proven to be a problem. If I really need to cover it I can use bracelets or a Band-Aid.” Sarah said as she showed the rest explaining that they were all easily covered underneath her clothes and that she was thinking ahead for her other tattoos.

A tattoo is permanent so you should think ahead no matter what. Tasha Strand of Cedar Rapids is an English teacher at a high school. Tattoos have been an issue in her profession.

“When I was a senior in high school I couldn’t wait until I turned 18 to get my first tattoo. I wasn’t thinking ahead at all. I just knew I wanted one and it was more rebellious at that time.” Tasha said.

If you look up rules on tattoos in a school environment, it really depends on the school to choose what their policy is with students and teachers.

“The schools that I have worked at are pretty lenient with tattoos which is good because I have one on my forearm. I did however go to an interview at a school for a position right out of college that told me I would have to always have my tattoo covered. Needless to say it was going to be a problem, which is why when I got another job interview and they told me it wasn’t an issue I was relieved. I don’t see it to be a problem unless it’s offensive and inappropriate,” Tasha said.

 

http://www.dba-oracle.com/dress_code_tattoos.htm

http://www.nhbar.org/publications/display-news-issue.asp?id=4004

 

 

Tattoo Acceptance Final Draft

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 2:54 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Skills are one of the main things that employers look for when you are trying to get a job, but with tattoos being a big hype right now employers also take that into account. Usually the questions that go through a persons head are ones similar to, does it pay well? Will I get enough hours? Is it something I will like? A question that has recently come into play is; are my tattoos going to keep me from being hired? A couple years ago tattoos would be a serious problem for someone getting hired, but in today’s society people are starting to accept them more and more.

Employers have many reasons of there own of why they could accept or not accept tattoos. There are so many variables; tattoos can be inappropriate, distracting and can give off the wrong impression. You could be applying to work with children and parents don’t want people with marks on their bodies working with their kids. You could be applying to work retail and an employer could argue that people would be less likely to buy from someone due to their tattoos.

On another note, should tattoos be a judge of someone’s work ethic and character? Sarah Peterson, 19, of Cedar Rapids gives a few opinions on tattoos in the workplace.

“Tattoos shouldn’t be a judge of a person’s work ethic. Tattoos have nothing to do with your ability to do a job or get to work on time. A lot of people have tattoos now, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have one and you can’t put everyone out of work. Also most tattoos can be covered up so that shouldn’t even be an issue,” Sarah states.

Sarah, who has tattoos herself, worked at a daycare for 2 years and her tattoos were never an issue. She now works in her colleges speaking center and the only thing that ever comes up that involves her tattoos is the occasional person asking for a backstory. It never affects her job negatively. When asked if there were any circumstances that tattoos shouldn’t be allowed Sarah answered,

“If you are working with children than excessive tattoos may be a bit much. I know it’s hard to define “excessive,” but kids can get the wrong idea. Obviously if you have inappropriate tattoos the have to be able to be covered no matter where you are working, that’s just tasteless,” Sarah answered.

Anything in your outside life can affect your work ethic, your family, your friends, school, etc. Sarah clearly voices her opinion that tattoos shouldn’t be a reason not to hire someone, I asked if she was thinking ahead when choosing her tattoos.

“The first one, no I really wasn’t. It’s on my wrist and not exactly small. I don’t regret it and it hasn’t proven to be a problem. If I really need to cover it I can use bracelets or a band aide. The other three are easy to cover, you can’t see them under most of my clothing I wear. I was thinking ahead for them. Obviously sometimes you need to take into consideration that not everyone has the same views as you. So I have the tattoos like I want, but I can cover them easy if my boss has a problem with them.” Sarah said while showing where each of her tattoos were.

Thinking ahead is a good choice whether it’s considering a job or not. A tattoo is permanent so you should think ahead no matter what. Tasha Strand of Cedar Rapids is an English teacher at a high school. Being in a serious profession she was a good person to ask about the subject.

“When I was a senior in high school I couldn’t wait until I turned 18 to get my first tattoo, I wasn’t thinking ahead at all. I just knew I wanted one and it was more rebellious at that time.” Tasha said.

If you look up rules on tattoos in a school environment, it really depends on the school to choose what their policy is with students and teachers.

“The schools that I have worked at are pretty lenient tattoos.htm the tattoos.htm issue which is good because I have one on my forearm. I did however go to an interview at a school for a position right out of college that told me I would have to always have my tattoo covered. Needless to say it was going to be a problem, which is why when I got another job interview and they told me it wasn’t an issue I was relieved. I don’t see it to be a problem unless in offensive and inappropriate.” Tasha states.

Overall when you look up rules on tattoos in the workplace it really is up to whoever is in charge. It’s getting to be a more lax issue with the more popular tattoos get. Tattoos are more viewed as artwork and a way to express yourself. There is always going to be someone who disagrees with them like any kind of controversial topic, but all in all it’s a much more accepted thing in this day and age.

 

http://www.dba-oracle.com/dress_code_tattoos.htm

http://www.nhbar.org/publications/display-news-issue.asp?id=4004

 

 

The Power of Parents

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 6:15 pm on Thursday, October 4, 2012

This week I read an article about parents helping a school go above and beyond. When I first saw the title of the article I assumed I was going to read about parents making it hard for teachers to do their jobs by getting in the way and only thinking about THEIR kid. Obviously you should try and help your child get ahead, but at the cost of other children’s school experience, not so much. This article was about parents chipping in to help all of the children at the school, which was a wonderful thing for me to read because at my own school we have trouble with parents sticking their fingers into everything their child does and getting in the way. It was nice to read about the opposite for once.

I think this is a very important article because parents need to know how to help their child and their child’s school the right way instead of getting in teachers ways. If you are a parent and making it hard for a teacher to do their job you are doing it wrong. I have seen so many kids get away with things because teachers are scared of the parents and that should never happen.

 

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/04/the-power-of-parents-in-a-public-school/?hpt=us_c2

 

 

Bye Bye Replacement Refs

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 6:14 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012

48 hours after the controversial ending to the Seahawks vs Packers game, the replacements refs are done and professionals coming back. Obviously the upset put enough pressure on the NFL to give an eight year deal, which is the longest ever for officials. It gives the union referees a pay raise and keeps their pension program in place for five years. There will still be controversial calls because no one is perfect, but the coaches, players and fans will have more respect for the officials.

I think this is major news because the lockout started before preseason and there have been so many controversial calls. It was way more of a deal because the refs weren’t the professionals and while I’m sure they were trying their hardest, it just added frustration. The biggest upset was the Seahawks vs Packers game were the Seahawks won 14-12 when the Packers should have won. It has been a really big deal and I can only hope that now things can go back to normal….and the my team will win. Who Dat Nation, New Orleans Saints all the way!

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/27/sport/nfl-referees-deal/index.html?hpt=us_c2

 

 

Improvise, Adapt and Overcome

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 4:09 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012

If you are looking for any kind of random office supplies, second floor Lewis Hall is the place to go. The ladies of Student Services are always glad to be helpful. The first person I asked for the thick red rubber band was Shari Benson, when she had no luck finding it she turned the task over to Stacie Hayes. Stacie also could not find a thick red rubber band, so she improvised. She walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a tan rubber band and a red marker.

“It’ll be like Alice in Wonderland except instead of painting roses red, I’m coloring a rubber band with a red marker. I hope it’ll work.” she said.

While she was coloring my thick red rubber band we talked about my parents and how much I miss my mothers cooking. Shari  came out of her office saying she’d found a small red rubber band and heard the conversation we were having. She chimed in on the it  saying how much she loved to experiment with recipes she finds on Pinterest. When I told them that my mother also loved to do that, we discussed failed experiments and successes. After awhile Stacie commented on the rubber band.

“My OCD is kicking in, so I’m going to have to color the whole thing. I hope you’re not in too much of a hurry.”

Finally she finished coloring my rubber band red, smiled and handed it to me with an index card.

“You don’t want to get the marker on your hands so put it on the index card.” she replied as I took it and went on my way.

So now I have a skinny, red rubber band and a thick, colored red rubber band thanks to the ladies of second floor Lewis Hall, Student Services.

 

 

New York votes on ban on large sodas

Filed under: Uncategorized — Taylor at 7:40 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012

This article is about a vote that the New York City Board of Health did to ban the sale of sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces in restaurants and other venues. The decision is expected to take effect in six months, it gives restaurant owners nine months to adapt to the ban before they will get fined. The reason for the ban is obesity, which is a problem all of the country. Of course soda companies and places like McDonald’s are upset, saying that the ban is “misguided.”

I think that this article is completely relevant even if it may seem that sugary drinks are a small thing, they make a huge difference in weight and health. Obesity is a really big problem and is an unnecessary risk. I think that the ban is a really good idea, even if the soda industry will suffer. A lot of people drink soda and other sugary drinks and a lot of people “supersize” their drinks because “it’s only 45 cents more!” If you drink a large soda regularly it can really affect your health.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/health/new-york-soda-ban/index.html?hpt=us_c2

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