Description on pictures

The apartment pictures are pretty self explanatory. I attached a video to go along with it. It's sort of small but I really don't need that much space when there is dorm lobby to go hang out in too.

The new dorm pictures are as follows from top to bottom : Left view of lobby with table and aquarium, also Junior wing and my apartment. Right view of lobby with couches fireplace and TV, also senior wing and window to chapel. Middle hallway down freshman sophomore wing and also head deans apartment. Kitchenette. Study room. View of boys dorm from girls dorm. Girls Dorm. There is also a guest bathroom, office (we're still waiting for our new desk), laundry room and basement with exercise equipment. It's all very homey and is a bit like living in a hotel. We are very blessed.

The study room has been getting some use now that I've started tutoring. The girls do their homework in there when I'm not tutoring as well. I like teaching better than tutoring even though they seem like the same thing. A lot of the stuff I have to learn with the students, like math and english. I've forgotten a lot, such as prepositional phrases and Algebra 2. It's cool though. I like being able to help. I enjoy explaining things so they understand. I'm also helping a girl study for the SAT even though she's only a freshman. She want's to do really well so I've started her off with some vocabulary words.

Finished Dorm!

New Apartment photos. Description to come

Getting ready to be busy

We are just finishing our spring break. I used some of my time to set up a schedule for tutoring with the girls that have down grades. I will be very busy from now on. The schedule leaves little time for free time. This is ok though. I think I will be more productive with the small amount of time that I have.

The new dorm is amazing to be in but the water tastes like sawdust... blah. I will post pictures of my apartment and the dorm once I finish unpacking. Not much else to say as we've all been on break.

Rewards of Practicing Authority

The weekend before we moved into the new dorm the head dean slept in her new apartment. So, I was on duty for the last four or so nights. Since the rooms were set up in classrooms in individual cubical like rooms everyone can hear everyone else and any lamps that are left on can be noticed by everyone. The RA was having trouble quieting a particular room down for lights out so I came in and told [lets call her] Andrea to turn off her lights and stop talking. I had to tell her three times and then she still mouthed back to me one last time. I was thinking of what I could do so that she would understand that her behavior was unacceptable. I was really at a loss of what to do because I didn’t want her to think she could walk all over me like that. So, I decided to take her phone away.

The next day (Friday) she came and told she couldn’t find her phone and I told her I took it and the reason I took it. That evening Andrea walked by the office with a friend and a swear word slipped out after she dropped something. That whole evening she was being extremely obnoxious and irritating seeming on purpose and she kept talking back to me as well.

At WA there is a policy where if a girl swears they have a worksheet to fill out about why they swore and what they can do to change, etc... There are three worksheets for three offenses and then on the fourth offense they are sent to ad-committee where further action is applied. I looked in her file and noticed that she had filled two of the three worksheets out so I gave her the last one and explained that she would go to ad-committee next time. This worksheet was almost completely blank and said, ‘In 250 words please explain the effect on other people your misuse of language has caused and explain what you can do to change.

She was very perturbed at me but twenty five minutes later she returned the paper. It had 59 words and basically said, ‘my language did not effect anyone except the dean. Her name is Katherine Miller. To change I will not talk around her ever again.’

I called her back in the office and explained that the sheet was not acceptable and asked her to try again. Another twenty five minutes later I got it back and it was not completely how I wanted it but it was better and longer, so I accepted it. I then essentially said, ‘I know it seems ridiculous that you had to fill out this paper for accidentally letting a word slip but, you can control these accidents and these worksheets will help motivate you to form better habits. I love you and want you to grow into a respectable young lady.’ I said I’d give her phone back the next day in the afternoon and she walked out without saying anything.

On Sunday Andrea came in and wanted to talk to me about something. She actually apologized about how she had been acting. She was sorry for mouthing off and disrespecting me the last few days and said she was under some stress. This was so cool! I forgave her and offered condolences for her stress. Now we’re friends again and all is well.