It's done. I'm officially's a Master (of what, that's up in the air!!)

Well, it's done. My year in New York is over. Today I took part in the 254th Commencement of Columbia University and President Bollinger has granted me my degree. I can say that today is the day that I am officially in debt!!!
In all seriousness, I am deeply honored and humbled to have had an opportunity to get one of the best graduate educations in the country. I feel like I now have an immense responsibility to give back to my community and school for receiving such a degree.
I am saddened to be leaving the realm of constant intellectual stimulation and challenges. The growth I have had as a person and as an educator is unparalleled. I will miss the friends I have made as I will not see them on a day to day basis in class and outside of class and the myriad discussions I've had with them. At the same time though, I have a bond with them knowing that if I ever needed anything, both professionally and personally, they will be there for me.
I will also miss the city. I never thought I would utter those words, yet the city has grown on me. The city is great and living here trumped every stereotype I had of it going into this year.
I've been blessed with having the privilege of hearing Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian. I visited every major museum, attended 13 Broadway shows, ate at some amazing restaurants, oh and studied my brains out!!
All in all, it was a great year to get re-energized for going back to work. It was much needed. I can't wait for Friday when I get in a truck and come back to the Tar Heel state to friends and family. Thanks to all who kept up with me through this blog. Your thoughts and prayers were felt everyday.

Drawing to a close

I am entering my final week of classes and I can't believe that my year is drawing to a close in a matter of days. Graduation is on the 20th and I once again get to don the cap and gown and walk across the stage to receive a diploma. Of the three times I've had to do this, I think I can say that this one may mean the most. I think I say that, because I feel like I actually am mature enough to understand the implications of my degree and the importance of learning. Don't get me wrong, nothing will ever top the experience I had at Carolina as those were definitely the best days of my life, but this year made me realize that I can achieve with the best in the nation in the independent school world. Everyday I walked into class thinking what I was doing here and whether I could handle being in a class full of brilliant people who I hold in high regard. At the end of the day come May 12th, I think that I will be able to say, yes I do and did belong at this school. Actually I'm sure of it.
I will never forget my experience here, as the experience has helped to further shape who I am as a person and especially as an educator. All along, I've known that education is where I was supposed to be and this year further confirmed that. There is something about impacting students that drives me to pursue this career. Education is a special field that all too often goes unrecognized by our society. I hope that in my life I'm able to help people recognize the importance of education and how important our jobs as educators is. If we take James (James 3:1) seriously, then we as educators have great responsibility in teaching because we are held to the highest standard and will judged more harshly. I hope and pray that more and more educators all over the nation can hold on to these words and do eveything they can to advance this great profession.
As I get ready to take my finals and turn in my last papers, I wanted to thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. I can't wait to see everyone again. Okay, now it's back to writing more papers!! Peace and Love.--JLM

Long overdue!!

Friends and family,

I apologize for not posting anything for the past two months! I have been quite slack in this part of my life for that I'm sorry. Not writing that last two months doesn't mean that exciting things haven't happened since my last posting. So I will try to do my best in recalling the last two months for you all.
After my last posting, I came home fore Spring Break and was able to relax for a week staying with friends in Raleigh as well as with family in Burlington. The time flew by, but it was great to go back to St. David's and see close friends and students in the midst of their normal school day. I was blessed enough to give the chapel talk at school, which is always exciting. I spoke on the need for intentional community and how I was able to experience it first hand this year in New York.
I returned to New York after spring break only to come back and be hit with a final exam! Luckily, it wasn't too difficult. I made it through midterms and had a few free days in April where I was able to further explore the city, visiting the Lower East Side and the Village, which are very neat places to go and people watch as well as eat great food! I made it to a few more plays and continued my bike rides around the city.
A couple of weeks after my break, I took three days off to meet the eighth graders from St. David's on their DC trip. It was my first time on an American train, which you have time when traveling, I highly recommend it. It's fascinating seeing the beauty of the landscape and different cities you pass through. My time with them was grand. I was so glad I was able to spend a little time with the grade that I left in August to pursue this degree. The kids were great and the trip was exceptional as always. I did get a chance to see Senator Dole and the first dog in the White House much to the disappointment of my dear friend Neville! (She never gets to see important people on these trips and I always seem to be at the right place at the right time!)

SPRING IN THE PARK

Just as NC is beautiful in April with the azaleas and dogwoods blooming, and DC is gorgeous with numerous cherry blossoms surrounding the basin at this time, Central Park in spring ranks right up there. I was able to spend a Friday and take pictures of the flowers and trees blooming in this monstrous metropolis. I could've spent all day there going around the park, taking pictures of the different flowers and trees. So if you ever visit the city, mid-April is a great time to come and visit. I've included some pictures I took on this outing.

Discussion and Dialogue. Can it happen?

So this past week, I went to a showing of a film called Purple State of Mind. It is a documentary about two friends who talk about their differences in belief and views about the country, life, and God. Both were college roommates at Davidson and both believers in the Christian faith. One kept his faith through the years while the other lost it.

The documentary chronicles four intense conversations over the course of a year in different parts of the country. The conversations they have are exactly what this country needs. Dialogue and discussion among Christians and non-Christians. Being ever more divided over ideals and beliefs in this country, the film aims to start the discussion between the polarizing sides and shows that it is possible to have healthy discussions with people who have conflicting beliefs.

After much pondering this week after watching the film, I've come to the realization that our country is hungry for discussions like this. Discussions that not only challenge our beliefs, but also help us to understand opposing views.

The more I read the gospels of Christ, the more I realize that Christ was not red or blue when it comes to politics, neither was he one who ostracized people for not believing in Him. In fact, Christ sought those who didn't know him by loving them, and can it be, talking with them. He sought the outliers, sinners, like me.

If you have an opportunity, check out the website www.purplestateofmind.com and become part of the discussion. It's needed. More than ever, it's needed. We (six Christians in my program, myself included) are planning on showing the film in the coming weeks for all who are interested in starting a discussion in our program. Should be very interesting.

I have more thoughts on the matter, but those are left for my personal journal, and individual conversations, not blogs.
Much Love and Blessings,
JLM

New found Hobby

So I've had a road bike back home in Raleigh for the past two years and have always wanted to start biking on a regular basis. Having coached almost every weekend, getting on the bike was a hard thing to do.
This past fall, my suitemate, an avid road biker, was trying to convince me to bring my bike up to the city and ride. He would always say that there is nothing like going through the city on two wheels. I thought that this guy was crazy. I mean riding a bike through the streets of New York seemed like suicide. The amount of cars would scare one enough not to mount a bike and ride.
After constant badgering by Brian, my suitemate, I thought of bringing my bike to the city. He had convinced me that I had to ride up here. So after buying some warm riding clothes and a bike case. I shipped my bike up, got it tuned up and set out on the streets of New York.
What a rush! Brian was right. There is nothing like riding a bike through the city. Having the cars zip by you may scare some, and I thought it would scare me, but in fact, I was filled with adrenaline riding on Broadway. Don't get me wrong, I am petrified when I'm riding, but it is that fear which keeps my senses on alert. I can see sharper, react quicker, and even smell better when riding in the streets. While the streets are fun to ride on, I do try to stay off of them as much as I can, preferring to ride in Central and Riverside parks. Riding in Central Park is great. It's been a great work out as it is filled with rolling hills. If you think the park is flat, guess again.
Just today, I decided to ride along the Hudson river. What a view and a ride. As I rode along the side of the river, I could see the piers, new and old, that once drove the city's economy. Taking a look to my left I could see the skyline of buildings zipping by me. Then just as I am heading towards the south end of the island, Battery Park, I spot Lady Liberty with her arm straight up holding her torch welcoming all into this country. Chills ran through me as it was the first time to catch a glimpse of the statue other than from an airplane.
So if you ever want a hobby to take up, buy a road bike and become one with the road. You will not regret it. (And the picture is not of me!)

Long Winter Break

My fall semester to say the least was one that was filled many things as you all have read in the previous entries. I can honestly say that this past fall was one of the more fulfilling semesters in my educational life. I actually felt that the material I was learning was not seeping in for understanding but it was also information that I hope to be using on a regular basis at school.
Having a month off was almost too much time off, but it was great to have. I had plenty of time to rest and catch up on sleep, enjoying the slower pace of the south. I was able to see many friends and family which refueled my tank for the coming semester. The one thing I didn't enjoy was all the driving. Having accustomed myself to public transportation, getting in a car and driving, although exhilarating, was not much fun after the novelty went away. I think that it was more buying gas and putting up with traffic. It sounds a bit silly since I just finished a fall in a city with the worst traffic. I guess there is some order the madness in the city where it didn't feel that in the south.
Anyway, classes have begun and the grind of studying is back. Oh to have my month back!! Just kidding. This semester seems like that classes will be more practical in nature as to last semester which was more theoretical. Most of the classes are business in scope, learning the ins and outs about running a school.
Enjoy the Super Bowl and those Carolina games. I can't wait for this coming Wednesday when we face the Dookies!

Winter Wonder Land!

I never thought that New York in the winter time would be so beautiful. I think that I have found a new time to come up to the city and visit. Yes, fall is a great time to come as the leaves change and a pair of jeans and t-shirt feels great. Not too hot or cold.
Oh but does one miss out when it turns bitter cold! If you can brave the cold, then I suggest making a trip out to New York. Especially during the holiday season. The city feels like it completely changes. The lights go up, and the windows are all dressed up for the shopping season. Last Monday, I witnessed the lighting of the tree at the Lincoln Center and it was spectacular. Not as grand as the Rockefeller tree, but fantastic nonetheless. Short performances of what was playing at the Lincoln were performed on the terraces of the Lincoln Center buildings. I can say that I saw the Nutcracker at the Met. Okay, not the whole thing, but at least two dances from it. It was cool. After the lighting of the tree, the party moved to the Upper West Side where vendors were and music was playing until 9 that evening.
On the grander scale as I mentioned earlier, was the lighting of the Rockefeller tree at the Rockefeller Center. I'm sure that you all tuned in and watched it on the tube as I wish I had for the hoards of people that filled the center and the surrounding streets was almost impossible to deal with, but we managed to squeeze into a spot across from the center right in front of Saks 5th Ave. The locations was great. It was prime for watching the tree get lit, but that was about it. The show that you all saw on tv, I missed. I wouldn't have traded it in for anything. It was awesome to have said that I saw the lighting of the Rockefeller tree. In person, the tree was gigantic. I think it reached a height of 100 feet. So if those aren't reasons enough to come up and enjoy the city during this time, how about this one, Snow.
We had our first snow of the season this past Sunday. I woke up to streets and buildings covered in the white fluffy stuff that oh so much better than rain. After church, I decided to walk through Central Park and see the park in white. This was a winter wonderland. No cars passed through, all the streets were covered in snow. I couldn't believe that there were die-hard runners and bikers out exercising in the snow, but there were. All I can say is that it was beautiful. I posted one of my favorite pictures I've taken thus far while here, I hope you all like it. Once you see it, you'll know why it's one of my favorites.
So I have a little more than two weeks left in my semester. I can't believe how fast it has gone by. I have learned so much here. Not only about education, but about myself. I can't wait to share some amazing stories of what the Lord has allowed me to do here.
Anyway, so I remember this time as a teacher telling my students that it is time to finish strong as exams are right around the corner. Oh, how the tables have turned as I am on the receiving end of those comments that I am so used to saying to my student. Finish Strong Joey. Well, I intend to. I'll finish strong up until I get on the plane to come back home on the 20th.
May each one of you have a blessed and Merry Christmas this year. Thanks for staying up to date with my adventures here in the city.

A November to Remember (Parts of it at least!)

As I sit here on the plane heading to my Thanksgiving destination, Knox-vegas (Knoxville for those who don’t know about Knox-vegas), I realized that I haven’t updated you all on my happenings in New York.
It’s been well over a month since my last entry and for that I apologize. Lets just say that the middle of a semester of graduate school is when all the “fun” happens. In a span of four weeks, I had four major papers due and a research project that is still looming. Couple the papers with all of the assigned reading and a 6-hour a internship and one finds little time to sleep, eat, and pray (I did find time for all those though).
So here’s a brief synthesis of my last month in New York (synthesis, a research term that I have grown to love and hate at the same time!!).
Halloween in the City.
Halloween is indeed a spectacle in the Big Apple. It’s celebrated almost the entire day. People are seen dressed up in costumes riding the subway in the morning. All the orange and black you can dream of comes out of the woodwork.
Starting in the late afternoon though is when the ghosts and goblins started appearing. People dressed up making their way down to the Village for the Halloween Parade. This parade puts the Franklin Street Halloween spectacle in Chapel Hill to shame. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in the streets as early as 5pm to check out each other’s costumes and ready themselves for a walk down the street parading their unique and at times outlandish costumes. I didn’t get the opportunity to witness it myself, but the pictures on the news that evening told it all. I was kind of glad I wasn’t there.
You might be asking yourself, “Joey, what do the kiddos do for trick or treating since there are no houses in the city, only store fronts?” Well funny you should ask. I ended walking down Broadway in the Upper West Side and noticed a bunch of kids dressed up going in and out of the stores with their trick or treat bags. I had to investigate this type of loitering for myself and so I walked into a Circuit City and sure enough, the stores give out candy to the trick or treaters!! That’s what I call using your surroundings for a little sugar. The stores seemed much obliged to hand out candy as if it were their civic duty to do so. So if you’re in town on a Halloween, make your way down to the Village and catch the Parade, or better yet, stroll along Broadway and gaze at the kids trick or treating in the stores.
ING New York Marathon
A true inspiration. 38,000 runners embark on a 26.2 mile run through the five-boroughs of New York the first weekend in November. The race started at 9:15 with the wheelchair division, followed by the elite runners who wins over $100K and a new Toyota Prius, and then the standard Joes begin their trek. Luckily for me and my friends, church ended just as the wheel chair division began their final sprint to the finish in Central Park. I was able to witness the extraordinary event walking along the course encouraging the runners as they ran by. I saw Lance Armstrong with his LiveStrong Posse surrounding him running which pretty neat, but the coolest thing was being able to find my friend Claire Whitehill in a mob thousands running and encouraging her as she was entering mile 24. The sea of runners was amazing. It seemed like it was never ending. One after the another would run by us with shear determination to finish this grueling race on the face. When people would start walking, we would scream and yell encouraging them not to give up. Those runners were amazing. My hat goes off to anyone who has run a marathon. It is a definite testament of mind over body. After watching the race, I told myself that one day I’d like to give this marathon thing a try. That’s if my knees are wiling to let me run that long. Maybe I’ll try a half-marathon first. 13.1 miles seems a lot more feasible than 26.2!
Phantom of the Opera
Amidst my crazy time studying and writing papers, I managed to squeeze out some time to take a break and see the longest running Broadway musical, Phanton of the Opera. It was a fantastic show. The music was incredible and the voices on the actors one dreams of having.
Two days after seeing the show, the stagehands strike began. I was lucky in that I had the opportunity to watch a show before Thanksgiving as this was my goal. I missed an opportunity to see a play on Broadway this past Monday due to the strike. I only hope that the strike will end soon as there are some cool holiday shows I’d like to see before I head home for Christmas. I have been able to see other show since I’ve been here, most notably Wicked. If you have the chance, see Wicked. It’s well worth the ticket price. The benefits of being a student are great in that I didn’t have to pay the hefty price tag! Student discounts are great!
Happy Thanksgiving
As I get ready to embark on a couple of days of being with family and eating a lot of turkey, I can’t help but to look back on the year and reflect on the things that I am thankful for. There are many to be sure, but the most important thing that I have been thankful for is the blessing having friends and family care so much for me. This has been a year of great ups and downs, yet it has been one of the years in my life that I am most thankful for. The Lord has taught me many things over the course of 2007 and one of those realizing that being thankful isn’t a once a year thing we do on the fourth Thursday of every November. It’s a great time to reflect on the things you’re thankful for, but we should be thankful every day we live on this earth for the blessings we receive which we see and don’t see. I’ve learned to thank the Lord for everything he’s put in my life as it’s because of Him that I am a stronger person.
Thank you for everything you have given me. I only hope that it will be returned to you ten-fold. May the Lord bless you and your families this Thanksgiving!!

My first mid-term out of the way!

Well, I got my first mid-term paper of my graduate school career out of the way tonight. The paper was for my Law class which looks at the First Amendment and its implications on Education.
It was a 2000 word maximum paper and you may be thinking, well Joey, that's not so bad. True 2000 words is not bad at all. The problem was that the paper couldn't exceed 2000 words!! After my first draft, I was over by 200 words and hadn't written my last two sections. This paper was a little harder than I thought given that our professor literally gave us what to say and how to organize our paper. I thought, this is going to be cake. I mean, who holds a review and goes over each section of the exam and tells you what legal issues you need to raise? Well, now I know that the real test of the mid-term was whether you can be concise and to the point in your writing. There was no room for BS in this paper! It was state your claim, analyze it and move on to the next claim.
I'm glad that's out of the way (other than a final edit). The only problem is that I have two more mid-term papers looming for next week.
I have a feeling that from now until the end of the semester I will be living in the library.

On a different note, those of you in the education world, I recommend you picking up and reading a book by Jonathan Kozol named The Shame of a Nation. It is about the restoration of apartheid schooling in America. The first half will make you cringe at what is going on in schools across America, especially in predominantly minority schools. I haven't read the second half, as I was assigned the first five chapters for class. I hope to finish the book in whatever little spare time I have this week. My ethics professor, Thomas Sobol, is quoted in the book a few times. It's not often that you are taught by someone who is highly regarded and respected in the education field. This is where I am truly blessed to be in this program. The people I am learning from are amazingly renowned for their work in education.

Okay, so I need to get some sleep, so I can make my final edit of my mid-term before I turn it in tomorrow.

Now You be a Good Boy!

"Now you be a good boy Joey!" Those were the final words I heard my Mamaw say the Saturday before she left this earth to be with the Father Monday, October 15th. Looking back on my life and my interactions with Mamaw over the past week, this phrase keeps playing back in my head. Reason being is that those were the words she always said to me since I met her over 20 years ago every time we would part ways from visiting each other. Our goodbyes always ended with I love you and now you be a good boy. Even now at 29, she couldn't resist telling me to be a good boy, especially since I am living in New York. It was a serendipitous goodbye. No better way for her to tell me goodbye, than for telling me that phrase.
Well, I can honestly say, that I have lived those words to the best of my ability and continue to do so. I'm not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, that is why trying to live out Mamaw's phrase is so difficult for me from time to time.
The funeral on Wednesday evening was one of celebration. It was so comforting to know that when her pastor asked her how things were between her and the Lord and she said things are good, it brought joy to my heart knowing that I would see her again when the Lord calls me up to be with Him. The next day at the internment, I witnessed something I never witnessed before at a funeral. The pastor read from Psalm 55:6 which says "And I say, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest...'" Then my step-brother, Chris, goes to a small white box and is given a white dove to hold on to representing the spirit of Mamaw. While Chris was holding the dove, three other doves were set free from the box and flew away. The three doves represented the trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Chris then let go of the dove he was holding. Now here is where the most amazing thing happened.
The three doves flew in one direction and the lone dove, Mamaw's "spirit," went in another direction. The doves right before flying off into the distance all reunited and flew away together. You may be asking what is so amazing about that.
Well, to me it was a perfect representation of the relationship Christ wants to have with us. The birds flying in different directions represented that we are so separated from the love of God, yet the Lord calls us to be Him through Christ, and if we listen and obey and offer our lives to Him, we will be united with Him. Seeing the four fly away together was just that; the Lord calling Mamaw to be with Him. What a visualisation of the Love God has for us. I hope that I've explained it well enough for you to understand what I saw.
I will miss my grandmother tremendously. She was full of life. I can only hope to live a life half as full as hers. I don't think that I will ever hear those words again, but I know they will forever be ingrained in my heart. I can only hope to make her proud by trying to be the best "Good boy" I can be.

Noose at TC

You might be thinking, does it ever stop at Columbia? First there was the Ahmadinejad controversy, and now there is racism.
Yesterday, October 9, a noose was found hanging from the office door of distinguished African American Psychology professor Madonna Constantine. I couldn't believe that this type of thing was happening here, at Teachers College, a place that prides itself in having diversity and equity in education. At the same time, no place is free of racism as long as it is prevalent in our country. TC is no different. AS diverse as our community is here, it doesn't escape the evils of racism.
Today we had a protest of solidarity where the entire college, students, faculty, and administration, stood outside of TC's main entrance to let people know that this college and university wasn't going to stand for actions as cowardice and awful as this. After Professor Madonna Constantine gave her statement saying that she wasn't going to be silenced from the actions of a coward on Tuesday, we walked around the Teachers College campus and then around Columbia's campus before returning for a town hall meeting.
Personally, I loved it. It was the first real protest that I stood behind and believed in.
Racism is horrendous. In the eyes of God, we are all equal. If I am to live a life representative of Christ and help in ending racism, I must love and be accepting of everyone, no matter where they come from.
The fact that racism still exists tells me that our society still has a long way to go in order to have this hate eradicated. One would've thought that we have progressed as a society from these horrible acts, but just as in Jena, La and now in the nation's best graduate school of education, it is evident that we haven't.
This event did cause a great deal of dialogue which is the first step to improving race relations, especially diversity on campus. In the town hall meeting that we had after the protest this afternoon allowed for everyone to not only voice their concerns, but also to hear suggestions about how to better our school as a safe place where diversity is not only embraced but racism is not tolerated.

A month in the city

I can't believe that it has already been a month since I arrived in New York and began graduate school. I think that I have fully adjusted to the hustle and bustle of city life as well as with the workload of being a graduate student.

My classes have been great. Most of the classes I'm taking are practical. It's exciting to know that I will be able to use what I am learning and apply to a school.

I've received my internship for the semester working at a public school in Washington Heights called WHEELS or Washington Heights Expedionary Learning School. It's a brand new school that when in full operatioin will be a a 6-12 grade school. It's a very progressive school where learning is very non-traditional. The students learn through a life experience model bringing in what they know already and don't know from their community and apply it to their learning. It's a take off from Outward Bound. The school puts Out Bound learning models in the classroom. I'm really excited to be experiencing what working in a public school is like.

If you all think about it this month, please be praying for me as I think this will be one of my busiest months this semester. Mid-terms and papers loom in the coming weeks.

So far so good I'd have to say. I can't wait for what the other 7 or 8 months have for me.

TC United-The Season begins

So amist all of my studying, there has to be room for exercise and sport, right? Right. Over the past month, I have been going every (almost) Wednesday and Saturday to play soccer with fellow Teachers College students. We have a blast and get pretty good exercise playing pick-up soccer at Riverside Park next to campus. Playing keeps me involved in the game I love to play and watch.
Well today, we started our intramural season playing in the Men's Graduate Division. What fun it was. I played in the goal, something I haven't done in a while, and did okay. It was great commanding the field from the back though. The goal was tiny, definitely not regulation, and the goalbox felt like I was in a cage. Not my favorite to say the least.
Anyway, we won 5-1. We played really well for a bunch of guys with a variety of experiences on the field.
Great to be playing again!

SNL-One of the last ones in

I preface this blog by apologizing for the length of this entry, but the details of this story are almost unbelievable that I had to include them in here. -JLM

Yesterday, September 29th, I got up at 6am (who honestly gets up at 6am on their day off?), walked down to the subway stop with my friend Jason, and headed down to 30 Rockefeller Center to stand in line for stand-by tickets to see the premiere of Saturday Night Live. We arrived at the Rock around 6:45 to find ourselves in a long line of people who wanted to do the same.
The chances of us getting in with the line in front of us where slim to none. Once we got there, we found out that we can either choose to see the rehearsal or the live show. Thinking our chances were better with the rehearsal we chose to get rehearsal stand-by tickets.

So one would think that the story couldn't get any better, right? I mean we got tickets for the show and our chances were better than going to the live show, and we have the possiblity of seeing NBA superstar LeBron James and Hip-Hop artist Kanye West live. Pretty I cool. That's a story in itself and my day would have been a good one even if we didn't get in. Well folks, the story gets better.

While standing in line, I noticed a diminutive young lady who reminded me alot of a girl I went to college with. I stood there staring for a couple of minutes wondering if who I was seeing was Molly Jeter (She's now married and I didn't ask what her last name is now). I stepped into the street to get a closer look, and I spot another girl who I recognized from Chapel Hill. Right then, I knew that it was Molly I saw because with her was Julie Deladdy, another college friend, along with Claire Whitehill, Terri Gentry (at least that was her last name in college, she's married now), and Julie's older sister Betsy (whose expecting her first baby in Feb). All Carolina girls! What a small world we live in! Who would have thunk that I would run into old college friends that I hadn't seen in six years in New York City? Well I certainly did not. The girls were having a bachelorette party for Julie who is getting married and watching SNL was what she wanted to do.

We all got our tickets and came back to NBC studios at 7:15 to stand in line again and hope we would be one of the stand-byers in to watch the rehearsal. The girls also had tickets for the rehearsal. Oh, I forgot to mention that Jason had accidentally washed his ticket with his shorts earlier in the afternoon and all he had left were three tan balls of washed paper. You know what I'm talking about, the paper all balled up that you take out of your pocket and realize it was a number you needed or a receipt you were looking for. For Jason, it was his way into the show! So he took his little balls of paper and showed them to the NBC people, told them the story (to about three different NBC people) and got another ticket! Unbelievable. I thought, no way Jason is getting in with his paper ball remains of a ticket. He's way too nice to just come down with me thinking they weren't going to let him in line. I was so glad that he got another ticket.

So the first group goes through the metal detectors and half of Julie's bridesmaids go through including Julie. So at least she got her wish, but that left the other half out and we were a few people behind them. Then they said to bring the next ten through, and low and behold I was the tenth one. I got in!
The show was awesome. The studio is small and it was really cool to see how all the skits on SNL were shot. The definitely maximize the space of the studio. Sets are moved by a batallion of set crew workers. After each skit, the actors run to the back to quickly change into their next skit costume.
LeBron was pretty funny and Kanye West was definitely the highlight. The man can put on a show whether or not you like his music. Being at the rehearsal allowed us to see all the skits they were thinking of putting on the show and an extra performance by Kanye.
I think that's one thing I will definitely do again. That is one Saturday I will never forget (other than the studying in between getting tickets and the show!)!

The Feast of San Gennaro, Chinatown, and the Brooklyn Bridge in one day.

One Saturday, a friend of mine and I decided to take a trip to Little Italy and Chinatown. What we found as we got off the subway and made our way to Canal street were sidewalks full of people looking for bargains of every type. Chinatown encompassed Canal street and every where you turned, all you saw was Chinese on the side of the buildings and the aroma of Chinese food everrywhere.
Walking through Chinatown on our way to Mulberry St. we found vendors selling every knockoff designer clothing and accessory you could think of. They say that you could find the real stuff in Chinatown down the little alleys of stores and in the basement. It looked kind of shady to me looking beyond the walls that everyone sees. In Chinatown you could find everything, fresh seafood (you name it, they had it), fruits and vegetables to whole peking ducks hanging in the windows. In some stores, live crabs would be crawling out of their buckets and onto the street. Jason almost stepped on one!

When we made it Mulberry Street, we found the Feast of San Gennaro festival going on.
The Feast of San Gennaro, little Italy at its capacity, is a week long festival where the heart of little Italy is closed to traffic and you get to experience the rich culture and food of little Italy. San Gennaro from what I gathered is the patron saint of Italy, at least of Little Italy, and an entire week of festivities go on here. We were able to watch the parade of San Gennaro commence through the streets. People would come up to the float and give money to be place on the stole of San Gennaro statue.
It was more like a carnival with games lining the side streets and booths full of cannolis and italian sausage ran rampant. The atmosphere was great and the smell of food made your mouth water for everything that was being sold. After we had our share of closterphobia and italian food we walked down to the WTC site and then made our way to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge was a cool structure in that you can walk across it while cars are crossing it at the same time. The views from the bridge are amazing. The walking path is made up of wooden planks giving you a nostalgic feeling as you walked on them.
So if you are ever in the city in the middle of September, those are some cool places to go and see and do it all in under three hours of you don't plan on shopping in Chinatown!!

The Cloisters, A place of serenity

A couple of weeks ago, I tagged along with the Breedloves, Steven, Steven Jr., and Courtney, for a visit to the The Cloisters in the upper upper part of Manhattan. What a place place! The Cloisters is the branch of the Met devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. Actual artifacts from old monasteries and cathedrals are embedded in the architecture of the Cloisters. It sits in Fort Tryon Park in Northern Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. The views are breathtaking and for a brief moment you do not feel as if you are in a big city at all. There are no cars, or subways, and all the buildings are hidden from view due to the amount of trees surrounding the Cloisters. It's pure serenity in New York!
Cloisters were a garden type area in the middle of monasteries where monks could walk around and go from room to room.
They were fascinating pieces of architecture and walking through made you feel what it would have been like to be in a monastery walking around tending to the garden or meditating in prayer outside.
Inside the museum different halls had different pieces of art and artifacts from the midieval period. There were thousand year old wooden crosses that hung in the altars of these monasteries and churches as well as tapestries from the 1500s depicting the hunting of a unicorn. The tapestries are quite famous and extraordinarily detailed.
I could go and on and on, but I think you get the picture. if you come up to visit NYC, this is definitely a place off the beaten path you have to see. Admission also gets you into the Met.

Controversy at Columbia

Over the past week here in New York the buzz has been that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was planning a visit to the WTC site during his stay in New York for the United Nations General Assembly next week. Mayor Bloomberg, city officials, and the NYPD decided that the Iranian President will not be invited to see or even put a wreath at the site.
Good, I thought, as having this man who sponsors terrorism go to the site where one of the worst terror attacks in world history happened would be nothing more than a slap in the face to all the 9/11 victims and families. Problem solved, Right? Not so much.
President Lee Bollinger of Columbia University has invited Mr. Ahmadinejad to come and speak at the University's World Leaders Forum held every year during the UN General Assembly Session. What?! A known sponsor of terrorism and a man who calls the Holocaust a myth wanting to annihilate Isreal will be a block away from me Monday afternoon. The entire university will be a crazy place to be at that afternoon.
Faculty and students alike will have the opportunity to pose questions at the President of Iran during the forum. In some instances, the man has no where to run and will probably have to answer some tough questions asked by the audience.
Needless to say there is a alot of controversy surrounding the University. There were news vans an reporters all over main campus trying to get the pulse of the student body. The reactions have been mixed. Some don't want him here while others do.
I'm mixed on the issue. While I definitely think this crazy and I would never support an event like this, my curiosity wants to see the answers this man will give as well see him squirm amist what will definitely be an audience ready to pounce on his ideals and statements.

9/11 in NYC (A birthday to remember)

I remember like it was yesterday, September 11, 2001. Daniel had woken up and bolted to school earlier than usual. I thought that was strange as Daniel is always one to make it in to school right when he is supposed to be there.
I show up in my classroom to find my room decorated in Backstreet Boys posters and my podium covered in some kind of "Power Ranger" or "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" wrapping paper, I don't quite recall. All I kept thinking was how was I going to explain the backstreet posters to my students once class started. Daniel and Sarah (come to find out she was in on it as well, no wonder their married!!) pulled a birthday fast one on me.
Then another faculty member decided to put a birthday cake hat on me in the middle of the faculty meeting that morning; a hat that I was told I had to wear all day.
Then came the moment that will forever be ingrained in our minds, the terror events of 9/11. Needless to say, the birthday hat came off and melancholy filled the classrooms the rest of the day. We still managed to go out for a birthday dinner, but we were the only ones out.

Here I am six years later to the day living in the city where these unforgettable events occured and once again it's my birthday (I don't think that will ever change!). Thinking back I find the irony compelling that in 2001 I was beginning my career in the education world and a new chapter in my life and now I am in NYC in 2007 still in education but beginning another chapter in my life.

The day was obviously somber, it was rainy and memorials were going on all day and night. The crazy thing was that yesterday was one of the best birthdays I've had in a while. Although not surrounded by those I love and cherish dearly, friends and family, I still felt the love and care that my friends and family have for me. For that I was and am deeply grateful and humbled that I was thought of by so many yesterday. The best part of the day besides the countless emails , e-cards, and phone calls from my closest; it was the text messages from my students at St. David's that really touched me. It made me realize how much I love that school and the students I have had the blessing to teach.

So in essence, although somber, the Lord was awesome in allowing me to see His love through others. My birthday finally ended with a baseball game at Shea Stadium where the Mets beat the Braves much to Daniel's disappointment. It was a pretty cool place, but definitely a place I don't have any interest in going to again unless the Mets make the World Series and a ticket lands on my lap.

All in all, it was a great 29th for me. I wouldn't have traded it for the world other than to be with Moms on her 50th (which is also the 11th)!

My 9-5 job.

Graduate school. It's not all fun and games. So I don't have a paying job this year, but I have a feeling that I will work more this year than I have worked in my six years at St. David's. And when I think about it, that's alot. Because working at St. David's is no walk in the park. For all who think that a one year masters is cake, think again. There's a reason why this is so intense. I've been reading for the past three days and I'm still not done withmy assignments.

I figured that I have to approach this year of school as a job. The problem is that it's not a 5-day 9-5 job, rather it's 5 days 9-5 and then at least 3-4 hours on Saturday and Sunday if you want to stay current and be able to go out and experience New York in the evenings and on weekends.

This past week, the Klingenstein center had a reception at the Loeb Boathouse Restaurant in Central Park. What a place. We had appetizers and drinks and it was phenomenal. It will probably be the only time I eat there as it is fairly expensive, and I can see why. It was great. That's one thing down that I was supposed to experience, and good for me it was free!


So this morning I woke up and walked down to the famous Hungarian Pastry Shop in Morningside Heights for a cup of coffee and a cheese danish type of pastry. $4, not bad and I stayed there and studied for almost 2 and half hours! Definitely a place to experience. The pastries are fantastic and the atmosphere is very quaint and real. After studying, I walked to the park with a few friends and their families in my cohort. We played with the kids, talked about our schools and about our program.

What I continue to find fascinating is recognizing God's provision in New York. It is a true blessing to have Daniel and his family up here with me so that we can be there for each other in what could be a lonely place if you don't know anything or anyone in this huge city. Here's what's cool about God, He's placed 4 other believers at TC and we are all in the same program! He knows that in order to make the most out of our experiences here, we all needed a support system where we could talk about our classes in the context of Christian schooling and education, as well be able to invest in each others' lives while up here. I'm floored everytime I think about how awesome God is and how He looks after his children on earth.

Next week will be a crazy week. It's my first full week with all of my classes and so I will have the opportunity to gage how I will need to spend my time in the books and how my schedule will look like. Hopefully, I will know what my internship will be and where it will be. I am hoping to work in Harlem and in Upper Manhattan. One semester will be with an independent school and the otehr will be with a public school. I'm so excited to be working in a public school and gain valuable experience there.

If there's one thing that I learned last week in my classes, is that almost every class that I will take is practical. Yes, we will be learning alot of theory, but most of this theory will be put into practice. I really don't think there's a program like this at TC or in the counrty. I'm so blessed to be in this program.

I hope to have more pictures in my next posting. For those of you prayer warriors, please be praying that I continue to be disciplined in my studies. I'll need that all year long.

Surprise, class starts tonight!

The last day of Teachers College, Columbia University orientation was today and our last event was to meet our cohort of forty students in the Klingenstein Private School Leadership program. After meeting our advisor, Pearl Rock Kane, and going over the year and what it will entail, we begin the arduous process of figuring out what classes we need to take other than our required core courses.
One of my cohorts decided to ask if the law class in our newsletter was a mandatory requirement or an elective since it wasn't too clear. Much to our surprise it was a required course. That made everyone rethink what class they had to take this semester to complete their course load for the fall. When half of us decided to take this semester's law class, Professor Kane informs us that this particular class begins tonight, Tuesday, instead of the first day of class and that we also have required reading to get through before class started at 5pm.

SURPRISE, you start graduate school a day early!

After skimming one and a half articles out of five, I along with my fellow cohortees travelled to the law school to take our first class in law and educational institutions. It is a mixture of law students and educators. The focus of the class is to discuss topics in education where litigation has arisen in elementary and secondary schools as well as discuss areas of authority, religion, free speech and safety. It seems to be a very itneresting course, but what a loop it threw me for this afternoon. I definitely wasn't expecting to start class today, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

Overall though, my first five days in New York alone has gone really well. I'm slowly adjusting to city life. I've figured out the subway for the most part, at least the red line and the #1 train as that is the only train that runs to Columbia. I've noticed that there is alot of walking that goes on in the city. I mean just to go and grab some dinner, you can end up walking a mile round trip (20 blocks is about a mile and most of the good inexpensive eateries are 5-10 blocks away from the college).

This past Sunday, I was able to go and visit Redeemer Presbyterian Church. It was awesome. For those of you that are wondering if Tim Keller spoke, he didn't. David Bisgrove, the associate pastor spoke and he was remarkable. The church has a heart to change the city of New York much like my home church in Raleigh has a heart to change the city of Raleigh. the opportunities that I will have to volunteer in New York is one that excites me greatly.

So tomorrow will be my second day of class and then I have Thursday off! What a life. I know I'm not complaining. I do know that it only gets harder from here.