May
2005
FEATURES
Introduction by B. M.
Imagine. One day, you are walking across Albemarle
Road when an SUV knocks you down and runs you over, leaving
you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Or you
have a debilitating nerve disease such as MS. Or you
are blind and deaf. Or you are autistic or have Downs’ syndrome.
Some of us are more challenged than others. Such people
show tremendous energy, spirit, and strength to persevere
in spite of their challenges. This page is about them.
by D. B.
A young girl lay on the hospital bed, waiting for her
procedure to be done. She could hear the rhythmic beeping
of a heart monitor. Over her small chest was the huge
x-ray machine. Her eyes were heavy. The doctors had just
given her medicine, which made her feel drowsy, and sleepy.
Then the doctor gently placed a mask over her face. Through
this mask, she received anesthesia gas. Soon enough she
had drifted off into a dream. This dream took her back
home, to Ethiopia.
Her name is Yengush Teshagar, a young 14 year-old girl,
from a small town in Baherdar. It is a very poor town,
near Northern Ethiopia. Nearby is the Tana lake, from
which the Blue Nile flows. In her dream she could see
herself running, and playing ‘kukulu” (hide
and seek), with her many friends. Then at 10 years of
age, Teshagar suddenly started having joint pains in
both of her legs. These joint pains didn’t bother
for her too long. A few months later came the heart trouble.
From then on she couldn't play anymore.
Her heart condition became worse by the day, and it
came to the point where she couldn't even walk to the
bathroom. Finally the time came, when she needed to go
to the local hospital. Through the past 4 years, Teshagar
has been in and out of the hospital at least 30 times.
However, she couldn't get a full cure, because of the
lack of trained doctors, instruments, and money.
Suddenly a ray of hope shined down on Teshagar. She
was sponsored by a foundation the brought her to Boston.
She flew all the way from Ethiopia to America by herself.
Here a kind host-mother, Yita, took good care of Teshagar.
Yita brought Teshagar to the Floating Hospital, where
a doctor (pediatric cardiologist) helped in taking care
of her. This doctor explained that Teshagar had developed
Rheumatic Fever caused by the strep infection. This affected
one of her heart valves, the mitral valve, which produced
severe narrowing of the mitral valve. There are many
children in the world who have this kind of heart problem.
This narrowing was opened up in Teshagar by inflating
a small balloon mounted on a plastic tube.
When Teshagar awoke from the anesthesia, the procedure
had been a complete success. She was quickly released
from the hospital within a day. Today, Teshagar “...feels
like a brand new person, as if I was reborn.” Now
she can do things she never dreamed of doing before.
Teshagar overcame a handicap through the miracle of
modern medicine. Or, in the eyes of an Ethiopian girl,
this is a miracle.
by B. M.
Lovelane founder and program director, Debbie Sabin
Kanzer, was working at a therapeutic horseback riding
program when it closed. Wanting to keep on some of her
students, she decided to open a therapeutic riding program
of her own. She did, and 17 years later, Lovelane is
going strong, having just moved into its new home
Lovelane treats people who are handicapped, who are
blind and deaf, and who have mental illnesses, every
day. By having them ride horses. Lovelane’s web
site explains that, “Therapeutic riding is based
on the beneficial movement of the horse. The three-dimensional,
rhythmical motion of a horse stimulates and works the
muscles of the rider. The input to a rider of the horse's
gait is almost identical to the human gait.”
And the results are truly miraculous. Children who
normally have trouble forming coherent sentences, such
as Ben, who is autistic, are suddenly talking away, even
singing. All from getting on a horse.
Lovelane’s chairwoman of the board, Carol Fassino,
explains, “The best thing about Lovelane is using
horses to make therapy fun and interesting for children
with special needs. We take something that is normally
a chore and give it a new ‘spin,’ making
these children more healthy in the process.”
A typical lesson at Lovelane begins in the family viewing
room. In this room, which has a view into the indoor
arena, the families of the kids who are riding can observe
the lessons.
An instructor comes in, gives the kid a helmet, and
bring him/her into the barn. A special staging platform
was built to help the kids onto the horses, which are
specially trained. Some of them are former champions.
The number of instructors who rides/walks with the child
depends on the level of riding ability of the child.
For some, four instructors are needed. For some, only
one.
In nice weather, lessons are sometimes conducted in
the outdoor paddock/arena or on the extensive trails
in the conservation land to the immediate south of the
barn. During the lesson, it’s common to see four
adults concentrating their attentions on one child only.
by Will Harney
Two speakers at the Understanding Our Differences awards
program, Bonnie Kaplan and Karen Keefe, spoke from their
own personal experiences.
Bonnie Kaplan is currently the director of cultural
access at VSA Arts of Massachusetts. VSA helps individuals
with disabilities by creating opportunities in the area
of arts. VSA has a website at www.vsamass.org. “Since
I was born deaf, I’ve had to always advocate and
stand up for my rights as a deaf person, so this job
was a perfect fit!” Kaplan said.
It is important to Kaplan that students hear from a
deaf person to gain their own perspectives from listening
to him/her. Kaplan advises Day students to believe in
themselves and not let others tell you who to be. “You
are who you are, and be proud of yourself.”
Karen Keefe is a 46 year-old mother living in Newtonville.
She was born deaf in her left ear and nearly deaf in
her right ear. At the age of 37, Keefe became completely
deaf. Six years later, she got a cochlear implant in
her right ear, enabling her to hear. It was an emotional
moment for Keefe and her family when after so many years,
she could once again hear. Keefe describes deafness as
a peaceful experience.
“Being deaf has its advantages. If there is too
much noise, we deaf people can turn off the hearing aid
or take out the cochlear implant...hearing people cannot
really do that.”
by M. D-P.
A few years ago, wheelchair user Linda Hiller was supposed
to address the Newton School Committee at a special meeting
at Day Middle School and tell them why they shouldn’t
cut funding for the Understanding Our Differences program.
She didn’t give that statement, however, because
she was having trouble getting into the building herself.
The first difficulty she encountered was finding a
place to park. All the handicapped spaces were full.
There were handicapped spaces there, but they were used
by people who weren't handicapped, Hiller explained.
Once she found a place to park, she couldn't t get her
van ramp down so she could wheel out because the spaces
were too close together. She had to wait for somebody
to come out, sit in the driver’s seat and back
out her van so she could pull her ramp out and get out.
Then the person had to pull the van back in.
Once she finally got out of her van, Hiller encountered
more problems. “Then when I got in the school,
I couldn't find the elevator,” Hiller said. There
weren't enough signs to point to where the elevator was.
When she found the elevator at last, and traveled up
to the second floor auditorium, all I saw were stairs.
She wheeled around, trying to spot a sign that would
point to a ramp to get into the auditorium. But there
were none.
Finally she got to the meeting, where she sought out
Beth Mendel, Executive Director of the Understanding
Our Differences Project. Mendel had already read her
speech for her. Mendel added her own commentary about
why Hiller couldn't be there with them, pointing out
that Hiller could not enter the building.
At the end of the meeting, Jeff Young, Newton School
Superintendent, came over to Hiller and asked what was
wrong. “I told him about the problems I’d
had,” she recalled. He said that he was going to
see that the [parking] spaces were wider and there was
more signage in the building. Hiller said the signage
is not just for people in wheelchairs, people who are
blind need the information, too. Hiller said it would
be helpful if there were Braille and picture signs pointing
where the elevator and ramps are, and the handicapped
accessible bathrooms. Young delegated the signage task
to Michael Cronin, the Chief of Operations for the school
department.
Today there are still no signs. Able-bodied visitors
still park in the handicapped accessible spots.
On March the 21st, Cronin responded to THE
DAYTIME indicating that, although the building
IS essentially accessible, there is a need for signage
giving directions to accessible routes, and that will
be addressed ASAP. In another e-mail, THE DAYTIME asked
when, exactly, the signs would be put up. As of April
the 1st, Cronin had not responded to the e-mail, or
a phone call from THE DAYTIME.
“The school is accessible basically, but it’s
not great,” Hiller commented.
Hiller, the director of the physical disabilities unit
of Understanding Our Differences and a member of the
Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities, is living
with multiple sclerosis. According to a kid-friendly
newsletter from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,
multiple sclerosis (MS) is an illness that affects the
brain and spinal cord. MS damages the covering or coating
(myelin) that protects the nerves in the brain and spinal
cord. When this happens the muscles, and other parts
of the body, have trouble doing what the brain is telling
them to do.
Hiller has been with Understanding Our Differences
for 23 years. Understanding Our Differences is a program
that started in Newton and is now known nationwide. It
teaches kids about six specific types of disabilities:
deafness; blindness; learning disabilities; physical
disabilities; the special medical considerations of asthma,
diabetes, and epilepsy; and developmental disabilities/mental
retardation.
When she started with Understanding Our Differences,
Hiller’s MS was very mild. When she started using
a wheelchair 8 years ago, she finally understood how
people feel. Hiller said, “You think you know a
lot about a disability, but you don’t know hardly
any of it until you have it.”
Hiller is capable of living at home, doing the things
she likes to do, especially skiing. She just has to make
a few adjustments. “I’ve had to figure out
all different ways to do things,” she remembered.
“A lot of [home aids for the physically challenged]
I believe should be in most places,” she said. “It’s
called Universal Design. [Such aids] are helpful for
everybody, not just people with disabilities. A roll-in
shower is good for everybody, it s not just good for
the handicapped. It’s good for an older person,
too. And it’s good for a person who’s not
handicapped. It’s easier to clean.”
According to Hiller it doesn’t cost much to make
changes in a house or in a school. She had to get special
hinges that give her two inches more room on every doorway
in her house. That way she can fit her scooter or wheelchair
through the door without scrapping it. She also had to
lower counters in her kitchen so she could prepare food,
and she had to renovate her bathroom so she had a roll-in
shower. Her house looks like any other house, except
it’s the only one in her neighborhood with a big
ramp.
Hiller even helped make changes at the Newton Free
Library. “I was working in the library,” she
said, “It’s accessible, they say, but I went
into the bathroom and the bathroom door opens in. So
I went in, but there’s no way I could close the
door. So I was telling the head of the library, ‘You
know it s a very simple solution. Just have the door
open out, not in.’ So she did, she changed it:
fabulous!”
Even though there need to be some changes, Hiller says
Newton is better than most places. “I recently
came back from Florida,” she said. She said she
was surprised because there are so many more old people
and people in wheelchairs down there. “It was so
much more inaccessible than Newton was.”
Newton ’s
Environmental Science Program provides an alternative camping experience
by S. S.
The Environmental Science Program (ESP) is “...totally different from
any other camp,” according to its former student director, Joey Backer. “...It’s
run almost entirely by kids, just like the ones who go as campers, so it feels
more fun and unique.”
ESP is a summer program that takes place every July, and operates out of
Brown Middle School. The day-to-day activities are, in fact, student run; the “leaders” (i.e.,
counselors) are high school students, who lead middle-schoolers in day trips
around Newton. Trips include hikes to Echo Bridge, Brook Farm, and Stony Brook,
as well as bike rides to Wellesley Green and Dolan Pond.
There are also trips up to the New England Aquarium or Science Museum (don’t
worry, campers take the train), and the whole camp takes a day in July to go
up to the marshes at Kittery, Maine. Here, students “...learn about the
salt marshes while wallowing in the mud,” says Backer; snaking through
Kittery is a series of mud-filled streams campers climb through.
ESP was founded in 1967 as a Ford Foundation Project. It was led by Newton
science teacher Dick Staley, and according to the program’s web site
(newtonenvisci.org) was an “...alternative to traditional summer camps.”
Towards the end of the month, trips get longer. One of these is a 12-mile
canoe trip down the Charles River; on this trip, students are encouraged to
bring food to provide energy for the long ride. Tubs of Kentucky Fried Chicken
have been known to weigh down the canoes.
The “mountain series” (as campers call it) begins with a trip
to Blue Hills, and then Mt. Monadnock. The program concludes with a 3-day hike
at New England’s tallest peak, Mt. Washington. On the first day, students
depart Brown at 4AM and take the bus to the mountain’s base, where they
begin the hike to a station near the top, where they stay at a hut for two
nights. The third day consists of the hike down, and the trip back to Newton.
Preparation for one month of ESP starts long before July. According to Backer, “A
leader’s responsibilities start around the first of January, when all
the staff starts having weekly meetings to learn about what they’ll teaching
the kids in the summer.” They research topics that they will teach students
during the summer, including “...pond and forest succession, plate tectonics,
acid rain, birds,” and many other nature-related subjects.
Furthermore, leaders must be “...fully certified in First Aid and CPR,
not to mention [able] to pass a city screening test to make sure they’ve
never killed anyone or robbed a bank,” said Backer.
Jeff DeCew, a student at Olin College and Newton South graduate, will be
the college-age director this year. He said his job is to “...select
a responsible and competent staff for the summer, and ensure that they are
properly preparing for the summer. During the summer I am responsible for the
daily workings of the program, from grouping students to reserving busses to
talking to parents.” He added, on a humorous note, “I make sure
that nobody else in the program has to think about anything but environmental
science, and maybe what to pack for lunch.”
Dave Backer, ESP’s executive director, is responsible for setting up
the camp’s web site, seeking grants, and generally anything that is easier
for an adult to do. He says kids should join the program because, “It’s
fun and different from a typical summer camp.”
by Jesse Wilson
The aroma of nervousness and anxiousness fell over the bus, as the 24 8th
and 9th graders pulled into the hotel late on a Saturday afternoon. All of
us had been traveling for 24 tiresome hours arriving in Rome only a few hours
before. We had been waiting for this moment ever since January, when we found
out about this trip, and had been planning since then.
I awoke early well-fed from the many entrees at a corner restaurant in Arezzo,
a small town in Italy where we students would be staying. I soon met my pen-pal,
Alessio Burani, and with R. D., another Day student, we took off for Alessio’s
and Daniels’s pen-pal Giovanna’s dance competition. There we watched
our Italian hosts dance, realizing that dance was the universal language.
Over the next couple days we toured many places, every day getting closer
to our pen-pals. Although there was somewhat of a language barrier we found
endless topics to talk about. We compared similarities and differences to American
and Italian lifestyles, finding that every teenager around the world had most
of the same concerns and interests. Although there were many things we found
odd, such as them using a bidet, or Americans going to sleep with wet hair.
First we toured Arezzo the town our hosts lived in. Like any major city in
Italy they had a duomo, which is basically the main church and a main piazza.
This piazza was called Piazza Grande, and every year the town of Arezzo held
Jousts. For hundreds of years this Joust took place with 4 teams in the town.
They teams would charge on horseback at a shield with a lance and try to get
in range of the bullseye. Whoever got the most points would win and claim a
golden lance and the exhilaration of victory. In one of the churches there
were very famous frescoes by Piero della Francesca that covered the walls in
brilliant color.
On Wednesday, our group traveled to Sienna where we had a scavenger hunt.
We were split into groups and had to scour for items that represented two teams
in the famous horse race. One other item we had to get on our scavenger hunt
was a picture at the top of a tower in the main piazza. After climbing the
endless stairs, we could look out at a view that was truly magical. Off in
the distance were lush green mountains encircling the tan- covered rooftops
with the duomo magnificently protruding out from the worn-out houses.
After racing back to the finish line, our team had won and, of course, after
that, we went shopping. In Italy there are very few big malls, but rather corner
shops. Also the clothing costs more, but is much better quality then clothes
one might find in Old Navy or Target.
On Friday, we went to Florence where we visited churches and Michaelangelo’s
David. One of the churches we visited held the body of Leonardo DaVinci. After
the tour, the guide left us, and we went to a leather shop, where we learned
the process of making leather and how to spot real and fake leather.
Some of the days the American students visited the high school in Italy.
This school used to be a monastery and is much smaller than the high school
in America. In Italy one thing that differs is that students are not the ones
to change the classrooms, but the teachers, so students get to know their class
very well. Also teacherers are allowed to use more physical force then in America.
During my time in the school I was able to visit the English, Latin, and math
classes, which are more, or less, conducted in the same teaching style as in
America.
The food in Italy was magical. Even the fast food restaurants took more care
into preparing their meals. In Italy there are smaller portions, but many more
courses. First course is appetizers, then comes the Primo, which includes pasta
and rice, then the Secondo which is the meat, then the salads or soups, and
finally the Dolce where fruit or pastries are served.
We finished our trip in Rome and the Vatican City. I was both sad to be leaving,
but happy I was going home. As I looked at the scenery passing by memories
that I will treasure forever came rushing back. I truly hope that I will have
another experience just like this one.
by J. R.
On a trip to Italy during spring vacation with members of my Italian class
I got the chance to stay with an Italian family for a week and live as a part
of their family. When the group finally met their host families, many seemed
nervous, because for some it was not only their first time out of the country,
but the first time away from their parents for this long of a time. As everyone
began to pair up with their hosts, to whom they had been writing for the past
few months, I was left as a straggler waiting for an unknown face. When Andrea
Molinaro finally found me in the crowd, we headed of for the first day of a
great week.
Andrea lives in a town in Tuscany, named Arezzo; the town is small, but it
is not short of history. One of the most famous inventions from this town was
Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. The inventor was a Benedictine monk in the
abbey of Pomposa, near Ravenna, who now is commemorated by a marble plaque
on his home and a large statue in the Park Italy.
The town was originally founded by the Etruscans, who ruled Italy before
the Romans, and sections of their wall are still visible today. The area is
also rumored to be the background for Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous Mona
Lisa....not to mention home of one of Caesar Augustus’ counselors, named
Gaio Cilnio Mecenate.
The family that I stayed with was nice and quite accommodating. Andrea’s
mother was named Sonia and his 8-year old sister was named Giulia.
At first
talking was awkward, since I was still getting used to using Italian 24/7,
and Andrea was probably feeling the same way about using English when I could
not understand his Italian. Soon we got it all worked out and the rest of
the time we were fine.
Although conversation was awkward at times we usually understood each other.
When a word alone was not understood usually a physical movement, picture,
or dictionary were recruited in order to pass along the message. Sometimes “recruiting” was
not possible for example, during school.
School in Europe, as a rule, is different from that than the United States.
Aretine schools seem to be almost an alien system because of their differences.
One the mostn popular changes was that the school days are much shorter than
here in Newton. School starts around 7AM and ends at the unbelievable time
of 1:15PM for lunch.
The day consisted of three classes including French, Latin, math, English,
along with others that were not encountered by the students. One might wonder
about the fact that every student learns four languages in this school because
the school attended by our pen pals was a language school. The classes I experienced
were Latin and French, but French was used as a study period that day thanks
to our presence.
Latin class was much different from Magistra Mindy Goodman’s Latin
classes here at Day, but we Latin scholars on the trip would not have understood
anything in the Latin class with out her help. Everyday the group met at the
school and went on various field trips sometimes with our pen pals, but more
often without them. The first day most of the hosts took their guests on a
trip of their own. Andrea took me to a hill city called Cortona, which can
really only be described as what the North End of Boston was modeled after.
It was a city that seemed made up entirely of uphill slants that were accompanied
by streets so thin that I could not believe a car could fit on them until I
almost got turned into a pancake. Most of the group met up there that day which
did a lot for moral as we were still getting used to being apart.
Andrea lives during the school year in an apartment within walking distance
of the school. He, like most members of the Italian group, had a summer home
out in the country, also known as just outside the city. This is just one part
of the culture unknown in America, but not the greatest.
The greatest unknown is the way they eat. A true Italian meal consists of
a number of courses. First is the primo, usually consisting of a pasta dish,
second is secondo which is usually a meat dish accompanied by a vegetable,
and lastly the dolce, or dessert, which goes without description as sweets
are the same world ‘round.
At his apartment I shared a room with Andrea, but was given my own bed. Every
morning we would wake up around seven eat breakfast, get changed, and then
head off to school.
At school I would either go to a class with him or set off on a trip with
the group. When we returned, I would go back home with him and eat lunch, the
main meal of the day.
After relaxing for a while we would go out, or have dinner. Afterwards we
always went out with some of his friends and usually returned no later than
11:30PM. Every day was better than the one before it and by the time we left
we were friends. All that was on my mind was how much longer I had to wait
for him to come to America.
Beardall has adapted Northeastern University ’s
program to a senior/middle school mix
Nearly 1,000 helped so far
by N. F. and T. K.
The Mentor’s in Violence Protection program (MVP) was founded in 1994
by Jackson Katz and Northeastern University as a way for college students to
communicate their message about violence to students in high school.
N. B., an F. A. Day teacher, while attending a workshop with Jackson Katz,
decided that the program would work as a vehicle for high school kids to mentor
middle school kids. With this idea in mind, N. B. developed the mentoring program
and adapted it to contain other issues, such as gender respect in middle school
and in every day life.
N. B. is presently the coordinator of the program and
trains students at both North and South High Schools to enter into middle
school classrooms. She works with the advisors and makes all of the arrangements
for trips. The program now spans all four middle schools, each with 3 visits
a year.
For those interested in the program, at the end of each freshman year, an
assembly is held containing more information about the program, and urging
kids to help the fight against sexual harassment and dating abuse.
The MVP students themselves lead the assembly and talk about why they joined
MVP and the program. Also in 9th grade, there are 2 lessons led by MVP students
on healthy and unhealthy high school relationships. But to enter the program,
each student must write an essay about what they can contribute to the program.
The curriculum is quite serious, and one must make a commitment if interested.
Training consists of 2 1/2 days and meetings every other week during x block. “MVP
has been truly life changing for me,” says MVP student leader S. F.
Each session for 8th graders explains to kids different scenarios in which
the students can participate and explain what they would do in that situation.
And as one of the MVP leaders explains: “it is much easier to recognize
situations of potential violence and harassment than it is to take action and
intervene to prevent them.” Nothing is forced upon the kids, but the
students are encouraged to share and to contribute to the discussion. The MVP
leaders really have an “...incredibly important message for
middle school kids,” says N. B.
The program and its members send out strong vibes against harassment and
for helping hands in the community to educate kids about dating abuse and gender
stereotypes in real-life scenarios. “It really allows kids to learn to
take action and change negative things they see around them,” says S.
F.
MVP not only teaches and influences, but also gives middle school and high
school kids a chance to express themselves and explain to others the importance
of self-respect and respect to others. The program now reaches over 900 8th
graders and includes over 100 members. And as MVP leader S. F. comments “I
absolutely think our program is reaching kids and making a difference.”
Skydiving, though dangerous, offers many thrills
by E. E. and J. H.
George Burliss appears to be an average guy who owns a restaurant and lives
a peaceful life with his wife and two daughters. There is just one interesting
catch: on a regular basis he jumps out of a moving airplane... for fun. When
asked what drives him, he replied, “An urge to immerse myself in a pleasurable
experience.”
Jumping out of a plane can be a concern because diving speeds can range from
120 miles per hour to 350 miles per hour. When the plane is moving at the latter
speed, jumps are only attempted free flying (feet first). Further, this acceleration
happens while dropping from a height of 14,000 feet.
The process that takes place once out of a plane consists of two kinds of
falling: free falling and the canopy ride (falling with a parachute). The free
fall can last up to 60 seconds, while the canopy fall can take up a full five
minutes.
In order to legally skydive, one must take a written test and successfully
complete a certain number of jumps. For example, to get an “A” license,
one must successfully jump 20 different times. There also are “B”, “C”,
and “D” licenses. To relieve a “B” license, one must
jump 80 more times to have a total of 100 jumps. One of those has to include
a jump over water. The next license one can get is the “C”, and
one needs 200 total jumps to receive it. Finally, there is the “D” license
in which one needs 500 jumps, including two night jumps.
“We’re insane!!” says Brian Stephen who is part of a skydiving
team called Mass Defiance. That they are, for sky diving is not a “true” sport.
It is an adventure sport that some people do for a living, and some, just for
fun.
The sport of sky diving is a year round activity which people do all over
the world. People come and go to different airports so they can have the experience
of other temperatures and landscapes.
The most common plane, the twin-engine Otter, holds up to 22 people and is
flown throughout every season. The smaller plane, a Cessna, holds only
four people and a pilot, and is flown usually only in winter. It seems
odd that such an activity could go on in the freezing air and snowy sky, so
only a few daring people will sky dive in the winter… but one would
be surprised how many!
Similar to synchronized swimming, sky divers also “dance,” but
this time in the sky. They get into different formations which are first
planned and practiced continuously on the ground, and then finally executed
in the air. Using something that looks similar to a skateboard, called a “creeper,” divers
lie on their stomachs, and move around to simulate the feeling of being in
the air. This technique is more effective then standing up because once
out of the plane, divers soar down in a belly flop fashion.
While jumping out of an airplane, there is not much to think about. The only
possible thoughts are related to the fall itself. There cannot be even
an inkling of attention to anything else – what is for lunch, where’s
the wallet, is the door unlocked? One must have complete and undivided concentration
on what one is doing and on all of the necessary precautions.
“It’s like the coolest swing ride you’ve ever been on!” says
Rick Hough, another sky diver at Sky Dive Pepperell. This is from a man
who has jumped 99 times, and is still excited and anxious for the next time.
This November or December, a wind tunnel will open in Nashua, New Hampshire
which will permit all age groups to participate in an activity that simulates
the sky diving experience. What it is is a large cylinder, that sucks air out
of the sky and blows it up through the wind tunnel at 120 miles per hour. The
participant floats in the wind tunnel. while mimics the feeling of falling
at 120 miles per hour. The great thing about a wind tunnel is that all age
groups are welcome. One has to be at least 18 years old to actually sky-dive,
so the wind tunnel allows younger people to sky-dive.
So remember, sky diving is an adventurous sport that will keep one entertained
forever, but one still has to take every precaution and exercise extreme concentration. It
is not for the meek.
by M. R. and Z. G.
Steve Bailey, who has a wife and 3 kids at home and works 5 days a week at THE
BOSTON GLOBE, is a busy business columnist. His “Downtown” column
runs Wednesdays and Fridays in the Business section.
Bailey was formerly the business editor for 5 years at the Globe, working
from 9AM to 9PM to explain to his readers “...the worst economy in the
country”, as Bailey describes it.
Now a business columnist, Bailey works 8:30AM until 6PM. “It’s
much more manageable. My family is happier,” Bailey says, talking of
his new position. “I love my job…it’s a very nice job. It’s
fun because I get to go out and do things.” Bailey writes about local
( Boston) businesses. Some examples of his recent subjects are real estate,
Gillette, and Reebok.
Bailey started working for a newspaper when he was a copy boy in high school.
Other people involved in the newsroom had plans on the weekend, so he was assigned
weekend jobs. “I just stood in line long enough,” says Bailey. “It
was a total accident.”
When Bailey walks into work in the morning, he checks his email and phone
and reads the newspapers. At his house, even after a long work day, Bailey
looks forward to reading until late at night. Bailey writes his column from
noon until 1PM. “I always try to start writing earlier. The faster you
write them, the better they are.”
Bailey’s favorite part of the day at the GLOBE is
lunch. “I’m very good at lunch”. His favorite part of the
school day, when Bailey was in middle school, was recess.
“I try to be unpredictable. You never know where I’ll come from...I
can be anything but boring,” Bailey says “...reporting is fun and
satisfying. The reporters are the most important because they go out and get
the news. Reporting is more fun than editing.” THE BOSTON GLOBE (which
has “...no deadlines, only goals”) recommends 5PM to Bailey for
a “goal”, but Bailey goes by his own deadline: 6PM. His least favorite
part of the day is if the editor doesn’t like his story.
“It’s my column,” Bailey says. Bailey used to “own” the
whole business section and “...it was mine” but “...they
took it away from me, so now that they’ve limited me to one column. I
say now, ‘it’s mine, it’s my column, stay away from it’.”
Bailey’s advice to anyone who writes to convey factual information
to a reader is, “...get it right. Accuracy is the most important thing.
Everybody makes mistakes. If you don’t fix it, it gets worse later.”
When asked whether he wanted his kids to become journalists or editors, Bailey
said, “I want my kids to be healthy and happy.”
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