The West Liberty Academy - Part 2

Before the West Liberty Normal School, and before West Liberty State College, West Liberty’s higher education began with an academy. An academy was a school that one would go to in order to achieve a higher secondary education. With the absence of high schools in the area, West Liberty would function as a pivotal force in the higher education of those whom resided in the northern panhandle. The West Liberty Academy was founded by the Reverend Nathan Shotwell and the charter was obtained from the Virginia Legislature on March 30, 1837. It is not known when the West Liberty Academy opened, but it is assumed that it was during the year of 1838. Classes were held in a white to story house which was called the “Doyle House.” While classes were being conducted a curtain was pulled through the middle of a room which created two separate rooms. This allowed Mr. Shotwell to instruct the boys while Mrs. Shotwell instructed the girls. The first class consisted of sixty-five students. Some of the courses offered by the Shotwell’s included: Algebra, Latin, Oil Painting, Logic, Arithmetic, and Geometry. Soon after its opening, money was raised by the community to build a brick school house, which was completed, but sadly destroyed by fire in 1841. This proved to be a devastating time for the young academy, but classes were still held at the Doyle house until 1857 when Academy Hall was erected.
The Reverend Nathan Shotwell served as principle of the West Liberty Academy until 1854-55. According to the Wheeling “Times and Advertiser” Shotwell was, “one of the best teachers in the western country.” Shotwell was a student at Princeton College. It was said that after his Princeton days, Shotwell took up a “prosperous” career in Louisiana; but upon being converted to religion he immediately sacrificed the bright prospects there to take up the humbler walk of life in the Christian ministry. Shotwell attended the Western Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1833 to 1836 and then served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in West Liberty in 1837. It is not known exactly why Shotwell started the West Liberty Academy, but one unidentified writer described Shotwell as an “intellectual force, of earnest piety and deep convictions of truth and duty.” Clearly, the town of West Liberty owes great debt to Shotwell for his determination, founding, and loyalty to the West Liberty Academy. After Shotwell’s departure as principle, A.F. Ross held the position from 1857 to 1861. Ross is noted for his high level of energy and determination to serve the publics interest. Before taking the position, Ross had been professor of Ancient Languages at Bethany College which is located a few miles north of West Liberty. Ross was responsible for many of the early expansions that helped the young academy grow. For example, it was Ross that made several key real estate purchases. This allowed for Ross’s most important accomplishment, the construction of Academy Hall which was completed 1857 with aid from the state of Virginia and donations that were acquired from loyal West Liberty residents. The cost of Academy Hall was $30,000 and would serve as a strong foundation for the school to build on. With an official building, the West Liberty Academy was starting to see its potential. One obstacle that stood in the way of its growth was the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Greater attention was given to the war itself than education. Therefore, attendance declined because many of the young men who were students or prospective students went to war. It is not known if the school ever closed during the Civil War, if so, it could not have been for more than one year, mostly likely between 1863-64. During the Civil War a debt of approximately $6,000 accumulated which put the academy and its trustees at great risk. In 1867 the trustees suggested that the academy be sold to the state for the amount in which they were indebted. The school would then be transformed into a state normal school, a school with the purpose of training teachers. This proposition was accepted by the state legislature on February 24, 1867. Although the sale of the academy solved financial troubles, the academy itself was not up to normal school standards. The Annual Report of the Regents of the State Normal School of West Virginia stated:

The Regents are of the opinion that an appropriation of $2,000 for salaries of teachers, and $1,000 for furniture and necessary repairs, would be sufficient to start a Normal School at West Liberty, with a good promise of future success and prosperity.

The Regents noted the geographical location of West Liberty as “being one of the best regions in the State.” On March 1, 1870 the state legislature passed an act approving the establishment of a state normal school at West Liberty. The first semester of the West Liberty Normal School (WLNS) began on May 2, 1870.

The Story of West Liberty - Part 1

I earned my undergraduate degree from West Liberty State College, and since doing so I’ve been interested in doing some research about the town and school that helped me along my way. WLSC has approximately 2,000 students and is located about 8 miles from Wheeling, but it’s the longest 8 miles you’ll ever travel through the winding hills of West Virginia. West Liberty may inhabit a few hundred residents itself, but it’s by large a college town. And when I say town, I mean it has a post office, and that’s it. Because of its seclusion, one has the feeling of going to a small private school, truly a unique experience. I had the pleasure of commuting, but those 11 mile (one way) drives (that took at least a 1/2 hour on a good day) gave me time to appreciate the land that I was driving through, so here’s a brief story of the town and school.

West Liberty State College is located in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. The town of West Liberty resides about eights miles from the city of Wheeling which is located along the Ohio River. West Liberty is a small town, but in spite of that is home to one West Virginia’s first institutions of education. West Liberty serves as an example of early American education and its transformations. As time progressed, so did the nature of West Liberty’s education. The goal of this essay is to explore the history, development, and expansion by looking at the history of the town, its schools, and their relation to the national issues regarding education throughout the discussed time periods.
In 1776 the state of Virginia named territory west of the Allegheny Mountains the Augusta territory. This was then divided up into three counties; the Ohio, Yohagania, and Mononaries. West Liberty would be part of the Ohio County. The first person to settle in what is today West Liberty was a man named Mr. Black, between the years of 1769-1772. Black was sent to Ohio County by Abraham Van Metre, a wealthy planter from Berkeley County, Virginia to make a claim in the area. Black’s “tomahawk” claim was most likely because of the regions strong geographical attributes; such as a good spring and suitable farm land. Upon Blacks arrival he immediately built a cabin which would become known as “Blacks Cabin.” Soon after Blacks arrival two other men would follow, James Curtis, who was also making a land claim, and Mr. Hood. These men were said to have lived together in Black’s Cabin. During this time period it is important to note that Ohio County was the edge of the frontier and susceptible to Indian raids. Black’s Cabin and the nearby Fort Van Metre served as important garrisons in the newly formed Ohio County.
During the American Revolution the name West Liberty was decided upon because of its western location and from the dedicated love the early pioneers had for the patriot cause. In 1776 the General Assembly of Virginia decided that landowners in the Ohio Valley should decide on a place for holding courts. On December 27, 1776 landowners agreed that Black’s Cabin would be the best place to hold courts. This location is important because the court would be protected by Van Metre’s Fort, and Blacks Cabin was located away from the Ohio River which meant that it was less likely to be attacked by Indians. It is also important to clarify that West Liberty was chosen as the county seat because Wheeling, located on the banks of the Ohio River (a much larger and accessible town) was enduring numerous Indian raids. It was a good decision because the year 1777 was nicknamed the “The Bloody Year of the Three Sevens” due to the severity of the Indian raids. The first court session was held at Blacks Cabin on January 6, 1777. West Liberty was known as one of the first courts west of the Allegheny Mountains and would remain so until 1797 when it was moved to Wheeling.
An early unknown writer described West Liberty as a “early attracted settlement by its fabulous fertility and was appropriated by horse racing, fox hunting, jolly Marylanders and Virginians – some of them, men of education and refinement, and early given to hospitality, good living, fun, and inner-marriage.” West Liberty was described as a growing metropolis that catered to the early pioneers who were settling in the territory. People traveled to West Liberty for legal matters, to make land claims, attend worship, visit taverns, and shop. West Liberty was officially organized in 1787. Oddly enough, during the war of 1812 a raid in Richmond, Virginia by the British destroyed many public documents. This included the incorporation papers and charter for West Liberty. Until 1902 the only record of the town’s existence was in the post office guide. In 1902 a Greater West Liberty club was formed to reincorporate West Liberty. A vote was taken and West Liberty was reincorporated, but not without opposition from those who were unhappy for tax purposes.
From its early days, West Liberty saw the importance of education. One of the first schools in West Liberty was started by Thomas Ewing in the year 1800. Education was not Ewing’s main profession; he also worked as a cobbler and taught to pay for his room and board. Ewing was described as a strong disciplinarian and was said to have commonly used the rod. During this time period there was no organized education system, a subscription school such as Ewing’s was common for the time period.
While most eastern towns were starting to develop more formal means of education, West Liberty was just beginning the subscription school stage. Simply said, a subscription school could be started by any man who wished to teach, as long as he obtained the signatures of those willing to enroll their children in his school. M.D. Lewis came to West Liberty in 1816. Lewis’s contract stated he, “agrees to use his utmost endeavor to instruct all those who are committed to his charge in spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic.” His salary depended on what subject the pupil was to be taught. For example, “spelling, reading and writing, two dollars; and for English grammar and bookkeeping, three dollars; and for each branch of mathematics, five dollars.” These fees applied per student and were meant to cover a time period of three months.
Jacob Curtis was a student during the 1830’s in West Liberty. The school he attended was held in a log cabin. His description of the dwelling provides graphic insight as to what education was like for those living in a small country town.

It was about twenty feet square with a log left out on the east and south sides, filled with a long narrow slash of glass…Along these narrow windows was a broad slanting shelf for the writing class and over the balance of the unplanked oak floor were benches made of slabs, flat side up with four to six pegs driven in augur holes for legs, no backs, no footrest, and many of the little legs not long enough to reach the floor… A wooden paddle hung at the door with Out on one side and In on the other. We had to turn the paddle as we went in or out. The seats were highly polished by the constant friction of jeans pants, and linsey dresses. The books we used were the Olney’s Geography, Kirkhams Grammar, United States Reader and Spelling book and the Western Calculator.

Curtis’s first teacher was Billy Pinkerton and according to Curtis he “ruled with the rod.”
Curtis added that many of the early teachers enjoyed their “toddy” and were not monitored by school officials. In other words, as long as there were no complaints, the teacher did as they pleased.

Due to the fact that my truck was stolen last week in Morgantown, WV on the WVU campus I have also been robbed of my precious time these past few days. It’s like on Sanford and Son, when someone stole Fred’s truck, and Lamont couldn’t work (trucks are a vital part of the junk business). Lamont can’t work, Lamont can’t earn no money, Fred can’t eat. While my situation isn’t quite that drastic, its all been pretty annoying to say the least. On the bright side I still have my family, health, and good looks.. haha. On the downside, along with my truck they stole my Learn Spanish on the Go CD set. I can just picture those bandits driving down the road singing Estoy Bíen ¡Gracias! ¿Y Tú? So it may be awhile before I turn out another post, hopefully I’ll be writing to say that my truck has been recovered, without it it’s sorta hard to go hunting for junk and old goodies. And I also have like 6 million lesson plans to write.
Hasta luego!

STAND UP!

One of my favorite things about going to a large university is the numerous lectures and special events that come into town. Last week I attended a presentation called STAND which is a campaign to promote active participation in protecting the environment. The presentations hip theme was catchy, and most importantly there was freebies. Sadly, I didn’t get a t-shirt, but I came away with some stickers, key chain, mouse pad, and a load of knowledge about sustainable energy. You can visit the STAND website and check out the video clips for yourself, but this event got me thinking about West Virginia and it’s role in protecting the environment. While West Virginia University does an excellent job of making it easy to recycle, the PRT which provides pollution free transportation, and they have turned many of their older buildings into “green” buildings such as pictured Colson and Oglebay Halls (photos taken by me in the summer, and remember the name Ogebay for a previous blog?) My favorite is the grass roof on Brooks Hall. But, I fear that the rest of West Virginia lags behind dramatically in the effort to turn “green.”
While driving back to Morgantown this week for classes I was provided with an extra bonus, the leaves were turning, and just about the perfect shades of oranges, reds, browns, and greens were present in the hills. Actually I spend most of my commute in south western Pennsylvania on Interstate 79, so kudos to Pennsylvania too. I snapped the fall pictures at my house, maybe a tad early, it’s hard to judge exactly when the leaves will reach their peak. Anyway, the scenic views that West Virginia provides to it’s residents and travelers is amazing. What’s disturbing is the mountain top mining that occurs in southern West Virginia. This just as it sounds, a hill disappears so coal companies can extract the coal at a cheaper cost, and I have a sneaking suspicion it’s safer and the main argument that coal corporations use. Then we have those disgusting, overloaded coal trucks. Today I was behind one in traffic while puttering along Patterson Ave. in Morgantown. Every time it moved forward an enormous cloud of black smoke popped out of it’s stacks. Then theres the lawsuit against Dupont that has been dominating the W.V. headlines. It’s seems Dupont dumped lead, arsenic, and who knows what else in Harrison County, the one time location of their Zinc plant. Residents want money and medical care. This is also a prime example of the type of industry that W.V. has, those that know they can probably escape environmental laws. Harrison County won, but of course Dupont is appealing. Look at my hometown of Wheeling, acid rain at one time dominated the smokey skies and it was virtually a miniature Pittsburgh when it came to pollution during its industrial days. In 1979 Wheeling became site of the lowest rain pH ever measured (that’s a bad thing). In Weirton, W.V. high school football games where played in a mist of red smog during the 1950’s and 60’s. Gentlemen were expected to cover their dates with their jackets to prevent the red dust from soiling their dates clothes. This pollution from steel production is now most likely in China or South America.
Now it’s time for me to confess that I drive a… a… well, it’s sort of a gas hog. So this left me with the question, how will we ever get to a point where society is doing all that it can to protect the environment, and is this even possible? Of course I think it starts with education and some decent legislation which means money. The STAND campaign is visiting 50 college campuses throughout the year and awarding money to the groups on campus that research sustainable energy, a great start. West Virginia has been lagging behind in just about everything, and most of this has to do with its geography and isolation which makes education difficult. Many put up with West Virginia’s polluting enterprises because they need jobs, and still many have been lost to oversees country’s where environmental laws are non existent. When China has to close down it’s factories during the Olympics so they can hide their pollution problem, somethings wrong. It’s one thing to have interest in protecting your own state, or country, but lets not forget this should be a global cause. So whenever I finally get my classroom you’ll find trash cans for paper, plastic, aluminum, and discussions about the history of our environment and its future.

The Jungle

This semester one of my many projects includes planning a 5-6 day unit on whatever I like for my Social Studies Methods class. After a few weeks of brainstorming and reading, I decided to choose what is called the Progressive Era in American history. If you’re wondering, my other choice was doing something about “The Hundred Years War” because I’ve become fascinated by English long bow archers. What made me choose the Progressive Era was a novel written by Upton Sinclair in 1906, The Jungle. The story is about a family of immigrants who travel from Lithuania to Chicago, Illinois to work in the meat packing industry. Not being able to speak the English language, they immediately become a target for those that wish to take advantage of their innocence. Although they eventually settle among people they can communicate with, they spend most of their time at work in horrible conditions. Whether it was the canning factories or the slaughter houses, the pay was little, the hours were long, and death seemed to be the only thing that would relieve them of this misery. The family was even forced to put their children to work who didn’t even understand why they were forced to work (and for less pay), they just did it. I can not even begin to describe how horrible the working conditions were, SinClair does a brilliant job of it himself. Before the book was published, the United States government got a hold of it and was so alarmed, they checked into the conditions, and were quite surprised to find out Sinclair’s descriptions were accurate. Sinclair stated that he wanted to write a workers version of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I’ve never read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and many say that it doesn’t compare; either way Sinclair’s work is moving.
What I find particularly interesting is Sinclair’s analogy “The Jungle” to describe the conditions. I think it’s clever. This reminds me of the popular Guns N’ Roses song “Welcome to the Jungle,” which also describes the underside of a city and it’s cruelty. The song was first born when Axl Rose was hitchhiking with a friend in New York City and a homeless black man informed them that they where in the Jungle, and they were gonna die. So Rose got the idea for a song. In Seattle Axl and Slash wrote the song, but instead New York or Seattle, they describe the city of Los Angeles. Axl Rose himself explains: “I wrote the words in Seattle. It’s a big city, but at the same time it’s still a small city compared to L.A. and the things that you’re gonna learn. It seemed a lot more rural up there. I just wrote how it looked to me. If someone comes to town and they want to find something, they can find whatever they want.” I couldn’t not find a quote from Slash on the subject that did not include excessive profanity… haha….. ok.. actually I didn’t look, but most of his quotes end up that way. The best scene from the music video is when Slash is drinking from a paper bag in front of a television store, then at the end of the video they return to the scene, but he’s gone. That happens a lot in cities, people disappearing, but who seems to care? Guns N’ Roses reminds me of Sinclair because they both make efforts to talk about the negative things that exist in society (which GN’R often promoted unconsciously). Behind the excessive hairspray, leather, and cigarette smoke Guns N’ Roses was a pretty liberal band that spoke their mind about the world’s problems. The song “Civil War” is a prime example, among many others. The music video for Welcome to the Jungle shows violent clips from the news of the era, not for the violence, but to make a point, it’s a jungle out there. Another occurrence comes to mind when they band played at Freddy Mercury’s tribute concert. Freddy Mercury, lead singer of Queen was homosexual and died of aids. Many criticized Guns N’ Roses for playing at the show because it meant they supported gay rights, and they did. Security was a major issue; the bands biggest fear was getting shot. Considering the bands name, Guns N’ Roses was also quite contradictive (guns). Now that I’ve completely rambled about Guns N’ Roses (I can’t help it!) lets get back to Sinclair. Other than being labeled a socialist, Sinclair was an average guy looking to make the world better. While teaching about the Progressive Era I doubt that I will have enough time to allow students to read the book, plus the school probably wouldn’t buy copies. But should a teacher give up? Never! I’ll of course have my own copy of the book and will plan on reading excerpts from the book. The goal is to make students feel like they’re living through the time period. What was is like to walk to work in a blizzard to work? You had to go, or you lost your job. What was it like to get injured? What did that mean for your family? The message that Sinclair provides for his readers is powerful and that’s why I plan on using it. I also hope that students will become interested and read the book for themselves. HA! And No Child Left Behind cuts Social Studies funding because they claim reading is more important. There’s reading in Social Studies too! I would also ask students to think of other analogies other than the “jungle.” Now finding the video for Welcome to the Jungle may not be easy, but checking out The Jungle from you local library is easy, so check it out.

Washington.. Adams.. Jefferson.. Madison.. Monroe..

A few weekends ago I was cleaning out the attic of an old garage for work when I came across this amazing piece of history. It’s a chart of the United States Presidents that was put out by Woman’s Day magazine in 1960. When I fist saw it I laughed. I wondered where it spent most of its days, in a school? Looks like something that came straight out of Grant Avenue Grammar School, or Mayfield High (Leave it to Beaver; I’m crazy, I know). Who made an effort to frame it? It’s just cardboard. It was framed by a company in Wheeling, interesting. AH… the mystery of it all! Anyway, I predicted that when sold at auction, my boss would group it with other items, but he didn’t. It was sold this past Thursday; of course I had class in Morgantown and couldn’t work at the sale. Luckily my awesome parents went to the auction and bought it for me for only $2.50!! That’s a steal for a history dork like myself! Lets see, $2.50… 34 presidents divided by… $2.50… that’s 13.6 cents per president, not bad! I think… I hate math. So I hope the Presidents enjoy their new home, it’s better than a garage. Hopefully I’ll be able to show it off in the classroom someday.
Celebrate the history of the presidency by viewing C-SPANS Presidential Library website. Take a peek at their archival material for presidential video clips.

Preserves - In One Form Or Another

Well, it’s that time of year again… football, school, sweaters (finally), haunted houses (ugh..), Indian corn, pumpkins, and don’t forget canning! Yes, that lost art of preserving goods grown in the family garden! Now, I’m one of the most selective eaters to ever walk this earth (some say picky, I prefer selective), and I’m not that into garden foods. Maybe some corn on the cob, and that’s about it. Although if you have some green beans, I’ll play with them, I make canoes out of the pod. Anyway, our garden is filled with tomatoes for the most part, eww. We also have a grape patch, which is highly ignored. As I would cruise by on the riding lawnmower, though, I noticed it seemed to be coming along rather nicely this year. Of course I don’t like grapes, but I thought my parents would be interested to know, and the next thing I know their stinking up our kitchen with grapes, steam, and what are they doing? Yeah, canning the grapes for grape juice. Why? Just go to super Wal-Mart and buy some Welches. In the kitchen I discovered the tools of trade. Then I went back to watching football.
With that said, anyone who takes on the task of canning should be admired. As I say, it’s a lost art form. Kids today know nothing of canning or how it’s done. And people defiantly don’t have time for a garden, or canning, so they think. What I find interesting, is the canning jars. Did you know that most early canning jars were made in nearby Washington P.A. by the Hazel Atlas Company? It’s true. Hazel Atlas headquarters were in Wheeling, West Virginia, and it’s also where a lot of the glass lids were made. Aside from canning jars they made a DELIGHTFUL assortment of glass containers that today are highly collectable. Most of these pieces are quite charming, Americana at it’s best. In 1956 Hazel Atlas was purchased by the Continental Can Company, and soon after that glass containers were history. The canning jars have also become collectibles. If you find one, and it has a certain blue tint to the glass, you’ve found a gem. When it comes to the blue tint jars, each has it’s own personality. The small bubbles and imperfections give them a certain aura. What’s even more important is they’re not being made anymore (at least ones with personalities!). Each one is a treasure! It’s also become popular to fill canning jars with buttons or marbles. That’s ok I guess. Buttons and marbles are cool too. Besides the jars, Hazel Atlas also produced miniature canning jars and sold them as banks. Quite cute. I’ll probably stay away from the grape juice when it’s opened, but I will admire the effort that was put into canning process. If you’re an avid reader of my page, you know that I help with the removal of estates. When we handle a house that’s been lived in for 70+ years, in the basement it’s always common to find a box of the family’s canning jars. If they’re not of the blue tint type, then they usually don’t even sell at our actions. Sadly, my short tempered boss doesn’t even try to sell the clear glass canning jars anymore. Most times they are taken to the dump and broken, not even recycled! Tragic! But that’s what canning has become to many people, a mere act of the past that’s unimportant in today’s world of Super Wal-Marts. Although canning seems to interfere with football season, and fruits & vegetables are gross, I will at least pay tribute to the jars that once helped feed families during the winter months.

West Virginia - 24 Hour Service

In 2004 West Virginia elected Joe Manchin (D) to be their new governor. Shortly after that election Joe decided the “Welcome to West Virginia” signs that one sees when they enter the state needed a makeover. The signs used to simply say, “Welcome to West Virginia” but were changed to, “Open for Business.” As you can imagine, there were many who were outraged by this change. Open for Business? What are we, a 24 hour gas station? There were also many who shrugged their shoulders, so what? Lacking an official state slogan, what were we to do other than write letters? Our license plates read, “Wild and Wonderful” which sums up West Virginia quite nicely, why not make that the state slogan? But now, almost four years later, Joe has decided to do away with the Open for Business signs. Has this advertisement worked? The unemployment rate has dropped about 1% (take it for what it’s worth) since Manchin has taken over, and jobs have increased, but most are low paying service type jobs which hardly generate enough income to support a family. I’m not sure if Manchin has deemed the sign a success, or he’s fed up with complaints, but now West Virginians can vote for a new state slogan. Wild and Wonderful, Almost Heaven (thanks John Denver), West Virginia – 2^nd most obese state, West Virginia – we’re really a state… what should the new slogan be, and should it be permanent? Many W.V. lawmakers are against making a permanent slogan, but agree that Open For Business must go. I thought this topic would be a great opportunity for students to investigate state slogans. How much do they really say about the state? Also, West Virginia students should be made aware that their vote counts and they should be allowed to come up with their own ideas. It’s a great topic because it covers quite a few of the national social studies standards (I.E. economics, social studies, civics, and geography). One must remember that in order for the new state slogan to take effect, the current signs must be changed, which will cost tax payers thousands of dollars. I think Joe and our goofy lawmakers should pay the bill myself, the sign was strictly their idea. The Open For Business signs have been quite a joke among travelers. Countless times I’ve seen people pull over the get a snap shot of the sign. Others point, does that really say, Open for Business? I snapped my photo (as a passenger, safety first!) heading eastbound on Interstate 70, right before crossing the Ohio River, the Fort Henry Bridge, and entering the Wheeling tunnels… oh wait, you can’t actually go through the eastbound tunnel, it’s been closed since April for construction, but that’s another story, another lesson. If you’re a West Virginia resident, cast your vote for a new slogan!

NFL = No Fun League?

The National Football League opens its season tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Indianapolis, Indiana. If I’m lucky I’ll just be just getting out of class, I emphasize lucky. Once I exit Allen Hall I will then walk as fast as possible to the PRT station, curse it (in my head) until one arrives, and take another brisk walk to my apartment. This will be the one time I actually know where my remote control is. As excited as I am for the NFL season to start, I’m also somewhat disappointed in what it has become. Like the NBA, it’s starting to get a reputation, possibly just a stereotype, as a “thug league.” Thug can mean a lot of different things; I even went to the Urban Dictionary to see. Mike Vick, Adam “Packman” Jones (ex-WVU player), Chris Henry (again, ex WVU player) Tank Johnson, and basically the entire Cincinnati Bengal’s team, have gotten into some type of mischief within the past year. Packman makes it “rain” in strips clubs, Vick kills dogs, Tank has enough ammo in his trunk to start a small militia… what’s going in the minds of these “professional” athletes? As I’ve heard a lot of these players apologizing and asking for forgiveness, I’ve heard them say something to the effect: “I’m a role model and I shouldn’t act this way.” Com’on, be a little modest about it. Yes people look up to you, but just say, “I’m a professional and I’ve used poor judgment.” Not, “I’m a role model” - as if people should bow down and forgive you because oh yes, you’re a role model! I make this argument because their actions have not been close to being anything that someone should imitate. Roger Goodel has just finished his first year as NFL commissioner, and in my opinion has been doing a fair job with a lot of suspensions and stiff fines. But, according to ESPN, out of the NFL’s 2,000 players, 50 have had trouble with the law in the past year. As a teacher, this is something to keep in mind. Children look up to athletes, and sometimes they may not understand someone’s actions as being wrong because of the pedestal they put that person on. Almost as if the role model and themselves are invincible. Last year while observing, I watched a student use a stapler as a gun, shooting stapes at other kids as if he were imitating a video game, or Tank Johnson for all I know. When I told him to stop, he replied “What are you going to do about it.” It was almost like he expected me to whip out my own weapon and fight him. Clearly the actions of television, sports, and video games have an effect on students, and it’s not always positive. I think it may be a wise idea to shed some light on this topic in class through a brief discussion. It’s important to remember that this type of bad behavior is not anything new in the NFL. Ray Lewis was almost defiantly involved in a murder about 10 years ago, but that was when most players didn’t get caught, there were lighter punishments, and where is Ray today? Still making millions. Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers, the NFL’s play boy of the 1960’s was constantly worrying Vince Lombardi. One night when the phone rang at Lombardi’s house, his first thought was Hornung. Lombardi’s wife reminded him that it could be their own children calling. Hornung was famous for sneaking out of his room and drinking before the game. He did ads for Miller Lite, Marlboro, and bathing suits. He was suspended a year for gambling. After this he almost gave up football for a acting career, Lombardi talked him out of it. And his nick name was the Golden Boy. Not exactly a role model, but his nickname gives him a certain aura of being a good ol’ American boy. The guy down the street that everyone one admires. Meanwhile he was at the corner store buying a 6 pack and driving away with two girls he just met. It’s amazing how he could do all of that, and still be one of the best players to ever play the game of football. What’s the difference between Hornung and today’s trouble makers? 1) Society has changed, we’re more permissive than we’ve ever been and 2) ESPN is there to cover it 24 hours a day. It’s impossible to tell people who they should admire, but teachers shouldn’t be afraid to talk about the contemporaries that influence the lives of children. One must remember not to necessarily stress their opinion, but instead present the facts, and let students develop their own ideas. That’s what social studies is all about. The key to these types of topics is communication. Although this may not seem like something for the social studies class, there’s homeroom, lunch, the bus line… you know, those duties that teachers dread. Let students know they can discuss anything with you.

Barns: Time Capsule’s

Aside from taking a few hours to visit the Fort Henry days, I spent most of my Labor Day weekend painting (technically we used stain, not paint) our barn… joy! Believe it or not, manual labor is something that I enjoy. There’s something about doing work, getting dirty, and in the end seeing something accomplished. It’s just plain good for you to get out and move around. As I dabbed my brush in the stain (my dad’s secret ingredient in the stain) to cover the 70 year old boards that cover the frame structure of our barn, I could not help but think about everything that barn has seen over the years. A dirt road became blacktopped, interstates, guardrails, the farm tools that hang on it’s wall sit in idleness, that cement floor has seen and heard so much, where are the animals? There are none to keep warm anymore. It’s where my grandparents made beer, its were they bottled it, and where do those tools used for the process sit? In the barn where they feel at home. I was doing some sanding on a wall, as the old paint came off, I could see where the old Mail Pouch tobacco thermometer used to hang. All I could do was laugh and shake my head. Sometimes I come across something new, a rusty gadget… ugh… Dad, what did you use this for? It’s where our old license plates hang. Dad, what car did that 1956 plate come off of? The barn was built in 1937, it’s first use was to serve as the main building to a poultry farm. Somehow my grandparents acquired the property and turned it into a average farm. Years would go by and my dad would inherit the land, build a new house, sell the old, but the barn always stayed with us. For a long time we raised a few cattle and a few lambs over the summer, then we would sell them in the fall; it was our amusement. Then that just became too much, so we gave it up for a fancy smancey tractor to cut the grass that animals once grazed over. Now the barn is the place where our cat goes when it feels curious, it’s where we keep the dog food, and now it keeps our tractor nice and cozy during the winter. It’s quite cluttered, but I like it that way. In the attic there’s an old rocking chair. Why? Don’t know. I’ve been meaning to ask my dad. In the attic is also where you’ll find my old sandbox, and… is that my wagon way in the back? Sure, it needs a little work, a little cleaning out, but the pleasant memories override all of that. As we were working I could see the passer byers slow up and look. They must wonder, why do all of that? It will probably be another 10-15 years before it needs another coat of tile red stain, but where will I be? My parents? The barn? I don’t know, so that’s why I remember this moment. A few years ago we asked a few “carpenters,” “What do we need to do to keep it structurally sound?” Most replied “tear it down, build a new garage.” You’ve got to be kidding me. Never.