Write Away.

Buddy Club Prom Needs Your Help

2010-01-22T03:54:00.013-05:00

Senior year of high school was a remarkable year for many of reasons: it was a matter of days until "real" life started, writing for the Lion's Roar was rewarding, working for Starbucks was ease and monetarily motivating, and working with the adaptive PE class was the best part of my day. It was not until graduating did I realize the impact the Life Skills kids had on me.

My sister, Shayla Puckett, is five years behind me in school and when she asked about what clubs to join I suggested Buddy Club. At first she seemed unsure, but it was not long before she was President of the Kennewick High School Buddy Club. Some of her closest friends are Life Skill's students and working with them has shifted her career interest.

About two weeks ago Shayla came home from school stressed out about the Buddy Club Prom. "The ARC of Tri-Cities didn't receive the sponsorship for Buddy Club Prom and now all of the chapters have to fundraise." The Red Lion in Pasco took $700 dollars off what they normally would charge in consideration of the financially strapped organizations. The dance is at 5:30 on February 27th and until then, the fundraising will continue.

Even with the generous discount from the Red Lion, the Buddy Club Prom will still require hundreds more in funding. This is where I took things into my own hands and decided to utilize the social networking sites I visit daily. I posted an appeal for donations on my Facebook and within ten minutes I had a list of people to contact. Five people who contacted me via Facebook were interested in how to go about making donations.

According to Shayla those donations have helped immensely, but are still not enough to pull the event together entirely. Many dresses have been donated for the girls to wear to the Prom and donations are still being accepted at the ARC of Tri Cities in Richland.

"The first thing these kids do when they get their yearbooks is find the Buddy Club Prom page."
-Michelle Gottschalk

"They want to share this experience with their friends and family, and show off their fancy suits and pretty dresses just like anyone else," said Michelle Gottschalk. Gottschalk was an active member of Richland High School's Buddy Club until she graduated in the spring of 2008.

My family and I were able to donate a decent amount and we hope others will do the same. Excess donations will help to pay for the outstanding costs of the new ARC facilities in Richland.

If you would like to donate to the Buddy Club Prom please send your donations to:

"Buddy Club Prom"
c/o ARC of Tri-Cities
761 Williams
Richland, WA 99354

Or you can call the ARC for further questions concerning donations at (509) 946-5157.

Resilient, that's what they call me.

2010-01-22T03:43:00.002-05:00

2008 was a rather bland year - marked by a relationship unspoken, holidays away from home, and a certain feeling of dissatisfaction. Noting those things, I resolved to make 2009 a year worth remembering.

December 30, 2008 will forever be engrained in my heart and mind as the day I walked away from a few friendships, a relationship, and the instability surrounding me. My whole day was spent shuffling through my room packing my life into two pieces of luggage and yet, I wasn't nervous at all.

No one really came to say goodbye, maybe they were thinking I'd get homesick and come back, and my educational track record would not disagree. Unfortunately, it only drove me to further resent this town when the only people I trusted were nowhere to be found. A few calls were made in an effort to say good bye, and you know who you are. So thanks for the attempt at some form of well wishing, but actions always speak louder than words.

At the airport my Dad gave me a hug, told me he loved me, and left. Maybe I should have been upset or even nervous, but the only thing I felt was relief. Brian was there and stayed with me until seven - we talked, laughed, took a few pictures, and began discussing my return in March. None of it mattered though... Suppose endings make way for brighter beginnings, no matter how bittersweet.

My Mom and sister had been away for a few days in Idaho. My Grandmother's house is the family New Year's Eve hideout. I had never heard my Mom mention resolutions until a few days before my escape. She pressed me about what my resolution might be, and it wasn't until I landed in New York what it would be.

"Lose the losers in my life and cut them free." It was the one consistent statement this past year.

It was six in the morning when Delta Flight 632 touched down on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy, nearly an hour before scheduled. I recall my first cab ride very clearly - weaving through stop and go traffic, the passenger windows were cracked and bitter cold air was streaming in. After a half hour of being nauseated and $60 later, I had arrived to my new home on 42nd Street.

It was New Year's Eve and 42nd was flooded with people. The doormen met my cab and were helpful when trying to get my baggage on the elevator. The view from the 24th floor is something I will never forget.

I moved in with my friend Mathew Milewski, and two other roommates - Faris and Sean. Our roommates were out of town for the holiday so, Mat was my company for New Year's Eve. Early in the evening, Mat suggested a little Pinkberry frozen yogurt - little did he know it would become my addiction in the city...

Temperatures were in the teens and the windchill made it worse, but nothing could stop me from making the most of New Year's Eve. Mat and I stood with the best view anyone could have - on the corner of 42nd and Broadway. We were the only civilians around, everyone else had a badge - NYPD, NYFD, national security, and a few military guys. The beginning of 2009 marked another 'to do' off my bucket list.

It felt like home in the city, there was some sense of belonging. It was different, a far cry from knowing everyone in town and having some sense of security. I loved being new and getting lost in the city.

Class of 2009 - Lions Roar Piece

2009-06-02T15:26:00.001-04:00

“Welcome aboard Delta flight 632 with non-stop service from Seattle to New York’s JFK International.”

It was Dec. 31, 2008, when my flight landed in the Big Apple. Times Square was full of film crews from every network with a multitude of bystanders risking frostbite to ring in 2009.

Standing on the corner of Broadway and 42^nd Street watching the famous ball drop, I realized I was living out my dreams, the ones I daydreamed during the silly high school graduation speeches.

Graduating high school seemed like an accomplishment after completing endless hours of homework, drawn-out finals, tricky pop quizzes, and skating as close to the absence limit as possible without being truant.

Hearing a hundred different people explain life does not truly begin until after high school was more than a little irritating to every student about to graduate. High school is something to treasure and enjoy, but knowing when to leave it behind to pursue bigger and better things is more important.

Movie watching became a hobby when I was taking care of my sick Grandmother last fall. The Bucket List will always be a personal favorite and constant reminder of what people are capable of when they’re motivated.

After watching the film, I began making a “to do” list, because at 20 years old it’s a bit morbid to make a “bucket list.” Nearly half of my list required living in New York City for an extended period of time. It was my personal ambition to make 2009 a year of accomplishment.

The first five months of 2009, I modeled for Lorick New York at New York’s Fashion Week; met and learned from Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, Ann Curry, and a few other NBC employees; rang in the new year in Times Square, lived in a skyscraper, rode the subway without getting lost, learned how to shoot my own news stories, met numerous celebrities, stood up for myself, and learned success is mine to define.

My success is touching the lives of others, taking risks to complete my own personal goals, knowing college will be there for the taking when need be, and meeting people who have made their own triumphs - no matter how big or small.

As graduation approaches and a new class gets ready to run into the future, I hope each student will realize and accept that expectations are going to be waiting after the graduation barbeques end and summertime fun wears out.

Do not be afraid to write a new story, a personal story about the pursuit of happiness and the definition of success by your terms.

Swine Flu: The H1N1 Pandemic

2009-04-27T15:02:00.004-04:00

As the Swine Flu continues to spread, so do many other concerns.

New York has already seen evidence of the virus and yet it has not spread beyond where it was originally reported.

Every TV show seems to be 'featuring' a portion on the prevention of the spread of the H1N1 virus, all of which are elementary courtesies like washing hands often and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing. The problem in places like New York is public transportation is a haven for germs of all kinds.

The New York City area homeless shelters are constantly flooded with people seeking food and shelter, and with the heat just beginning it seems the overflow will continue to trickle onto subway trains. When people who cannot afford medical attention contract something like swine flu from trying to stay cool in a subway train, the virus is sure to spread.

Nearly every train I get on runs through Queens at some point and when in Manhattan, there is sure to be a few homeless folks trying to take shelter. I'm thankful I was already ill before the craziness began and my antibiotics are still in y system, making me a bit less paranoid about catching the virus. The problem now becomes a question of our health care system, lack of shelter space and funding, MTA price hikes and service cuts, and where the government could intervene.

One young woman riding the Q train to Times Square suggested hand sanitizer dispensers in the stations, noting 'the cost would prevent it from happening.' The ideas only have progressed from there - sanitization of the subways, cops on subways escorting the homeless off the train, and the list continues.

As the swine flu pandemic unfolds and the world continues to report more cases there is sure to be much more to write on.

A Glimpse at my Photography.

2009-04-25T00:31:00.009-04:00

Tragedy Strikes: Another Child Falls to Bullies

2009-04-25T00:04:00.003-04:00

Anyone who has every been bullied knows the words linger on for a lifetime. Self esteem is almost always a issue no matter how the years come to pass. Parents will never forget the tears shed after school each day, or how hurt their little one was each time a friend turned on them.

As a child I faced much of the same torment as this little boy and had not been for the fact my parents allowed me to switch schools, I would have many more issues than I do already. Glasses, a bad haircut, messed up teeth, and a love of learning earned me the title of 'geek' or 'teacher's pet.' I loved my teachers, was a enthusiastic student, and hated confrontation, yet it followed me. Each day was marked by a new malicious letter, multicolor words scattered across torn up notebook paper...

My curly hair was a bad thing. My Mother, who did so much for my class was a annoyance to the other kids. My enthusiasm for learning was something to pick at. My clothes weren't cool enough. My last name sounded like a dirty word. Boys thought I was ugly and annoying. In a private school with a class of 20 - I was the loser.

Every four years I switch schools. Kindergarten to grade 4 I was at St. Patrick's Catholic School, grade 5 to grade 8 I was at St. Joseph's Catholic School, spent high school at Kennewick High School, and now I'm at Washington State University.

It was not until a year ago I realized why I had so many insecurities - I hated my curly hair. I hated my awkward frame. I hated my freckles. I hated my glasses. I never felt good enough. I never was enough.

I have to conquer these things everyday and do my best to lead a normal life. I only wish this young boy had someone like myself to talk to.

Feeling alone, picked on, and totally isolated is miserable. I remember this frame of mind all to well and my only question is - How could the teacher not help but notice what was happening? Where is the instructors responsibility?

A parent leaves a child at school during the day, and educational law states the teacher is to act as a parent to a certain degree so where was the teacher? Why did the staff not listen when spoken to?

There are children across the US who will face torment Monday when they go to school. These are the same children who may learn to live on, may become a loose cannon, may become the next president, or even grow out of the 'ugly duckling' stage. Without the accountability of teachers and school faculty, things like this will continue.

Show a little responsibility as teachers and prevent the tragic loss of young lives.

Read All About IT.

2009-04-07T01:34:00.004-04:00

Everyday becomes another distinguished by a tragedy, personal or not.

There are stories people choose to pass over each day in the headlines, for whatever reason. The general public does not always see a direct correlation between themselves and the subject at hand.

The question then becomes where is the media's accountability in appealing to it's readers and connecting them to the story. Or is it the medias responsibility to do so?

Should American citizens want to be globally aware, socially aware, and a bit accountable to the world around them?

Perhaps it is the beauty of the American ideal that allows us to reach the highly educated, and those learning as they live - Leaving it to be a decision of free will. A beautiful and simple decision given to us by our elementary American freedom.