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Dear Michelle,
I have a 14 and a 13 year-old daughter. They are as different as could be, which probably contributes to their mostly getting along very well but my younger daughter decided to be proactive this year and has been knitting, making soap, candles and generally preparing up a storm of gifts this year.
In contrast, my 14 year-old daughter has done nothing that I am aware of but has already received several gifts from school friends.
What do you suggest that I do for my eldest daughter? Should I encourage her to give presents to those who have given her gifts? Have her write nice thank-yous? Both? If these things had been given to my younger daughter, she would be on top of it but my elder daughter is only to happy to be on the receiving end.
Great question! In fact I mulled it over in my own mind quite a bit before answering and even dragged Andrew into the process (he was drifting off to sleep when I poked him and tried to nudge a response from him--not the best timing on my part--poor guy, I do that to him a lot).
I guess I'd say that firstly I don't think it's always necessary to give a lot of gifts. It seems that retailers have done their best to convince us that we must not only give many expensive gifts to each of our family members all the way out on the family tree to great-great uncle Bob, then there are our children's teachers, the garbage men, the postal carriers and everyone at the office.
However to be able to find someone you love the perfect gift that not only did they not know they wanted but that fits them perfectly in every way is a wonderful feeling. Or to be able to share what you have with others, particularly those in need, is something every child should experience regularly.
I sat down with the kids several years ago and helped them make out a list of anyone they'd like to give presents to. Then I helped them brainstorm ideas for gifts and since their funds were small I donated $5 or $10 to their supply chest but they had so much fun it soon became a tradition and their favorite part of Christmas (at least with the older kids, we're still working with Lillian).
So my first suggestion would be to start early in establishing those habits and expectations but what about older children?
Would you force an older child to buy gifts? Would you shame them? Would you let them do whatever they felt best, hoping maybe they'd feel stupid about not having a gift in return when someone gives them one? And in our family we don't have allowances so how do you handle the issue of kids needing money for gifts? Do your feelings about your teens giving habits change if they have a bit of spending money?
I'm very curious to hear your suggestions, not having nearly enough answers myself. How do YOU teach children that it's more blessed to give than to receive?
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Technorati tags: parenting, motherhood, parenting
Friday, December 19, 2008
How Do You Teach Children the Spirit of Giving?
Dear Michelle,
Email this post Labels: parenting
16 comments:
- Kim said...
My first instinct would be to have my daughter write a thank you note. I'd feel uncomfortable with my daughter reacting to a gift by going out and getting a gift—seems insincere maybe or taking the easy way out—so I would have her "gift" her time.
Invite the friend over for an afternoon or take her to a movie—make a gesture of friendship that shows she enjoys spending time with that person.
- Patois said...
I'm one of the allowance-giving type. A rather large percentage of their allowance goes to their savings "envelopes." That's what they use to buy gifts for siblings and parents and for friends at Christmas. (They're all still young enough that I feel obliged to buy the birthday party gifts. Otherwise, they'd have nothing in their savings.) The 12-year-old has two close friends he's buying for. The 10-year-old also has two. I don't know how we'll handle it as they get older and branch out.
- Anonymous said...
It's difficult to impart spirit of giving generously and by choice without being manipulative. My favorite thing growing up was we would "pixie" a family/person every year with anonymous gifts and doorbell ditch it at their house so they never knew who it was. We never knew how they liked the gift but the excitement of doing something secretive and giving was always my favorite but my older brothers as far as I know weren't fans. So I guess the only thing to do is teach the kids how you feel and let them choose for themselves.
- Stephanie said...
I don't know. At 14 I think I'd be hesitant to try to make them do anything, but would very much encourage a thank you note or maybe some homemade cookies or something small like that. I'd be hesitant to encourage her to buy something just b/c someone else bought for her. I agree with Kim that it seems insincere.
- Jenna Consolo said...
Definitely thank you cards. Always a thank you card. She may not be a giver, but she should learn to be gracious and thankful.
- a Tonggu Momma said...
I've always thought that the best way to get teens thinking about others is to volunteer as a family in support of a cause. Once they focus on the impoverished, the lonely, the sick... well, then it's a lot easier to help them remember those who are a part of their daily lives.
Otherwise, I agree with Jenna Consolo. Completely.
- Inkling said...
My parents modeled generosity for us kids really well, and also put us in the company of older folks who knew how to invest their time and talents in us. (I remember this 80 year old couple who taught us how to make beaded ornaments and baskets. We would spend hours at their home working with beads, safety pins, and wires. We loved it, and we loved them.) Somehow, watching all of that made the three of us kids become givers in our own right. It didn't happen overnight, but as time went on all three of us continue to grow in that area - first when we were kids, and now as adults.
The other thing my parents were good about teaching us in this whole giving realm was to listen to our hearts and that still, small voice that prompts us to give to someone in particular. They didn't have us give to specific folks every year outside of family and teachers, but instead encouraged us to give how we felt led. Sometimes that meant a kid with few toys, an older person who lived alone, or someone who just looked really cold or lonely in the coffee shop.
What's cool about all of that is that it was us kids who decided to change the whole drawing names practice with our cousins. The oldest of us was just 16 when we started the new habit, but all the cousins would pool the money we would have spent on each other ($15 each), and go buy a bunch of baby and new mom stuff for a pregnancy resource center in our grandparents' town. The adults did get involved with the project by helping us find good sales and giving us money of their own sometimes, but they weren't ever the ones who spearheaded it or led it in any way. That's probably the coolest memory I have from Christmases as a teenager with my extended family. And really, I have my parents and grandparents to thank for instilling that in me without doing it in a forceful or "preachy" way.
- Amanda P. said...
Something we do (that's free) is have the kids choose a few toys they don't play with anymore on Christmas Eve and leave them by the fireplace for Santa. Santa takes them back to his shop to fix them up and give them to other children who would like to play with them.
As far as older kids, I would probably encourage her to think of something she can do in return. Even if it's not a gift.
Maybe she can do their homework for them (No! I'm kidding!)
- Marie N. said...
I think a thank you note is a must when a gift is received. My children grumble about writing them, but they love getting them in the mail when they are being thanked. That reminder helps.
My daughter has one friend she trades birthday gifts and Christmas gifts with since that friend moved to another state. She earns $ with extra chores and I help her shop within her budget. I donate postage though.
About a month before each birthday and before Christmas I have the children go through their toys and games. They need to pull out the things they are too big for or don't like any more. Then we decide together what is in good shape to donate to Good Will and what is best destined for the trash.
- Anonymous said...
Looking at myself through a magnifying glass and to ask him, I guess I used the guilt trip :)
What I TRY to do is to always lead him to the water and let him come to his own conclusion. "Wow. That was really nice of Adrian to give you a gift. Didn't you want to give him one?" After doing that a couple times, he pretty much came to the right decision on his own. If, in fact, he really didn't want to give them a gift (and hey, it does happen, even as adults), he calls and says thanks. He says thank you cards are too girly so I do give him that leeway.
He has learned to differentiate between the "reciprocal" gift and the gift given freely and he doesn't want anyone to think that his gift to them is obligatory. That has taught him to get his act and list together early!
- ~TAMY 3 Sides of Crazy~ said...
This is a timeless question. I would ask that they write thank you notes for sure, that is just polite, but I would not insist they buy or make return gifts except for their very closest of friend(S).
We went through something a bit similar with our son and we started encouraging him to spend more time working with organizations at this time of the year that dealt primarily with needy children. It gave him a new perspective.
Before we moved here, I chaired an Angel tree program for FISH for many years and after he spent some time working with other kids like himself (they would help me for community service hours at school) helping kids that had so little he became a more generous and giving kid on his own.
- Cathi said...
I think one of the things that teach the spirit of giving is for our youth to participate in service projects.
- Daisy said...
That is a toughie. My daughter is a very generous and thoughtful gift-giver. My son is growing into that; he enjoys going shopping and thinking about the right gifts for the right people. He insists on bell-ringing for the Salvation Army each year, too. Teaching it? That's a really hard trait to instill in one who doesn't have it.
- Twinsmom said...
Definitely the thank-you notes. A from-the-heart thank-you can be a gift all its own. I'm not how you would start encouraging an older child to give gifts "on her own." I started with my kids when they were old enough to do basic crafts, the Christmas before they turned 3 a few weeks later I believe, and had them roll beeswax sheets into candles. From there we progressed to shopping at the Dollar Store, and now at 13, they have both saved their allowance to buy for family and friends on their own.
- MoziEsmé said...
Definitely a tough one! I struggle with the giving thing too - I hate the idea of creating clutter in someone's life, and it's so hard to find the right gifts for people who have everything that I hate even trying!
I'd say thank you notes should definitely be encouraged. But I don't like the idea of reciprocal giving.
How about just a challenge to consciously do one nice thing to someone every day for a month - it could be a gift or anything else? Help her brainstorm ideas and assist as she desires.
- Mimi said...
I remember the first time I bought my family Christmas gifts. I had saved my allowance and used some money from my October birthday and went to the local drug store to make my selections. It was VERY exciting. Since my whole family knew I had used my OWN MONEY to buy gifts they made a big deal out of the silly little things I got them. When my grandfather died I found the santa-face mug I had bought him that he had saved all those years and broke down and cried.


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Both the Oceanside and Island Park school districts were among a fraction of the total school districts in the state that submitted their teacher evaluation plans on time. And while Island Park's plan was sent back for minor changes, Oceanside's was accepted by the state.
Of the 700 school districts in New York State, only 300 or so actually submitted teacher evaluation plans. About half of the plans submitted were accepted by the state.
"I'm very pleased," said Oceanside Superintendent Dr. Herb Brown. "We worked hard with the teacher's union and the principal's union, because this is not just for teachers. It's an evaluation of principals, too."
The teacher evaluations, also know as the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) were mandated by New York as part of its new curriculum program, the Core Curriculum Standards (CCS). The new education mandates were implemented to make New York be in compliance with President Obama's Race to the Top initiative, which awarded states with millions of dollars in grants for implementing education reforms.
Both Oceanside and Island Park submitted their APPR plans by July 1, which the state said was the deadline. The plans have to be given final approval by the state by Jan. 17, 2013. But the state never outlined penalties for districts that didn't submit their plans on time, just penalties if the plans were not approved by Jan. 17.
According to Dr. Brown, Oceanside was contacted by the state after its plan was submitted and told to make a few minor changes. "It was more for changing the language," Brown said. "The heart of it was fine. So it was easy for us. Other people might have other issues where it's more substantial and they have to go back to their union and renegotiate something."
Under Oceanside's APPR, teachers are graded on a 100-point scale. New York State gives the district a score out of 25 points for each teacher based on their students' performance on standardized tests. The district bases 60 points on classroom observation and the final 15 points is based on a collaborative effort by teachers.
Island Park, which also has a 100-point scale, has a similar plan to Oceanside. Fifty points are based on teacher observations and 10 come from a teacher's self-reflection. The district derives 20 points from local assessments based on the
NWEA test it administers. The rest of the points come from state standardized tests.
Though Island Park was one of the few districts to submit the plan on time, it's initial proposition was rejected by the state.
"We got a call back [two weeks ago] that there were a couple of things that needed to be modified," said Dr. Rosmarie Bovino, Island Park superintendent. "Some of our scales needed to be adjusted. So that's what we're working on."
Bovino needed to meet with the teacher's union to have it approve the changes to the plan, which were minimal. Bovine expected the plan to be approved by everyone in Island Park and resubmitted to New York State late last week.
With Island Park on the road to having it's plan approved, both districts are in good shape for when the plans need to be implemented.
"It could take [the state] six weeks to approve it," Brown said. "And if they make you change it, that could take more time. So if you're going to get it in Christmas time, you might be cutting it too close to get it approved in time. Whether or not [the state] really take away state aid [as a penalty for not having an approved plan], we'll wait and see."

subset: commoncrawl


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DEFIANCE, Ohio – On a day with multiple career-highs by individual Yellow Jackets, Defiance came up short as a team and fell to Rose-Hulman by a 33-20 score. The contest was the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both squads.
Neither side put much together in the opening quarter but the Fightin' Engineers scored a pair of touchdowns in the second period and turned away Defiance on multiple extended drives to take a 12-0 lead into the intermission.
Rose-Hulman then opened the second half with a pair of quick scores to extend the lead to 26-0. A three-yard touchdown run from Kyle Kovach capped an 11-play drive from the visitors to open the third quarter, before John Burt intercepted a DC pass and returned it 20 yards for another R-H score 59 seconds later.
The Engineers capped their scoring later in the quarter, ending a five-play drive with a 29-yard touchdown scamper from Aaron Abbott that put the Jackets in a 33-0 hole with 17:35 to play in the contest.
Defiance battled back with a trio of fourth-quarter touchdowns to narrow the final margin to 33-20, as Aaron Smith ran for a pair of touchdowns and Jon Carrabino hauled in an 80-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Teague.
Carrabino ended the afternoon with six receptions and set career-highs with 167 receiving yards and the 80-yard reception, while Smith found the end zone twice in a single game for the first time in his young career.
Trevon Burrell also notched career-highs with 15 carries for 77 yards on the ground and Teague turned in his best collegiate showing with 16 completions for 248 yards through the air.
On the defensive side of the ball, D.J. Brigham had his finest outing in a DC uniform with 12 tackles and 1.5 hits for lost yardage. Gregg Pickett joined Brigham in the trenches and picked up 11 stops, while Hunter Robertson ended with nine tackles, two passes defended and one quarterback hurry from his linebacker position.
Punter Aaron Smith continued his strong 2012 campaign with his fourth boot of at least 50 yards in the first three contests. Spence ended with a 43.0 average over five punts in the losing effort.
Defiance (0-3, 0-1 HCAC) will play at home once again on September 22, when it looks to extend a seven game win streak against Anderson (0-3, 0-1 HCAC). Kick-off is slated for 1:30 pm as part of DC's 2012 Homecoming Weekend.


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The Bisons kicked off their spring season Saturday night at Richland Country Club, sweeping Alabama A&M for a 7-0 victory.
Veteran doubles partners, junior Mario Hernandez and senior Daniel Hangstefer, started off the night with a win at number one doubles, beating their opponents 8-4.
Senior Josh Cummings and sophomore Chad Pierron teamed up to take the number two doubles win, easily breezing through their match 8-0, giving the Bisons the doubles point.
With the doubles point in the bag, the Bisons set out to make a statement with their singles play.
Hangstefer added a well-earned win to the Bisons already 1-0 lead, defeating A&M's Desta Sandy 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 in a grueling three setter at the number one singles spot.
Rolling past number two singles, Nicholas Burger 6-2, 6-0, Hernandez built up the lead to 3-0.
With a 6-2, 6-0 defeat over Stevon Walker of A&M, junior James Murrell won the Bisons' fourth point at number four singles, clinching the team's victory.
However, the Bisons did not stop at a 4-0 win. Switching to a shortened eight game pro-set format, the Bisons added three more wins to their total.
Pierron quickly crushed opponent Johnnie Singleton at the number five spot 8-0.
Cummings followed up Pierron's win, easily shut down Bertaud Ngomsi 8-0 at number five.
Topping off the Bisons' streak of shut outs, Freshman Tanner Brown rolled over Anthony Pickard at six singles 8-0, giving the Bisons a 7-0 victory to start off their spring season.
"It was definitely a good win," says coach Andrew Harris. "It is always good to get the first win of the year, and to watch and evaluate the new players.
"Next week we play UTC and Tennessee Tech so the level of play will enhance."
The Bisons will travel to Chattanooga on Friday, Jan. 29, to face UT Chattanooga before returning to their home indoor facility at Richland Country Club to play Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Jan. 30.
- Hernandez/Hangstefer (LU) def. Sandy/Burger (A&M) 8-4
- Pierron/Cummings (LU) def. Walker/Singleton (A&M) 8-0
- Default
- Hangstefer (LU) def. Sandy (A&M) 2-6, 6-0, 6-4
- Hernandez (LU) def. Burger (A&M) 6-2, 6-0
- Murrell (LU) def. Walker (A&M) 6-2, 6-0
- Pierron (LU) def. Singleton (A&M) 8-0
- Cummings (LU) def. Ngomsi (A&M) 8-0
- Brown (LU) def. Pickard (A&M) 8-0


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Wabash opened its season Saturday with a convincing 69-0 win over Hanover. The 69 points was the most in eight years.
Freshman Delon Pettiford shone in his college debut and Sophomore Michael Putko excelled in his first start as a college quarterback. Putko completed an efficient 12-of-15 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a third touchdown running.
Pettiford, an Indianapolis Lawrence Central graduate, scored touchdowns on a blocked punt and interception return. Pettiford's interception was one of six for the Little Giant defense. The defense compiled an impressive 15 tackles for loss and five sacks.
"His last high school game was winning the state championship, and first college game he scored two touchdowns on defense and special teams so he got off to a pretty good start I guess," Coach Erik Raeburn said, a little tongue-in-cheek perhaps.
Pettiford scored the first touchdown of the Little Giant season recovering a blocked punt in the end zone after Hanover's first series. Pettiford also ended the Panthers' first series of the second half intercepting an Adam Gutermuth pass and returned it 32 yards for the touchdown.
Pettiford explained in the Wabash cover two defense the play was designed to bait Hanover into throwing the ball into the flats giving defensive back a chance to jump the route.
Putko orchestrated five scoring drives on his first seven series, leading the offense to 31 of Wabash's 38 first half points.
"When we're getting the ball inside the 30 every time, there's not much to it," Putko said. "Just execute and the rest will take of itself."
Putko earned his first touchdown on a bubble throw to Houston Hodges, who knifed his way into the end zone from seven yards out.
On the first play of the second quarter, Putko made perhaps his best throw of the day threading the ball into tight coverage for a 26-yard score to Sean Hildebrand, 21-0. Hildebrand caught four passes for 66 yards.
Wabash then turned to its ground game. Tyler Holmes carried the ball eight times in the second quarter for 96 yards and two touchdowns, including one 71-yard run that came up just short of the goal line. He finished the day with 146 yards on 19 carries.
Ian McDougall converted a 31-yard field goal late in the quarter to give the Little Giants a half-time lead of 38-0. McDougall converted two field goals and made all nine extra point attempts.
As Putko noted, the Little Giant defense and special teams made life easy. The Panthers crossed midfield just once in the first half, and it was only to the Wabash 49.
"We feel like our defense can have a really strong year," Raeburn said. "We have a lot of talent and experience on that side of the football. We were happy to see it pick up where it left off last year."
Nate Scola set the pace for the defense with six tackles including two sacks and two more for loss. AJ Akinribade posted similar results; he had five tackles, two sacks, and two-and-a-half for loss.
Pettiford, Eddie Cmehil, Jack Montgomery, Andrew Gibson, Denzel Wilkins, and Peter Fouts each snagged interceptions. The group added up 103 return yards — 58 more than the offensive output for Hanover. Raeburn felt the pass rush was just as responsible for forcing the interception as was the coverage.
"No matter how good the quarterback is, he's going to struggle if he has pressure," he said.
Wabash starters only committed one penalty in the first half — a vast improvement compared to last year's opener at Hanover when the team caused 15 thrown yellow flags.
"When you play the first game, that's a huge fear as a coach," Raeburn said. "We had some penalties and very few mental errors. Particularly considering it was the first game, I thought our guys were focused in."
The Little Giants host Denison Saturday Denison. Kickoff is schedule for 2 p.m.


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WSJ House of the Week: And the Winner Is…
A stone-clad facade and rustic finishes blend with high-tech in Pacific Palisades. A Pueblo Revival soaks in the surrounding New Mexico landscape. Stefanos Chen surveys the contenders for House of the Week, and unveils the winner. Photo: Unlimited Style Photography.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... oh ... I ... activist wants Peckham Wendy downs House of the week you know what it is that time it's Monday you voted you decided it was the winner acceptance Chen is here to walk us through ... the amazing contenders TRP they are really good this we address a topic I let's get let's get into the sun California ... yet we have this home that is built on a hill and its effects the release of the owners have climbed ... it's a home that overlooks out this way the entire Santa Monica Mountains and is the Valley view ... its nine four hundred square foot home with six bedrooms what can ... you listen to the history here for the home was aggressive and don't with the owner came in played down the hill is incomplete so he basically he made to his own image ... one really cool thing is to win a massage chair look like that they're all yet and I like him aside in a sign that ... he actually has a staircase in the grand foyer which leads up to a painting of of ... the divers because he tells me he client base camp ... I selling it to climb to get to the house to climb the staircase to get in on every year within the house and a price that has a retro theme just under four million bats ... are a West Village New York this is probably molester climbing up staircases flight six flights of stairs but it's not ... but that is thinking here is the isthe history dollars buildings that this was actually ... previously owned by Bill Barrett we might know as the merry maid Marian maker ... he's the puppet ear to let them to stop it in the sound of music ... in the typical quarter sequel ... ALM so the current owner has me this fourth or apartment really outgrown its twenty one to spread the love and a half foot ceilings ... the renovation really made ... the leg up into the says space to really make an exciting time of stores and I love Opals of stories like that I like to live here and they did their base they are selling point for such people like bragging rights right back to California Pacific Palisades ... we have a home here that was completed just this year the owner built that the UK was that the force family but setback for the market ... for a new home a with sixteen years it's been entirely decked out for educating its three outdoor areas ... there is an infinity edge pool which has a really cool illusion going on forever ... is a BBQ outside ... there are currently eighteen audio zones which means that there are eighteen different sounds this is both inside and outside the house ... to get typically have eighteen different parties going on this ... yet but the staff at the Abbey as Soundproofing Iskandar I was seven to summer seventy nine for that one and finely Santa Fe area ... we have a home here in the viewers were from Westport Connecticut ounce of the cannon during an in built this home ... in the midst of what he thought Santa Fe style is uncertain and eighty degree tablet that have built in nineteen ninety ... the home is about fifty one square feet it's triple revival style ... you would define Levit additional features a kid to be clay you have the ... the wooden beams and on the ceiling better known as beacons get ... and that they they filled it without actually a bunch of their cool perks like the French doors that can maximize the use of weed out the detail than I did a great job of the construction two point two five million with epic the latter ... I'm digging the Santa Fe that I think one of its two California once one fall deficit that tells you are warmly at the end of the owner if that is the winner this week is the ... the Tuscan style ... we discussed us inside the skin of his exit with the with the eighteen thousand rooms of


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Location and General Characteristics
The Cooper neighborhood is located in southeastern Minneapolis. It extends from 38 th Avenue South in the west to the Mississippi River in the east and northeast. From north to south, Cooper extends from the 27th street railroad tracks to 34 th Street East. The neighborhood's name is derived from an elementary school named after James Fenimore Cooper, an American novelist born in 1789. A mainly residential neighborhood, Cooper's most important commercial corridor is Lake Street. Parks cover the banks of the Mississippi River.
A new sculpture stands at the intersection of East Lake Street and West River Road. The sculpture, "Wish You Were Here," is the work of artists Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears.
Last updated Sep 27, 2011


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The No. 20 MIT men's tennis team, who is just coming off its 15th consecutive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) conference win, fell to Tufts University with a final score of 5-4 in its final match of the regular season at home on Wednesday afternoon. The Engineers dipped to 18-2 for the season, while the Jumbos are now 10-7.
Juniors Edwin Zhang (Falls Church, Va.) and Curtis Wu (Yorba Linda, Calif.) were defeated by Ben Barad and Rob Jacobson in a 3-0 tiebreaker, falling 9-8 at No. 1. Seniors Larry Pang (Torrance, Calif.) and Matthew Skalak (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.) fell 8-4 to Nick Telkedzhiev and Mark Westerfield at No. 2. At No. 3, sophomore Eugene Oh (Alparetta, Ga.) and freshman Kevin Wang (Havertown, Pa.) picked up MIT's one point in doubles when they defeated Jay Glickman and Austin Blau with a score of 8-4.
Trailing 2-1 going into singles, the Engineers had to do some damage in order to catch up. Zhang, who was named the NEWMAC Athlete of the Year over the weekend, fell to Barad at No. 1 in an exciting match. Zhang won the first set with a score of 7-5, lost a 3-0 tiebreaker in the second set, falling 7-6, and fell in the final set with a score of 6-4. Pang, the NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, won against Glickman with a score of 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 and Wang defeated Andrew Lutz at No. 3 with a score of 7-5, 6-0, giving the Engineers a 4-3 lead over the Jumbos.
Tufts, however, fought back in the final two singles matches, winning both to take the entire match. The Jumbos' Rob Jacobson won over Skalak at No. 5 with a score of 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 and senior Brian Oldfield (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) lost his first set to Brian Tan, 6-3, won the second one with a score of 6-1 and fell in the final set, 6-2.
The Cardinal and Gray will find out in a matter of days if they have made it to their eighth consecutive NCAA championships. The teams that will be invited to the 2013 NCAA Division III Tennis Tournament will be announced on Monday, May 6, while the list of individuals that will compete will be released on Wednesday, May 8.


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Liberian president's son resigns from oil company
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — The son of Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has resigned from his position as head of the state oil company, an appointment that had prompted allegations of nepotism from the president's critics.
Sirleaf accepted the resignation of her son, Robert Sirleaf, from his positions as chair of the National Oil Company of Liberia and as senior presidential adviser, according to a statement from the Executive Mansion Tuesday.
"With your departure, this government will lose one of its most valuable assets," the president wrote in a letter to her son that was included in the statement.
The resignation comes just days after Liberia's lawmakers suspended debate on new oil laws until after they return from break in January. Liberian non-governmental organizations had urged lawmakers not to pass the laws, complaining of the lack of public consultation.
The oil company has refused to make copies of the draft laws public. One law governs the oil company itself while the other governs production and exploration. The Senate passed the laws on Sept. 10, but the House of Representatives on Friday voted to suspend debate.
The attempt to rush the laws through the legislature was unacceptable, said Chloe Fussell, a campaigner at the environmental watchdog Global Witness.
"These bills are supposed to be open for public debate — for months, the drafters have been promising us consultation — and at the very least, the legislature should have more than a day or two to read them," she said.
The government appeared eager to pass the laws so that it could auction off new offshore blocks, Fussell said.
"But passing these laws without anyone seeing them could have resulted in an oil sector that is badly regulated," she added. "In a country marred by corruption, that would be a recipe for disaster — just look at Angola and Nigeria."
Critics of the president welcomed her son's resignation, saying his removal from the government posts was overdue.
"There is a need to critically examine what he's done," said Jefferson Koijee, youth wing leader for the opposition Congress for Democratic Change. He added that Robert Sirleaf's holding of two portfolios was "causing some embarrassment" for the government.
President Sirleaf has two other sons in top government positions. Fumba Sirleaf is director of the National Security Agency, and Charles Sirleaf is deputy governor of the Central Bank, though he was temporarily suspended last year for failing to declare his assets.
Sirleaf has repeatedly defended her sons' appointments, saying they are qualified public servants.
She appeared to address the criticism obliquely in her letter to her son Robert published Tuesday.
"Perhaps it will be many years before Liberians realize the scale of the profound debt our country owes to you, but I am certain that day will come," she said. "Today, the President and the Nation thank you for your patriotic service, and wish you well."
Corey-Boulet reported from Dakar, Senegal.


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No gimmicks, no games — your approach to love has served you pretty well throughout your life, if you say so yourself (just take a look at who you're going to be tying the knot with — score, right?). If being real has worked for you so far, why would you want to switch gears on the day you make everything official? It's always been "no tricks" for you, so maybe the notion of "no taffeta-covered, tulle-draped, wedding dress confections" applies here, too.
Trader Joe's
We Ranked 10 Trader Joe's Pre-Made Salads