Friday, October 19, 2007
Potential
I am Potential. I am the heart-pounding personification of what could be. I am a fire-breathing dragon of powerful ideas; dreams and reality greet one another at the doorstep of my heart. I live within the body of a young girl named L. L doesn’t always acknowledge me, but I know when she knows I am here. I think she feels me when she’s drawing; I am the steadiness in her pencil-grip. The motion of her lines is stroked with me, and the colors of her clouds – so soft and purple and blue – I know she sees me there. L can hear me in the rushing of the water as her arms find the energy to break - alternating - the surface of the pool during a swim meet. She may come in 3rd place, but I am there to calm her mind and whisper in her ear, “You finished, you finished, good job”. But the time she notices me the most, when I manifest and I take my true form, that is when she is writing. When she is writing, L can be anyone she dreams of being. She can meet any person in the world, understand them no matter what language they speak, and together their adventures reach the farthest ends of the universe. When L writes, I am the capitalized letter in her thesis and the punctuation in her conclusion. The enthusiasm she generates is so electric that I am caught on a spark and sent flying through her fingertips. The release transforms me. I am no longer Potential, now I am Success, and I am set free.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
A LETTER
Dear Pastor W, Mr. V, Mr. W and readers of "The Age",
It is out of the sincerest respect and deepest appreciation of Milton Hershey School,
having provided me with both academic and social education which I
could not have received at home, that I am discontinuing my "The Age"
e-mails.
Earlier today I received the following message from Pastor W in response to one of my "The Age" e-mails:
"Laura - You will stop this inappropriate use of your e-mail privilege right now. You
are free to believe whatever you want about God, prayer, and all
spiritual things, and, when your not on the MHS campus, you can practice
your belief system any way you would like. But on our campus, belief in the reality of God will be taught and faith in God will be encouraged. If
you choose to continue to abuse your e-mail privilege by promoting what
is diametrically opposed to the beliefs of the school, your e-mail will
be taken away from you. If you want to talk privately about your beliefs, let me know!"
The
purpose of these e-mails – as the recipients were well aware - was to
explore Bible verses and other religious themed materials. With
the disbandment of the high school philosophy club "Truth Seekers", I
wanted to create an opportunity for my friends to explore both their
personal views and alternative ideas with each other. The students
involved come from various faiths and each has a different religious
history.
I used e-mail because it was the easiest and most direct form of communication for busy students.
Even
the most faithful Christian teenager (as responses to my "The Age"
e-mails have proven) will have questions and concerns about their own
faith. These could lead their thoughts toward another system of beliefs
or even Atheism (the belief that god does not exist). Should these
questioning students be shunned? Isolated? Out rightly ignored? Should
these students be denied the opportunity for unbiased discussion/debate
on the subject with their peers?
Many
times, I have found that my comments – should another person find them
faulty – have done nothing but strengthen their resolve in their own
faith. I highly doubt that the goal of MHS is to
lead students to faith through uneducated blindness and fear. The views
of the school and my own may be polar opposites, but I am confident that
the intentions of both are of the purest quality. Despite the
undeniable reality that MHS solely supports Christian beliefs, I still
hope to create a peaceful awareness of alternative views – even those
that I do not share. Simply, we are each passionate about what we feel
is right, and we take the responsibility of communicating that truth
personally.
The
greatest asset a school can bestow upon its students is the opportunity
to develop a true sense of self. All the memorized math equations in
the world cannot compare with the confidence and success that comes with
knowing who you are, what you stand for, and why. The
consequences of silencing these students will be far more devastating
than exposing them to what is a "diametrically opposed" belief.
With Respect, Integrity, and a Positive Spirit,
Laura L. Gamari
Studenthome: Clearview
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Know Where You Stand
Religion at Milton Hershey School
An Editorial by Laura L. Gamari
“Last year, I told some girls in my student home what I believed in. They forced me into the living room and were trying to explain to me why I should believe what they believe (Christianity). They literally called my religion “stupid” and turned my serious beliefs into a joke.”
– S, Wiccan
“The school doesn’t really seem to care about other people’s faith. The school will not provide transportation to Jewish students for Temple so that they can expand their religious faith. The school only serves to the Christian community. I feel that, for our student body, diversity of faith is important.” –J, Christian
“My old Houseparents made me place a Bible on my headboard, so I placed a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I received 10 days of detention. They made me take down song lyrics I had on my tack-board (Don McLean’s “American Pie”, where the lyrics went: “No angel born in Hell/could break that Satan’s spell”). So I put up a lyric from Slayer's "Jesus Saves" (" For all respect you cannot lust/in an invisible man you place your trust"). I received 20 days of detention. I received 3 hours of chores for objecting to Pastor Mike’s explanation of Euthanasia as “killing someone you don’t think should live anymore.” Most recently, I confronted the school about starting a Gay/Straight Alliance – which is common in schools across America – but was denied even consideration based on the Judeo-Christian values of the school. So, do I feel there is religious intolerance at MHS? Yeah, you could say that.”
- Anonymous, Atheist
–
Is Milton Hershey School intolerant, and even oppressive, when it comes to matters of religion? Whenever the topic of faith is allowed to be broached, the situation can easily transform from a discussion into a riot. The purpose of this editorial is to explore, from the perspective of various members of the MHS community, the issue of religion for Senior Hall students.
While Christianity is, by far, the most common standing on religion at Milton Hershey School, it is not the only one. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Jainists, Wiccans, and Atheists walk the halls and vacuum the service porch along with everybody else. Yet at MHS, any inquiry about recognizing beliefs, other than Christianity, is usually answered by Houseparents and Administration alike with: “Milton and Catherine Hershey were Christians, and so our school is established on their faith.”
While students may cringe about this: the adults are right. (Kind of.)
The Hershey Archives (www.hersheyarchives.org) explains, “Both the Hershey and Snavely families were originally Mennonite.” However, “though Milton's mother was a staunch member of the Reformed Mennonite Church…formal religion was never a part of Milton Hershey's life. When he was asked once what his religion was, he is said to have replied, "The Golden Rule." The Golden Rule, of course, is “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” So important was this rule to Milton Hershey, that is hangs in every student home on campus. Religious Tolerance.org (www.religioustolerance.org) lists 21 world religions that have a version of The Golden Rule in their faith.
With that in mind, did Milton Hershey want his school to teach one religion, or the tolerance of other’s choices? An answer may be found, written in Hershey’s own words, in the very document that established MHS - the Deed of Trust. Article 17 of the Deed of Trust, which is on the MHS Intranet (http://intranet.apps.mhs-pa.org), states:
“The School shall be non-sectarian, but the moral and religious training of the scholars shall be properly looked after and cared for by the Managers. No favoritism shall be shown; by the Managers to any particular sect or creed. Each scholar shall be taught to speak the truth at all times, and each and every scholar shall be thoroughly trained to habits of economy, and industry.”
But, what is non-sectarian? A literal definition from Merriam Webster Dictionary defines non-sectarian as: “Not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group.” So, shouldn’t that mean that students are free to practice or believe anything they are inclined to? According to the “Statement of Religion,” policy 5.04, (this can be found by searching the word “Religion” on the MHS Intranet) the answer is “No”. The Policy states that:
“It is our interpretation that "nonsectarian", within the context of 1909 and the writing of the Trust and, in keeping with our heritage, we will not permit exclusion of students of other denominations, sects, or creeds. It is a right in the United States to hold to a particular belief system, according to the U.S. Constitution. The same is true at Deed of Trust, means to be "non-denominational" within the Judeo-Christian heritage.”
The school has, indeed, made attempts to accommodate more worldly views in our community. Students are not screened for their religious affiliation upon enrollment and there have not been any reported cases of a student being terminated based on their religious affiliation. Judeo-Christian does not mean “Christianity”, but actually having historical roots in both Judaism and Christianity. In fact, Policy 5.04 continues to declare:
“We also believe that it is essential to demonstrate respect for others' beliefs and traditions as stated in the Deed Milton Hershey School, as long as that belief system does not cause physical or emotional harm to the student or others. Therefore, to the extent that we are reasonably able, we will continue to be supportive of the religious needs of all students.”
The issue is not truly that Milton Hershey School is intolerant of non-Christian beliefs, but that there is little follow-through or support for more open-minded and tolerant action. Under the L- Administration, the school attempted to be more ecumenical. Chaplin S would quote from the Torah and Koran along with the Bible in Chapel, as well as touch on Hindu prayers and Buddhist rituals (In 2003, Chaplin S left and was replaced by Pastor W). The effort to have the Torah and the Koran next to the Bible in student homes has been made, though seldom enforced by Houseparents.
A World Religions class is available for the 10th and 12th grades. Yet, students have reviewed this class as “highly biased” and “a class where you’ll learn the name of a religion, why it’s wrong, and how to convert its followers to Christianity.” C expressed, “Even though my religion, Jehovah’s Witness, is under the Christian umbrella – my beliefs were still discriminated against and joked about in the class.” S said, “I have not yet attended World Religions class, but I’ve been informed that it is a stereotypical representation of each religion and is extremely demeaning to other religions except Christianity.”
As the opening statements to this editorial suggest, discrete, scarring and tragically unnecessary forms of intolerance and “intervention” occur behind closed doors. An anonymous student recalled, “I’ve been in student homes where the Houseparents encouraged the others to talk to me about God. I kind of believed in God at the time, but Christianity just seemed twisted to me. Well, they would start reading Bible passages out loud whenever I was in the room, or tell me they would pray for me, or that I was going to hell. I felt pressured to conform and the Houseparents demanded that I bow my head and close my eyes whenever we prayed. I tried very hard to appease them and at least be respectful, but I never received that respect back from them. It’s a mind game, really, but no one really understands or cares until it happens to them. The worst of it is - this was only 5th grade. Why is that okay?”
Whether the school is right or wrong about their stance on religion, it’s not up to us to decide. All we, as students, can do is stick to our own personal beliefs and practice tolerance with everybody else. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – The Golden Rule – it is at the heart of tolerance.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
An Editorial by Laura L. Gamari
“Last year, I told some girls in my student home what I believed in. They forced me into the living room and were trying to explain to me why I should believe what they believe (Christianity). They literally called my religion “stupid” and turned my serious beliefs into a joke.”
– S, Wiccan
“The school doesn’t really seem to care about other people’s faith. The school will not provide transportation to Jewish students for Temple so that they can expand their religious faith. The school only serves to the Christian community. I feel that, for our student body, diversity of faith is important.” –J, Christian
“My old Houseparents made me place a Bible on my headboard, so I placed a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I received 10 days of detention. They made me take down song lyrics I had on my tack-board (Don McLean’s “American Pie”, where the lyrics went: “No angel born in Hell/could break that Satan’s spell”). So I put up a lyric from Slayer's "Jesus Saves" (" For all respect you cannot lust/in an invisible man you place your trust"). I received 20 days of detention. I received 3 hours of chores for objecting to Pastor Mike’s explanation of Euthanasia as “killing someone you don’t think should live anymore.” Most recently, I confronted the school about starting a Gay/Straight Alliance – which is common in schools across America – but was denied even consideration based on the Judeo-Christian values of the school. So, do I feel there is religious intolerance at MHS? Yeah, you could say that.”
- Anonymous, Atheist
–
Is Milton Hershey School intolerant, and even oppressive, when it comes to matters of religion? Whenever the topic of faith is allowed to be broached, the situation can easily transform from a discussion into a riot. The purpose of this editorial is to explore, from the perspective of various members of the MHS community, the issue of religion for Senior Hall students.
While Christianity is, by far, the most common standing on religion at Milton Hershey School, it is not the only one. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Jainists, Wiccans, and Atheists walk the halls and vacuum the service porch along with everybody else. Yet at MHS, any inquiry about recognizing beliefs, other than Christianity, is usually answered by Houseparents and Administration alike with: “Milton and Catherine Hershey were Christians, and so our school is established on their faith.”
While students may cringe about this: the adults are right. (Kind of.)
The Hershey Archives (www.hersheyarchives.org) explains, “Both the Hershey and Snavely families were originally Mennonite.” However, “though Milton's mother was a staunch member of the Reformed Mennonite Church…formal religion was never a part of Milton Hershey's life. When he was asked once what his religion was, he is said to have replied, "The Golden Rule." The Golden Rule, of course, is “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” So important was this rule to Milton Hershey, that is hangs in every student home on campus. Religious Tolerance.org (www.religioustolerance.org) lists 21 world religions that have a version of The Golden Rule in their faith.
With that in mind, did Milton Hershey want his school to teach one religion, or the tolerance of other’s choices? An answer may be found, written in Hershey’s own words, in the very document that established MHS - the Deed of Trust. Article 17 of the Deed of Trust, which is on the MHS Intranet (http://intranet.apps.mhs-pa.org), states:
“The School shall be non-sectarian, but the moral and religious training of the scholars shall be properly looked after and cared for by the Managers. No favoritism shall be shown; by the Managers to any particular sect or creed. Each scholar shall be taught to speak the truth at all times, and each and every scholar shall be thoroughly trained to habits of economy, and industry.”
But, what is non-sectarian? A literal definition from Merriam Webster Dictionary defines non-sectarian as: “Not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group.” So, shouldn’t that mean that students are free to practice or believe anything they are inclined to? According to the “Statement of Religion,” policy 5.04, (this can be found by searching the word “Religion” on the MHS Intranet) the answer is “No”. The Policy states that:
“It is our interpretation that "nonsectarian", within the context of 1909 and the writing of the Trust and, in keeping with our heritage, we will not permit exclusion of students of other denominations, sects, or creeds. It is a right in the United States to hold to a particular belief system, according to the U.S. Constitution. The same is true at Deed of Trust, means to be "non-denominational" within the Judeo-Christian heritage.”
The school has, indeed, made attempts to accommodate more worldly views in our community. Students are not screened for their religious affiliation upon enrollment and there have not been any reported cases of a student being terminated based on their religious affiliation. Judeo-Christian does not mean “Christianity”, but actually having historical roots in both Judaism and Christianity. In fact, Policy 5.04 continues to declare:
“We also believe that it is essential to demonstrate respect for others' beliefs and traditions as stated in the Deed Milton Hershey School, as long as that belief system does not cause physical or emotional harm to the student or others. Therefore, to the extent that we are reasonably able, we will continue to be supportive of the religious needs of all students.”
The issue is not truly that Milton Hershey School is intolerant of non-Christian beliefs, but that there is little follow-through or support for more open-minded and tolerant action. Under the L- Administration, the school attempted to be more ecumenical. Chaplin S would quote from the Torah and Koran along with the Bible in Chapel, as well as touch on Hindu prayers and Buddhist rituals (In 2003, Chaplin S left and was replaced by Pastor W). The effort to have the Torah and the Koran next to the Bible in student homes has been made, though seldom enforced by Houseparents.
A World Religions class is available for the 10th and 12th grades. Yet, students have reviewed this class as “highly biased” and “a class where you’ll learn the name of a religion, why it’s wrong, and how to convert its followers to Christianity.” C expressed, “Even though my religion, Jehovah’s Witness, is under the Christian umbrella – my beliefs were still discriminated against and joked about in the class.” S said, “I have not yet attended World Religions class, but I’ve been informed that it is a stereotypical representation of each religion and is extremely demeaning to other religions except Christianity.”
As the opening statements to this editorial suggest, discrete, scarring and tragically unnecessary forms of intolerance and “intervention” occur behind closed doors. An anonymous student recalled, “I’ve been in student homes where the Houseparents encouraged the others to talk to me about God. I kind of believed in God at the time, but Christianity just seemed twisted to me. Well, they would start reading Bible passages out loud whenever I was in the room, or tell me they would pray for me, or that I was going to hell. I felt pressured to conform and the Houseparents demanded that I bow my head and close my eyes whenever we prayed. I tried very hard to appease them and at least be respectful, but I never received that respect back from them. It’s a mind game, really, but no one really understands or cares until it happens to them. The worst of it is - this was only 5th grade. Why is that okay?”
Whether the school is right or wrong about their stance on religion, it’s not up to us to decide. All we, as students, can do is stick to our own personal beliefs and practice tolerance with everybody else. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – The Golden Rule – it is at the heart of tolerance.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven
2023 : See :
https://www.mhskids.org/about/history/
DEED OF TRUST
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Being Wrong
Have you ever been told that "you always have to be right"?
Or
Have you ever told someone else they always have to be right?
Try this:
It's right to be wrong, and wrong to be right.
What is "being right"?
For students like us, it means knowing the truth - memorizing facts.
Facts are provable – Knowledge is provable.
And knowledge comes from a source: a textbook (written by people), a teacher (a person), The History/Discovery channel (more people) – and experience (you).
The first problem with knowledge is that it is documented by humans.
Humans make mistakes, forget, lie, embellish, and destroy.
In 2007 - we just do the best we can to figure it all out.
The second problem with facts, and the point of this e-mail, is that facts are knowledge from the past. The past could be 2,000 years ago, or 2 seconds. The people who remember could number in the millions, or one person. The world that is changed could be a small town – or the whole of the earth.
Knowledge is – extremely – important…..when it comes to:
-Remembering what came before us, so we don’t make the same mistakes
-Giving honor to people who changed the world – and how they changed it
-To give us a sense of perspective
-Realizing “what came before”
-To give life a purpose. Who cares what you do, if no one will remember it? If nothing will be changed by it?
However: Knowledge is the opposite of originality. Experience is the opposite of creativity.
Originality and Creativity – not [only] in the context of arts, but in everything - they are what fuel great change. Everyone knows that – but they know because a book said so – not because they lived it.
And when we rely on knowledge alone: we are stuck.
No innovation – good or bad – can come ONLY from knowledge.
School is about soaking up facts – and spitting them out.
Good student, average, or bad – it depends on A) how much you soak up and B) how much you care. That’s the secret – that’s it.
So what’s wrong with being right?
Being right means you are stuck.
Being right means you go on what you know – what you’ve been told, what you’ve read, and what you’ve done before.
This works in school.
This fails miserably in life.
What to do? BE WRONG.
Naturally, no one wants to be wrong. No one wants to be the person who has stupid ideas. No one wants to go through the trouble of being Original and Creative when other people will stop and stare, roll their eyes, ignore you, or laugh. Being wrong is a risk.
You can look at this risk in two ways:
- Risks are a measure of people. Those who don’t take risks, or mock other people’s risks, are relying on knowledge. They are trying to preserve what they are – they do not want change. Or maybe they are just afraid of it.
- Not all risks are good ones – but being WRONG has more POSSIBILITIES than being RIGHT. Being right is living in the past, being wrong is neither the past nor the future – it’s just a possibility. A really great wrong thing becomes right.
In the end, if you really believe in something, stand by it.
Taking the risk is not enough. After they mock you or ignore you – that is when you need to stand your ground. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE SERIOUS. This is not a joke; you are not just being a smart-ass. If you want it done – do it yourself.
BE WRONG.
Or
Have you ever told someone else they always have to be right?
Try this:
It's right to be wrong, and wrong to be right.
What is "being right"?
For students like us, it means knowing the truth - memorizing facts.
Facts are provable – Knowledge is provable.
And knowledge comes from a source: a textbook (written by people), a teacher (a person), The History/Discovery channel (more people) – and experience (you).
The first problem with knowledge is that it is documented by humans.
Humans make mistakes, forget, lie, embellish, and destroy.
In 2007 - we just do the best we can to figure it all out.
The second problem with facts, and the point of this e-mail, is that facts are knowledge from the past. The past could be 2,000 years ago, or 2 seconds. The people who remember could number in the millions, or one person. The world that is changed could be a small town – or the whole of the earth.
Knowledge is – extremely – important…..when it comes to:
-Remembering what came before us, so we don’t make the same mistakes
-Giving honor to people who changed the world – and how they changed it
-To give us a sense of perspective
-Realizing “what came before”
-To give life a purpose. Who cares what you do, if no one will remember it? If nothing will be changed by it?
However: Knowledge is the opposite of originality. Experience is the opposite of creativity.
Originality and Creativity – not [only] in the context of arts, but in everything - they are what fuel great change. Everyone knows that – but they know because a book said so – not because they lived it.
And when we rely on knowledge alone: we are stuck.
No innovation – good or bad – can come ONLY from knowledge.
School is about soaking up facts – and spitting them out.
Good student, average, or bad – it depends on A) how much you soak up and B) how much you care. That’s the secret – that’s it.
So what’s wrong with being right?
Being right means you are stuck.
Being right means you go on what you know – what you’ve been told, what you’ve read, and what you’ve done before.
This works in school.
This fails miserably in life.
What to do? BE WRONG.
Naturally, no one wants to be wrong. No one wants to be the person who has stupid ideas. No one wants to go through the trouble of being Original and Creative when other people will stop and stare, roll their eyes, ignore you, or laugh. Being wrong is a risk.
You can look at this risk in two ways:
- Risks are a measure of people. Those who don’t take risks, or mock other people’s risks, are relying on knowledge. They are trying to preserve what they are – they do not want change. Or maybe they are just afraid of it.
- Not all risks are good ones – but being WRONG has more POSSIBILITIES than being RIGHT. Being right is living in the past, being wrong is neither the past nor the future – it’s just a possibility. A really great wrong thing becomes right.
In the end, if you really believe in something, stand by it.
Taking the risk is not enough. After they mock you or ignore you – that is when you need to stand your ground. LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE SERIOUS. This is not a joke; you are not just being a smart-ass. If you want it done – do it yourself.
BE WRONG.
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