Michael Vick is in the Doghouse!

Michael Vick said he is not guilty of competitive dog fighting and other federal violations associated with the dog kennel, Bad Newzz Kennels located on his property in Surry County, Virginia.

I, for one, say let the man have his day in court.

The topic of Michael Vick’s alleged wrong-doing has been plastered all over the news and almost everyone I know, Falcon’s fan or not, has an opinion concerning Vick’s guilt. Few people have approached the issue from the perspective that it is the court’s job to decide Vick’s guilt, not the media.

Atlanta sport fans are notoriously fickle and that is evidenced in our view and treatment of Michael Vick. The name Michael Vick is a part of brand Atlanta, but that does not mean the man Michael Vick is a product we can sale, make a profit from, and then discard. Without Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcons would have had no super star and no majorly-endorsed Athlete.
If Michael Vick is truly guilty of competitive dog fighting, he deserves the penalty for his wrongdoing. He should make amends with his fans by financially supporting the animal rights movements and he should publicly apologize, but I do not think we, his once fans and supporters, should be so quick to dismiss his ability or his contributions to the Falcons. Atlanta needs Michael Vick more than Michael Vick needs Atlanta.

Zack Kirk Presents: The (Weekly) Geography of My Life

The Mountain (Highlight of the Week): This week was spent in College Board training for experienced teachers of AP Language and Composition. The training was not very relevant, but I did meet some wonderful people. This is especially true of Beth Knappenberger (North Carolina) and Janis Little (Tennessee). The highlight of my week was meeting these wonderful teachers and sharing in the teaching and learning experience with them.

The Valley (Lowpoint of the week): On Thursday, after training, I drove to my school and met with my principal about a Homecoming Dance. At my school, we have never had a homecoming dance and it looks like we won’t have one this year either. Citing bumping and grinding and mosh-piting as reason for declining my request as senior sponsor, I did all I could to make him realize that high school is about more than just academics. My pleas, however, were to no avail. Homecoming Dance 2008 ain’t happening this year!

This week:
I am reading: On Chisel Beach by Ian McEwen
I am listening to: Amerie’s Take Control
I am watching: The New Adventures of Old Christine
I recently discovered The New Adventures of Old Christine which stars Julia Louis Dreyfous and Wanda Sykes. If you have not checked out the show, do so on Monday. It is hilarious.

I am ready for next week because: I am going to see the play adaptation of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye which will debut in conjunction with the National Black Arts Festival. Every year the NBAF is a highlight in the city, but it is not every year I have money to enjoy the festivities. Teaching summer school definately has its monetary rewards.

The Politics of Fear Strike Again!

Once again, the United States is under the threat of a terror alert. According to recently reported news, United States officials are concerned about terror training cells in Pakistan. Odd that this new threat would suddenly find its way into the news with President Bush’s approval rating so low and the Republican party struggling to hold on to its base.

Too often, in the past, the Republican Party has used the politics of fear to win elections.

The citizens of the United States, I genuinely hope, are too savvy in 2007 to fall for the same ploy twice.

President Bush’s approval with the American people is low with good reason. As reported by Susan Page in last Monday’s USA Today, no modern president in history has left so much unfinished business for his successor. The war in Iraqi is not going away anytime soon, and most Americans are more than aware of how much we have invested in Iraq. While many of us accept that as the burden Bush has placed on our backs, many of us are unaware of the domestic issues our nation will deal with. Medicare, tax-cuts, the rising deficits, and America’s role in an increasingly competitive Global economy are also issues Bush’s successor will have to address.
A republican president and the republican party’s blind faith in this president created this situation. Hopefully, this is something America has come to realize and will not forget.

My Favorite Wife!

I limit my television viewing to one hour a day, excluding news, so the programs I watch (usually on DVR) are carefully chosen. With a television schedule that includes The Singing Bee, Next Best Thing, and So You Think You Can Dance, selecting one program a night to watch and follow faithfully should not be a difficult task, but quality programming is hard to find.

Thank God for HBO and Big Love.

With the demise of such quality dramas like Six Feet Under and The Sopranos, I was afraid that I would lose mandatory drama watching.

If you have not watched the program, the series revolves around polygamist, Bill Henrickson, his three wives, and their combined seven children living in Utah.

As stated on HBO (http://www.hbo.com/biglove/about/index.html):
As if juggling three wives weren't tricky enough, Season Two of Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-nominated 'Big Love' finds modern polygamist Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) tackling problems outside his three-house suburban home. As a failed expansion and a suspicious employee entangle his work at Henrickson Home Plus, Bill races to find the person responsible for outing his wife Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) as a polygamist at Utah's Mother of the Year ceremony. Meanwhile, back at the fundamentalist Juniper Hill compound, prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) sets his sights on Bill's brother Joey (Shawn Doyle) as leverage to regain a share of the family business. Throw a pregnant Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) and an overcompensating Nicki (Chloe Sevigny) into the mix, and Bill won't be getting much sleep at any of his houses. Bold, funny and wholly original, Big Love continues to explore the evolving institution of marriage through this typically atypical family.

I don’t believe in the principal of pluralism, but I am pleased that a show exists that has the fortitude to discuss such a controversial topic and the clever writing to do so in a tasteful and admirable manner

My favorite wife, hands down, is Nicolette. Played by academy award nominee, Chloe Savigny, Nicki is hilarious.

Margie: (half asleep) Where's Nicki?

Bill: What??Margie: It's Nicki's night. You gotta go.(Bill sneaks through the house, across the backyard and up to Nicki's bedroom.)

Nicki: Honey, what are you doing here?

Bill: It's our night!

Nicki: It was. Didn't you get my message? See the Post-It?

Bill: Post-It?

Nicki: I traded with Barb

Nicki: (about Barb) Do you think she's happy for me? About the baby?

Margie: Of course. She loves babies. Sometimes I think she wishes my boys were hers.

Nicki: Sometimes I think they wish the same thing.

Nicki: I love you, Bill.

Bill: I love you, too.

Nicki: How much?

Bill: I say it's astronomical, beyond all measure.

Nicki: I have $58,000 in debt.

Every Monday night (or Tuesday if I watch Making the Band or The New Adventures of Old Christine) will be tuned in faithfully. Make mine HBO.

The Fruits of Our Labor?

As a teacher of Advanced Placement Language and Composition, the almighty AP exam looms large at the beginning of each school year.

Before each school year begins, weeks are spent in training, developing course outlines, and revising the mistakes of the past. Once school starts, from the first day to the last, preparation for the AP exam takes place daily. Every single day of the course is spent preparing students for a test that proves more rigorous than any freshman English course in the United States.

This year, my students read two independent novels of their choice, The Life of Pi, The Scarlet Letter, Beloved, Ethan Frome, The Awakening, The Great Gatsby, Night Mother, Song of Solomon, and Raisin in the Sun. They wrote one research paper, two literary criticism papers, twelve out of class essays with revisions, five complete practice tests (with a total of 15 essays included within those tests) five journal entries per week, and more timed writes than I can recall. I know this is an inordinate amount of work to require of students. Even worse, it is an insane amount of work to require of any teacher to grade.

And it was all done in preparation for the almighty AP exam.

Exceptionally difficult multiple choice questions and three essays, one of which requires formatting, citing, and the incorporation of sources, all done within time restraints are more than asked of any undergraduate English major. The thought of all of this being done for just three credit hours of entry-level college composition is ridiculous.

The greatest tragedy in this situation lies in the fact some of the students came into the class woefully behind the mark. Scoring below the recommended forty-five percentile on the PSAT and having low grades in previous English classes, some of the students really did not have a fighting chance. Other students entered the course with absolutely no idea of the high level of work, rigor, and expectations needed for success in an AP class.

Across the country, the “non-profit” College Board advocates that all students take at least one AP course. Well, at the price of each test, this is not a surprise. The “non-profit” College Board also advocates that any student, regardless of prior ability, be given a chance to take an AP course.

I agree that all students deserve to be challenged. I agree that all students should be in classes ripe with rigor and relevance. However, what mandates that this should only occur in AP classes? Shouldn’t this be every single class where college-bound students are enrolled? How did College Board and AP come to patent high expectations for students?

Amazingly, my students defied expectations and did exceedingly well. 76% of my students passed this impossible test.

And what does this mean, exactly? Well, I don’t know. Personally, it means that its time to get started again. The year is over and in just three weeks, the new year will kick off with a bang.