Terrible Sadness

There's no way Kim and I could have known what to expect yesterday morning. Following a nice Thanksgiving, Kim and I had car trouble on the way home. As it turned out, essentially, out car died. After significant mechanic's bills on Friday, it still runs, but the car shakes, one of the cylinders isn't working, and the engine light is still on. The mechanic told us we should get rid of the car. Kim and I thought that was a rough blow, but also expected that the worst was over. We couldn't have been more mistaken.
After taking the dog out yesterday morning, Orion seemed to be in fine spirits and his normal self. Suddenly, though, he collapsed onto the floor and couldn't lift his head or otherwise move. Kim and I rushed him to the vet. By the time we arrived, his breathing was very labored. The vet Xrayed Orion, who couldn't stand, and started giving him fluids.
After waiting anxiously for the results, the Xrays showed that his heart was twice the size it was in September. It seemed likely there was either a tear in his heart or a tumor preventing blood flow. We made arrangements to bring in a veterinary cardiologist for Monday, checked on the dog to find he was still very lethargic and now breathing shallowly, and went to get some fresh air.
Kim and I wouldn't be able to visit Orion on Sunday (vet's policy) and his making it until Monday was very dubious. Since the vet was closing soon, Kim and I had to see him one more time before the end of the day. We felt terribly that he was at the vet's all alone and, probably, very near death.
Upon our return, Orion was still in a crate out back and hooked up to an IV. He didn't look good, was cold, and became increasingly pale. I don't know if Orion was excited to see us or in pain, but he began panting. He breathing continued to fluctuate between slow, deep breaths and rapid, shallow breathing. He seemed to be increasingly uncomfortable and there were a few times I thought he was going to suffocate. It became terribly clear through seeing him and talking to our vet that Orion's chance of survival was minimal and his chance of returning to an appropriate quality of life was virtually nonexistent. In short, his suffering had become too great.
For Kim and I, it had become too painful to watch Orion struggle like that. Even at the end, he desperately tried to lift his head so Kim and I could pet him, hold him, and help him breathe more easily. I think even he knew it was all for not. Without getting into any more of the details, Kim and I put him down at 4pm yesterday.
Kim and I have really struggled to deal with our loss, but feel sadness because of our personal suffering; the fact is, Orion was in such a place that being put down was easily the most best option. It was the right thing to do for him. Kim and I, though, are fraught with sorrow and shocked by the rapidity with which the mighty Orion has fallen. He was also so healthy, happy, and cheerful. He loved to listen to Kim sing, "shake" my hand, and snack on cheese or whatever food Kim dropped on the floor. There was never an occasion whereby Orion didn't love Kim and I, wasn't excited to see us, and didn't do anything he could to put a smile on our faces. He was always such a comfort. And much of our pain comes from the fact that we feel as though we failed our dear Orion and wish we could have done more for his special life. He was completely dependent upon us and, in the end, there was nothing we could do to save him.
Oh no....
Although I think it might be easier for us to deal with the loss by trying to replace Orion with a new puppy, Kim and I are completely unprepared to do so. The fact is, Kim and I could never hope to have a more friendly, smarter, quieter pet; Orion is, literally, irreplacable.
I don't know what more to say at this time so I will, simply, leave you with a few pictures of our beloved and eternal Orion.

The Holidays are Here

Kim and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Jenn and Eric's. It was a nice break from our otherwise hectic lives which, quite fortunately, are quickly coming to a kind of end: Kim has only two weeks of classes left for the current semester and I'm really looking forward to the three-week Christmas break I have coming up.

As for Kim, once she's done with the current semester (FIVE classes and working full time), she'll only have to take three classes next semester and one in Fall 2009. With that work behind her, she'll graduate in December 2009.

Meanwhile, I just got back from Houston, Texas, where I presented at the National Council for the Social Studies' 88th annual conference. My presentation on cave paintings went very well and, frankly, I'm just thrilled that it's over (I was very nervous prior to the affair). Other than that, I'm going back to Teachers College this Spring (as long as I can fit it into my schedule) and hope to take one class Summer A (while I'm finishing up the school year at Poly) and two Summer B (while I'm off from Poly). If I can do that, I'll only need to take one class and write a thesis so that I can graduate from Columbia with my MA. I'm somewhat terrified of what that workload will look like, but the fact is that it's got to be done.

Other than that, Kim and I are doing well and looking forward to Christmas/New Years. We'll be in Maine on the 24th, though it might be late if Kim has to work that day, and will be in New Hampshire for the New Year celebrations.

I hope everyone's doing well and I hope to see or hear from you during the forthcoming weeks.

Inaugural Mayne Street Episode

Sorry I haven't written in so long, but Kim and I are both still alive and doing well. If you get a chance, please send food and water. We're running short on all necessities (food, drink, sanity, etc.).
Other than, I just found this and it's really funny, particularly if you know Kenny Mayne.

Funniest Election Video

This is hysterical. Remember the Budweiser "Wassup" Campaign from a few years ago? Think of that when you check this out. Please enjoy:

SAWX-CESS!!!

Things are going well for Kim and I, though we're still busy, busy, busy. In fact, I really don't have time to blog at all because we're doing so much and often working until 10pm or later to do school work, preparations for the next day, etc. I will confess, however, that I'm tired today because I was up late watching the Sox win last night; Thank God!

Other than that, it's just work, work, work...but the good kind. Kim and I are happily exhausted at the end of each day and excited about the next. I hope the same's true for you.

Dems Dance '08

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

McPalin '08

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Steve Brodner's Thoughts on Election

I don't know if you're big on politics or not, but there must be some part of you that's somewhat interested in what's going on, right? Well, if so, please consider looking at these links. They're the work on Steve Brodner. He's a cartoonist for "The New Yorker," a smart guy, and something with an interesting way of looking at the campaign.
"Plot Holes"

"Thinking Lincoln"

Busy, Busy, and Baseball

Kim and I have been burning the candle at both ends for some time now. She's busy with working full time and taking five classes this semester and I'm working full time, teaching a new course, coaching middle school football, and...I don't know, cheering on the Red Sox. To that end, I'm very pleased to announce that I joined an association I'd not heard of until today: Meetup.com. It's an online community that, in this particular case, follows the Boston Red Sox and sets up "networking" for fans. This season, there have been something like a dozen opportunities for Sox fans to get together to watch a game. Attendance seems to range from 15-40 Sox fans. I don't know if these meetings take place in bars, people's homes (which would be weird), or in underground clubs, but I'm looking forward to finding out and will keep you posted.
Prior to that most recent development, however, Kim and I attended a wedding in Maine. This past weekend, we drove up to Poland, ME, and attended the wedding of Kim's friend, Becca, to her fiance, Chris. The event, including everything from rehearsal through reception, was great. We had fun, got to spend time with friends, enjoyed good food, and the scenery was indescribable (but I hope you enjoy the pictures). It was a real chore to do all that driving, what with Kim and I both having so much school work to do (for my teaching and her studying), but it was a nice get away from the City. Another nice thing about it, not to be callous, is that Kim and I can now look for a niche in our schedules because we don't have any other extracurricular affairs until Thanksgiving.
Well, that's it for now, but enjoy the pics and the video. The pics include my "member" photo and profile page for Meetup.com, wedding pics, and a Borat video whereby he examines America's favorite past time. Although I'm not sure he completely understands the game (he says it's like a sport from Kazakhstan where "...we take dogs, shoot them in a field, and then have a party..."), the video is quite funny, nonetheless.
Anyways, enjoy.

Is the School Year Almost Over?

Hello All:
Welcome back to the blog and to September. Kim and I are both "all ahead, full" while everything, and everyone, else seems to be more than keeping pace.
Kim started her classwork about ten days ago now and has had two full days of classes now, plenty of work to take up every hour of every day, AND...finally figured out her work situation. Kim's taking five classes this semester and has to take them all on Thursday because she's working full time as part of this graduate program (8-6 M, T, W, and F). Her homework load is unbelievable by any standard and she has to plan ahead as much as possible because she and I are headed to a wedding in Maine this upcoming weekend.
As for me, it's "School days, school days, dear old golden...," well, you get it. Things are "as they should be," in many ways, though I'm never able to start a school year without wondering: "Why am I doing this?", "Am I sure this is the career for me?", and "Maybe I should be doing something else?" Fortunately, I won't have much time to consider my insecurities because of the frenetic pace of the year. For those of you I haven't yet told, I'm now split between my school's "Upper" and "Middle" divisions. In other words, I'm teaching two sections of the middle school course I've taught for the previous two years, Ancient Civilizations, and two sections of an high school course that's new to me: 11th grade American History (basically, it's 1491 to as far as I can get...hopefully, the 1990's). Things are going well on both fronts, but I need to take a somewhat precautionary approach to much of the year because this "crossover" position has the unique demands of requiring me to attend two "Open House" nights, two sets of "Parent-Teacher Conferences," complete two sets of written reports on different deadlines, etc. At the same time, I still hope to put good work into an article I'd like to try and publish in January (though I've not done nearly the work I should have done to date) and I'm supposed to present at the NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies) annual conference in Houston this upcoming November. The scheduling, then, is fraught with angst and uncertainty, but the challenges are valuable to my growth as an educator.
Other than that, Kim and I are still following the Red Sox, who are the recent benefactors of the Yankees's surprising two victories of the Tampa Bay Rays (Sox are now 2.5 games back and maintain their 7.5 game lead over the "Spanks"), we're back to following Notre Dame football, and we're excited to see the Pats get their new season started today (though they're facing the new problem of Brady's injured knee in the first half of their game against the Chiefs--check out the pic). But we have the upcoming wedding to attend on September 13th and are excited to make one more trip to Maine before settling more fully into Brooklyn for the Fall.
Hope all is well and enjoy the pics. They include my "banners" (essentially, it's the image my students see when they first log onto my class websites) for both Ancient Civilization and American History and there's a picture of Tom Brady getting injured (ouch!). In case you're wondering, the bent knee you'll be looking at in the Brady picture is his left knee.

Here We Go Again

It’s been a really long time since I last wrote and, as I’ve come to notice, I’ve really been falling off the wagon since the summer started. My “virtual silence,” however, is not indicative of how busy Kim and I have been. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s get started:
1.) THE BOSSE’S ARE COMING! THE BOSSE’S ARE COMING!
Mike, Luana, Izzy, and Gabriella all came down to beautiful Brooklyn at the start of August and Kim and I were able to meet up and have lots of fun with them. First of all, Mike decided to stay at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a beautiful hotel that’s quite close to Manhattan and only a 10 minute drive (with no traffic) from where Kim and I live. As the name suggests, it’s also obscenely close to the Brooklyn Bridge and serves as a great starting/finishing point for a walk to the bridge.
As Luana and Gabriella were going to a trade show on Sunday morning, it was up to Mike, Izzy, Kim, and I to entertain ourselves until we could all meet up in the afternoon. Consequently, Kim and I picked up Mike and Izzy early Sunday morning and headed down to Coney Island. We got there quite early (about 10am) and only then discovered that the amusement park and “The Cyclone” didn’t open until noontime. We made the best of it, however, and not only walked the boardwalk and in the surf, but also had lunch at “Nathan’s Original Hot Dogs.” It was a lot of fun and we concluded the morning with a quick trip to the amusement park, once it did open, and Kim and Izzy riding the world famous “Cyclone” roller coaster.
Afterwards, we made our way into Manhattan so we could meet up with Luana and Gabriella, grab some lunch, and see some sights. We found each other in Times Square, made our way to the ESPN Zone, and then went to Toys ‘R Us so Izzy could see, among other things, a six-story indoor ferris wheel. Sorry I didn’t take any pictures of that, but I hope you enjoy the other ones from there. Following a quick trip to M&M World, we were headed back to Brooklyn and, soon after, our separate ways.
We had lots of fun, though, and would gladly revisit any of those places again. We only need a few guests take around. Any volunteers?
2.) SCHOOL’S OVER (FOR NOW)!
Immediately following that visit, I was back in graduate school for the final week of my summer course. I finished up on Wednesday, August 6th, and completed a required course for my degree, “Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies.” It was a supremely difficult course that included frequent writing assignments, multiple class presentations and group work, and culminated in my submission of a twenty-six page paper that considered the plausibility of using experiential learning to enhance a student’s perceived “relevance” of course curriculum. This paper was only a “proposal” for a classroom research plan so there were no statistical findings, but it was an interesting endeavor, nonetheless. Fortunately for me, all the hard work paid off not only because I learned an awful lot by taking the class, but because I also earned an “A” for the term. I’m nearly half way through the degree program now (I’ve taken half the course work but also need to do a thesis at some point) and can’t wait to move closer to my goal of attaining this degree.
3.) SCHOOL’S STARTING
The aforementioned reprieve could only last so long, though, and so I’m now back to teaching for the upcoming school year. We had meetings all this week and will start with orientation on September 2nd. This year, I’ll be teaching two sections of Anc. Civilizations and two of a US History survey course. With these forthcoming experiences, I’ll soon be able to add “high school teaching experience” to my résumé. Kim and I are hoping this will be useful if and when we look to relocate again. By that time, I’m hoping to have the following elements: undergrad degree, graduate degree, middle school teaching, high school teaching, post-graduate teaching, and at least one published work. Fortunately, I’ve already accomplished three of these (undergrad, middle school and post-grad teaching) and am in the process of completing the other three components.
Another consideration I believe makes a lot of sense is that I won’t be taking a grad. course this Fall. What with my impending presentation at the NCSS Conference coming up in November and my teaching a new class this year, it seems best to give myself time to focus on those professional responsibilities before taking on additional academic work.
4.) UPDATE ON KIM
Kim was lucky to have the summer off from school, but is about to start paying the price. As of yesterday, when she had her first day of Fall classes for this upcoming academic year, Kim is officially back to working “double time.” In other words, Kim is not only working a full time job, but now must take FIVE classes for this upcoming semester. That means she’ll be working four nine-hour days (Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri) and going to class all day on Thursday. Ughhh. Of course, it isn’t quite as bad as it sounds (one class only meets every other week and another class only runs to Thanksgiving), but it very nearly as bad as it sounds. I mean, five classes is more than enough, never mind working full time to boot. But, as I’ve said to her before (in my rough paraphrase of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), ‘What others have done before you, you can also do.’ And so, without meaning to belittle her plight and rigorous schedule, we’re sure she’ll manage the course successfully…somehow.
As a way to get started on the right foot, however, Kim had the good sense to take a week off of work and head up to Maine one more time before everything got too crazy. So just a week ago today, Kim and I made our way north and got to her mom’s house sometime around 11pm. Saturday was a beautiful day, particularly because I achieved my dream of getting a sunburn (I’m too Irish to “tan”), and Kim, her mom, and I all got to stop by Luana’s new clothing store “Isabella’s” in Scarborough, Maine. It’s a wonderful boutique with beautiful clothes at reasonable prices (see for yourself at: http://www.isabellaforwomen.com/) and it’s just an awesome commercial space. After stopping in, everyone went back to Mike and Luana’s where we partook in libation, sustenance, and revelry. It was a fantastic time.
Sunday was equally salubrious as Kimmy (one of Kim’s best friends from growing up) came over to Kim’s mom’s house with her children: Colby, Jonah, and Ariana. Not only did we have fun by the pool and playing inside the house, but a visit to Kimmy’s later that night came with a delicious spaghetti and meatball dinner, plenty of Disney movies for the kids, and even a bedtime story. I swear; I don’t know what it is about bedtime stories, but there’s something great about having someone else read you a mindless book late at night.
Kim and I headed back on Monday, but the trip was a welcome relief from both the summer stress and impending rigor of the coming months.
5.) HOLIDAY SEASON’S NEARLY HERE
Amazing though it may be, the fact of the matter is that there are only 118 days until Christmas!!! Can you believe it? But certainly, that’s not it. My brother Danny is headed down to Long Island right now (with his fiancé, Erica, and soon-to-be stepson, Austin) to surprise my brother Eric for the Labor Day weekend. I’ll pick my mom up tonight at Penn Station so she, Kim, and I can go out tomorrow to add to the festivities. Meanwhile, I walked into a pharmacy just this past weekend and saw them putting out the Halloween candy. Thanksgiving is only weeks after that. Then there’s Christmas, New Year’s, 2009!!!, Valentine’s Day…etc. It’s amazing, but look out folks because while you weren’t paying attention, the end of the year snuck up and sat on you. Goodness gracious, it’s almost here so, if you haven’t already, make sure you’ve got your plans figured out for the remaining one-third of 2008. As for Kim and I, look for us here:
Thanksgiving on Long Island,
Christmas in Maine, and
New Years in New Hampshire,
What about you? Well, good luck with today, tomorrow, and the other 100+ days until it’s time to ring in the holidays. Also, enjoy the upcoming political race and know I look forward to seeing you soon and hope to hear from you even sooner. Here’s to Labor Day!!!

Amazing Olympic Moment

I'm sure you're getting to the point that "Enough's enough" and you're getting tired of hearing about China's lip-singing 9 year-old and digitally enhanced fireworks, but this is an amazing Olympic moment you won't soon forget. AND, the broadcasters actually add quite a bit to the experience.
Anyways, enjoy this moment from the 2000 Sydney Olympics:

Me and My Big Mouth!

For those of you that know me, at all, you might know that I sometimes talk alot more than I should and, occasionally, say things that would be better kept in quiet company, if said at all. Accordingly, I just finished a lengthy e-mail to an old college professor of mine that I have since befriended. I'll spare you anymore of the details of what I said, or he said, or anyone said because I feel the text from the e-mail is sufficient to re-create my awkward remarks which, years later, I felt the need to explain more thoroughly.
PS: You'll know you've made a ridiculous comment when you find yourself in a situation that necessitates such visual aids as I've included and use of the phrase "assless chaps" with such frequency.
Here's the content of the e-mail:
It's funny you mentioned Kim "in black leathers riding on the back" because I remember, with some horror, the time the four of us were having dinner at your log cabin and I mistakingly mispoke with regard to "leathers." In case you've forgot, we were talking about our mutual dislike for pineapple on a pizza and I said something to the effect of "Pineapple on a pizza is as ridiculous as assless chaps on a motorcycle." Being that (your wife) and yourself are probably owners of "leathers," there was a particularly awkward silence following my remark, as I'm sure you can imagine. You kindly tried to assuage everyone's discomfort and move the conversation elsewhere, but I felt the need to explain myself (as I meant to explain the clear distinction between what I understood to be "assless chaps" and an entirely different piece of clothing known to afficianados as "motorcycle chaps" or "leathers"). I'm not sure I ever explained myself sufficiently and, so, would like to take one more shot at it, particularly as this has been one of the great regrets of my loose tongue.
As I was saying, motorcycle chaps and "leathers" are entirely perfunctory and a useful piece of clothing, particularly if one is to be riding for an extended period of time, hence their value to motorcyclers, cowboys, and ranchers. "Assless chaps," however, have an important difference that make them compellingly distasteful to the aforementioned populations. You see, assless chaps have a piece of material that extends from the middle of the waistband on the front of the garment to the middle of the waistband on the back of the garment. (This is very different than motorcycle chaps which have material run down the waistband along the hip.) On assless chaps, this "front to back" leather strap not only covers the genitals, but splits the buttocks, as well, creating the appearance of leather pants with patches cut out for the buttocks. It is also uncommon to where anything underneath these "assless chaps." Finally, this particular piece of clothing is not uncommon to some more eccentric members of homosexual population. Again, please consult the pictures I've attached, both of which are appropriate to use as visual aids. You'll see in the first one, with the manequin, the piece of material going across the back and, in the second photo, the wardrobe John Candy and Eugene Levy are sporting should help you imagine the view when the two of them, and particularly Eugene Levy, turn to walk away. If you need to see more, the movie "Armed and Dangerous" might also be of some use (it's where the second picture is taken from).
Anyways, I hope I've explained myself more fully this time and shown that assless chaps are of an entirely different subculture than the motorcylce subculture. For that reason, I opined the original assertion that "Pineapple on a pizza is as ridiculous as assless chaps on a motorcycle." If, however, you understood me all along and not only own a pair of assless chaps but wear them as I've described, then I really went out of my way to prove myself the fool. Hmmm.
Well, I hope I've done this justice, and apologize for the loquacious use of detail, but felt compelled to clear the air. As for Kim in leathers on the back of my Harley, I'm sure I would enjoy that, but don't know the first thing about motorcyles and think that buying such a beautiful bike as what you have (I saw it online at CraigsList) would be the equivalent of showing up for my driver's ed. test in an Indy Car...simply, a bit ambitious for me. In any event, enjoy selling it online and the upcoming trip to Nova Scotia.
I'll be in touch with you for advice if and when I get to the point I'm ready to go to the Whaling Museum's library, but appreciate your enthusiasm for my proposal. And you're right about the cultures course you mentioned; I expect I would have not only enjoyed the content of the course, but the comaradery, as well.

Best regards,
Pat

More Green Screen Challenge

Here's more from Stephen Colbert's campaign to "Make McCain Exciting."

Lords of the Dance

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Kim and I Having Fun

Please watch this, but know that it's best when you have the volume on your computer set so that you can hear the music.

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Tough Monday? Enjoy a Laugh.

Family Gatherings

Eric, Jenn, Kim and I got together to celebrate the Fourth at their new home. We had a great time in the pool, enjoyed a BBQ together, and finished the night with some quality time on the Wii. We stayed until nearly 10:30pm and, to no one's surprise, got stuck in lots of traffic on the way home as a lot of people had decided it'd be a good idea to do some "rubber necking" ON THE HIGHWAY in the hopes of glimpsing the last remaining fireworks of the night. Yeah, that's safe.
But while Kim and I made the "trek" back to our apartment, which is only about an hour away from Eric and Jenn's, Jeff and his dad were working on their cross-country driving expedition. Having spent some seven years out on the West Coast, Jeff finally decided to move back East and, when presented with an incredible work opportunity, decided to make that happen. As a result, he and his father drove 3,090 miles over the Fourth of July Weekend, finishing the trip just tonight. Jeff, it's great to have you back. Can't wait to see you soon.
Eric and Jenn, thanks for the great time on Friday. Everyone else, have a wonderful week and enjoy the pics (from Jeff's trip with his dad) and vids (from the pool and Wii at Eric and Jenn's).

Happy Fourth, Y'All!

What a day. What a day. Happy Fourth, everyone. Kim and I are doing a bunch of nothing today. She’s at work and I’m at home. We’re hoping to meet up with Eric and Jenn, once Kim gets out of work, but haven’t been able to get a hold of them yet. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the day by basking in the after-glow of the Red Sox win over the Yanks last night, today’s “Law & Order” marathon, and the “Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship.” Oh, and the Sox are back on with a 1:05pm game against the Yanks. Who needs fireworks, right?
As for the pics, I’ve included the back cover of the Daily News for today, replete with the headline “Red, White & Boo.” There are also some pics from the hot dog eating contest. This year’s was a real gem. At the end of the ten-minute regulation period, the top two contestants, Kobayashi and Chestnut, were tied at 59 hot dogs, apiece. According to the commentators, those two "attack those dogs the way Lindsay Lohan attacks a minibar." As a result of the tie, for the first time in the 92-year-history of the contest, they had to go to a “5 dog eat-off!” Chestnut victoriously defended his Yellow Mustard Belt. Imagine when that’s all digested; talk about fireworks?!?
Finally, there's a quick video of one of the most unbelieveable things I've ever seen. With the Red Sox down 3-1 in the top of the 3rd inning, Kevin Youkilis blasted one to left field. Johnny Damon chased it back to the wall and went up for it. The ball landed in his glove and carried into the top of the wall. At that point, the ball popped out of the glove and landed atop the wall. Eventually, the ball came back into play, the Sox scored two runs (to tie the game), and Damon left the game with an injury to his left arm. I've never seen anything like that. If it'd fallen over the other way, out of the park, it would have counted as a homerun. If a fan had picked it off the wall, who knows?
Anyways, enjoy the Fourth!

Paola's in the News

Everyone's asking how Ed's doing and it sounds like things are going well, but there's Paola (Ed's girlfriend), too. Ed's spending the summer out in Ohio, after deciding not to return to his job at Wolfeboro Camp School. Now he's working at a camp in Ohio during the day and a pizza place at night (the perfect job for Ed). He'll be out in Massachusetts sometime in August, but will be busy in Ohio until then.
As for Paola, I'm not completely sure what she's up to in Ohio during the summer, but I do know she went to a National Catholic Leadership Institute conference earlier in the summer and she's taking a summer class. Then, when I found these articles on the OWU website, as part of its homepage, I immediately thought to pass them along to everyone.
Everyone, this is Paola. Paola, this is Everyone.
Here are the links:
(for the Catholic Leadership Institute) http://news.owu.edu/2008/20080619-CMLI.html (and the "Pushing Boundaries" article) http://spotlights.owu.edu/20080318-perseverance.html