2009-2010 Boise Venture of Mine: Special Olympics and More

The Torch

Been a busy week! The time not taken up by reading and preparing for my classes has been spent on the research for my first project, affectionately called "The McNair Project." My first step was to read everything I could find on the McNair program, everything I could find about college students who were first-generation, low-income, or underrepresented in graduate school, and everything I could find about undergraduate research programs, mentoring, and internships. The next step, which I finished last night, was to write a 5 page literature review, summarizing the current body of research. It came in at 5.75 pages, so there's room to cut it down with editing. I have a list of questions to think about, for my research, including, "McNair scholars are incredibly successful in undergraduate work, graduating with bachelor's degrees at higher rates than any other sub group of university students and enrolling in graduate programs (Master's and Doctorate) at higher rates, as well. However, this success is not translating into similar success in graduate school, especially doctoral programs. Why?"

After meeting with my professor Monday or Tuesday, I'll begin working on my research design and any instruments (such as surveys or interview questions) I'll need. At this point, I am approaching it like it is a thesis, but it is supposed to end up being a 10-20 page paper, published in a scholarly journal. Yes, I'll be sending everyone copies, even if you aren't interested in reading the article. My name, in print! Wow.

Have not been able to do much with the horses, due to the frozen ground, and then due to Berhwood's allergic reaction. He broke out in bumps, everywhere. Hard to find a spot on his body that didn't have bumps. They are beginning to go down, now, so I think he's over the worst of it. They both started running up and down and playing yesterday, so that's a good sign. Giovanna is doing well, and working her in the sand arena is a pleasure. Her canter is becoming something to write home about.

Inside Qwest Arena. Looks like the Olympics, to me!

Boise is hosting the 2009 Winter World Special Olympics. I went to the Qwest Arena to watch the compulsory level of figure skating and ice dancing. I have marked my schedule for the final level competition in these events, as it should be pretty interesting. The joy these athletes take in competing is contagious. I can't imagine that the real Olympics are this much pure fun.

The lady on the left, from USA, was such a careful skater, like she was holding eggs in her hands. The skater on the right was from Canada, and she was like a buterfly, dancing on ice. Beautiful.

Outside of the Qwest Arena was an entertainment venue. I first watched this Dragon Extreme Martial Arts exhibition. Flashy, active, lots of jumping and leaping kids, accompanied by heavy base-loaded, pump-it-up music clips. No pictures, couldn't get close enough!

The 1,000 Good Deeds gang.

Next was the special olympics delegate from up in northern Idaho, presenting their 1,000 good deeds to the Japanese delegate to take to the Peace Garden in Japan. I choked up when the teacher/coach was talking about it. She said that rather than making a thousand cranes (because she would have ended up making the thousand cranes, which would have missed the point), she challenged her students to do 1,000 good deeds. And they did, in three years. The deeds are all written on little slips of paper and put in a tube. Pretty cool.

The High Tops dance group. How they put the flag together was really neat.

On stage after the good deeds group were the High Tops, a dance troupe from the Los Angeles area. The dancers come from a private school for intellectual disabilities. They were all young adults to middle-aged adults, and they, for the most part, really enjoyed their dancing.

After the dance troupe, a cowboy came on stage to do some roping tricks. He had a pony named Little Dan who did tricks, like counting his age, shaking his hand, nodding yes, and pushing his cowboy over whenever he bent over. But then the cowboy made Little Dan lie down. And he stood on Little Dan, did a little dance on top of him, and made him roll onto his back and sat on him like that for a while. He said that if Little Dan didn't like him doing it, he figured Little Dan wouldn't lay down for him anymore. Yeesh. I left before his routine was over, and went to see the ice dancing. Felt pretty bad for Little Dan. Jumping up and down on his barrel like that. Ugh.

Thought this was really just too much.

Standing in a field on the south side of Lake Hazel, looking north.

I'll close with a picture of my house from the field where I like to walk the girls. Yes, it is definitely still winter, despite the "heat wave" of low 40's we've been having.

I was able to find enough interesting dried grasses and things to make a nice bouquet, so I could use the vase and flower frog that a friend gave me. Had never seen a glass flower frog before. Sure makes arranging the plants easier.