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The Bard

I haven't really sat down to read Shakespeare since my Master's degree, but I ran across this and found it interesting. I think I need to go back and re-read Midsummer.

"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."
--From A Midsummer Night's Dream (I, i, 234)

The Cool Cats

This is my learning team, so I have a lot to say about each person. It's like bootcamp. You are thrown together and have to figure out how to survive. I spent a lot of time with these people, and I can truly say they are my friends. We had team assignments due daily and each of us had a definite role to play. I love them all!

We chose Cool Cats for a few reasons. First, we were Team C in the beginning and cool cats is a nice alliterative play on words. Second, cats are sly, strong, sleek. Oh, and Robert says female cats are sexy! Thanks for that!

L to R:

Cindy: Cindy is an IT director for a hospital in Pennsylvania. She has a few kids and has been married for nearly 30 years (hope I remember that right). She did a lot of our behind the scenes work. Public speaking is not her favorite task, but we tried to encourage her. On the last day Cindy told the class I was the silent leader of the group, which truly flattered me. I didn't see our group as having a definitive leader, but maybe she has a point. Nevertheless, she told me she learned a lot from me. I have to say that I learned a lot from her! Cindy's focus is D.M./IST

Lisa: Lisa is an educational specialist in Virginia and works with behaviorally disordered children. I must say we became pretty close. She was the "passion" of the group and always had ideas to try to implement. Lisa is one of the most beautiful 40 - something women I have met. She has been recently engaged to a younger man. Saying goodbye to her was particularly difficult. Lisa is working on her Ed.D.

Jose: Jose is a naval aviator who is currently instructing new naval pilots. He has been in the service since the age of 18 and has 5 years until he retires. Jose is definitely the "philospher" of the group and is extremely intelligent and soft-spoken. He always asks questions and makes sure our group projects are meeting the goals of the assignment. He is sitting in the center for a metaphorical reason because in my mind, and I am sure the minds of the rest of the group, Jose is the one who kept us focused. Jose is working on a D.B.A.

Me: I guess if I had to say what my role was I would say that I was the agenda keeper and translator. I would sketch out in pictures what people were saying so we were all on the same page. I would try to mediate and negotiate if needed as Lisa's passion and Jose's pragmatism sometimes were at odds. I learned a lot from these four people and am blessed to have them in my life.

Robert: Robert and Lisa work in the same school district. He is a former math teach now administrator. He still teaches math at the community college level, I believe. Robert is a great public speaker and was able to step in when needed. He also did a lot of translating when messages became muddled. At night he would go play piano on the 3rd floor of the hotel as stress relief. He was to one who described the "Cool Cats". He is working on his Ed.D.

Last note on the group: We spent a lot of time working in Cindy's room 1007. Team motto: What is said in 1007, stays in 1007! I will miss these wonderful people but definitely plan on keeping in touch with them!

The Flying Geese

This team chose geese because they always change leadership roles.

Clockwise from left: David (an IT guy as well, David owns 40 ducks and all his pets have names that start with the letter "Z"); Flora (an educational administrator from New Zealand); Patti (an executive with SAP, a German based company); Miguel (a stay-at-home dad who learns by observation...on the last day he told everyone one thing he learned from them...from me he learned to pause before speaking...I think that is pretty cool).

The Diamonds

This team chose diamonds as their metaphor because they are formed under pressure, are rough when first excavated, and can be polished into something beautiful.

L to R: Bryan (engaged to be married, works for a textbook publishing company and sells to colleges in the midwest); Pat (is an IT manager and very analytical guy); Dallas (works for UoP and is also a very talented photographer); Ron (an army nurse stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, he just became a grandfather, one of the funniest men I know...also in the EdD/CI program); Pat (a community college administrator, the silent type who speaks only when he feels its necessary)

Ron says that Dallas is the diamond...they guys are the rough...I would have to agree.

The Rocks

If I remember correctly this team chose minerals because they are striated (have many layers).

L to R: Don:(from Boston and works for Tyco); Terry (a former Naval nurse and one of the sweetest women I have ever met); Cheryl (retiring this month! Also was attacked by gypsies in Yugoslavia); Claudette (from Jamaica mon! and a nurse educator in Florida; Darryl (is in the army and stationed in Germany - always tries to be brief when speaking hahahaha)

The Pumpkins

Learning teams are a fundamental part of the UoP program. As part of an assignment, my learning team had each team develop a "logo" as a metaphor for their team characteristics. This team chose pumpkin because they are round and have many seeds that will make new pumpkins...they are germinal.

L to R: Darryl H. (from Detroit area and a 2nd degree black belt); Tonya (a UoP counselor who lives in Phoenix); Abigail (has many talents, one of which includes hee-hawing like a donkey - don't ask; she also owns an albino python); Krystal (a single mom from LA who also happens to be a talented singer); Reggie (he and his wife were from New Orleans and lost everything...they are now located in San Antonio where Reggie works for the DOD)

Year 1 Residency - Welcome to Doctoral Learning

Well, it is 3:08 a.m. and I am sitting in bed cruising through email trying to relax after my flight from Phoenix. I have a lot to journal about this year one residency, but am exhausted and need rest. I met a lot of very intelligent people this past week, and I hope many of them will become lifelong friends. I am posting a pic of my learning team tonight...more to come.

Residency Day 7

It is 1:10 a.m. Phoenix time, and I am finishing my final paper. It has been a pretty instense week. I have met a lot of people here and many are very nice. I am posting a picture from my hotel room, which is pretty much all I have seen of Phoenix outside of a few restaurants around the hotel. When I get a chance I will post pics of my class and learning team.

Doctoral Residency Day 1

The alarm didn't go off this morning, but I kept checking the clock so was up in time. Breakfast was a buffett...eggs were cold though. After breakfast Devora (my roommate) and I headed over to the north ballroom for residency orientation. We spent 4 hours in a room that was a tad too cold listening to one of the profs talk about APA style and the general format of the program. It was a bit boring in the least. During break we spied the conference next door....never guess who it was! The Democratic National Committee! Nice to be around friends ;) They had shirts and bumper stickers for sale. I almost considered buying the bumper sticker that said, ' "You never hear "Nice piece of elephant" ' or something like that! LMAO!!!!

Lunch was served on the 5th floor terrace - theme...Mexican. Food was good and I was very hungry so ate too much. After lunch we were broken into two smaller groups for our first class, which is Orientation Seminar. We spent half the afternoon introducing ourselves via pictures along the themes of unique characteristics, job, education, fears, etc. We learned each others personalities quite well. We also reviewed course objectives and assignments. Then, we divided in to learning teams. My team consists of three others who took COM 705 with me (but not on my team) and another gentleman who became and airforce pilot because he is afraid of heights - go figure.

After class I came back to the room to change. I haven't been able to workout the past few days and really wanted and needed to find the treadmills. I was delayed a little bit due to a call from the kids. They are fine and grandma and grandpa are now with them at the house. I ran 3 miles....it took me 40 minutes, but that includes my warm-up and cool-down. Definitely not a race pace, but oh well. It was a good sweat.

Did a little homework and paper revisions after the workout and then Devora and I headed over to a Mexican restaurant called Matador, which is kitty-corner from the Wyndham. The food was pretty good. Outside of lunch on the terrace that was the first time I had been outside all day. Looks like the rest of my stay in Phoenix will be about the same. Hope everyone is doing well!

I am Here...in Phoenix

OK, there was a Corona waiting for me in the room, which is tasting really good right now. Did you know there are palm trees here? Reminds me of Nevis, but I will get to see them in daylight tomorrow so we shall really see what they look like. The hotel room is huge. My roomate, Devorah, booked a Jr. Suite so we have a huge sofa pit and an extra table. Plus, two queen beds and a really large bathroom.

The plane was nearly 30 minutes late getting off the ground at O'Hare. When I arrived at my seat I pulled a wedding day....my nose started running because the "gangplank" or whatever it is called was soooo cold. So, anyway, my snot dripped on the gal in the aisle seat....see Brian, you aren't the only one that gets that! It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo embarassing! Then, the gal in the middle seat took up her seat plus half of mine, and had a kid sitting in her lap who screamed the whole time.

I took a taxi to the hotel. It is funny...cab drivers are the same no matter which city you go to. Anyway, tomorrow we start at 8:00 a.m. I will let you know how it goes when I get a chance.

Phoenix, here I come

Well, I am packed, and my bag is in the car. I managed to get 8 days worth of clothes in my carry-on, and my computer bag is stuffed to capacity.

We woke up this morning to white stuff falling out of the sky and the roads were pretty trecherous. Of course the road crews were nowhere to be found either. I decided to drive through Rockford rather than risk the backroads I usually take after a little ice-skating incident in my car.

Assuming my plane is on time, I will arrive in Phoenix around 10 p.m. Forecast: Sunny and upper 60's/lower 70's although I am sure I will be so busy that I won't see the light of day. Northern Illinois forecast: Cold, highs of 25. See everyone in 8 days.