Teachers/Students and Sex: A Growing Trend?

I recently read an article titled “Ex-Burrell swim coach admits to sex with teen” in the Valley News Dispatch, a local newspaper that covers area news in and around New Kensington, Pennsylvania.  The swim coach, Mr. Raymond Novak, plead guilty to having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student.  The charges he plead guilty to were aggravated indecent assault, statutory rape, indecent assault and using a cell phone for sexual communications.  He will be sentenced to five to ten years in a United States prison.

     As I read the article I could not help but wonder whether teachers/students and sex is becoming a growing trend?  It seems to me that local and national news media outlets are covering stories not only to raise awareness but because it is happening more often than people want to admit.  These teachers are breaking the codes of morality and ethics by having sex with a student; that is not enough for them, some of these teachers are either impregnating the student they are having sex with (if it’s male teacher having sex with a female student); or, the teacher is getting pregnant by the student (if it’s a female teacher having sex with a male student).  What sense does that make?  What would make an adult teacher want to have a child with a child?  What could that child (student) do for the adult (teacher) financially and more importantly, what can a child offer another child (infant)?

     Some people may ask, have I ever been attracted to a teacher when I was in middle school or high school?  The answer is yes; who didn’t have a crush on a teacher in one way or another?  Would I have had sex with that attractive teacher if given the opportunity?  I probably would have and that is because I would have been young and did not know any better.  So, who should we blame if a teacher has sex with a student?  In my opinion, I would put full blame and responsibility on the teacher.  Why?  Because the teacher is an adult and the student is a child.  We should hold teachers responsible for breaking a code of ethics and morally a teacher should not want to have sex with a student; their morals shouldn’t allow.  In this day and age, teachers in the United States of America are getting younger and younger because they are going to college immediately after high school and completing four years of college in three years or they started college at the age of seventeen which means they are graduating between the ages of twenty and twenty one.  Even though there is not much of an age difference between a high school student and a young college graduate who is now a teacher, having sex with a student is wrong.  If you are that attracted to your student you can either wait until that student graduates or reconsider your profession if you cannot control your hormones.

Gaining Leadership Skills is a Process:

     In February, 2012, I was anonymously selected to be an orientation leader for new students who have decided to seek higher education at Pennsylvania State University at the New Kensington campus in the United States of America.  I do not know who selected me or why, but what I do realize is that they clearly saw something in me that I did not see in myself; for that, I am forever grateful.

     So what is an orientation leader?  In my opinion and based on what I’ve learned, it is building a lasting relationship; an orientation leader is the starting point for any new student who has decided to seek higher education.  You are the first person they get to know and depending on what you say or do, it can and will either affect him/her negatively or positively. 

     Gaining leadership skills is a process and it takes a lot of training.  The last thing you would want to do is have a negative effect on a person because it can last a lifetime.  Your ultimate goal is to learn how to have a positive effect (it too can last a lifetime) by motivation someone, inspiring them, and being relational just to name a few.  Once you have acquired these skills you are not limited to only using them with new students; you can also apply them to your everyday life.  For example, you can use learned leadership skills at work, at home when dealing with a spouse or children, at school, or even in your community as to tool for unifying a divided community.  In my opinion, once you are a leader you are always a leader.  You are always going to learn new leadership skills and find ways to apply those skills efficiently and effectively. 

 

Interesting link:

Fish Philosophy

Social Media Passwords Wanted by Employers:

     What is “privacy”?  Does it still exist in the United States of America?  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, privacy is defined as: a) The quality or state of being apart from company or observation: Seclusion, and b) Freedom from unauthorized intrusion. 

     If asked by an employer to provide your password(s) to any and all social media accounts before you can be considered as a possible candidate for hiring would you provide your password(s)?  That is what happened to Mr. Justin Basset, a New York City statistician, during a job interview.  In an effort to select a qualified job candidate, employers are going beyond Google searching a prospective employee; they are asking you for your social media account user name(s) and password(s).  The biggest question is; are companies legally able to request such information or is this invasion of your privacy?  According to the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) web site, “The ACLU believes that this is a gross violation of personal privacy because people are entitled to their private lives online just as they are offline.”  Employers asking for social media user names and passwords seem to be a growing trend among companies.  It has not only alarmed potential job candidates; it has also grabbed the attention of political personnel.  Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) is so outraged by the employer’s need to invade the privacy of potential employees that he is writing a Federal Bill to outlaw the practice.  The senator said, “I am deeply troubled by the practices that seem to be spreading voraciously around the country.”  He added, “The bill that I am writing to stop this practice will be ready in the very near future.”  Facebook, a very popular social media site also weighed in on the privacy issue of employers.  Erin Egan, the site’s chief privacy officer writes, "This practice undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user's friends.   It also potentially exposes the employer who seeks this access to unanticipated legal liability."  So the next time you’re on a job interview and the employer asks you for your user name and password to your social media account(s) don’t be afraid to say no; your privacy depends on it.

  

Rage consumes African Americans over racially motivated murder of Trayvon Martin

CAUTION:  If while reading this post you find yourself being offended by the content, chances are this post pertains to you.  I make no apology for what you are about to read.

     On February 26, 2012, a young African American (black) male by the name of Trayvon Martin was murdered by a Caucasian/Latino man by the name of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood's watch captain.  The killing took place in Sanford, Florida, in the United States of America.  According to Zimmerman, Trayvon was looking suspicious.  What I find interesting is that fact that when Zimmerman dialed 911 (the phone number used to reach emergency personnel) he never told the police what Trayvon was doing that raised his suspicion.  The truth of the matter is that the only suspicion was that Trayvon was a seventeen year old African American male walking in a predominately Caucasian (white) neighborhood wearing a hoodie while carrying an iced-tea and Skittles candy.  Trayvon was not armed, he posed no threat and yet he was shot and killed by a racist!!!  He was shot and killed by a man who was racial profiling!  Trayvon was killed by a man who felt that his life was in imminent danger because an African American child was walking in his neighborhood!  The Sanford police seem to believe that the shooting was justifiable according to their “Stand your ground law,” therefore Mr. Zimmerman was not arrested.  I feel that the reason they believe that the shooting was justifiable is because it is a black child that was killed.  If the roles were reversed; if a Caucasian (White) male would have been shot by a black male, the black male would have been arrested and denied bail. 

     I am beyond outraged over the modern day lynching of Trayvon Martin!  During the years of slavery whites used a noose to kill blacks; in 2012 guns have replaced the noose.  At one point the only people that killed unarmed blacks legally after slavery and got away with it were police officers; today, it seems as though if you are white and you shoot a black it is justifiable homicide.  It seems to me that it is open season on the black male of all ages.

To prove my point here are a few previous injustices that have taken place over the years:

·         In New York City, Sean Bell died by a hail of bullets (50 bullets) fired by a group of five police officers (November 25, 2006)

·         In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jordan Miles, teen violinist: Beat by police over Mt. Dew bottle (2010)

·         In White Plains New York, Ex-Marine (Kenneth Chamberlain) killed by police, raises questions (March 7, 2012).

     When I read the Newspaper, watch the news, or listen to the radio and hear about unarmed blacks being killed by police officers or civilians I often ask myself, what have we (blacks) done to whites to deserve this?  What have we done to you?  Why are we the most hated race by whites in America?  My people were slaves, beaten almost to death and sometimes to death, hung, raped, tortured, humiliated and more by white people and yet we are the ones who are hated; why is that?   Shouldn’t we be the ones hating?  Shouldn’t we be the ones racial profiling?  Don’t we have a reason to hate?  I don’t see this boomerang of racism ending anytime soon.  As a matter of fact, I feel that it is only going to get worse.  Imagine if we (blacks) truly get fed up and begin to hate.  What will the end result be?  The late Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Intimacy replaced by hand-held devices:

Have you ever gone to a restaurant with a family member, friend, or even a significant other hoping to enjoy a nice meal and catch up on lost time only to be annoyed by the other person’s constant texting or internet surfing on their phone?  Since the conversation is limited because of this annoying behavior you decide to look around the restaurant and realize that out of the ten tables around you there is at least one person at each table either texting or surfing the internet.  I do not know about you but nothing irritates me more than trying to have a conversation with a person that finds texting or internet surfing more important than what you are trying to talk about.

     The cell phones that are being manufactured have the same capabilities as a home computer.  In many cases they are better than an average home computer.  These hand-held devices are known in the United States as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or smart phones.  Having these devices can be fun if you are considerate when using them, convenient if you are in a business profession, and in my opinion problematic because they seem to be replacing the intimacy in relationships.  I say this because I believe intimate conversations should be discussed either over the phone or in person; instead many people are texting intimate conversations.  For example, I once received a text from my son and daughter who reside in North Carolina, on Christmas day that said, “Merry Christmas.”  I would have loved for them to pick up the phone and call me to tell me Merry Christmas instead of texting it to me.  You’re probably wondering as a father why didn’t I pick up the phone and call them; I called and unfortunately they did not answer their cell phones.  Another example of intimate conversations that I feel should not be discussed via text messaging is when my son had gotten in trouble in school.  Instead of calling me to discuss his behavior his mother decided to text.  I asked her to call me so that we could talk about his behavior and she didn’t; for some strange reason she wanted to have a full blown conversation via text messaging.

     These are only a couple of examples of why I feel that intimacy has been replaced by hand-held devices.  If someone wanted to tell you that they love you; would you rather they text it to you or would you rather hear it?  That may sound like a silly question but how many times have you received a text message and thought, why didn’t he/she just pick up the phone and call?  I am sure there has been at least one time in your life that this has happened to you.  Isn’t it irritating?  Does it make you want to scream?  I do not know about you but it frustrates me!!!

Forgive, don’t ever forget, and then move on:

     I recently read an article on ABCNEWS.com titled, “Rihanna, Chris Brown Collaboration Sparks Outrage.”  I must say I was very disappointed in what some fans had to say about the collaboration.  For those of you who don’t know who Rihanna or Chris Brown is and what sparked such an outrage let me explain.

     Rihanna and Chris Brown are two very well-known R&B artists in the United States.  They both make very good music and at one point they were in a romantic relationship with one another.  That relationship dissolved about three years ago because it was said that Chris Brown was physically abusing her.  It was later proven to be true because Chris Brown plead guilty to domestic assault.

     Fast forward to the present; on Monday (2/27/2012) Rihanna released a remix of her song titled “Birthday Cake” featuring Chris Brown.  To add to their collaboration, Chris Brown also released a remix of his song titled “Turn up the music,” guess when……….on Monday.  Guess who is featured on this song………………..Rihanna.

     Many people are outraged because of the physical abuse Rihanna endured while dating Chris Brown.  It is said in the article that, “While some fans have expressed acceptance and even excitement about the collaboration, others are outraged, announcing their loss of respect for Rihanna after seemingly welcoming her former abuser back into her life.”  You’ve got to be kidding me!!  I am not by any means making light of the previous abuse; I am totally against any and all forms of abuse but what ever happened to forgiving, not forgetting, and then moving on with your life?  In my opinion, not forgiving is the start of many problems in the United States.  This woman forgave this man and people are outraged, why is that?  I commend her for having the courage to forgive.  How many times have we wronged someone?  Imagine if they didn’t forgive us and held on to that anger for three or more years.  Is there a thin line between what a person should forgive for and things that they shouldn’t?  Could you forgive a person for what Chris Brown did to Rihanna if they did it to you?  Here is something to think about; Imagine if your higher power didn’t forgive you for your transgressions.

Death around the corner

Have you ever thought of death?  I found myself thinking about death today.  I didn’t think of suicide, I thought of death: there’s a difference.  Suicide is taking your own life by overdosing on pills, self-inflicted gunshot wounds, jumping off bridges etc.  Death comes as a thief in the night by sickness, car accidents, murder, advanced aging etc.  The most interesting thing about death is that we all have to experience it one way or another.  No matter what nationality, color, creed, ethnicity, or religion you are, no matter how much money you have or don't have, one thing is for sure and two things are for certain; we all have to die one day. 

While thinking about death I couldn’t help but ask myself a question; am I afraid to die?  As I pondered on this question I realized the answer was rather simple.  I realized that I am not afraid to die, I am in fear of how I will die.  Since we all have to die one day it is safe to say that dying in a painless way is the wish for all mankind; at least that is my belief.  Would you agree?  The average person when asked how they would like to die would probably say dying in their sleep. 

So why am I writing about death?  I am writing about death because it is a topic rarely discussed and yet we all have to experience it one way or another.  I believe that many people take life for granted; we move about our day as if tomorrow is promised not realizing that in the blink of an eye the life we are taking for granted can be over.  I am not suggesting that you think about death daily; what I am suggesting is that you evaluate your life, appreciate your life, and don’t take anything for granted, because whether you want to believe it or not, death is right around the corner. 

Employers spy on potential employees through social networks

Do you think your private life is private?  Think again.  Your employment opportunity can be in jeopardy because of what you decided to put on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet.  Why?  You may be surprised to know that employers are checking on you through social media outlets before making a final decision on offering you a job.  Here is an interview by Bridgette Shanahan of NBC News Channel 15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcDWFnrbMX0&feature=related

I never could understand what your private life has to do with your qualifications.  In my opinion, what a person decides to do in their private time should be their business, as long as it does not affect their job performance.  Employers should really be careful with how they decide to use social networks as a hiring tool.  An attorney by the name of Kevin Maltby, an employment law specialist for Bacon Wilson, discusses the use of social media from a legal stand point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZIxNQsuwIs. I hope that one day employers would base their hiring decisions solely on credentials.

Additional links on this topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=9EGwZrDmHCQ&NR=1 (can social networking keep me from getting hired, Fox 10 News)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axvk-J73G4A&feature=related (funny example)

Caffeine and college students

I recently read an article titled, "College Students Warned About Loading Up on Caffeine Boosters," in the Valley News Dispatch.  I found it very interesting, yet troubling, to read that students are not only loading up on caffeine such as coffee, sodas, and energy drinks, but they are also taking Adderall or Ritalin, a prescribed drug used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Students are getting their hands on these drugs by any means necessary to help them with maintaining concentration.  The reason why students are going to such great lengths is because of the pressure to do well in school.  Terri Bassicook, a director of Counseling, Disability and Health Services at Seton Hill University in Greensburg states, “Some of their financial aid or scholarships are linked to their GPA (grade point averages).”

I can see using coffee, soda, tea, or energy drinks to help with staying awake while trying to study as long as you use it in moderation.  In my opinion, too much of anything can be dangerous.  I can’t imagine going to great lengths to get Adderall or Ritalin.  What ever happened to time management?  In life we have to make choices.  I’ve learned that good choices net good results and bad choices net bad results.  So what if you miss a party, can’t go to a game, or can't participate in a Madden tournament on your favorite game console; at the end of the day, which one is most important, education or pleasure?  

The start of a new semester at Penn State

I am currently a junior at Penn State the New Kensington campus.  My field of study is Corporate Communication.  Although I don't like writing, when I do write, I am told that I am a good writer content-wise; however, my punctuation could use some improvement.  I highly doubt that after graduating I will be seeking a career that involves writing.  My goal is to obtain a career that involves corporate sales, production, or marketing.  I would like to get a taste of corporate America.

The semester thus far seems interesting.  I am taking an online course, a Bi-Sci course, college Algebra, and a video production course.  I am hoping to do well in all courses.  The most challenging will probably be my writing for the web course.  I say this because time management will be most challenging for me.  I am not what you call a traditional student.  I work full time, go to school full-time, and I'm a full-time father and husband.  Balancing my time so that nothing or no one feels neglected can be a challenge within itself; I am getting much better at it, yet it can still use some work.

I am new to blogging, so finding a way to end my blog correctly is also a challenge.  How do I do that?  Do I say: the end, so long, see you soon, peace out, holla atcha, I'm gone, one, or until next time?  I guess until I can figure that out I will say: enjoy my blog.