Colege Graduwation Humor
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Colege Graduwation Humor
May 25, 2012 by
Graduation Speeches
May 21, 2012 by
It’s that time of year when a young college student’s fancy turns to nostalgia as they pass from undergraduate academia into the “real world” or go on to even higher education. And it’s that time of year when parents attend graduation ceremonies, wade through the pomp for the circumstance of seeing their child walk across the stage and receive their hard-earned diploma.
For us, that moment was last week. First a little background and some crow. When Kelsey was in 5th grade, we started homeschooling her. Most of my relatives were concerned because they were sure she would never get into a good college. Strangers shared their concern that she’d never be “socialized.”
Well, not only did she graduate (double major) with honors from one of the most prestigious schools in the nation, but she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received history honors as well.
Additionally, she was involved in a Christian sorority and a few ministry organizations where she was on the leadership and worship teams. Kelsey performed with her choirs and even had several solos. She traveled all over the world both for ministry during Spring Breaks and to spend an entire semester as a Russian Exchange student. Lastly, she visited Israel where she engaged in ministry, evangelism and fellowship.
I guess that puts to bed the theory that homeschoolers will never get into college and are doomed to be a wallflower counting library books!
The graduation ceremony was impressive, elaborate and uplifting. Although the Keynote Speaker spoke the day prior to the graduation ceremony (rather odd if you ask me), the graduation speeches were short, thoughtful, inspiring and well rehearsed. Each student’s honors were announced as they walked across the stage and many graduated with double majors and more than one minor as well!
There were a few students who received awards for excellence and the speeches given to honor their many accomplishments in their four short years at Vanderbilt were awe inspiring. Most of the parents had children who had incredible acheivements in their own right, but these recipients wowed us all.
Our plane got in just in time for us to make her Phi Beta Kappa ceremony. The ceremony was very nice, but the Keynote Speaker’s performance shocked me and, apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
The Keynote Speaker was Alice Randall, an accomplished author of diverse interests. All in attendance were impressed with her credentials. She wasn’t a Vanderbilt graduate, which was curious to me. She was from Harvard. She wasn’t a member of Phi Beta Kappa, which really surprised me, but what shocked me was the construction of her speech and, most problematic, the delivery.
Ms. Randall’s speech was not very well organized. It contained random thoughts that I thought would be tied together in a neat bow come the conclusion, but I was wrong. It was full of inspiring thoughts, wisdom and strange references tied together in a rather incoherent way.
What really blew me away was her delivery which had a serious lack of polish. She stammered her way through it as if she had written it only the night before and hadn’t had time to practice or even become familiar with her thoughts. She back tracked several times after having forgotten something important. All in all, her speech was poorly organized and even more poorly delivered.
She recieved a standing ovation from most of the audience which proves the politie nature of Southern people. However, many in the audience were mumbling under their breath about her delivery, especially at such a prestigious event at a top rated university. Later, I heard from my daughter that many of the new initiates into Phi Beta Kappa were also shocked at her performance.
I’m sure many of you have stories to tell about your son or daughter’s high school or college graduation. Please share!
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Should your child be on FB? Part 1
August 29, 2011 by
Some say Facebook is a blessing allowing you easily to keep in touch with friends and family, meet like-minded people, help you find a job or even market your business. Others say Facebook is a waste of time and, too easily, an invasion of your privacy. I say Facebook is a tool, a communication tool, much like email, the cell phone and your mouth. What you get out of it often depends upon your input, expectations and most of all, how you use it.
But is it a good idea for your children? In this article I’m going to share the benefits and drawbacks of allowing your children to have a Facebook account. Due to the length of this article, I am going to break it down into two parts. In this first part, I’ll cover the benefits of allowing your child to have a Facebook account. Next Monday, I’ll post part two in which I’ll discuss the drawbacks. You may be quite surprised at what I have to share on both sides of the issue!
One of the benefits of allowing your son or daughter to have a Facebook account is that it is a fantastic way to hone his communication skills. By interacting with friends and family on Facebook, your child will learn to tailor his message to each individual as he posts comments on Grandma’s wall or to little Jimmy who moved away last month. He’ll also gain description skills that communicating via the phone or in person would not afford him. Body language, facial expressions and tone of voice are absent from Facebook posts. It becomes necessary for Bobby to effectively describe the school project he had to do for history class instead of just show it to Jimmy. Facebook, if used in this manner can help increase his writing skills, especially if Bobby utilizes the Notes feature in order to write up his views expressed in his paper on Abortion. There are many examples of communication lessons to be learned by allowing your son or daughter to express themselves in writing on Facebook. These are but a few.
A second benefit of allowing your son or daughter to have a Facebook account is in increasing his expertise when interacting with folks of different beliefs and cultures. I’ll talk about the warnings of allowing your young children to get on or friend people he doesn’t know in part two, but let’s assume Bobby is 16 and has relatives in other states or countries. What a wonderful opportunity to learn about their culture and experiences! He’ll learn how other cultures see the world, how they live and may even see pictures recently taken of the Liberty Bell, or the Washington Monument or Big Ben!
An additional advantage is that your child will learn how communication works in the technological age they live in and will work in. Many companies are now hiring people to man Twitter and Facebook accounts in order to help customers who post they are having trouble with their company or product. I’ve had a very large company contact me via the social networking sites after I posted that I was having a hard time with one of their products. He helped me solve the problem! While your son may not be hired to do this, he will very likely need to understand the inner workings of communication in the technological age. In addition, Facebook has been used to catch criminals, to find a job, to recover a child during an Amber Alert and to ask for help or prayer with some serious matters. Facebook is not only the wave of the future, it is a most efficient way to disseminate information and get feedback!
Facebook is also a great way to stay in touch with family around the country build relationships with them and friends who moved away. I mentioned this earlier, but this may be the only way Bobby can have much of a relationship with his brother who is deployed or his grandmother who is back east. I have found Facebook to be a blessing in staying connected with my daughter while she has been 1800 miles away at college, when she was half way around the world as a Russian exchange student for a semester and when she was on a missions trip in Israel for two weeks!
Finally, Facebook is a fabulous start to overcoming shyness. Shy people are more likely to make friends or talk to friends if they can do so without having to be intimidated face-to-face. This can help build their confidence and self esteem enabling them to transition from online communication to in person conversations.
As you can see, Facebook is simply a tool. Used correctly, it can enhance your child’s communication skills and friendships. However, there are also some dangers. I’ll talk about them next week.
Can you think of any other benefits of allowing your (age appropriate) child to have a Facebook account? Share your stories and experiences with my readers!
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Brand NEW Sample Lessons Avaliable!
May 25, 2011 by
On Monday, I shared all our updated sample lessons/excerpts. Today I’d like to unveil our brand NEW samples. These are samples that we’ve never had before. I hope you enjoy a peek into the world of Art of Eloquence communication studies. Please pass this link along to those who may be struggling with one of these issues or would like to enhance their lives by learning to master them.
NOTE: Each link here takes you to the product page where you’ll find the sample or excerpt link toward the bottom of that page.
Say What You Mean: The Language of Leadership
21 Days to More Godly Communication
Say What You Mean: Overcoming Social Anxiety
Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues
Say What You Mean: Avoiding, Reducing and Resolving Conflicts
Say What You Mean: Beginning Debate
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Christian Pizza
April 15, 2011 by
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It’s Tax Day and we all need a giggle. This Friday Funny is brought to you by my dd and her college friend.
My dd emailed this to me the other day from college. Her friend had ordered pizza to be delivered to the Baptist Collegiate Ministry and it came with this receipt.
They say God is in the details, but I didn’t think He was into pizza delivery! If you notice, it says, “Your pizza experience managed by Christ.”
Now I’m sure that a Christopher (or Christine) must be the manager of this pizza establishment, but I think it serves to remind us that God is ultimately in control, does it not?
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HS Article #6: Good Questions
June 14, 2010 by
Each Monday, I’ve been sharing the most effective ways to answer some of the common questions homeschoolers are asked. I have already discussed five issues: why, legality, socialization, education and extra curricular activities. I only have two more issues I want to address and this week’s issue is good questions.
There are many good questions to ask yourself when you are thinking about home education so it is only logical that others who are unfamiliar with homeschooling would ask them too! We’ve already discussed socialization and what options are open to homeschoolers for activities. Here are a few more. Answering these questions is pretty straight forward. As Sargent Friday used to say, “Just the facts, Ma’am.”
1. How much does it cost?
Other than time, many ask how much homeschooling costs as a consideration before starting their homeschool journey. It was a concern for us as well, but for different reasons. My daughter was attending a private Christian school from K-4th grade. While many private schools can be in the thousands of dollars, hers was a mere $300 a month. It was a small private school so there was only one 5th grade class and the number of students decreased substantially as the grades progressed (She would have been one of only 8 students in her 5th grade class). So when we found out that it would only cost us about $150-$200 to purchase her school materials for the year, we jumped at the chance to save hundreds of dollars each year in tuition, uniforms and school fundraisers!
For a few years, we homeschooled two children for about $300 a year! I once discussed the cost of homeschooling with my sister who also had two children, but enrolled in public school. We compared notes and found that while I had the responsibility to pay for all their books, due to budget cuts and misspending my sister paid almost as much each year for her children’s free public school education! Not only were parents were required to purchase school supplies for each child, but classroom supplies such as chalk and tissues as well. To add insult to injury, she also was required to buy gifts for the teacher. The PTA forced each parent to give the teacher gifts for his/her birthday, Christmas and for each day of Teacher Appreciation Week!
2. How do you know what do teach?
A valid question easily answered. Some states have guidelines posted on a website for public schools. At first, I went to the department of education website to research each subject for each grade level. However, since many of the public schools are academically below most homeschoolers and may teach things objectionable to some homeschool parents, I find there are better sources.
I think the best way to find the right curricula that prepares your student properly is to talk to veteran homeschoolers you trust. Having access to a local homeschool group or online group is an invaluable resource for information and support. However, you can also find a trusted homeschool or private school curricula publisher like ABeka or Bob Jones to provide your texts or even just to compare as a benchmark to follow.
Another great way to teach with excellence is to find veteran homeschoolers with an expertise in a subject. Many homeschoolers have published fabulous curricula that is created just for homeschoolers. I also appreciate that there are many that are written from a Christian perspective.
This is why I produce my own speech communication studies. I found there was a need for speech communication studies that were presented from a Christian perspective with an approach that was fun and easy for parents to teach.
3. What about things like the prom and graduation?
While the prom and a graduation ceremony aren’t vital educational concerns that should steer us toward or away from a particular educational choice, it is a concern. Most of us remember our prom and high school graduation ceremony with some amount of fondness. It’s a right of passage, a milestone. And it is not exclusive to public or even private schooled students.
Many homeschoolers coordinate a group graduation ceremony where all the local members get together for a custom designed event for all the graduates. I once belonged to a large homeschool group where this was done each year. It was slightly different each year according to the wishes of the students and parents of those graduating. What a blessing to be able to create your own ceremony and celebration according to the wishes and needs of each graduating “class.” I remember being a bit disappointed with my prom and feeling like just a number in my huge graduating class. Homeschoolers can create a unique and special event that highlights each student and his or her achievements with as much or as little pom and circumstance preferred!
Another option some homeschoolers choose is to have a party for family and friends on their own. I’ve known homeschoolers who have two hundred guests at their home or several hundred at a local hotel! Some have chosen to take a trip with close friends where they can create memories that will last a lifetime.
Yet others, like my daughter, see no need for a large celebration. Kelsey didn’t want a big party; she wanted to get on to the next phase of her life as a college student. She said high school graduation wasn’t as important in the scheme of things and she preferred to look forward to college graduation when it would really mean something to her.
How ever you and your children feel about it, homeschoolers can experience a prom or graduation ceremony in any way they like with a little planning.
Please feel free to post a comment with your prom and graduation ideas or experiences! I’m sure my readers would love to read about them!
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JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication, but it is her humorous approach to communication skills which has made her a highly sought-after Christian speaker and writer. Her articles appear in homeschool publications, such as Homeschool Enrichment Magazine and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, which also endorses her Say What You Mean curricula, including Say What You Mean Defending the Faith. You can also find JoJo on web sites such as Crosswalk.com and Dr.Laura.com and hosting her weekly podcast, Communication Comedy Network. For more information on communication FUNdamentals and Christian-based communication skills for the whole family, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com
Stay tuned next Monday for my final article in the series, “A Question of Homeschooling” when I will share the dumb questions homeschoolers are asked.
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Can you hear me now?
November 2, 2009 by
So the other day my dd emails me to tell me her cell phone died. Great! She’s 1800 miles away at college with a dorm phone that doesn’t call out and her brand new cell phone dies. The good news? It’s still under warranty. The bad news? I can’t get Verizon to tell me what I REALLY need to do to take advantage of it!
Communication: It’s what customer service is made of!
Yeah…so I’m on the phone to Verizon when they tell me to have my dd look up a Verizon store in her area and go there to see if they can repair it. If they can’t, they will tell her what to do. Sounds simple enough, right? Well…
She doesn’t have a car, but she finds a Verizon store she can walk to that tells her the phone cannot be repaired because it’s too old a model. They don’t have the parts. Mr. Employee tells her to have me call and order her a new phone.
Ring Ring! Verizon? Yeah, I need to order a new phone for my dd. The Verizon store says it can’t be repaired because it’s too old and they don’t have the parts.
Oh no Mrs. Tabares, we have to first verify that the phone can’t be repaired. The Verizon store apparently didn’t post anything in the computer.
Turns out it was only ‘disguised’ as a Verizon Store (It looked like a Verizon store and acted like a Verizon store…) but, in reality, it was only an Authorized Verizon Dealer. Translation: they are not authorized to repair for Verizon. Well, why didn’t they tell our dd that? Now what? She’s about to leave on a missions trip for four days without benefit of cell phone.
Will the real Verizon employee please stand up?
Verizon tells me to have her call them so they can go through a diagnostic to make sure the phone needs to be replaced and not repaired. Only problem? She is not authorized to speak to Verizon on MY account. Gee Golly Willakers, Batman! Can we do something about that? After all, she is my dd and this is not a matter of national security! She just has to tell them what’s wrong with her cell phone.
Turns out you can! So I give my authorized Okey Dokey to allow my daughter to talk to Verizon. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. I tell them that she will not be able to call for several days as she will be out of town and without PHONE! Mr. Customer Service seems to understand the concept.
So…several days later I get a call from my dd (from her friend’s cell phone) telling me that she is not authorized on my account and they won’t talk to her about the phone. I have to turn my cell phone on so that Verizon can call me on my cell phone (so they’ll know it’s ME!) At that time I may authorize her on my account.
Can you say Deja Vu, boys and girls? I knew that you could.
I ask Mr. Verizon Man why I need to authorize my dd…AGAIN. He says something brilliant like, “The last time you didn’t authorize her; you only authorized her.” I’m beginning to get a headache.
Apparently there are two kinds of authorization. There’s the kind where you have to authorize her to talk to them each and every time and the kind where you authorize her for ever and ever Amen. I’ll take the forever kind behind door number 2 where Carol Maroll is standing.
But, wait! My mind is perplexed and I just HAVE to know: If I authorized her to talk to Verizon one time, when was the one time she talked to them? Wouldn’t that be like…NOW? This question seemed to throw Mr. Verizon Man into a tizzy so I just verified with him (16 times) that forever meant what I thought it did. You know, as in the next time she might have a problem?
So it’s now two weeks later and she still doesn’t have her phone. It should have been delivered to her PO box at college, but since that was the weekend, I doubt she can pick it up until today. Unless…Mr. Verizon Man made another customer service communication faux pas and the phone isn’t actually authorized to appear in her mailbox. Film at 11.
Got a customer service story to tell? Spill it.
And you might suggest the company purchase my eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business. ;D
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Last day with my daughter
August 18, 2009 by
It’s been a wonderfully precious summer having my college girl home these last few months, but alas, it’s coming to an end. It’s difficult to give her up once more now that I have become accustomed to her being home again. They grow up so fast. It seems there is hardly time to know them as adults before they are off to college 1800 miles away. She may have internships the next two summers and will be an exchange student in Russia for a semester next year so I don’t know how much time we will get to spend with her these next two years.
My advice to any mom, homeschooling or not, is to cherish and treasure your time with them while you can. Don’t miss out on a conversation. Don’t pass up a single hug. Don’t let a day go by where you don’t discuss with them their future, their likes and dislikes and their gifts. Tell them you love them. Make memories. Don’t just talk; really communicate! Share your heart.
We had a lot of milestones this past year: Kelsey’s first full year at Vanderbilt and her first year away from home. She did well academically but she also blossomed as a young lady and in her faith. She is plugged into a wonderful group of friends and a fabulous church. She is an amazing young woman of God.
And there were some other milestones this summer too! She finally got her driver’s license! Here she is driving back from the road test:
I’m so incredibly proud of her! She has become an amazing young lady. I love to talk with her and even if she wasn’t my daughter, I would be proud to call her my friend.
Today is our last full day with her as she leaves for Vanderbilt early tomorrow morning.
Thank you Lord, for giving us this amazing child, being able to watch her grow and for allowing her to come closer to You as she fulfills her dreams and walks her own path with You-even if that path is currently 1800 miles away from home.
Remember: Don’t count the hugs; make every hug count!
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