long times. and a fire.

so i haven't written in this since school last year. and i doubt anyone still keeps up on these..but whatever. i feel the need to write.

today was the most interesting day in my career at MJR. the concession stand almost burned down. and i think thats hilarious. i know thats horrible but its just really funny because we all always joke about it burning down because we hate it and about how if it did burn down, they would make the employees stay and serve charred popcorn in the rubble. now, of course that didnt happen, but they did make everyone stay and clean up after it was put out.

it was an oil fire in one of the popper kettles. something happened and oil was left in it too long and it caught aflame on the inside, eventually making its way to the outside, engulfing the kettle in flames. two of my managers, brian and josh, attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher but that didnt seem to work. then they threw water on it, which obviously wasnt a good idea because the flames exploded even larger, seemingly almost catching josh's arm on fire. the water did put the flaming popcorn out, preventing the flame from spreading. they called the fire department but by the time they got there, brian and josh already put it out. we ended up closing the stand for 3 hours so we could get everything under control and cleaned up. in the meantime while everyone was cleaning, irritating customers were coming up to the stand and complaining because they didnt under how we expected them to ever watch a movie without their fix of overpriced popcorn. one woman actually came up and started bitching about it while the kettle was at its peak flame. its just like, ma'am do you not see whats happening? are you not suffocating from the smoke caking out of this place? would you really like me to get you a flaming bag of popcorn?...dumbass.

so yeah. that was my interesting day at work.

The Sopranos

So, the new season of The Sopranos started tonight and I am pumped. It aired tonight at 9..and it was amazing. Well actually, it was kind of slow for awhile but it got good. Im actually suprised I watch this show. I never thought I'd be really into a show that is based around mobs and such, but its actually a lot more than that. Its pretty good. I got into about a year ago when a bunch of my friends started watching it. I still havent seen every episode of the previous seasons but I'm working on it. I strongly suggest everyone give this show a shot. This is the final season. Theres been talk of making a movie out of it but I kind of doubt it'll happen.

Thesis and such

So heres my thesis:
Although the addition of the Michigan Merit core curriculum classes will present some positive results, both students and teachers will be ultimately effected for the worst.

I've actually learned alot about this topic since I've started researching it. When talk of the change first started last year, I thought it was only effecting the downriver area but now I found out that it's all of Michigan. Even though I can see why the State School Board would want to require more core classes, Im actually against it. I mean, I understand that the more math and science classes that kids are exposed to, the more likely they are to really get into those subjects and possibly start a career in one of those fields. But if someone has a passion for something else then that probably wont change. In my opinion, all the school board is doing is limiting kids from more career choices by cutting other classes. Here's a pretty good article about the change if anyone is interested. I actually found a really great book about the topic in our U of M library. If anyone feels up to it, let me know what you think of my thesis..or the whole topic.

Final Paper Progress

The progress for my final paper isnt going so well. Im having a lot of trouble finding sources. The articles I'm finding on the databases arent really related to what my paper is about. I may need to shift my focus a bit. Hmm. I dont know. Im pretty stuck. I did find a great article in Time magazine about the curriculum change so thats cool. So one down, seven to go? yeah. Thats my problem. I even checked wikipedia just for the hell of it and they didnt even have anything. You know theres a slim chance of finding information about something if it isnt even on Wikipedia. I plan on writing out interview questions tomorrow and trying to get in touch with the assistant principal of Roosevelt. Ugh. I dont know. Im frustrated.

In other news..I hear some wrestlemania guys worked out in our fieldhouse..so thats cool I guess.

Well, Im off to do homework.

Final Essay Topic

For my final paper, I think I'm going to stick with my photo essay topic about the curriculum change in the downriver area. As I research the topic, I've been finding out that this change is effecting a lot more schools than I thought. When I first heard about it last year, I thought it was only Roosevelt but so many more schools are changing as well. Southgate Anderson High School is even expanding to have 3 semesters instead of 2. They will be shortened but that is a whole nother semester's worth of work to cram in.

My only fear for this paper is lack of sources. I have found a few articles online about it and I plan on interviewing teachers and students if possible. Time magazine even did an article on it and they included a lot of information on it so that should be a strong source. I was also skeptical about this topic due to lack of information but as I said before, the more I research it the more I've been finding out about it and how many people it actually does impact. So Im going to be as optimistic as possible about this paper and hope I have enough information for 5-6 pages.

Stay Classy RHS (Final)

When asked about their favorite classes in high school, most students answer either art, auto, or another elective class, but for the students of Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, that may be forced to change. Starting with the class of 2008, students will be required to extend their core curriculum which, in turn, cuts down the opportunity for elective classes. Even though this change may expose students to a more "realistic" education, it denies them the chance to expand their personal interests through more hands-on experiences.
Funds for electives are already being cut. Here the art room looks more scarce than ever. Teddy's is the schools flower shop run by the horticulture classes. The school is considering closing it due to the cut back in classes.Students will be seeing more of these "typical" classroom set ups once the curriculum changes.Teachers at Roosevelt predict a higher dropout rate when math and science requirements are extended, leaving hallways emptier than ever.Here are some art kids enjoying the time they have left in their expanded art program.Here is a picture of the automotive area. Kids bring in cars to work on to get first hand experience.Every year RHS holds a race for the auto kids. The objective is to build the fastest, most efficient race car out of shopping carts. If the school cuts these classes then this annual race will be no more. Pictured here is the losing group from the 2006 race.The Trading Post is the school's general store. Here they sell food, school supplies, and Wyandotte gear. It is usually closed, except for at lunch and before school, which is causing the school to lose money.The Wy-News is the school newspaper. They keep up on everything thats going on around the school, especialy the curriculum change.
These student paintings are soon to be covered when the art area is cut down to only one room.

Photo Essay is on the way..

For my photo essay, I've got my topic figured out and I took all of my pictures on Friday so now all I need to do is organize it and add some writing. I've pretty much got it all planned out so I just need to sit down and do it tomorrow.


But now...

...its time for calculus. ew.