Bruegger's Bagels

Today, I had a reunion with one of my favorite people on the planet. I spent four HOURS sitting in Bruegger's Bagels talking to my camp counselor, Jordy Brown. He recently returned from spending five months student teaching at the American School of Dubai, and he arranged a meeting for all of his past Leaders in Training to join him at Bruegger's for the afternoon and catch up. He asked us about life, and shared stories all about his immersion in Dubai. He shared some interesting adventures...

First, he had never been the minority before. He was an average, Caucasian boy in a mostly Caucasian Iowa. Five months in Dubai made him realize what it's like to be one of the few people who doesn't speak the language. He learned about the food they eat, the economic corruption that is so tangibly present in the city, and he learned to ride on one of those funky handle-free segways that has been inaccurately nicknamed a "hoverboard."

I can't even begin to summarize all the things he shared with us, all the stories about teaching and the culture in Dubai. But it was really really fun to catch up with him. Anyone interested in traveling the world, or student teaching, or both, should check out his blog. He's a great teacher, counselor, and friend. When I read his blog, I can hear him speaking, and based on what he blogs about, he has a pretty bright future as a teacher.

Yep, that's all.
Claire

(Seriously, check out his blog, though. It's riiiight here.)
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Iowa Caucuses

Last time I went to a caucus, I was 7 years old. I don't really remember it, honestly. Apparently everyone packed into the Viola Gibson Elementary school cafeteria, and other precincts did the same thing across the state. My mom caucused for Obama, I think. And now, it's time again. This upcoming Monday, people will caucus again for the next presidential candidates in this fall's election. There's going to be a huge Republican caucus downtown that concentrates all the precincts, but the Democrats split theirs up more regionally so it's easier to count where people side. 

My mom is caucusing with the Democrats. I think she'll caucus for Hillary Clinton, but I'm not entirely sure. She'll be in the Viola Gibson cafeteria again, and apparently they split up and sit on the side or in the corner representing who they are siding with. I really can't picture what it looked like all those years ago.

My dad wants to go to the big, crowded Republican one downtown. He won't tell me who he's caucusing for, maybe because he hasn't decided. But the Republicans select spokespersons for candidates to sway people to vote for candidates, and then everyone submits a secret ballot with their vote. There are a lot more Republican candidates and I'm excited to go to the Republican caucus and see what it's like. 

Going into this exciting evening for Iowa, my only hope is that Donald Trump doesn't win. He's not the right man for this presidency, and if he doesn't win in Iowa, it will be a hit to his ego in other states' primaries.

As for the democrats, I think anyone up for election will do a decent job. All three candidates have good ideas and will lead the country well if elected. I think it would be exciting to see the first female president elected to office, but the nation has to decide that Hillary Clinton truly deserves to be that woman.

So, to close this, make sure you get out and caucus! We're the first state that gets a say in who leads our nation, and our caucus results impact who stays and who goes and sets an example for the rest of America.

Best of luck to everyone! (except Donald)

Claire

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Michael Scott

A quick forewarning: this blog post revolves around a character from The Office, and if you haven't made it through Season 7, it may or may not ruin the entire show for you. So, stop reading, I guess? Check out this link instead!

For the rest of you that are familiar with Michael Scott, you are aware of what a character he is. The Office is a show about a regional branch of a paper company. It takes place mostly in the paper sales office, and the plot-line consists of interactions between all of the people working there. Michael is the regional manager, the guy in charge of the branch. And man, he's such an idiot! (I say this adoringly, he turns out to be a great character.) The show revolves mostly around Michael screwing something up or offending someone, and the entire office trying to undo the damages. His love life is a mess and he has no financial knowledge, and he's always insulting his employees and making terrible decisions on behalf of the entire staff of Dunder-Mifflin.

However, he's not the only one risking the well-being of the staff. Dwight is a handful, and Andy and Kevin make their fair share of mistakes as well. But the biggest issues usually lead back to Michael. On rare occasions - small, five second clips, perhaps - you might see him actually make a good decision, or have one smart comment. But the show mostly highlights his stupidity.

And then, he leaves. Near the end of season 7, he finally falls in love with the perfect dork to balance him out, and he gets engaged with her and moves to Colorado so she can take care of her parents. Holly and Michael are adorable, yes. Finally, Michael can settle down and start a family. But in that last episode before he leaves, he says goodbye to everyone without them realizing it. He told the entire office that he doesn't leave until the next day, but in reality he will board a plane that evening. Only Jim picks up on this, and only Jim and Pam truly get to say goodbye. After 15 years of dedicated work at a small paper business, Michael is leaving. And somehow, there are 3 more seasons without Michael. I can't stand it. He's integral to the show. And it's that final episode that really hits home...

He brings so much more than his disastrous decisions to the office. He brings humor, love, and he makes the office fun, even when he takes it too far. He creates the plot-line of the office. And at the end of the day, he is a brilliant leader and loyal friend. He considers his employees to be his best friends and practically family, and does his best to make that clear and take care of them even when they don't reciprocate.

So, as I sat there in my pajamas, sobbing as Michael hugs Pam in the airport terminal, that was when I truly appreciated the character of Michael Gary Scott. He surprised everyone on that show, and everyone watching. I am hopeful that he returns to the show later, because it feels like there is a gap without him there. 

Even the most unlikely people can become great leaders, and everyone has an important role in the world. I'll close this post with a quote from Michael.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. -Wayne Gretzky" 
-Michael Scott.

That is all. Whatever you do, be a leader and take chances. Michael Scott can't teach us much, but he taught me to be more daring. A truly inspiring fictional character.

Claire
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Sasha (and a conclusion)

Last but never least, is Sasha. She’s the “mom” of the LITs and she holds everything together. She helps everyone get along and solves our conflicts. She’s also not afraid to be really strict, even with her own peers. What would normally come off as a really stern comment, she always manages to make humorous. She’s is a great actress, and uses jokes to make what she has to say helpful without being rude. It sounds edgy, but she pulls it off really well. She doesn’t have the time or patience for people messing around and getting off-task, and her well-timed comments and sarcasm are really helpful. Her kitchen dish washing crew was one of the fastest to get done, probably because she organized everyone in a sort of assembly line fashion. Just, thank goodness for Sasha. She ties up loose ends and has a sassy attitude that actually helps keep everything and every person under control.

And to wrap this up, thanks to all the great leaders I got to work with this summer. These posts are sappy and sort of repetitive because I love them all so much, but they’re really sweet people and quality friends. If I could close this little intermittent blog series with a more general piece of advice, it would be to find friends as amazing as the ones I made. They are smart, witty, passionate, and loyal people and I appreciate everything they taught me and continue to teach me. Because we were all plucked from different school districts, cities, even states, and different backgrounds and social groups, we are a diverse group of people that bring a lot of different stories and qualities to the table. That’s important, and it’s what makes them so much fun to hang out with. They all make me laugh and make me think differently. Surround yourself with people who do that. It’s pretty fun.

Stay cool, kids.

Claire

(P.S. I'm experimenting with different blog endings, I guess? I don't like sticking to one phrase. So, don't judge me by my closing words, please and thank you.)

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Nathan

Nathan is so chill, dawg. He is a very down-to-earth, kind person that provides surprisingly wise advice, for a fifteen year old. I remember he said "chill, dawg," on the second day I had known him, and everyone in the room cracked up because we didn't think those words could sensible enter someone's vocabulary. And yet, Nathan said things were "chill" all the time, and provided our "fam" with some solid advice. He liked to ask really profound questions about the universe just to confuse and irritate us. But we always sat and talked about them for a solid hour, anyway. He's good at starting some pretty good conversations.

These conversational skills helped around campers because he could always ask them a really weird question off the top of his head, and get them talking. If a kid was homesick, he'd distract them by asking them about their favorite season, and why they liked it. Around older campers, this gave him a cooler vibe. Everyone liked to talk to him and think out loud around him. And when you are closer friends with him, he provides really good relationship advice. He's a very thoughtful person, I guess. I'd just leave it at that. I won't overthink this blog too much. I can leave that up to Nathan. He'll probably tie it into constellations and the universe somehow, and somehow it will still make sense. 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the wise words of Nathan, "stay chill, fam."

Claire

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A Lesson In Ramen Noodles

Trust me, this totally ties back to an important life lesson, and is totally related to bettering yourself as a person...

As I sit down to type this, I also sit down to taste the most hellish stir-fry that has ever been created. I'm home alone for dinner, and was going to reheat some leftover ramen noodles in the microwave. I decided to google some ideas on how to make leftover ramen more classy, or turn it into something more fun to eat. I stumbled across a handful of articles and recipes on how to create fried ramen batter, turn it into a pizza crust, and how to stir-fry it with assorted veggies and meat. I decided to try a stir-fry. Except I'm working with leftovers, so the ratios are completely off, and I've never tried to stir-fry anything before.

So let's see. I beat an egg, drain the broth from my ramen, and mix the noodles in with the egg in a bowl. I put a tablespoon of oil and a pat of butter in a pan and turn on the stove. I add my noodles. So far, so good. It's cooking! Maybe this will work.

It starts well. And then I try to flip the egg and noodle fry, to cook the other side. The skillet is too small and it folds inwards. It's fine. It's an egg and noodle scramble I guess. It's all good. I'll add meat and cheese, preferably some chicken and cheese.

I opt for sliced salomi and some cut up string cheese, which doesn't go well. Aha! Maybe the cheese will melt if I steam it!

Shit. Now it's soggy. *sigh*

What's the takeaway from this disgusting, soggy, stir-fry?

Some things are better left as is, straight up, with no fireworks or confetti. It's okay to stick to the basics sometimes.

Also, I SUCK at cooking. Should've just used the microwave...

Good luck in all your ramen adventures,
Claire
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Hannah

Hannah is one of the LITs that made it into my CIT session next summer, and for good reason. She’s so nice to all the kids and really good at managing them without ever being forced to raise her voice. They respect her and trust her. She has also proven that she deserves this position as a CIT because she is so friendly and easy to talk to. A good sense of humor and enthusiasm go a long way in childcare, and she had both of those, making her one of the best LITs and future counselors I’ve ever met. 

Aside from this, Hannah is also hard-working and was willing to let others enjoy themselves while she worked hard. She volunteered to play with day campers in the afternoon and entertain even the most difficult and poorly behaved young ones, even though it was scheduled as her free afternoon. I’m really excited to have her in my CIT session, because I know at least one of the people I’ll be in a cabin with for four weeks.

So, yeah. Hannah's cool. I don't know what else to say. I'm gonna just tie up this blog and move on because I have a few more LITs to write about and I want to finish acknowledging them all this week.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Claire

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