#student u

[wammys-house-psychiatrist]

Umbral doesn’t appreciate these heinous lies, by the way. It was two paint brushes, not one.

“Goodness, [U] ... This file is just full of conduct that went amiss.”

[mlaulyfe]

Get Lost

I watched one of our high schoolers dance in his school’s Black History Month performance. As the performance began, it was clear the world around him disappeared. There was no gym filled with his classmates. There was no bright light shining down. There was no photographer or videographer or i-phone trying to get the perfect shot. The argument from the day before, the homework he forgot to do, the college application he still needed to submit, ceased to exist. His past, his future, were of no significance. All that was left was him and his music. As the dance performance continued, something spectacular happened. My world also disappeared. I too became myself and the music, and nothing else. I was lost in a forest of movement and joy with no desire to be found. The arts allow us to get lost in a moment. Whether performing a dance, playing an instrument, painting a picture, singing a song, or even simply watching a movie, the arts transport us to a world beyond our current reality. It is in this new world that I believe we can learn about a part of ourselves we typically keep dormant. It is in this new world we can explore the pieces of our identity we cover and hide. While art shines a light on our authentic identity, it also has the power to connect this true self with others. I love moments when my hidden self becomes friends with another’s hidden self. Together we sing along to a song playing on the radio. Together we watch a sky painted with color. Together we dance, following one another's lead. And art connects us with our past. While our student was lost in his moment, he was connecting to all those who came before him, also lost in moments trying to tell a story of race, life, love, and loss.   Maybe this weekend we can all get lost. Maybe we can sing, or dance, or draw, or dream in a way we usually deprive ourselves of doing.  Maybe we can get lost and find our true selves.

[mlaulyfe]

“All clichés aside, at the end of the rainbow I hope to find a pot of gold. However, my gold is defined by more than monetary treasure. In my pot of gold, I hope to be seen for all that I am. I hope to find balance and peace; not only amongst the world, but within myself. Constantly, I struggle to find harmony between the different pieces of my personality and to be seen rather than observed. The eyes of an individual who has truly seen the fullness of my being would see the blushing redness that is the love I have for others around me. They would see the orange that conveniently illustrates my obsession with basketball and the impact athletics have on my work ethic. Their eyes would be filled with the searing yellow that is my vigilance for life’s little moments and radioactive green that is my pursuit of a comfortable lifestyle for not only myself but for my family as well. This person would see the blue sky of knowledge that I attempt to fly through and indigo artisan that lives within me through music and writing. At last, their final view would be the blooming violet that represents my passion for spirituality and finding a greater purpose. This colorful arc that has been imprinted in the eyes of this beholder is the rainbow of my personality. It is my hope that one day these colors will mature, illuminate, and fuse together to form a dazzling lifetime and legacy that is my pot of gold. Then, I can stand with arms akimbo, roaring into the sunset.”

[mlaulyfe]

I am sitting in a place where “connecting” is everything. People arrive here to connect from one place to another, depart and then some defined time later, arrive at another connecting hub. The airport brings the corners of the world closer together, shrinking the globe to a "travelable" size. Ironically, the airport is a scene filled with great disconnection. Not only do most airports limit one’s ability to connect to the Internet, but more importantly, airports are filled with people from different places with different stories and different journeys, all avoiding eye contact and avoiding conversation as much as possible. How many people in the Delta terminal right now could I learn something from? How many of the 500 people within a 100 ft radius of my computer could inspire me? And how many people will I talk to? I am returning from a four day trip in NY during which I connected, reconnected, and disconnected. My primary goal for the trip was to connect to a Student U donor who lives in New Jersey. Although we have only met face to face one time, this woman each year provides Student U with significant funds to support our work. During a two hour lunch, we shared stories of our family and our past, discussed the amazing accomplishments of our students, and reflected onher role in making these accomplishments possible. We left with plans for this woman to connect me and Student U to her network of philanthropic friends in New York. The following day I reconnected with the foundation that provided Student U with its first significant donation in 2006 when Student U was just a vision and there were still no Student U students. It had been six years since my last meeting with this foundation and we spent the first ten minutes joking about how as a 20 year old in our first encounter I had a beard, long hair, and a complete lack of idea of what I was doing. Although Amanda would say my hair is still too long, it certainly felt good sharing the ways in which I and Student U have grown up. That afternoon I reconnected with one of my closest friends, Ben. Ben and I first met as second graders on the kickball field and have been best friends ever since. As one of the best men at my wedding, Ben and I have been celebrating life together for a long time. I had the opportunity to meet Ben’s girlfriend, the woman I am sure I will be toasting sometime soon at Ben’s wedding. After doing all of this connecting, there was only one thing left to do: disconnect. I turned my phone off, delayed writing Dan’s Digest (sorry faithful readers), and was fully present with my family. Without email and texts, without television and tweets, my parents, sister, and I spent an extremely rare few hours with just the four of us. It is amazing how powerful connections can be when we disconnect with the distractions around us. I fly back to Durham now, attempting to connect with you as everyone in LaGuardia’s Terminal D tries not to connect with those around them. Have a wonderful week of connecting, reconnecting, and when necessary, disconnecting.

Dan on Connecting

[mlaulyfe]

Are you not sure what the appropriate celebration for a leap day is? Let me give you one idea. We are living in a world with so much sadness. It doesn’t take long to open the newspaper or to talk to a friend or to listen to our own hearts to feel that sadness. I often times hear people say “I just don’t have time to make people happy.” Well, now you do. At some point next Wednesday, do something to make someone smile. Say thank you to a friend for her support; tell your mom how much you love her; write a card to your teacher expressing gratitude for how much you have learned in his class; bake cookies for the unsung heroes of your place of work or school; take 30 minutes to walk around your neighborhood and appreciate the beauty of the day.

-Dan

[mlaulyfe]

“On the contrary, she is one of us. Most decidedly. She is us more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are. Or were.”

-Stargirl

[mlaulyfe]

# 12 Meeting people that happen to change your life.

"1) Student U will always remain a part of these teachers. After working with such incredible peers, students, and parents, our teachers are forever changed. Wherever they might go, whatever they might do, the Student U experience will always be a part of their path, and therefore will undoubtedly influence their future. For eleven of them, the connection to their future will be simple as this group returns back for another year at Student U. For the twenty-five others who have dedicated their talents to our program, the correlation between Student U and whatever is next might not be so clear. But I am positive that when they least expect it, a student’s smile, a parent’s comment, a coworker’s wisdom will pop into their mind and make the world seem a little bit brighter.

2) These teachers will always remain a part of Student U. As we continue to grow and develop as a program, the energy, passion, and commitment of this year’s teachers will guide us and inspire us. It will be Max’s evaluation, Muriel’s joy, Alex Swain’s presence, Hannah’s intelligence, Kirsten’s instincts, Katie’s creativity, Allie Yee’s dedication (I could go on…) which will set the example for our new teachers. When everyone returns for Student U’s reunion and five year Celebration (July 29th+30th), teachers will recognize their influence on Summer 2011. In five more years when teachers return for our ten year birthday party, teachers will notice that the brilliance they brought in Summer 2010 is still present, shining even brighter, so many years later. Once you become a part of the Student U Family, you are stuck with us forever. So for our teachers who are graduating and/or doing something new this summer, I promise Student U will remain a part of you and you will remain a part of Student U. On behalf of the whole Student U community, thank you.

YOU are amazing. YOU are amazed."

-Dan Kimberg