My brother sent me a link to a bunch of videos from values.com which has a series of tv spots related to character values such as leadership, hope, courage, excellence, determination, hardwork, etc.

The first video “Classroom” he showed me is definitely my favorite, along with “Concert”. I then went through and watched most of the other ones as well, which I’m sure you’ll understand once you watch a few yourself.

Classroom

Concert

They also have billboard campaigns on the site such as the one below.

Sportsmanship

About This Billboard

Though Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky often dreamt of what it would be like to hit her first home run, she never imagined it would end with the opposing team carrying her around the bases. In fact, her home run almost didn’t become a reality, except for the sportsmanship of Central Washington players Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace.

Sara’s home run came in the second inning of the second game of a double header between the two teams. At stake that weekend was a bid to the NCAA’s Division II playoffs. Central Washington needed to win the second game to keep its postseason dreams alive.

When Sara hit the home run, there was a girl on second and third, both of whom ran to home in a celebratory fashion. Sara, in her excitement, over-ran first base. When she turned quickly to go back, her right knee gave out. Sara went down in agony just a few feet from first base.

Sara was clearly injured and unable to walk on her own. Her coaches and teammates were trying to decide what to do—if the Western Oregon trainers, coaches, or teammates touched Sara or helped her up, she would be out. If they substituted in a pinch-runner for Sara, her home run would be counted as a two-run single.

Central Washington player Mallory Holtman was also a senior. After four years, she knew the rules of the game and quickly realized that for Sara’s home run to count Central was going to have to help.

Mallory ran over to the umpires and to Western’s coach. “Excuse me,” Mallory interrupted, “would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?”

Though surprised, they said yes. Mallory and teammate Liz Wallace promptly picked Sara up, gingerly letting her left foot down to touch each of the bases to get her home run.

This act of sportsmanship contributed to Central’s loss. Still, there were no regrets or angry words from Mallory’s teammates. They all agreed—helping the opponent was simply the right thing to do.

I know this is old news, but when I had dinner with Molly, Audrey and Lea last week at Molly’s place in SF, Audrey told me that this guy is a Pomona  College student! I had no idea!

via LA Times

Arabic-language flashcards don’t fly with TSA

A Pomona College student from Philadelphia was jailed after airport security workers found study cards, including the words ‘bomb’ and ‘terrorism.’ He’s suing.

February 11, 2010|By Larry Gordon

Nicholas George planned to brush up on his Arabic vocabulary during a flight in August from Philadelphia to California, where he was to start his senior year at Pomona College. So he carried some Arabic-English flashcards in his pocket to study on the plane.

But those flashcards changed George’s life far beyond the classroom. The 22-year-old from Pennsylvania is speaking out against what he contends are abuses by federal authorities in airport security measures.

George, a physics major who is considering a career as a U.S. diplomat in the Middle East, is suing the Transportation Security Administration, the FBI and Philadelphia police for jailing him after his flashcards were found and confiscated in a Philadelphia airport screening. His lawsuit, filed in federal court this week, said his four hours in detention, half of that in handcuffs, violated his rights to free speech and protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

“I feel the TSA acts like it has a blank check as long as what it does is in the name of fighting terrorism,” George, said Thursday from Claremont, where he lives in a dormitory. “Of course, the TSA’s job is to keep us safe — but they have to follow the Constitution and respect rights.”

If his flashcards triggered such deep suspicion, George said, “then we’ve got a real 1st Amendment issue here. I have a right to study Arabic.”

The student acknowledged that a few of the vocabulary words, including “bomb” and “terrorism,” may have alarmed authorities, but he also said he needed to learn them in order to understand the news of the day in Arabic-language newspapers.

George said his interest in Arab culture began when he saw “Lawrence of Arabia” as a child. “The more I studied it, the more I was fascinated it by it,” he said. He plans to take the State Department exam to become a foreign service officer.

Last year, George spent a semester in Jordan, where he studied Arabic, and then traveled to Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan. He said his passport, with stamps from those countries, and a book in his possession that was critical of U.S. foreign policy, may also have raised suspicions at the airport.

Professors describe George as an excellent student in science and Arabic.

“He’s sharp and he’s really interested in the language, interested in the culture. He loves to pick up expressions and idioms,” said Bassam Frangieh, a professor of Arabic at Claremont McKenna College, where George takes classes through the Claremont Colleges consortium.

Thank you Alex Tischenko for spreading the word and informing us alumni about this very important issue.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION OF SUPPORT and write a letter to President Oxtoby.

Read more about it here.

Hello President Oxtoby,

As a graduate of Pomona in 2007, the first graduating class that you have seen through 4 years of schooling, I feel the need to write to you to tell you how much the Pomona College Food Service Workers meant to me during my 4 years. Just like you were with us from the beginning, we had numerous dining hall workers that were also with us from when we ate at South Campus at Frank Hall and continued up with us to Frary Hall as we became upper classmen. They became our family away from home, greeting us at the door, checking in with us about our daily happenings as we helped ourselves to food that they had graciously prepared.

We as students were privileged to attend such an institution to gain a well-rounded education both in-the-classroom and outside-the-classroom, but we were also privileged to have workers & staff that cared about our well-being as well. Just as Pomona College has taught me to stand up for my own rights, it should also allow the workers to stand up for their own rights as well. They deserve the right to stand together to advocate for fair wages, greater job stability, and a safer work environment through the card-check process.

Please sign the card-check neutrality agreement brought forward by the Pomona College Food Service Workers, as it is very important to the Pomona College community.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Ting

Pomona ‘07

———–

Dear President Oxtoby,

I am writing to urge you to sign the card-check neutrality agreement brought forward by the Pomona College Food Service Workers. The agreement requires that Pomona College remain neutral regarding the workers’ decision to join a union, and recognize the workers’ union as the official bargaining agent once a third party verifies that a majority of the workers have signed Union authorization cards.

At stake are two core principles with far-reaching implications not only for Pomona’s food service workers, but for all members of the Pomona College and Claremont communities: the basic right to stand up for a better life, and the ethical and moral responsibility of the College to recognize its employees as full members of the college community.

In recognizing the workers’ right to a fair and democratic card-check process, your actions will reflect the values of dignity and respect that lie at the heart of the Pomona College community. I strongly urge you to immediately sign the card check neutrality agreement and honor the workers’ right to organize.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Ting

Pomona ‘07

How ridiculously creative!

Friday:

Lunch: Noodle soup at home

Dinner: Burger at Gordon Biersch

Saturday:

Lunch (because I didn’t get up early enough for breakfast: Uncured delicious ham, baked potato, salad

Dinner : In n Out (which = BURGER)

Sunday:

Lunch @ Rookies Sports Lodge in San Jose to watch the USA v. Canada game: Can you guess what I ate? A BURGER!

Dinner: Chicken Soft Tacos from Del Taco that weren’t as good as the ones when we ate them at Pomona.

Monday:

Lunch: Chicken and Potato curry over rice

Dinner (in this order): Chicken and potato curry over rice, mint chocolate chip ice cream, pulled pork sandwich made from Trader Joes pulled pork filling, chocolate cake.

and my stomach hates me.

Please, can you count how many burgers I’ve had?? 3 BURGERS in 3 DAYS…and I think the pulled pork sandwich kind of counts since it was on a hamburger bun.

Time to get a new snowboard? These after season specials are the best place to pick up gear.

Sierrasnowboards.com is having a 2 day 50% off sale on all of their 2010 gear.

I saw some women’s snowboards for $150, pretty awesome deal for a new board.

Also check out evogear.com . They’re also having a sale.. and extra 35% off all outlet items.

I got two boards from them at the end of last season for about $100 each.

http://www.boudinbakery.com/usercontent/XImages/pdfs%2Fmenus/National_clam%20chowder_2010_final.pdf

Thanks Amanda!