Jason Kline, also nicknamed JKline, is the principal at Kennedy High School. He's worked here two years going on three. He's active on Twitter, records announcements daily, and shadows classes every chance he gets. When he's not doing official, district stuff to keep our school running, he's invested in the students.
Mr. Kline had some pretty big shoes to fill when Dr. Wilcynski left. My freshman year was also Mr. Kline's first. Everyone LOVED Dr. Wilcynski. Mr. Kline was stepping up to the plate to bat right after Babe Ruth hit a homerun for seventeen years. There was doubt in everyone's hearts. The first year, he adjusted to his new environment. He had over 2000 names to learn, a new student body and new staff members to direct. He began building a Twitter presence, and learning our names, and still maintaining a high school. He started a blog called Cougar Chat and already began investing time to write and recognize athletes, scholars, and clubs all over Kennedy High School. He was working hard from the start. Under his administration, I had a wonderful freshman year.
Sophomore year brought huge changes to Kennedy High School, however, changes that were exciting for everyone. Mr. Kline pitched the idea of SMART Lunch, an 80 minute lunch period for the entire student body, as opposed to 4 slots of ABCD lunch that rotates students in and out of 4th hour with 20 minutes to eat. Instead, there would be an open campus for juniors and seniors with passing grades to leave for lunch. Underclassmen and those that stayed could enjoy two 40 minute slots of "tutorial." Tutorial was time to catch up on work, eat, socialize, ask teachers for help in their classrooms, and attend club meetings or recreational sports. Students and staff adjusted when the year started, and everyone loved it. Everyone loved Mr. Kline. And with good reason. SMART Lunch meant it was easier to participate in clubs and sports, made homework more manageable, and students that rode the bus could participate more in school life. Everyone was winning, and Mr. Kline was to thank.
By the end of the year, SMART Lunch had shifted slightly, though, and Kline took some big hits on Twitter. Administration chose to close the foyer during the end of SMART Lunch and students needed a pass to get to a classroom. It was to control the noise level, but Mr. Kline got tons of criticism on Twitter from students trapped in the noisy cafeteria. I'll admit to being one of those irritated students. Additionally, SMART Lunch was cut short 20 minutes to make time for more class, so we had fewer snow days to make up in the summer, and school had to start five minutes earlier and end five minutes later. Oh, the pain of waking up five minutes earlier. Mr. Kline took more hits, despite it being a decision of administration as a whole. Even teachers were irritated, but it was necessary. Being a high school principal means making difficult decisions, and Mr. Kline made his fair share of hard decisions that year.
Enter junior year. Present day. SMART Lunch remains shorter this year, at 30 minutes per tutorial, one hour of lunch to use accordingly. There is still an open campus, and the foyer has been open for students to come and go after lunch. Thank goodness. That was irritating. Now that everyone appreciates SMART Lunch, we turn to whether or not JKline is truly invested in every student. He attends every football game, but only one cross country meet in the season?! *Gasp* He doesn't participate. Yes, but he tweets about the team victories, and he celebrates every. single. sport. in an elaborate paragraph at the end of the week on his blog, Cougar Chat. He tweets about National Merit Scholars, Debate Team, football victories and dive team videos, and he is so cool when you talk to him. His focus is definitely football this year, but we're 7-0 baby! How can you not celebrate that?! The student section is flaming, and when over 200 students are there, Kline should probably be there too. And he missed the game this week because he was at his brother's wedding. He still tweeted and kept up with the game, and he's been encouraging students to add emails to a Battle of The Stands to win our school $25,000. The only reason we are in the lead is because Kline is so present on Twitter. No other school in the city of Cedar Rapids has such a strong social media presence as Kennedy.
Now that we all have some perspective, stop hating on Mr. Kline. Next time you feel that he isn't invested in all students, as his Twitter bio claims, check up on his weekly blog. He is one heck of a role model, and he is still learning and growing like the rest of us. He has risen to the challenge of a huge, new school and implemented an entire new lunch system with grace. He is raising a family of 1800, and a family of his own. Cut the guy some slack and thank him for all he's done next time you see him.
Stay awesome,
Claire
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Follow Mr. Kline on Twitter.
Read Cougar Chat, "from the desk of Principal Jason Kline."
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My friend is a role model - this will be quick, I promise - and she needs some recognition.
Rachel writes about equality in all its forms on her blog, Cup O' Equality. At first thought, a blog about equality sounds like recycled newspaper articles from yesterday. Equality is a very talked-about subject these days, in many forms. But Rachel really writes her own opinions, and when you talk to her, you'll realize it's what she believes and she won't bend her views to accommodate people that are really wrong. She tells it how it is. She's spunky and determined, and she's a future leader. Thank you, Rachel, for being refreshingly real and educated. Keep writing quality blogs, and advocating for what you believe in, far beyond the screen you type on. I see your opinions shine through in your blogs and in ordinary conversation and it makes me happy knowing you'll change the world someday.
(probably tomorrow when you post another awesome blog.)
Stay awesome,
Claire
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Rachel's blog, Cup O' Equality.
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Amy Schumer is an increasingly popular comedian and outspoken feminist that has become recently popular. She's so funny. And she advocates for women. A lot of her jokes have been interpreted or seen as controversial, but she manages to make them funny because her opinions are right, and she is fighting for women with her stories and clever words. She also speaks about how hard it is to speak out in general. She's a strong feminist with a positive body image despite being labeled as overweight by many critics.
Here's to Amy. She has awesome, edgy humor. She stands out because she defies the stereotype that feminists don't see the humor in anything. Her feminist rants are hilarious, but still get the message across every time. Her fans are learning how to support gender equality, and see themselves as more beautiful. May she continue to inspire, as she is an spunky, hilarious, and confident role model for many.
"I say if I'm beautiful. I say if I'm strong. You will not determine my story - I will." -Amy Schumer
Stay awesome,
Claire
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Some of the best things Amy has to say here.
Amy also has a show called on Inside Amy Schumer on Comedy Central.
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Let's talk music. In our messy world of criticisms and pop culture, a plethora of songs and topics are commonly sung about. Love, violence, becoming a parent, drugs and adventures. It's all out there.
If you asked me to pick a favorite artist, it might be Ed Sheeran. Or Troye Sivan. I also really like Sam Smith, and Jake Shimabukuro, and Dodie Clark, and Halsey. Oh, and Florence + The Machine. The audiences for each of these artists varies in size. Some are better known for making video makers on youtube. Some are famous for their music and overplayed on the radio. And the majority of you will have no idea who Jake Shimabukuro is. He's famous for his ukulele skills. But so is Dodie Clark. It's hard to find the theme in what sorts of songs I like. When someone sings about love, in various forms, it tends to move listeners. I think growing up and coming of age are topics that inspire me in song form too.
(I also love the type of music that makes you want to get up and dance. Groovy, funk stuff. Earth, Wind & Fire is one of my top Pandora stations for dancing to. In case anyone wanted to know.)
Yet, the other day, I was talking with my good friend, and he likes a very different set of songs. It's not the stuff that makes you cry or moves you in your chest, at least not the way I see it. Then again, he plays football. The songs he told me about are intense guitar pieces that the team listens to before a game. Not really my thing. And yet, the passion with which he told me about Shinedown and Seether was impressive. I tried listening on Pandora. I really tried. It made me appreciate the message behind the different songs that my friend likes. He seems to like the songs that drive him and make him feel stronger when he's doign something he's passionate about.
For another quick musical profile, another one of my good friends shares my taste in Halsey, and Sam Smith. She has begged her mom for concert tickets to Halsey. But I'm not sure we like the same songs for the same reasons. I think she likes the adventurous tone of Halsey's songs. Even if she's just driving home from school, Halsey makes it seem like the ride of a lifetime. And Sam Smith sings a lot about love. Songs about love, whether it's heartbreak, or a crush, or a terrible breakup, validate how we feel, even if we won't sing it dramatically like our favorite artists.
So here's to music. Let it continue to move us, whether it's to face the day with a different attitude or just get on our feet and move. If you've read this far, you should comment something you like to listen to.
Stay awesome,
Claire
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Ed Sheeran.
Troye Sivan.
Sam Smith.
Jake Shimabukuro.
Dodie Clark.
Halsey.
Florence + The Machine.
Earth, Wind & Fire.
Shinedown.
Seether.
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Jordy Brown is a writer and teacher. He graduated from UNI this past year, and is currently student teaching in Dubai. He presented his poem Stories Are Cities at a TEDx event last spring, and it's one of the best extended metaphors you will hear. For a quick summary, he talks about how we build cities in our minds. It's huge analogy. Each city consists of skyscrapers of knowledge, and streets and cars. Some cities have walls and some have bridges. Tears are the rain in these cities, but they clean the streets. It's a brilliant connection between individual people, and the cities that make up our brains.
And then the poem takes a more serious turn, and Jordy explains how our mental cities connect. As people, we share our skyscrapers of knowledge and our values and rules that govern our minds. But roads, stories, are how you really connect two cities, two minds.
I think Jordy is telling us to connect over stories. You won't fully appreciate someone else until you've heard about their experiences, and you can connect theirs to your own. These connections are important because fight against the connections that cause two cities to turn and attack another city. Stories forge connections, avoiding "... giant mushroom clouds of insults, slurs and hate...". I think Jordy's message is ultimately a positive one. Stories are what connect us, and the way to avoid issues between people is to start asking to hear each other's stories. Tell your story, listen to the stories of others. Break down the walls the safeguard cities, and build bridges instead.
Jordy's poem is something more people need to hear and realize. In a world full of judgement and angry opinions, we need to begin to listen to each other and appreciate each other's experiences and differences. "No city is the same..."
Stay awesome,
Claire
Check out Jordy's poem here!
To read about Jordy's student teaching adventures in Dubai, check out his blog.
His blog also ties to his poem as Jordy learns about the values of people from different countries and cultures. He's also student teaching 4th graders, and even the young minds he's coaching are teaching him.
Eva Devirgilis is a makeup artist, stylist, and also an actress. Recently, she's started speaking publicly about her job as a makeup artist. She has had hundreds of women sit in her chair to have their makeup done, and begin their appointment with an apology. In her TEDx Talk In My Chair she addresses the women who apologize when they sit down. Most women apologize when they sit down. Whether it's wrinkles, weight, nose shape or the curve of a face, almost every woman to sit down apologizes. They don't see their own beauty. Despite Eva's knowledge of makeup, she uses makeup to make women believe they really are beautiful, with or without makeup. Even if the effect is temporary, Eva tries to transform the attitudes of her clients, both with words of encouragement and her makeup skills. While on stage, she uses her acting skills to represent the different clients that sit in her chair. First, are the many women who lack confidence and see only flaws. And then, she becomes the women who don't apologize. To clarify, Eva isn't one of the women who is confident in a makeup chair. She too sees her flaws. But the women who don't apologize when they sit down to be pampered are faced with illness or death. An old woman celebrating her birthday, or a mother who just finished a round of chemotherapy and got her new wig.
Eva encourages those women to do two things. First, use makeup as a resource to feel beautiful and to feel confident. This is something we should all feel okay doing, too. Many people are seen as too "made up" or "trying to hard" when they put on makeup for an ordinary day, but if it's what makes us feel comfortable, go for it. Disregard the opinions of those who only notice your appearance. Wear as much or little makeup as you want, as long as you are happy.
And second, Eva reminds all women to love themselves. Every woman that has sat in her chair, every woman that wears makeup or leaves the house with none on, love and embrace your own appearance. As a makeup artist, Eva changes the appearance of so many people on a daily basis, and empowers them with makeup. But so many go home and feel unchanged the next day. She's looked into the eyes of women who she envies the appearance of, and had them apologize for a trait she would love to have.
Eva is a trailblazer, a role model in her profession, and a role model for all women. Love yourself, treat yourself, and don't apologize when you sit down for your next appointment. You aren't difficult, you are fabulous. And once you know it, remind others of their own beauty, too. If you are in the small group of confident women that loves your appearance, set an example as Eva does and try to empower others.
Stay awesome,
Claire
See Eva Devirgilis' presentation here.
For more about Eva, check out her website here.
Background: I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate is a spoken word by Suli Breaks. Suli is a spoken word artist that has created a multitude of poems with important social messages that challenge everything from the American dream to the hurt of social media. His spoken word about exams perfectly explains how hard it is to be successful in a hypocritical society, where our test scores seem to determine our fate. Suli has been on multiple TV interviews and is successful on YouTube as well. He shares his writing, favorite books, and articulately discusses his opinions on camera, even when improvising.
It's my junior year, which entails lots of big decisions, tests, and thoughts of the future - for me and for my peers. PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams loom ahead, and entrance exams and college applications aren't far behind either. Many kids will be applying to schools that hold the path to their dream career, and all that stands between them and reaching that dream path is doing well on the ACT. Or getting a 5 on an AP Exam. It's scary. Tests really can change our course in life, and many students find themselves taking a different path after high school because they didn't do well enough on the ACT to go to their dream school. Or their standardized test scores weren't high enough to take advanced classes in high school. They never realized effort trumps talent. They were made to feel unsuccessful simply because of a number from a test.
In his spoken word about standardized tests, titled I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate, Suli Breaks explains how hard it is to be successful when test scores have such an impact on our lives. Students are taught that college and getting a degree is the only and best option. Suli tells otherwise. And he addresses the students who don't score well on tests and are made to feel lesser because they don't test well. Just because you get a C on a test doesn't mean you don't have an A+ brain when it comes to art. Maybe your focus is math, not grammar, but it doesn't mean you don't have talents in a different subject. And in a society where education seems to dictate everything, Suli Breaks reminds us to not measure ourselves and others by exam results. Numbers can't represent people, and we must decide for ourselves to not let scores decide our paths. For many successful, happy students, this is all familiar. But for many more, Suli's words are a wake-up call, and those people are rising to decide their own paths, instead of accepting their test scores and mediocrity. Suli is a role model not only in this writing, but in many others. I encourage anyone reading this to go check out all his other work on YouTube. He's a talented, outspoken person that shares strong messages.
Stay awesome,
Claire
I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate by Suli Breaks here.
More of Suli's work can be found on his YouTube channel here.
