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From Preservice Teacher to Trusted Adult:
Sexual Orientation and Gender Variance in an Online YAL Book Club
I have never read a book that is geared around homosexuality. I was kind of expecting it to be in your face, but it's not.
—Ashley, preservice teacher
I always thought that "transgender" and "gay" were the same terms; however, as I read how Liam/Luna felt about his/her body, things became much clearer to me.
—Dawn, preservice teacher
Many of the preservice English teachers with whom I work report feeling enthusiastic but unsure about how to make their classrooms safe and inviting for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). Yet little time in English methods courses is devoted to helping preservice teachers understand that schools privilege a culture of heteronormativity to the detriment of students (and adults) who identify themselves as or are perceived to be LGBTQ. Even more frustrating, these same preservice teachers often enter schools in which their colleagues have little awareness of or patience for differences in gender expression and sexual orientation.
This lack of awareness and initiative has very real consequences: students who identify as LGBTQ report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and gender expression. And the bullying they face is not just initiated by fellow students; various members of the school community make (or silently condone through inaction) homophobic remarks, such as faggot or dyke or that's so gay ( GLSEN, 2008 ).
What are we teaching students when we ignore, downplay, and even participate in these acts of hate and prejudice? Young adult (YA) author Julie Anne Peters finds answers to these questions in emails she receives from her readers and shares this lament: "It saddens me to hear how few trusted adults young people seem to feel they have in their lives" ( Bott, Garden, Jones, & Peters, 2007, p. 49 ).
Future and current teachers must be prepared to be "trusted adults" for all their students and to initiate positive changes in their classroom and school communities regarding differences in sexual orientation and gender expression. For English teachers in particular, exposure to YA literature with LGBTQ content is one possibility for initiating those changes. The verisimilitude of these texts and their ability to act as windows that shed light on experiences that may be unfamiliar to the reader make them ideal starting points for a discussion about sexual orientation, gender variance, and the mistreatment and marginalization faced by students who identify as or are perceived to be LGBTQ.
Getting the Books into Teachers' Hands
In the fall of 2008, I set out to facilitate an online YAL book club for preservice secondary English teachers at Kennesaw State University (KSU) where I taught undergraduate methods courses. Located 25 miles northwest of Atlanta, KSU serves approximately 22,000 students, including over 200 undergraduate English Education majors. A book club seemed like a logical next step after my fall 2007 survey of local inservice and preservice English teachers' attitudes toward YAL with LGBTQ content revealed that although many respondents had negative perceptions of the texts, most had never actually read them ( Mason, 2008 ).
Early that semester, I sent an email invitation to all undergraduate English Education majors indicating that after the initial book club meeting, all discussions about the texts would take place asynchronously on a password protected social networking site ( www.ning.com ). I hoped students would find online participation to be convenient and respectful of their hectic schedules. I also revealed in the email invitation that the first ten participants would receive free copies of the texts— Luna (2004) by Julie Anne Peters and From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun (1995) by Jacqueline Woodson. I disclosed in the invitation that both of these novels feature LGBTQ characters and content, and I followed up with this statement:
You may be wondering why you should take advantage of this opportunity to add these texts to your personal collection. A 2007 NCTE Resolution notes that "not only do teachers frequently fail to address homophobic remarks when they hear them, but sometimes they also make such remarks themselves." Reading YAL with LGBTQ content can enhance your awareness of differences in sexual orientation and gender expression and help you to respond more effectively and confidently in situations in which these differences are not respected, regardless of your personal beliefs. After all, it will soon be your responsibility to create a safe environment for all of your students, not just those who share your beliefs and characteristics.
Of the over 200 recipients of my email, only 11 responded to the invitation. Nine of those 11 attended the first meeting, and 6 (5 females and 1 male) ended up participating in every aspect of the study, which included short pre- and post-participation surveys as well as the asynchronous online discussions about the texts.
Selecting the Texts
Few YA titles feature gender variant characters and themes, and since gender identity/expression is so often ignored in conversations and policies about LGBTQ issues, I wanted to be sure to include a text that addresses gender variance. In Luna , 15-year-old Regan's parents raised her and her older brother, Liam, as typical siblings who fit traditional gender roles. Although Liam's gender seems obvious from his physical characteristics, his brain tells him something quite different—that he's actually female.
All her life, Regan has watched Liam struggle to live up to their father's idea of manhood and has watched his true gender identity reveal itself during his late-night visits to her room to try on feminine clothes, apply make-up, and discuss sexual reassignment surgery. She observes his frustration, desperation, and isolation coalesce into an overpowering sense that suicide is the only solution. Their parents choose to ignore the signs that Liam questions his physical gender, while Luna, Liam's female self, emerges more and more frequently. As Liam begins transitioning from male to female, Regan is his only confidant, the only person to whom he can reveal who she truly is: Luna, the "girl who can only be seen by moonlight" ( Peters, 2004, p. 2 ). Ultimately, Luna's silence becomes too burdensome, and, on her eighteenth birthday, she confronts her father with these words, "Dad, I'm a transsexual" ( Peters, 2004, p. 221 ).
Of course, her challenges are only beginning, but she has found the strength to admit not just to herself, but to the world, who she truly is. Peters's use of Regan to tell this story allows normatively gendered readers a way into the text, a way to empathize both with Regan and with Luna. This is especially important for teachers who may not have encountered (or been aware of or sensitive to) gender variant people and issues in their prior experience or professional development.
To complement Luna , I selected Woodson's From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun . This text introduces readers to 13-year-old Melanin Sun, who lives with his mom, EC, in Brooklyn, New York. Melanin stands out because of both his appearance and his actions: he has very dark skin, which people often notice and comment upon, and he prefers to keep to himself, observing what's going on around him, writing in his notebooks, and collecting stamps of endangered species. He knows that his hobbies and interests make him different, and that "[d]ifference matters" ( Woodson, 1995, p. 3 ). Although he tries to convince himself otherwise ("I knew it was faggy to collect stamps but I didn't care" [ Woodson, 1995, p. 20 ]), Melanin recognizes that he does care what others think, which is why he reacts so harshly when his beloved mother tells him she is in love with a white woman named Kristin. In Melanin's world, being gay is a cause for ridicule and judgment. In fact, one of his best friends constantly berates him for stepping outside of gendered norms, labeling his actions and thoughts as "faggy," and reminding Melanin that he "could use a little toughening up around the edges" ( Woodson, 1995, p. 47 ).
In her trademark striking, poetic prose, Woodson depicts an adolescent boy who initially rejects and then struggles to understand his mother's life and identity, while reflecting on the prejudice around and within him. Throughout the novel, Melanin reflects on various gendered activities that he enjoys, such as writing and stamp collecting, and qualities he possesses, like listening rather than speaking out. Sometimes, he questions the labels society imposes (masculine/ feminine, gay/straight); other times, he confirms them in his own mind. His struggle with identity resonates with readers and serves as a positive example of a young adult who is learning to understand the world from multiple perspectives, rather than relying solely on his own viewpoint.
Both Luna and Notebooks feature heterosexual protagonists. Cart and Jenkins (2006) point out that while this may dilute the impact of the text's ability "to give faces to GLBTQ youth" (p. 91), it may also "provide an easier point of access to the story for straight readers, who are also an important audience for these stories" (p. 92).
Starting the Book Club
Setting the Stage
At the opening meeting, the nine participants signed consent forms, acquired the texts, and learned about and explored our password-protected Ning site where the asynchronous discussions would take place. I provided each participant with a "Tips" sheet (see Appendix A ) that explained how to access the Ning site, established a timeline for reading and responding (participants had approximately 1.5 weeks to read and respond to each text), suggested ways to keep up with the online discussions (e.g., check the site 2–3 times per week while and after reading each text), and set forth expectations for online etiquette. In addition, they completed a short, anonymous pre-participation survey at the opening meeting to gauge their attitudes toward and familiarity with YAL with LGBTQ content.
Other than setting up the Ning site and providing general prompts on the tips sheet, I did not participate in any of the book club discussions; I wanted to see what kinds of topics, questions, and reactions to the texts the participants would share without my input. Six participants created their own forums and blogs on the Ning site, starting their own discussion threads and responding to those of their colleagues. After completing both texts, participants took an anonymous post-participation survey to gauge their attitudes toward YAL with LGBTQ content.
Searching for Understanding
In addition to exposing participants to quality YAL with LGBTQ content, one goal of this book club was to help students develop an understanding of the experiences of teens who identify as LGBTQ or whose family members do. According to Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2006) , "an understanding is best acquired by 'uncovering' (i.e., it must be developed inductively, co-constructed by learners) and 'doing' the subject (i.e., using the ideas in realistic settings and with real-world problems)" (p. 129). I attempted to encourage this understanding by stepping back and allowing the two YA novels to speak for themselves, so participants could uncover their own meanings and interpretations. Although it was a challenge for me to refrain from jumping into the online discussions, I wanted to see the direction my participants would take on their own—what understandings they would come to—without my guidance or interference, beyond the text selection and discussion prompts. The discussions in which they engaged provided participants with the opportunity to "do" the subject in a way that was meaningful to their personal and professional development.
I analyzed participant responses on both surveys and in the online discussions using the framework of Wiggins and McTighe's six facets of understanding, which are both "overlapping and ideally integrated" (p. 84):
- Explanation—"sophisticated and apt theories and illustrations, which provide knowledgeable and justified accounts of events, actions, and ideas" (p. 85)
- Interpretation—"interpretations, narratives, and translations that provide meaning" (p. 88)
- Application—"ability to use knowledge effectively in new situations and diverse, realistic contexts" (p. 92)
- Perspective—"critical and insightful points of view" (p. 95)
- Empathy—"the ability to get inside another person's feelings and worldview" (p. 98)
- Self-Knowledge—"the wisdom to know one's ignorance and how one's patterns of thought and action inform as well as prejudice understanding" (p. 100).
I asked my participants to respond to the surveys and in the online discussions both as readers of the literature and as future teachers. Because I will share excerpts from the surveys (which were completed anonymously) and the online discussions (in which the participants identified themselves), some responses are attributed to participants through pseudonyms,while other responses are anonymous. Perhaps because of the prompts I provided, participants generally used the discussion board to articulate their understanding in terms of explanation, interpretation, application, and empathy, and they used the pre- and post-participation surveys to reveal understandings in terms of perspective and self-knowledge.
Of the nine participants who took the pre-participation survey, six reported that they had never read YAL with LGBTQ content before, yet all nine expressed enthusiasm for learning more about this genre of YAL as well as the importance of teachers' familiarity with these texts:
We will have students in our class that are LGBTQ, and I believe that they have been ignored by their teachers. As a teacher, it is important to understand the differences between our students so that we can treat each of them with respect and dignity.
As with urban literature, LGBTQ literature not only reaches a certain demographic of student but can be beneficial to all as it helps to promote multicultural education.
Evidence of Understanding
Explanation and Interpretation
Most of the participants' responses on the discussion board revealed understandings in terms of explanation (making connections, sharing illuminating examples, explaining why) and interpretation (revealing the significance or meaning of an event or experience) as they responded to and questioned the texts. Some participants critiqued the authors' choices in characterization, plot, and setting:
I thought the beach scene with Kristen [sic] and Melanin was a bit unrealistic. I felt like [Woodson] was rushing me through to get to the end of the book so it would wrap up "neatly" for her. —Linda
I do think [Peters] plays on gender stereotypes a little too much in the beginning, with the dad wanting the son to do the sports, and then asking the daughter to cook dinner. —Amy
I agree with Ashley that [Woodson] left us hanging when it came to Angie. I honestly felt a little disappointed since the last thing mentioned about her was right after the fight where she looked "confused and angry." My only guess for the reason that Woodson did not clear things up is possibly based on the theme that not all things are black and white or Melanin and Sun. Maybe she wanted to leave the reader with a lot of gray areas the way life actually is. —Adam
Participants also revealed connections to their own experiences and popular culture. Ashley connected her reading of Luna to a popular reality television series, America's Next Top Model , Cycle 11, hosted by Tyra Banks; she critically reflected on the treatment of a transgender participant on the show:
On America's Next Top Model , there was a transgender girl. Her name was Isis. At first I didn't really think about it. She got voted off, but now I look back and think there were only a few of the girls that treated her like a girl; the others ignored the fact that she was even there. —Ashley
In her recollection of this television series, Ashley expresses her newfound understanding that a transgender female, for example, should be treated "like a girl," a notion, she reveals, she hadn't really considered before reading Luna .
In another post, Linda distinguished between tolerance and acceptance: "Tolerance is something I do with my brussel sprouts and Sunday night football. I don't really like either, but I tolerate them for one reason or another." And Tabitha responded with an example of acceptance from Luna : "Regan would go with Luna to the mall to shop and be there for her when she dressed as a girl. THAT is going beyond tolerance."
Of all the facets of understanding, application (using and adapting knowledge effectively in new, realistic contexts) was least evident in my participants' responses, most likely because the online discussion and surveys didn't ask participants to apply their knowledge in new settings. Most participants did reveal understandings in terms of what I would call hypothetical application; for example, a few shared their plans for including YAL with LGBTQ in their classrooms or discussed how they might respond if they learned that their own children were gay or gender variant:
I wonder if it would be harder to teach [ Luna ] here in the South versus other parts of the country. I imagine parents opting out of letting their kids read it. I wonder how we could deal with this issue. Should we just add the book in and see if anyone complains or ask the parents to read the book first, convincing them to give it a try? – Tabitha
[Regarding the mom in Luna ], I was shocked at first that she was just ignoring the whole thing and then I got really pissed because as a mom (granted, mine are 4 and 3) I could not believe she treated Liam like Luna didn't even exist. If I caught my son wearing my make-up and clothes I would be like ok, let's talk, not respond with "don't tell your sister." —Ashley
One participant, Tabitha, actually did apply her knowledge of YAL with LGBTQ content in a conversation with a friend after reading both texts:
I spoke to a good friend of mine who would never allow her children to read texts in school with LG content. After describing these books to her, she changed her mind and felt that, yes she would have no problem with it. I think that in talking to parents about teaching this text perhaps it is important how we describe the rationale behind it. —Tabitha
Like Tabitha, I have found that the people who have the most negative perceptions of YAL with LGBTQ content are usually the people who have not read any of it themselves. This just further emphasizes the need to get these books into teachers' hands so that they might see for themselves the quality of the literature and its power to reflect and reveal the experiences of LGBTQ youth, their families (of origin and of choice), and their communities.
Book club members revealed their understandings in terms of perspective (critically considering multiple points of view) most frequently in the anonymous surveys. Some noted the ways in which YAL with LGBTQ content might assist them in helping their students develop respect and appreciation for multiple perspectives. One participant noted that "these texts force readers to challenge their mindsets and possibly make a paradigm shift," while another noted that "literature should connect to students' lives and also give them a personal challenge. Dealing with issues that are hard to talk about can help give students a greater view of multiple perspectives." A third participant discussed the value of such texts in disconfirming negative stereotypes about the LGBTQ community:
Just as multicultural education has recently become a focal point in education, I believe that studies regarding LGBTQ content should be added into the curriculum. Students have so many negative stereotypes drilled into their heads by the media about how the LGBTQ community is not worthy of being treated with respect, how they are a disgrace to society; however, as teachers using this content in our class, we have the potential to slowly break down these stereotypes so they do not perpetuate into future generations.
Two other participants also revealed the importance of resisting a culture of heteronormativity in schools and beyond:
Ignoring the fact that not everyone is heterosexual makes those that aren't feel as if they are inferior.
As teachers we need to be careful not to assume that every family consists of the traditional mother and father. The safety of the classroom begins with the teacher educating herself on the realities in the lives of her students.
In contrast with developing a sense of perspective, which requires us to remain detached as we critically consider multiple viewpoints, empathy requires us to embrace another person's worldview and "perceive sensitively on the basis of prior direct experience" ( Wiggins and McTighe, 2006, p. 84 ). Reading Luna and From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun allowed my participants to gain some (additional) experience with the LGBTQ community as they lived vicariously through Regan and Melanin. For example, Tabitha was able to empathize with the challenges Regan faced in her attempt to support and protect Liam while maintaining her own identity: "Liam/Luna had no one to turn to but his sister Regan, and this was too much to bear for one person." And, after reading Notebooks , Amy, who was completing her student teaching experience, revealed her increasing disgust with anti-LGBTQ language:
When students say that things are "gay," something turns that didn't turn so much before. Not that I have not noticed the insensitivity and ignorance of that phrase, but after reading this book it is as if I have been in the seat of a 14-year-old versus this 22-year-old perspective from someone with no real experiences with the gay community. —Amy
Tabitha and Linda expressed empathy for family members of LGBTQ people after reading Notebooks :
Melanin's mother's revelation left him wondering about himself and his own identity. On page 63 Melanin thinks, "If she is a dyke, then what did that make me?" This scene points to the possible difficulties in revealing this to a child raised to believe that being gay or lesbian is wrong either through family or his friends. The same reaction is sometimes exhibited by a parent who is told that their child is gay/lesbian. This knowledge may cause them to reflect on their own identity as a parent. —Tabitha
Tabitha, I agree with you that learning that a parent or child is gay must be a difficult time that causes one to reflect on how that person's "gayness" affects them. A father or mother may ask, "Where did I go wrong?" or go into denial, which may be even worse. —Linda
I am impressed by Tabitha and Linda's attempts to put themselves into the shoes of people whose family members embody their LGBTQ identity. If we can demonstrate our understanding of someone's initial response of confusion, fear, disdain, or self-righteousness in the face of difference, we might also be able to help that person see a way to appreciate and celebrate difference, rather than revile it.
In both the surveys and the online discussion, book club members did not hesitate to reveal their own perceived ignorance, changing perspectives, and questions as they demonstrated their understanding in terms of self-knowledge (awareness of one's own ignorance, prejudice, and patterns of thought):
Reading these books has taught me that I have a long way to go before I will be fully equipped and prepared to deal with all problems facing students in the classroom.
I think a teacher walks a tightrope between support and intrusion in students' lives. How do teachers maintain that important professional perspective and be emotionally open to their students? I cannot impose my views and values on the class but I can expose those minds to different viewpoints that will expand their thinking.
In a discussion of their inservice teacher professional development book group, Bruce Parker and Jacqueline Bach (2009) acknowledge that "[c]reating spaces for educators to engage with texts that are meant to represent complex identities, without having an expert or access to other perspectives on these experiences, can reify negative stereotypes and assumptions" (p. 97). As my participants articulated their understanding in terms of self-knowledge, some misperceptions and assumptions emerged, causing me to question my methodology of simply observing the discussion, rather than participating in it. In their survey responses, two participants articulated concerns about how to recommend texts with LGBTQ content to students:
I would like to know how to recommend an LGBTQ novel without offending the student. If they identify as LGBTQ, I may not know as a teacher, but only suspect it . . . I'm not sure how to go about offering a book without making them feel weird or uncomfortable, or even angry if they are not LGBTQ, which could potentially get me in a lot of trouble when I was trying to help.
While it is important for teachers to be able to recommend YAL with LGBTQ content [to students], I am more concerned with being put in the role of "counselor" to a LGBTQ student. I certainly want to connect with my students and give them a safe place and a confidential ear; however, I could not just walk up to a gay student and say, "Hey, I have this great book about transgenders . . . wanna read it?!" How as teachers do we "know" a student's sexual orientation in order to be able to recommend LGBTQ books that may interest them?
These are fantastic questions that demonstrate these preservice teachers' enthusiasm and thoughtful consideration of their students but that also point to misconceptions I need to address in my teaching and in my written response here. First, in the second response, it seems that the participant is conflating sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in the example of providing a "great book about transgenders" to a gay student. Second, it's not necessary (or particularly worthwhile) for teachers to recommend books with LGBTQ content only to students who identify as LGBTQ. In fact, since the purpose of quality literature is not just to mirror the reader's reality but to also provide a window into different realities, teachers should attempt to recommend these texts to all students— if not as part of a required reading list, then at least during book talks, or as part of book passes, as advocated by Emily S. Meixner (2009) . Additionally, teachers should never initiate a conversation about a student's sexual orientation or gender identity in an attempt to get the student to come out. It's not our place to identify or single out students who we think might be gay or transgender, and we should "avoid calling individual students 'gay,' 'lesbian, 'bisexual,' transgender,' etc. until [we] have first heard students use a particular term to describe themselves" due to the fluidity of these labels ( Weinberg, 2009, p. 50 ).
Final Thoughts
The 2007 NCTE Resolution on Strengthening Teacher Knowledge of LGBT Issues advocates formal integration of the study of LGBTQ issues in all teacher preparation programs. In addition to this important step toward equal rights for all members of our school communities, teacher educators (and teachers themselves) might also consider facilitating book clubs that feature YAL with LGBTQ content. In my own book club, I was pleased to learn from these preservice teachers' insights, questions, anxieties, misconceptions, and changes in perspective in relation to these texts. In fact, most of the online discussion participants requested that we continue our study of YAL and our online discussions, and several offered suggestions to improve the discussion itself:
We should do it more often and possibly add nights of viewing plays and movies as a group about transgender identities and sexual orientations.
More face to face meetings, coffee shops, etc. to build a stronger sense of community and make for deeper conversation. A kind of hybrid style would work best.
Although my participants appreciated the flexibility the online forum offered, they also desired face-to-face interactions and additional media featuring representations of various sexual orientations and gender identities. In addition, I would like to be an active participant in the book club next time, sharing my expertise and resources, offering an additional perspective, inviting lurkers to participate, and learning along with my participants.
Another participant noted the value of seeking out the perspectives of members of the LGBTQ community:
I would have liked to have gotten an online perspective from someone from the LGBTQ community. (Maybe I did and didn't know it?!)
Even though members of the LGBTQ community cannot act as representatives of the entire group, I appreciate this participant's acknowledgement that we must actively seek out those perspectives. I also appreciate this participant's revelation that a person's sexual orientation and gender identity may not be perceptible without verbal clarification or observed embodiment of the identity.
Although the response to my book club invitation was lower than I hoped and expected, I am confident that with time and persistence, future and current teachers' interest in LGBTQ issues will grow. For the past three years, I have included YAL with LGBTQ content in book passes in my English methods courses. Each semester more and more students select those texts to read, teach, and inspire inquiry for class projects like the multigenre research paper.
In its 2009 report, "Stepping Out of the Closet, into the Light," the National Education Association urges educators to pay attention to and take a stand for students, noting that "a single, supportive adult in the lives of GLBT students at school is the most critical factor in increasing the GLBT students' sense of safety and academic achievement and in decreasing the risk of truancy or dropping out" ( Kim, p. ix ). Book clubs that feature YAL with LGBTQ content are one possibility for scattering light on sexual orientation and gender variance and encouraging future and current teachers to be "trusted adults" for every student.
Bott, C. J., Garden, N., Jones, P., &Peters, J. A. (2007). Don't look and it will go away: YA books—a key to uncovering the invisible problem of bullying. The ALAN Review, 34 (2), 44–51 .
Cart, M., &Jenkins, C. A. (2006). The heart has its reasons: Young adult literature with gay/lesbian/queer content, 1969–2004 . Lanham, MD: Scarecrow.
GLSEN. (2008, October 8). 2007 national school climate survey. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. Retrieved from http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/2340.html?state=research&type=research.
Kim, R. (2009, October 14). A report on the status of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in education: Stepping out of the closet, into the light. National Education Association. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/glbtstatus09.pdf .
Mason, K. (2008). Creating a space for YAL with LGBT content in our personal reading: Creating a place for LGBT students in our classrooms. The ALAN Review, 35 (3), 55–61 .
Meixner, E. S. (2009). "Would you want to read that?": Using book passes to open up secondary classrooms to LGBTQ young adult literature. The ALAN Review, 36 (3), 92–8 .
NCTE. (2007). Resolution on strengthening teacher knowledge of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues. National Council of Teachers of English. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/teacherknowledgelgbt .
Parker, B., &Bach, J. (2009). Gender variant and transgender issues in a professional development book group. English Journal, 98 (4), 96–101.
Peters, J. A. (2004). Luna . New York: Little, Brown.
Weinberg, M. (2009). LGBT-inclusive language. English Journal, 98 (4), 50–51.
Wiggins, G., &McTighe, J. (2006). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Woodson, J. (1995). From the notebooks of Melanin Sun . New York: Scholastic.
After teaching at Kennesaw State University for four years, Katherine Mason , a former middle school English teacher, is now an assistant professor of English Education at Wichita State University. She has presented at professional conferences and published articles on teaching English Language Learners, cooperative learning, effective writing instruction, and young adult literature with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) content.
Appendix A
Tips for Participating in Our Online Book Club
Accessing Our Book Club Site:
Once you have responded to the e-mail invitation and set up your account, you can simply go to www.ning.com and click "sign in" to access our site. You can also go directly to http://lgbtqyal.ning.com/ and sign in.
|Sept. 30
|Opening meeting: consent forms, survey, explore http://lgbtqyal.ning.com/
|Oct. 1-11
|Read and respond (online) to From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun
|Oct. 12-22
|Read and respond (online) to Luna
|Oct. 23-27
|Take post-participation survey (I will send link via e-mail.)
The dates of the readings and discussions are fluid. I would like for you to begin with Notebooks , but please feel free to continue responding to it after Oct. 11, and feel free to respond to Luna before Oct. 12.
Asynchronous Online Discussions:
Unlike a traditional book club that meets face to face, our discussions will take place online asynchronously; this means we can communicate without being online at the same time. While this adds to the convenience of participating, it does require that you check our site consistently in order to truly participate in the conversation. For example, after reading (or even during your reading of) one of the texts, visit the discussion site to post your initial response(s) and read and respond to other participants' posts. Check back a few times over the course of the week to see if anyone has responded to your post, and respond to that and other posts as you see fit.
Online Etiquette:
Our book club site is private, meaning that only invited participants can view and contribute to the site. Keeping in mind that we are all colleagues and members of the same program, please check your responses for a courteous tone before posting.
Responding to the Texts:
Please respond honestly to the texts. There are no right or wrong answers, and I'm not "grading" you on grammar and mechanics, so feel free to write freely, focusing more on what you want to say, rather than how you say it. Here are some prompts to get you started:
- What surprised (or didn't surprise) you? Why?
- What did you learn from the text? What questions does the text raise for you?
What connections can you make between the text and . . .
- your own life—as a student, as a teacher?
- other texts (including the other assigned text for this book club)?
- society/the world?
- history?
- What passage(s) struck you as particularly insightful, powerful, provocative, or dubious? Note them in your commentary (include a page number for our reference), and discuss your reaction to the passage(s).
- How do these readings impact your thoughts about your current or future teaching?


text:
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publish Date: June 19, 2013
Order Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Synopsis: In Marcel Proust In Taos, a Los Alamos physicist, Christopher, retires to Taos, New Mexico, with his cat Marcel Proust, to write a novel about nuclear terrorism. There he meets aspiring artist Marlene, from Germany, and the two fall in love. They open a microbrewery, using the brewing recipes passed down to Marlene from her brewmaster grandfather. However, together they find themselves confronting terrorism of a new sort with the matriarch of the Taos community, Agnes Havelock Powers, who strongly opposes having a brewery in town. Agnes is rich, powerful, and influential. She has the city authorities tucked in her purse next to her checkbook. Follow the exciting and charming love story of Marlene and Christopher in historical Taos, as they experience the challenges of confronting abusive power.
Author Bio: Striving for new heights on the literary landscape, along with his late wife Lois, Jon Foyt began writing novels 20 years ago, following careers in radio, commercial banking, and real estate. He holds a degree in journalism and an MBA from Stanford and a second masters degree in historic preservation from the University of Georgia. An octogenarian prostate cancer survivor, Jon, 81, is a marathon runner (60 completed), hiker, and political columnist in a large active adult retirement community near San Francisco. Jon Foyt is the successful author of 10 fiction books. He currently resides in Walnut Creek, CA

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pratham Books is a finalist in the Google Impact Challenge. Our idea is to create an open source platform for children's books. We need all our readers and supporters to VOTE FOR OUR PROJECT IDEA so that we can win this grant and make this dream a reality.
Our project will build collaborative web platforms that solve the three major problems that affect children in India – a very low number of books available for them, a lack of linguistic diversity of books and a lack of access to funding for libraries and books so that children can experience the joy of reading.
The 'I am ...' series written by Mala Kumar will give you an insight into how this platform can be useful to you - as an author, an illustrator, a storyteller, a publisher, etc. Today's post is from the viewpoint of a storyteller.
I am a Storyteller - How can this platform help me?
As a storyteller, you will have access to all our openly licensed content. Which is in fact a large number of stories, for different age groups, each in several languages. Some amazing Pratham Books Champions have taken these stories and got them translated into the language they wanted to narrate the story in. You can download the stories, print it, remix it and share it with many children. All other remixed versions will also be accessible to you - thus providing access to books, apps, audio books, language versions, and more. If you think of an even better version of the story, feel free to remix and put it back on the platform so that the community can use it. Who knows, the remixed version may launch you as an author! The different formats will allow you to customize your storytelling session for your audience. Do read some of our champion stories to see how people have given new spins to existing stories.
The posts we are sharing about the project will help you understand our vision as well as the scope of this project. Related posts:
1. Introduction
2. Let a Thousand Tongues Speak - Increasing language diversity in children's books
You can also spread the word by :
4. Writing a post on your blog about why you believe in our mission and why you want readers to vote for us. Here's an example from one of our champions.
Illustration courtesy : Bindia Thapar ( from the book City of Stories)


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- Hands on advice on employment law from a real-world HR consultant
- Contracts of Employment and zero hours contracts
- Compromise agreements or settlement agreements
- Discipline Procedures
- Redundancy advice
- Grievance Procedures advice
- Chairing Workplace Mediation, grievance , appeal, or disciplinary meetings
- Transfer of undertakings advice, TUPE
- Holiday pay
- Our privacy statement re data processing
Practical advice on employment law services, practically delivered
Running a business of any kind, requires your full attention, the distractions of employing people, are just that; a distraction, dealing with any advice on employment law issues is non productive, it's just one of the tasks that needs to be done. Why not let an employment law advisor and HR consultant deal with all your advice on employment law. Paul Murray HR can provide all the required documentation you need, (and you do need it!), from basic contracts of employment to policy documents and procedures. Paul Murray HR will provide you with advice on employment law and will be your HR advisor, simply at the other end of the phone, whenever you need help with your employee management. We offer your own dedicated advisor, who knows your business requirements, and you are never passed to a junior, this is proper outsourcing as it should be. We can also offer employee record keeping as a stand-alone service . Paul Murray HR Ltd offers advice on employment law and support to businesses large and small across Manchester, Yorkshire and NW England. Please browse the site to see what we can do for you, so you can concentrate on your business and save employment costs.


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UK soldier killed in Afghanistan
A soldier from 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment has been killed in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Defence said he was part of an operation to disrupt insurgent activity in Nad Ali when he was killed by enemy action.
Next-of-kin have been informed of the death, which means 419 UK troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001.
A soldier killed on Wednesday has been named as L/Cpl James Ashworth from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
The spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Maj Ian Lawrence said: "It is with deep sorrow that I must confirm that a soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment has been killed by enemy action whilst deployed on operations in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province.
"The thoughts of all within Task Force Helmand are with his family and friends at this difficult time."
L/Cpl James Ashworth, 23, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, was killed in Nahr-e-Saraj District by a grenade as he was trying to protect his men, his commanding officers said.
Lt Col James Bowder, commanding officer, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, said he was an "outstanding soldier whose loss has moved us all".


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The rear LCD screen of your camera is a lying liar who lies. Though the screens of newer cameras are fairly good, the image they display can be lighter, darker or a different color from your actual photo. Do not use them to accurately judge exposure (until you get to know the bias of your screen).
The best "in the field" indicator of exposure is the RGB Histogram display. It looks something like this and if you learn how to read it, it can quickly tell you if you photo is under exposed, over exposed or just right. Periodically checking your histogram while shooting will help you get the maximum amount of detail out of your photos!
To learn how to read your histogram, click here.


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Wise Yeti connects you with the right outfitter, saving you valuable time in your busy life. With hundreds of outfitters quoting on your next adventure, all you have to do is sit back and watch the Quotes come in.
Submit your adventure details. It's easy, tell us what you want to do and when.
Your request will be sent to hundreds of validated outfitters ready to guide your adventure.
Chat with outfitters to make sure all the details are perfect.
Pack your bags, hit the road and repeat.
Don't Take our Word for it!
I submitted a request and went to lunch, by the end of the day I was booked and had a great outing that weekend with my friends.
-Ryan Murray
I got into town on Friday night and wanted to try and book a fishing guide last minute for Saturday. I received bids all evening, chatted with Outfitters and got something scheduled for the very next afternoon.
– Chris James
This is great! Wise Yeti is my new go to for fishing guides!
– Jason
Grow Your Outfit
Start receiving hundreds of customers looking for your professional outdoor services.Become an Outfitter


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Drink at the Lindisfarne Inn
Raise a glass to Northumberland with whatever takes your fancy, be it one of our excellent local ales, delicious wines or a speciality tea or coffee.
At The Lindisfarne Inn we take pride in running our bar and cellar the proper, old-fashioned way. With awards for our cellar management and knowledgeable, well trained staff you can look forward to enjoying a pint of the North East's finest from our local real ales including guest hand pulls on rotation.
Quench your thirst with our perfectly chilled ciders and continental lagers or enjoy browsing and sampling our cornucopia of craft beers.
Our well-stocked cellar offers wines from around the world. Available by glass or by the bottle, we offer wines to pair with all our dishes and to suit every taste too.
We've brewed a recipe for success with our wide range of speciality loose leaf teas and aromatic coffees from renowned local company Ringtons. Perfect for enjoying at anytime of day or evening.


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Extensibility home page
Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations is customized extensively by partners, value added resellers (VARs), and even some customers. This is a strength of the product that historically has been supported through overlayering of the application code. The move to the cloud with more agile servicing and frequent updates requires a less intrusive customization model, which makes updates less likely to impact custom solutions. This new model is called extensibility and has replaced customization by overlayering.
Extensibility is the only customization framework in Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Retail and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations. Overlayering is not supported.
These introductory topics contain general information about customization, including information on when customization transitions from overlayering to a purely extension-based model. These topics also explain how to log extensibility requests to Microsoft, along with frequently asked questions and answers.
What's new
This section lists the extensibility-related updates that have been made since July 2017.
- Extensibility changes in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, Enterprise edition (July 2017)
- Extensibility changes in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations, Enterprise edition 7.3
- Extensibility changes in Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations release 8.0
Getting started
Getting started gets you going with building extensions and migrating a current solution, based on overlayered code, to an extension-based solution. This section includes hands on labs that walk you through simple customizations.
- Migrate from overlayering to extensions
- Customize model elements using extensions (tutorial)
- Customization: overlayering and extensions
Extensibility fundamentals
Extensibility fundamentals includes principles and practices for how to make extensions. The guiding principles in these topics discuss how customization must be approached through extensions, including naming guidelines. Additionally, these topics discuss the foundation framework, such as extensions and chain of command.
- Intrusive customizations
- Class extensions
- Class extension: Method wrapping and Chain of Command
- Naming guidelines
- Relax model restrictions to enable the refactoring of over-layering into extensions
How do I..?
Here is where you find "How do I?" topics on customizing specific object types or code. Most of these topics are brief and to the point. There are many topics here, so searching for a particular topic may be practical.
Data types
- Register a subclass for factory methods
- Respond with EventHandlerResult
- Extend the RunBase class
- Use delegates to customize Application startup
- Modify an existing field in a table
- Add a new field to an existing table
- Add an index to an existing table
- Add a relation to an existing table
- Modify properties on an existing table
- Add a method to a table
- Perform business actions throughout the lifecycle of a table record
Blog posts
Information on customization is also shared through various blogs where different topics are discussed. This section includes reference to some of these blogs.
- Extending Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations
- Extending class state
- Extension methods
- Extensible base enumerations
- Static event subscription
- Responding through delegates
- Subscribing to onValidatingWrite
- Extending inventory dimensions
- Embrace the extensions mindset with Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations


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The Lace diamond mine produces diamonds ranging from one carat to 122ct. Image courtesy of DiamondCorp plc.
Lace Diamond Mine (LDM) is located near the town of Kroonstad in the region of Free State, in South Africa. The mine lies about 200km south-west of the capital city, Johannesburg.
The mine is operated by DiamondCorp, which also holds 74% of the ownership. The remaining 26% is held by Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Partners, which include Sphere Investments and Shanduka Resources.
In May 2012, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa agreed to fund $33.6m towards the development of the mine. The IDC funding will be used for the underground development of the 47 level block cave at the Lace Mine.
The development is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2012 and is estimated to cost $50m. The mine is expected to have a life of more than 25 years.
History of the South African diamond mine
Lace is a historic mine, with operations spanning back to 1896. Its mineralisation consists of diamondiferous kimberlite pipe built to a depth of about 240m. The first mining operations were started in 1901 and it was operated until 1931. It became obsolete with the Great Depression and the fall of diamond prices in 1930.
Open pit methods to a depth of 100m were initially used to recover the mineral. The 240m level underground chamber was built subsequently. The mine was developed with a vertical shaft and development drives by 1930.
About 4.5 million tons of kimberlite was processed during this period. The mine is reported to have produced about 750,000ct of diamonds at an average grade of 16 carats per hundred tons (cpht). It produced diamonds ranging from one carat to 122ct.
The mine remained closed even after being acquired by De Beers Consolidated Mines in 1940. With the changes in mining policies in South Africa, DiamondCorp acquired LDM in 2006.
The Lace pit and shaft were dewatered for development in 2008. A 220tph kimberlite dump re-treatment plant was supplied by Consulmet. A 1.2 million tons a year (mt/y) diamond separation plant was opened at the mine site in 2007. It started sampling of the kimberlite tailings and bulk samples from a decline level of 4.5m x 4.5m.
Geology and mineral resources at LDM
DiamondCorp has built a 220tph kimberlite dump re-treatment and 1.2mt/y diamond separation plant at the Lace mine. Image courtesy of DiamondCorp plc.
Lace Diamond Mine has two types of kimberlite mineralisation. The upper volcanoclastic kimberlite (VK) level has an average grade of 24cpht, while the deeper coherent kimberlite facies (CK) averages about 55cpht grade.
The grades of CK increase with the depth. Sampling tests of the kimberlite at 240m depth confirmed the mine's feasibility for development in October 2011.
The mineral resources have been identified along the kimberlite pipe up to depths of 855m.
The total inferred and indicated mineral resources are estimated at 35.58mt graded at 40.12cpht. The estimates were prepared by VP3 GeoServices in September 2009. DiamondCorp also has prospecting rights of two adjoining properties, Moregroet and Silverbank.
Mining and processing by DiamondCorp
The mining rights of Lace were granted to DiamondCorp in February 2009. SRK Consulting completed an independent engineering report with estimated resources and development plans in March 2012.
The independent engineering report suggests development of a block cave at 470m depth. It will consist of a slot drive, doming and production levels.
Continuous trough block cave is considered to be an economical and safer option for mining. It will include a conveyor decline for materials and worker transport running in parallel. The rim tunnel at the production level will have load-haul-dumps (LHD) for loading the trucks.
The mine consists of a 350m level vertical shaft. It will be used for ventilation. The site also consists of workshops, offices and accommodation for employees. The mine has adequate supply of water for processing and electricity supply from Eskom grid.
Production and costs of the Lace Diamond Mine
DiamondCorp processed about 55,391t of tailings to recover 4,060.97ct of diamond at an average grade of 7.33cpht from March to May 2012. The treatment of tailings is estimated to cost an average of about ZAR28.7/t ($3.3/t).
Initial production is expected in 2013 at a rate of 30,000ct. At full production, the mine is expected to produce up to 300,000ct. Future development of deeper block caves is expected to produce about 500,000ct/y.


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- About Us
- Programs
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- Contact Us
Release Date: December 23, 2015
This holy season as Christians honor and celebrate the birth of the world's most famous poor baby born in a manger, I hope we all will pause to remember the 15.5 million invisible poor babies and children in our rich country who need our help to survive and thrive and reach their God-given potential. Together let us recommit ourselves to ending child poverty now. If we love America we must all stand tall against the excessive greed that tramples millions of the children entrusted to our care. Every child is a sacred gift and deserves just treatment in our nation and world.
Praying and Standing for Children
We pray and stand for children blessed by parents who care and for children without a parent or anyone who cares at all.
We pray and stand for children filled with joy and for children whose days and nights are joyless.
We pray and stand for children with hope and for children whose spirits have been dimmed and dashed.
We pray and stand for children high on play and study and laughter and for children high on pot, glue, cocaine, and ecstasy.
We pray and stand for our children for whom we pray every day and for children who have no one to pray them along life's way.
We pray and stand for children poised by circumstance to soar and conquer life's challenges and for children bogged down by the pain of survival.
We pray and stand for children who love to read and for children who can't read at all, for children who learn with excitement and for children told by adults that they cannot achieve.
We pray and stand for children who expect and are helped to succeed and for children whom no one believes in or helps to succeed.
We pray that we will be a help and not a hindrance to children we call our own and to all the children You created who are part of our family too.
Click here to share your comments and find out what others are saying.
Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children's Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.
Mrs. Edelman's Child Watch Column also appears each week on The Huffington Post.
Sign-up to receive CDF President Marian Wright Edelman's weekly Child Watch Column.
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Group celebrates OKC Thunder with "Beard like Harden"
WOODWARD, Okla. — A group from Woodward are enjoying the recent fame of their new video "Beard Like Harden," a parody of Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger.
"It's our dream to have a beard like Harden so we wrote a parody of Maroon 5′s Moves Like Jagger. We also wanted to write something fun in celebration of the Thunder moving on in the playoffs. Hope you enjoy this! We had a blast making it," their Youtube channel reads.
The Credits are:
Gary and Abby Babb: Concept
Daniel Castor: Lyrics
Bobbi Castor: Female Vocals
Chris Castor: Male Vocals Music Production (Thanks to my buddy Houston for a bit of help) Shot and Edited Video
Thanks Zach, Sterling, Gary, Jordan, Crystal and Lexi for background dancing and helping with gear.
A friend and fan, Eryn Brooks, said, "I have the best, most creative group of friends. There isn't a lot to do in our small town, so we have to make our own fun. Here in Oklahoma, we LOVE the Thunder. My hairless group of guy friends are always saying how they want to grow beards like James Harden, so last night we made this tribute video to entertain ourselves and the masses! Thanks for watching!"
Thursday Harden was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for 2011-2012.
He is the second-youngest man to receive this honor.
Harden won in a landslide with 115 of 119 first place votes.


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Common monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus)
B824/1440 Rights Managed
530 pixels on longest edge, unwatermarked
Request/Download high-res file
Uncompressed file size: 50.6MB
Downloadable file size: 6.6MB
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Credit: ROSEMARY GREENWOOD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.
Keywords: biological, biology, botanical, botany, common monkey flower, countryside, flora, flower, flowering, flowers, many, mimulus guttatus, monkey-flower, multiple, nature, plant, plants, rock, rocks, rocky, shrub, stream, water, wild, wildflower, wildflowers, yellow
Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.


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Cloud Computing
Budget ₹1500-12500 INR
We Hire Cloud Base Project Like, Cloud Solution Architect.
We Build Websites In PHP, .Net and Android Application.
We Also Provide Cloud Based Storage and Hosting Platform.
9 freelancers are bidding on average ₹48678 for this job
I believe my capabilities would be ideal for you. I can complete this job within the necessary period. I'm very vitalized to offer my alternatives for your job. Relevant Skills and Experience I am a master of marketin More
We are a Team of Technical Consultants and Data Engineers having healthy experience into Big Data technologies,IOT/Cloud/AWS and Python/AI+Machine Learning. The Dynamic force has qualified engineers having expertise in More
I am an AWS Certified Solutions Architect and AWS Certified Developer, I think I can help you on this project. Relevant Skills and Experience AWS Cloud Computing Proposed Milestones ₹10000 INR - Provide proposal ₹233 More
Greetings, WE WILL DO THIS WORK AS PER YOUR REQUIREMENT AND EXPECTATIONS. With the experience of over 1600 web development projects including ANDROID , iOS , WEBSITES , WEB APPLICATIONS AND SOFTWARES Relevant Skills More


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Course Descriptions
environmental health & safety
Please contact EH&S at 2-0308 for the next scheduled training session or to inquire about a particular training session for your department.
Hazardous Materials Regulation
Boston College Course Descriptions
Asbestos Awareness (AA) (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1101)
This workshop presents basic information about the current state of knowledge concerning the dangers of asbestos fibers in buildings, the methods available to control hazards, and the actions one must take and avoid when working in an area known or presumed to contain asbestos. It is designed for employees who will not directly handle asbestos material, but who may encounter it in the routine course of their work, such as in Buildings and Grounds employees. Initial and refresher training is mandatory.
Duration: 2 hours
Biosafety Training (BIO) (NIH Guidelines; Newton and Boston City Ordinances)
Boston College has made arrangements for researchers working with biohazards (infectious organisms, biotoxins or recombinant DNA) to take training online through the CITI program: www.citiprogram.org. After you complete all fourteen modules a certificate will be sent to the course administrator.
Total time - approximately 2 hours.
Bloodborne Pathogen (BP) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.130)
This standard is designed to protect health care workers and other affected workers at risk of occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as the HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C viruses. Cases of occupational transmission are low and preventable. Occupational exposure means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties. In addition to health care workers, police, housekeeping, plumbers, and laboratory personnel could be included. Annual training required.
Duration: 1 hour
Chemical Hygiene Training (CHP) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450)
This program covers policies applicable to all employees (and students) engaged in the laboratory use of hazardous chemicals. Training topics include descriptions of chemical hazards in the workplace, permissible exposure limits, symptoms of overexposure, and methods to detect and reduce hazardous exposure. Required training is provided to faculty, staff, teaching assistants, and laboratory technicians in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Psychology, and Earth & Environmental Sciences. Students are welcome. Initial and annual refresher training.
Initial training is offered in August and January. If you need training outside of those times, contact the Operations Manager in your department, or EHS.
Duration: 2 hours
Confined Space (CS) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146)
Entry into certain types of confined spaces, such as manholes, trenches, and pipe chases, may pose significant risk to workers. An inventory of such spaces has been developed, and employees who may need to enter these spaces will be trained in the safe work practices and personal protective equipment required. Training must be provided prior to entry into a confined space and repeated whenever there are changes in hazards. BC employees should also be aware that hired contractors who work in confined spaces must be made aware of associated hazards.
Duration: 2 hours
Fire Extinguisher (FE) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157)
During the warmer months of the year (April to October) training sessions provide both lecture and a hans-on component. Fire cheistry is covered, as well as evacuation procedures. Attendees will also have to opportunity to extinguish a fire using a water extinguisher on a controlled demonstration fire apparatus.
Look for fire extinguisher training at: Healthapalooza, the Employee Health Fair (weather permitting), laboratory safety training, RA/RD training (early August) and Health Services and Campus School employee training (end of August).
Forklift (FL) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178)
Powered industrial trucks to include forklifts, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines may be used only by trained authorized operators. Training is upon employment and on an as-needed basis. New employees will be sent off-campus for classroom training. Training includes classroom time and a practiced skills evaluation. Refresher training is offered every three years.
Hazard Communication (HazCom) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200)
Employers shall provide employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new physical or health hazard about which the employees have not been previously trained is introduced into their work area. Training will enable employees to obtain the necessary information off a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) (Formerly MSDS) or product label.
Duration: 45 minutes
Hazardous Materials Regulations HM-126F (HM) (DOT 49 CFR 100-177)
There are strict training requirements for any employees involved in the transport of hazardous goods - packagin, shipping and receiving. The Hazardous Materials Regulations are designed to address classification, hazard communication, transportation, emergency planning and response, and packaging of hazardous materials. Employees who are involved in receiving or packaging hazardous material must attend.
Hazwoper (HW) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120)
This program presents the information needed for employees when responding to a hazardous-material release. The level of training is at the First Responder Awareness Level. These are individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release and who have been trained to initiate an emergency response sequence by notifying the proper authorities of the release. Annual training is required.
Duration: 2 hours
Laser (LSR) (ANSI Z136.1; OSHA 29 CFR 1926.54 & 105 CMR 121.000)
Laser radiation workers are required to receive laser safety training and a medical eye examination prior to working with class III or IV lasers. Fundamentals of laser operations, bioeffects of laser radiation on the eye and skin, relations of specular and diffuse reflection, non-radiation hazards, laser system classifications, control measures, management and employee responsibilities, and medical surveillance practices will be covered. Training upon employment.
Duration: 1 hour
Lockout/Tagout (LT) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147)
Safety requirements to control hazardous energy sources with lockout/tagout procedures in order to prevent injuries to personnel servicing equipment have been established. Training is provided to two populations: those who must install the locks and tags prior to servicing equipment, and those whose work may be conducted near such equipment. These two groups of users are defined as authorized users and affected users.
Initial training. Retraining required when there is a change in job assignment, machines, equipment, or processes or in the energy control procedures. Retraining is also required when annual program audits reveal deficiencies. New employees should contact EH&S to schedule initial training. Training will be provided by the Assistant Electrical Forman, Frank Martins.
Duration: authorized users: 4 hours; associated users: 2 hours
Radiation Training (RT) (NRC 10 CFR 20)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires that all personnel or students who work with or around radiation or radioactive materials receive radiation safety training. Discussion topics must include the concepts of ionizing radiation, units of radioactivity and radiation, the biological effects of radiation, maximum permissible exposures for workers and the general public, measurement and control of radiation, radiation survey and detection techniques, radiological-emergency responses, radioactive-waste disposal, safe radioactive-material handling techniques, and delegation and authority for regulatory compliance. A written test is included. Initial refresher training will be provided in September, October, and February.
Duration: 2 hours for initial, 1 hour for refresher
Respiratory Program (RP) (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134)
In certain situations, employees may need to wear respiratory protection in order to safely perform their jobs. No employee may wear an air-purifying respirator prior to enrollment in the program. The program includes training, selection, and fit testing of an appropriate respirator, as well as an annual qualifying medical exam. Departments that believe that employee jobs involve a special hazard that cannot be controlled through engineering can contact EH&S. Annual training, medical exam,s and fit testing required. Bring your respirator to each session.
Duration: 2 hours
Spill Prevention Training (SP)
University personnel with responsibilities for compliance with the requirements of this Plan will participate in periodic training that teaches employees to perform their duties in a way to prevent the discharge of harmful quantities of oil or hazardous substances. This training will include familiarization with this Plan, emergency response procedures, equipment, systems, and material safety data sheets (MSDS) for the products stored onsite. New personnel will be instructed as appropriate within a reasonable time after entering the site. Contractors and other transient personnel will be advised of applicable spill prevention measures upon entering the site, as appropriate.
Duration: 1 hour
Waste Management — Arts (EPA 40CFR262-265)
Gail Hall
This course will cover Boston College's policies and procedures regarding hazardous waste management for the Arts. Required for all teaching staff whose classes and studios generate hazardous wastes. The course will cover management of hazardous waste in the studios and will discuss waste minimization and pollution prevention opportunities. Annual training required, scheduled at the start of each semester. Next training is scheduled for January 2004.
Waste Management — Facilities EPA 40CFR262-265; DOT 49CFR
This course will cover the procedures associated with the safe management of hazardous waste that is generated in facilities operations on campus, and the requirements for signing hazardous waste manifests. Initial training will be scheduled as needed. Annual refresher training required. Next training is scheduled for March 2004.
Duration: 1 hour
Waste Management — Laboratories (EPA 40CFR262.40)
Hazardous waste management in Boston College's laboratories is covered under the Environment Management Plan (EMP). The EMP covers policies applicable to all employees and students who work in laboratories where hazardous waste is generated. The training includes discussion of specific laboratory waste disposal methods; pollution prevention strategies; BC's environmental goals; and each person's responsibilities in the generation, management, and minimization of laboratory wastes. Initial training is provided to all new graduate students, faculty, and staff in September and January. Refresher training is conducted as needed.
Duration: 1 hour


text: It's been a rough road recently, both for guard Epiphanny Prince and the Chicago Sky, as Prince's broken foot forces her to sit on the sidelines while her team struggles. As she prepares to return, however, Prince gives RedEye an exclusive look at her journey back to health. She wrote this dispatch last week, before Team USA's first game in the Olympics.


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SAUSALITO, Calif. --A sea lion discovered with a gunshot wound to the face on a Sausalito beach has found a home at the San Francisco Zoo.
A spokesman for the Marine Mammal Center, where the animal named Silent Knight is currently being held and treated, says the transfer is expected to occur sometime next month.
The Marin Independent Journal reports that zoo officials are rebuilding a sea lion pool that is currently empty to accommodate Silent Knight and another sea lion, Henry.
Silent Knight -- a 7-foot-long, 350-pound male -- was found with about six metal buckshot pellets in its head on Swede's Beach on Dec. 8. The shooting left it blind and unable to return to the wild.
Henry is also blind although it's not clear how it was blinded.


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Popular Now
Popular Now
Popular Now
Popular Now
01803 865913
+44 1803 865913
Series: Fauna of New Zealand Volume: 68
By: Douglas A Craig(Author), Ruth EG Craig(Author), Trevor K Crosby(Author)
336 pages, colour photos, b/w illustrations
Language: English with bilingual summary in English and Maori
Known in New Zealand as 'sandflies' or 'te namu' and elsewhere in the world mainly as 'black flies', Simuliidae are iconic New Zealand insects. Virtually every New Zealander has been bitten by female simuliids, as have many overseas tourists. Worldwide, simuliids are notorious for their disease transmission, in particular river blindness in Africa and South America. New Zealand simuliids are not known to transmit any diseases to humans, but many people react badly to bites of species to which they have no previous exposure.
Simuliids of New Zealand belong to the genus Austrosimulium known only from New Zealand, Tasmania, and mainland Australia. Simuliid larvae require running water and in New Zealand are more or less ubiquitous, occurring in almost all running water habitats. There are 19 species of Austrosimulium in New Zealand, but only three species found here are serious biters of humans and it is only the females that bite; they bite to get the nutrients to produce eggs. In this Fauna keys are provided for larvae, pupae, adults, and ecological habitats. All known stages are described and illustrated for each species, together with information on their bionomics and biogeography. There are 72 full page colour plates and a total of 540 figures. Molecular analysis indicated that New Zealand Austrosimulium arrived by dispersal about 5 million years ago.
Elsewhere in the world simuliids in the genus Austrosimulium may be considered to feed on birds or mammals, depending on the presence or absence of a tooth on the tarsal claw. New Zealand simuliids are opportunistic and females will generally take blood meals from whatever is available, though there is one species that attacks Fiordland crested penguins while studiously avoiding humans.
What did New Zealand simuliids feed on before humans arrived? Of little doubt it would be on the vast number of birds, now greatly depleted, and probably also the large numbers of seals present then. Indeed, searching along beaches for a blood meal from either birds or seals still appears inherent behaviour of New Zealand adult female simuliids — and probably the reason for their name 'sandflies'.
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Survivor: Redemption Island player David Murphy started the game in one of this season's strongest alliances — the alliance of six on the Zapatera tribe. But David's strongest asset quickly became his biggest weak spot when his alliance opted to vote out veteran Russell Hantz and refused to play a strategic game. "I think there was just a different mentality between the other five and myself," the 31-year-old Los Angeles lawyer tells TVGuide.com. "The approach they had to the game was not the same approach that I had." David also talked about why he thinks he would have been a better fit to play with Russell, what his biggest mistake was at the duel and his biggest boiling point in the game.
Watch full episodes of Survivor: Redemption Island
Did your close alliance with Mike Chiesel affect your mindset going into the duel?
David Murphy: That really had no impact on my performance in the duel. At the end of the day, I over-thought the whole thing. I was building something that would withstand a wind storm, not something that would just stand for 30 seconds. That was my downfall.
Survivor's Sarita: David is "such a loose cannon"
Obviously it was a big surprise to people that redemption island came back after Matt was brought back into the game for the merge. Were you happy that they brought back that element of the game?
David: I absolutely thought it was a good thing in the sense that after the merge, based on the numerical breakdown, we had such little control over anything. We really couldn't do much to break through the Ometepe alliance and we couldn't sway anyone to break away from Ometepe and form a totally new alliance. There was no flexibility. So going to redemption island was the only way possible to advance in the game.
Why were you so sure you were going home at your final Tribal Council?
David: Having made it to the end of the two previous immunity challenges, Rob knows enough about this game to realize that anyone can get on a hot streak and that if you start winning immunity challenges, you can't really be voted out, so you have to seize the opportunity when you can to get rid of somebody who you consider a threat. It was pretty clear from the episode that Rob saw that and he ordered his troops to act accordingly.
Survivor's Krista: "I don't regret going with Russell"
Rob has played a major role in his tribe's success, but has also controlled his tribe a lot. Do you ever regret voting out your tribe's returning player —Russell — so early in the game?
David: I was on the fence about it the entire time. I was reluctant to do anything, but I understood that I didn't really have a choice in the matter. When the alliance of six wanted to do it, if I had gone against that, it would have put me in a very bad position. I was not totally in favor of throwing the challenge and I was not opposed to having Russell stay around. He brought an element of chaos to the tribe which was aggravating from the outside, but there was another side to it that was potentially very positive because it would have taken the focus off of me and would have allowed me to play a much different game.
I didn't think there was any possibility of pulling any of the others from the alliance of six with me to go with them so there was no way I could have done it and known that it wouldn't have come back to haunt me. Had I tried to get someone to come along with me and work with Russell, I don't think it would have done my any favors. I think it actually would have backfired and I would have been on the chopping block even sooner.
Your alliance of six was strong from the beginning so why did you want to play with Russell, whose alliance was smaller?
David: I think it would have been a better fit for me, definitely.
How so?
David: I think I wouldn't have been the outspoken one that kind of stuck out from the crowd. I wouldn't have been the only person trying to play the strategic angle to the game. I wouldn't have been stuck in a group of people who wanted to sit around and be best friends rather than put themselves further in this game.
The biggest conflict within your alliance seemed to be between you and Sarita. Was that dramatized for the cameras or did you two really not see eye-to-eye?
David: The conflict was definitely there and that's when I reached my boiling point because I had no strong ties left to the alliance, and I had no choice but to remain a part of it or go home. I was definitely looking for a move to make and the move that I tried to make, in terms of getting rid of Sarita to keep Stephanie, would have been good for the tribe. I think it may have resulted in a better outcome for the challenge that we lost at the obstacle course, but hindsight is 20/20. The next week they decided to listen to me a little bit more and get rid of Sarita, but it was a little too late at that point.


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Serotta fitting system
A light bike doesn't replace good fitness.
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I'm looking to get a pro bike fit done and the city I just moved to has a shop that uses the Serotta fitting system for $150. I've checked out other local shops and none seem to have any "system fittings", which is not necessarily a bad thing as I understand. There might be a specialized BG fit if I drive a little and surely no Retul. What can you tell me about Serotta's method? The fitter is important from what I've read as well. I will definitely have a chat with him about his philosophy and what I'm looking for etc.
The one Serotta fitter in my area puts everyone in the "sit up and beg" position. Flipped up, short stems; freakishly long headtubes on the custom Serottas.... awful. I had a fit done a few years ago and my bike's handling was immediately squirrely and unstable. Within days I put it back to the position that the original shop put me in. Why I felt the need to change, no idea. It certainly cost me $150 though to learn that lesson.
Age and treachery shall overcome youth and skill
Courir c'est mourir un peu
Courir c'est mourir un peu
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:01 am
i have a problem with fit systems unless many human variables are taken into acount such as flexabillty time of year riders goals previous injuries and ailments so much more than just plugging in numbers.
The fitter is more important than the system however, the Serotta fit philosophy has garnered the reputation of putting riders in a fairly upright position. My advice is to look at other options, even other cities as location is not important when being fitted. Doesn't hurt to drive a bit. And of course you can sit down with the Serotta fitter and discuss your expectations and riding preferences and take stock of his response. You need to feel very comfortable with the fitter.
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- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:40 am
I think I'm going to wait until I go home for the holidays and have go to a fitter there. They have 3 levels of fits, basic, intermediate and retul. The intermediate fit is a $200, 3d fit, done by the two guys who are allowed to do the retul one. I'm thinking it's the best choice of the 3 value wise.
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My piece on the 100,000 Human Genome Project, and how it could transform the NHS, is in the new issue of Healthcare Manager — out today.
"The 100,000 Genome Project will put England in the vanguard of one of the most significant revolutions in medical history. But will the NHS be ready?"


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About Jay Batlle
Through his poignant and witty paintings, drawings, sculptures, and performances, Jay Batlle explores "the good life"—success, fortune, and an abundance of sensual pleasures—and the gulf that exists between this idealized life and the reality of our own. As he explains: "Even if it's idealistic, or romantic, my work needs a pathos … an urgency, a problem." For Batlle, this source is humanity's futile aspirations to a life that we ultimately cannot attain, which he expresses in his work through recurrent images of women, elegant soirees, luxury brands, booze, food, and money. In his ongoing "Large Drawings" series, for example, he enlarges pieces of stationery from luxury hotels and restaurants and fills them with humorous, doodle-like images of limply sexualized cocktail glasses, thoroughbred dogs, bubble baths, and naked women.
American, b. 1976, Syracuse, New York, based in Brooklyn, New York


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This MUELLER GLOBAL 1/2 in. x 6 in. Black Steel Nipple has male threads that meet the ANSI B1.20.1 standard. It is for use in an oil or gas application to repair pipe or make an extension.
California residents: see Proposition 65 information
- Made of black steel
- Use in an oil or gas application
- Use to repair pipe or make an extension from a fitting or current pipe
- Male threaded connection
- Maximum working pressure of 700 psi
- Threads comply with ansi b1.20.1
- Note: Product may vary by store.


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When your girlfriend is knee deep in housework and you ambush her while she's putting clothes away, get her all folded up in the corner of the closet like a cheap lawn chair & bang the daylights out of her. After, you pull one of her shirts off the hanger to wipe up with.
Stacie was super busy putting clothes away, when Eric totally snuck up on her & gave her a heavy dose of the ol' closet crunch.
by ms super funnier than eric November 15, 2011
buy the domain for your foodie site


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August 1, 2017
Carpeted floors can bring a great deal to the table; they are comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and practical in many situations. However, you will need to maintain them properly to extend their working lives, which means regular maintenance. It can be stressful when you see that cup drop or liquid start to spill on your beautiful new carpets. Thankfully, there are some simple tips for maintaining your carpets and even for the toughest stains out of your carpet.
Clean Up Messes Quickly
One of the most important things you should know about maintaining your carpeted floor is that it is essential to clean up your messes as soon as you can. A deep stain from a spilled glass of red wine can be tough to remove, but you will have an easier time if you get to the soil quickly. Even if a spill seems relatively minor, leaving it alone gives it a chance to seep into your flooring and create a bigger problem.
Use Area Rugs Strategically
If you want to give your carpeted floors a break in high traffic areas, try using area rugs to break up the burden. An area rug by your doorway can be especially helpful, as it will capture much of the dirt and debris that you track in from outside. The right area rug can enhance your interior design scheme as well as take some of the pressure off of your carpeted floors./p>
Never Scrub the Carpet
The typical response to a carpet stain is to scrub, scrub, scrub until the stain comes out. Never scrub your carpet! This action can actually damage or ruin the carpet fibers. You may even spread the spill to the carpet pad or other areas of the carpet by scrubbing. Instead, after a spill occurs, grab a clean cloth and blot the spill clean. Start from the outside of the spill and work your way in toward the center. Rinse the area with water, and blot the same way again.
Grab Vinegar for Water-Soluble Stains
In case you have a spill that comes from a water-soluble liquid—soda, ice cream, mud, or ink—you should be able to clean the area easily. The cleaning solution can be a mixture of 32 ounces of water with ¼ teaspoon of a mild, non-bleaching detergent. If you do not have the right kind of detergent, then white vinegar is a great substitute. Perform the same blotting motion until the stain comes out.
Grab Ammonia for Stubborn Water-Soluble Stains
There are some liquid stains that may not come out with a simple vinegar solution. For these special water-soluble stains, such as blood, coffee, and wine, you will want to use a small amount of ammonia. Mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of ammonia, and blot the stain out. For other special stains, like oil or wax, use a paper towel and iron. With the iron on the warm setting, place it over the paper towel and over the stain. The oil or wax should melt with the heat and end up sticking on the paper towel.
Article provided courtesy of Long Realty Home Advantage Partner, Broadway Carpet.
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Hey everyone,
I have a question about dips - I have an elbow issue that will only allow me to do shallow dips. I can't quite make it to 90 degrees - am I wasting my time with this exercise, or will doing shallow dips still hep put on mass? Currently, I'm wearing a weight belt with 1 25lb plate when I dip.
Question about dips
Share your training programs, favorite exercises, training secrets and tips with the rest of the group. Discuss contest preparation, off-season diets, carb depleting and loading, posing, and training programs.
Moderators: Mini Forklift Ⓥ, C.O., Richard, robert, SyrLinus
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Finch
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- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:52 pm
Re: Question about dips
Contrary to popular belief, a full range of motion is not entirely necessary, Partial reps and static holds can and have been extreme productive for many (including myself), as they allow for MAXIMAL muscular contractions, while at the same time, saving your joints and connective tissues as your not moving through positions of disadvantaged leverage.
Re: Question about dips
I'll second HIT Rob's comment, professional body builders use tons of different variations on exercises to see gains, no reason that shouldnt work for you! think about 21's (barbell curl) where you do 7 half way down, 7 half way up, and 7 full range. This one exercise has a legacy of efficiency and that's a prime example of "partial reps" being good exercises.
- Finch
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- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:52 pm
Re: Question about dips
Perfect guys - thanks for the response!
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Find more Moraver relatives and grow your tree by exploring billions of historical records. Taken every decade since 1790, the U.S. Federal Census can tell you a lot about your family. For example, from 1930 to 1940 there were 2 more people named Moraver in the United States — and some of them are likely related to you.
What if you had a window into the history of your family? With historical records, you do. From home life to career, records help bring your relatives' experiences into focus. There were 9 people named Moraver in the 1930 U.S. Census. In 1940, there were 22% more people named Moraver in the United States. What was life like for them?
In 1940, 11 people named Moraver were living in the United States. In a snapshot:
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Tumbling Classes as Low as $10!
Learn the skills necessary to excel in your local cheerleading program.
Learn the skills necessary to excel in your local cheerleading program.
Call today to sign up! (631) 744-5455, or check out our class schedule to find the right one for you.
Our mission at Legacy Gymnastics is to create an atmosphere whereby each child can feel secure and comfortable during class. We strive to create a quality learning experience that is fun, supportive and safe. We feel that every child is special and we go all-out in making them feel good about themselves and their accomplishments, by offering positive encouragement, respect and care. As parents, your confidence in our ability is of utmost importance. At any time, please feel free to ask either myself, or any one of our friendly and knowledgeable instructors, if you have any questions or concerns about any of our class instruction. We sincerely hope that your child enjoys their time here at Legacy Gymnastics.