NEDA Week

I am a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon International Sorority (D Phi E). One of our philanthropies is Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD). ANAD promotes social awareness about anorexia and other eating disorders. It consists of information about eating disorders, an open mic, and more. This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) Week. Each year, we hold a candlelight vigil for ANAD. But this year, in addition to that, we are trying to raise more awareness at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) and in our community, New Haven (NH), so we are having events all week. Today is count your blessings. You are supposed to make a list of everything you are grateful for. Tomorrow is count me in. You are supposed to collect any spare change and donate it at the vigil tomorrow night. Wednesday is count what matters. You are supposed to do something you love and wear purple to support ANAD Wednesday. Thursday is make it count. You are supposed to compliment someone Thursday. And last, but certainly not least, Friday is "DIS" count. You are supposed to ignore negative images that the media portrays. We tabled last week to raise awareness about ANAD and NEDA Week, and faculty, staff, and students pledged to participate in NEDA Week. However, it is not too late to participate in NEDA Week. You can make a pledge to yourself. Also, we are tabling this week and selling bracelets as a fundraiser for ANAD.

Please support ANAD and join D Phi E at our candlelight vigil for ANAD tomorrow night at 8:00 PM in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center Ballroom. We hope to see you there, and thank you for your support!

"Nate the Great"

This morning, my friend Megan and I volunteered as ushers at the Lyman Center for a children's performance "Nate the Great". It was presented by Theatreworks USA. There were 600+ people at the performance. Nate the Great was about a detective. He solves cases. His case today was to find the picture his friend, Annie, painted of her dog, Fang, for her mother for her birthday. Also, he had to find Annie's friend, Rosamond's, cat Super Rex. Super Rex was under Rosamond's couch. Annie's brother Harry took Annie's picture. Her favorite color is yellow. His favorite color is red. He painted over Annie's yellow picture of her dog Fang with red. It made the picture of her dog Fang orange. They found the picture of her dog Fang on Harry's easel. The performance taught children about the primary colors. The performance was based on the Nate the Great Books by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. I have never heard of the Nate the Great books, so I was talking to the schools as I was sitting them in the theatre, and they told me who Nate the Great was. Some of the schools had never heard of the Nate the Great books before planning their field trip to see the performance, so they went and read them so the teachers and children were aware of what the performance was going to be about before seeing it. I think that was a great idea, and if I have free time, I might go pick up a Nate the Great book and read it myself. After the performance was over, the children were so interested in seeing the actors/actresses and props behind the set.
Here is a link about Nate the Great.
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/natethegreat/

A Little Friendly Competition Between Colleagues Never Does Any Harm

I have an older brother, T.J., who is twenty-two years old. I am twenty years old. We are two years, one month, and nine days apart. Growing up, T.J. did not do well in school. He was intelligent, but he did not work hard.  I can not remember what grade T.J. was in, but he decided to change and start working hard. He then began doing well in school, and has continued to do so ever since. I always have done well in school. I am intelligent, and I work hard. Ever since T.J. began doing well in school, he always likes to compete with me each semester to see who can get a higher G.P.A. T.J. has beaten me every semester, barely, except for one. This past semester was our last semester to compete to see who can get a higher G.P.A. because this semester, T.J. is doing his student teaching. He hopes of becoming a secondary education history teacher after he completes his student teaching and graduates. Although I will miss competing with him to see who can get a higher G.P.A., I am happy that he is doing his student teaching this semester, and I hope he enjoys it, does well, graduates, and becomes a secondary education history teacher. I can not wait until I do my student teaching. I know the time is going to fly by between now and then just as it did for my brother. Within a couple of years, there will hopefully be three teachers in my house:  my father, my brother, and I. My dad is a science teacher at Joseph A. Foran High School in Milford. My brother wants to become a secondary education history teacher. And I want to become an elementary education and special education teacher. Also, there will hopefully be four teachers in my family:  my aunt, my father, my brother, and I. My aunt is a math teacher at Platt Technical High School in Milford.