Comments for The Spin http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin The opinion blog of The Daily Pennsylvanian Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:50:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 Comment on Teach For America Critics: Back Off! by TFA07 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2006/10/05/teach-for-america-critics-back-off/#comment-4345 TFA07 Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:22:50 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2006/10/05/teach-for-america-critics-back-off/#comment-4345 Squirtle--I am sorry you didn't find professional and personal development in TFA. However, you are the (very small) minority. The vast majority of first year TFA Corps Members are able to handle the commitment of teaching, grad school, and TFA obligations. No program is perfect, but the retention rate of Corps Members is higher nationally (and in the Philly region) than other first year teachers without the support of TFA staff. All teachers are under an immense amount of stress, especially working in a challenging situation such as a Title I school, but the professional obligations that TFA requires are not just for teachers' benefit, but for their work in the classroom, which is far more important than any personal reason. I teach just blocks from Penn, and I can honestly tell you that my 150 high school english students crave the dedication and support of a teacher who is committed to them. I am so glad you stayed with your students, and that you are still working for educational equity. Squirtle–I am sorry you didn’t find professional and personal development in TFA. However, you are the (very small) minority. The vast majority of first year TFA Corps Members are able to handle the commitment of teaching, grad school, and TFA obligations. No program is perfect, but the retention rate of Corps Members is higher nationally (and in the Philly region) than other first year teachers without the support of TFA staff. All teachers are under an immense amount of stress, especially working in a challenging situation such as a Title I school, but the professional obligations that TFA requires are not just for teachers’ benefit, but for their work in the classroom, which is far more important than any personal reason.

I teach just blocks from Penn, and I can honestly tell you that my 150 high school english students crave the dedication and support of a teacher who is committed to them. I am so glad you stayed with your students, and that you are still working for educational equity.

]]> Comment on Teach For America Critics: Back Off! by Squirtle http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2006/10/05/teach-for-america-critics-back-off/#comment-4343 Squirtle Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:00:28 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2006/10/05/teach-for-america-critics-back-off/#comment-4343 As someone who joined TFA with the best intentions,i found the program to be overwhelming, ill-equipped, and confused with its priorities. I tried very hard, but a month into the school year, I was having regular panic attacks from the amount of stress I was under. I was expected to teach all week, and attend regular classes and meetings where I needed to prepare documents, read materials, and particiapte in projects and discussions.I couldn't do it all. I was doing myself an injustice. I was physically ill, mentally strained, and exhausted. I quit. My principal kept me on, and encouraged me. I am now in an alternative licensing program that supports me in a positive way, that Teach for America never did. I will get my license at the same time as the corps members i joined with. With a lot less strain. Oh, and I did make significant gains without TFA. All I needed was support. As someone who joined TFA with the best intentions,i found the program to be overwhelming, ill-equipped, and confused with its priorities. I tried very hard, but a month into the school year, I was having regular panic attacks from the amount of stress I was under. I was expected to teach all week, and attend regular classes and meetings where I needed to prepare documents, read materials, and particiapte in projects and discussions.I couldn’t do it all. I was doing myself an injustice. I was physically ill, mentally strained, and exhausted. I quit. My principal kept me on, and encouraged me. I am now in an alternative licensing program that supports me in a positive way, that Teach for America never did. I will get my license at the same time as the corps members i joined with. With a lot less strain. Oh, and I did make significant gains without TFA. All I needed was support.

]]> Comment on Villanova: safety school? by Annonymous http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4341 Annonymous Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:41:04 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4341 Stewart, I read the link to the CNN website. "Handing out concealed carry permits like candy," just means they're handing out a lot of them. Which is (in my opinion) a good thing. It means that more and more people are understanding that they can protect themselves. Now I do find it concerning that people can buy any gun they want without anything but a quick background check. But I don't know if I fully believe it, and I definitely don't believe that someone could walk in and buy any more than fifteen guns at one time without some suspicion and an investigation from the police. Just because the press said it was true dosen't mean it is. After all The National Inquirer comes from the press and it's a bunch of BS. I stil completely disagree with your opinion, but that's the point of a blog site. If everyone's opinion was exactly the same then there would be no point posting anything. And don't make fun of organizations, like SCCC, that are trying to do something for the American people even if you disagree with them, because then it's just like you spat in thier face. I'll do a little more research on that CNN thing for now. Stewart, I read the link to the CNN website. “Handing out concealed carry permits like candy,” just means they’re handing out a lot of them. Which is (in my opinion) a good thing. It means that more and more people are understanding that they can protect themselves. Now I do find it concerning that people can buy any gun they want without anything but a quick background check. But I don’t know if I fully believe it, and I definitely don’t believe that someone could walk in and buy any more than fifteen guns at one time without some suspicion and an investigation from the police. Just because the press said it was true dosen’t mean it is. After all The National Inquirer comes from the press and it’s a bunch of BS. I stil completely disagree with your opinion, but that’s the point of a blog site. If everyone’s opinion was exactly the same then there would be no point posting anything. And don’t make fun of organizations, like SCCC, that are trying to do something for the American people even if you disagree with them, because then it’s just like you spat in thier face. I’ll do a little more research on that CNN thing for now.

]]> Comment on Villanova: safety school? by Annonymous http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4340 Annonymous Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:00:14 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4340 Woot! Woot!

]]> Comment on Villanova: safety school? by GoneHuntin' http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4339 GoneHuntin' Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:52:57 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4339 Wow, Stewart... You need to watch what you write...because as far as I know, 21 year old freshmen don't exist. But just think about this; A man on anti-depressants (which are usually the people who commit school shootings) comes into your school; he shoots your principal and starts lining up your friends and fellow students on the wall. You watch in horror as he starts to open fire, and you realize that the only way to stop him would have been to shoot him. But you are against carrying guns on campus-or were until now-so you don't have one. Now, think about this; The same man walks into your school, and pulls a gun on your principal. Now in this situation, your friend has a gun permit, and sees this. He pulls out his gun and aims it at the man's head. The man turns and attempts to shoot your friend, but being that he has gone through the gun courses, he shoots the man in the arm. The man drops his gun, and the principal calls the police, as your fellow students (who are-guess what!-not dead) tackle him and wait for the police to arrive. Now, you decide, Mr. Stewart, which situation sounds better? Wow, Stewart… You need to watch what you write…because as far as I know, 21 year old freshmen don’t exist.

But just think about this;

A man on anti-depressants (which are usually the people who commit school shootings) comes into your school; he shoots your principal and starts lining up your friends and fellow students on the wall. You watch in horror as he starts to open fire, and you realize that the only way to stop him would have been to shoot him. But you are against carrying guns on campus-or were until now-so you don’t have one.

Now, think about this;

The same man walks into your school, and pulls a gun on your principal. Now in this situation, your friend has a gun permit, and sees this. He pulls out his gun and aims it at the man’s head. The man turns and attempts to shoot your friend, but being that he has gone through the gun courses, he shoots the man in the arm. The man drops his gun, and the principal calls the police, as your fellow students (who are-guess what!-not dead) tackle him and wait for the police to arrive.

Now, you decide, Mr. Stewart, which situation sounds better?

]]> Comment on Villanova: safety school? by Annonymous http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4338 Annonymous Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:16:38 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4338 Sorry for calling you a retard but what you said really irritated me. And sorry about the misspelled words my keyboard sucks. Pluss I'm only thirteen. Sorry for calling you a retard but what you said really irritated me. And sorry about the misspelled words my keyboard sucks. Pluss I’m only thirteen.

]]> Comment on Villanova: safety school? by Annonymous http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4337 Annonymous Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:08:24 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/03/villanova-safety-school/#comment-4337 Stewart you retard, you HAVE to go through government certified training programs, a very thorough background check; meaning no past criminal behavior or history of mental illness. The weapons you would bee aloud to carry would probably not include a Glock, but something smaller like a P22. You HAVE to have your concealed carry permit with you at all times and you HAVE to be judged a responsible pearson in your training. And by the way the SCCC is doing a very great thing by letting people protect themselves on a school campus, most of which are not even safe today. So like that guy john above me said don't go typing BS on sights when you don't even know what you are talking about. Stewart you retard, you HAVE to go through government certified training programs, a very thorough background check; meaning no past criminal behavior or history of mental illness. The weapons you would bee aloud to carry would probably not include a Glock, but something smaller like a P22. You HAVE to have your concealed carry permit with you at all times and you HAVE to be judged a responsible pearson in your training. And by the way the SCCC is doing a very great thing by letting people protect themselves on a school campus, most of which are not even safe today. So like that guy john above me said don’t go typing BS on sights when you don’t even know what you are talking about.

]]> Comment on NJ bans sex offenders from MySpace, white from rice by Bqeqkfdqeg http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2007/11/29/nj-bans-sex-offenders-from-myspace-white-from-rice/#comment-4336 Bqeqkfdqeg Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:33:28 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2007/11/29/nj-bans-sex-offenders-from-myspace-white-from-rice/#comment-4336 <strong>Bqeqkfdqeg...</strong> Bqeqkfdqeg... Bqeqkfdqeg…

Bqeqkfdqeg…

]]> Comment on Five vodka tonics, please. Hold the vodka. by Eric the old retired blogger http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/21/five-vodka-tonics-please-hold-the-vodka/#comment-4329 Eric the old retired blogger Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:57:59 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/21/five-vodka-tonics-please-hold-the-vodka/#comment-4329 Ummmm... wouldn't the taste give it away? I'm afraid that since I drink because I enjoy the taste of things like vodka this wouldn't quite work on me- or a few others for that matter... Ummmm… wouldn’t the taste give it away? I’m afraid that since I drink because I enjoy the taste of things like vodka this wouldn’t quite work on me- or a few others for that matter…

]]> Comment on Here it goes again, umm, quite literally by duncan http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/24/here-it-goes-again-umm-quite-literally/#comment-4328 duncan Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:50:19 +0000 http://lamp.dailypennsylvanian.com/thespin/2008/03/24/here-it-goes-again-umm-quite-literally/#comment-4328 Johnathon, you're quite the literary genius. Johnathon, you’re quite the literary genius.

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