Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Amish Togetherness: A Mainstay of Life

By Kelley Douglas


The beauty and serenity of the heavenly growing wild flowers, the windy, quaint little dirt roads and picturesque pastures filled with sweet smelling grass call out my name through tiny whispers in the gently blowing wind. In an instant, I am transported from a hectic anxiety filled world into another dimension. As I crest the hill, and look into the fields, the smell of fresh manure and hand cut grass welcomes me. The only noise is faint, from the trees swaying in the breeze, or the secret call of a far off bird. I am perplexed and somewhat puzzled, because only a few yards away is a large group of men dressed in plain dark blue pants and shirts, some with beards, some cleanly shaven but all wearing straw hats, and ask myself where is their nose? In an instant the urge to snap a photo overwhelms me, yet I dare not. I would not want to offend this group whose beliefs are rooted in their religion where the emphasis is love of family, love of community and a clear focus on their Christian way of life. Instead, my eyes scan around more taking in it’s own snapshots of the women, the men, the children, each working on different tasks but brought together as a large group through what appears to be teamwork. It is plain to see that working together as a community is a mainstay of the Amish life meshed together throughout their religious beliefs, dress, education, recreation, work, and community involvement.

No matter where I turn to look, the small schoolyard with only two swings, the simplistic homes with no electric wires, or the fragrant fields, I notice that there is always a large group together. Author Raymond Bial summed up my vision best in his book “Amish Home”, when he said, “It is better for a group to work together than for an individual to labor alone.” Everything action the Amish does seems to be based off of God’s words. They chose to stick together as a group exercising their rights to follow the Bible precisely. They choose to not allow pictures to be taken of themselves or mirrors because they believe it is prideful to draw attention to themselves, yet they feel that it is okay to take pictures of the land or items because worldly possessions do not matter to them.

As I take in the image of the women, men and children, and their attire, I ask myself are they from a different timeframe? It is apparent that they do not dress as individuals, but as a group. The women all have dark colored, long sleeved, floor length dresses with aprons and triangular shaped capes. The men all have dark colored shirts, dark colored pants, suspenders, dark colored boot type shoes and straw hats. I asked a gentleman who only wishes to be known as Owen and he told me, “All of the women and men choose to dress themselves and their children like this, because they choose together as a community to show their modesty. The men and women both humble themselves by ensuring that their clothes do not contain any patterns or designs that would draw attention to them as an individual, but they strive together to give all of their glory to God instead. They choose not to change the patterns and don’t want modern day changes to the clothing because they want to remain pure in the eyes of God. Nicole Smith wrote an article on the Article Myriad where she said, “The Amish maintain their sense of purpose by forming a very strong bond with the history of their ancestors. They realize that they are living according to tradition and as a result, they have a great deal of reverence for it.” The Amish choose as a community not to stick out as individuals, but to be recognized as a humble group, the community called “Amish”.

Witnessing the abiding children, it is clear to see that the Amish men and women teach their children at a young age to work together and to help one another. Their culture vastly differs from our small families since most of their families have anywhere from 7 or more children. It appears that at the early age of 3 or 4, or as soon as they begin walking and getting around, the boys learn to start working in the fields with their fathers and brothers. The fathers teach them to pull weeds, plant seeds, and water the grassy, plush green fields. Likewise, the young daughters are seen grasping onto their mothers long dresses, or aprons as they get to learn the processes of cooking, housework and other wifely duties. During the week, the children are seen going into a small, one room schoolhouse where together they help one another learn to read, write and do simple arithmetic until they reach the eighth grade. As a community, they have decided together, that the eighth grade is the highest education that the children need. When asked about the reasoning behind this, Owen told me that “The reasoning for the one room school is that the basics our children need for life are taught through the eighth grade, the following years could teach things that may influence them to leave our Christian society and join one that is not focused on the community or the family as a whole.”

As I walked with Owen talking about the school, I noticed the children in the small yard beside the school. They have what appears to be a small playground with only two swings. I did not see the usual fighting, pushing or yelling over who would go first, as I typically see at my daughter’s schoolyard, but instead there was cooperation and enthusiasm as the children took turns pushing one another. I also saw teamwork as the boys concentrated on hitting the small ball with the long stick and fellow teammates ran alongside of the batter from tree to tree and eventually back to where the hitter started. I also witnessed the younger and older children all playing together treating one another as an equal, not paying attention to the weaknesses of the younger, but encouraging them to perform and coaching them along the way. I smiled as the young girls shared their plain, no faced dolls with the older girls, even though I knew that it was their cherished possession.

I didn’t know that my heart could be touched any more, but then I turned to see the Amish men in the enormous, plush green fields driving horses cultivating their fields, harvesting crops or baling the hay. I noticed that the horse and buggy is a reflection of their way of life and also their secondary form of transportation. I smiled, and politely said hello, as I slowly passed them walking together in groups to most of their places. I did not hear any complaints about walking, but instead heard talking and planning ahead for whom would do what part of the work when they reached their destination. I also heard praises of thanks for jobs done earlier in the day. I enjoyed watching as they worked together in the fields, using strong horses and mules to draw their hand led plows, instead of using modern day equipment. Owen taught me “They believe it would waste God’s money through the high equipment and fuel costs, and they want to give God the glory for their harvests and not ruin what God has given them.”

Likewise, as I headed toward the homes, I saw the women with their long skirts or dresses, smiling and laughing as they hand scrubbed and rung out the clothing, pinning them with wooden pins to the rope clothes lines. I saw them lugging buckets of water from the pump that they worked so hard at to get the water from. One lady was holding the bucket while the other pumped the red handle up and down, and together they carried the handle over to the other women at the washboards. I noticed how quickly the work got done, and watched as they went on together to the next task. This is when I saw them sitting down at a picnic table working together in groups that author Fred Israel called “quilting bees” in his book “Meet the Amish”. This is where the women get together and hand sew quilts while communicating with one another. Fred also commented on the fact that, “They also hand make all the clothing for the large families.” Towards evening, right before the men are seen walking home from work, the smell of the freshly baked breads and pies seems to overpower the smell from the fields. The small candlelight in the window illuminates the shadows of the mother and her daughters quickly preparing the meals for the hard workingmen and their sons. I was in awe of the closeness that the mothers had with the daughters resulting from the activities that they performed together with them all day long.

I quickly learned to have a deep appreciation for this Amish group as I continued to learn about their community involvement in chapter three of Fred Israel’s book “Meet the Amish.” Here Fred communicates that; “Community involvement with family and friends is vital to both their family and also to their religious beliefs. During the start of a newlywed’s life this is evident because the parents assume responsibility for the new couples farm and farm lands. The community comes together and provides all of the necessities that the couple will need to survive. They provide furniture, quilts, building equipment, food, tools and other necessities. At the same time, if someone in the family becomes ill or ages, the community and families pull together as well. The homes become larger as additions are added onto the small homes so that the families can be watched for and taken care of. The young children do not complain about taking care of the elderly, because they are taught from an early age, that families stick together, and work together. As a community, the church not only offers moral support, but gives financial help when needed as well, whether it be for loans for property, or for the community to come together to morn or grieve over the loss of a member”. The families come together as a community to make sure that everyone is taken care of and that no one lacks anything. Fred goes on to say “On the weekends the Amish visit families or gather together to hold church in someone’s house. Because they cherish their family and friends, visiting is a main part of their lives. They are united in their decision to not have telephones in their homes, because they fear this would keep them from visiting a friend or relative.” I am quickly reminded that in our modern day society it is all to common for us to give a quick hello and goodbye on our cellular phones as we go about our busy lives. Yet, here is a community that thrives on the love of togetherness in all aspects of their lives, and I admire them for the closeness of their families.

Raymond Bial says, “The Amish simply do not want television or radio to threaten family life. As one Amish man noted about the English neighbors, “The center of attention in their home is the tube. They’re home together, but they’re not sharing anything.”“

To sum it up, throughout the six parts of the Amish’s daily routine discussed in this essay, there is one common thread joining them together at some point. Since it is the one major focus of the religious and social nature of the Amish culture, it is only natural that togetherness is a mainstay within their beliefs, dress, education, recreation, and work and community involvement. In essence, through the strong bonds and the combined efforts of the community, the Amish have achieved longstanding love and cooperation in spite of the modern world that surrounds them. By taking the focus off the individual, their aspect of group life is more apparent than in other religious groups because the foundation itself is the group’s will to work together as a community.



Works Cited


Bial, Raymond. Amish Home. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993.

Griffin, Walter. “Amish families reviving farms in Thorndike, Unity” Bangor Daily News 24 Oct.

           2009. http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/126555.html.

Isreal, Fred L. Meet the Amish. New York: Chelsea House Publishers,1986.

Smith, Nicole. “The Amish and the Functional Prerequisites of Group Article Myriad,
          
           2009..

(No Last Name), Owen. Personal interview. 15 Nov. 2009.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tablets and Toxins

You Are What You Eat
By Christina Davenport

Each day, over-twenty five percent of Americans consume fast food. And to top it off, Americans spend nearly $100 billion on fast food every year, according to Julia Ransohoff of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. It may seem as a surprise, but most people continue to participate in unhealthy habits that destroy their bodies. People think of fast food as being the number one contributor to this, yet I believe there are numerous hidden problems in our nutritional thinking. For instance the use of diet supplements, the failure to drink enough fluids, and a general lack of vitamin and mineral consumption altogether (Ransohoff).

On the opposite end of the spectrum of “fast-food nation” are the “dieters.” But what many dieters fail to realize is the habit of ingesting harmful diet supplements will inevitably wreck your system. Supplements give you bad side-effects such as high blood pressure, liver, and heart problems. And according to Virginia health and fitness researcher, Maria O’Brien of LiveStrong.com:

“Diet pills sold as health supplements are unregulated by the FDA, with the exception of some restrictions on the advertising claims. Many diet pills have been recalled after adverse effects have been experienced by consumers. Digestion problems from “fat-blocking” pills are the more gruesome of examples; these pills can cause gas with discharge, oily stools, loose stools, and pains in the digestive area. Proper digestion is essential, and these side-effects are not only negative and unhealthy, but they are painful. Several of our most essential vitamins like Vitamin A, E, D, and K, are fat soluble, this means that they are digested with fat and get stored in your liver and in your body fat. One of the dangers of diet pills are that they block the absorption of fat, which means these important vitamins can be shed from the body like the fat rather than utilized.” Imagine instead of using all those important vitamins you ingest, your body treats them as waste, as if it was fat! What a waste (O’Brien).”

And of those of us who actually are consuming healthy vitamin and mineral supplements, many of us do not adequately hydrate. This lack of appropriate water intake creates inappropriate absorption and dehydration. According to Philip Collins, a health consultant of Carolina Health Care, “The average person loses at least two cups of water daily through the respiratory process. Another two cups are emitted through perspiration, even when no significant amount of physical work is carried on, and the intestines and kidneys together lose a total of about six cups during the day.” With that said, water cleanses your systems of many toxins. Not only is water intake important, but essential (Collins).

You can exercise all you want but if you lack nutrition, your body will suffer. Anemia and deficiency of vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables are a major issue in our country. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, more than 60 percent of young people in the U.S. eat too much fat, and less than 20 percent eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Only about one-fourth of U.S. adults eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day (Preventing).

This is a tragedy that can easily be stopped with support and education. If you think you have a problem, contact your doctor. You can also research online and ask about local weight-loss counselors and programs, fitness and physical therapy experts, as well as registered nutritionists and dieticians in your area.


Works Cited

Collins, Philip. “Water: Do You Drink Enough?” Mother Earth News, 2009. Web.

Mother Earth News. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1983-11-01/Water-Do-You-Drink- Enough.aspx/.

O’Brien, Maria. “Five Things You Need To Know About Diet Pills.” Live Strong, 2009. Web. http://www.livestrong.com/article/908-need-dangers-diet-pills/.16 July. 2009.

“Preventing Obesityand Chronic Diseases Through Good Nutrition and Physical Activity.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003. Web. http://www.cdc.gov/. Aug. 2003

Ransohoff, Julia. “Fast Food.” Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 2005. Web. http://www.pamf.sutterhealth.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html/.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Here's to Hoping

Here's to hoping some of the positive energy Ben Cope shares in his essay about attending Steelers games at Heinz Field will have an effect on the outcome of this week's game. Favorites or not, I think Kansas City taught us you can't just roll your helmets out onto the field and expect a W.

The Heinz Field Experience
By Ben Cope

The morning of February 11, 2001 will forever be remembered in the hearts and minds of Pittsburgh Steelers fans as the end of Three Rivers Stadium. In a matter of moments, the home of the football champions, beloved by our fathers and grandfathers, came crashing down in a giant plume of ash and debris. “Pittsburghers were in tears after the dust cleared” (Beavers). Three Rivers Stadium was no more. But with every ending there is a new beginning.

The death of Three Rivers Stadium gave way for the birth of the new home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Heinz Field, built directly beside the old stadium, stands tall and displays its uncovered steel girders, spiral walkways, and bright yellow seats for all eyes to see. As the Steelers began to win football games in the new arena, Three Rivers Stadium faded into memory, and Steelers fans made Heinz Field their new home to tailgate, watch the game, and wave those Terrible Towels.

One cannot fully experience Heinz Field without tailgating. As you near the stadium, hordes of Steelers fans, donning their black and gold attire, can be seen gathering together to perform their pre-game ritual. When you finally claim your parking space and get out of your vehicle, you instantly realize that you are in Steelers Nation. The once desolate parking lots have become seas of black and gold.

Cars and RV’s with custom Steelers paint jobs are scattered throughout. The echo of horns, bells, and whistles can be heard, along with the cries of the famed Pittsburgh chant, “Here we go Steelers, here we go!” Footballs fill the sky like mortars in battle. Food is devoured and alcohol is consumed as fans get ready to cheer for their team.

When pre-gaming concludes and the grills and coolers have been put away, it is time to make the journey to the stadium. Like a moth to a flame, Steelers fans anxiously walk from their cars to the gates of Heinz Field. As you approach Gate A, the Heinz Field sign and the back of the Jumbo-Tron scoreboard tower above you. Steelers fans hurry to finish their drinks while they wait in line to be admitted.

When you reach the front of the line, the security guard gives a quick pat-down and checks bags for any contraband. After your ticket has been approved, a few more steps and you are in Steelers heaven.

As you come through the entranceway and continue to the large brick and concrete laid courtyard, the whole stadium opens up. Feelings of awe cause the hair on your arms to stand up. “It’s pure excitement” (Beavers). “I feel somewhat overwhelmed just because of the history of the team” (Kaczmarek). Two spiral walkways that lead fans to seats on the middle and upper levels stand to the left and to the right. When you turn around and look up, the huge scoreboard makes you feel tiny. Straight ahead, the football field and the bright yellow seats around it fill your entire view.

“It almost looks like a giant yellow horseshoe” (Susman). The goal posts shine a shade of yellow that cannot be truly appreciated when looking at Heinz Field through a television screen. “The open end of the stadium adds an element that you don’t have in domed stadiums” (Beavers). Wind swirls in that end giving the home team’s kicker an advantage. The stadium as a whole gives the impression that it was built for one thing only…football.

Fans hurry to their seats, stopping at the concession stands and bathrooms along the way. High-fives are given by perfect strangers, and more various Steelers chants echo though the walkways. A few escalators and staircases and you arrive at your seats. Homemade signs depicting fans’ favorite players and witty sayings are everywhere. The seats begin to fill up and as game time nears, the energy in the stadium rises.

The anticipation for the start of the game is almost unbearable. The announcer comes over the loudspeaker and gets the crowd fired up for the introduction of the players. As the players come through the tunnel and out onto the field, the crowd volume becomes deafening, and the whole stadium turns into a sea of swirling Terrible Towels.

“There is nothing like it in any other sports venue. It’s almost hypnotizing to see all of those yellow towels circling” (Susman). When the introductions are over and the game begins, the stadium takes on a life of its own. It becomes a living, breathing entity fueled by the electricity of the Steelers and their fans.

“Heinz Field has sparked a new excitement into the team and that excitement has trickled down to the fans” (Kaczmarek). The new home of the Pittsburgh Steelers has also revitalized the city. Businesses and parking garages have been built around the stadium and continue to help the economy in Pittsburgh.

It might not be the most extravagant stadium, or the most expensive, but it was built to depict a city and it inhabitants. The uncovered steel reminds Pittsburghers of a time when steel mills were closing down, employees were being laid-off, and the only thing that kept them going was their football team. “Heinz Field is a hard-looking stadium for a hard-working town” (Susman).

Three Rivers Stadium set the stage for Heinz Field to become the best place in the world to watch a football game. Championships were won and dynasties were built in that old building. Now, the Steelers and their fans have created a new home of champions.


Works Cited

Beavers, John. Personal Interview. 23 Oct. 2009.

Kaczmarek, Corey. Personal Interview. 23 Oct. 2009.

Susman, Carmen. Personal Interview. 23 Oct. 2009.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

A Moment in Time

This essay by Vishal Jariwala is a great reminder what it's like to experience those things we've been dreaming about for a long, long time. Enjoy.

An Extraordinary Flight
By Vishal Jariwala

“Welcome aboard, sir!" the pretty air hostess said on flight AI-184 from Bombay to Bangalore. As she showed me to my seat, a thought churned in my head, “Should I or should I not? What would happen, if I did?” I had mulled over it, again and again, but the decision was still eluding me. It was in my hand, ready to be passed on. I reached my seat in this dimly lit lower deck of a Boeing 747, and absentmindedly stuffed my luggage in the bin overhead. The paper was white and crisp, and my handwriting was attractive. It had to be; I had spent hours making this one up, while waiting in the deserted passenger area of the airport.

Then I decided to do it, to make my move. Through the chatter of boarding passengers, I made my way towards front of the cabin, and waved at the stewardess nervously. “Could you please give this to captain?" A bit surprised, she took the note, which I had folded loosely in an attempt make it appear easily accessible for reading. The note reflected yellow glow of surrounding lights on her beautiful face as she opened to read it. “This is normally not allowed, but still I will talk to the captain,” she said with a smile. It was a relief to know that the note was not immediately rejected. “Thank you,” I said with continued nervousness. I watched her climb that tiny spiral staircase to the upper deck. I was trying to picture myself in her place, climbing that staircase, because I knew where it would lead me; to the flight deck or cockpit of the jumbo jet!

“Excuse me...excuse me...," I made my way back to my seat through the clusters of passengers. The stewardesses were explaining emergency procedures; no smoking and seat-belt signs were on. With a sudden jerk, the aircraft started move through the cool night.

“Did the captain ignore my note?" I wondered because I had not heard back. I looked at my watch, and stared outside through the window. The ramp was flooded with the orange glow of sodium-vapor lights; the taxiways were lit with blue lights, and fog was setting in the distance, where the grass and small plants were growing by the runway. The airport felt lonesome without much activity, and the weather was clear. Our aircraft came to a halt, and then there was a sudden burst of noise; all of us got pressed against the backs of our chairs. The aircraft had started to roll with a great speed on the runway for take-off. The whirring of wheels tried to catch up with the noise of those majestic engines, throttled at full power. And it was gone. Suddenly, the whirring had gone, because we were airborne.

I tried to just relax and come to terms with possible disappointment, a possible denial to a sacred place, the cockpit of Boeing 747 – the place, where no one I personally knew had been. The watch showed 1:15 AM, but sleep did not seem to like my company although almost all of the passengers around me were in deep slumber. The aircraft was gliding smoothly through dark and clear air. I attempted to dim the overhead spotlight to the lowest possible setting, and closed my eyes. The aircraft cabin felt cooler than I would have liked, as if the cold air from outside was leaking in.

From the jerk with which I woke up, I assumed that I must have been fast asleep. A stewardess was trying to wake me up. She asked me to take my luggage, and move toward the front of aircraft. I was not sure why. “The captain has taken your note, and asked me to have you moved closer to the staircase going to the upper deck. He said that it may be possible to allow you to see the cockpit, once we have leveled off.”

“Wow! Really?” I grinned with a smile from ear to ear, and clumsily removed my stuff from the bin. The excitement filled me.

I moved to the seat she showed me. It was right behind a pale wall of what seemed like a station to store the stuff like water, food etc. But I did not care about that station, the wall, or the fact I had no space to store my luggage. The clock continued ticking, and the eagerly awaited refreshments arrived. Now I was receiving a little extra attention from pretty stewardesses because of, I believe, the captain's response. It was hard to keep from grinning wildly. Even more time passed. With its passage, being patient was becoming increasingly difficult. I got my tray, which was loaded with a sandwich, a dessert, and a chilled apple juice. I started to eat, and I looked around to find so many chewing jaws. Their company felt good. We devoured the meager portions. My anticipation of a call to visit the cockpit made the time appear to move a lot slower. It seemed like forever. I had just put a spoonful of delicious dessert in my mouth.

“Excuse me!"

I looked up to find another pretty face. “The captain has invited you to visit the cockpit. You'd better hurry, because they won't allow once we start the descent,” she said.

I nodded vigorously, but without noticing that I still had the spoon sticking out of my mouth, and was shaking that too! She smiled. Feeling silly, I put my tray in an empty seat next to mine, leaving the dessert half-eaten. I so much wanted to eat it but not at the cost of time that could be spent visiting an office flying at the height of 34,000 feet above ground. The choice was clear. I walked a short distance behind this gorgeous stewardess, who led me to the spiral staircase and extended her arm pointing at it. I climbed the stairs.

Several hours ago, back in Bombay, I had discussed such possibilities with my friend Hemalatha, who flies Airbus 320 as a copilot. “It is absolutely worth a try,” Hemalatha said. “Depending upon who's the captain, she may allow a peek. You should also mention your ground training.” Coming from an aviator, this had strengthened my resolve even further to write that note, on crispy white paper, and error-free!

The steward on the upper deck knocked at cockpit door. “Sure," he nodded in response something that he heard coming from inside of the cockpit. The passage leading to the door was small, and was lit by a recessed yellow light above. The floor was reflecting light on greyish blue walls, which also included two doors perpendicular to each other – one door was for cockpit, and the other was for a restroom which I realized a lot later, not until the end. The handle turned, and the tiny door to enter the cockpit opened. I entered – one of the world's most amazing places – the cockpit of Boeing 747 while it was flying.

Spearheading the darkness of the sky, the flight deck like other parts of the Boeing 747 was dimly lit. But it had a different allure to it. I gawked around. I had never been inside a cockpit of a real airliner not even on the ground. And here I was, in the cockpit an airliner that was actually flying at that very moment. The captain snapped me out of my trance with a big “Hi!” He extended his hand, clad in ivory colored leather glove, riddled with holes. We, including the first officer, shook hands, and exchanged the pleasantries.

I was offered a seat, which is usually occupied by trainee or supernumerary pilots, sometimes by other crew members. As I tried to adjust myself in this new environment and contain my excitement, my thoughts were to make sure to maintain enough decorum for the sake of these godly pilots, who allowed me into this place, which was coveted by many enthusiasts, like myself. I did not speak much, since every few minutes the first-officer was talking over the radio.

The dials were shining on the front panel of the cockpit. The whirring of the engines was a lot more muffled. My seat felt a bit colder, since it was not occupied before my arrival. It was covered with a dark blue and gray colored fabric with a sort of rough texture. But the roughness or the fact that the seat had negligible cushioning effect – none mattered. I moved my eyes from one corner to another very slowly as if recording everything in my head, and I did not want to create a blurry or a shaky movie.

The night-time cockpit is one of most marvelous sights. Every single instrument, dial, knob, switch that talked to the flight officers was illuminated. Embedded in the front panel, right behind both control columns, there were two colorful identical screens showing a great amount of information, which I tried to make sense of. I had seen these screens just in theory, not in practice, and definitely not while in operation. They were surrounded by slightly smaller gauges, and they in turn were by even smaller ones.

The central column, between the seats of flight officers, had the thrust levers, flight computers, and many other switches, most of which I did not know. The overhead panel of the cockpit contained even more switches, maybe hundreds. They were connected with what looked to me like light-paths, which were guiding my attention from one switch to another. Then I tried to locate one of the most important instruments in the cockpit: the magnetic compass. There it was, right in front of me, in the center of the aircraft, between two front windows, and then I suddenly noticed what was behind that shimmering compass. It was nothingness, a dark sky, which I was sure, was extremely cold at that height. The sudden thought of how high I was above the ground made me a bit uncomfortable. But I was soon reassured by my realization that I could trust the technology, and the humans that were carrying me through the dark skies. I kept watching from one instrument to another, trying to simulate if I were to fly what sense a particular instrument would make.

“See on your right, below. Do you see an aircraft?" said the captain. I jerked my head to right, and saw a flashing white light, and a red light which was closer than the green one. This meant that the aircraft was flying towards us, but far below us.

”You're lucky to be able to see reciprocal traffic,” said the captain.

“Oh! Yes,” I agreed.

“Why don't you put on those headphones?" he asked as he pointed at the headsets dangling right above my head.

“Oh wow, I did not even notice that," I thought while looking up. I gingerly removed the headphones from the hook, and put them on. Almost instantaneously, the world that I was experiencing in this amazing flight deck, expanded by the addition of one more dimension - the auditory dimension. I could hear the radio communication between various other aircraft and the air traffic controller. Their talk did not make much sense, but this was incredible. I wondered how I got to see an operational cockpit, and got to even listen to the talk. I felt this was beyond incredible, but I did not know what was coming next.

I was expecting to be asked to leave anytime, because I knew that we would soon start the descent. “Let me savor every single moment that I have here,” I thought.

“Put on the shoulder belts as well,” ordered the captain, bringing me back from my deep reverie. I started to follow the command, but was not sure how. By a few quick gesture of the gloved hands, the captain showed me how to fasten the shoulder belts. I had never used those, since I had not seen any on the regular passenger seats. “If I am supposed to leave at anytime, then why am I being asked to put the shoulder belts on?" I thought in amazement. And then it felt like my chair was slowly tilting forward as if it was trying to get rid of me by sliding me forward.

The nose of the aircraft had dipped, and the descent had started. “Wow!" I said silently, since I was not ready to leave in any case. I was clutching the sides of my barely cushioning seat. We were going down. Of course not crashing, but descending toward the destination. “Why has nobody asked me to leave yet? Well, mum is the word,” I told myself, and looked outside to see if I could figure out where we were.

In the meantime the first officer had already notified the air traffic controller that we were in what sounded like, the final lag. My curiosity grew. I looked around, and the windows became suddenly completely foggy, my heart leapt a bit.

We had just crossed the cloud cover, and the aircraft broke into the open sky above the city, offering a magnificent view of the city at night from a prime location, the cockpit. The city looked like a collection of toys adorned with all kinds of lights. It glimmered and shimmered. “I hope they won't ask me to leave now,” I thought as I turned my head to see the front window of the flight deck. My jaw dropped when I saw the view. There it was, the runway, whose both two sides were marked by rows of glowing amber dots, and the edge facing us was glowing green; umpteen other lights – blue, red, violet, flashing lights, rotating beacon and so on. It was one of most amazing views I have ever seen, just awe-inspiring.

We landed with a light thud, and the captain opened up the thrust reversers, which send the exhaust of jet engines forward, in the direction opposite of aircraft travel. It quickly decelerated the aircraft, and bringing it to standstill. We taxied back to a four-story high terminal building, parked the aircraft, and turned off the engines. And I was still sitting in the cockpit, beginning to realize that all had come to a pleasant end, and what a privilege it was.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Time to Write

It's been way too long. This has been the first semester of publishing student work online, and my students have written some great stuff. The problem is getting it edited and ready for the web. Next semester, I'll hopefully have a student editor or two from the class. I guess that's why they say you live and learn.

But after an extended hiatus, it's time to start showcasing some work from these fledgling writers. With a very dark cloud hanging over the Steelers, Pittsburghers will likely enjoy a memory like the one Kayla Glass shares below. I know I did.

He Shoots and Scores!
By Kayla Glass

It is the third period of game seven in the Stanley Cup finals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. There are is ten-seconds left and if the Detroit Red Wings score the game would will be forced to go into over time. Detroit gains the offensive zone and rushes towards our goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, in a moment of desperation. There’s a scrum in the corner and Detroit takes the puck in the slot to shoot. Fleury blocks the puck from going in, but Detroit gets the rebound. There are four-seconds left. All Pittsburgh Penguin’s fan’s hearts are beating heavily. We slowly start to rise to our feet. The Red Wings take a hard shot, and Fleury dives across the net horizontally as a secret-service agent would when taking a bullet for the president. He makes the final save and the third period expires with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the lead by one. The team skates toward the blue goal crease throwing their gloves, helmets and sticks through the air. At that very moment they all know that they are the Stanley Cup Champions!

Hockey has been gradually gaining popularity in western Pennsylvania since we won back to back Stanley Cups in the early 90’s. Mario Lemieux brought the majority of the attention to the game. Similar to the wave of attention that was brought to the game with the arrival of Sidney Crosby to Pittsburgh. With this recent Stanley Cup victory, hockey has been gaining even more steam in this area. The Stanley Cup parade in downtown Pittsburgh is most certainly clear evidence of this. The population of Pittsburgh is approximately 250,000 people, and there was an estimation of 375,000 people in attendance in downtown Pittsburgh on that day (The Cup is Back). Most of the main roads in Pittsburgh were shut down. There were so many people there that you could barely see the parade unless you were standing on something. It was hot and miserable standing in the crowd. There were lines, about seven people deep, all along the road. Parking garages were filled with people holding signs, yelling, and throwing black and gold confetti. Even the players were amazed as they passed on their luxury cars, trucks, SUV’s and floats through the town. Many of them were taking pictures and videos of the crowd as they made their way through.

Besides the 119 consecutive sell outs in Mellon Arena, the fans gathering outside around the jumbo screen was amazing and proves how popular hockey is becoming in western Pennsylvania (Gorman). The Mellon Arena only had the jumbo screen up and running during playoff games, but rain or shine (mostly rain), Pens fans were there and we were loud. During one playoff game there was were approximately four thousand people just outside watching the game. That’s not including the nearly 18,000 people inside (Gorman). With so many people being in one place at one time you can imagine the traffic. It was not bad though because you can feel the excitement and joy of everyone around you. Some people in their cars would beep the “Let’s Go Pens” chant and some would hang out of their windows screaming with excitement. Being in Pittsburgh on those nights made you feel very proud to be from the Burgh. Also, this year, Sporting News, a reputed sports magazine, named Pittsburgh the best sport city of the year because of our six time Super Bowl champions, our three time Stanley Cup Champions, and our fans (Hille).

I remember when the clock in Detroit had reached zero, I felt frozen for a second. The adrenaline soon kicked in, and I jumped up with excitement. I screamed, high-fived my boyfriend, and then we gave each other a big hug. When the reality that the Pens finally won the cup fully sunk in, I felt like I was going to cry a little. The Penguins worked very hard and really deserved to win this year. With the great fan base and excellent young players, this hockey team is developing I’d say we have a great chance at winning next year too.
 

Works Cited

Gorman, Kevin. “Penguins players, fans share thrilling moment at center ice in Mellon Arena.” 3 October 2009 .



Hille, Bob. “Black & Gold mettle: Pittsburgh is Best Sports City.” 6 October 2009 .



“The Cup is Back! Penguins Fans Jam Downtown For Parade.” 16 June 2009 .