February 2009 Archives

February 28th kicks off the Boston Derby Dames third full season with a bout between the Boston Massacre and Maine Roller Derby's Port Authorities. This is a momentous occasion, because it means we've been pulling this off consistently since September 2006.

Pulling off what, exactly? Well, roller derby! I mean...the resurgence of roller derby in the 21^st century...newly configured as women's flat track roller derby that is. The Boston Derby Dames league was founded in 2005, just 4 years after roller derby resurfaced in Austin, Texas in 2001. Since then we've been training hard, operating our business, and hosting bouts in order to promote the sport of roller derby in Greater Boston.

The history of roller derby can be found pretty easily by searching the internet where you're bound to find a hundred and one write ups about its fascinating, yet sordid past. In the early days, roller derby was more of a speed race than the strategic point-scoring game that it is today, it has definitely evolved over the years. More on that later...

There are still some banked-track leagues out there, as well as coed and men's leagues. More commonly though, the sport is played by women's teams on a flat track, which allows leagues to set a track up on any flat surface, saving them from having to purchase or build, and eventually maintain and store, a wooden banked track (the kind they used in vintage derby). The game is played by two teams with 5 skaters each on the track (so 10 total): 4 blockers from each team make up  the "pack" and 1 skater from each team is a jammer, this is the point scoring skater. The pack of 8 starts out skating on the first whistle. On the second whistle the 2 jammers take off and make their way to the pack (race). They have to make it through the pack once before they can start scoring points. Once they hit the pack on their second pass, it's their job to pass the opposing blockers legally, and by doing so the jammer can score a point for each of the 4 blockers she passes. In the mean time, those opposing blockers are trying to force her out of play or stop her from passing them and scoring points. If you're seeing it for the first time...it looks like a big mess! Here's a good example on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qagfgyAIZ_k....more on that later, too!

It's Thursday, February 26th and I've been working nonstop for the past month preparing for Saturday's bout. Bout production is a fine art (in my mind, anyways), there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that people don't know about that requires some serious organizations skills (tooting my own horn here!). Our fans show up and expect to see a hard hitting, athletic display of roller derby prowess when they come to our bouts, but what they don't see is all the hard work that goes into coordinating games with outside leagues, wooing sponsors, designing posters and bout programs, ordering and printing merchandise, organizing team uniforms, recruiting volunteers, marketing and PR, selling tickets, and training of course! It's a lot of work and it's all done by our skaters  who are themselves volunteers. No one gets paid to do this work, yet somehow, miraculously, we get it done every month....nothing short of amazing!

Saturday is going to be huge. We are able to check our online ticket sales and that total plus the pre-sale tickets our skaters have sold by hand bring us up to about 580...that may not seem like a lot, but in the past big presale numbers means BIG crowds of 1400 to 1600! It's going to be a great start to the season and hopefully it will set the trend for the months to come.

If you want to learn more about our league, please check out our website www.bostonderbydames.com. You can also purchase tickets to our bouts by clicking on a link on our site that will take you to BrownPaperTickets.com.

More on derby...once the bout is done, I'll have a little more time to spend discussing the finer points of roller derby history and how our league fits into the story.

Thanks for reading and perhaps I'll see you this weekend...? Look for the gal running around like a crazy person and you'll find me!

. . . that the 25th Annual Silent Auction is approaching at Simmons. Every year, Staff Council sponsors this charity event that benefits the Fenway / Parker Hill Neighborhood Food Pantry. I'd like to think it's become legendary around these parts . . . it certainly is a major event for the good folks at the food bank . . . In these oh-so-difficult times all around, it's important to think of those for whom difficult times are far too common . . . Anyway, the Auction is coming in April, so we've a ways to go before then. It's a great opportunity to bring the community together for a good cause and a good time . . . all much needed.

Now that Valentine's Day is behind us once again, I have been reflecting on the effect that it often has on us.  Have you ever noticed that Valentine's Day has the ability to make people really belligerent? It doesn't matter whether someone is a first date expert or whether they have been coupled for a long time - Valentine's Day can bring out some strong, often negative opinions! While it's obvious to more than just the cynical among us that this "holiday" was created to manipulate money from our pockets, it is still hard to avoid the romantic expectations of the day. Now, I'm as romantic as the next person, and I don't think that anyone is advocating throwing away romance all-together, but I do think that most people resent being told that they have to spend all sorts of money to be considered romantic. There are plenty of people who boycott Valentine's Day, and not necessarily because they can't stand public displays of affection, but because they don't equate hyper-consumerism with romance!

Each year, on Valentine's Day, you have three choices, as I see it. You can avoid the day all-together; you can call around frantically and try to snag a reservation at a fancy, run-of-the-mill, EXPENSIVE restaurant, or you can get a little creative. You can celebrate true romance without hurting your budget or de-railing your long term goals. We need to get past the thinking that money equals love. That is a dangerous mindset, and furthermore, it is simply not true!

However, as we all know, it can be difficult to get creative in Boston, since it is such an expensive city. Especially in the winter time, when it is more difficult to find free or inexpensive, outdoor events, it's tempting to decide to take a break from dating and romance until the spring. I argue that there are plenty of creative solutions to this problem so that you can go on fun, romantic dates all year long and not worry too much about your budget. We all deserve a chance to participate in the cheesiest day of the year without emptying our bank accounts, or (worse) maxing out our credit cards!

I've compiled several great ideas for fun, romantic, creative and low-cost ways to enjoy each other and our great city this winter!  Who needs Valentine's Day when you can be a cheap date all season long!  (I have tried to include approximate prices and hours where applicable, but please visit the website or call in order to verify the accuracy before you head out on your date!)

1. Ice Skate and Cuddle over some Hot Chocolate

There are several wonderful options in the area for ice skating. You could go the more well-known, traditional route and go skating at the Frog Pond on Boston Common (which is a lot of fun!), but there are a couple of other great rinks in the area worth considering. The Charles Hotel in Harvard Square has a small rink outside its front doors. The best part about ice skating in Harvard Square is that you could head around the corner to L.A. Burdick's cafe afterwards for their highly acclaimed hot chocolate! Additionally, Kendall Square has a community skating rink. Whichever one you choose, be sure to bundle up - you are sure to have a good time with your date!

Frog Pond Skating, Boston Common - open Thursday 10am - 9pm (Admission $4pp, Skate Rental $8pp and Locker Rental $1)
Charles Hotel Ice Skating, Harvard Square - open Thursday 2pm - 8pm (Skates $5, Skating Fee $5)
L.A. Burdick's Harvard Square Cafe, 52D Brattle Street, Cambridge - Thursdays 8am - 9pm
Kendal Square Community Skating, 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge - open Valentine's Day 12noon - 10pm (Admission $4pp, Skate Rental $5pp and Locker Rental $1)

2. Borrow a classic movie from the library and make your favorite meal together

Sometimes, there is nothing more romantic than a relaxing night at home together. First, be sure to shut off both cell phones, turn off the computers and make a promise to pay attention exclusively to each other for the evening. Decide on your favorite meal and then go shopping together to get the ingredients. Go back home and prepare it together. Light a couple of candles and enjoy your masterpiece! Then, snuggle up on the sofa and enjoy a classic romantic movie together. If you enjoy books more than movies, this idea would be equally romantic with a classic novel or book of poetry.

3. Go Roller Skating!

Travel back together to the time when there was nothing greater than taking a turn around the roller rink holding the hand of your crush!  Enjoy some great music and a break at the snack bar together. You can show each other all your roller skating moves from back in the day!

Chez Vous Roller Skating Rink, 11 Rhoades St. Dorchester, MA 02124 phone 617.825.6877 ($4 cheap skate on Thursdays includes skate rental)
Roller World, 425R Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906 781-231-1111 ($6 on Thursdays 3:00-5:30 - unclear whether skate rental is included)

4. Visit a Museum Together

It is a little known fact that there are some easy ways to visit some of our local cultural institutions for free. Spend an evening enjoying some local art, scientific exhibits, or checking out some marine wildlife (penguins are very romantic creatures, after all, as we learned in March of the Penguins). Showing off your cultural side could be very attractive to your date!

Some tips:
Most local public libraries allow you to borrow passes to the MFA, Science Museum or Aquarium for free! I recommend calling your library as available passes will vary by location.
The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) is FREE for all from 5 to 9 pm every Thursday for Target Free Thursday Nights

5. Play with the animals at the MSPCA

If you and your date are animal lovers (it probably helps to ask them first before planning this one!), I can recommend a great activity for you. The MSPCA-Angell Animal Care and Adoption Center is a wonderful facility full of dogs and cats that would love to play with you! This is especially a great activity if you both live in small apartment(s) in the city and can't have pets of your own. During adoption hours, you can usually just walk right in and visit all the animals. What a fun way to give love this winter!

MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center, 350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130 (617) 522-5055 mspca.convio.net (Thursdays, Open 2pm - 7pm)

6. Go on a photo scavenger hunt downtown together

When you meet up after work, separately create lists for each other of funny/cheesy things that you and your date must capture with your cameras. Spend the evening combing the city together and taking turns finding items on each of your lists until you have completed both lists. Celebrate your accomplishments by taking the cameras back home, printing off the photos and creating an album of your memories over an inexpensive bottle of wine.

7. Tour Fenway Park

You have probably both been to Fenway Park many times to enjoy a game, perhaps you have even been together, but have either of you been "behind the scenes" at Fenway? If the Red Sox are the First Love of either you or your date, or both of you, this would be a great way to spend a great date together! During the winter months, there is construction going on, so your tour will include the Press Box, State Street Pavilion Box, Red Sox Hall of Fame Plaques and the oldest seats in Major League History.

Info:
Tickets are $12pp. Hours are 9am - 3pm. Reservations are not accepted and walk-up sales are encouraged.

8. Enjoy a night at the theater!

There are inexpensive ways to enjoy more traditional dates in Boston. I have not found a better website than Goldstar.com for theater and event tickets. It is free to sign up for the website and each week, they will e-mail you the best deals around. Goldstar.com offers tickets to most of the local hot shows and events for half-price or less. I have not seen better prices anywhere, and for such a variety of events. I have not gotten around to ordering tickets from the site personally yet, but I hope to in the future. It's worth exploring, if you are interested in a date at the theater this winter!

www.goldstar.com

9. Surprise your Date and take them out to Lunch

You may have noticed that none of my recommendations include dining out at restaurants. The easiest way to avoid spending lots of money during your date is to eat at home before you meet and then spend your time together focusing on activities not related to food. However, if you and your date would really enjoy having a meal out together, there are ways to do so less expensively. My first recommendation would be to surprise your date at work and take them out to lunch. Most of the time, restaurant lunch menus offer very similar fare to their dinners for half the cost. Additionally, neither of you will be tempted to order multiple alcoholic drinks (which can get very expensive) if you are headed back to work after your date. Also, there is something very romantic about escaping from your busy workplaces to steal some alone time, especially if you don't often see each other during the day!

10. Go out to Dinner

I know, I know - I just finished saying that going out to dinner in Boston is the easiest way to spend lots of money during your date! However, there are a few creative ways to dine less expensively, even at dinner time. Also, I'm sure there are still a few of you who have gotten to the end of this list and feel that you can't escape taking your date out to a nice dinner, so this last item, #10, is for you! There are a few things that you can do. First, try to avoid stereotypical date nights (i.e. Valentine's Day, Fridays, Saturdays, etc).  During the week, and during slightly earlier seatings, restaurants might be more willing to offer a flexible, or less expensive, menu. This is especially true this year, during the difficult economic situation.  Secondly, you and your date can decide ahead of time to eat your meal at the restaurant and then you can have drinks and dessert at home afterward. A bottle of wine is much less expensive from the liquor store than from the restaurant. Finally, visit the website www.restaurant.com to purchase a discounted gift certificate to your favorite restaurant. The deals on the website are amazing. You can often get a $25 gift certificate for $10 or a $10 gift certificate for $3! Additionally, as a new customer to the site, you can usually find a coupon code online for half-off your first gift certificate. You can only use one certificate at a time, but the site is very convenient as you can pay online with a credit card and print the certificate off your printer before you head to the restaurant.

www.restaurant.com


With a little creativity, romance lives in Boston and it doesn't cost much at all!

Happy Winter!  May the sun return soon!

I'm interested to hear your creative ideas for inexpensive dates in Boston, especially during the winter months. Please share your favorites!

I'm scheduling book signings and readings at local bookstores and libraries: a self-made book tour for The King's Rose. My book launch party will be held at Simmons on March 19; I'm thrilled to be able to celebrate with the community here on the day of my book's release. Of course, alums are more than welcome to attend!

Below is a current list of dates; please visit the "appearances" page on my website for updates: 

http://www.alisalibby.com/content.php?page=appearances&n=2&b=2&f=2%22

Thursday, March 19, Book Launch Party at Simmons College. Kotzen Room, 12 - 2 p.m.

Saturday, March 21, Book signing at Barnes & Noble in Framingham, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, March 24, Book Talk, Teen Book Group, West Bridgewater Public Library, 3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25, Book Talk, Teen Book Group, Boston Latin School, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28, Book signing at Wellesley Booksmith, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 11, Book signing at B. Dalton, South Shore Plaza, Braintree, 2 - 5 p.m.

Tuesday, April 14, Book Talk, Ames Free Library, Easton, time TBA.

Judy Beal, SHS Associate Dean for Nursing, and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Riyadh at the request of Prince Sultan University (PSU).  We have signed a memorandum of understanding to work with PSU on development of advanced nursing career programs in maternal-child health for Saudi women with BS degrees.  The photo shows His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, governor of Riyadh and Chairman of the PSU Board of Trustees, as well as senior officers of the university and Education for Employment Foundation as we prepared to sign the agreement.

This represents a major step forward for women's education and careers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I also met with two Simmons alumni who live and work in Riyadh.  Maher Mohamed (on my left in the photo) earned his DPT degree at Simmons and works in the National Guard Hospital.  Maghram Al-Amri completed his MHA at Simmons before going on to earn a doctorate in health care administration and wors as Assistant Professor of Health Administration at the Kingdom's Institute of Public Administration.

This entry has a "1" in the title, because I'm probably going to do another posting or two on street scenes and cityscapes. My husband and I are partial to these, even those that focus more on the structures--sidewalks, buildings, fences, and long, pronounced perspectives--than on the people.

If you're familiar with the early- and mid-20th century works by Louis Lozowick (www.artnet.com/artist/10779/louis-lozowick.html), Joseph Stella's intensely colorful portrayals of the Brooklyn Bridge (www.whitney.org/www/american_voices/536/index/html), or Charles Sheeler's paintings (www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=charles+sheeler), you'll know the type of art I mean. Even Georgia O'Keefe painted dramatic nocturnal scenes of New York skyscrapers (xroads.virginia.edu/~MA02/freed/okeeffe/skyscrapers.html). Works such as these were created during a time when many painters were simultaneously enthusiastic and apprehensive about the bridges and skyscrapers being constructed in densely populated areas all over the US.

Some of these paintings convey an ominous feeling, as if the structures have dwarfed human beings to the point of extinguishing them. They are all form, shadow, and somewhat threatening geometric angles.

Today painters continue to interpret cities and towns in their individual ways, with or without people.

Isabel Shamitz is one such artist (www.momentscapturedart.com). I "met" Isabel through LinkedIn, the professional networking site, and was struck by her depictions of city and town scenes, often populated by people going about their daily business in the Greater Boston area. She shoots scenes with her digital camera, usually on sunny days, which "adds clarity and dimension to the work." (Be sure to visit her web site to see more masterful renderings of reflections in her art, which Isabel considers "an exploration beyond the immediacy of the surface composition and colors" of the paintings, lending them "a slight edge of strangeness.")

I asked Isabel what she wanted those seeing her work to feel.

"I want to evoke memories, both mental and emotional, especially [in] my paintings of recognizable areas and streets in Boston, a city with so much history and diversity . . . . I want people to feel a personal connection and a sense of time and place with all my paintings." She has achieved those goals.

Isabel, who also paints street scenes, portraits (people and animals), and accepts commissions, is located in Greater Boston. Email her at: issyart@aol.com or call her at 617.680.1870.

When I was accepted and decided to attend Simmons College, I was filled with excitement, anticipation and I had high expectations for myself and the knowledge that would be bestowed upon me. The four years I spent at Simmons went by so quickly and I learned that I had more skills and talents than I knew what to do with. I typed papers, sewed clothes and sold jeans and tops to the student population for pocket money.
            I knew that with my diploma in hand that I would master just about  any challenge that was presented to me. I grew up thinking that hard work, diplomacy and being a life-long learner was the key to success. I have worked with fortune 500 companies as well as small privately owned companies and I always performed to the best of my ability, asked for constructive feedback, was a team player, kept my skills up to date, and received merit increases for my efforts.

            After working for a software company for 16 years, I decided to get off the road doing consulting and application development and set my sights on obtaining my graduate degree in adult education and moving over to training and teaching adults on a full-time basis. Unfortunately, two weeks before I was due to graduate, I was laid off. Not so bad, it just didn't happen on my schedule. I saw the layoff as an opportunity to explore other avenues especially entrepreneurship.

            A year and a half later, I accepted a position with a big insurance company in New Jersey and I was able to work from home in Georgia. Sweet! I immediately started getting busy with starting a business that I could do part-time and finding a mentor to help me along the way as well as partner with someone who was like-minded.

At the age of 50 years, I saw myself working until I was 65, being able to live off my 401K account, collecting SSI and working my business for additional income and then, the bottom fell out and everyone lost thousands of dollars from their retirement accounts overnight! The script got flipped on us, the baby boomers!  

We all heard on the news and through our local grapevines of massive layoffs, foreclosures, and towns dying because of businesses going oversees. However, even though the script is flipped we can still improvise, redirect, and start anew because 50 is the new 35. Baby boomers are sturdy, learn quickly, and are resilient. Thank goodness for email, the internet and above all, HOPE. Baby boomers expect to win in life no matter the circumstances, we will prevail.

For the long weekend I took advantage of some free time and unearthed a few more video clips for the BobWhiteLibrary on YouTube. President Holmes, President Cheever, and Mr Simmons. I will also get a chance to screen the Com Media movies and begin to make selections for the Film Festival that screens just before Spring Break. My only regret is that I am not attending the 24 hour science fiction film marathon which has been my getaway event during many of the past winters. Maybe next year.

Regarding chocolates being the food symbol of Valentine's Day, there are 2 things to muse about. First, it is how chocolates got involved with Valentine's Day -- which I actually have no clue but I am sure the information is available easily somewhere. The second being the nutritional features of chocolate.

Chocolate has 3 major ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, and cocoa solid.  Milk chocolate has milk added to it, and dark chocolate comes in different percentages depending on the amount of cocoa liquor (the natural mixture of cocoa butter and solid in the cacao bean).  White chocolate does not have cocoa solid. Not all chocolate flavored foods contain real chocolate.  The chocolate flavor can be artificial.

Cocoa butter is an interesting fat. It is mainly a mixture of saturated fat and monounsaturated fat.  The monounsaturated (oleic acid, to be specific) is a healthy fat.  And although saturated fat generally is unhealthy, the story is actually more complicated.  A good amount of the saturated fat in chocolate is stearic acid, which has neutral effect on blood cholesterol level.

The darker the chocolate, the more antioxidant there is.  The antioxidant is in the cocoa solid.  Since antioxidant generally is a good thing for the body, is chocolate a healthy food then?  Well, it is a double-edged sword.  Although it contains antioxidant, it is unclear how much we need to eat everyday to accumulate a meaningful amount of benefit. Also, since chocolates contain sugar and fat (from the cocoa butter), it is not a low calorie food.   More over, chocolate (except white chocolate) contains  theobromine, which can increase heart rate and keep people awake just like caffeine, but the effect is much much weaker.

So what is a chocoholic to do? Being one myself, I follow 3 principles:
1. Eat real chocolate (and dark ones), not things with artificial chocolate flavor.
2. Eat a small amount.
3. Watch the whole diet, so that the sugar and fat from the chocolate does not add excess calories.

Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the chocolate!

While I originally posted this here, I loved it so much that I wanted to re-post so more folks than the three people who read my blog back then could see it:

One of the funny things about geeks is that they can be rather un-trusting people. Perhaps they don't trust those who are not geeks themselves. Perhaps they've been lied to many times in the past. Perhaps they think stupidity = dishonesty. Perhaps they've actually worked in the business world.

Well, that last one is my cynicism coming through. But seriously, how many times are geeks lied to during the day?

Geek: Did you make sure your computer is plugged in?

User: Yes! Of course! Do you think I'm an idiot?

Geek goes to desk; computer not plugged in.

Personally, I've always valued my own honesty. For example, one conversation from early in my career:

User: Jenn, it was amazing how fast you got the network back up!

Jenn: Thank you; but it might have been better had I not crashed it in the first place.

This honesty often surprised my bosses, co-workers, and staff. If I had information that I could not share with my staff for business/HR/other dumb reasons, I'd say, "Well, I do know something, but I've been asked not to tell you. I know it's annoying, but please trust me that I'll tell you as soon as I can."

I encouraged this honesty in my staff. Yes, we might have been better able to get users to do what we asked them to do if we made the consequences sound more dire, but that wouldn't be honest, so I wouldn't allow it. Unless it was funny. I mean, if we could tell them they'd be eaten by wolves if they didn't reboot, I would have sanctioned it. Because hyperbole is a literary tool, and they would obviously recognize it as a joke. Also? I can't figure out where to get hungry wolves in Boston.

The results of my honesty surprised me. Anyone who ever worked for me trusted me, even if I had to terminate their employment. One person to whom I had to do this said (when I assured him it wasn't personal), "Jenn, I absolutely trust you when you say that." It was mind-blowing to me at the time. After all, honesty is just part of who I am.

As a result of my experience, I have to say that one very good way to be a leader (of geeks)? Be trustworthy. The results will amaze you.

My partner Seb and I are currently in the process of buying an apartment.  The apartment we'd like to buy is small, but it is just the right size for us for the next few years.  It is in a great neighborhood - in the 11th arrondissement of Paris - and is close to a major transport hub.

As in any city, one must first understand the real estate lingo before signing a contract.  In Paris, apartments are not referred to by the number of bedrooms they have, but rather the number of rooms they have outside of the bathroom and the kitchen.  This means that agents can be sneaky by calling a studio "a one room apartment" instead of just "a studio."

The first and foremost thing one looks for in a Parisian apartment is the size - in square meters.  Both our current and next apartments are about 24 square meters (260 square feet.)  Small one bedrooms in Paris can range from 20 square meters (215 sq feet) to 40 square meters (430 sq feet.)

Here are some other tips, just in case you're planning to move to Paris:

• Most ads will specify whether the apartment is on the street, the courtyard, or both (which is called "double exposition.")  Because of the way Parisian buildings are designed, most buildings have a small courtyard inside.

• Many buildings in Paris do not have elevators.  If you see an ad specifying that a flat is on the 6th floor, but the ad does not specify the possession of an elevator, be sure to ask!

• In french, a "cuisine americaine" or "American kitchen" means an open kitchen in the living room.  Sometimes this is nice, but sometimes it is code for "tiny kitchenette with a midi fridge and hot plate."

• Nearly every building is condominium-style, and every apartment owner must pay a certain amount in co-ownership charges per month.  This money goes to things like repainting the stairwell, paying the person who takes out the garbage, paying the caretaker if there is one, and maintenance of the elevator if there is one.  Be sure to ask how much the charges are.

Happy hunting!  And, once we've signed the deal, pictures of our new flat to come...

and wow, it flew by in quite the flash!  It was a very interesting and important month for the country and Simmons College and yeah, probably even myself somehow.  So important I completely forgot to blog about it . . .it's the old trick in which one feels that nothing is infused with significance at the time only to look back in retrospect and be amazed. 

I knew what January had in store for me, so I had a software program installed on my phone that allowed my organizer to sync with my work calendar.  Which is a fancy way of saying, I knew where I was supposed to be most of the time.  I spent a lot of January in meeting after meeting, talking about a flurry of really interesting topics--what leadership at Simmons means, what students are interested in for degree delivery options, marketing strategies for the College, ensuring staff representation and satisfaction, some intriguing candidates for Provost . . . and then we did the whole array of meeting topics over again!  All weirdly engaging and exhausting.   And every now and then, i even took a few minutes to answer some questions and process some records in the College Archives. 

And, on top of that, I watched the Wrestler with Mickey Rourke and cried all afternoon like a little baby.  And both Lost and Battlestar Galactica came back, feeding my inner geek.  Meanwhile I'm reading (very slowly) Shadow Country by Peter Matthiessen--a wonderful book set near the intersection of truth, myth, and memory in the swamps of Florida.  A busy month.   No wonder I forgot to blog.

So I start out February with a pile of proposal documents to read and evaluate as part of the Strategic Planning Process and a couple other big projects in the Archives that I'm continuing work on.  In the upcoming months, I'll be working with my student worker and with the ever-wonderful Diane Hammer in the Institute for Leadership and Change to develop an online exhibit celebrating the Bringing Beijing Home conference held at Simmons in 1996.  And Donna Webber, College Archivist and I are continuing a major project of arranging and describing the records of the President's Office from before there even was a Simmons College to 1995.  Very interesting stuff buried in those records.   

And I really have to finish Shadow Country, as i hate carrying around the same book (no matter how good or how long--and this is both) for over a month . . . I grow to feel somewhat remedial. 

Meanwhile, I'm taking an MCM class this semester--Communications and Strategic Change or something like that . . .  and counting the days until my honey and I disappear from cold, snowy Boston to Jamaica for a week . . .33 days, according to the white board in my office. 

Be blogging back later. 

President Obama has pledged to make mathematics and science education a national priority. Approximately half of all new teachers leave the profession within five years, so there is a huge retention problem. The President has proposed Teacher Service Scholarships to recruit high quality math and science degree graduates into the teaching profession.

 

Many factors have combined to put mathematics education front and center on the national agenda. The mediocre performance of U.S. fourth and eighth graders on international mathematics exams is one factor. Workforce needs and the need to protect national security are two others. According to a report by Mass Insight Education, World Class: The Massachusetts Agenda to Meet the International Challenge for Math- and Science-Educated Students, the "... pipeline of students into science, technology, engineering, and math-related (STEM) college programs and careers is shrinking in the face of increasing demand. ... Massachusetts' high-tech, high-finance economy needs a highly capable workforce the way a car needs fuel. Without it, they both stop dead."

 

Middle school mathematics, particularly Algebra, has emerged as a major concern for U.S. education. Quoting from the Final Report of the National Advisory Panel for Mathematics, which was released in March 2008:  "Although our students encounter difficulties with many aspects of mathematics, many observers of educational policy see Algebra as a central concern. The sharp falloff in mathematics achievement in the U.S. begins as students reach late middle school, where, for more and more students, algebra course work begins. ... Algebra is a demonstrable gateway to later achievement. Students need it for any form of higher mathematics later in high school; moreover, research shows that completion of Algebra II correlates significantly with success in college and earnings from employment."  

 

For a first-hand look at the challenges - and joys! - of teaching and learning middle school mathematics, we're speaking this month with Simmons alumna, Sarah Lupa. Sarah, who double-majored in mathematics and secondary education, earned her bachelor's degree in 2006, continuing on at Simmons to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching in May, 2007. She teaches seventh grade math at the Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Connecticut. As you'll see, it was in middle school that she experienced an epiphany about math that has shaped her attitude toward math ever since. Sarah is a talented musician. She plays several instruments and enjoys performing as part of an orchestra or an ensemble, as well as playing solo.  Please meet Sarah!

 

Sarah Lupa, B.S. in Mathematics, 2006; Master of Arts in Teaching, 2007

 

o   Sarah, what drew you to math in the first place? How did you get hooked?  
I got sent to a summer math camp run by the city of Bristol for rising 9^th-graders. This camp was free. The goal was to help students prepare for the standardized math test. Among other things, we learned how to use a graphing calculator and how to use Statplot. What camp did for me was that it boosted my confidence ... it took me from feeling I wasn't good at math to feeling more confident and like I had a leg up. Ninth grade meant a new school, a new place. Math camp helped get me to get off to a good start.

In addition, I had good math teachers who urged me to take double math courses and AP Calculus. In a nutshell, I went from a kid who wasn't mathematically confident to one who had confidence in my math ability. I want to do the same for other kids.

o   What did you think you wanted to do with math?
I always wanted to teach. Part of me wanted to be a lawyer, another part wanted to be a cop. Perhaps most of all: I'm the kind of person for whom teaching is my niche. Part of it is life style, the 9 month/year work schedule.

o   What math needs do your students have?
I teach underprivileged, seventh graders. They're learning fractions, decimals, percentages. I don't let them use calculators.

They need rudimentary facts. They don't know their times tables for 1 through 12 multiplication. They don't know that 6 x 8 = 48. This is challenging because it interferes with their ability to learn the inverse operation of division.

o   What accounts for this gap?
It has to do with accountability. Every year a little more falls through the cracks. Kids are not coming out knowing their times tables. This affects all their understanding. They can't multiply or divide. Part of this may be a side-effect of districts going to a new mathematics curriculum. The new curriculum is great if kids can work independently or have high motivation. It's an experimental curriculum.

o   What's occupying your interests right now? Where are you spending time and energy?  
For spring semester I'm starting Study Island, an interactive online program to help students prepare for the Connecticut Mastery Test. It provides drill and practice. I've been boning up on that. Also, I'm helping teachers in my building use Smart Board technology. (You can even make Smart Boards talk!). And, I'm helping to create interactive activities, like Jeopardy, for review sessions. So, I try to bring technology into the classroom.

o   Where do you see yourself in five years? What do you think the role of math will be in helping you get there?

Hopefully I'll still be teaching. I want to train to become an actuary. Maybe I'll transition to teaching college.

o   And, are you keeping up with your music?
For sure. I just played French horn in a winter concert at my school. We played everything from Pachabel to Harry Potter. Great fun!

o   What advice do you have for alumna?
Something I had to learn for myself: No one can be your advocate. Being an educated woman, you can sometimes be overlooked. If you want something, you have to go out and get it. Negotiate even for your first job. Even though there are pay levels, there is always wiggle room. I've seen people in jobs they hate because they didn't advocate. They sat around waiting for the right job to come along and when it didn't, had to settle for something that fell far short.

 

Do you have questions for Sarah or about this series of math portraits? If so, please write!