M. R.

DABNEY

THE OPUS
INTRODUCING
MIXED GENRE EXISTENTIAL LITERATURE,

MOMENTUM&
SYNTHOLOGY
An existential journey of a teenager, family man, and lifelong learner

Series Editor M. R. Dabney

 Table of Contents

Forward…… VI
Preface…… IX
Introduction…… XI
The Disconnect…… XII

Contextual Terms for Analysis…... XV

CH1 The Researcher…… 18
Introduction……
Research Inspirations…… 19
Research Questions…… 19
My Professional Opinion…… 19
My Goal…… 20
Commentary…… 21
Self-Preservation…… 21
1. A Brief Socio-Historical Perspective of American Institutions…… 22
The Birth of American Racism…… 23
The Progress of Industry and Education…… 23
Progressivism and Apprenticeships…… 24
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2. A View of America’s Current Education System…… 24
Private Education in America…… 24
Public Education in America…… 24
An Overview of Magnet Schools…… 25
An Overview of Charter Schools…… 26
3. Gender and Education…… 28
Psychosocial Considerations…… 29
Biological Findings……29
Demographic Explanations……30
Facilitation and Methods……31
Summary…… 32
Shop…… 33

CH2 Crash Course: The Stakeholders of K-12

Education…… 34
Objectives…… 34
Reflecting on School Choice…… 35
Education Is A Product…… 36
What’s In A Philosophy?...... 36
My Philosophy…… 37

Test Your Knowledge…… 38

Who’s Shopping?...... 42
The Student…… 43
Special Education…… 43
Giftedness…… 45
Is Your Child Gifted?...... 46
Consider Some School Philosophies & School Brands…… 47
Three School Philosophies…… 47
Teacher Centered…… 47
Subject Centered…… 48
Child Centered…… 49
Four School Brands…… 49
Public…… 49
Private…… 50
Magnet Schools…… 50
Charter Schools…… 51

2
Profile of an American School District: Cobb County Schools…… 51
Fictional Considerations…… 52
Three School Brands: Cobb County School District…… 53
Carl Harrison High School…… 53
Pebble Brook High School…… 54
Imagine International Academy of Mableton…… 54
Pros & Cons…… 56
CH3 Memoirs and Poetry…… 62
What’s Going On?...... 63
Ode to Basketball…… 65
For The Love of Basketball...... 66
One Year Later…… 68
High School…… 69
Out of Bounds…… 71
Lock Smith…… 74
Not Just Another Fling…… 74
School of Thought…… 77
The Friend Who Fell…… 78
Eternal External…… 81
Rhyme and Reason…… 82
Life Goes On…… 84
Haircuts By Mark…… 84
Summer Loving…… 89
The Technician…… 93
Back To School…… 98
My Little Family…… 99
Love, Marriage and Family…… 100
Make It Fly…… 102
Making It Fly…… 102
What’s Left of Me…… 104
An Early Retirement…… 105
Say a Little Prayer…… 107
I Have it All Figured Out…… 108
Interface…… 110
CH4 Livelihood & The Transformative “I”…… 111
Moments of Influence…… 111
DJ and the Crew…… 112
Deconstruct…… 122
Unfinished Business…… 122
Life of a Salesman…… 124
Dirty Work…… 126
Life …… 127
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 Musical Chairs…… 130
Right Of Passage…… 131
MC Stammer; That’s Right We Prey…… 133
Pest Control…… 165
Written Appeal to The _______ Department of Labor Board of Review…… 166
All You…… 168
Written Statement of Position to the Board of Review…… 169
The Lesser of Men…… 173

CH5 Compositions and Poetry…… 175

Methods…… 176
Best Practices…… 176
Adult Education…… 178
Adult Education…… 179
Professionalism Leadership and Intelligences…… 180
Contextual Intelligence…… 190
Projective Intelligence…… 190
Creative Intelligence…… 191
Analytical Intelligence…… 191
Leadership…… 191
True Education…… 192
Social Contamination…… 193
Hip Hop Curriculum/Urban Curriculum…… 194
No Child Left Behind…… 196
4. American Institutions Continued: Retail Citizenship…… 197
Scope…… 198
A Brief History of Antitrust Law…… 199
Cartels in the Global Environment…… 200
The Retail Parlay and American Antitrust Issues…… 201
Antitrust Episodes With the World’s Largest Company…… 202
A Brief Overview of the World’s Largest Company…… 203
Reaching Community Stakeholders Through Charity…… 203
Wal-Mart as Corporate Citizen…… 203
Some Interesting Facts About Wal-Mart…… 203
Parleying for Bilateral Agreements…… 204
Summary of the Literature…… 204
Global Economy…… 205

CH6 E-mail Journals…… 207

The Inspiration…… 219
References…… 220

4
M. R. Dabney is the actual creator of Mixed Genre Existential
Literature and founder of the Synthology Research Project.
Though this book is nonfiction, all names of individuals,
business entities, institutions, and geographical locations [cities]
have been fictionalized to protect privacy.

5
The Opus God bless the dedicated teachers of the world.

M. R. Dabney

6
 Foreword

The truth in the passages that follow may have at times yielded to the misperception of the
author. Nevertheless, the information in this book was shared with the best intent. This book
offers the reader an introspective view of the protagonist, a once academic underachiever who
eventually overachieved in academia and other arenas of life to form intellectual thought for the
world to ponder.
M. R. Dabney is the originator as well as the first author to contribute to the literary format he
calls Mixed Genre Existential Literature (MGEL). This MGEL product is also intended to be
received as a business card in order to attract clients who wish to contribute their own literary
work to the genre. You will find MGEL to be a robust form of literary expression as you learn
about M. R. Dabney and the future protagonists who choose to contribute to this genre.

7
Welcome! I hope this book inspires
songs, movies, plays, periodicals, more
books, business ventures, or just one
individual besides myself. Please enjoy
the journey that awaits you! You will be
challenged, entertained, and
enlightened.

8
s
Knowledge is power. Synthology is
ammunition. Don’t just read,
synthesize!
Contextual Terms for Analysis
Acculturation is the exchange of cultural features that result when groups of individuals having
different cultures come into continuous contact.
Affective domain is the learning domain that connects attitudes, values, and motivation to an
individual existentially.
At risk youth are children/youth that are more likely to drop out of school due to a variety of
demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional characteristics, because of issues like boredom
and disaffection. The term can be used to describe a wide variety of students including any
combination of the following: academically disadvantaged, disabled, low socioeconomic status,
probationary students, or gifted students.
Behavioral prompt means to insight, alert, or inspire the action or reaction of any material
under given circumstances through external or internal stimuli.
Cataclysm means a sudden and violent upheaval or disaster that causes great changes in society,
especially one of a social or political nature.
Catechismal is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious
teaching.
Compulsory means required, mandatory, obligatory.
Conscientiousness means controlled by or done according to the inner sense of what is right or
wrong in one's conduct or motives; impelling one toward right action; thoughtful of the complex
ethical and moral principles that control or inhibit the actions or thoughts of an individual.
Contingency is dependence on chance or on the fulfillment of a condition.
Curricula is the combination of courses of study given in a school, college, university, etc.
Demographics are the statistical data of a population, especially those showing average age,
income, education, etc.
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E-mail journaling is the use of e-mail as a repository for ones thoughts and activities during an
interval in time, or the act of saving all pertinent e-mail correspondence for future reference.
Enculturation is the process where the culture that is currently established teaches an individual
the accepted norms and values of the culture or society in which the individual lives. The
individual can become an accepted member and fulfill the needed functions and roles of the
group. Most importantly the individual knows and establishes a context of boundaries and
accepted behavior that dictates what is acceptable and not acceptable within the framework of
that society.
Existential means of, relating to, or dealing with existence.
Fiduciary means a position of authority that obligates an individual to act on behalf of another in
good faith and with care, candor, and loyalty in fulfilling obligations.
Global Economy is the international spread of capitalism; also called globalization.
Indoctrination means to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology.
Industrialism is the economic organization of society built largely on mechanized industry
rather than agriculture, craftsmanship, or commerce.
Inferential means to derive by reasoning and conclude or judge from premises or evidence.
Institution is a well-established and structured pattern of behavior or relationships that are
accepted as a fundamental part of a culture.
Interface consists of the facts, problems, considerations, theories, and practices shared by two or
more disciplines, procedures, or fields of study; a point at which independent systems or diverse
groups interact.
Introspective means to examine one's own mind or its contents reflectively.
Lifelong learner is one who commits to the lifelong, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of
knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. As such, it not only enhances social
inclusion, active citizenship and personal development, but also competitiveness and
employability. The term recognizes that learning is not confined to childhood or the classroom,
but takes place throughout life and in a range of situations.
Locus of control
Macrocosm is a representation of something on a much larger scale.
Positive reinforcement is the offering of desirable effects or consequences for a behavior with
the intention of increasing the chance of that behavior being repeated in the future.
Macro-perspective is the perspective, or the form of analysis, which focuses on the structure of
society and provides a way of seeing society as a unified whole. In this perspective, minimal
attention is given to the individual or the subjectivity of actors. The structures of society are
thought to be primary and responsible for shaping the individual.
Man-day is an industrial unit of production equal to the work one person can produce in a day.
Microcosm is a representation of something on a much smaller scale.
Mixed Genre Existential Literature (MGEL) is a literary genre developed by Mark Dabney
during his first effort to apply Synthology to product development. The product consists a
literary focuses on the defining moments of a protagonist’s life through narrative, memoir, or
fiction, while incorporating non tradition inserts such as academic research and poetry. This art
form can incorporate other literary genres that complement the plot of an epic novel, novella, or
autobiography as well as play or screenplay.
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Momentum is the strength or force that allows something to continue to grow stronger or faster
as time passes or by a series of events.
Opus is a literary work or composition.
Overachieve is when an individual performs better than what is expected by others.
Ponder is to consider something deeply and thoroughly.
Protagonist is the leading character of a drama or other literary work.
Psyche is the mental or psychological structure of a person.
Psychosocial means of or pertaining to the interaction between social and psychological factors.
Pundit is a learned person, expert, or authority; a person who makes comments or judgments;
critic or commentator.
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry appropriated in many different academic
disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts.
Reflection means careful consideration; a thought occurring in consideration or meditation;
mental concentration; an opinion resulting from retroactive consideration.
Schematized means to arrange according to any system of correlated things; conceptual
framework.
Self-actualize is to achieve full potential through creativity, independence, spontaneity, and a
grasp of the real world.
Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in their ability to successfully complete a task or exert
control over their own motivations, emotions, behavior, and social environment.
Signification means making a series of oblique remarks apparently addressed to no one in
particular.
Socio-economic status (SES) is an economic and sociological combined total measure of a
person's work experience and of an individual's or family’s economic and social position relative
to others, based on income, education, and occupation. When analyzing a family’s SES, the
household income earners' education and occupation are examined, as well as combined income.
Socioeconomic status is typically broken into three categories, high SES, middle SES, and low
SES. When placing a family or individual into one of these categories any or all of the three
variables (income, education, and occupation) can be assessed.
Subsistence means the source from which food and other items necessary to exist are obtained;
barely sufficient to maintain life.
Synthology is the study of synthesis and currently a proposed pseudo-science designated as a
macro representation of product units such as MGEL. It is an original term developed by Mark
Dabney. An example of a Synthology thesis and an ideal focus of the organization would be to
link terms such as momentum and metaphysics to expand research in the subject socio-physics
and use the research to inspire ergonomic products.
Synthology Research Project (SRP) is a research and development brand dedicated to the study
of synthesis.
Vicarious means felt or enjoyed through imagined participation in the experience of others.

11
 Preface
Mixed Genre Existential Literature books will be recognized as products of Synthology.
A major portion of the synthesis recipe is to manifest that which populates the individual’s
mental models, brain schemes, and affective domain. The consideration of the study of
synthesis as an intellectual activity could lead to the development of usable products and services
for community, business, and industry.

12
 MOMENTUM, TRANSFORMATION & SYNTHESIS
1
What really influences a person’s life?
Teachers, parents, friends, livelihood, and lovers
What really influences progress?
Research, education, hard work, and leadership

Transformation & Momentum

Nothing seemed concrete at this time of less restraint. Stability had eluded me for an entire
decade. During my earliest ventures, between the years 1991 and 2000, thoughts of grandeur
interrupted my undergraduate education and landed me in a small town that offered real estate
ownership and business opportunities. With those days behind me, in front of me stood an
imposing reality. My quality of life was plummeting. Despite having returned to college from
1994 – 1997 for the completion of my undergraduate degree in liberal arts. Proof of the matter
was the absence of the usual camouflage, which was the creativity construct. Creativity once
used for t-shirt production, barbering, and real estate investments had long since transformed
into aspirations of corporate professionalism, which from 2000 – 2006 enhanced my value
system. Yet opportunities at professionalism (sales, service, and management) would also
eventually wean. In the year 2007 the duality of unemployment caused me to surrender my
tenured entrepreneurial spirit. I fell short of certifications necessary to proceed with my trade
of choice. My income ceased and my manly sense of purpose as related to my job was waiting
for new life. I was stagnated and searching for momentum.
I began searching for graduate school opportunities for nontraditional students per a
suggestion from my estranged wife. She would also begin a graduate program in the year 2007.
My heart remained attached to my estranged wife. Our marriage didn’t evaporate by some
13
unknown force. Someone existed outside of clear view. During our separation my senses
rippled. Strained peripherals enhanced my olfactory senses. Nonverbal cues rang in my ears
like a telephone. Sublingual residues had already tarnished my appearance, yet I desired
clarification from her. She was no longer sensitive to my touch. My words bounced off of her.
I awaited her reinforcements. She reinforced me discriminately through sparse conversations.
Her words became altered in tone and inflection. I dissected her words to nourish my curiosity
as verbal communication eventually faded to gesticulation. Moreover, all of her questionable
behaviors in our eighteen years together became retro-activated. I sportingly scrutinized her
questionable behaviors in my mind’s eye, sometimes pondering for hours.
Communication soon diminished. Her frequent affirmations during our separation were
contradictory to her muffled torts. Juxtaposing I assumed, yet translatable as ambiguous offers
to fill a vacancy rendered obsolete by our expired commitment. She became effective at
offering hypothetical opportunities for me to reclaim the responsibilities associated with our
family unit. I found it psychologically draining. From her, rhetorical questions stimulated the
fondest memories. Open-ended questions secured eager answers and were often interrupted
with “these children want to talk to you”. Our dialogue remained tactically insincere, possibly
for the precise measure of my reactions. I’ve been told some women in your life aspire to
know you better than you know yourself. As she gauged my emotions she must have noticed
my quest for autonomy increased. Our relationship was justified merely by contingency. It
was time for me to self-actualize.
Nothing brought me more normalcy than weekends with my children. I became dependent
on these meetings as a way to be what I thought I should be and the male role model my
children needed. We usually met at a bookstore or restaurant. The arrangement brought
equilibrium to my life, but there was a portable essence. My estranged wife possessed too much
power in the arrangement. She could crush my spirit with one cancellation. I couldn’t figure
out what made the children’s mom tick. She no longer lingered venomously on my watch, yet
when it came to our children I was definitely on her watch.
I eventually realized the benefit of cohesion during my early stages as a single father. In a
most ironic twist the in-laws offered a new assurance. When my wife and I were together I
14
often felt ostracized by her family. Therefore, the floating invitation of extended family left me
resentful. In time my resentment grew into acceptance. It would have been silly to hold her
parents accountable for our separation. I slowly became impressed with the possessiveness her
parents bestowed in regard to our children.
The sincere intervention tactics of the in-laws led me to consider the possibility of
reparations from my own childhood paternal origins. I was not discouraged about past
difficulties getting along with Dad. Twenty years had transpired since that 1988 Saturday
morning. That was the summer morning I was illegally evicted from my childhood home at the
age of seventeen as Mommy stood tearing on the porch. Dad set my belongings on the curb
and demanded the house key for a mere curfew violation. Of little consequence was me
escaping my at risk youth status and being accepted to Campusville University because my
ACT score met the requirements.
The year was 2008. I was studying coursework from the doctrines of adult education. The
adult education theories that spoke of transformation during the learning process changed my
philosophy and the way I generally perceived others. Analyzing constructs such as experience,
critical thinking, reflection, and knowledge acquisition served as a daily litmus test for enhanced
sociological understanding. Yet the whole idea of musing this subject constituted a mere
academic arrangement and perhaps an over indulgences of semantics. Conversely, I became
more than an education major with an adult education focus. Studying these doctrines caused
me to see myself as a transformative protagonist who applied new knowledge in real-time to
make life adjustments. As the doctrines expanded there were considerations of society as a
whole. For instance, the new millennial research suggested society was moving faster than
conventional education practices could facilitate. Coordinately, it was suggested to potential
lifelong learners that adults were likely re-educable at the highest levels of academia and only
limited by learning styles and value systems. Yet creative aspects were more likely to be
limited by age and not necessarily education opportunities.
Approaching completion of the master’s program, I returned home for inspiration. I
perceived my pending Capstone project as an epic opportunity for self-expression. Plus most
of my education occurred in the city where I was born. I found that Mommy’s dementia had
15
transgressed to Alzheimer’s upon my return. In reality there was no longer a buffer zone
between love and hate in our family. As a matriarch Mommy evenly distributed maternal love,
yet domestic hostilities ensued between me and Dad and the siblings thought highly of their
Dad. Dad lacked critical judgment or was simply indifferent about our father son relationship.
His misuse of authority was only governed by his superficial good nature, which was usually
reserved for those outside of the nuclear family.

Momentum & Synthesis

I have remained a rational human being despite being schematized during my high school
years with a challenged self-efficacy and meeting conflict later during my successes in college,
entrepreneurialism, and career progressions. During my most recent loss of a great job, I
ventured to recapture my true essence. That job was my recovery career from a disappointing
marriage separation. I found sanctity in the lucrative piece work and spontaneous hints of danger
from those unsuspecting creatures of the outdoors. Most important was the autonomous man-
day. Every day’s momentum depended on me, my TRUCK, and my tools of the trade.
Academic testing opportunities, management certifications, and credit granting seminars backed
by the heavily researched field of entomology were also part of the job’s culture. These were
features that transferred to my resolve and desire to continue my academic pursuit.
My response to unemployment was strategic alignment with an institution to study the subject
of teaching and learning at the graduate level. I eventually stumbled upon a heightened
momentum after exploring relevant research topics and developing prolific compositions.
Majoring in instructional education and selecting extra coursework in the field of adult education
served as a reflective and reparative process. This program was where I composed an excess of
academic research. Meanwhile, my most existential thought processes suggested academic
rebellion. I began to celebrate the value of my urban creative writing voice. This genuine
writing voice represented my philosophical Midwestern urban American spirit. The compilation
of these works welcomed synthesis of the myriad writing styles.
Seaming entertainment, academia, literary synopsis, essay, poetry, memoir, and journaling
was challenging. Yet synthesis of these works opened reflectivity. This reflective path
16
encapsulated existentialism and momentum. Secured was a relevance significant enough to store
and dissect my personal failures and losses, as well as develop a better understanding of the
world. My reflections transcended many years historically and personally to offer a brutally
introspective and existential conscientiousness. The voices of employers, scholars, classmates,
lovers, friends and family, and my own voice resonates within the inferential powers of these
literary combinations.
I’m honestly not a get-smart-quick pundit. I’m more of a cognitive laborer who adjusted and
focused my intellectual lens to indulge both micro and macro perspectives. I realize we are in
the information age and most people don’t share my indulgences. Most would probably prefer
bigger bits and pieces of synthesized information that they themselves will not likely evaluate.
They probably want their information seasoned and prepared, ready to serve, and with the recipe
included. Further, what can be at times very significant in processing information is that it
interfaces with our core individualities. Meaning, information processing is limited by
affectivity and the environment.
Summary
This book comprises the ingredients of my personal transformation that lead to a gainful
momentum, a product producing synthesis, and the branding of a research and development
project with unlimited range. A proposal for a literary genre resulted from my information
processing and delving into my core individuality. I firmly believe much of any individual’s
displacement could be resolved with the establishment of introspective analysis and synthesis of
personal memoir, journaling, and mainstream or original poetry as well as historic, scientific, or
some other form of factual consideration from a macro-perspective. Meaning there exists an
undeniable therapeutic benefit to creating a Mixed Genre Existential Literature product.
Branding the Synthology Research Project exemplifies the need for an organized
pseudoscience capturing the essence of synthesis beyond my own personal interests in literature.
Meaning, other products beside Mixed Genre Existential Literature could easily result from
careful consideration of synthesis. The MGEL recipe requires deep interpersonal study and the
adjoining of elements from separate materials to create an entity or product. With full

17
understanding that all are not focused on creating literary entities, I’ll strive to diversify the study
of synthesis by sustaining SRP as a long term research and development project.

18
 2
The Researcher
We begin this chapter with a brief introduction that precedes subheadings Research Inspirations,
Research Questions, My Professional Opinion, My Goal, and Commentary. The presentation then
evolves with several titles. Number 1 is A Brief Socio-Historical Perspective of American Institutions.
This title includes three subheadings that offer a brief overview of human progress in America. The
subheadings are: The Birth of American Racism, The Progress of Industry and Education, and
Progressivism and Apprenticeship. The poetic insert Self Preservation is offered in this chapter.

My return home upon completing the graduate program’s classroom requirements welcomed
new curiosities regarding my former K-12 schools. My interests were inspired by the need to
develop a subject for a pending Capstone research project. With the research project pending
and plenty of time during the winter holiday season, I decided to stop at each of the schools I
once attended. Two of the three were approaching dilapidation for several years. My former
kindergarten became a thriving community center with evening programs for teens. A charter
organization purchased the grade school I once attended. I inquired within and heard news of a
buyout (not a lease) of the grade school, which shared the same plot of land as the church. My
former high school converted to a coed campus due to financial difficulty. It merged with the
girl’s school just a few blocks away. The girl’s school was converted to a public library. This
decision broke more than 100 years of tradition for the two schools. The visit home inspired an
extensive reflection on school choice. I found in my personal observations, just as covered in my
course work, that school districts and school brands were subject to change.

The documents in this chapter include components of research documents I composed while in
pursuit of my graduate degree. Some of the writings are directly related to my Capstone topic.

19
Research Inspirations
As a youth I shared a modest and comfortable upbringing with two siblings (a younger
brother and older sister). Mommy swore by the educational values of the Catholic school
system. Dad offered a neutral stance despite being a dedicated Baptist. Therefore, my siblings
and I attended Catholic schools and remained members of the Baptist church. School choice was
neither prevalent nor much of an issue at that time and in our school district. It usually meant
acquiring a home in a neighborhood with a respected school district, or paying tuition at a private
school. Dad and grandmother purchased a three family house years before my siblings and I
were born. His obsession with that house and Mommy’s opinion of the school district solidified
their decision to send us to Catholic schools.
I developed five research questions during my studies and the return home.
Research Questions
1. How does education relate to other evolving American institutions?
2. What are some characteristics of K-12 education?
3. What is the history of education in America as it relates to school choice?
4. What are some significant school brands and philosophies?
5. What is the significance of single gender education?
A historical truth about America’s compulsory education system is it was inspired by the
shift from agricultural societies to industrialism and the judicial shift from separate but equal
facilities to diversely populated public schools. The country’s education system now offers
education brands that students can choose as consumers of K-12 education. Tailored education
is an attainable product. The synthesized synopses of compositions in this chapter and the
research product in Chapter 2 provide enlightenment to the consumer and broadens their range of
thought in reference the education market.

My Professional Opinion
In order to be a proactive consumer in a market as dynamic as America's multi-district
education system, the parent (who is representative of their child) must develop a philosophy,
knowledge of the child as student, and a clear understanding of opportunities and relevant
20
research topics concerning education (single gender environments, special education, school
curriculum etc.). I considered citations dating back to the founding fathers of America. The
words of Thomas Jefferson best acknowledged justification for mass public education in
America. “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what
never was and never will be” (Lieberman, 1993, p. 16).
Mass public education in America was involuntary and reactionary to technological
development and sociological adaptation. There were modest and codependent beginnings in
relation to the transcendence of industrialism over an agricultural economy. Additionally,
America’s Supreme Court sorted socio-political occurrences. Court decisions solved issues of
race and religion resulting in separation of church and state and desegregation. These
adjustments inspired the evolution of the autonomous public brand of education known today,
which further revolved to contribute brands such as magnet and charter schools.

My Goal
I wish to offer an informed contribution concerning education decisions for fiduciary
education consumers. The following literary synopsis overviews the history and philosophy of
public, private, magnet, and charter programs, as well as the institutions that have influenced
them most. You will read about public schools having distinguishing idiosyncrasies tied to
administrative processes. Private schools usually comprise religious orientations. Magnet
schools sometimes require auditions or lottery picks. Charter schools can cease and desist with
very little warning. The preceding is just a hint of what consumers should consider when
exercising school choices for their children. I offer the consumers of education a brief
indoctrination of the institutions responsible for indoctrinating us all. I chose to research school
brands with the highest potential of nationwide service capacity, the traditional private and
public, and the recently growing magnet and charter. These options are offering nationwide
accommodations in growing numbers. There is now a choice in districts where education
consumers are not used to having choices.
Commentary
My lack of choice in the past as a K-12 student spiked envy as I identified magnet and charter
21
school options throughout my hometown during the visit. My research transformed envy into
vigilance. Every parent, student, teacher, and administrator should have a body of knowledge
that allows him or her to make and monitor discriminating decisions about America's fluctuating
education options. We owe it to our children to hunt the best options available.

Intelligence is a precursor to academic success, but not the only factor. This is why school choice can be
a monumental consideration. Intelligence has much to do with biological and environmental factors that
we or our children cannot control. However, a conscious effort to monitor behavior can influence factors
that lead to intellectual preservation and personal development. Such thoughts inspired the poem titled
Self Preservation.

The American student is judged under one pretense;

no not common sense,
but intelligence.
You must use your common sense to preserve intelligence.
Most of us have five senses.
Don’t take them for granted.
Refine the design.
Be swift with your gift.
You must master your senses so you are not defenseless.
First,
use your sense of sight.
When you know your environment,
you can conquer your plight.
Second,
use your sense of hearing.
Choose friends who are well meaning,
those who use constructive or positive words
and those who are endearing.
Third,
use your sense of smell.
Good smells make good memories like grandma’s cooking.
Never dig in without smelling or looking.
Fourth,
is your sense of taste.
Know what you’re eating before it gets close to your face.
What you digest reaches your bloodstream.
Don’t get your blood dirty.
It’s not easy to clean.
Fifth on our sensory gift list is the sense of touch.
It always means nothing
or something.
It could be tied to emotional and/or physical satisfaction.

22
 To every action there is a reaction.
To every pretense there’s a consequence.
Just like there’s an offense for every defense.
The sense of touch is controlled by the nervous system.
The nervous system is controlled by the brain.
What you touch and feel can bring you pleasure or pain.
As an intelligent being you must develop and preserve your senses.
Never fall for false pretenses.
You’re going to need permission to grow in this world and
enter other learning communities.
Tests measure your level of intelligence.
Your granted or denied acceptance under that pretense.
I recommend you find ways to grow intelligently and
independently and choose the way you spend your time discriminately.

A Brief Socio-Historical Perspective of American Institutions

If I explained to my youthful kindred from 1923-1950 African-American men were not
allowed to compete as professional basketball players in America’s National Basketball
Association. Rather, these athletes played among two teams: The Harlem Globetrotters and New
York Renaissance (Thomas, 2001). The boys would likely have considered this view of human
transgression as another of my attempts at humor. Years ago as a child, I remember my
grandmother’s prideful stories of being needed at home and forced to quit school after third
grade. From my perspective as a lifelong learner, that sacrifice seems tremendous. In my brief
personal history, America has undeniably represented freedom and opportunity. Its current state
has not been a reflection of past events. Inspired by the preceding observations, I researched the
origins of social structures we all take for granted. I found countless lives have been altered in
disputes for civil liberties. These discoveries stimulated my search for understanding. In an
attempt to develop a brief framework from the multitudes of information on this subject, I
selected three societal institutions that have influenced social dynamics in America. The
institutions most congealing were racism, INDUSTRIALISM, and EDUCATION.

The Birth of American Racism

Many English settlers relied on existence through subsistence during the settlement of
American colonies. Meaning, their own labor was the source of food and other items of bare
necessity. This meager existence arguably inspired one of humanity's most controversial eras:
23
American slavery. Historians were careful when surmising the origins of slavery. Many posited
biblical justification, as well as economic justification. Wood (1997) wrote the following:
An unimpeachable justification for that institution could be found in the Book of Genesis.
Shortly after the Flood, Noah’s son Ham sinned by looking upon his father’s nakedness.
Noah decreed that as a punishment Ham’s son Canaan (and by implication his
descendants) would forever be “a servant of the servants”. (p. 10)
According to Wood (1997), European thought translated this single catechismal doctrine as
explanation for a more than two hundred year cataclysmic travesty. American transport and
enslavement of African populations perpetuated one of the most powerful institutions of racism
known to man. An unavoidable result, considering to English settlers a slave was defined as “a
piece of conveyable property, a chattel.” (Wood, 1997, p. 9).
Even after slavery expired, an inevitable racism ensued. This was a racism motivated by
archetypical differences among the races as well as the path of acculturation vs. enculturation.
The residues of such paths have transcended into free America. In today’s society Racism has
arguably fallen from an institutional to a political view.

The Progress of Industry and Education

As the American economy shifted to a non-agricultural economy, mechanical advances and
water power were characteristic of the times. TRANSPORTATION and TECHNOLOGY
influenced growth in industry as well (see pp. 169-177 for a continued synthesis). Advances in
industry eventually paralleled the advances in EDUCATION. During early industrialism mass
education opportunities remained minimal and secondary education was non-existent (Cochran,
1981). Skill sets were taught through apprenticeship. Apprenticeships were deemed the
consummate form of mastery for American trades. Many trades remained reserved for the
privileged who could afford such opportunity. Growth in industrialism eventually inspired
secondary public education to facilitate trade mastery and thus skilled mass production. In
discussing the origins of mass public education, Mcgerr (2003) found progress in America to be
an issue of contention. “Many Americans rejected education reform. Farmers and workers
resisted compulsory attendance for their older children” (p. 110).
24
Progressivism and Apprenticeships
Industrial and technological advances spawned progressivism, which consisted of several
organized attempts to expand education practices throughout the country. The apprenticeship
format slowly evolved into a mass secondary education initiative. According to Cremin (1988),
industrial leaders eventually perceived apprenticeships as inefficient. “The perception reflected
the fact that the number of apprenticeships climbed only modestly in comparison with the rapid
increase in the overall number of persons involved in manufacturing” (p. 482). Hence, there
became an eminent need to train young people in the vocations. Cremin (1988) wrote: “After
the Project of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education in 1906, the
vocational school gained increasing support in the education community as the ideal agency to
prepare young people for work” (p. 483). In essence, industrialism inspired mass secondary
public education with a focus primarily on vocational education. “In 1900, there were 6,000
high schools in the United States; twenty years later there were 14,000” (Link, 1983, p. 90).

25
3_______________
Researcher
Part 2
This chapter begins with title number 2: A View of America’s Current Education System. This heading
provides an entry for the discussion of America’s major K-12 school brands with the following
subheadings: Private Education in America, Public Education in America, An Overview of Magnet
Schools, and An Overview of Charter Schools. Title number 3, which is Gender and Education, offers
further explanation of what can influence a quality education besides the distinctive choices offered per
school brand. Subheadings offering an explanation of how gender is relevant to education are:
Psychosocial Considerations, Biological Findings, Demographic Explanations, and Facilitation and
Methods. Additionally, the poem Shop is offered in this chapter.

A View of America’s Current Education System

Private Education in America
Funding is a distinguishing characteristic of private schools. Government funding
opportunities historically excluded private schools due to the separation of church and state.
According to Alt (2002), “private schools are owned and governed by entities that are
independent of any government—typically, religious bodies or independent boards of trustees”
(p. 1). The separation of church and state received partial remedy with recent federal
administrative adjustments through voucher assistance. Current legislations have permitted
many collaborative efforts to support indirect funding of private schools. In reference to the
uniform provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the U.S. Department of
Education (2007b) wrote the following:

26
 Title I allows community and other public and private institutions, including faith-based
organizations and private schools, to be providers of supplemental education services
(such as after-school tutoring or academic summer camps) for eligible students attending
public schools that are in need of improvement, so long as the provider is able to meet
certain qualifications set by each SEA in accordance with the act. (p. 9)
Direct student and parent assistance programs, in the form of voucher, have proven effective as
well. The U.S. Department of Education (2007c) wrote, “as of August 2007, there were 24
programs in 13 states and the District of Columbia that provided financial assistance in the form
of voucher or voucher-like tuition assistance, tax credits, and tax deductions” (Preface).

Public Education in America

Public education constitutes the governmental right and compulsory requirement for
American children to participate in a free education process. Socio-political factors, such as
funding and segregation, have stifled America’s progress in an attempt to offer a comprehensive
public brand of education. Furthermore, the United States constitution did not mention
education. Yet federal input has largely influenced the governing of America’s school system.
America’s Supreme Court designated the shaping of public education. Federal law slowly
asserted change through monumental court rulings. First, separate, but equal facilities granted
blacks and whites a segregated solution. Later, desegregation in schools became the law of the
land. The public school brand finalized its distinction with the separation of church and state.

An Overview of Magnet Schools

Magnet schools are public schools with a distinct focus such as specialized curriculum
opportunities in the arts or math and science. Magnet schools and public schools share the same
governing bodies. Magnet schools first grew in suffering districts with attractive, specialized,
and exclusive education programs. These special schools tactfully responded to the Supreme
Court’s call for desegregation. Klauke (1988) wrote the following of magnet school growth in
the late eighties.

27
 The demands of rapidly changing society and increasing pressure for desegregation
(coupled with a rise in absenteeism, dropout rates, and academic failure in traditional
schools) have led to the creation of over 1,000 magnet schools in urban school districts
across the country. (paragraph 1)
The term magnet appropriately defines the schools intention to attract students. Klauke (1988)
explained the original purpose of the schools was to facilitate desegregation. “In order to
facilitate the transition to a multiracial community and meet the prevailing desire for academic
excellence, magnets have adopted innovative educational practices as an enticement for
voluntary integration” (paragraph 1). More recently, magnet schools are maintaining strength
and popularity. These schools usually have waiting lists in most districts. The implementation
of administrative tactics including random lottery selections, auditions, interviews, or entrance
examinations for prospective students have enabled the open admissions process. Additionally,
students living in the original magnet school zone have qualified for percentage set-asides. The
set-asides reserve a percentage of automatic entrances for students who live in the districts where
the school is located. Unlike public schools, magnet schools don’t require students to be
residents of the district where the school is located.

An Overview of Charter Schools

A collaboration of published scholarly journals of retired New England educator Ray Budde
and the political power of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Albert Shanker
inspired the charter school format. Both promoted the concept of autonomous inter-district
public education options. Weil (2000) wrote about Ray Budde. “Ray Budde, a retired teacher
and expert on school district reorganization proposes that a school board directly charter teams of
teachers to establish new, innovative programs within a district for a three- to five-year period”
(p. 35). Shanker presented Budde’s idea while addressing conference participants at a
Minneapolis conference on improving public schools. Weil (2000) wrote, “On 31 March,
Shanker makes a speech to the National Press Club in Washington D.C., in which he indorses
these ideas” (p. 35). Shanker expanded and further suggested organizers could charter an entire
school (not just teams of teachers to establish new programs) with union and teacher
28
approval.
In 1991, Minnesota became the first state to develop charter school laws. Thirty-nine
additional states created charter school laws from 1991-2006. Kirst (2008) wrote, “forty states
have passed charter laws enrolling over 1 million pupils in 3,600 schools” (p. 185). Charter
school programs aim to address specific student and parent needs per community in a business
fashion. Charter strategies could be deemed analogous to that of fast food chains who seek
appropriate markets for their products. Hadderman (1998) found, “charter schools are freed of
many restrictive rules and regulations. In return, these schools are expected to achieve
educational outcomes within a certain period or have their charters revoked” (paragraph 2).
Two distinct characteristics of charter schools are the governing bodies and authorizing
boards. The governing bodies are autonomous and independent with a focus on student
performance as opposed to procedural accountability. Kirst (2008) found the following:
Procedural accountability focuses on school inputs and procedures for how to spend new
money. Federal and state governments have assumed much more control of local
education than 30 years ago, making charter flexibility more desirable to some educators.
(p. 186)
According to the U.S. Department of Education (2007d), “charter school authorizers are entities
charged by law to approve new schools, monitor their compliance with applicable laws and
regulations, and evaluate their performance to make decisions about charter renewal” (p. 1).
In essence, the governing bodies of the charter schools answer to the authorizers for renewal
rights. Research revealed authorizing boards are sometimes decentralized and composed of
generic entities unrelated to the specific school districts where the schools are located. Some
examples are “state educational agency, local educational agency, or the other public entities that
have the authority pursuant to state law and approved by the secretary to authorize or approve a
charter school” (U.S. Department of Education, 2007d, p. 1).

3. Gender and Education

Private schools have traditionally offered single gender settings. Recently, overwhelming
research inspired a change in public education’s coed format. Meyer (2006) cited, Title IX of the

29
Education Amendments. “The new rules give local districts the option of offering single-gender
public schools and programs for the first time in more than 30 years” (paragraph 6). The
rationale for single gender education increased within the last thirty years. Yet research
affirming single gender “pros and cons” as to who is most affected by the coed environment and
why, has been inconsistent. Research findings have revealed psychosocial, biological, and
demographic issues working for and against boys and girls in K-12 coed learning environments.
America’s most common school brands acknowledged these findings. They have adapted with
single gender instruction in specific subjects, as well as exclusive single gender schools.
Classroom adjustments rendered positive outcomes.
Below is a brief study of the psychosocial, biological, and demographic issues that justified
the initial single gender education movement. Some of which have arguably subsided with time.
These findings were submitted by several primary sources in the defense of single gender
schools. Facilitation and methodological strategies are posited as well.

Psychosocial Considerations
Research dating back to the early eighties indicated the inefficiency of the coed environment
for female students. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) performed a
comprehensive investigation with the intentions of making this topic a national issue. The
association considered completed research findings, which dated back to the 1980’s. Hanmer
(1996) discussed this research performed by the AAUW.
The AAUW was concerned about the fact that a national debate over education did not
address any special concerns of girls, even though the research done during the 1980’s
clearly indicated that coeducational school settings were not serving many girls well. By
summarizing key points of the major research reports of the 1980’s, the AAUW hoped to
draw national attention to the problem. (p. 58-59)
Early gender education dynamics were marked by studies with a recurring theme of declined
achievement among female participants who attended coed schools. In 1990, the AAUW
conducted a study on self-esteem. Researchers surveyed boys and girls from ages nine to fifteen.
Hanmer (1996) cited the following. “In elementary school, 60 percent of the girls and 67 percent
30
of the boys described themselves as ‘happy the way I am’. By high school, 46 percent of the
boys but only 29 percent of the girls described themselves that way (p. 60)”.
More recently, boys captured public attention as victim to gender gaps in education.
According to Mead (2006) advocates informed several media outlets that “boys are falling
behind girls in elementary and secondary school and some say the contemporary classrooms are
too structured, suppressing boys energetic natures and tendency to physical expression” (pp. 3-
4). The psychosocial research dates back three decades. There exists more contemporary
researches that boys and girls statistics fluctuate on the psychosocial scale.

Biological Findings
Gurian (2004) highlighted biological differences between boys and girls that influence
learning styles. “New positron emissions tomography (PET) and MRI technologies enable us
to… find structural and functional [brain] differences that profoundly affect human learning”
(paragraph 3). PET scans revealed differences in brain size, per brain region, in male and female
brains. Gurian (2004) cited the research findings below.
Females
● Girls have, in general, stronger neural connectors in their temporal lobes…leading to
more sensually detailed memory storage, better listening skills, and better discrimination
among the various tones of voice.
● Girl's corpus callosum is larger… This enables more "cross talk" between hemispheres in
the female brain.
● The hippocampus is larger in girls than in boys, increasing girls' learning advantage,
especially in the language arts.
● Girls' prefrontal cortex is generally more active than boys'. Further, girls have more
serotonin in the bloodstream and the brain. (Moir & Jessel, 1989; Rich, 2000).
Males
● Boys have less oxytocin, ... This makes it more likely that they will be physically
impulsive…(Moir & Jessel, 1989; Taylor, 2000)

31
 ● Because boys' brains have more cortical areas dedicated to spatial-mechanical
functioning, males use, on average, half the brain space that females use for verbal-
emotive functioning… (Blum, 1997; Moir & Jessel, 1989).
● Boys lateralize brain activity. Their brains not only operate with less blood flow than
girls' brains, but they are also structured to compartmentalize learning… (Havers, 1995)
● The male brain is set to renew, recharge, and reorient itself by entering what neurologists
call a rest state… (Gurian, 2001).

Facilitation and Methods

The range of research has inspired single gender facilitation and single gender methodologies.
Schools have facilitated students with single gender environments and instructors with training in
proper teaching methods in those environments. Gurian (2004) explains, “between 1998 and
2000, a pilot program at the University of Missouri—Kansas City involving gender training in
six school districts elicited significant results” (paragraph 18). These teacher-training programs
illuminated immediate success stories. Gurian (2004) wrote of other states in the country as
well.
Statewide training in Alabama has resulted in improved performances for boys in both
academic and behavioral areas. Beaumont Middle School in Lexington, Kentucky, trains
its teachers in male/female brain differences and teaches reading/writing, math, and
science in separate-sex classrooms. After one year of this gender specific experiment,
girls’ math and science scores and boys’ Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores rose
significantly. (paragraph 19)
A trend of teacher training to close gender gaps and accommodate gender specific learning
styles has appeared in many school districts. Yet more extreme efforts are being made
throughout the country. For instance, Georgia’s Greene County public school district switched
to exclusively single gender classrooms. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution
(February 2008), Greene County school board approved K-12 single gender classrooms
throughout its district. The new single gender school districts began in the Fall of 2009 with
separate elementary classes for boys and girls, and two separate high school buildings. Greene
32
county was the first district to take on such a drastic change. “Leonard Sax, head of the National
Association for Single Sex Public Education, said he knows of no other public school district that
has switched entirely to single gender classrooms” (paragraph 6).
Vigilance is the solution. Accountability dispels drastic educational deficits. For example,
the AAUW’s vigilance in exposing female gender issues continues to hold relevance. Vigilance
must occur as a national effort. It must start in the sub sector of which these needy students are
culturally tied. A local example of such vigilance illuminates from the contributions of the 100
Black Men of Atlanta. The 100 Black Men of Atlanta and Atlanta’s public school system
chartered Best Academy in the year 2007. This all boy’s middle school vigilantly attends to the
academic needs of African-American boys. This is a necessary solution for issues concerning
gender, race, SES, and other defining categories that provide a relative measure of public
education in America.

Summary
American classism victimizes minority and majority races in many ways. Yet throughout all
of history the mass peaceful conjugation of mankind has resulted in better education, industry,
innovation, and technology. For this reason we must celebrate freedom and education
opportunities. On a personal note, I will spare my youthful kindred the confusing stories of
exclusion and segregation from the past. Only a spoiler sheds a negative historical light where it
is not needed. I firmly believe the past is better left where it is, and the “present” is a gift that
keeps on giving in the future.
Education has transformed from an opportunity for few to a compulsory public environment
for all youth, but limited by bureaucratic administrations. In resolution, philosophies and brands
have been recognized to shape school choice and even tailored to suit students according to
gender. The issues in single gender education rose from a compilation of data submitted by the
U.S. Department of Education, action researchers, private institutions and universities, among
other sources. Psychosocial issues among boys and girls possessed a dynamic quality and
proved to shift in its significance. Concrete biological differences in male and female brain
development explained general behavior patterns. Hence, methodological adjustments and the
33
enlistment of single gender facilities have proven efficient. Demographics revealed the issue of
gender heightens when considering gender gaps among those classified as low socio-economic
status. Boys and girls receive compulsory education to free them from impending ignorance that
may harbor in adverse environments, notwithstanding the family that nurtures them.

You have just traveled through a synthesis of portions of three compositions that were merged only for
the purpose of this book. Compositions covering the sociological factors influencing racism, the
historical progress of education, and single gender issues were all merged together for a continuous
journey of inference and analysis. How about some poetic relief? This next poem was inspired by school
choice and the state of mind it should perpetuate in all future lifelong learners. The title of the poem is
Shop.
The teacher said you’re smart
so you’re done with your lesson,
but that is when you start and
continue progressing.
Education is a product and
you’re a consumer.
Don’t wait until you’re hungry
to shop for groceries.
No need to shop for clothes
when you’re indisposed.
And you probably didn’t know
academics are like personal food taste and
clothing style.
It takes time and trial and error to perfect it.
K-12 is free
unless you reject it.
So get good grades in school and
explore your academic taste.
When you leave that place
you’ll have the basic skills you need
for higher education.
How you live as an adult
has a lot to do with your
K-12 dedication.
So build a foundation.
Every day you leave school
there’s something to learn in life.
Continue on be curious.
Explore all that you find
academically mysterious.
Your brain is a muscle;
keep it sharp.
Avoid stress and strife.
You only get one.
It’s with you for the rest of your life.
Some people are smarter
34
 quicker and
faster.
Yet everyone has a learning style.
Find yours and then you’ll master
academic challenges placed before you.
Teachers can’t always help you.
Some will ignore you and
pay attention to those with the most talent.
So you don’t have to wait for your teacher to validate
intelligence or even common sense.
Find your learning style now
while it’s still relevant

35
 4
Crash Course: The Stakeholders of K-12 Education
This chapter is a synopsis of a short book I wrote as a Capstone project while in graduate school.
Several objectives are listed, then the following subheadings: Reflecting on School Choice,
Education Is a Product, What’s in a Philosophy, and My Philosophy. The reader can test their
knowledge with a pretest. The subheadings following the teat are: Who’s Shopping, The
Student, Special Education, Giftedness, and Is Your Child Gifted. Under the heading Consider
Some School Philosophies & School Brands, the reader will find the subheadings Teacher
Centered, Subject Centered, and Child Centered, which explain some basic school and teacher
philosophies. Further description is offered with the distinction of school brands, as the heading
Four School Brands preludes subheadings Public, Private, Magnet, and Charter Schools. A
fictional short story follows the description of school brands. The reader is offered a profile of
three schools in an actual district in order to create a realistic school choice situation, The
chapter closes with a reflective pros and cons discourse on the subject of school choice.

Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter consumers should be able to do the following:
● Analyze your philosophy concerning the education pursuits of your children.
● Understand some historical considerations involving education in America.
● Reflect on past personal experiences as a K-12 student.
● Acknowledge if your child has academic special needs besides those that are obvious.
● Understand that giftedness constitutes a special need for student consumers.
● Discuss school philosophies.
● Discuss four school brands.
● Consider school choices in an actual school district.
● Expand your considerations vicariously with an interesting fictional offering of a family
in the school choice process.
● Involve a reflective process concerning school choice with the use of narratives and
professional opinions.

36
 ● Indulge in a discussion involving hypothetical considerations of pros vs. cons.

Reflecting on School Choice

It was something special about the private school I attended from kindergarten to grade
twelve. Some of my public school friends in the neighborhood reminded me of the privilege
they wished they could have shared. I felt public schools were much more appealing. Most of
the children from my neighborhood attended the local public schools. Furthermore, I lost coed
privileges in my high school years. In all fairness the single gender environment did offer a
competitive and focused atmosphere.
I returned to Steveland, Ohio in December of 2007 to visit my family. I developed new
curiosity about my former K-12 schools as a graduate student majoring in education. Therefore, I
decided to stop at each of the schools I once attended. Two of the three schools had been
approaching dilapidation for several years. My former kindergarten was transformed into a
thriving community center with evening programs for teens. The grade school I once attended
sold partially to a charter organization. The buyout included all but the church, which shared the
same plot of land as the school. My former high school granted coed privileges in 1990. The
high school merged with their sister school, an all-girls Catholic school just a few blocks away.
This decision broke more than 100 years of tradition for the school. My visit to Steveland, Ohio
inspired an extensive reflection on school choice. I found in my personal experiences and newly
inspired educational research opportunities that all school brands were subject to change.
Moreover, the history of education in America consisted of small evolutions and not the concrete
and continuous presence that one might assume. This furthered my inspiration to uncover school
choice opportunities and define consumers for what they really were.

Education Is A Product
You and your family are consumers for many goods and services. You carefully shop for the
things you use. Assumingly your satisfaction is a priority when you purchase goods and
services. Yet there is a particular good and service often misjudged for its purpose. Let us
consider this good and service a product. The product you [the parent] and your child [the
37
student] consume and often misjudge is America’s K-12 education choices. Today's options
vary from single gender environments to gifted or advanced placement curriculums.
Furthermore, these learning communities perpetuate philosophical beliefs that inspire and
regulate their ways of facilitating. Additionally, these learning communities feature brand names
such as public, private, magnet, or charter that define the functions they do and do not serve in
the education and administration process.

What’s In A Philosophy?
Philosophies are our ideas that systematically guide us throughout life. Personal philosophies
deserve consideration in the discussion of education consumption. When making choices and
evaluating criteria that defines a good product, we are all governed by our previously formed
principles. We must as consumers proactively refine our philosophies in order to adjust to
dynamic markets such as those provided by school choice. It is important to have a working
philosophy about life changing matters such as education. My philosophy on education
consumption follows in the passages below. Your chance to define or refine your philosophy
exists within the passages of this chapter as well. A pre-testing opportunity is also included.
This is your learning opportunity. Don’t be discouraged if you have not acquired a previous
knowledge base. An important learning opportunity exists when one can ponder a question,
answer incorrectly, and then receive full explanation of the correct answer.

My Philosophy
My philosophy on education begins with the premise that parents/guardians are the original
teachers of their children from the beginning of the child’s life and sometimes throughout
adulthood. For example, the parent teaches the child to tie their shoes and use good manners and
the teenager and adult how to count and spend money. Although these could be considered non-
academic teachings, the parent has a considerable influence on what and how their child learns.
It is the parent’s responsibility to track the child’s learning capabilities and shop for the best
possible education opportunities. The child has the responsibility to sustain a competent
performance in a compulsory education environment for several consecutive years according to
38
the law. Parents should never discontinue their responsibilities as educator. And must evaluate
the child’s teachers as experts who convey components of academic curriculums and monitor the
social and academic development of the child. In essence, the parent/guardian enters a
collaborative contract with the educators who participate in their child’s life during the K-12
experience.
Test Your Knowledge
The following pretest evolved from my research findings. The test is intended to increase
your interest in the subject of school choice. The correct answer and a complete explanation
follow each question. Please take the pretest using a blank sheet of paper as a guide, revealing
one line at a time as you read each question. Answer the questions on the space provided. The
questions are in large font, followed by explanations in a smaller font, and then finally the
correct answer is at the very bottom in the smallest font.
1. Select the proper order in which the following school brands were introduced as schooling
options for students in America. ___
a. public, private, magnet, charter
b. private, public, charter, magnet
c. magnet, charter, public, private
d. public, charter, private magnet
The Protestant Church sponsored the first form of schooling in America. Though religiously
sponsored this was a public education effort. The minority religion of the time was the Catholic
Church. Catholics formed their own private schools. As need for mass education increased
public schooling slowly adopted a non-religious format that offered free and eventually
compulsory mass public education. Sociological factors influenced development of more refined
public education opportunities. With this, magnet schools developed. Further efforts to refine
public schools birthed charter schools. The correct answer is (a).
True or False
2. Public schools do not offer single gender learning environments. ___
Current research acknowledges boys and girls benefit from single gender environments as an
option in public school districts throughout the country. A novice school shopper would
overlook this feature. Single gender environments are not new settings. Private schools have
offered this setting for many years. As you shop for options remember many trends and changes
in public schools evolve from professional research findings. Currently, there is an abundance of
information on the subject of boys and girls learning styles and gender stereotyping in the
classroom. Mead (2006) writes, “in math, boys outperform girls… boys also outperform girls in
science” (p. 6). Furthermore, research findings convey results that boys participate in class more
often. Butterworth (1992) advises parents should “defuse much of the negative impact
through your own awareness and willingness to discuss the issue with your children, as well
39
as by serving as a positive role model” (p. 129). Today single gender offerings are increasing
in public schools. The correct answer is (False).
3. The United States Constitution explicitly provided the groundwork for America’s free public
education opportunities. ___
The United States Constitution made no mention of education. The correct answer is (False)
4. The concept of gifted and talented education was discussed as early as third century B.C. ___
According to Gearheart (1992), Greek philosopher Plato developed a proposal which
"recommended that talented youth be sought out and trained as future leaders" (p. 344). The
correct answer is (True)
5. Education is a product that is packaged and consumed in many different ways throughout the
country. ___
Education is obviously considered a product of consumption for the greater good of humanity.
According to Bullard (1993)
From the time of Thomas Jefferson, education was considered an essential part of
freedom; “liberty for all” meant universal knowledge… He and his era considered a
broadly educated citizenry essential to democracy. Jefferson believed all citizens had the
right to choose to be a leader, to be educated for the “learned” class if they so choose. Or
citizens could choose to be educated for the basic duties of their way of life. (pg. 6)
Although this opinion from one of the founding fathers of our country dates back many years, it
is very important. Consumption of proper education is the responsibility of guardians/parents
and depends on their capabilities as decision makers about education choices. Therefore,
consumers [student and parent] should proactively select and tailor the product of education to
suit their personal needs. The correct answer is (True).
6. Recent progress concerning school choice confuses consumers about their options. ___
Many changes have occurred since the onset of mass public education in America. With those
changes, new opportunities are available for all classes of people. As little as 50 years ago, the
only clear choices in most American communities were private and public schools. More
recently our K-12 education market has presented options through rapid development of magnet
and charter schools and distinctive adjustments within all education formats, such as single
gender education.
The correct answer is (True).
7. The child is the only education consumer in a K-12 setting. ___
The child may never become aware of existing opportunities for education. Yet the
parent/guardian must, considering education actually begins in classrooms of early childhood
centers throughout our country. Moreover, K-12 school brands vary and the governing bodies
that regulate them differ as well. Students have a wealth of options. Therefore, it benefits
students that parents are aware of these options in America’s education market. In times when
social adjustments awaited, Keppel (1966) wrote this about the subject of education
consumption:
Education is one of the primary ways to achieve both quality performance and equality of
opportunity. It is now understood also as a necessary national investment for an
expanding society. It is not only a commodity to be consumed by the individual but an
investment whose use brings returns both to the individual and to the society. (pg. 26-27)
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 The correct answer is (False).
8. Gifted programs are mandatory per district and reinforced by federal mandate. ___
Ironically, the federal government does not specifically mandate accommodations for gifted
children. However, there is a nationwide agenda specifically for the accommodation of special
needs children. Yet theoretically, giftedness is a form of special needs. Despite the lack of
legislation, gifted children received accommodations within many school districts throughout the
country. The correct answer is (False).
9. A child with average grades and exceptional musical intelligence is considered gifted. ___
Gifted students are recognized for having exceptional academic abilities. Yet many programs
across the country consider exceptional musical and other performing arts abilities as well. This
broadens the classification of gifted student to gifted, talented, and creative student. The answer
is (True).
10. The Federal Supreme Court has played a neutral role in governing schools. ___
The Federal Supreme Court's decisions have been monumental in shaping America’s public
schools system. Separation of church and state, school segregation and desegregation, and the
continuance of voucher assistance have all resulted from Federal Supreme Court Decisions. The
correct answer is (False)
11. High school or secondary school has been a part of American history as long as elementary
or common school. ___
High schools grew largely because of industrialism in America. Prior to America's
industrialization, Americans subsided predominantly as agriculturalist. At the time, elementary
education was a privilege and secondary schools were rare.
The correct answer is (False).
12. All brands of K-12 schools require state certification for teachers. ___
The state issues teacher certifications. Therefore, public schools, which answer directly to state
governing bodies, require such certifications. Schools governed outside of the public sector may
or may not require certification. The correct answer is (False).
13. Because of separation of church and state, there are no public funds to help parents pay
private school tuition. ___
Several states provide voucher awards to students of low socio-economic status. These awards
are designed to provide school choice in suffering school districts. The awards usually
accommodate tuition expenses for affordable private schools of the student’s choice. The correct
answer is (False)
14. What do you remember (academically) about your time as a K-12 student?

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15. What is your philosophy as an education consumer representing your child?

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Who’s Shopping?
You would know who is shopping if it were simply a request for a name. Properly answering
this question requires consideration of the shopper and the product. The shopper is categorically
the parent/guardian as decision maker and child as student. The shopper assumes responsibility
42
for assuring proper results from instruction. Instruction is not the parent’s job in most cases.
Most teachers are perfectly capable of delivering proper instruction. Yet just as a seamstress
would need to acquire exact measurements to create a usable product for a customer, parents and
instructors must acknowledge student capabilities. This is where parents become a factor.
Knowledge of student as shopper will help the student consumer secure a complete product.

The Student
Knowing the child as student includes obtaining important academic information about your
child. Most schools do a great job of teaching children with general intellectual capabilities. Yet
conflict can arise when your child has special needs. Sometimes special needs do not require the
permanent label of special education student. Special needs also refers to gifted students who are
likely to be bored when grouped with those possessing only general intelligence.

Special Education
Many students are victims of correctible dysfunctions, which could easily go unnoticed.
Conversely, many children receive diagnosis and medicinal treatment with prescription
medicines for symptoms that may or may not require pharmaceutical treatments. If either of
these scenarios apply to your child or the children of your friends and family it is important to
have a working knowledge of special education terms. Mishandling or misdiagnosis of special
education labels can have a lasting effect on a child’s life. Early intervention can create a
corrective path in a child’s development. If your child is diagnosed as a special needs child and
has obvious special needs you are aware of, it is important to know your place in what could be a
confusing arrangement. According to Lindberg (2006), parents with special needs children have
the right to:
● review their child’s school records as well receive copies of information in the school
records.
● expect their records and information about their child will be kept confidential.
● receive academic and attendance reports for their child.
● request conferences with teachers or administrators to review progress reports and
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 attendance, disciplinary actions, tests, and so forth.
● visit the school and their child's classroom.
● have an interpreter if they are hearing impaired or if they do not speak English fluently.
(p. 75)
Tileston (2004) defined the following important terms for an extended understanding of students
who should receive special education services.
● At risk students are those that have a higher than average probability of failure or of
dropping out of school without intervention strategies. Some of the criteria for at risk
identification include low socio-economic status, past failure, chronic illness, drug or
alcohol use, and evidence of poor home environment.
● Auditory impairment is the disability in which the child has hearing problems that
delay or stop him or her from developing speech, language, or academic skill.
● Autism is a condition in which the child experiences severe language disorders and
may display bizarre behavior, have abnormal intellectual capabilities, and have
impaired social interactions.
● Emotional disturbance is a disability in which the child’s behavior interferes with his
or her ability to get along with others and to learn.
● Gifted education programs are programs whose purpose is to meet the special needs of
talented students identified through a battery of tests as needing gifted services.
● Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written plans for education and related
service that contain educational and or behavior goals and objectives, student
competencies, the amount of special education services needed, and modifications for
the regular program. The IEP is reviewed for progress each year.
● Learning disability is when a child with average or above-average intelligence has
significant problems in academic achievement (i.e., basic reading, reading
comprehension, math calculation, math reasoning, spelling, listening comprehension,
oral expression, or written expression).
● Speech impairment is a disability categorized for children having expressive and or
language difficulties or with voice fluency impairments.
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 ● Traumatic brain injury is a disability category for children who have experienced
injury to the brain caused by external forces
● Visual impairment is a disability category for children with difficulties processing
visual information. Partial-sighted children have a visual acuity of 20/60 with
correction and can read print. Blindness is defined as central vision of 20/200 with
correction or field vision (side vision) of no more than 20 degrees. (Tileston, 2004, p.
83-93)

Giftedness
Many parents fail to realize gifted children are special needs children as well. Gifted
children need acceleration as opposed to deceleration. If your child is gifted, it is important for
your child’s school to facilitate those special needs. A gifted child unattended to may experience
behavioral problems and even failure due to lack of challenge. Unlike special needs children,
gifted children do not have federal mandates on their side. Fortunately, many states, counties,
and or districts fund gifted programs. Yet it is possible gifted students will go unnoticed,
especially those from homes and school districts of low socio-economic status.

Is Your Child Gifted?

It is actually up to you to find out. Your child could be eligible for accommodations to better
challenge them and enrich their education process. Chase (2002) wrote the following about
detecting giftedness in your child.
Determining giftedness, and thereby ascertaining eligibility for formal school programs,
is not exact science... Educators in the field maintain that meaningful and measurable
distinctions do exist. They cite a range of exceptional qualities (extensive use of complex
vocabulary at an early age, intense immersion in projects, rapid processing of
information, etc.) which in and of themselves may not clearly constitute giftedness, but in
combination with results from one or more standard ability tests can clarify that your
child qualifies. (p. 71-72)
In summary, there are several considerations to be aware of as your child progresses. Some
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considerations are more obvious than others. Although most school districts staff professionals
who properly diagnose special needs children, the parent must be sure diagnosis is not the result
of correctable behavior problems. Giftedness is another story. Parents may have to play a large
role in seeking gifted services for their children. It is very important to know that the federal
government does not require schools to offer gifted programs. Each program offered is subject
to state or district funding. Therefore, some shopping may be required. It is not necessary for
the parent to be an expert in any of these areas. Yet awareness can make a difference when
weathering your child’s storms of temporary failure, or surveying their tides of potential success.

Consider Some School Philosophies & School Brands

Schools have philosophies just like any other organization. Moreover, understanding the true
priorities of a school may mean awareness of school brands. If the school is public, private,
magnet, or charter, then it will administer and teach according to what best defines its focus.
However, the sum is not always equal to the whole. Teachers have individual philosophies as
well. A school brand’s focus and a school’s philosophies can counteract with teaching
philosophies. Therefore, it is hard to label the true character of a school by brand or philosophy.
Nevertheless, it is worth the time to consider a range of categories that could influence the
delivery of your child’s education. Especially when the analysis is mostly of the outer shell of
the educational function. Analysis of a schools attributes produces better understanding for
decision-making purposes. Since schools are comprised of philosophies and brand names that
define their focus and priorities it is possible their level of compatibility towards you and your
child can be easily accessed. Keep in mind, although magnet and charter schools are public
schools and private schools can secure a charter, each brand is separately defined as its own
distinct entity for a better understanding.

Three School Philosophies

Teacher Centered
According to Oppenheim (1989), the teacher is the most important feature of the teacher
centered school philosophy. “It is from her that all knowledge flows. Even the arrangement of
the room reflects her approach to children… she spends most of her day actively teaching,

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drilling, testing, and re-teaching what must be learned” (p.12).
The teacher centered philosophy can be a philosophy consistent with an entire school or just
one classroom. We as consumers must decide if our children fit in a teacher centered
environment. Below is a list of signs of a teacher centered environment.
● Rigid classroom design
● Frequent direct lectures
● Limited class participation
● Numerical assessment with no focus on learning from mistakes
As a parent or guardian, only a visit will properly clarify your concerns about teacher
centeredness. If you do not have time to visit the classroom, ask your child these questions.
● Do you ask questions in class?
● Does your teacher call on you to participate?
● Does your teacher go over the homework you turn in, or does he just give you a grade?
● Has your teacher ever called you to his desk and met with you on an individual basis to
discuss your performance?
● Does your teacher scold you in front of the rest of the class?

Subject Centered
Oppenheim (1989) writes the following about the subject centered school.
Here the driving force in the classroom is the curriculum. It is the subject matter that sets
the timetable that both teacher and students are expected to follow. Often the choice of
that curriculum is made by administrators who rely heavily on textbooks designed by
experts... Decisions are made from the top down... Such schools are run like
businesses... Here the curriculum is "giver" and both students and teachers are
"receivers” (p. 13).
A subject centered school seems like a great atmosphere for students. The emphasis on
performance means students must maintain an acceptable pace at all cost. It is the parent’s job to
monitor the quality of learning that takes place in a subject centered school, because the
instructors and administrators are focused on the quality of learning materials.
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Child Centered
Student centered programs specialize in development and pace curriculums around a student’s
capacities. According to Oppenheim (1989)
The teacher facilitates learning by providing an environment that invites questions,
exploration, and experimentation. Rather than dictation or directing every step of the
way, the teacher plays the role of initiator and sounding board. Instead of imposing a
pre-made curriculum, she tailors instruction to children’s individual needs. Here the
students are at the center of their own learning. Children play a more active role and
have a wider range of choices in what and how they will study. The motivation to learn
is not imposed by others, but supported by taking cues from the child. (p. 13)
These models of school or classroom philosophies are neither concrete nor abstract in nature.
Furthermore, it is not likely one school will fit the mold of any one of these model philosophies
without borrowing from the other. Yet models such as the preceding enhance analysis, which
helps in developing philosophies concerning school choice for your children.

Four School Brands

Public
Public education encompasses the governmental right and compulsory requirement for
American children to participate in a free education process. Hess (2004) wrote about what
politically distinguishes the public school brand. “The distinction is whether a formal political
body is in charge, since these officials are accountable by election or appointment to the large
voting public" (p.153).
The United States Constitution did not mention education. Yet federal input largely
influenced the governing of America’s public schools. America’s Federal Supreme Court
designated the shaping of public education. Federal law slowly asserted change through
monumental court rulings. Separate but equal facilities granted blacks and whites a segregated
solution. Desegregation in schools eventually became law of the land. The public school brand
finalized its federally mandated distinction with the separation of church and state.

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Private
Private schools promote philosophies such as religion, while offering K-12 education
opportunities. Whether classified as independent or religious, private schools have long existed
without direct public funding or direct governmental regulation. The Catholic school is the most
common private school brand. It is internationally influenced by the Roman Catholic Church
and has been a staple of American education since the original colonies settled in America.
Catholic schools receive funding from tuition, fundraisers, and assistance from a central
governing body called the Catholic Diocese. Instructors in Catholic schools can either be
ordained through the church or non-affiliated professionals. Instructors employed by private
schools are not always required to have certifications administered by the State. Student
admissions to religious schools are not regulated by religious faith or the lack thereof. All
private schools maintain the right to grant and refuse admissions at the discretion of their
administration.

Magnet Schools
Magnet schools surfaced to help resolve segregation and facilitate the Federal Supreme
Court’s order to desegregate public schools. The term magnet appropriately defined the schools
original intention to attract students with common interests and diverse ethnicities from all
school districts, while stressing a specific curriculum and maintaining public education status.
These schools focus on specific offerings such as math, science, and the performing arts.
Magnet schools and public schools share the same governing bodies. Funding per student is
usually significantly higher for magnet schools. Magnet schools have maintained popularity
since the initial development. Some magnets select students from waiting lists, random lottery
selections, entrance examinations, auditions, and/or interviews. School district residency is not
required for acceptance into a magnet program. In many districts residents have a better chance
for admission through percentage set-asides. This process leaves a certain amount of space for
members of the school district.

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Charter Schools
Charter schools are schools that promise to operate under an approved philosophy while
maintaining public status. A school’s charter gives the school self-governing privileges.
Authorizing agencies judge the school for proper academic performance of students. The
authorizing boards that grants charters can discontinue those charters with very little warning.
The certification requirements of instructors are at the discretion of the charter. Funding for
charter schools can come from several sources including public funding and the organization that
proposes the charter. Like magnet schools, charter schools do not require district residency.
Unlike any of the other brands, charters can be administered in a number of preapproved
formats. Some charters are managed by for profit organizations and some by not for profit
organizations. The idea of operating schools under charters came from a retired teacher and a
public official. Both lobbied separately through journal publications and political advances. In
1991 the first state passed laws that permitted the forming of charter schools. Since then
thousands of charters have been approved by authorization boards.

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 5
Crash Course Part 2
Knowledge of more than one school brand may have allowed you to question what it would be
like to attend a magnet or charter school dedicated to your specific interest, or a private school so
entrenched in religious belief, a sense of peace balanced the most intense diversities. This is an
example of reflection, a thought process needed to be a good shopper in a school choice
environment.

Profile of an American School District: Cobb County Schools

According to Cobb County School District’s web page (2008), Cobb County boasts a
philosophy of performance based instruction for each school in the county, meaning "students
will know, do, use and communicate what they are learning" (paragraph 2). The county offers
114 publicly funded schools and 36 private schools. Of the 114 public school offerings, there are
6 magnet programs, and 6 charter schools. With this information, we will incorporate a fictional
consideration and take a journey of school choice in Cobb County.

Fictional Considerations
Shania is a mother of two boys and one girl. The boys are identical twins, age 16. Their
sister is the youngest, age 13. Shania, a stay at home mom, does all of the shopping for the
family. She considers herself an expert shopper. She is aware of many retail stores in the area,
their sales schedules, and clearance rotations. Shania even calculates her total savings each
year as a bragging point amongst her circle of friends, who are homemakers as well. There is
no question about Shania’s retail thriftiness. She saves the family money all the time.
No one is more proud of Shania than her husband Troy. Unfortunately, Troy receives bad
news. Another company acquired the company Troy works for. Troy will profit from the buyout,
but his job will end. Therefore, the family must refocus as consumers by cutting questionable
expenses. Those questionable expenses are education and entertainment.
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 The children, Marquez, Avanti, and Ayesha are private school students. Troy and Shania are
members of the church that owns the school. Troy and Shania grew up as members of the
church, dated for several years, then married at the church. Taking the children out of this
school is a last resort for the family. Inspired by the emotional decision and with the support of
her husband, Shania becomes a school shopper.
Unlike Shania and Troy, many consumers do not feel they have a choice. Private school is
the choice the couple made for their family. Yet Shania never shopped for the product of
education. No one is to blame for the confusion. Traditionally, residential zones and school
districts restricted public school attendance in America. This meant if you wanted your children
to consume public education then they attended a school in the neighborhood where your family
resided.
Marquez, Avanti, and Ayesha are no longer able to attend their private school due to
financial hardship. Shania has researched extensively to suit the needs of her children. While
researching, Shania found a wealth of information about choices in her school district. Her
number one priority is moving the children to a school that facilitates their capacities and
talents. Being the consummate shopper and “consumer representative”, she is aware of the very
detailed characteristics that define her children as students.
Marquez is an athletic student. He excels in football and basketball. There have been talks of
his potential for a college scholarship in either of the sports. Shania and Troy anticipate
setbacks in transferring Marquez to another school. Hence, he is leaving a superior athletic
program. Marquez has shown deficiency in standardized testing. Therefore, he will also need
accommodations for the ACT or SAT tests that are soon to come.
Avanti is a good student. He is also a talented student. He plays several instruments.
Although Avanti plays in the school band and volunteers to play guitar at church events, neither
Shania nor Troy have been impressed with their private school’s musical offerings. Moreover,
Avanti’s true passion is tap dancing. Both parents agree Avanti needs a program that will focus
on his dancing talents, because music is a natural talent for Avanti. Additionally, Shania and
Troy realize they may need to separate the identical twin brothers.

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 Ayesha is a socialite who recently fell upon bad influence. Shania and Troy blame her recent
drop in grades on her internet blogging activities. Yet the concerned parents do suspect a
possible learning disability. Although Ayesha’s grades are not bad, she shows an inconsistency
in her test taking and control of new material. Shania and Troy feel she may be in need of
learning style accommodations.
The majority of Shania’s research was on a web site sponsored by Cobb County’s Board of
Education. She simply began by doing a Google search. During her web searches, Shania
starts by typing the web address www.google.com in the search box. She then types the school
districts name, Cobb County School District, in the Google search box. Google offers Shania a
number of choices. She chooses the first option, which directs her to the web site address
http://www.cobbk12.org. Shania is now on a path to a wealth of information. The site is loaded
with information concerning school choice in Cobb County.
After a thorough analysis of all potential schools, Shania selected Carl Harrison High School
for Marquez; Pebblebrook High School for Avanti; and Imagine International Academy for
Ayesha. Shania found the schools were within a twenty mile radius of each other. Carl
Harrison High School is in Kennesaw, Georgia, the neighborhood where Shania and family
reside. Pebblebrook High School and Imagine International Academy are located in Mableton,
Georgia. A profile of each school follows.

Three School Brands: Cobb County School District

Carl Harrison High School
Carl Harrison High School is located in Kennesaw Georgia. Principal William Griggers:
Recently, Harrison High School was named as an Advanced Placement (AP) Certified
Demonstration School. Our enrollment has increased in our Advanced Placement and
honors programs over the last several years and our AP test scores continue to reflect the
excellence that takes place in the classroom… In the arts, our band has gained state and
national recognition. Our orchestra continues to earn numerous opportunities and
awards. Our choral students produce shows that please audiences. Our drama
department works to produce shows despite having our theater under renovation… We

53
 have been the recipients of the Director's Cup for athletics because our sports teams have
consistently been the best. Not only do we have some of the most competitive teams,
several have brought home region and state titles. Many of our athletes sign with major
colleges and universities; we even have former students in professional sports. Our
school is one of the BEST in the state and we have some of the most outstanding teachers
and programs available. (paragraph 3-7)
Additionally, the schools web site offers online ACT preparation.

Pebble Brook High School

According to CCCEPA (2008) “The Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing
Arts is a magnet program at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia. The program is
open to any talented student in Cobb County who meets eligibility and audition requirements”
(paragraph 1). The school facilitates students who are talented in the specific performing arts
areas of dance, drama, technical, and vocal.

Imagine International Academy of Mableton

According to Imagine International Academy (2008) their Mableton, Georgia location offers
“a tuition-free charter school serving students from grades K - 8. “Our academy welcomes
families from all backgrounds and cultures in order to create a rich and diverse environment for
our children to grow and learn to their greatest potential” (paragraph 1). The charter school
format caters to specific community needs with its flexible administrative capabilities. Imagine
International Academy (2008) wrote the following:
Our goal is to provide a unique educational experience that is different from what is
already offered to our community. We believe we have achieved this by choosing to
deliver our curriculum through the program created by the International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO), by offering Spanish as a second language, by utilizing a balanced
calendar, and by requiring uniforms and mandatory parent volunteer hours. Each of these
features was chosen because of the positive effect they have proven to have on other
schools where they have been offered. (paragraph 5).
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Furthermore, Imagine International (2008) expresses their commitment to all students with this
statement about remediation. “Remediation will be offered for students who require additional
assistance with current academics” (paragraph 7).

Shania has specifically selected schools that cater to her children’s needs. She chose schools
within a fifteen mile radius of the family residence. This is an example of proactively exercising
school choice. As you read the letter written by William Griggers, Carl Harrison High School’s
Principal, it was obvious that Harrison High offered a wide range of features. Yet Shania chose
the fifteen mile drive for specific opportunities available for Avanti at the magnet school(Pebble
Brook), and those the charter school (Imagine) offered Ayesha. Although in this case traveling
expenses increase when exercising school choice, the family has accomplished their original
goal, which was an overall savings.

It is important to note decisions concerning school choice require evaluation throughout the
school year. Shania performed web searches for her information. Easy access to the internet can
be deceptive. There are other ways to find important facts concerning school choice. You can
request information from a parent who has a child in the school you are considering. Although
the internet is the world’s greatest source of electronic data, you are the missing link between
data and useful information. Data must be manipulated correctly in order to become useful
information. Before accessing data from our example school district or any other district,
consumers should be in touch with their needs.

In this section, personal experiences and professional knowledge are used to discuss some
general pros and cons concerning school choice: five pros (positive outcomes of school choice)
and five cons (negative outcomes of school choice). The opposing perspectives are sequenced
for the sake of originality. Hence, pros vs. cons, which are a great thought process to incorporate
in your school shopping ventures.

Pros
1. Your child does not have to attend a school because it is in the neighborhood where
you reside. You and your child can select the school of your choice based on other
55
 discriminating criteria.
2. Your child will likely experience diversity, which is an important part of the
education experience.
3. The parent or guardian will experience peace of mind having participated in a
decision making process rather than their child attending an assigned school.
4. The parent can analyze different capacities of education professionals and choose the
school that best suits their child’s needs.
5. School districts receive funds at different levels. School choice insures you have the
right to choose a school with proper facilities.
Cons
1. Travel expenses may be an issue if the school is located in another district.
2. Your child will miss bonding opportunities with the neighborhood children if you
choose a school outside of the district.
3. You are accountable for your decisions while exercising choice for your child and
you must insure the transfer of learning.
4. A voucher award will likely steer you towards religious private schools. Voucher
limits usually only meet religious school tuition costs.
5. When choosing a charter school for your child consider that charter schools are
performance based and subject to close without warning based on performance
parameters.

Discussion 1
Pro
1. Your child does not have to attend a school because it is in the neighborhood where
you reside. You and your child can select the school of your choice based on other
discriminating criteria.
Con
1. Travel expenses may be an issue if the school is located in another district.

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 Mommy, a certified dietician, worked in the cafeteria of the neighborhood high school. This
was likely where she developed her opinions of our local school district. Dad attended Catholic
elementary school as a young child in Mississippi. This certainly attributed to Mom’s decision
and Dad’s neutrality in regard to us attending Catholic schools. Our private elementary school
happened to be within the radius of our public school district. Our secondary schools were quite
a distance. We used public transportation as a means of travel to school. The bus rides were
long and at times overcrowded, considering it was not a school bus.

Discussion 2
Pro
2. Your child will likely experience diversity, which is an important part of the
education experience.
Con
2. Your child will miss bonding opportunities with the neighborhood children if
you choose a school outside of the district.

The virtue of diversity expanded throughout my education experience. During the week I
participated in daily Catholic religion classes and weekly church ceremonies. On Sundays the
family attended a Baptist church, where we were all members. The ceremonies differed in many
ways. There existed hints of racial tension at the boy’s Catholic school. Tensions usually
subsided quickly under the umbrella of the religious setting.
Meanwhile, our neighborhood soon became a lower middle class urban suburb of Steveland,
Ohio lending an elite status to private school students. Twenty years later I found myself
admiring our neighborhood high school for its strong alumni community.

Discussion 3
Pro
3. The parent or guardian will experience peace of mind having participated in a
decision making process rather than their child attending an assigned school.
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Con
3. You are accountable for your decisions while exercising choice for your child and
you must insure the transfer of learning.

Mommy was very happy with the decision to send her children to private schools. Although
Dad attended Catholic elementary school, he graduated from a public high school. Dad
eventually questioned our private school attendance. Mommy never reconsidered. She often
boasted of the uphill challenge to meet tuition requirements. There were times when Dad’s
resources were completely dedicated to living expenses for the family. Mommy’s philosophies
and beliefs motivated her sacrifice. Therefore, I conclude that if one has reason to believe, or a
philosophy which inspires their decisions, there is much more contentment in following through
with those decisions. In essence, "patriots make the best soldiers".
No matter how much we philosophize and ponder options, once the school choice option is
exercised the parent is a third party in this process. Furthermore, decision-making is not the only
responsibility of the parent. The parent must be prepared to support the student and assist with
the transfer of learning. Metaphorically, imagine shaping the transfer of learning as an algebraic
equation. The school carries an identity in its philosophy and brand name. The teacher performs
a service per teacher to student ratio. The product of education is susceptible to translation of the
receiver/student. Hence, students are charged with the responsibility of learning. Learning
styles regulate the academic transfer from teacher to student. Therefore, parents must be
accountable for necessary adjustments during the transfer of learning. In essence, our model in
the language of algebraic equation looks like this (SB/TSR+S+LS+P=TL). The equation
translates as school brand divided by teacher to student ratio, plus student, plus learning style,
plus parent equals the transfer of learning.

Discussion 4
Pro
4. The parent can analyze different capacities of education professionals, and choose
the school that best suits their child’s needs.
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Con
4. A voucher award will likely steer you towards religious private schools. Voucher
limits usually only meet religious school tuition costs.

The awareness of education options is an important part of school choice. This is the
responsibility of the parent. On the inside of every school are administrators and teachers who
uphold the philosophies that support the school’s brand. The teachers ultimately influences your
child. Parents must develop their own philosophies based on gathering usable knowledge and
reflecting on experiences. You need to be aware of curriculums used in the schools in order to
analyze or evaluate capacities of education professionals during your child’s academic career.
Curriculums are available online or by request. Just ask a teacher or administrator.
Enforcing religious beliefs on children during their K-12 academic enlightening process can
coincide with the preferred neutrality of public education and democracy. Controversy has
refocused national awareness on this issue. According to Noll (2008), in the case Zelman vs.
Simmons-Harris, the Supreme Court upheld the issue of voucher awards. Ohio's Pilot Project
Scholarship Program awarded vouchers to recipients who wished to transfer from Steveland,
Ohio’s public school district to public schools outside of the district, non-religious private
schools, or religious private schools. In the year 1999 ninety-six percent of recipients chose
religious private schools. The administrator/superintendent of the voucher program met
challenge for the lack of school choice provided by this controversial vehicle of school choice.
The big picture is private schools have the right to enforce their spiritual views in a private
school setting where all in attendance are in agreement with the religion. Students in our
American democracy have the right to a free public education. However, when public funding
creates school choice, and it inadvertently routes the choosers to a religious school, the funding
effort loses the effect of enhancing choice.

Discussion 5
Pro
5. School districts receive funds at different levels. School choice insures you have
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 the right to choose a school with proper facilities.
Con
5. When choosing a charter school for your child consider that charter schools are
performance based and subject to close without warning based on performance
parameters.

School districts receive money from local business partnerships, nonprofit organizations,
State lottery funds, property taxes, and public funds. With such resources it is easy to assume the
funds disperse equally to meet the needs of all districts. Yet districts in low socio-economic
neighborhoods may have facilities that lack the essentials. School choice allows consumers to
visit outside of their districts for better opportunities.
Choose carefully when choosing outside of your district. For example, some charter schools
are run by for-profit organizations. Rotherham (2005) wrote the following about a 2004
catastrophe concerning charter schools. “California Charter Academy (CCA), a for-profit
education management company… closed more than 60 California campuses serving almost
10,000 students” (p. 43).

Sometimes it takes a personal touch to add understanding of a topic. I offered my experiences

because they are part of my inspiration for researching school choice. The power of reflection
inspired me to write about the preliminary thought processes that prepare one to make decisions
and solve problems concerning school choice. There will always be adversity no matter what
decision you make. Today’s school districts are microcosms of the country as a whole. And
there is always more going on in a school than teaching and learning. Regardless of when and
how you choose with school, may you and yours be influenced to become lifelong learners.

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 6
Memoirs and Poetry
This chapter introduces the genre of memoir. The first title, What’s Going On, starts with my
earliest memories and captures my first instance of thought. The passages eventually evolve into
my time as a youthful athlete. The poetic insert Ode to Basketball follows. Next, the title For
the Love of Basketball and One Year Later travel further into detail about my junior high school
experiences on the basketball court.

What’s Going On?

My very first memory was of resilience and rebellion. With clarity I often recall the orange
garment worn by a human being in a boat. The distance was overwhelming. The waters were
ferocious and unyielding. I feared for my safety. The water was blue. I knew it was water but I
did not understand why it was so far away. I began to cry tears of helpless fear. Those whom I
trusted did not offer their helping hand, nor did they justify my fear with “it will be okay”.
Instead the torment of laughter was resultant to my fearful outcry. I was soon relieved of my
torment. Dad walked towards me and away from the laughing onlookers (Auntie and Mommy).
If I would have never looked away from Dad he would have captured the exact still my sister
posed for by herself, and then with me. I was a bit embarrassed by not mocking the composure
my sister had so brilliantly achieved. We were just in the same place together. For some reason
when Dad said “Mark, you take one by yourself”. I didn’t want her to leave. Curiosity probably
amplified my brief loneliness. That was when the regrettable took place. No one told me not to
look away. That is the only feasible explanation for not being able to take a good picture. The
entire vacation would be a disappointment from that day on.
I don’t think I ever completely trusted Dad again. I have possibly had reservations regarding
Auntie. It seems Dad’s inclination to capture the artistic moment had briefly become an
obsession. This particular moment was one thousand feet above a cascading Niagara Falls
stream used by white water rafters. In retrospect, there was a clear glass shield between the rail
61
that he requested my sister and I sit on, and the distant view of the water. Yet in my perception,
after viewing a sweeping blue wave cover the orange and quickly returning to proper position to
see my big sister being carried away, there was a safety issue.
The very next memory of existence occurred in kindergarten. It was Dad again with the best
intentions. He surprised me with a McDonald’s fish sandwich, fries, and an orange drink. I was
sitting in class being a good boy and most likely regretting the usual bologna sandwich lovingly
prepared by Mom. Mom expressed her unmistakable love through the application of
mayonnaise. The thought of lunch was never a good thought as long as I knew bologna was
waiting. I remember Dad greeting the teacher with a brief conversation as they shared light
laughter. He walk over to me, gave me a hand shake and said high to my friends. He then
presented what today is classified as a McDonald’s fish combo. Despite this being one of my
earliest memories, I would not classify its significance immediately. Its permanence surfaced
only after years of dreadful compromise with excessive mayonnaise and disappointing lunch
periods.
The strength of this memory is not in the kind gesture of receiving a hot lunch, or the reaction
to peers of being the only child with a hot lunch. For the first time, I was experiencing the vast
differences in the quality of food tastes. This moment was probably the most influential in
developing my discriminating taste buds. The bologna and mayonnaise continued for several
years and so did my complaints. Mom never adjusted the mayonnaise portions on the routine
bologna sandwich, but she made the world’s best tuna fish.

For The Love of Basketball

The home I grew up in sat on a plot of land segmented by a lawn area, a small garden area,
and a relatively large cemented area. The cemented area was slightly pitched and crowned with
a two car garage, where a perfectly centered ten foot basketball goal was mounted. This was my
basketball haven. Our yard was the playground for the entire neighborhood. I have classified
my experience with basketball as a youth to be a core variable in my development. The sport
itself did not contribute to my successes and failures. I did not remain loyal to the sport. Yet
what happened in the yard was phenomenal. I became the beneficiary of an accelerated level of
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sports competition. I was an eight year old bouncing a ball. Dad chaperoned the participants
whose ages originally ranged from 8-15 years old. As the years past the level of competition
grew and I developed into a consummate competitor.
My athleticism and along with residential status granted me uncontested inclusion rights and a
prevailing feeling of ownership. In retrospect, with the increasing skill levels of the participants,
it was rare that I was the best competitor. It was rare that I would be competing amongst my age
group. I now realize it wasn’t just the vigor of sport that held this experience significant. It was
the escalating popularity of the location as well as the dedication and skill level of the
participants.
Basketball would continue to add drama to my life outside of our gated yard. In the seventh
grade, my first year of league basketball, I proved to be a polished athlete. My capabilities were
slightly overshadowed by two eighth graders that were endowed with a rare breed of street
athleticism. The eighth grade star athletes were rumored to be a few years older than the record
showed. Meaning they should have actually been playing junior varsity high school basketball.
News spread among the students and the private school faculty. The controversy would make
my slightly inferior skill level highly anticipated at the eighth grade level.
Many of the parents from both grade levels began to speak of my performances. The
dominant eighth grade shooting and point guards were compromised by their superior physiques.
They would have been better suited to compete at a higher level and were considered less than
authentic. With this I became the ordained star of both the seventh and eighth grade team. The
eighth graders often requested my company in pre-practice pickup games with their recurring
“Marky, hoop with us”. I would often have two practice opportunities. First practicing with the
seventh grade team and then playing with the eighth graders during their informal pre-practice
sessions. It was truly a privilege to stick around and pursue the freedom of the long distance
jump shot. Our coach didn’t allow us to shoot long range shots in practice or games and
shooting around my yard became generic when compared to full court access.
The many extended practices with the older players made me a bit rebellious. My coach was
a capable athlete who once competed at the college level. In retrospect, her message was
discipline and team effort. She could care less about my ability to sink a thirty-footer in the
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middle of the synchronicity of an organized practice. I imagine [to her] it was like I was riding
on the passenger side in her car as she listened to her favorite song on the radio and just when
she began to sing, I selfishly changed the station. So here I was again, in one of coach K’s well-
orchestrated practices, with little reverence to the benefit of her collegiate skill level.
“Mark come on now, you are not listening. I need three passes before a shot. Do not shoot
from more than ten feet unless the forwards are positioned for the rebound. You just did a coast
to coast without even one pass.” She exclaimed.
“I made the shot though. I’m hot coach.” I rallied back.
My teammates laughed, which probably made the consequences more severe. This was the
last straw as far as K was concerned. She requested that I sit in the bleachers and continued
practice. I honored her wishes and amplified the punishment by leaving the practice session.
My anger was reserved due to respect for K. The validity of her reaction and my decision did
not register as consequential. As I left the gym, I simply walked continuing at a pace that landed
me at the front door of my home ringing the doorbell.
Dad answered the door and looked at me as if I was a stranger. He’d dropped me off at
practice just three hours earlier. The gym was about a mile away from our home. His efforts to
pick me up incited a storm of fury. The coach explained I wondered off. This left Dad
vulnerable. I would have to pay the price for the confusion. The perception of consequences
became reality when Dad recited one of his favorite statements.
“Boy you made me worry, and I don’t like to worry”. There was little suspense in the verdict.
Before I could walk beyond the living room he stated: “She threw you out of practice; you won’t
be going back”. I Pleaded for mercy. In no way was it K’s fault.
“Dad she did not throw me out of practice. I left when her back was turned, she could not see
me leaving”. I pleaded.
“This adult person was responsible for you son. One day you will understand. As long as she
is the coach, you will not be playing basketball for the seventh grade team”. He demanded.
I can still feel the loss of not competing that year. K quit the volunteer position but continued to
visit thru her cousin who took over seventh grade coaching responsibilities.

64
 My eighth grade year would prove to be explosive. Our team was mentored by a policeman
who was ironically permissive and slow to discipline our team members. My interest in
basketball declined due to the distress I experienced in being forced to quit in the seventh grade.

Sport for the athlete is a rite of passage and for many the key to success. I am very grateful for
my days of athletic development. For that reason, I have composed a poem to capture the
essence of the game that granted me the most success. Keep in mind, this poem is from the
perspective of an eighth grade shooting guard who averaged 21 points a game when games were
only eight minutes a quarter. The title of this poem is Ode to Basketball.

This is your chance to be great

on the parquet or
the asphalt barren strait.
Whether league ball or
the black top
street ball lottery,
“I got next my dude”.
I’m balling like there are scouts watching me.
I’m a true athletic warrior.
In this game you never know what’s in store for you.
The ball is never your friend
unless it goes through the net
when it leaves your hands.
When you’re on fire
those other nine people are just in the way,
because the truth of the matter is
it’s always you against the rim
when you hit the court
on any given day.
In theory,
your team is on your side
as long as you’re in good graces
with the fiberglass,
steel and
the leather hide.
But that leaves five other people in the way
putting “D” on your “A” game
trying to spoil your day.
Playing b-ball is like dancing.
Once you learn you never forget.
You practice and you do it.
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 At time it’s a subconscious effort.
When you enter the zone of subconscious performance
the truth comes out:
the mechanisms of the jump shot,
the stability of the dribble and
swift attempts to assist.
You can’t fake this.
Down by one,
2 seconds on the clock,
2 foul shots,
it’s you against the rim.
Can you make the ball your friend?
Don’t think about it.
Just remember the mechanical quick release and
he arched back spin.
Sounds easy?
You wish.
Down by one,
2 seconds on the clock,
2 foul shots,
thousands of people in the crowd and
there loud.
It’s the state championship,
it’s the NCAA final four,
it’s the NBA finals and
it’s so intense.
Can you give the fans a gift and your career a lift?
Can you make it swish?

Out of Bounds
I remember my first childhood friend Reggie Jenkins. We were kindergarten classmates. Our
parents found commonalities and made small talk while picking us up from school.
Coincidentally, we were already friends due to seating arrangements in the classroom. We
eventually began to visit each other on the weekends. Our home lives contrasted making the
visits equally fun as we alternated weekend visits. Reggie was being raised by his grandparents
who were not staunch disciplinarians and seldom raised their voices. My membership affixed to
a loud-talking, switch-swinging, and disciplined centered environment where Dad rarely spared
the rod. Reg often mention he never knew his father, but led a very comfortable upper middle
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class life with his grandparents. Reg was a suburbanite. My humble abode just happened to be
located in a transformed suburb on its way to low density inner city status. So there we were,
two young kids, one who wished he knew his father and one who wished he did not. Secondly,
we could have traded “suburbia” for ‘inner city” as if we were trading sports cards. In reality,
neither one of us wanted the others life, but our weekend retreats were worthwhile as a result of
the diversity we brought to each other’s lives. Eventually we would be separated when his
grandparents chose to send him to a public junior high school. The significance of our childhood
friendship meant when he made friends I made friends and vice versa. Our friendship would
soon be stifled but not broken by a questionable decision.
Reg’s first girlfriend, July, was a suburban private school student at one of the most
prestigious girls schools in the suburban Catholic diocese. She and Reg had a junior high school
relationship, but Reg’s grandmother continued to hold her in high regard after the break.
Meanwhile, I began dating in suburbia. I personally didn’t think much of neighborhoods and
classism, but for some reason it was relevant in those days. We were actually members of school
districts and communities. Many of my classmates were recognized athletes from a variety of
neighborhoods. In essence, they served as diplomats in neutralizing our school as a safe haven
free of outside rivalries. Our parochial school played host to dance parties that were very
successful fundraisers due to the neutrality the school held in the community. School rivalries
were prevalent then. Identity was quite significant to my cohorts in our high school days for
social reasons.
My parochial school membership allowed me to feel comfortable dating in any Steveland,
Ohio neighborhood. Since I exercised my right of passage in all neighborhoods nothing could
stop me from pursuing the beautiful Sandy Candler. Sandy sent a message through a mutual
friend that she wanted me to call her. I was charmed by her aggressions. She was slightly taller
than me, with a womanly figure and golden brown skin. Despite our great times together, our
homes were about 10 miles apart and distance became an issue. Time was also an issue
considering the tug of war my teen cohorts often played with their parents. Trying to figure out
when you would have the house to yourself and how long you would have it regulated
relationships purely based on physical attraction. After all, our parents were not stupid. Our
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limited opportunities and church environment chaperoned Sandy and my relationship. We talked
about teen pregnancy and understood we’d already taken to many risks. Our relationship slowed
in pace until I got a call from Reg:
“Mark, your girl Sandy was at the high school with this dude named Lassalle”. He
exclaimed.
“A dude named Lassalle. It must not be that serious.” I replied.
“He’s nice with the ladies. You better get your girl.” He insisted.
It was obvious that Reggie fell victim to the predatory habits of the popular playboy. He went on
to inquire:
“Remember July? Ever since we broke up the second time, I’ve been trying to get back in.
Lassalle is dating her too. You need to Holla at your girl before it’s too late”.
“Hey Reg, peep game, I‘ll talk to July and get Lassalle back on track to where he should be.
You know what I’m saying?” I inquired. Reggie hesitated. In retrospect my listening skills
were not very sharp that day. He was obviously lending his watchful eye to me as an assertion
towards his loss of July. My plan although divisive and soon to be successful, opened another
can of worms. Reggie granted his approval.
“That’s cool. Handle your business”. Reggie sighed.
July worked at a department store not far from her and Reggie’s suburban neighborhood. I
simply began to visit her at the store. Eventually, we talked about her and Lassalle having
problems. I mentioned moving problems with my girlfriend. She knew exactly who I was
talking about; the name rang a bell. Acknowledging she heard the name before was all she
needed. We made no further mention of our emotions towards the situation and soon saw each
other as vehicles for a special kind of communication to our wandering mates.
As we became familiar with each other, I began to visit her at her home. I secured the
permission of my friend Reggie, but there was a strange twist of fate. His grandmother saw my
car parked outside July’s home. All of sudden my attempt to cure my jealous heart with what
seemed to be an appropriate confidante was shattered with impressions of disloyalty. Reggie’s
grandmother was totally insulted by the actions of her prodigal son who she made midnight
snacks for as Reggie and I watched teen movies on HBO. Reggie could not sway what his
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grandmother saw as betrayal. His defense of my actions fell to deaf ears. She could not
empathize with me or July, rendering her grandson as naive.
The Jenkins’ welcomed one of Reggie’s girlfriends into their home. She was a refugee of
sorts. Her parents separated and simultaneously fell to crack addiction in a small Midwestern
factory town. Tonya was her name. She moved to Steveland, Ohio to live with her cousin’s
family. Her cousin (Janet) often found incompatibilities with Tonya. This made her relationship
with Reggie quite clingy. I have come to liken clinginess to a magnetic attraction caused by
emotional void. This was likely the explanation for Tonya’s abrupt promiscuity despite her
reluctance to totally break from Reggie. Reggie and Tonya openly partook in an on-and-off
relationship, which captivated the attention of all concerned. Tonya’s cousin Janet offered play
by play reports of the adult like domestic disputes between the couple. Mrs. Jenkins slowly
distanced herself from Tonya and withdrew her support of the relationship. Tonya moved back
to her cousins home. I collected these bits and pieces of information well after my encounter
with July. Only then could I grasp the intensity of my unintentional offense.

Let’s face it, things happen that we would never predict nor retrospectively justify. However, we
can only learn from our mistakes and except that as humans we are limited in our ability to
forgive once trust boundaries have been crossed. This next poem is titled Locksmith.
Key to life is the acknowledgement that relationships are vulnerable.
It seems intimacies can become social casualties
disappearing from reality
as if it were just fantasy.
I have seen compatibility dissolve right before my eyes.
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 The sad thing is outsiders can see it before you realize.
Some are not emotionally equipped
to accept the demotion
from friend
to acquaintance,
husband
to hook-up or
executive
to maintenance.
At times I have found myself among the sum.
Happy to have a job,
yet my heart felt numb.
This may be the major negotiable in maintaining long-term relationships and
not just those romantic trips.
Even brothers of the same mother
are regulated by idiosyncrasies
of compatibility
in the spectrum
of kinship/friendship.
Adults are mapped according to
priority,
culture,
biological prowess,
economics etc.
The ability to be happy
within oneself
makes true friendships more likely and
more relevant.

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 7
Memoirs and Poetry Part 2
The title High School Sporting includes stories of coming of age as my interest in sports begins
to fade. The next title is Out of Bounds. It discusses youthful diversity. The poem Locksmith
elaborates on the essence of relationships gone astray. Not Just Another Fling continues with an
explanation of life changing events. As the poem School of Thought elaborates on extreme
behaviors in which young adults may indulge. The final inserts are the title The Friend Who Fell
and the poem Eternal External.

High School Sporting

The transitions in life are seldom harmonious, and retrospectively useless if not sequestered
with a trained eye. Success was a stranger to the effortless days I spent walking the high school
halls. A stranger to my individual experience. Generally speaking, success lingered from wall to
wall in academia and sport. Although beating a future Heartman Trophy and Football Bowl
MVP winner in a foot race could earn bragging rights, it was nothing compared to daringly
striking a state championship wrestler. The entire religion class intervened in my reaction to an
angry racial slur. My untrained hands were quick as the right hook instinctually pounded the
praised grappler. Only a knock out would have sustained the bleeding brute. Yet onlookers
were more than impressed with his confusion and the irony of my opposing 5’ 7”, 150 pound
frame. The approximately 250 plus pound 6’4” sports hero skirmishes for a clear view while I
began to mock the “Sugar Ray Shuffle”.
My sports hero classmates were rich with accolades during and after high school. Those
accolades transformed into dollars for three of the students who graduated with me. This
powerful association to those who succeeded in areas that I valued, yet chose not to compete in,
would drive me to succeed elsewhere.

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Not Just Another Fling
Tiffany was her first name. We both had hidden agendas, mine was the classic hunter vs.
prey and therefore justifiable. Her agenda was to make her long-time on-and-off boyfriend
jealous. He happened to be one of my “front page classmates”. These were the guys who were
constantly in the newspaper for their athletic achievements. Tiffany was a modest young teen.
Her appearance did not match her personality. She possessed extreme beauty, but I ignored it.
To her it was so irrelevant. She actually did not realize how striking she was. There was no
obvious evidence of her features being genetic either. Strangely enough, Tiffany’s mother was a
modestly attractive woman who could have shed a few pounds and then went on a diet. She was
a bit heavy. Her grandmother may have possibly lost features due to age. Then there was her
brothers; one was featureless with long braids and morbidly obese. Her other brother was a
restaurant manager who worked the night shift. He was just too ugly to work the lunch rush, but
quite a nice fellow. He could beat anybody in an eye contact contest, and always seemed eager
to compete. Beauty was not of issue around that house. Tiffany, an odd ball in her own home,
had issues that she made me well aware of. She did not hide her agenda nor did she speak of it a
lot.
Her involvement with Mr. Sports Page made us both feel a bit mischievous. His mere
presence demoted me to the sixth man on the junior varsity basketball team. He became the
starting shooting guard without trying out for the team. This was not a title he wanted nor did he
earn. He explained that the football coaches wanted to keep him active in the off season. I did
not deserve much loyalty from the coaches. I abruptly ended my freshman season with what I
called family issues. Yet, blaming “Sports Page” was an easy way out and it healed my
conscious. He was honestly a nice guy and full of laughs. Nevertheless, I deserved a little time
with his girlfriend after all of the trouble he caused me.
Tiffany and I would have quite a fling. Her dark chocolate skin was complemented by perky
round breast that protruded beyond a slender figure endowed with defined curves and a cuddly,
plump heart-shaped gluteus. Her toes, legs, and thighs were as admirable as her face. Even her
ears were pretty. Unfortunately, in my vengefulness, I ended up on the losing end of this
particular deal. After falling asleep over her house one night, reality began to set in on the way
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home. Dad’s voice echoed in my ear. “Boy, you make sure you honor this curfew. You are to
be in this house at midnight or else. If you break it again I’m going to put you on the street and
that is a promise.” He dispelled.
Those words were expired two weeks previous. They greeted me at the back door one night
as I tiptoed in after curfew. I remember thinking he either had telepathic powers or he was
literally waiting up for me. Either way, I was more oppressed than impressed. As I continued
homebound, I became fixated on positive thoughts—thinking maybe he forgot. Then I struggled
with myself. Even if he forgot it was past curfew and the next day. Suddenly, I realized the
impending consequence of spending the entire night away from home without contacting
anyone.
I arrived at my soon to be former dwelling, the place where I was born and raised. Dad
seemed to be making sport of putting my belongings on the curb. I consoled myself on the ride
home with the realization that Dad never called off work and he’d just started a new weekend
schedule. I thought to myself he’ll be at work. Mommy will talk to him. I’ll explain how sorry
I am about not calling. Surely he won’t put me on the street. For a moment I was consoled by
the very imagination that served me so poorly up until that point. Reality answered as he greeted
me with:
“Boy I guess you thought I was playing. I took off work for this! Not only did you not honor
your curfew, you had the ‘audacity’ to stay out all night”. As Dad paused his speech, he wore an
alienating smirk on his face. It was as if he had avenged a longtime rival. Out of focus to both
of us were the objections from Mommy. She stood on the front porch slightly tearing and
disgusted with the finality of Dad’s dreadful decision. In my last memory of a safe childhood
dwelling, I silently joined Dad in what would be his final performance of the worn cliché: “Boy,
you made me worry and I don’t like to worry”.

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As parents, we must be very careful with our tools of punishment or we will find ourselves
creating a path to failure for our children. It took me ten years to dedicate myself to something
of value after losing interest in organized sports. The aftershock of losing my first year of
organized competition numbed the excitement of competing during my eighth grade year.
Furthermore, being forced to the streets almost immediately after high school graduation could
have been deadly and was in absolute conflict with my plans to attend college. This next poem
is an example of where misguided children go. I diverted my attentions to teenage romance, yet
many are pulled in by temptations to earn illegal money or simply behave badly outside of a
regulated compulsory environment. This poem is called School of Thought.

I go to school every day.

Teachers are in my ear.
These fools are wanting to fight me,
yet I have no fear.
My future is dreary,
yet my thoughts are clear.
I’m going to graduate somewhere,
but it won’t be here.
The streets are calling.
The thugs are balling
My best friend said:
I got hoes and hustlers player.
Why are you stalling?
Camp out with us
our money flows like water.
I’ll make you the principal
of my street hustle charter,
or go ahead man stay in school.
I wish I could afford to
sit in class
all day
broke and hungry
looking like a fool.
How old are those Nikes?
Are they white or gray?
When do you want to start player,
tomorrow or today?
Yesterday!
I’m ready right now.
All I need to know
is what,
when,
where, and
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 how.
What?
You know what it is.
It’s whatever is clever in the street hustle biz.
Crack today,
Meth, and cocaine tomorrow,
it’s what the people want,
when they want it,
where they want it,
how they want it.
Take cash only and
never flaunt it.
Don’t loan
because you cannot borrow.
It’s opportunity cost,
Cover your ass.
Seek shelter.
Pimping is leadership.
Are you with this game pimp?
Oh and we’re tax exempt.
Keep your money clean.
Shred your paper trails.
Don’t tell these hoes game.
If they’ll kiss and tell,
then they’ll surely snitch.
Some of these hoes are framing guys to get bigger dicks.
They’ll have your ass in jail being somebody’s bitch.
You know I got your bail.
Any questions about this?
Cool!
That’s how I do business.
I’ll holla at you in a few months
for my cheese;
one time and
I won’t say please.
Get my money right.
Get clientele uptown
and I’ll give you the keys
to the meth factory.
We can be friends forever,
but let’s not pretend.
All you have to do
is break one rule
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 then you’re my enemy man”.
I’m pushing weight every day.
The Feds are in my ear.
Hustlers wanting to rob me.
Yet I have no fear.
I got to save myself somehow,
but it won’t be here.

The Friend Who Fell

Few people are likely to have had a friend as interesting as Jeffrey Jefferson. For years he
unwittingly carried the nickname Sneaky Jefferson. He was a classmate within our
neighborhood circle of private school children. During his time in elementary private school he
just happened to be the child that would pull pranks like planting insects or sometimes boogers
from his nose in a classmates hair. Because he would always scare the girls by say “I got cha”,
he was accepted and humorously appreciated as the maladjusted Sneaky Jefferson.
We did not witness his adjustment. Yet as years past word spread. Sneaky earned a name for
himself on his high school track team. With that accomplishment, he visited the old circle. I
was acquainted with Jeffrey’s cousin Rachel. Rachael was a very attractive and quite popular.
Jeffrey was fond of her friend Sarah. He and I would visit the suburban teens. The new Jeffrey,
now known as Fast Man, was truly a reformed nerd.
Upon evacuation from my childhood domicile, I stopped at Jeffrey’s mom’s house and was
invited to dinner. After dinner I explained my situation to Jeffrey. He extended me an invitation
to stay in the attic. I insisted he ask permission from his mom. With her affirmation it was final.
I moved my stuff into the spacious attic and within minutes Jeffrey and I lined up some special
company for the night. Since Jeffrey’s mom worked out of town, some of our lady friends were
actually able to stay overnight. This was something new for me. Yet it obviously was not new
for him.
Jeffrey’s younger sister behaved as a mature woman. She was a few years younger than we
were, but dated a roguish brand. Her suitors were our elder youth, those who we heard stories
of—the high profile hustlers rich in reputation. He eventually confided in me that he suspected
his sister was suffering from depression and possibly using drugs. Suddenly I began to value my

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sheltered origins of the past. I now understood Dad’s relevance after a few weeks of living with
Jeffrey. Our freedom to have ladies stay overnight may have been a bit much. Young adult
intimacies were exciting because of sneaking around. Waking up with noncommittal females
was a challenge, because at that age really good sex from an extremely attractive woman could
make a young guy clingy and possessive.
My concerns of sharing a home with someone who played conduit to the “real street life” may
as well have been premonition. Jeffrey and I were standing outside one day when a car pulled up
and simply shot through the second floor window. He was completely composed about the
whole ordeal and explained: “My sister used to mess with that fool. I wanted to kick his ass, but
he punked out”.
This wasn’t the Sneaky Jefferson I grew up with. This lifestyle was in no way conducive to
the education plans we discussed. We were both accepted into college. I was on my way to
Campusville. He earned a full scholarship to Alabama College. The schools were fifty miles
apart. He first talked of being a veterinarian in his nerd days and held on to that dream.
Academic fruition would have landed him in Campusville for graduate school, home of a world
renowned veterinarian medicine program. We discussed these abstracts in great detail.
I imagine the agonies of prevailing over adversity can evolve into a feeling of victory and
conditioned strength. A person prone to this sort of development is considered a positive
deviant. It seemed that each time one answered to the call of the wild and uncivilized, the risk of
their demise remained a constant and lingering force despite an apparent victory over adversity.
Many teens in our neighborhood were challenged with drug activity, gang membership, and
other violent activities. This was the life Dad was sheltering me from, a life I would glimpse with
doubtful eyes finding no compatibilities in its membership.
Spending time with other friends helped me balance the culture shock. An ex-girlfriend
granted me a weeklong stay. Her parents happened to be on vacation. I caught her cheating on
me just a few months previous. It was a disappointing discovery for the both of us. Her other
lover attended a university miles away.
She only knew Jeffrey vaguely through one of her classmates who dated him. I explained the
situation to her. She was quite a nurturer and feared the surroundings were not suitable for me or
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Jeffrey. She and I were together on one of the final nights before her parents were due to return.
I called Jeffrey and told him what I was up to. Jeffrey let me know he would be at the club that
night. I didn’t make any promises, but I told him I might show up.
The next day it was time to go. I boldly returned to my birth place with the hopes of talking
to Dad. My sister answered the door and told me of her plans to go to a friend’s cookout. She
invited me to the cook out, but not in the house. I remember thinking what a little daddy’s girl.
She went on to say: “Daddy is not here but I will see if he will talk to you. Now wait outside,
I’ll be ready to go in a minute”. An hour later we were on the road. Upon arrival, I realized this
was not my usual crowd. So for the first and last time I was hanging out with my sister and her
circle of complete goofballs. As me and a few of the guys took part in a sweat free game of
basketball, my sister was called to the phone. She ran towards me and gave me the phone. For a
moment I was relieved to know it was just my brother and my sister was goofier than I thought.
Yet I would find that her behavior was warranted. My brother wasted no time. “I was just over
Jeffrey’s house to visit you. The police were everywhere. I went in the house. Mark he can’t be
alive, there was blood everywhere. Somebody stabbed Jeffrey”.
My sister was already in the car. Everyone was briefed about the situation. They felt for me.
They knew it was possible that I lost a friend. My thoughts were clear riding back, they were of
Sneaky Jefferson not Fast Man. I realized on the way home, his mother’s home, why I was the
most frequented visit out of all the guys in our grade school circle. I made sure he got picked for
football and basketball pickup games whenever I was captain. And I acknowledged him every
day at the old elementary school. Further, I now realized why he was Fast Man. It was because
he built an endurance walking and jogging everywhere. Probably to get away from the same
thing I walked away from. He simply needed to clear his mind and flee oppression. He walked
for years in and out of what he did not know how to escape. I have a feeling I represented a
clearer reality of him needing to accept that scholarship to Alabama College. It seemed to him it
was not yet distinguished as an opportunity, just an option.

With life there is no guarantee. Although it is wise to be strategic in the decisions we

make for the perceived future to go smooth, that future is not promised. The next poem
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touches on the reality of external locus of control, which encompasses everything in our
lives that we have no control over and the free will granted by the omnipotent force for
which we are all accountable. The name of the poem is Eternal External.

It started out as a regular day,

I'm getting ready for work.
I kiss the wife and kids and
made the coffee perk.
Now I’m on my way
just thinking normal things
like how I need a raise and
my boss is a jerk.
Now I’m in the building
making the day go buy,
telling funny stories and
training the new guy.
Then all of a sudden we see a plane go buy,
then a loud explosion and
the sky lit up.
The building started to rumble
we said what the ____
We looked at each other
like are you ready to die.
I turned down the plea bargain.
The lawyers begged for my consent.
It’s not even a consideration
when you're innocent.
I started hanging with those fools
because I couldn't pay my rent.
Me and those clowns robbed that liquor store on 5th.
It wasn't a big deal.
The cashier gave us the money like it was a gift.
Then a customer walked up behind us talking script.
He tapped my boy on the shoulder and
said “hey buddy you need to quit”.
Then I realized it was this roughish guy
we went to high school with.
I looked him dead in the eye
wondering why.
It was a chain reaction
from our look out guy.
He put a gun to his head and
said are you ready to die.
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 The gun went off
before I could say a word.
We ran out the door and
went separate ways.
I ran north
they ran south.
I never saw them again.
I guess the cashier called the police.
It could have been them.
I had all the money on me.
The police caught up with me on 13th street.
There was blood on my shirt.
They assumed it was me.
Now ten years later
I'm a dead man walking.
I couldn't get anybody to testify.
I just got a visit from the chaplain.
He ask me
are you ready to die?

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 8
LIVELIHOOD &
DEVELOPMENT PART 1
This is a chapter that visits a more mature antagonists in a quest for livelihood. The
poem Rhyme and Reason opens the chapter. The Next Stage offers a folly of passages
about human relations among family and friends. Life Goes On is an intro into the
memoirs of young adulthood and Haircuts By Mark defines a venture for livelihood.
Summer Loving, The Technician, and Back To School involve insights on romance.
Finally, a flurry of titles introduces an adult on a path of failures and losses: The
poem Family sets the stage for the title Love, Marriage, and Family. A more positive
poem, Make it Fly, changes the mood only temporarily and then yields the tone of
accomplishment to the title Making It Fly. The rebuilding process begins with the
poem What’s Left of Me. And finally, a sense of wellbeing seems imminent with the
poem Say a Little Prayer and the final passages of the chapter titled I Have it All
Figured Out. Last but not least, the poem Interface shows a sign of resolve.

It is funny how the mind works. Now that I have a framework for Mommy’s old chats, I
remember just about everything she used to say during her rhythmic deliveries. She often
quoted poets and scripture. Sometimes she would throw some of her own material in.
Here communication style was entertaining and original. This next poem is titled Rhyme
and Reason.

When I was away in college

Mamma used to call
with the same old advice and
all that I followed once
I wish I followed twice.
In retrospect
Mamma’s flow was like sugar and spice.
If she wasn’t flowing with that
Langston Hughes,
“son life for me ain't been no crystal stair”.
She was dropping clichés and
singing like
Ms. Holiday.
It sounded good,
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 but I was really too young to care.
Mamma said:
“son as long I’m here you’ll never be alone and
if I have a home you have a home”.
But the most important thing
is that you know this song.
Mama may have,
Papa may have,
but God bless the child
that has his own.
In this world you’re never alone.
Do unto others as you would want done to you.
People who need people are the luckiest people,
but few friends are tried and true.
Be slow to accept what is given
and quick to share your plate.
Be very cautious in how you communicate.
Be careful what you write.
Take caution in what you say.
Don’t say it if it’s not nice.
Your words can start a fight,
or just as easily make someone’s day.
What goes around comes around.
If you’re on your way up
catch one falling down.
When you’re on your way down
it will come back around.
Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Two fist don’t make a fight.
Two lefts could mean a right
in the circle of life.
Son if you’re going in circles
make sure it’s not too long.
But the most important thing
is that you know this song.
Mama may have,
Papa may have,
but God bless the child
that has his own.
A tisket for a tasket,
don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
One man’s treasure
is another man’s trash kid.
If someone hits you hit them back,
or they might turn your other cheek.
Even Jesus lost his cool.
People prey upon the weak.
Look here boy
I’m trying to teach.
Mamma wouldn’t tell you nothing wrong.
But the most important thing is that you know this song.

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 Mamma may have,
Papa may have,
but God bless the child
that has his own.
Walk softly my son,
but carry a long stick.
Always practice what you preach.
Look before you leap.
Think before you speak.
But sometimes it’s best to say nothing at all.
People can’t tell what you’re thinking,
but they judge you when you speak.
Be slow with your seat
and fast on your feet.
The early bird catches the worm.
If you don’t work you don’t eat.
If you lay down with dogs,
then you wake up with fleas.
Don’t lose your cool swatting flies
and honey kills bees.
All that glitters is not gold.
Believe some of what you see and
not all of what you’re told.
Mamma, I have to go. I have to study. I’ll call you back. Love you!
One day you’re going to wish you could hear my voice.
Okay, I’ll leave you alone, but the most important thing is that you know this song.
Mama may have,
Papa may have,
but God bless the child
that has his own
One more thing son.
Yes Mamma!
Doubt whom you may,
but never thine own self.
Don’t be a fool for women
or money and
you can’t judge a book by it’s cover
nor a man by his wealth.
Son, man makes the money.
Money never makes the man.
You can’t take it with you.
Most important is your health.
Tomorrows no promise.
Time never waits.
Memories are moments
not seconds,
minutes,
hours,
days,
or anniversary dates.
Son, life usually happens when you’re making plans.

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 All work and no play;
boy you know what I’m trying to say.
Look here boy I’m about to get off this phone.
Now let me hear the words to our song.
Mama may have
Papa may have,
but God bless the child
that has his own.

The Next Stage

Campusville University is an institution that has aggressively grown since the days of
its philosophical founder James T. Seattle. Seattle contributed to the national social
conscious with his dedication to academia. I read the stories of Seattle walking long
distances to accomplish his education pursuits. I was further inclined when Campusville
stories were delivered from Mommy. She graduated from Campusville in 1962. I
accepted the invitation to attend Campusville in 1988.
The historically black colleges and university (HBCU) campuses served as a buffer
zone at a time of racial unrest. The HBCU was less than a nurturing educational
experience for the non-committal students who wallowed in the temptations of
promiscuity and partying. Although lack of academic priority defined only the smallest
minority of HBCU students, it briefly defined my behavior. Being a product of of the
private school system since kindergarten and a recent graduate of an all boy’s high school
were a few of my excuses.

Haircuts By Mark
I met my soon to be ex-wife in an algebra class at Campusville University. My first
impression consisted of trying to understand her hairy legs. A slight turn off, I once
heard women with hairy legs probably concealed armpit hair as well. My second
impression was her nappy hair. In her defense it met the contemporary trends of the day.
It was just the hairline in the back, which sharply clashed with the perfectly layered style.
At the time it was called a bob cut. Only the most fashion conscious women knew to
fade their back hair line from skin tone to natural growth and then to styled hair. After
all, I succeeded more as a campus barber than a student. Therefore, algebraic equations
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were much less provocative than poorly groomed hair. Last but not least, her calming
demeanor and exotic facial features impressed me more than anything. I remember the
day I spoke to her for the first time. My tardy ways became habit after just one week of
class. On this particular day I needed a pencil, a tool of necessity for an algebra class.
I ran quite a distance in the rain to get to class that day. All of a sudden my
provocative classmate who sat in front of me appeared charitable as I noticed a pouch
under her desk that quite possibly contained writing utensils. I tapped her on the
shoulders to speak to her and what a surprise, she appeared friendly. Yet for some reason
my suave charm disappeared during this milestone introduction. The shock of her beauty
took my mind off the pencil. I modestly introduced myself wet, shocked, and out of
breath. “Hey how are you? My name is Mark. Ah, ah, you need your hair tapered in the
back”. She immediately turned around without comment. There was this uncomfortable
silence. I panicked and attempted to repair as my nerves calmed. “Ah, well you know,
ah, you’re pretty and all that, but you know ah, hey take one of my cards”. All of a
sudden there was a loud outburst from all of the girls in the class including her. With that
our Pakistani instructor ended the class, and asked me to stay behind.
“Stir, jou ting jou are cruel but jou must stuvy for my clazz”. Ms. Rana had a rich
accent. “Thank you can I grow now?” I humorously replied. She stared at me as if I’d
already left. Ms. Rana was the maternal type and seemed to be a good person. She
projected patience and understanding while attending to every students concerns. She
even spoke on politics and why we should work hard. In this case her words held
significance. I thought of myself as being quite the cool one. I walked out of Ms. Rana’s
class expecting to jog to my dorm in the rain. To my surprise they were waiting for me.
“Hey Mark you need a ride?” They yelled. It was Rene asking from the passenger
side of a red car. Her happy go lucky accomplice sat in the driver’s seat. “Thank you, I
figured you all were through with me. You know, the way you laughed at me when I
asked about your hair”. I eagerly replied. They began to giggle again. “That’s why we
waited for you. Keisha has been telling me I needed a trim all week. It was so funny
because you talk so loud. You embarrassed me.” She exclaimed. “Well you do have
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that jigga boo thing going on in the back. Everything else is tight though”. I replied.
“Ah hell nah, you here that? I know he didn’t just say that.” She raved on as her friend
laughed. She immediately won me with her personality. We laughed and joke as her
friend drove to my dorm. We made an appointment for me to stop by her room later that
evening.
I arrived astounded to see her wearing a robe as she invited me in her dorm room.
Upon further review I noticed her street clothes were hiding underneath. For some
reason I did not plan on making a move. My short time on campus consisted of
encounters with lovely women in every dorm. In particular there was a young lady
named Nina, who I’d already made acquaintance with just a floor below my new
customer, friend, and classmate Rene. Rene personified cool and charmed me with her
pleasant hospitality. She was my first female client. I enjoyed the visit with Rene and
gently faded her neckline.
If there were women on campus that did not know of me, they were at some
disadvantage and likely often restricted to their rooms. Honestly, whether the young
ladies on campus were attracted to me or not, I often received acknowledgement for
creativity and my efforts to sustain a barbering business. There was not enough time to
pursue all that showed interest. The perception of popularity produced an honest drive,
which was much more exciting than pursuing possible heartbreak. I was already quite
seasoned in the ways of love, like, and lust.
I posted flyers with a picture of me around campus. Centered was an extremely
photogenic version of me with a freshly cut high top fade. The words haircuts by Mark
were above the photo and my room and phone number below the picture. This marketing
concept requires little thought. This was not a publicity stunt. Those flyers adorn the
billboards around campus because I was flat broke. The flyers remedied my empty
pockets and attracted a lot of attention. Some unappreciated attention and some very
welcomed. I was now a well-respected entrepreneur on campus due to my efforts to
make a little extra spending change—more than likely thought of as a hustler.

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 Some fraternal upperclassmen observed my efforts as leadership and therefore
attempts to be noticed by them. All I knew about fraternal culture was stepping and the
party lifestyle. School Daze was released in 1988, so I can’t say I didn’t think about the
opportunity. I guess I never developed concrete concepts because Mommy never
participated during her time at Campusville and we didn’t have any male college
graduates in the family to install that cultural frame of reference. Anyway, pledging at
Campusville was like going out for a sports team. As they said back then, “many are
called but the chosen are few”.
As I began to observe Rene more often I noticed she portrayed a slight tom boyish
image. It was barely noticeable and completely incompatible with her extremely
feminine appearance. All who were concerned might have pondered this caused me to
distance myself as a potential suitor until one of her friends shared a special secret with
me. One day after algebra class I inquired of her whereabouts. Her empty seat dulled the
class session. I asked her friend Keisha: “Where is your girl Rene?”
“Don’t you mean Ms. Swail”. Keisha replied.
I had no idea what Keisha was talking about, but I was bad with names, so I played
along.
“So Rene’s last name is Swail?” I asked.
“That is not her real last name”. She exclaimed. Meanwhile, I’m thinking to myself,
is this some type of joke session for ladies only. She jokingly questioned her friend on
the other side of the room. “Hey where are you from?” She yelled.
“Virginia and I’m proud of it”. Her girl shouted. The awkwardness of the Q and A
session made the hints obvious. A light flashed to a 1987 comedy where there was a
character named Virgin Connie Swail in a movie called Dragnet. I gave Keisha the nod.
My initial questioning was inspired by the possibility that she may have snuck in the
boy’s dormitory. Security strictly enforced campus law, which stated no girls in the
boy’s dormitories beyond the lobby and vice versa. Skipping class and sneaking in
remained the safest way to convene with a lover. With the new information I felt at ease.

87
Eighteen year old virgins were rare. We continued with dorm visits for the rest of the
year and then returned home for summer vacation.

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 9
LIVELIHOOD &
DEVELOPMENT
PART 2
Summer Loving
During summer vacation I ran into a young lady. She was a former parochial school
classmate named Kiki. We reacquainted with one another and exchanged numbers. We
talked on the phone quite a bit. She explained that she was without a dance partner for
the City Dance Off. She knew I was once an honorary member of the respected dance
gang called the Step On Crew. In the eighties and nineties the coolest guys expressed
themselves through dance competition. I choreographed enough winning routines to be a
Step Master, but our parochial school didn’t have its own crew, so I was often overlooked
for not being affiliated with the school that sponsored the dance team. I was a member of
a different crew in a different school district every year. My senior year was the most
successful with the Step on Crew. I immediately volunteered to be her partner in the
dance competition. With three weeks to prepare for the most important night of her
young adult life, we began the classic summer romance. Kiki had developed into a
beautiful eighteen year old woman. Fortunately she preserved the school adulation
students often held for their older peers.

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 Our first kiss was during the interruption of a conversation. “Wait, let’s not talk right
now. What I really want to do is this”. She began to kiss me. She started giggling and
touching me all over. She stopped all of a sudden and in her usual got-to-get the last
word in fashion she exclaimed:
“Like I said cutie, I’ve been thinking, maybe we need to take this to the next level”.
I knew she would be ready for some loving. Her birthday just passed. I hung out with
her and her mother that entire day and most of the evening. Her mom’s boyfriend owned
a limousine service. On her birthday we were chauffeured to several shopping malls and
then dinner. Her mother used the day to get to know me. Kiki tried her competition
dress on and I secured my tuxedo rental.
When the day was over the limousine dropped us off at home Kiki and her mom went
upstairs. When she returned I got the brave idea to pick her up and carry her back up the
stairs to the second floor of the two family home. I picked her up, holding her at my
waist with my arms cupped. With each step I continued my best attempt at kissing, and
carrying a slightly full figured woman all at the same time. As we both giggled she
exclaimed:
“Mark what are you doing?” She taunted. Becoming aroused in a pair of easy-access
lined swimming trunks, I continued negotiating the task, while ignoring her silly taunts.
We got to the top of the stairs, and she whispered in my ear.
“Guess who’s not going to work tonight”. Not wanting to believe what I’d just heard,
I pushed the unclosed door with my foot and there was Ms. Hampton. As I
acknowledged Ms. Hampton, I was so disappointed I mistakenly dropped her daughter.
“Hey Ms. Hampton”. I shouted. “I’m surprised to see you”. I said.
“I’m surprised to see you too young man”. She said gleefully. As I began to
consciously focus on the moment I realized in the midst of all the excitement, laughter,
and momentary flirting as I coaxed Kiki up the stairs, I had already achieved the dreaded
rock hard, blue-balls, you can’t get none anyway hard-on. As for Ms. Hampton, I don’t
know whether she was impressed, disappointed, or amused. She let out a quick giggle,
covered her mouth, and pranced into her room.
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 “Yawl be good, I’m going to go in here and watch TV”. She humorously replied.
Kiki tugged at my shorts slightly as her mother closed the door. She tugged again and
motioned me to step back. I turned slightly and whispered “the stairs”. She nodded as if
she had done it on the staircase before. I positioned myself to walk backwards down the
steps waiting for her guide on which step was better suited for our privacy and her
mom’s. She immediately sat on the third ascending step spreading her legs and removed
her panties from underneath her skirt in what seem to be one quick sweep. I eagerly
reached for my condom and stretched it on my penis. With her elbows mounted on the
carpeted step just above the one she was sitting on, she lifted her torso to accommodate
my attempts to penetrate. As we kissed each other on the awkward staircase, my feet
were at floor level. I leaned forward with my hands gripping the step in push up position
just outside her elbows.
When I entered her vagina it offered extra resistance. It welcomed my penis and
reacted to its every stroke with moist warm muscular aggression. Her muscle control was
so intense that I could match her facial expression rhythmically with each strategic thrust
of my penis. She guided me in and out of her body controlling speed and depth of stroke.
My confidence was high considering I had already experienced partial ejaculation on the
way down the steps. With this, my second hard on, I increased power and girth with
every stroke. Having entered her not at my fullest potential gave me the advantage. The
gradual increase in intensity impressed her as we began to truly know each other for the
first time.
After several minutes of direct and nonstop intensity she suddenly pushed me and with
a strong jolt she began to have what I’ll call orgasmic contractions. She lifted her torso,
gasped, then pulled me back towards her locking me in for the final ride. She cried out
uncontrollably. I hugged her as she became calm. Her climax did not seem comfortable
nor appropriate for the staircase. I continued to embrace her as her body became still and
waited for her to adjust. She whispered in my ear.
“Was I loud?”
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 “I don’t know ask your mother?” I said.
“Kiss me”. She replied. We kissed for quite a while. I really liked her. A kiss after
sex was always a charitable act. Kissing earned sex in my opinion. She slowly pushed
me away and then kissed me again as she began to get up and walk backwards up the
stairs, gripping her panties in one hand and tickling me with the other. I followed her
hoping that I could get more opportunity to explore her finely tuned body. Of course,
with her mother being home I knew this was unlikely. She looked very pleased, but
wisely ended our rendezvous.
“I think you should leave”. She giggled, as she looked me in my eyes.
“I want us to be special. Go and call me as soon as you get home.” She said. As I
left the staircase, I had to admit to myself that I had just experienced the most outrageous
sex ever. But I was thinking about Rene, my virgin classmate from Campusville
University. So when I got home I called Rene instead. We had been keeping in touch
and expressed mutual interest in a potential relationship upon returning to school. I
called her that night. “Hi this is Mark calling from Steveland, Ohio. Is Rene home?” I
said gleefully. The southern way was a bit more explicit concerning manners. So I
thought I’d pour it on thick when her mom answered the phone.
“Yez, here she is. Huh, huh, come get this phone Rene. She said.
“Hey Mark”. Rene answered.
“How did you know it was me?” I playfully questioned.
“Long distance on Friday night, well?” She fired back.
“Yeah, yeah you got me!” I said. I’m just making sure my girl is being good down
there with all that competition”. I said.
“Your who?” She challenged.
“My girl!” I exclaimed.
“Yeah right, I bet you got so many ‘my girls’ it don’t make no sense.” She fired back.
“Well, actually I’m calling you to remind you that I want us to be special”. I said. It
seemed like the right thing to say. Although I had to question my own ethics, being that
it was the exact line Kiki used on me when I won her favor in our sensational exchange
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not even an hour ago. Being the judge and the jury at the time, I overruled all self-
interrogation and proceeded with some more original material. “Yeah sweetheart, you
know how it was at the Ville. It was like every time I saw you whether you saw me or
not, I felt like we had connected. I felt better if I saw you. Just admiring you from afar
made my day”. I delivered.
“Man you need to quit. So what you’re saying is you was stalking me”. She joked.
“Damn girl, you got me again”. I said in humor. We both laughed uncontrollably.
Then her mother began a conversation with her in the background.
“Ne Ne?” Her mom asked.
“Yes Mama? Rene replied
The conversation faded and so did our moment. Her and her mother talked for thirty
seconds or so as I sat holding the phone and feeling as if I had eaten the last French fry
with half a sandwich still left. That was one of the ironies with the Northern vs. Southern
thing as far as good manners were concerned. Her mother would always interrupt our
conversation with something of major concern; so much so that I would be left holding
on or we would have to end our conversation.

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10
Livelihood &
Development Part 3
Much is assumed as we carry on in our long-term relationships. I can attest that the best
opportunity for a sincere long-term relationship occurs maternally between mother and
son. After maturation it should be easily understood that it is not likely we will ever
experience a pureness comparable to maternal love again. This means we must work
towards reciprocation and accountability in our intimate relationships, or be prepared to
face the consequences. This next poem is titled Family
I went from Mama's arms
to the arms of Wifey.
Two different types of love,
nurture and nature.
Nurtured thirty years and
sheltered from this cruel society.
Soon after nature took over
Wifey lost propriety.
I ignored the signs.
So I question my sobriety.
Conditional love
needs no permission.
You know when it’s over
if you trust your intuition.
Just like pride kills drunk drivers,
It’s an intoxicating emotion.
Wifey was sobered.
But she left me with a dirty hangover.
Mammas unconditional loved
fell to health condition.
Progressive dementia lead to Alzheimer’s.
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 Love lived and love lost.
Loved paid and love cost.
Love earned and love burned.
Yet I thank God for my family.

Love, Marriage and Family

Compatibility overwhelmed our early years. I never wondered about her sincerity, nor
did I consider the possibility of her wandering. She granted me wholeness with residual
value. Through her gift, I could never be lonely, even in the wake of her absence. The
symbols of loneliness reserved in my mind’s eye never defined my existence.
Displacement and loneliness run the same course as the polar opposites of contentment.
Happiness and its spectrum is solidified with understanding the extreme possibilities in
contrast of contentment. It was initially through her presence that I first discovered a
path of fulfillment within myself. This quality eventually appreciated in her absence and
mired in her wellbeing.
Conversely, a dual conscientiousness preempted. Cloudy days preceded our end. Our
dissention lingered ambiguously. On the best of occasions a mellow voice spoke to my
subconscious. This voice, a disclaimer of sorts, resembled the speedy warnings after
television and radio commercials for prescribed medicines. Despite erosion of
commitment, sex veered a temporary path of continuance. We had shared each other’s
pleasures for quite some time. Our routine polished and well-rehearsed encounters held
validity but lost intensity. The pleasures not diminished momentarily justified our bond.
Though justifiable, physical pleasures mocked longevity. The final days simply marked a
time of depreciation in a fifteen year investment destined for emotional foreclosure. A
devastating crash eventually occurred during her departure; merely a result of poor
accounting and ignorance to the proverbial traffic signs. I felt entitled to receivables
characteristic of any family budget. Yet she spent her time elsewhere.
The healing process slowly unveiled a masterpiece seaming emotional, physical, and
spiritual pathways. Over time this unwelcomed adversity increased my repertoire. Fresh
capacities followed in a pain-gain sequence. A new lust for intellectual development

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joined increased strength and physical capabilities. Yet irony revealed itself, leaving me
sole beneficiary of my refined transitions. Nevertheless, I reigned as owner of a rich
emotional and intellectual genesis.

It takes time to absorb the blessings that follow as the weight of a toxic relationship
dissolves. Yet the emptiness of being alone can ignite emotions that store a potential
energy for retaliatory decisions. If time could somehow be inserted as a barrier
withstanding the potential forces of negative emotion, it is likely one would eventually
experience peace of mind. This next poem is titled Make It Fly.
Do your subordinates have the coordinates?
Are you the boss of this?
Are you the landlord or
are you paying rent?
What are you doing for it?
Can you afford it?
Is your credit bad?
Can you restore it?
Do you think about retirement or
just ignore it?
This is the land of opportunity
only if you explore it.
Some people always win.
Some always lose.
Some always have choices.
Some never get to choose.
Can you change the hand you're dealt?
I will not lie.
Critical thinking is important.
It’s all in your mind.
But the question and the answer is:
Will it fly?
Yeah that'll fly.
Nothing is holding you down but gravity.
The centrifugal forces can work for you.
They worked for me.
I know you have ideas.
If your dreams have not come true
and you’re wondering why.
Anyone can buy a plane ticket.
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 You have to get on life's runway
and make it fly.
That'll fly hell yeah that'll fly.
That'll fly hell nah that’s not right.

Making It Fly
Travels had landed our family in Mississippi where I struggled for new business with
no idea my companies contract would soon be terminated. Our travels were inspired by a
job promotion that included relocation from a Georgia sales route to regional
management including two states (Alabama and Mississippi). The promotion would
serve as a decrease in income.
Flexibility to make these decisions was insured by a small town real estate dynasty I
had accumulated in Campusville, Alabama. A mortgage free building housed a well-
managed barber shop that justified my entrepreneurial spirit elsewhere. After all, my
entrepreneurialism was anchored by considerable savings and a disciplined lessee who
aspired to purchase business and building.
When the sales venture failed I took my family back to Georgia and visited Alabama.
One of the town’s most successful construction tycoons, Hugh Houser, had written me a
letter of interest concerning the barber shop property.
Houser made a name for himself by securing statewide-minority construction
contracts that only women or minorities could acquire. He incorporated with his wife in
a construction business, which qualified his business under both stipulations. His empire
solidified with his outreach to non-minority subcontractors who were able to quickly
structure workforces of all skill levels and staff construction jobs throughout the entire
state of Alabama. Houser had several offices. His original office that he started his
business in happened to be next door to the barber shop.
News of an interested buyer could have been infuriating to the tenant, causing him to
move his clientele elsewhere. I trained several barbers around town during my tenure.

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Their growth landed them in their own business or working with each other in the small
town of Campusville. The saturation meant losing a lessee would make another rentable
shop unlikely. Moreover, if I lost the offer to purchase the lessee’s buying motivation
would have possibly diminished due to my lack of perceived loyalty. These small town
idiosyncrasies were worth another visit in the attempt to merge my realities of marriage
and livelihood. In addition to my monthly rental income from the barber shop, I had an
empty house in Campusville. Minor adjustments were needed, but the home was well
built, and the mortgage was just merely over $150.00 a month. I decided to return to
Campusville, Alabama. The whole process seemed logical. It was arguably untimely,
but logical.
My wife soon established our move was not mutually beneficial. Moreover, the
weakening foundation our relationship unveiled in Georgia could only yield to erosion in
Alabama. Our faltering structure would eventually threaten the potential for framing a
functional household. Time would unveil our vulnerability to nature’s wrath with
foundation and structure at risk. Strategic maintenance would have superseded any of
nature’s threats. A leaking roof will penetrate a patched repair and leave underpinned
joists vulnerable. Whereas a timely re-shingle will preserve that which is already in
place.

Sometimes you have to be the bigger person. Right and wrong can be overrated if you
don’t have the power to ethically punish someone. That’s when it is simply time to focus
on the big picture. Write about it and talk about it, then move on. If you are willing to
vent, you can “prevent” catastrophe. This one is titled What’s Left.
You throw a rock and
you hide behind a hard place.
You close your eyes and
think you hid your face.
A disgrace,
you’re simply childish
not clever.
Can I forget you?
No never!
Yet all ties must be severed.
I can only forgive you
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 if I outlive you.
You bring pain and danger
to the innocent.
So I protect you
from your ignorance.
Why?
So our loved ones can still benefit
from what’s left of me.
On my right,
on the passenger side
I saw a happy person.
That was you right?
Times have changed.
Now my images are clearer.
When I think of you
I see the side view mirror.
People project what you reflect and
what you think they should be.
How I feel is my perception
one dimension of three.
The other two dimensions
of your person
or personality
belong to you
not me.
I get the picture.
Should I make it any clearer?
Now all I see is traffic
in the side view mirror.
My perspectives and
your projections
are one and the same.
You rode my blind spot
for a very long time,
but there’s no shame.
Only game recognizes game.
My eyes are focused
straight ahead
so I cannot see
what’s left of me.
I never switched lanes.
So now I’m stuck in traffic.
I admit I get road rage.
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 I have recurring bad habits.
Whatever is left for me,
I’m going to reach out and grab it.

A major portion of the identity of manhood for many of us is choosing to commit to a

loving family and a secured livelihood. Losing either component of such a stability can
be traumatic or it can just as easily be a new beginning for all concerned. (During the
quest for a positive momentum poems of this nature capture fleeting emotions but they
must not be forgotten). The title of the next poem is Say a Little Prayer.

Each morning I wake up

from nightmares about our break up.
It’s hard to imagine
you could lose the passion.
I prayed and I waited
for our love to be rejuvenated.
Forever,
forever
it plays in my mind and
I will love you.
However,
I know better.
I’m wasting my time,
because that was you and
now that’s not you,
but I don’t care.
I still say a little prayer.
Even though you’re not there.
However,
whenever
I visit the children
I’m reminded of you.
Not just because I loved you,
but do they deserve more?
I’m still the same person.
Remember,
I was the first one.
I say a little prayer for you.
It used to be you.
I’m still me.
That’s why we’ll never be.
Whenever
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 you sever
another man’s heart
please take cover.
I’d wish this on no other.
You are the mother
of my children,
so I’ll always say a little prayer for you.
It’s better to break up
than argue,
make up,
and fake up.
Whatever
is clever.
It’s very
so very
contrary,
you don’t need permission.
If you choose to remarry,
the children will have another Daddy.
He could never care
the way I do.
That’s why I say a little prayer for you.
Whatever,
whenever,
however you want and
when you need me,
I’m forever devoted
unselfishly.
Until then,
I say a little prayer for you.

I Have it All Figured Out

The twists and turns that life offers may be likened to a rollercoaster ride for me life
has always been more like an amusement park. You can find pleasure in any ride you
pick (non-sexual). Yet we all know if you eat too much (over indulge in pleasantries) in
between rides you are sure to get sick. After all, it’s never just the ride. It always
depends on the state of mind of the rider.
I found pleasure in exercising as a resolution to health issues and new freedoms. I
found pleasure in exercising. I would soon commit to rigorous workout routines gathered

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from monthly publications. The recovery period resulting from resistance training was
painful at the beginning. The pain continued in intervals depending on my increases in
resistance. A postponed workout guaranteed the rigors of painful recovery. It was this
new battle that consumed me. The weight lifting culture is comfortable with the use of
the trite expression “no pain no gain”. Fundamentally, exercised muscles don’t have to
experience pain for benefit. However, I was inspired by a concern for my health.
Therefore, each workout session would be approached as if it were the last with the
priority of increasing resistance. I purposely distanced myself from cosmetic priorities
such as rock hard abdominal muscles and continued to enjoy six packs of beer instead.
My next venture was a professional degree in education. My liberal arts undergraduate
degree had landed me in good standing with a high grade point average. Good grades
meant eligibility to continue higher education. This was my new key to the future. I
borrowed money to return to school. Education has always been an efficient and legal
way to move up in society, or simply feel better about yourself. Yet I realized certain
levels of sacrifice have been deemed inappropriate for the non-traditional student.
Traditional students are usually involved in a linear process with little deviation.
Their success and career potential is heightened by their youth and timeliness in
achieving education. My academic endeavors were nontraditional. I became fixated on
continuing the process after resolving my physical fitness issues. It felt great to
welcomed by an academic institution. Meeting their discriminating requirements boosted
my ego.

I cannot account for my lack of academic performance in high school. Behavioral

prompts and positive reinforcements would have helped me succeed. I soon realized my
life experiences played a large part in my second effort towards academia. All of a
sudden I ordained myself a scholar. I began to sharpen my critical thinking capacities
and even ventured back to review basic skills. This next poem is called Interface.

A life is filled with ambiguity

unless you choose to transcend with
is-to-as-is-to and
if-then-if-then.
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 Common sense will get you places,
but so will your feet.
Therefore, you can put the pedal to the metal
or your feet on the street.
Academic doctrine is the compilation of hundreds of years of knowledge.
With your indulgence you’ll develop analytical skills
as you are indoctrinated with academic formalities.
Once employed you will learn to rationalize with work experience and reality.
If you’re rational and analytical,
then you are an intelligent force.
You don’t have to be an expert.
You can learn from others
through strategic discourse.
You can synthesize
and solve problems with proper methods.
You’re now a leader
and the resolving source.
Through education and experience
you have evolved to resolve.
If you were a computer
your education and experience would be a software package
with processes and procedures transporting your abilities
and giving you utility
through job and community.
Your emotional intelligence
and common sense
would be the operating system,
which guides you and enhances your opportunities.
Some assume learning is purely based on memorization.
If you rely on it alone
it will throw you way off course.
It’s just one component in the hardware package,
a storage source.
Yet it is a necessary function that has its place.
However, the most important thing
is when a well-developed and
properly programmed software package and
operating system
INTERFACE.

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 11
LIVELIHOOD & CONNECTIONS
This chapter covers some of my attempts to make a living in my adult life. In the
passages that follow, the reader gets a gist of how serious the most simple conflicts can
be when all sides are considered. The title Moments of Influence captures some of the
events that led to sustainability during young adulthood. DJ and the Crew provides
examples of how important it is to surround yourself with others who have the same
interest as you. Mentorship is an important success factor as you will read in the title Gus
Ferguson, Humanitarian. The poem Deconstruct offers a realistic scenario for those who
mentor young people in need of regrouping. The title Unfinished Business brings the bad
news in, yet Life of a Salesman offers more hope in times of uncertainty. The title Dirty
Work provides a finale where the protagonist seeks retribution over penance for resigning
from his job. In closing, Life, Musical Chairs, and Rite of Passage deliver an epic flurry.

Moments of Influence
Auntie invited me to New York City in the summer of 1988 a month before I was
scheduled to attend Campusville University’s freshman orientation. She was also
Campusville alumni and graduated ten years after Mommy. A visit to a New York
barber shop staffed by Asian barbers whose clientele consisted of Black, White, and
Asian customers inspired me to learn to cut my own hair. It was that experience and my
local barber shop experience that inspired my quest for income as a barber.
I was the young guy who the elderly local neighborhood barber cringed at upon arrival
right before he said “hey young man how are you”. The older barbers were not what us
young guys considered to be fading experts. Our generation was very particular about
the contrast from bald to darker and thicker shaded hair that we called the blend. The
blend was a component of the fade haircut, which was usually accompanied by a
signature box cut, ramp, or brush wave hair style. The neighborhood barber was
convenient. His blending skills were inconsistent. Like most master barbers of his
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generation the razor edge was the aspiring expertise that commanded their title. This was
a highly skilled service that involved edging and/or shaving a customer with a lethally
sharp razor. The earnings from executing a razor sharp edge and shave paled in
comparison to blending a high school boy’s fade. Yet he humorously showed interest in
achieving competent blending status. Therefore, he would let me hold the mirror while
he cut my hair. Through trial and error I was able to direct him towards correcting the
imperfections. Our collaborative efforts to help me achieve “nice blend” status were big
entertainment for the Saturday evening crowd. He would often ad lib to heighten the
comedic moments. Memories of the local barber along with the Asian barber performing
a less expensive, speedy, and precise service inspired me to begin cutting my own hair.
The self-acquired skill was a God send. And it was much easier to cut someone else’s
hair than my own.
Tuition at Campusville was not affordable. The cooperative efforts of Auntie and
Mommy could only last so long. I simply had to earn my own stay at Campusville. I
remember missing quite a few social events because of an overbooked dormitory
recreation room of classmates needing that special haircut for the weekend. News of a
decent barber in any dormitory was quite the commodity. After the first year on campus
I welcomed some freshman competition. I was happy to share the over flow of
customers. Plans to move off campus with some friends who located a house change my
entrepreneurial momentum. The business was territorial and I could not expect to host a
room full of customers in a dormitory where I was not a resident. My only option was to
start a house call barbering business.

DJ and the Crew

Both of my roommates were from Georgia. Hollis Nibbens and Darrell Jameson (DJ)
were two high school acquaintances who dwelled in separate circles then reacquainted
when they found each other at the University. The two comrades continued to build
followings in separate circles at Campusville. During freshman year I found
commonalities with two other Atlanta kindred (Shaggy and Que) who were also from
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opposing high schools with a merger similar to that of my roommates. Our dwelling was
popular due to my Ohio club membership and our Georgia congregation.
With the popularity of our household, my only choice was to set up a house call
business. My pure talents and daily efforts to perform the most precise haircuts on
campus got me daily accolades from students, faculty, and staff. The original plan was to
line up at least two haircuts per stop. Within a month things were going my way. House
calls were increasing so-much-so that I began to walk around campus with an
appointment book.
My high volume house call route earned a silver medal compared to DJ’s charismatic
t-shirt productions. DJ earned the gold for hustle man of the year during the time we
were roommates. DJ classified as a hustler who stayed within the parameters of the law
and did not have any particular talent to account for his success. He humorously
established himself amongst the guys with his frequent “what’s up Mr. Gentleman” and
the ladies with the usual “hey Sweetheart let me holla at you for a minute”. Each
acknowledgement with our fellow students followed with a short story, joke, or question
as to captivate the listener who could only release themselves with a laugh or something
to the effect of a good humored “DJ you are a damn fool”. On he went, strategically
establishing himself as a socialite not to be ignored and a businessman with a keen ear for
t-shirt slogans. All it took for DJ was a popular movie line, rap lyric, or any image
without a trademark. The honor roll business student made everything as official as
possible. With that he’d roll out hundreds of t-shirts for our crew and himself to sell and
we did so effortlessly. DJ never bragged, but according to his Georgia brethren t-shirts
were mere chump change compared to his Happy Holi-dance and Thanks-gigging bashes.
He hosted events that drew hundreds of returning college students to Georgia convention
centers or hotel ballrooms during the holiday season.

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Gus Ferguson, Humanitarian
Campusville University existed as its own entity within the small town of
Campusville, Alabama. The town celebrated the economy attributed to the students. Yet
it was the first place that allowed me to observe the human need for hierarchical
separation by standards other than race. There was a distinct separation between locals
and students. A classism existed in the ninety-nine percent African-American town. Yet
all locals weren’t preoccupied with the potential status of the students who attended the
University and most students would never learn the stories of the extremely wealthy
Southern families that inhabited the town.
Gus Ferguson was one of the town’s most prominent realtors. Mr. Ferguson’s rich
reputation made up for Campusville’s fickle real estate market. Ferguson was the type of
landlord you did not want to disappoint. He happened to be in the neighborhood on a
rare day when I was barbering on the porch of our rental property. He stopped by and
spoke with no hint of disdain. He chatted with my roommates and the customers then
left. A few days later when I went to his office to pay my portion of the rent, Mr.
Ferguson began to question me about my business practices.
“Mark, you and the other young men are doing a fine job with that house over yonder.
I just recon yawl ought to buy that dang house. Where are you from son?”
“Steveland Mr. Ferguson.”
“Ohio right Mark ”.
“That’s right Mr. Ferguson”
“Well the way you looked cutting hair on the front porch the other day made
me think you were from Steveland, Tennessee”.
We were both genuinely amused with where the conversation had gone. I laughed
loudly. All I knew about Steveland, Tennessee was that for some strange reason I would
always wake up in that town on the Greyhound bus ride home. I distinctly remember
once waking to an announcement from a bus driver who felt the need to adlib as if he was
an entertainer.
“ Listen-up everyone we have now arrived. I hope you have enjoyed yourself”.
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As he went on with his unnecessary babble I remember being relieved the trip went so
fast.
“We have now reached Steveland, Tennessee”.
I could not have been more disappointed to realize the express route from Campusville,
Alabama to Steveland, Ohio had virtually just begun.
“You ever noticed the barber shop down the street? The owner is a friend. I think
he’s ready to quit cutting hair. My boss was the previous owner of this entire
block. I bought this office from him before he passed. I collect rent on
everything else on this street. I bet you can go in that old barber shop and save
the business. My friends name is Mr. Henry Morris. Henry’s business partner is
messing with the stuff. If you know what I mean? The guy can’t get that monkey
off his back. The stuff, that new stuff they got out. I don’t think anyone is
particularly interested in assuming the business. It’s still a good business. Most
of the clients are seniors like me and Henry. To tell you the truth, I think they are
only in their Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Mark, I’ll talk to Henry and I’ll get
back with you”. Ferguson asserted.
“Ah wow. Thank you Mr. Ferguson. Thanks! Talk to you later”. I chattered
with the utmost excitement.
Within a week Gus Ferguson had arranged for me to meet with Henry Morris. Morris
had just had a mild stroke. He wasn’t able to have clear conversation, but his good
personality resonated. He knew his time was up as a barber. In a series of negotiations
where Morris would listen to me present he would either say nah-nah or put it on paper.
We would finally arrive at an agreement. Mr. Morris had already assigned an empty
chair to an unassuming young local named Smitty. Smitty was immediately hospitable.
Despite his obvious domain as the next owner of the barber shop he immediately yielded
all responsibilities to me. He explained that his priorities were not business at the time
and he was in college. Smitty proved to be a wise youth.
Ownership meant a brief return to some of the social benefits that the campus life had
to offer, yet an eventual withdrawal from classes. Academia was no longer a priority.
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Counting pocketed wads of the smallest increment of paper money as the worrisome-
miniscule pellets of human hair filtered through my hands was now my daily regimen.
With no license requirement in the State of Alabama and a high volume customer flow, I
was slow to challenge the time warped prices honored by other barber shops in town. My
20 year old mind was driven by positive reinforcement and could barely grasp the
privilege of being a business owner. Hours soon turned into days, days into months, and
months into years.
Morrison Brothers Barber Shop was not just the fly-by-night hole in the wall that it
appeared to be. After many inquiries I was able to track its inception back to the early
1940’s, with four barber/owners preceding me. Oddly enough, this was the oldest
business in post desegregated Campusville, Alabama. Many of the customers—from
great grandfather to father and son—had always got their haircut in that building. My
ownership bridged the University clientele and that distinguished group of small town
southern folk affectionately known as locals.
This was the town that had embraced me as a sole proprietor. For the next decade I
was a diplomat brokering the divide between students and local citizens. My dedication
to the trade became an inspiration to several young displaced local high school students
who were not inclined to participate in street hustling ventures. I was honored when
parents began to request I begin a training program. I accepted the challenge of training
the wayward youth. The mentorship the Campusville elders provided me served to
inspire me in the ways of mentorship.
My goal was to offer the modest service of grooming as well as a positive atmosphere
where clients could bring their entire family to share in the good spirits and laughter
influenced by current events of the day, town gossip, or local news. A structured
approach was quite necessary. Some of the youth were not reserved in their vocabulary
choices. The rules of no cursing and clean uniforms were strictly enforced, as we secured
a loyal following of all of the towns sectors. On a busy Friday the inspired elderly
customers would tell stories about their days as soldiers. These stories would soon
captivate young and old. There were times when minutes into a story it became apparent
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the orator was a Campusville Aviator. With a weekly visit from the mayor you were in
highly esteemed company and you knew he could command a room of world leaders.
The distinguished attorney Barney Green, who had raised two additional lawyer sons,
was a staple in Campusville’s society. His sons were returning customers.
I was honored when introduced to a bank chief executive officer by the name of
Barrington Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds was an investment banker from Delaware who
happened upon Campusville through an acquisition of the local bank, Campusville
Federal Savings and Loan. This enterprise had received its first deposits while under the
administration of James T. Seattle and eventually grew into servicing the entire
community of Campusville as it changed names and locations over the next 100 years.
With the arrival of Barrington Reynolds the bank would be purchased, reengineered, and
named First Campusville Bank. Reynolds had arrived in Campusville accompanied by
an entourage of top notch bank executives. I remember visiting the bank and joking to
myself that the cover of Black Enterprise Magazine had come to life. Word from the
rumor mill was Barrington and his partners had launched a national recruiting effort.
Each one of the executives followed Reynolds’s lead and selected me as their barber.
Mr. Ferguson soon advised me the building that housed the barber shop was for sale.
I paid it no mind. I remained overwhelmed by my transition from house call barber to
small business owner. Business increased immediately with retention of the original
customers and the addition of my clientele from campus, there was a perceived need for a
bigger space. I requested the lease of the adjoining building. Mr. Ferguson was the agent
in charge of that building as well.
The bank executives that frequented the shop were a lively bunch from northern cities
like New York, Chicago, Detroit, etc. Our conversations were natural and continuous.
Mr. Reynolds’ success probably had much to do with his friendly personality. One of my
conversations with Mr. Reynolds led me to question the possibility of buying the
buildings. Just as easy as it was for me to turn my clippers on and off he uttered:
“Sounds like a winner. Stop by the bank as soon as you get a chance”.

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This was the kind of thing you would expect to see in a movie. I had heard clichés that
personified other culture’s ability to comprise business deals leisurely on the golf course.
I am sure Mr. Reynolds was a golfer. He and his colleagues were high society
executives. I was not a golfer at all, yet it seemed as if I had just brokered the classic
handshake loan.
The next day I arrived at the bank with allotted time to convince the powers that be of
the shop's worthiness. I never had a loan besides a student loan, but I assumed it
involved a business plan or some type of presentation. With that in mind, I thought it
would be a bothersome task. Upon arrival I was greeted by a customer service
representative who after a few questions distinguished me as the young barber and
assured me that I would be helped by a loan officer. My greeting from the customer
service representative reassured me that the deal was solid. I soon gave the loan officer a
sales agreement drawn up by Mr. Ferguson and the owner of the building. (The owner of
the building was an esteemed beautician who had retired and assumed ownership of
several parcels throughout the city via her deceased husband's estate. Her husband was
Mr. Ferguson’s former boss who sold the real estate company to Ferguson).
My thoughts were I could only attribute these opportunities to extreme coincidence.
There were too many favorable factors. It started as an inspirational haircut from an
Asian barber. Then there was the hint to Auntie’s Haitian roommate Bobo that I wanted
to begin cutting my own hair. Bobo bought me a pair of clippers. I began to circulate
flyers upon arrival to Campusville. Business became substantial and recurring. The
house call business was a step above cutting hair in the dormitory. As if life were not
rewarding enough, I was then guided into a small business setting and mentored into real
estate ownership.
This was Campusville, Alabama the home of one of America's most celebrated
HBCU’s. This was a town where good nature prevailed. This town had served as a safe
haven for Mommy and Auntie decades before my arrival. My success was as if I had
inherited the positive ions they’d left behind. In retrospect, I was a businessman who
knew not the ways of man. My aspirations were admirable. My contributions were
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many and the small town African-American society allowed me to grow into the
business. It was as if God had awarded me a protective shield as I stood behind the
barber chair perfecting my trade.
The good nature of the town influenced me to reintroduce my most esteemed treasure. Rene
left the university in 1992 to work as a bank teller two hours away in Georgia. Our relationship
had suffered since its beginnings at Campusville University. My assumption was our
relationship was reparable. I proposed the idea that Rene should move back to Campusville and
secure a job with First Campusville Bank. She accepted the offer and scheduled an interview
through an impromptu meeting with one of the managers as he sat in my barber chair.
Rene was socially advanced and suited for the banking atmosphere. She was a true Southern
Bell and eventually mixed in especially well with the long-term employees whose seniority had
rolled over from the previous banking establishment. Rene was now an honorary local citizen.
This was significant because her news ear had a different flavor. I may have gotten word that a
dead body was found in a dumpster. Rene had word on clandestine relationships and business
deals. Metaphorically speaking, the nature of my business and the title of ownership granted me
a stage pass and a stage management pass. When Rene moved to town she had a backstage pass
within months. I was further endowed business privileges through Rene’s growing associations.
I now had preliminary access to the bank’s real estate owned list. This was truly a privilege in a
small community. I immediately selected a modest property, placed a bid, and purchased the
property. With that acquisition my holdings consisted of two small adjoining store fronts and a
two bedroom home.
The purchase of the adjoining store front proved excessive. Most of the barbers I
trained eventually branched out on their own or other barber shops. This quickly
saturated the market not regulated by a licensing board. My efforts weren’t in vain. It
was rewarding to see others succeed due to my willingness to teach a trade. I eventually
transformed one of the buildings into a small loft apartment.
My efforts to help others would eventually allow me to return to school. One of the
barbers I trained had accepted a salaried barbering job with the Veterans Administration
Hospital. The VA’s barbershop eventually closed when the hospital reduced its services
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to outpatient only. Whenever one reaches out to facilitate others there is a chance they
will meet one more capable than they are. This was the case with Roosevelt. Roosevelt
just happened to be suited for the new environment and responsibilities that comprised
the proprietor position. My contribution in saturating a high volume consumer market
with capable technicians meant a new day for barbers. The trade would become more
like it had always been in other cities. It was now a requirement to sit in your barber
chair and wait for your clientele. In the beginning days I could staff the shop and be gone
for weeks because customers did not assume loyalty to a particular technician. The major
negotiable was wait-time, which created a consumer base of what we liked to call “shop
hoppers”. Roosevelt was better suited because he was a stay put type of guy.
Additionally, despite my prowess to humor a standing room only crowd, Roosevelt was
consistently funnier than most well paid comedians. He was often the host of
phenomenal outbursts of laughter that would leave his returning customers with
inconsistencies in their haircuts, but who cared.
My ability to serve as facilitator to the aspiring barbers paid off in the form of
flexibility to continue my education. While attending college in Metropolis, Alabama I
continued to co-host the best quality entertainment in town with Roosevelt. More
importantly, I provided an example of what a proper haircut should look like. He was not
a modest student during our initial encounters. Therefore, I had to be strategic in further
assisting him. He would soon lease the business from me and none other than Mr.
Ferguson would broker the lease agreement. I had now fulfilled what was inspired by my
Asian cohorts. I would have kept in touch with them to tell them of the progress they had
inspired. Though it was obvious after moments in the crowded New York City barber
shop with the multiracial clientele that they did not speak English.

A street person on the streets could very well be in their natural habitat, or maybe they
never acclimated. I never attested to being a street youth. Being punished before leaving
for college made to feel homeless and less grounded. It had a crippling effect on my
psyche. Since no one would listen to my complaints of the crippling state of mind that
arrested my development for many years, I began to revisit and rationalize the situation.
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Dad simply put me on the street at the age of seventeen for a trivial matter and derailed
my sense of well being right before my journey for self-improvement, thus destroying my
momentum. That was illegal and ignorant. Deconstruct is the title of the next poem.

I’ve heard the pros and the cons,

the odds and the ends.
Quite frankly things aren’t looking good my friend.
But it’s not your fault.
You have to deconstruct what they messed up.
Start from the bottom
to
build
yourself
back up.
Some use a pen.
Some use a pencil.
Some draw freehand.
Some draw with stencils.
Never let another,
teacher,
mother,
father,
sister, or
brother,
rob your
potential.
You have to deconstruct what they messed up.
Start from the bottom to build yourself back up.
When you finish that’s when you begin.
Life is a never ending journey my friend.
After you build yourself up and
everything is legit.
Find your place in society.
Then you commit.
You have to see it,
feel it,
hear it,
do it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
You have to be it,
say it,
work it,
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 play it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
You have to walk it,
talk it,
write it,
chalk it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
You have to deal it,
spiel it,
own it,
clone it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
To the young and old:
I would be remiss
if I didn't rhyme about this.
You probably already know
that life’s a trip without commitment.
You have to reach it,
breach it,
preach it,
teach it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
You have to live it,
give it,
grow it,
show it.
It’s the commitment.
Hell nah you can’t quit.
Each one
reach one,
teach one,
and preach your call.
Teach them how to stand
before they’re pushed to fall and
how to walk before they’re forced to crawl.
And for those who have already given up,
simply tell them to deconstruct.
You have to deconstruct what they messed up.
Start from the bottom to build yourself back up.
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 12
ALL WORK
Unfinished Business
Despite the success I experienced as an undergraduate student and the completion of
my bachelor’s degree in 1997, there wasn’t much use for my new knowledge. The
closest I came to a professional career was a six month stint with Resource Management
Systems (RMS). This company required a 3.0 grade point average for consideration of
employment. I finished Metropolis University with a 3.3 grade point average and a
bachelor of arts degree in liberal arts.
After accepting the business analyst position I relocated to Michigan. This job
required collaborative efforts, continued education through the human resource
department, familiarity with company software, record keeping and organizational skills,
knowledge of multi-state regulations pertaining to automobile lemon laws, and the list
goes on. This was the real deal. The company had recently been purchased by General
Motors. They were obsessed with diversity. It was literally a culture fest every day.
Enlisted was a melting pot of accomplished college grads who knew they had just
received the opportunity of a lifetime.
Renee visited Michigan during my month-long training class with RMS. It was quite
a demanding class. Her visit didn’t distract me. It reminded me of our earlier years in
Campusville. I even noticed a more vulnerable side to her. She seemed as if she was
ready to marry. I would have given up on her had it not been for the flings I so eagerly
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took part in during the early part of our relationship. In retrospect, those flings would
serve as deal breakers for our long-term relationship. Yet we both were willing to strive
for the happy ending we thought we deserved. The visit resembled a second chance. Our
discussions were about the future. I suggested she move to Michigan. She promoted the
opportunities that Georgia offered. It was an undeniable truth. Besides, I had been
waiting for an opportunity to heal my guilty conscience. So I selfishly resigned my
position at RMS and moved to Georgia.

Life of a Salesman
The sales industry was my immediate career choice in Georgia. If I were
commissioned to offer my expertise on what makes a successful salesperson, I would
offer the following. An aspiring salesperson (the untrained have a unique potential for
greatness) must pursue the numbers, know, understand, and respect (KUR) the product,
and master the operative of timing. Numbers, KUR, and timing should be the
performance standard for any sales person. You may find this in different wording, but
I’ll venture to say each doctrine eventually produces the same body of knowledge.
At a time in America when the economy was better a sales and marketing structure
called the pyramid prevailed. The sales pyramid was soon outlawed and restructured into
the institution of multi-level marketing. This structure often preached an aggressive sales
approach producing sales cults across the country. Its basic claim to success was the law
of large numbers. Fundamentally, if a salesperson approaches a large number of
potential customers, then the sale will eventually happen. This was enough to produce
success in the world of multi-level marketing. Nevertheless, there was a cognitive
sacrifice despite the projected financial freedom the product created for those who were
able to elevate beyond the ground level. The rigor of repetition accompanied by
excessive rejection was what I considered the ultimate price paid by those who
committed to multi-level marketing. I used the law of large numbers technique and
experienced a huge success with the telecommunications giant BS&S. It was at BS&S
that I score $55,000 in commission only payments in less than a year.
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 I began to know, understand, and respect the product. I researched the history of the
industry, which existed as a monopoly from the development of the science of telephony
until the early eighties. Recalling the relevance of the long distance call to my childhood
household and how Mommy would spend minutes in a friendly argument about who’s
turn it was to make that weekend long distance call brought back fond memories. It was
when I uncovered the documented fraud that had taken place as a result of deregulation
that I became completely inspired. Deregulation was a vehicle for fraud. I vigilantly
made warm calls to small business decision-makers with hopes of saving the consumer’s
businesses from unnecessary expense.
I acquired timing skills by researching best practices and mentorships with other sales
professionals. If a customer says “you know what, let’s just forget about the whole
thing”. Chances are the salesperson defied one of the laws of timing.

Pest Control
Service became my next calling. In the pest control profession, specifically the
termite business, there was a relatively new baiting system [T-Bait], which gave
homeowners an option other than liquid chemical treatments. T-Bait was inspired by
studies conducted at the same university where Hyperwater was developed. After the
system was researched and developed at College State University, it was purchased by
Agro-science Corp. Agro provided training through approved pest control companies to
technicians on how to install and maintain the systems. The need for this system existed
because of the threat termites posed to areas of real estate structured with wood or other
building materials containing cellulose fibers (the fibers that congeal wood and other
building materials). Termites are able to decompose and metabolize wood/cellulose
during a chemical digestion process. Without the permanence of the cellulose fiber wood
becomes brittle and crumbles, no longer lending its appreciable qualities to real estate. If
you don’t know what a termite is, imagine an off white ant.
While providing termite pest control service (as a T-Bait technician) to commercial
and residential real estate proprietors, it became obvious that Agro-science Corp was not
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the expert. Agro was the licensure. The pest control company was the licensee, and I
was vendor/expert. My performance was measured by a demanding daily quota, and the
incentive of a piece-work pay scale. Sounds like fun right? It was a lot of fun, a lot of
work, and extremely intense. I can compare the intensity level to cramming for a test,
then taking the test only to realize I must go home to study again for a newly announced
test the following day and the cycle relentlessly continued.

All businesses have a social responsibility to society. Some serve the social cause
naturally and proudly. In retrospect, service is a positive thing, but ideally in the free
world, one should not be pushed into situations that they have not been called to perform.
As I performed my daily deeds there seemed to be social demands deemed lucrative to
the business that outweighed the demands of termite maintenance. It remained implicit
and lingered in the field and office. Life is the title of this next poem.
Life is so crazy.
I used to be a player
with free and clear real estate
and a drop top 68’.
Now I’m under a radar monitored by the State.
I ask questions and get no answers.
I guess I’ll wait.
Basketball’s my game
I’m nice on the court,
but I think I’m being recruited by another sport.
It’s an underground system.
It’s systematic.
There’s a mob of participants
and they’re so dramatic.
So I’m back in school clinging to the halls,
because the name of this sport is… I don’t recall.
It’s the largest industry in a forbidden economy.
It’s like computers to the Internet
or the planet earth to astronomy.
They put cameras in my house
and GPS in my car.
They don’t mean any harm.
They treat me like a star.
Bad things have happened.
I can’t afford security.
I don’t have the bucks and
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 I don’t want to be a part of that gross national product.
There will always be imbalance in the social ecosystem.
People are linked by genetic traits
and hormonal transmissions.
Human nature is scientific.
It’s life,
some say it’s a trip,
some say it’s a bitch,
I say life’s a gift.
Accept it,
live it,
protect it,
give it,
whatever you think life is,
just don’t quit it.

The T-Bait installation process started with freshly installed bait stations around the
perimeter of a home or business. The green bait stations consisted of foot-long plastic
cylinders shaped like a rocket (the circumference of a bottled water) with spiraled
openings from top to bottom. Each station housed two oblong rectangular cubes of
wood. The wood chips were separated by a plastic utensil with a hook at the top that
descended to a plate like surface at the bottom. This allowed the chips to be guided in
and out of the cylinder for the purpose of inspection. At the very top of the cylinder was
the portion of the station designed to be visible at soil level. This flat disk-like surface
was twice the circumference of the cylinder and protruded about an eighth of an inch
above soil level. The bait stations sealed with a lock cap. Each property was prescribed
by Agro-science Corp to receive one station installed in the ground per ten linear feet of
real estate circumference (three stridden steps equals approximately ten linear feet).
Agro required the stations at least a foot away from the structure, but no more than ten
feet. I have two words for you: “pine straw”.
Pine straw was my number one nemesis, second only to the semi-domesticated canine.
Pine straw gave the exterior facade a neat look and its shape was easily sealed into
neatness by the application of water. Although it can be used anywhere on a property’s

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landscape, more often than not, it borders the homes foundation. This was a low
maintenance opportunity for all parties involved except the T-Bait technician.
Ironically, the termite departments in most pest control companies had a history of
extensive customer service. Technicians made house calls to inspect for termite evidence
on the inside and outside of the customer’s property. With the addition of T-Bait, the
traditional service offered by most termite technicians was impossible, requiring many
pest control companies to split the termite departments in the categories of inspector,
liquid treater, and T-Bait technician.
Surveying the perimeter of the home comprised the responsibilities of the T-Bait tech.
The stations had to be accounted for upon each visit. Each lock cap concealed a barcode
underneath that the original installer scanned during installation. The original install tech
then submitted the barcode data to the termite department manager. The manager
uploaded the data in the company’s database, where it rotated via event notification
software every three months for scheduled inspections. Upon notification for inspection
the manager downloaded the information into each technician’s handheld computer. All
companies licensed by Agro were accountable for the proper maintenance of this data
and were frequently audited. If the technician did not scan one of the 20 to 200 stations
on an assigned property, then the job registered as an incomplete. Incompletes were
subject to penalty from Agro and the State’s regulating board.
The termite department manager loaded the handheld computer with new work every
morning. It was equipped with a scanning device that scanned the barcodes under each
lock cap. Stations were often hard to find. Each station was prescribed to be consistent
with soil level and camouflaged beneath the grass. Stations not located required
replacement with a new station. Replacements and installations were labor intensive and
risky. The process consisted of digging a one foot hole in the soil with a hand auger.
Soil consistency ranged from gardening soil to solidified soil. The major risk factors
were utility lines or sprinkler systems usually buried a foot or so underground in the
vicinity of designated installation points. Even if the tech was lucky enough to find a
station, each station was usually infested with spiders, pill bugs, ants, squids, or the
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dreaded termite activity. My job was to treat the bait stations for termite activity. The
spider’s job was to bite my fingers with lightning speed—through my gloves I might add.
So after stumbling upon the camouflaged plastic surface of a hidden bait station, opening
the lock cap, cleaning soil residue and insect feces from the barcode underneath the lock
cap and scanning the cap, termite treatment may have been necessary. If so, it was a trip
back to the company truck for the carefully stored pesticides used to eliminate the termite
colony.
Carts, plumbers buckets, tool bags, and even wagons were devices used by my cohorts
during termite season. That was the time of year when homes were most likely to be
infested because the termite colonies were rapidly reproducing. No one in the two years
that I worked the trade had developed a more portable system than I. I used a carpenters
tool belt to transport the necessary items for station hunting and monitoring. I even had a
loop on the belt for the three foot tall “T” shaped hand auger. I wore the steel tool next to
right leg and maneuvered it through the impossible and unpredictable terrains of the rural
and suburban areas that I was assigned.
The prescribed ten linear feet between each station usually consisted of twenty or
more bait stations. There was an impossible yet enforced standard of twenty minutes per
property. For that reason, each stroke of the rake used to uncover and cover bait stations
became a negotiation with time. Time was actually money in this business. Management
enforced a mandatory lunch break. Nevertheless, each bite of my sandwich during lunch
represented a component of the time, money, and performance continuum.

My good work ethic would not suffice for what was becoming an impossible job to do on
a daily basis. The vehicle the company assigned to me was not safe. The attitude around
the office seemed to defy my excellent performance in the field. Somewhere, somehow I
was breaking implicit norms that must have been non-negotiable. This next piece is
called Musical Chairs.

Follow the rules

or go back to school.
They don’t need permission to put you in prison.
You’ll be State property.
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 They’ll adopt you “B”.
No bricks and mortar,
just trades and barters…
You don’t have to catch a case.
They’ll build a superficial database.
They’ll video tape your every move.
Now you’re a super sport for tort
and they keep statistics.
Follow the rules
or go back in school.
With a genetic desire for survival,
the strong rise higher
and the week sink to their rivals.
Human nature spins in a circle,
what a web we weave.
I’m a first generation victim of the black widow spider.
I’m Adam she’s Eve.
I’m in the system.
Now I wish to save my son from Steve.
Like the game musical chairs,
you have to stand up to play along.
There is always the fear your chair won’t be there
at the end of the song.
Follow the rules
or go back in school.
If you don’t want to dance to their music
Then there is no issue.
They won’t miss you.

When working outside on a daily basis it is likely you will develop an awareness of
mother nature and your irrelevance to her wrath. The only way to meet quota
requirements and consistently provide good customer service on the outside of the home
was to develop a store of knowledge based on previous experiences and consultation with
other accomplished colleagues. This process allowed me to sort and prioritize
information and apply best practices, which resulted in a measurable increase in efficient
behavior and more money. This was my reflective process. This was the only way to
battle the elements and earn a suitable income as an Agro-science Corp T-Bait
Technician. My tacit expertise made being railroaded out of a job more disappointing.
This next poem is titled Right Of Passage.

Don’t question me on how I chose to defend.

You violated what god created.
Peaceful communication is ideal among men.
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You crossed the line this time and left the ball in my court.
Self-defense is no sin and I’m not a good sport.
I’m very angry.
There’s no need to pretend.
You’ve probably heard this before.
My rights begin where yours end.
You request my mercy.
You've already cursed me.
My life will never be the same.
There are certain measures of society I will never attain.
The hole you dug for me,
one day I'll see that you inhabit that.
A habitat for inhumanity,
the soils of your labor will suit you perfectly.
And remember self-defense is no sin,
simply because my rights begin where yours end.
All of a sudden,
I no longer have the motivation for retaliation.
The time it took me to write this poem
made me realize you’re not so strong.
Personal interrogation led to self-evaluation.
Q and A went my way.
The best revenge is love and happiness within.
Forgive your enemies
and make new friends.
Protect yourself
don't let the bad folks in.
I hope I never have to say this again.
My rights begin where yours end.

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13
THE
DECISION
During my pest control technician tenure the fifteen minute office preps were often the
most stressful moments of the day. Despite my pronounced and acknowledged record
breaking acumen in the trade, I had a feeling there were implicit norms that accompanied
the job. Yet I was in my own world. The euphoria of strategically defeating the
individual challenges of each property reminded me of my days as an athlete. I prayed
that the looming implications barring my complete membership would disappear. This
gave me the motivation to continue and attempt to move up in the field through attainable
licensing. Until one day I resigned. Regrettably, because I was only a few months short
of the two year minimum requirement for a pest management license. Yet my intuition
told me I was a few minutes away from catching a case. For some highly emotional
reason, I felt the world gave a damn. I filed a complaint in order to apply for
unemployment. My unemployment was denied via letter. My search for a logical ear
landed me in the appeal processes where a formal hearing was conducted. The following
passages encapsulate my fight for a career that was not meant to be.

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The Hearing Officer represents the Department of Labor. The other representatives present were
The company’s CEO (who did not participate), general manager (MGR), operations manager (OP
MGR), and the supervisor (SPR), who during my employment was referred to as the Termite
Department Manager.
Hearing Officer: My name is _______ _______ I’m the administrative hearing officer.
There are some procedures I will need to explain first. The claimant’s name is Mark
Dabney. The hearing is being conducted in person in the _______ _______ career
center on ____ ____. It’s now around 10:17am. Now the law does require that the
hearings be recorded and that all testimony be taken under an oath or affirmation. I will
administer the oath in just a minute. Both sides will have a chance to testify today and
you will also be given the chance to ask any questions of the others testimony.
MARK: Excuse me, but the, uh supervisor that I reported all my…
Hearing Officer: We’ll get to that. When it’s time. Um you know, we’ll get it in the
order that I need to get the testimony.
MARK: And the only reason I bring it up is because, uh he wasn’t questioned in the first
place, you know, we wouldn’t be here now if they would have talked directly to the
gentlemen about, you know, my uh disputes.
Hearing Officer: Well, you know, if…if we need this testimony I’ll call him up.
MARK: Right, because this is the only person that I, uh was s…uh subordinate to and
reported directly to on a daily basis.
Hearing Officer: If we need his testimony we’ll call him… back, you know, that’ll at a
later, you know, later on in the hearing be…be determined…
HEARING OFFICER: Once the testimony is complete, then the hearing will be closed.
A decision will not be released today, but I will have one typed up and mailed out as soon
as possible. Once that decision is released, then either party does have the right to appeal
to the Board of Review if they don’t agree with it. Are there any questions so far on
procedures Mr. Dabney?
MARK: No Sir.
HEARING OFFICER: Any questions on procedure from the employer?
Operations Manager (OP MGR): No.

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General Manager (MGR): No, sir.
HEARING OFFICER: Would you please raise your right hands? Do you solemnly
swear or affirm that the testimony that you are to give today is the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, Mr. Dabney?
MARK: Yes I swear.
HEARING OFFICER: Um Mr. _______?
OP MGR: I do.
HEARING OFFICER: And Mr. _______?
MGR: I do.
HEARING OFFICER: The document that I’ve got in the file let’s mark Exhibit 1, a copy
of the claims Examiner’s Determination that was released on ____ _, ___. Any
objections of that document being made a part of the file, Mr. _______?
MARK: Well, like I just said, why did you turn down my last initial claim, is that what
you’re saying? Do I have any objections to…..
HEARING OFFICER: Objections to the document being made…
MARK: The document.
HEARING OFFICER: …a part of the file?
MARK: Uh not that particular one, uh the one where…
HEARING OFFICER: Uh…
MARK: …your, um Claims Officer took my statement…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay.
MARK: …I have a problem with that one.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, and I’m only talking about this document right here .
MARK: Let me see. Let me see.
HEARING OFFICER: Is there any objection to that document being made a part of the
file?
MARK: Yes…yes. Sir because..
HEARING OFFICER: Im not asking… I’m not asking if you agree with it.

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MARK: Well, I would have to say because it says I quit for personal reasons and that’s
not why I quit.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay.
MARK: So I would have a problem with that being part of the file. Yes, sir that’s why
I’m…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, so your only objection is you don’t agree with the
decision?
MARK: Well, no, I…I…I think it’s just wrong, you know, it’s wrong. It says I quit for
personal reasons.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, well, that will be for me…me to determine.
MARK: I have a problem with that being part of the file.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, is that your only objection to this document you don’t
agree with it?
MARK: No, that’s not my only objection, um my first objection is that the Supervisor
that I reported directly to…
HEARING OFFICER: I have that…
MARK: …was not talked to before that decision was made and he is the only one that
can testify on my claim of being called a monkey, uh having three months of truck
problems that were not taken care of.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, wait…wait…wait…wait…’m…I’m not…
MARK: You see what I’m saying?
HEARING OFFICER: …it’s…
MARK: Yes, I have objections, yes, sir. And I don’t want to offend you, but when that
document was prepared…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, I’m… I’m just asking you if you have any objections to
this document being marked and made a part of the record showing that this is the reason
that we are here today not whether you agree with or not that you agree with it or not that
you agree with the wording on it or what the, what it says.
MARK: Right, I do have…
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HEARING OFFICER: Is that your only objection to the document is you don’t agree
with it?
MARK: I have, my objection would be the document period, you know…
HEARING OFFICER: So what is your objection of that document?
MARK: This, because, uh…
HEARING OFFICER: Well, it does, it has to exist that’s the…
MARK: Right, but what I’m saying is…
HEARING OFFICER: …Determination.
MARK: …the first person I talked to on the phone…
HEARING OFFICER: That has nothing to do with this hearing.
MARK: Well, I’ll put it to you this way, sir. When I filled this out right here.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, wait…wait…wait…wait, I’m not, I haven’t gotten into
that. The statement , the claim you filed on the computer …
MARK: Right.
HEARING OFFICER: The statement you gave the Claims Examiner that is not entered
into the record. That’s not a part of the hearing today.
MARK: Right.
HEARING OFFICER: It’s only the testimony taken today.
MARK: Well, does that have to be part of the file then?
Hearing Officer: Uh yes, it does.
MARK: Well, then my objection wouldn’t matter, but I don’t feel that that document is
correct, though, and I don’t feel that…
Hearing Officer: Well, it’s…it’s correctly based on what, the information the Claims
Examiner had.
MARK: Well…well, according to my file, the reason we’re here is because I filed a
claim.
HEARING OFFICER: But you disagree with the decision.
MARK: No, no, no, the reason we’re here is because I filed an Unemployment Claim,
sir.
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HEARING OFFICER: The reason…the reason we’re, wait…wait…wait…
MARK: When I filed the claim it asked me…
HEARING OFFICER: …wait…wait…
MARK: When I filed the claim it asked me …
Hearing Officer:…wait…wait…wait…
HEARING OFFICER: …just a minute.
MARK: Yes, sir.
HEARING OFFICER: The reason… It has to be part of the… The reason we’re here is
because you disagree with the decision holding you not eligible…
MARK: That’s right.
HEARING OFFICER: …not because of anything else.
MARK: Right
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. Okay. Okay. Any objection to that document, Mr.
________ ?
MARK: No.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, the issue to be decided is whether the Claimant left his
most recent employer with good cause in connection with the work.
And would be entitled to benefits whether due to quitting or being discharged. And
whether the Employer’s account would be charged for benefits.
In a quit we do start the testimony first with the claimant since the burden of proof is
on the claimant to show that you did have good work-connected cause for quitting.
MARK: Yes, sir.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, what were your dates of employment with ________?
MARK: Um dates of employment was, uh _/_/__ to _/_/__
HEARING OFFICER: And what was your job there?
MARK: My Job was T-Bait Technician.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. And you did quit this job?
MARK: Yes, I…I wrote a letter of resignation.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay when did you give notice you were quitting?
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MARK: I gave notice like, uh…uh wrote the letter that morning that I was, uh
questioned about another situation.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. And who did you tell you were quitting?
Mark: Uh these two gentlemen right here.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. And what was the reason you gave them for quitting
MARK: Told them I wanted to pursue another career.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. But that’s not the real reason you quit?
MARK: The real reason I quit was because it…it was a…a progressively hostile work
environment. And, uh…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, who did you talk to about the…
MARK: It was just, I…
HEARING OFFICER: …Work environment?
MARK: The supervisor that’s standing outside. The supervisor who is standing outside.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. Did you speak…did you speak to anybody else?
MARK: No, no, sir, I was, that wasn’t the, uh structure of the business for me to speak to
anybody else. I never heard about an Open-Door-Policy per se, you know, so…
HEARING OFFICER: Did you ask if you could speak to anyone else if nothing was
being done?
MARK: No I didn’t. Because I never heard of any type of Open-Door-Policy, you
know, so I said, well, I better not go over anybody’s head on this.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. What was the problem with the working environment,
what were your complaints?

I know, I know, this is self-deprecation. This is self-incrimination, but wait a minute. I

had a plan to succeed in this profession. I had already walked away from an
entrepreneurial experience to start a family with a women who soon walked away from
me. I decided to stay close to my children, which resulted in the loss of my out of town
real estate parcels. I wasn’t in the mood to play “What’s Up My Nigga” with an
African-American male who did not have my perspective. Even worse, in his commitment
to entertaining on the job, his idea of a joke was calling me a “Monkey Ass Nigga”. A
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phrase that me and cohorts toyed with during my time in Campusville (a 99% African-
American town with a HBCU). But somehow, in front of nonblack coworkers who I knew
had the same professional perspective of the business that I had, this technician who was
ten years my youth really pissed me off.

MARK: Well, uh well, basically, uh in my first, uh couple weeks of training there was a
guy who I had to ride with in order to learn the job, in order to earn my own truck. And
the guy referred to me as a monkey twice and I said well, man, you know, maybe I’ll stop
riding with this guy.
HEARING OFFICER: Who did you report it to?
MARK: I ended up reporting, on the third time I reported to ______ __________,
The supervisor that’s standing outside.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, you don’t have to keep referring to the gentleman standing
outside, I know he’s out there.
MARK: The only reason…the only reason I’m doing that, sir, is because in order for this
…this claim to be…
HEARING OFFICER: Well, we’ll get to that…
MARK: I would assume, I…I would assume under oath…
HEARING OFFICER: Wait…wait…wait, just a minute.

The only reason I appealed to the level of having a hearing is because upon denying my
claim the department of labor admitted to not talking to the supervisor and explicitly
wrote that they talked to the general manager who was not aware of the situation. I
thought an appeal would give me the opportunity to convey to a higher authority just how
ridiculous this job and the investigative process of the unemployment claim really was.
So there I was sitting in a room full of jerks who knew nothing about the situation.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay, Mr., Mr. _______, what are you going to be testifying to?
OPS MGR: I am going to be testifying to what, uh led up to him, uh writing his letter of
resignation on the day that he wrote his letter of res…resignation.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. I…I think we need Mr. ___________ in here. Okay.
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MGR: Um what I’ll do is I’ll go get him. My involvement as far as the last day, uh the
day that ________ turned in his resignation was minimal. He did not re…I was not
present when he told Mr. ________ he wanted to resign. I was on a conference call with
my supervisor, so my only involvement with bringing him in afterwards was to see if he
wanted to talk about it, um after he had already turned in his resignation. So if you like, I
can go get _________ and have him come in here.

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 14
DECISION
PART 2
I should have got up walked out and went home. That was the MGR leaving to get the
SPR. As you have already noticed the MGR is the only authority documented on the
claim

Hearing Officer: Yeah Okay. We’ll do that. Uh right, I’ll get him right here.
MGR: Sir, shall the other person and myself just sit out here in case you need us? Uh
just…Out there?
HEARING OFFICER: Yes. Okay. Okay my name is ____ _____ . I’m the hearing
officer. Before we get your testimony we’ll need to put you under oath, Mr._________ .
Could you please raise your right hand? Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the
testimony you’re to give today is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
SPR: I do
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. Uh go ahead and continue, _________.
At this point I’m kind of cynical and realizing this process is not like the American
judicial process that takes place in the court systems around the country. I am now
involved in a mediation process with my former employers and a hearing officer who
is partial to my former employers.
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MARK: Uh yes, sir in my first, couple of weeks I was a, I’d say it was requi…it was a
requirement for me to work with a guy by the name of _______ _______. This guy was
very loquacious, so to, you know, he talked a lot.
Uh he used, um negative terms quite a bit. Uh very little was towards the…the
training of me as an employee.
And then it escalated to the point where he called me a monkey, um…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, did you tell him that you didn’t appreciate being called a
monkey?
MARK: Yes sir. I said, and…and as a matter of fact when I told him I didn’t appreciate
it his exact words I can quote were, I bet you won’t throw nothing, I bet you won’t throw
nothing or something where I can’t, well, I bet you won’t throw nothing at me, I bet you
won’t swing or something like that.
And I bet my dick is bigger than yours. That was his quote. So I’m standing there…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, then why didn’t you report it immediately?
MARK: I, exactly, I reported it, I…I reported it to _____ _________ about the…
monkey statement, three monkey statements.
I said, look, man, you know, I can’t work under these conditions, you know, if this is
said to me again you can have your company, this, that, and the other.
You know, that…that was my first complaint. And this is the gentleman that I
reported that to. Now…now, you know…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, did you have any mo…re problems with that gentleman
after that?
MARK: I didn’t have any more problems with that gentleman after that, but…but, sir…
HEARING OFFICER: Well, then…
MARK: …I remind you that this was…
HEARING OFFICER: Wait…wait…wait, so…
MARK: …the training experience was quite…
HEARING OFFICER: So he addresses you…
MARK: …stressful…
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HEARING OFFICER: …he addressed your concerns and it never happened again?

My first training experience was with a company that provided a 30 day stay in an
executive suite with meals and daily room service and a company shuttle to class. The
next job offered 30 day training as well as daily catering and weekly parties where family
was invited. All of this followed nine years of entrepreneurial experience. The exposure
to corporate training, success as an entrepreneur, and most importantly my previous pest
control experience is what influenced my reaction. I consider myself quite the comedian;
however, I had developed a competency for the trade. I knew what I was doing, yet they
required me to train with this individual. I had just left a pest control company due to
layoff, where I renewed 600 cancelled T-Bait accounts. I imagine the renewals gave the
company enough revenue to help carry the career pest control technicians during the
slow season. As the separation notice explained: The company is restructuring.
MARK: Well, actually, uh Mr. _________ told me that my behavior warranted or could
have caused, you know, I bring that on myself, so…so to speak.
You haven’t been here long enough to be causing trouble and you bring this type of
stuff on yourself.
HEARING OFFICER: But it never happened again after you talked to Mr.
_____________, right?
MARK: It never happened again, but I’m saying my…
HEARING OFFICER: Go ahead.
MARK: …my state of mind was shattered, you know, and my job performance. I’ve
been two years professional T-Bait, uh Technician hoping to get, you know, a…a, you
know, further state of education and licenses, you know, um going into my second year,
you know, by a trainee.
And was told that my behavior might be bringing that type of situation on. You know,
and like I say, when I tried to protect myself it becomes a, you know, a genitalia type, uh
situation.
Which I didn’t understand, you know, I can only attribute that to some type of
homosexual type situation, you understand?
So I was feeling pretty darn bad arriving at work on a daily basis. I’m feeling pretty
darn bad at work.

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 Now over the course of the next three months I…I’ve complained to Mr. _________
about bald tires, I’m skidding in the rain.

Theoretically, the mixture of personalities promotes a sociological process called

storming and norming. The emotionally unintelligent are those who either can’t
distinguish between the two [storming and norming] or don’t allow enough time for the
norming process. However, when you are on a pest control route and the company won’t
fix your truck and when you are willing to work in the rain only to slide while turning on
sharp curves, the norming process has been severely compromised. Now the factors that
govern public health are being questioned. We are not just talking safety. We’re talking
stress factors as well. If I was at war or playing football I’d welcome the environment.
But when they hired a part-timer and gave him a brand new truck just because he was a
local fireman...
Hearing Officer: Okay, did they…did they fix the truck, did they put new tires on it?
MARK; No, listen to what happened. Tore the paper up and threw it in the garbage.
Man, you’re not getting new tires, okay?
I’m not sure that he meant to offend me, but he was trying to make a strong statement
that the truck wasn’t going to be repaired.
The second time, the same complaint about tires, wrote it out, and…and I, and please, uh
let me go back to the beginning.
This is a truck report. This is a mandatory report that is done at a meeting where
you’re supposed to report what’s wrong with the vehicle.
You’re supposed to report, so when I tell you I got bald tires, sir, and you ripped up
my paper and threw it away, said, we’re not going to repair the truck, I’m feeling pretty
darn bad.
I’m…I’m feeling, I’m back to the monkey days, now. And then…and then the second
time I got …I got bad tires, I mean, what’s going on?
HEARING OFFICER: Why…why didn’t you report it to Mr. __________

To understand this situation you would have to know the work environment of traditional
southern family small business. That question is theoretically sound and was the basis
for the denial of my claim. But the real question is why does a supervisor not prioritize
the well-being of a top performing employee? I won’t get into credentials and licensing
of the supervisor or the lack thereof and the idiosyncrasies of working in an office where
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a technician has expressed his goal to test for what is in essence a manager’s license. I
won’t waste time with presumption.

MARK: I didn’t report it to Mr. ___________ because Mr. ____________ put me in this
truck.
HEARING OFFICER: But if Mr. ____________, if you didn’t feel he was responding to
your complaints, or your concerns, then why wouldn’t you address it with someone else?
MARK: I’m going to tell you the truth, sir, because I had just been laid off from a pest
control job.
I was excited about the opportunity to get my two years in and was…I was going to
weather the storm no matter what and…and that was my attitude.
So if I had to drive a little bit slower in a bald-tire truck, then I was going to do it.
You know, if I had to let somebody, I felt like I could outman that guy who was
calling me a monkey, but I wasn’t going to do it because I wanted to earn my time in this
business.
So I walked away from, three…three times he called me a monkey and said, I bet you
won’t swing…

Honestly, fighting used to make my balls tingle. My high school was a first punch high
school. Whoever had balls enough to throw the first punch would likely win because
somebody was always breaking up fights. I had a feeling this was one of those
opportunities. This guy wasn’t very popular. I was the new guy with an amazing work
ethic. I had trained with each of the nonblack guys who were watching this mayhem
unfold. Yet I decided to squash confrontation. I wasn’t the same hot head of old. After
work I went to an unfurnished rental property and slept on an air bed every night.
Avoiding confrontation and conflict in general was now much more inviting to my new
lifestyle.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay, well, you’ve already covered that, so you don’t need to
keep…
MARK: What I’m saying, my attitude was…
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HEARING OFFICER: …going over…
MARK: …my attitude was, I…I need two years in this business to…to get, you know,
further, uh I guess state requirements to excel, so that’s what I was going to do and…and
I was going to withstand, weather any storm.
And that’s… that’s why on the open door on _____, you know, __________, and I felt
like he was adhering to the culture of his company. I had to not take it personal.
That’s why I was offended by you saying it was a personal, and I said, well, you
know, this is the culture of all them. They don’t want to repair this truck. I’m not going
to take it personal.
I…I want to get my two years in and that’s what I you know, was attempting to do, you
know, was attempting to do, so…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, well, what about after the bad tires?
MARK: After the bad tires I was placed into a newer vehicle that had the alignment
problem, okay? And, um I reported that. It wasn’t immediately taken care of until the,
you know, not to exaggerate, but until the wheel almost fell off.
Okay. It became a…a situation where the vehicle could not be steered. I also
reported that to Mr. _____________.
And, um that vehicle had just come out of the shop and so I don’t think he took it too
serious, but, uh he had, ended up having to put that vehicle back in the shop.
HEARING OFFICER: So it…it was taken care of?
MARK: It was taken care of, but like I said, I was feeling pretty bad about, you know,
this company and…and, you know, this company and…and, you know employment
is…is a, it’s a bilateral contract.
And if I’m working hard every day, then they should be able to, you know, notice that
and treat me pretty darn good.
You know, this guy works pretty darn hard, so let’s treat him good, you know?
Okay
That’s…that’s the way I look at it, but if they’re not, then that means what? You don’t
have a stable job.
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My time had expired. I had seen big classy corporate opportunities, but I walked away
from them to pursue my chance to have a family. I was no longer the young slim
debonair twenty something that employers seemed anxious to hire. Things were different
now. Life had taken its toll. My skin was tarnished from love and war. I had pulled my
front tooth out, which had been capped for ten years and chipped ten years before that
from a childhood accident. I needed this opportunity to define some type of success for
myself.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay, now…

MARK: That’s what I was thinking and that’s what the, I don’t think it was a personal
decision when the, and it was the situation where it, felt like after reporting to Mr.
_____________ and…and him showing me what [the company’s] culture was all about.
Him being a supervisor, I didn’t see any open-door opportunities, so uh there was a
situation where, uh a gentleman having an excessive, uh tobacco spitting habit.
Uh we were told we could only go into one door, you know, we…we can’t go into the
front anymore. We had to go through the side door.
And I kind of knew this guy was always spitting, but he kind of caught me, caught
…caught me off guard and kind of opened the door real quick and spit out the door, so in
a friendly way, you know, this was a gentleman I never had negative experiences with.
I said, look, man, you could get your head taken off like that, you know.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, Mr….
MARK: Saying, you know, this gentleman…
HEARING OFFICER: …did he, was he spitting at you or did he spit on you?
MARK: No, this is a gentleman that had an excessive spitting problem and this wasn’t,
this…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, Mr….
MARK: I’m not complaining about the…the situation…
HEARING OFFICER: …but did he spit on you or did he spit at you?

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MARK: No, and…and I’m not complaining about the situation, but with me taking the
aggression to talk to him myself and the manager’s overhearing me say that to him, they
came down on me like a ton of bricks.
And I said, man, you know, maybe, you know maybe, uh after all the things that have
occurred here, and the hostile environment that I’ve been exposed to, you know, and
them coming down on me like a ton of bricks about somebody nasty enough to spit as
much as this guy does, I…I was saying to him in a friendly way like, I never had a bad
experience with this gentleman.
I said, look, man, you can get your head taken off like that, watch where you spit.
Several people have said that to him, you know…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, but you…you don’t see where that could be considered as
a threat?
MARK: No, not…not with me and this gentleman. We had a positive rapport…
HEARING OFFICER: But if somebody…
MARK: …we never had any negative problems.
HEARING OFFICER: …but…but if somebody heard that can you see where that may
be considered by somebody else that you…
MARK: No, sir. No, sir not…
HEARING OFFICER: …were making threats…
MARK: …not…not in the…
…uh that that’s what you, you know, you…
No, we didn’t need to have a conversation to talk, to…to tell by the tone of the words that
I was not threatening this gentleman.
And this was a problem with the gentleman that hadn’t done anything to me, but I felt
like with management’s response to the previous things that took place that maybe I
should say something.
Maybe I should stay out of the office, you know, and maybe I should say something to
this guy and like I said I was feeling pretty bad when I was coming to work at a place

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where, you know, I almost get into an accident, you know, or can’t get bald tires fixed,
you know, so I just said it to him.
I said, look, man, you know, watch where you’re spitting and they heard me say that
to him they came down on me pretty hard.
And that’s when I thought, well, you know, it’s not going my way as far as longevity is
concerned, as far as possibly getting my…my two-year requirement and things of that
nature.
I say, like I told your representative, I went home and I was like, I don’t think he’s
giving me, or offering me a future and I am saying that these…these, uh this work
environment was…was hostile…

This story establishes the fraternity these guys had. It doesn’t take a genius to
understand the nature of a situation where if you check a grown man about poor
manners, you are suddenly confronted by another man in his defense. I’m on the spot
here; I’m complaining about a lot of things. My goal is to receive some type of
compensation for losing my perceived business opportunity in the pest control industry.
Yet if you read between the lines it becomes obvious that I’m not really the petty guy. I’m
the guy that stands up to a fraternity of men behaving badly and ruining my
opportunities. I’m the man who dares to use the words to describe the bullshit that
women and children would not believe happens when men are amongst men.

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____15
______
DECISION PART III
Hearing Officer: But you did speak to anyone else other than Mr. ___________ about
the problems or about your concerns with the person or…
MARK: Right, I reported to ___ ___________ about the tire damages and…
Hearing Officer: And that was taken care of?
MARK: No, it wasn’t. No, he never took care of that because…
HEARING OFFICER: But they gave you another truck?
MARK: …they gave me the spare truck.
HEARING OFFICER: But they gave you another truck?
MARK: They gave me another truck.
HEARING OFFICER: Well, then you didn’t have to drive the one with the…
MARK: It had…it had problems…it had problems.
HEARING OFFICER: And then they, that was taken care of too, wasn’t it?
MARK: Eventually, yeah but what I’m saying is these are things that make you think
that possibly the long-term relationship might not be in your favor.
And that’s why I quit. It wasn’t personal. It was work related is what I’m saying. It
was work related totally and that’s why I’m here.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay.

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MARK: I’m not here to shove anything in these gentlemen’s faces, you know, because
obviously they run a successful business, you know, and…and just my leaving shouldn’t
affect them at all.
The reason I’m here is because your representative told me it was personal and she
didn’t take the time to talk to ___ __________.
She talked to the gentleman who just left, uh ___ _____________ .
See he had, right here on…on the report said that he didn’t know anything about these
instances that I filed my claim on.
That’s why I’m here, you know, I’m not here to waste these gentlemen’s time, you
know, and I’m not here to…to say…

These guys were not gentlemen. These were some lying jerks who had challenged the
route of success of a man whose family had been broken. I had no time to mourn the loss
of the job and was actually proud of my speedy and strategic exit. These new exiting
skills would have served me well and aged me less if I used them at the end of my
marriage. My next option was graduate school and all signs were directing me away
from the irony of disgruntled technicians to the cognitive-cleansing autonomy of
academia. Yet I had to make a wrong turn that got me in an unnecessary struggle
garnering “state exposure”, which served worthless and may have even caused residual
damage.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay.

MARK: …you know, that I wish things would’ve happened differently. I’m here to tell
you I made the right decision by walking off from a hostile environment.
And if…if the Benefits, you know, are due to me then I should receive them because it
was not a personal decision, so…

I told all of those silly [true] stories because I thought they would add fuel to my
argument. I wanted to vent as well. Bottom line was I really wanted to talk to the lady
who so carelessly handled my case. This should have been between me her and the
supervisor.
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HEARING OFFICER: Okay, anything, anything else you’d like to add, ________
_______?
MARK: Yeah. I’d like to add that, um that your representative did not talk to…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, that…That has nothing to, like I said earlier, the statement
taken from the Claims Examiner over the Telephone is not entered into evidence, so it
has no weight in the hearing today.
MARK: Right, well I…well, I just want to say this…
HEARING OFFICER: It has nothing to do with what’s…
MARK: Well…
HEARING OFFICER: …the hearing today.
MARK: Well, my final statement is this, if you bring an employee in your business, and
he’s called a monkey by a superior that’s…that’s a pretty bad situation.
Not once, not twice, but three times. And then…then challenged to…to basically a
fight, you know, you’re not going to throw, I bet you won’t throw a swing or this, that,
and the other, you know, and…and then when you retaliate, it…it goes to a situation of I
bet my dick is bigger than yours, that’s…that’s totally off course…
HEARING OFFICER: But once you had made your concerns known to Mr. ________
that never happened again…
MARK: Well…
HEARING OFFICER: …so he addressed your concerns?
MARK: But the way he addressed them is, you bring the issues on yourself. You hadn’t
been here long enough to be causing problems.
HEARING OFFICER: But still, it never happened again?
MARK: It never happened again, but what I’m saying is when you…when that type of
environment rules your company, you know, I don’t care what your title is, supervisor,
operations manager, owner, you better check the situation, you know, because, if you
want to continue growing you better, you know, put a leash on the type of trainer that you
send out there with people.
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And… and you better find out what their agenda is, you know…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay.
MARK: Well, and…and then, another thing truck repair, you know…
HEARING OFFICER: You…you…you’ve alrea..
MARK: Well..
HEARING OFFICER: …we’ve already covered…
MARK: …well this is my final statement
HEARING OFFICER: No problem
MARK: …this is my final statement. If…if you have an employee that you consider to
be a long-term employee and not just a body filling a spot, you…you can’t put them in a
spare truck.
And have him skidding tires just because that’s a spare truck and you don’t want to fix
it, you know, I…I mean, I…I have reason to believe. I mean you can’t be driving a spare
truck for three weeks just because it is your spare truck and you don’t feel like fixing it. I
mean, if I’m working for you…you got to have nice tires on your spare truck, you know,
because I was skidding in the rain.

I may have incriminated myself with the time frame concerning the trucks. There were
two trucks. I drove the first truck most of my time with the company. The second truck
looked better but was damaged. The new tires went on the second truck. Truck one, a
mechanically sound early model Nissan had slight body damage and bald tires. Truck
two, a later model Chevrolet, joined the company’s fleet after their acquisition of
another small pest control company. I took the repair of the second truck as some type of
sarcastic game because the driver’s side wheel actually fell off—new tires and all.

You know, and I don’t feel that’s a personal reason, so you are a professional, you do
your job, you make your decision, but, you know, I wanted to let you guys know that I
don’t think that’s personal.
I think that’s, you know, s…self-preservation and it’s…it’s giving you, it’s not giving
you the ability to do your job correct.

146
 If you …if you complain about tires and there not being fixed. You know, and..and I
can’t complain about the gentleman’s mannerisms about tearing up the truck report in my
face or whiting out the second time I complained. Yeah he fixed it eventually.
But I mean, that…that stuff scars you, man, it stays with you, you know, it stays with
you plain and simple, you know, I don’t think I’m a troublemaker, but I mean, you know,
if you got a company car.
And you’re driving around in it and maybe I guess it was three months, or it…it was a
pretty long time.
Your tires are bald, I mean, how do you feel about yourself and the company you
work for.
And when you complain about it’s not, well, that’s our maintenance truck or that’s our
second truck, or spare truck.
We really, it’s not really within our means to fix that. You know, none of that…none
of that. So in other words, they’re not going to do it.
HEARING OFFICER: But you didn’t speak to anybody else about it?
MARK: Didn’t do it, I didn’t do it man, like I say, I didn’t…I didn’t want to be a
complete troublemaker. I wanted to…
HEARING OFFICER: Well, if…if…if you had a problem with the truck, if it wasn’t
getting fixed, and Mr. ____________ was not addressing it, why wouldn’t you go to Mr.
_________
Or Mr. ___________,or anyone else and say, look…
MARK: Because I
HEARING OFFICER: …You Know, this tire, this truck is dangerous?
MARK: Well, Mr. _________ assigned me the truck. He was the gentleman that gave
me the keys. It was his choice to put me in the truck.
HEARING OFFICER: But still, you know, you could have gone back to any of them and
said, look, now, look this truck is not safe.
MARK: Well…
HEARING OFFICER: Something needs to be done
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MARK: I was feeling pretty bad, and I was just trying to, you know work and like I say,
it got to a point where I felt like the hostile environment might lead to my demise in other
ways.
That’s when I made my decision and…and wrote the letter, which it…it was not
personal and that’s why I’m here to defend myself in these things that are written about
me. It wasn’t personal, you know, it…it was a situation where I felt like I my health was
in question, and my ability to do the job was in question.
And these gentlemen might’ve been just a too busy to pay attention to the one guy
they brought in during the new year because maybe, you know, at the same time they had
just bought a company.
They just bought a brand new company and they had other issues. They don’t have a
large Human Resource Department, so maybe they just couldn’t pay attention to my
situation.
They are a big company, uh successful, they’re successful. I walked away, but it
wasn’t personal.
It was a hostile work environment, that truck was dangerous, the first truck and the
second truck. In any relationship you got the option to pull out.
I …I don’t…I don’t see how anybody would’ve weathered that storm, you know, I
really don’t.

Although I think the written version makes me appear to be a babbler, it catches an

honest emotion that is not so apparent on the digital recording. The contractor who
documented this meeting simply overdid it. Yet I feel obligated to share the manuscript.
Keep in mind my perspective was and still is these guys were playing some type of
fraternal game; whereas, I was initially proud to be working with a diversified company.

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 16 DECISION PART 4
Hearing Officer: Okay, uh any questions for ______ ______, Mr. ____________, or Mr.
_____________________?
SPR: Is there a chance, since most of these allegations have been pointed at me, do I get
a chance to uh…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, you’ll have a chance…testify, okay.
SPR: That’s the only question I had.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay any questions Mr. __________?
OP MGR: Um no, not at this time.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay Mr. ________________, um did ______ ______ come to
you about the con…concerns with the person that was training that called him a monkey
and things like that?
SPR: Well he did come to me with a concern. I did not hear what happened outside.
They were outside working on the truck and from what I gather they were both joking
around, playing.
________ got a little heated because _________ said something. I don’t know what
exactly the comment was.
And he came in and I talked with _______ about it and I talked to _________
_________. I got both sides of the story and I basically told __________ that you
And he never said anything else to him and they never had any problems again.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, and what about the truck with the bald tires?
When Mr. ________ informed me that the truck had bald tires on it I immediately went
out there, me and Mr.____________ both checked the tires on the truck.

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 I sent Mr. ________ up to Edwards Tire that day to get four new tires, on the truck,
which Mr. ________ asked me, called me to get the credit card number because they
would not let him leave until the tires were paid for.
MARK: That was…That was…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay just a minute.
MARK: That was, those tires,
SPR: We don’t like any of our employees riding around in trucks that are unsafe. That’s
our top priority.
The minute he told me he was sliding on the road, I got on the phone and we got four
tires put on the truck for Mr. _______.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay did you tear up a…
MARK: Sir if I could…
HEARING OFFICER: Wait just a minute…
HEARING OFFICER: You’ll have a chance. They didn’t interrupt you, so don’t
interrupt, you know, you’re not going to interrupt them.
Hearing Officer: Uh did he give you a report on the tires, or something that you tore up
or whited out?
SPR: We do a vehicle inspection report every month and it’s like his first one he did and
he messed it up.
I tore that one up and I gave him another one. The only other time I whited a spot out
was when he wrote something in the wrong place. And I had him right there and I said
we need to change this.
Those are the only two incidences with the vehicle inspection report because he had
problems filling them out.

I remember having questions and concerns about filling out my first truck report. The
report in question was not the first report. He tore the third truck report up and threw it
in the trash. This gesture held no significance then, yet in retrospect the document would
have created a paper trail if there had been a safety issue. In essence, discarding the
report did not nullify my need for tires; it signified this guy’s willingness to risk my

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safety. Furthermore, the report in question was for tires. The steering problem that
caused the driver’s side tire to buckle progressed until the vehicle could no longer be
driven.

Hearing Officer: Okay what about the one with the truck that he said he and the
alignment problem with?
ME: The truck, he was on his way to training class, I believe it was over in, the other
side of town, Gwinnett County, he called me up and told me that the truck was rattling
and had a problem and the wheel was about to fall off.
He was told to get there safely and to get it back to the office safely the next day,
which he did.
SPR: Me and Mr. ________ went out there and took a look at the tire. It was on the
driver’s side and the wheel was bent.
We immediately took him out of that truck and put him in a different truck and sent
that truck to Lawrenceville to have the repairs made on it.
That truck was purchased from another company and I guess it had been in some kind
of accident recently.
There had been some repairs done on it, some patchwork. The minute he found out
there was a problem, he was pulled out of the truck, and put in a replacement truck, and
that truck was.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay what about the incident with the person spitting tobacco?
SPR: On that…that morning we…we did have a meeting and we have a service entrance
that we ask, everybody is required to use.
________ ___________ is one of my termite technicians. He dips tobacco. And he
opens up the door, he’ll go out to the patio area. That’s what he normally does.
I was sitting in my office filling out the paperwork when he opened the door. I don’t
know how close Mark was to him or the proximity, anything like that.
I heard him tell him, you know, to watch it, be careful, and _________ apologized.
He said, I’m sorry.

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 I heard the door close. __________ ____________
Had walked off. _______ ________ said, next time that will get your head knocked off.
Okay.
I immediately called him in and I told him we don’t threaten employees like that at all.
That was the only thing he got called down for was that particular threat that he made
to an employee.
Whether he heard it or not that something we don’t walk around our office and do.
We don’t condone that.
I later, after he was taken care of, and got his stuff, and got him out I talked to
___________ __________.
And I told him there is going to be more and more people coming in and out of that
back door, I don’t know what happened between you and Mark, but just be careful.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, anything else you’d like to add then, Mr.
______________?
SPR: Well, no, I mean, we, I have no problem with the work Mark did, okay? But we
had several confrontations around the office and things that we just did not have and
those are the only times that he was called in and we had to talk to him about it, whether
with ______ _________ or one of the Sales guys or the termite guys, you know,
everybody around there jokes and laughs and, you know, whatever, but when it gets to a
point he gets upset, it turns into a confrontational situation.
And that’s why he may have felt nobody was talking to him because I instructed
everybody to leave him alone, let him do his thing. We don’t want to get him upset and
that’s what I, that’s the environment we had, you know, was that.

That is freaking conspiracy. I couldn’t believe he sat there and admitted instructing my
coworkers not to talk to Mr. Monkey Ass Nigga driving a bullshit truck every day, but
still making quota. And what the hell is “let him do his thing?” Was this a real job?
Conspiracy is what it was. There was a hidden agenda and it could not have been
articulate better by the poised supervisor.

152
 I’ll get the man, I’ll get his paperwork, you know. We’ll get his stuff together for him.
He can get out and start his day and you guys kind of just leave him alone and we’ll
get our work done.
Okay, Mr. ________, any questions for Mr. ______________?
MARK: Uh yes, uh the truck that you mentioned that you sent me to have, uh the tires
repaired on, was that the first truck I drove or the second truck?
SPR: That was the first truck when you told me it needed four tires they were bought.
MARK: Was that the spare truck that was replaced?
SPR: It was the very first truck you were issued.
MARK: The very first, the first truck was issued, what’s…what’s the make of the truck?
SPR: I believe it was a Mazda, ________, I mean I don’t know what the make had to do
with it.
MARK: I mean, I’m just saying because the first truck at issue was, I was issued was a
Nissan. It was your spare truck. That was the truck with the bald tires that I drove for
three weeks.
SPR: And it…it got the tires put on it. When he told me they were bald we, did I not
send you up to _______ Tire…on me
MARK: So you put new tires on the 95’ Nissan spare truck?
I put new tires on the truck that you were driving.
SPR: No, what I’m saying is… You were driving it every day. That was your truck.
MARK: Right.
SPR: It was assigned to you it was no longer a spare truck once it was assigned to you.
MARK: But sir the issue is that the bald tire truck that I drove for three weeks, a month,
or however long it was the truck that you did not put tires on.
SPR: The minute you notified me that you had bald tires, ______, I sent you to
________ Tire and got four tires on the truck.
MARK: I’m, I can furnish a receipt showing…
HEARING OFFICER: Wait…wait…wait…wait…wait, he’s answered your question.

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MARK: No…no…no…no, my question is…
HEARING OFFICER: No…no, I’m I’ve let you sit here and argue with him…
MARK: But I’m not arguing with the gentleman, but you might be hearing it wrong.
HEARING OFFICER: Well you’re…you’re disputing his answer. He’s answered the
question.
MARK: Okay. Okay. One second, sir I’m sorry. I’m…I’m not trying to disrespect
anybody, but we have to get this right because this is, you know, important to me.
I don’t know if it’s important to your Decisions, but…
HEARING OFFICER: Well, it’s…it’s…
MARK: But I’d like to clarify it before I leave. I was assigned a truck…
HEARING OFFICER: He’s ex…he’s explained what happened. He said he…
MARK: Well, no, well…
HEARING OFFICER: …sent you to replace the tires when you told him the tires were
bald.
MARK: Well sir it was very important that I distinguish…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, wait…wait…wait, Mr. __________
MARK: My
HEARING OFFICER: …did he…did he come to you about any other truck with bald
tires…
He came to you one time?
SPR: One time.
MARK: The truck with the bald tires?
SPR: And he was sent up there to _________ Tires and four new tires were put on the
truck.
MARK: And see, now, if this…if this would affect the decision, you know, I have a
receipt showing when that truck was repaired. It was in my third month of employment.

I don’t know whether the Hearing Officer went to high school with the SPR or what, but
his constant interruptions made the argument seem petty. It wasn’t a petty argument. I
154
was hired to do a job that I was very familiar with. In accordance with policy I road with
a technician who was considered my superior according to time employed with the
company. I followed this guy’s command even though he had a Jekyll and Hide
demeanor and made the job seem trivial at times. After training, I was given the normal
quota that I was used to on other jobs, but a bullshit vehicle (mind you, I had just been
laid off from a T-Bait job where I drove a brand new van every day). This was not some
petty argument that needed to be refereed. I needed to get the point across that these
guys were sloppy. They were so sloppy that when their new superstar employee needed
new tires they gave him another truck put tires on the wrong truck and the wheel fell off.
If the Hearing Officer would have let me say that we could have ended quickly.

SPR: Well, he’s…he’s testified as to what happened and he’s answered your question.
Mark: Well maybe I should say this, sir, I started on the 1st of Jan…or the 2nd of January,
2007. When did you send me to Edwards Tires?
SPR: When you notified me that the tires were bald.
MARK: Right, now…now, let me…let me ask you this. Just for the record, this is very
important to me.
HEARING OFFICER: …wait…wait…wait, but…
MARK: The first truck he assigned me…
HEARING OFFICER: He, you’ve, he’s you’ve asked a question, he’s answered it.
SPR: Right, the first truck

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17
__Decision
__Part 5
HEARING OFFICER: You don’t need to ask him the question again.
MARK: Well let me say this for the record.
SPR: He’s going to give you the same answer

How in the hell does the HEARING OFFICER who works for the Department of Labor
know what answer I’m going to get from the SPR who they refused to talk to in the first
place. They didn’t talk to the SPR despite me identifying him as the employer who I
reported directly to on a daily basis.

Mark: Let me say this for the record. The first truck the company assigned me.
I’m not making this personal with the gentleman right here because he still works for
this company…
But…
…The first truck the company assigned me was a, I believe it was a 2000 Nissan
Frontier…

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HEARING OFFICER: Wait…wait…
MARK: …with bald tires and I drove it for a month of employment…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, wait…wait…wait, just a minute, you’ve testified as to
what happened. He testified as to what happened.
MARK: Right.
HEARING OFFICER: He, uh you asked him a question, he answered your question. Go
on to the next question. There’s no need to keep going over the same old thing…
MARK: Well let me ask you this then…
HEARING OFFICER: …over and over again.
MARK: …the truck that you put tires on, is that the same truck with the alignment
problem?
SPR: No, it was not.
The truck that I put new tires on was, I mean, we can go to the…to the repair people
and… and you…
HEARING OFFICER: He just answered…
MARK: …the truck that you sent to ____’s Auto Body with the painted…the painted
logos and all the fresh, the brand new paint job was not the truck…
SPR: The truck that we sent over to ___________ to be repaired was an S10. That was
the one that came from ____________ _________ __________ Company, okay?
The original truck you were driving was the Nissan, which was the tire, the truck that I
put four tires on.
MARK: Oh…
SPR: It was two different trucks, two different issues, both of them were repaired.
MARK: That’s, well, I mean, I…I do have a receipt to show when that second truck was
repaired and, uh…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, ne…next question.
MARK: I, that’s my discrepancy with the gentleman about the truck repair. You know, I
drove a Nissan Frontier with bald tires for about a month.
And then when they put me in another truck they put new tires on that second truck…
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HEARING OFFICER: Okay, it’s….it’s all…you, that’s been testified, you’ve already
testified as to your version…
MARK: I, which was the…
HEARING OFFICER: …to what happened…
MARK: …2002 s10.
HEARING OFFICER: …the Employer has testified and, you know, it…
MARK: Well. Let me ask you this…
HEARING OFFICER:…you don’t…
MARK: …let me ask you this here.
HEARING OFFICER: …you don’t have to agree with this decision…
MARK: Right, I don’t have to agree with it, okay, next question. Would you say that I
came to you with several truck repair complaints over the three-month period?
SPR: You came to me with truck complaints over a three month period and they was
taken care of the very next day.

He said earlier that I contacted him one time. The HEARING OFFICER made it look
petty. I just wanted to show these guys I never had an honest job with this company. I
was virtually driving around like the Flintstones and still making quota. This jerk had
the nerve to tell folks not to talk to me. I was simply trying to prove that I didn’t have a
stable job. I quit and I wanted some damn benefits to carry over until I found another
job.

MARK: Okay…okay, and was I not reprimanded about hanging up the, uh CB Radio
because, uh I had gotten into an accident on the way to a training class?
HEARING OFFICER: No you were not reprimanded for not…
MARK: Well…well, I…I mean, I had to explain to you why I hung up your, the …the
radio.
MARK: Is this the same training class…
HEARING OFFICER: Well…well, what does that have to do with anything?
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MARK: Well, I mean was that truck drivable the next day that’s my question?
HEARING OFFICER: We’ve already established that the truck needed repairs the next
day and it was repaired.

The SPR called me on the radio with some bullshit about meeting somebody for an
estimate. I couldn’t steer the damn truck and talk at the same time. Meeting customers
for estimate wasn’t even part of my job. The next day he and the OP MGR were ready
for another got damn fact finding meeting until they finally understood the truck couldn’t
be steered properly and I was actually in danger the previous day.

MARK: Okay. Can I ask you what…what repair job was done on the truck then?
HEARING OFFICER: It does not matter.
SPR: The truck was repaired on the next day.
MARK: Okay. So it was a dangerous…a dangerous situation for me…
SPR: And the truck was repaired.
MARK: Yes, and I’m not trying to keep you here, but I just want…
Wait …I want folks to know, whoever, you know, is making the decision here that… that
truck was very dangerous and it was not drivable the next day and...and it was hard to
steer, you know, and so…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, any other questions, Mr. _______?
MARK: I don’t have any more questions for the gentleman.

The premise of the HEARING OFFICER’s decision would now be made based on the
assumption that I didn’t properly communicate my truck disputes.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay Mr. ___________, anything you would like to add?
OP MGR: Uh if I may would like to address, uh what happened on the day that he
offered his, uh resignation.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay.

159
The final confrontation took place with an office manager. Being confronted by a guy like
this made me realize I was really slumming it. This is the type of shit you have to put up
with when a black guy who doesn’t understand culture gaps wants to call you a Monkey
Ass Nigga in front of nonblack employees. Tech life is like sports. In less than two years I
had proven to be a franchise tech. I was the type of guy who joined the team and changed
the workflow for everybody in the office. Quotas increased after I acclimated on my
routes at every company I worked for. Franchise techs are only second to career techs
simply because career techs have seniority.

OP MGR: All right. On that morning, uh…uh an employee of the company by the name
of _________ ______ came into my office and said that he had, uh just been threatened
in the parking lot by Mr. ________.
Uh I came out of my office and I went out to the lot and I asked Mr. __________ if he
would come in.
Uh…uh I had him go to the conference room along with the, uh… uh Mr. _______,
uh…uh and I also asked _________ _______________ to come into the conference
room.
Uh when we all got in there I asked him, uh would he please tell me what had just
occurred in the parking lot?
And his response was, nothing. Uh I said to him, are you telling me that you have not
had any confrontation with __________ ______? And he said, no. Uh I said, well, he
just came into my office and said that you threatened him in the parking lot. Are you
saying to me you’ve never said a word to him?
Uh he said, no, I haven’t. Uh I said to him, um I don’t believe that Mr. _________
would come in here to me and tell me that…that just happened and something had not
occurred.
And I said to him, I don’t believe what you are telling me. Uh…uh and I asked him
again.
Uh and he, and his response at that time was that, uh I just needed to leave here and I
want to get a good reference.

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 And at that time I asked him, I said, are you saying to me that you would like,
that…that…that you want to resign?
And he went on to say some other things, but then I…I asked him again. I said, I need
you to answer the question that I asked you. And he said, yes.
I said, are you willing to write out your letter of resignation? And he said, yes.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay. Okay. Um Mr. ________, any questions of Mr.
________?

The OP MGR, a preacher who had worked his way up in the industry, was quite a role
model during my time at the company. However, my experience with these types of
situations (asking the bosses boss to handle something the boss has not agreed on)
cautioned me not to step outside of protocol. The only complaint I had about the OP
MGR was he made normal coaching opportunities more like judicial trials. There was the
time someone saw my route truck parked at a shopping center late in the evening and
another time I busted a sprinkler system waterline with an auger trying to replace a
termite station. Each time there was a major meeting. To search for my liability in the
matter. As he mentioned above, a “fact finding session”.

MARK: Well, I mean, I offered my resignation, uh you know, immediately.

But like I said, I don’t want a misstate, I don’t want to hold you gentlemen…you
gentlemen are obviously, you know, great businessmen.
Uh I know that, I know for a fact that this situation with me was isolated. And in the
future, you know, if anybody asked me what happened I would say that they had just
bought a business.
They had just, you know, merged with another company and they ignored…they
ignored every single concern that I had because they were just that busy.
That’s my opinion on it, you know, and I don’t feel it was personal. I do feel that the
climate had escalated to the point to where I would be ruining part of my future if I
stayed.
You know, and that’s why I walked away from it, you know, and like I say, I already

161
Know that, uh you know, that you guys, you gentleman are doing a great job because,
you know I know about the demographics of the business and I…and I really appreciate
the opportunity to work with y’all.
But like I say, it wasn’t personal for me leaving. I feel like I had to leave, you know, I
feel like I had to leave.
And like I say, everything that I have stated is true and factual. And I think any
person in my situation would have left if it happened to them.
But I don’t hold these gentlemen res…responsible when that, well, I think will support
the… the decision not being personal in my part because I’m not blaming them for it.
But those issues are the issues that make any average human being walk away from a
job because it is a bilateral contract.
If one, uh party is not upholding their contract, then that’s when you have to make a
decision to walk away.
And these gentlemen have already stated that I…That I worked very hard for them.
They’ve already stated that and they’ve already stated…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay that’s …that’s not an issue.
MARK: …they’ve already stated that they…they just, they weren’t able to…to maintain
my truck, you know, that issues did occur with training, calling me out my name
and…and that’s why I think the contract was null and void. And I wrote a resignation
letter and that’s the whole issue here, sir.

There is a very important message in the name calling. It didn’t hurt my feelings. Yet I
anticipated something that only an analytical mind could anticipate. I knew the white
“wire” would light up around the office and they would begin to get a little lax around
me. That by itself really didn’t bother me a whole lot, but the compilation of all the things
mentioned made me realize this was an increasingly toxic environment.

HEARING OFFICER: Okay, anything else from the Employer?

That’s it
Anything? Okay. Any other witnesses?

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OP MGR: I think we’ve pretty much covered everything that, uh..
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, um any closing statement from the Employer Mr.
___________?
OP MGR: Um I’ll just, uh…uh say that when, uh I brought him into the conference
room that morning, uh there was no intention to terminate him.
Uh I was just on a fact-finding mission. Uh as a result of that he made a decision on
his own as he has stated here, uh today, uh to go ahead and, uh and leave the company
and we accepted his resignation.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, any closing statement, Mr. ________?

The hearing didn’t go my way. It became obvious early on in the meeting with the
shenanigans of leaving the supervisor in the hallway. Retrospectively, the Department of
Labor was the wrong call. There should have been independent mediation between me
and the supervisor to analyze the validity of my claim.

Mark: Well, I feel like, um such situations occur just by nature, just, they just happen,
you know, and…and, um you have to have some type of, uh ability to, uh…uh have
conflict, control, uh quality control is not just in…in the field.
Sometimes it’s in the office and if you let things go astray, you know, you can lose
employees.
Uh one of the most important things I think for a company is to know who their
trainers are.
I’m sure the gentleman, __________ __________, is a great worker, but in my
experiences he wasn’t a great trainer and…and I didn’t want to implicate him in this at
all, but it was an important reason for me to leave the company.

163
 So, you know, I…I’m sure he’s a very knowledgeable young man and I’m…I’m sure
that, um his tendencies made him do what he did.
And that’s not in question here. And, uh so I don’t have any, you know, thing, uh bad
feelings about him at all.
I just feel like, you know, conflict control is important. If it doesn’t happen, then
that’s when you have to walk away, you know, as an individual and I don’t want to be
judged by the Labor Department as making a personal decision because I think I had to
walk away, you know.
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, it’s now 11 o’clock. The hearing will be closed. And like
I say, I will get the decision mailed out just as soon as possible.
MARK: Thank you.

This job offered an amazing insight on life. The things that happened in the field had little to do
with the office, but the things that didn’t happen in the field made things uncomfortable. This
next poem is called Pest Control.

Predators prey upon your nature.

They’ll defy your soul.
You must practice preventative maintenance.
It’s either now or later,
war or pest control.
The things you value most and wish to protect
can be quickly compromised
by others lack of respect.
In one introspect
I realize our humanity compares to insects.
It’s obvious insects don’t share human values
and though we don’t share common features,
humans prey upon commodities like all of God’s creatures..
Predators prey upon your nature.
They’ll defy your soul.
You must practice preventative maintenance.
It’s either now or later,
war or pest control.
Introspect two:
I realize I’m content to merely prey on insects and food.
Food to satisfy my hunger
and insects to contain my mood.
As humans we must conquer to live.
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 To eat when you’re hungry or slaughter fish, fowl, and deer bring not a second thought.
To many insects bring more fear.
So we quickly step on them and poison their habitats.
Yet there are beings amongst us who will conquer a human life to satisfy their drive,
Which to them could even be as highly prioritized as food.
Normal everyday people alter their moods.
To protect you and yours you must remember a fundamental truth.
In order to be a predator one must remain superior.
In order to be prey one must remain inferior.
Therefore, the most important thing is to distinguish the commodities that drive predators to prey
and quickly classify yourself as one who is likely or not to be preyed upon.
When it comes to you and yours always know your role.
You may have to slow your roll,
because predators prey upon your nature.
They’ll defy your soul.
You must practice preventative maintenance.
It’s either now or later
war or pest control.

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 18
THE APPEAL
I wrote this letter after the hearing. I am among the scholarly population that understands the
difference between a human ethos, general ethics, and the business ethic. Therefore right and
wrong can be judged in different perspectives about the same criteria. Although the argument of
slander to a subordinate could have been presented in the civil courts, I couldn’t in my true
African American influence pursue civil damages concerning a case of misused black dialect in a
conversation among Black cohorts. The truck repair was circumstantial as well. I never got hurt
in any of the vehicles and how can you prove an employer’s intent to do right or wrong when in
this case right or wrong is a nullified concept. What you are witnessing is someone who liked
their job and their value system even more.

Written Appeal to The _______ Department of Labor Board of Review

I resigned from _______ Pest Control due to an increasingly hostile work

environment. During my time at _______ my ability to properly perform my job was
stifled by slanderous comments, truck repair issues, and incidences of violence. Please
review the digital recording from the appeal hearing. You will hear the _______ officials
that were present on the day of my hearing confess to all of the issues in question. The
only discrepancy is the truck repair issue. In filing my claim, I was very clear about the
most prevalent issues that influenced my resignation. With this appeal I will expand on
the logic that supports my decision to leave the inhumane atmosphere that I was exposed
to at _______ Pest Control.
Slanderous comments amongst friends are normal. In a situation of employment,
where a subordinate is subjected to a daily evaluation, slanderous comments can be very
harmful. Thus was the situation during my training at _______. ____ ______ was
introduced to me as a Senior Technician. I was told to adhere to his command. I
followed those orders. In retrospect, I will have to say this period led to my final
decision to resign. _________ referred to me as a _________ several times. I retaliated
once. He defended his remark with the following comments. “I bet you won’t swing”.
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“I bet my _________ is bigger than yours”. I regrettably walked away from __________.
Fortunately we were on the __________ property at the time. I reported the incident to
_______ ____________, the Termite Department Supervisor. __________ spoke of
___________ as a saint. He inferred how I may have coaxed such slander. Needless to
say I felt like a school child. My personal feelings were not the issue. I was determined
not to scar my soon to be two years in the pest control industry.
No _______ employee can successfully carry out the daily route assignments without
a properly maintained vehicle. As you will here on the digital recording, truck repair was
a recurring issue. I first requested the repair of a 2000 Nissan Frontier. This vehicle was
assigned to me after I completed training. I requested the managers take a look at my
tires on a designated company truck inspection day. I had already had trouble skidding
while driving on rainy days. This was not my first complaint about the tires on this truck.
The managers looked at the truck with no comment. I filled out a truck inspection report
citing the issue. My supervisor (__________) asked me to his office, closed the door,
and stated the following. “I am not going to put tires on that truck. That is a spare truck
you will be assigned your new truck very soon”. I thanked him as he shredded my truck
report and threw it in the trash. I continued to drive the 2000 Nissan Frontier for
approximately two months. I was later assigned a 2002 Chevrolet S-10. The S-10 had an
alignment problem. This progressed into a steering issue. The steering wheel would
freeze making it impossible to complete sharp turns. This issue was fixed after I came
close to a collision while servicing my route.
While referencing the digital recording of the appeals hearing on _/_/__ you will hear
my supervisor (__________) admitting to my truck concerns, but only acknowledging
that I was issued one truck. That is false. You will hear me question __________ about
the spare truck (2000 Nissan Frontier) that I drove on bald tires for at least two months.
__________ sarcastically responds as if it never existed. He even mentioned a make and
model of a vehicle I never drove. In his statement __________ explains that he did put
tires on a vehicle at my request. __________ put new tires on the 2002 Chevrolet S-10.
This was my second unsafe vehicle. I had driven my first vehicle (2000 Nissan Frontier)
in a stressed state for more than two months. The stressors were still in place and
elevating when __________ scheduled my tire service on the 2002 Chevy S-10.
It was nearly impossible to complete the fifteen service stops required each day. Both
trucks were riddled with mechanical and service issues. I found it ironic that the vehicle
in need of service (new tires) was parked. Meanwhile, I continued my daily chores in an
altered state. I was driving a vehicle that had new tires, but was in dire need of
mechanical repair. While driving the S-10 the slightest bump in the road would cause a
rattling, and vibrating of loose parts on the driver’s side front wheel underneath the
vehicle. This was obviously an alignment, wheel housing, or frame problem. This
problem transcended into a steering problem. I made this issue known to __________.
New tires—wrong repair, especially on a vehicle that I almost wrecked due to loss of
steering.

167
 It doesn’t take a genius to dissect the sarcasm that existed in these decisions of what to
repair and not. I did not want to come to the conclusion that__________ had some sort
of hidden agenda that would affect my safety and job performance.
You will here __________ on the digital recording, boasting his tactics to create a hostile
work environment. “I gave the guys orders to stay away from him and not to talk to
him”. I don’t understand why he could justify such behavior. Furthermore, I don’t
understand why the claims officer did not make him explain his actions.
Before I resigned I was forced to defend myself against a violent incident, or
potentially so. One of the employees spit in my direction. He missed me, but this was a
habitual act. He was a tobacco chewer. Many employees had complained of his
behavior. I chose to confront him. __________ overheard our exchange. __________
came down on me like a ton of bricks. He defended the spitting employee. __________
mentioned that the confrontation was unwarranted and overly aggressive.
A job should be entered into as a bilateral agreement. Both parties are obligated to
perform in good faith. The employer must provide a safe workplace for the employee to
perform his or her duties. When that contract is breached it is the victimized party’s
responsibility to end the contract without incident. In such a situation government
agencies should intervene. Ideally, a peaceful agreement should be made for the
continuation of employment. Yet this is not always possible. The Department of Labor
has the ability to differentiate personal disputes and those that involve slander to
subordinate, safety issues, and violent occurrences. The preceding issues are conducive
to a hostile work environment, which is impossible to promote job performance.

Thank you for your just consideration.

The company’s culture had not quite caught up with the growth spurt that made it an
appealing company to work for. The demeanor in the office did not match the new
terrains that had to be covered in the field. From my industry view and hearsay, T-Bait
was a worrisome product. Yet T-Bait customers were usually from the (high SES)
population that would eventually order additional services. In essence, a large amount of
T-bait accounts meant an accumulation of profitable customers and assumable revenue
for the company. Additionally, the law required termite treatment before the exchange of
real estate during the closing process. With T-Bait being the preferred maintenance
product over the chemicals used in liquid treatment, the real estate boom meant pest
control technicians were as frequent as mail carriers in certain neighborhoods.
Nevertheless, this company couldn’t catch up to its aggressive expansion efforts. When
you don’t have proper support in the field [the workplace] it’s on you to create an
existence for yourself or get another job. This next poem is titled All You.

Why are you so self-directed?

I’ve been rejected by those who never even tried to perfect it.
168
 Sometimes you’re judged by the worst when your likely the best.
If they won't teach you right,
how can you progress.
That’s why you never accept no
from someone who can't give you a yes.
Be true to yourself and dedicated to life.
The contentions of society cause stress and strife.
Dead weight sinks to the bottom.
If you strive and stay alive,
then you'll rise to the top.
It’s your emotional intelligence that makes you go and stop.
Keep on going
you'll meet mentors on the way.
Record your thoughts in a journal.
An opportunity for reflection is left with each passing day.
Performances are timed.
Success is personal.
Practice makes perfect.
All it takes is rehearsal.
What you do on the clock is between you and them.
Time is money.
If it’s not your money,
then mistakes aren’t funny.
What you do off the clock
is between you and you.
The interpersonal you
and the intrapersonal you.
You'll need rehearsals for you,
But one thing you don't have to do
is measure your success by the time on the clock.

Within the document below is a letter written to the Board of Review. It is essentially the
second level of the Department of Labor’s appeal process. Also inserted are the actual
lines from the transcript that are referenced in the letter.

Written Statement of Position to the Board of Review

In reference to the appeal hearing conducted by Hon.________ on _/_ /__, I request

reconsideration from the Board of Review. As you are aware, I initially appealed Mr.
_____’s opinion rendered _/ _/ __, stating “The claimant did not exhaust all recourse
with the employer…” On _ /_ /__ I submitted a revised document to the Board of
Review listing logical contradictions to the portion of Mr. _____’s decision stating “…
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The claimant has not shown that job was unsuitable”. At that time my only concern was
misinterpretation of the testimonies heard on _ /_ /__ at the _____ County Department of
Labor—a different misinterpretation than that derived from the Fact Finding Telephone
Interview conducted on _ /_ /__ by a claims examiner. Her decision was rendered on _ /_
/__ and stated “ …Available information shows that your reason for leaving may have
been a good personal reason; however, it is not considered a good work connected
reason”.
In essence, what I have is two decision, both in favor of the employer ______ Pest
Control. The claims examiner states that I resigned for personal reasons. Mr. _____,
found that my resignation was premature. His decision implies that I had options to
override the decisions of the supervisor and maintain job stability within the realms of a
small pest control company. I find the decision to be naive at best, yet an upgrade from
the claim examiner’s opinion; which was rendered without contacting the supervisor in
charge of the Termite Department.
If the decisions are not the same and the claim has not changed, does that lend itself to
a sort of double jeopardy? It seems that my claim was denied for two different reasons.
Was Mr. _____ hearing my appeal as a reconsideration of the original claims officer’s
decision? Mr. _____’s decision, which totally contradicted the claims officer’s decision,
should have logically translated in my favor. What took place between the original
unemployment claim decision and the first appeal adds up to ______ ______ resigned
from________ Pest Control for personal reasons. No he did not! His resignation was not
valid because he did not consult with all of the possible authorities. Considering the
improper fact finding protocol of the claims officer and the questionable ethics of the
hearing officer, it is quite possible that the Board of Review did not have the opportunity
to award me just consideration.
Not only do I question the ethics of the appeal decision rendered on _/ _/__ by Hon.
_________, I have also reviewed the transcript prepared by _______ Corporate Support
on _/ _/__. Furthermore, during a phone call to the office of the Board of Review I was
advised that the Board had not considered the digital recording. During a visit to the
office of the Board of Review I requested to listen to the recording. The recording is a
much clearer expression of the facts. The transcript is poorly prepared and seems to
highlight filler words for the purpose of incongruence.
In my review of the transcript and digital recording, I noticed a recurring tone of
subordination from the Hearing Officer Mr. ______. I must question his ethics. On page
11 of the Appeals Handbook provided by the __________ Department of Labor, the
heading Hearing by Administrative Hearing Officer is followed by a distinct list of
parameters:
The hearing officer:
● Has the duty to provide a fair and courteous hearing to all parties.
● Will control the hearing to prevent intimidation or discourtesy.
● Will assist parties when necessary in presenting their case.
● Will not allow interference from any party during the hearing.
● Will not discuss any case before or after the hearing.
170
 Please refer to the transcript prepared by ________ Corporate Support on _/ _/__. On
page5; line8
“The document that I’ve got in the file let’s mark Exhibit 1, a copy of the Claims
Examiner’s Determination that was released on… Any objections of that
document being made a part of the file…?”
Mr._______ begins with an odd line of questioning about a document that is obviously a
mandatory part of the procedure. Yet he asks if I object to its submission. As I strive for
clarity, it becomes evident that Mr. ________ is not a neutral mediator. His affinity
increases as the hearing proceeds. On page2; line24
“I don’t want to be rebellious but the supervisor that I reported all of my…”,
you will read my inquiry about the absence of the supervisor who I reported all of my
concerns to before resigning from ________. This oversight mocked the initial exclusion
of the supervisor during the fact finding efforts made by the claims examiner (page30;
line18 — page31; line10).

“I’m not here to shove anything in these gentlemen’s faces, because obviously
they run a successful business and just my leaving shouldn’t affect them at all.
The reason I’m hear is because your representative told me it was personal and
she didn’t take the time to talk to ________ ___________. She talked to the
gentleman who just left, uh ___________ ___________ see he had, right here
on…on the report said that he didn’t know anything about these instances that I
filed my claim on. That’s why I’m here, you know, I’m not here to waste these
gentlemen’s time and I’m not here to…to say…you know, that I wish things
would’ve happened differently. I’m here to tell you I made the right decision by
walking off from a hostile environment. And if…if the Benefits are due to me
then I should receive them because it was not a personal decision, so…”
For some reason Mr. ________ did not feel it was necessary to include the supervisor.
On page13; line14
“Okay, did you speak…did you speak to anybody else”,
Mr. _______ begins what seems to be a premeditated line of questioning that ultimately
models the final decision released on _ /_ /__. Without the admission of the supervisor,
Mr. _______ proceeds with the hearing. On page15; line14
“Okay. I…I think we need Mr. __________ in here.
Mr. ______ finally agrees to admit the supervisor.
The third bulleted parameter above states: The hearing officer will assist parties when
necessary in presenting their case. On page27; line10
“Okay, but you…you don’t see where that could be considered as a threat?”
Mr. ______ begins a line
of questioning that is quite defaming to my character and has nothing to do with the
presentation of my unemployment claim. Mr. _______ allows me to question the
supervisor, but regulates the line of questioning despite its obvious effectiveness. As you
will see on page45; line23—page47; line21

171
Mark: The truck that you mentioned that you sent me to have the tires repaired
on, was that the first truck I drove or the second truck?
SPR: That was the first truck when you told me it needed four tires they were
bought.
Mark: Was that the spare truck that was replaced?
SPR: It was the very first truck you were issued.
Mark: The very first, the first truck was issued, what’s…what’s the make of the
truck?
SPR: I believe it was a Mazda, ________, I mean I don’t know what the make
had to do with it.
Mark: I mean, I’m just saying because the first truck at issue was, I was issued
was a Nissan. It was your spare truck.
That was the truck with the bald tires that I drove for three weeks.
SPR: And it…it got the tires put on it. When he told me they were bald we, did I
not send you up to Edward Tire…on me
Mark: So you put new tires on the 95’ Nissan spare truck?
SPR: I put new tires on the truck that you were driving.
Mark: No, what I’m saying is…
SPR: You were driving it every day. That was your truck.
Mark: Right.
SPR: It was assigned to you it was no longer a spare truck once it was assigned to
you.
Mark: But sir, the issue is that the bald tire truck that I drove for three weeks, a
month, or however long it was… That’s the truck that you did not put tires on.
SPR: The minute you notified me that you had bald tires, ______, I sent you to
Edwards Tire and got four tires on
the truck.
Mark: I’m, I can furnish a receipt showing…
Hearing Officer: Wait…wait…wait…wait…wait, he’s answered your question.
Mark: No…no…no…no, my question is…
Hearing Officer: No…no, I’m I’ve let you sit here and argue with him…
Mark: But I’m not arguing with the gentleman, but you might be hearing it
wrong.
Hearing Officer: Well you’re…you’re disputing his answer. He’s answered the
question.
Mark: Sir I’m sorry. I’m…I’m not trying to disrespect anybody, but we have to
get this
right because this is, important to me. I don’t know if it’s important to your
Decisions, but…
Hearing Officer: Well, it’s…it’s…
Mark: But I’d like to clarify it before I leave. I was assigned a truck…
Hearing Officer: He’s ex…he’s explained what happened. He said he…
Mark: Well, no, well…
172
 Hearing Officer: …sent you to replace the tires when you told him the tires were
bald.
Mark: Well sir it was very important that I distinguish…
Hearing Officer: Okay, wait…wait…wait, Mr. __________
Mark: My
Hearing Officer: …did he…did he come to you about any other truck with bald
tires…
He came to you one time?
Mark: The truck with the bald tires?
SPR: And he was sent up there to Edward’s tires and four new tires were put on
the truck.
Mark: If this…if this would affect the decision, you know, I have a receipt
showing when that truck
was repaired. It was in my third month of employment.
SPR: Well, he’s…he’s testified as to what happened and he’s answered your
question.
Mark: Well maybe I should say this, sir, I started on the 1st of Jan…or the 2nd of
January, _____. When did you
send me to Edwards Tires?
SPR: When you notified me that the tires were bald.
Mark: Let me…let me ask you this. Once…once…once more, just for the
record, I said, this …this
is very important to me.
Hearing Officer: …wait…wait…wait, but…
my questioning tactics lead the supervisor to contradict himself. At that point the hearing
should have been closed and the decision rendered in my favor. On page47; line22—
page55; line22
Mark: The first truck he assigned me…
HEARING OFFICER: He, you’ve, he’s you’ve asked a question, he’s answered
it.
SPR: Right, the first truck
HEARING OFFICER: You don’t need to ask him the question again.
MARK: Well let me say this for the record.
SPR: He’s going to give you the same answer.
MARK: Let me say this for the record. The first truck the company assigned me.
I’m not making this personal with the gentleman right here because he still
works for this company…But…
…The first truck the company assigned me was a, I believe it was a 2000
Nissan Frontier…
HEARING OFFICER: Wait…wait…
MARK: …with bald tires and I drove it for a month of employment…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, wait…wait…wait, just a minute, you’ve testified as
to what happened. He testified as to what
173
 happened.
MARK: Right.
HEARING OFFICER: He, uh you asked him a question, he answered your
question. Go on to the next question. There’s no need to
keep going over the same old thing…
MARK: Well let me ask you this then…
HEARING OFFICER: …over and over again.
MARK: …the truck that you put tires on, is that the same truck with the
alignment problem?
SPR: No, it was not.
The truck that I put new tires on was, I mean, we can go to the…to the repair
people and… and you…
HEARING OFFICER: He just answered…
MARK: …the truck that you sent to ______ Auto Body with the painted…the
painted logos and all the fresh, the brand
new paint job was not the truck…
SPR: The truck that we sent over to ______________ to be repaired was an S10.
That was the one that came from
____________ _________ Company, okay? The original truck you were
driving was the Nissan, which was
the tire, the truck that I put four tires on.
MARK: Oh…
SPR: It was two different trucks, two different issues, both of them were
repaired.
MARK: That’s, well, I mean, I…I do have a receipt to show when that second
truck was repaired and, uh…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, ne…next question.
MARK: I, that’s my discrepancy with the gentleman about the truck repair. You
know, I drove a Nissan Frontier with
bald tires for about a month. And then when they put me in another truck
they put new tires on that
second truck…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, it’s….it’s all…you, that’s been testified, you’ve
already testified as to your version…
MARK: I, which was the…
HEARING OFFICER: …to what happened…
MARK: … S10.
HEARING OFFICER: …the Employer has testified and, you know, it…
MARK: Well. Let me ask you this…
HEARING OFFICER:…you don’t…
MARK: …let me ask you this.
HEARING OFFICER: …you don’t have to agree with this decision…

174
 MARK: Right, I don’t have to agree with it, okay, next question. Would you say
that I had several truck
repair complaints over the three-month period?
SPR: You had truck complaints over a three month period and they was taken
care of the very next
day.
MARK: And was I not reprimanded about hanging up the, uh CB Radio because,
uh I had gotten into an
accident on the way to a training class?
HEARING OFFICER: No you were not reprimanded for not…
MARK: Well…well, I…I mean, I had to explain to you why I hung up your, the
…the radio.
MARK: Is this the same training class…
HEARING OFFICER: Well…well, what does that have to do with anything?
MARK: Well, I mean was that truck drivable the next day that’s my question?
HEARING OFFICER: We’ve already established that the truck needed repairs
the next day and it was repaired.
MARK: Okay. Can I ask you what…what repair job was done on the truck then?
HEARING OFFICER: It does not matter.
SPR: The truck was repaired on the next day.
MARK: Okay. So it was a dangerous…a dangerous situation for me…
SPR: And the truck was repaired.
MARK: Yes, and I’m not trying to keep you here, but I just want… Wait …I
want people to know, whoever is making the decision here that… that truck was
very dangerous and it was not drivable the next day and...and it was hard to steer,
you know, and so…
HEARING OFFICER: Okay, any other questions, Mr. _______?
Mr. _______ interrupts questioning that the supervisor is willing to answer, which is a
direct contradiction to the established parameter: The hearing officer will assist parties
when necessary in presenting their case.
Despite the recurring display of poor ethics on the part of Mr. _______, it becomes
evident that the supervisor has proven my case. This would have possibly been
accomplished with a competent interview from the original claims examination that took
place between _/ _/ __ - _ /_ /__.
While reconsidering the decision rendered on _/ _ /__ by the Board of Review, please
review the document I submitted with the heading Revised _ /_ /__ . There were several
written attempts; all mailed or faxed. To make the facts clear, I chose to revise the
documents several times. The final revision is the best version of the facts. It completely
disproves the two contradicting decisions rendered by the claims examiner and the
hearing officer.
The transcript by __________Corporate Support is poorly prepared and slights my
capability to present a clear and well expressed argument. During the reconsideration
process please pay close attention to the clarity that is provided by the digital recording.
175
With all documentation and the recording considered, I am sure the opinions of the Board
of Review will be challenged at the least. I am confident that I have exhausted all
recourse with the employer and the Department of Labor. Moreover, I am reassured that
my decision to resign was not personal in nature, but an attempt to preserve a sense of
professionalism. Due to my proper and peaceful resignation, the unsuitable and hostile
work environment I experienced at ________ Pest Control will not retard my future
endeavors.

It bothers me that they wouldn’t allow a good man like myself to do his job. Nothing is worse
than having a job that needs to be done, but some jerk wants to lock the workhorse in the stable.
For instance, the manager that takes good leads from a star salesman. Wouldn’t life be perfect if
people only brought their work ethic and people skills to work. I never had these types of
problems where women were competitive enough to matter. Meaning, when I worked with or
under women, they were usually in the minority or were managers trying to set a good example.
If I ever teach or work in a bank I’ll write about them. This next one is called The Lesser of Men.

They roam the world as if they are not guilty of sin,

reducing God's purpose.
The weak are their prey.
The strong defend.
The strong defend in the most radical of ways,
creating a circle of victims to more sin.
Women are enslaved by the lesser of men.
Children fall prey to the lesser of men.
Straight men are groomed to become gay by the lesser of men.
The lesser are a massive population,
a brotherhood with a facade of good.
Your job could be their home.
They may appear to control the payroll.
They don’t need you to participate,
but your will to defend offends,
lest their lust look pretend.
Their drive is justified by an outer force,
which pushes them.
176
 It’s the insatiable woman
and the strongest of men.
Exclusively, they share the truest of life’s pleasures.
While those who don’t measure up to task
are brainwashed, rewired
and made to forget who they were in the past.
Their current days displayed to the world via intrusive technologies.
Everyone knows right from wrong on second thought.
Sometimes the fight you fight is the fight they fought.
Never assume.
Wouldn’t you pretend
if you lived your life in secret as the lesser of men?
First class is a man’s ass to the lesser of men.
Second class is waiting for what to them is pretend.
The women you loved swept away by a force that makes you a victim to cultish cultures
defined by symbolic numbers and ambiguous acronyms.
The way you looked at her
they look at you.
The way you defeated her internally,
they wish to conquer you.

177
 19
Academic Compositions and Poetry
This chapter starts with Methods, a poem that captures the essence of classroom
instruction as it relates to students of all capabilities. An essay titled Best Practices
follows and then Adult Education, which includes a poem with the same title.
Professionalism, Leadership, and Intelligences offers a unique slant on my original
theories of intelligence and how they apply to success. Included are the subheadings
Contextual Intelligence, Project Oriented Intelligence, Creative Intelligence, and
Analytical Intelligence. The poem Leadership is an offering that complements the
previous subheadings. The next composition is titled True Education and the poem
Social Contamination follows it. Then a creative concept called Hip Hop
Curriculum/Urban Curriculum is offered in essay format. No Child Left Behind
complements the preceding with more educational rhythms. Finally, title number 4,
American Institutions Continued: Retail Citizenship (Parlaying The Retail Parlay), is a
continued synthesis of components from Chapter 1. This document offers further
opportunity for a surface view of another American institution—the retail industry.
Included in this document are five headings and an insert of a term paper about Walmart.
The titles are as follows: A Brief History of Antitrust Law, Cartels in the Global
Environment, The Retail Parlay and American Antitrust Issues, Antitrust Episodes With
the World’s Largest Company, A Brief Overview of the World’s Largest Global
Company. The Walmart subheading includes these subtopics: Reaching Community
Stakeholders Through Charity, Wal-Mart as Corporate Citizen, and Some Interesting
Facts About Walmart. As the excerpt ends, title 4 resumes with Parlaying for Bilateral
Agreements. This chapter closes with the poem Global Economy.

178
 This is for all you teachers
who speak with so much intuition,
but should probably be a student again
paying tuition.
You don’t have the letters,
but you want to be better.
If it’s not dialectical
it might be diabolical.
Check your material
and make sure it’s logical.
What you say and do in class
will have lasting impressions.
Get out of the room
or respect your profession.
Bad kids will save themselves
in the future
when reflecting
on your positive image.
Don’t let them discourage your performance
or push your limits.
Your strength is residual
and everlasting.
Every day you walk in the room
they should know you’re the captain.
In an all-inclusive class
make sure everyone is learning.
Check the bell curve at the door.
Don’t discriminate.
Gather data from each student.
Use best practices
and differentiate.
Whoever is in your class,
you are a part of their class.
If you can’t influence
you should be willing
to strategically acclimate.
And you shouldn’t be in the room
if you acknowledge
STATISTICAL HATE.
If it’s not dialectical
it might be diabolical.
Check your material
and make sure it’s logical.
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 Classify each student
by learning style
and then intelligence.
It’s merely your job.
It’s not just benevolence.
Achievers are believers.
Take time to even the score
for those with voided home environments.
They need you more.
Children grow up.
In everyone’s memory
there’s a special feature.
No one is more relevant
than their favorite teacher.
So whether you’re teaching gifted or special ed.
With every word you deliver
a hungry child is fed.
And remember,
if it’s not dialectical
it might be diabolical.
Check your material
and make sure it’s logical.

Best Practices
In the K-12 environment instruction and the delivery of information in the teacher to
student format should be adjusted for the student audience who is receiving the
information in question. The only applicable variation is when the classroom setting
yields to idiosyncrasies conducive to compulsory mass public education environments
such as misbehaved children, rigid school administrations, and student self-efficacy
issues resulting from a challenged home environment. The motivation to teach and thus
deliver a product is sometimes challenged by enforced curriculums, government
standards, and the willingness of the student. Thus effective teaching is a manipulative of
both art and science. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act influences teaching style
and material covered on a daily basis. With NCLB teachers are accountable for
documented analysis of student performance and held responsible by a bureaucracy of
concerned officials from the school administration to the federal government.

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 Factored into the education transaction is the ability of both teacher and student.
Teachers perform according to their own abilities. Some are expert and some are novice.
Despite expertise, methodologies, and material the student is the final variable in a
successful learning experience. The use of best practices places the proverbial ball in the
student’s court.
Best practices are well established in the areas of lecture, rewards, and learning
environment. Lecture practices are the traditional form of delivery in the classroom.
Research suggests lectures should be regulated to 7-10 minute segments. Teachers who
must rely on lecture beyond 20 minutes for proper coverage should enhance presentation
with the request for participation. A teacher delivered lecture can be analyzed and
restructured by students in a collaborative format to ensure comprehension. The teacher
can then assess comprehension.
Are learners supposed to learn according to their own motivation, or should they be
encouraged through some artificial motivation process? In question are the rewards
systems that can be a positive influence in the classroom. Teachers should avoid general
praise and be very specific when using reward systems.
Physical and psychological climate is important for successful instruction. A
comfortable environment is one of the many non-negotiable accommodations students
need to participate in the learning process. Additionally, cooperative learning is better
reinforced within an established teacher directed environment. Autonomy can result
from a proper physical and psychological climate regardless of teaching method. As
students feel comfortable, motivation and effort increases.
In my personal experiences as a K-12 student, undergraduate student, and graduate
student I have indulged both the rigors of exclusive direct lecture leading to rote
memorization and the richness of facilitation leading to autonomy. Only after high
school did I realize the value of self-actualizing during the learning process. As I recall
during my K-12 years, field trips were the only differentiation I experienced.

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 Best practices are a collection of researched practices professionals have found and
documented as effective. The documentation of these practices lends a scientific base to
the field of instruction. Yet teaching will always be classified as art.

The composition above was inspired by one of the trite comments that frequented the
classroom during my graduate school experience. Graduate school programs in
education usually staff and enroll faculty members from the K-12 environment (PhD
level teachers teach certified K-12 teachers who wish to achieve further education goals).
On more than one occasion I heard a seasoned K-12 teacher who in the classroom was a
student, make what to me was a questionable statement. The statement sometimes
delivered as a confession, usually amounted to “first year teachers ruin a lot of lives”.
With this admission from more than one of the teaching professionals, I realized I was in
this particular graduate program for more than one reason. I actually enlisted in the
education program for the esteem of a professional degree and to reflect on my years as a
student. Hence the focus of the material was both how to teach and how to learn. This
next poem captures the thought process of a lifelong learner it is titled Adult Education.

As life goes on and

the years begin to quickly pass.
My experiences intermingle and
synthesize
with new ways of knowing.
My curiosity has peaked.
I can feel myself growing
cognitively.
I’m now a lifelong learner,
a candle burner.
Education was my toil.
I burn the midnight oil.
Sometimes I read myself to sleep
or research on the weekends.
You can learn it all with a Google search,
but school is still in the game plan.
When I was doing my K-12 bid,
as a kid,
memorization was all I ever did.
Now I own my knowledge,
live my knowledge,
use my knowledge.
I went in debt for my knowledge.
I secured student loans
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 to pay my way through college.
The moral of the story is
with the structure of compulsory public education
in this nation,
chances are your best opportunities are with adult education.
Some of us are better served
to preserve ourselves as lifelong learners.
The most important thing in life is to be prepared to grow.
Critically reflect on life’s experiences.
Be transformative.
Sometimes school can be a crutch.
Analyze your personal situation.
As long as you have a decent grade school foundation,
everyone gets a second chance with
adult education.
But whether you chose school or life,
the most important body of knowledge
is not restricted to college.
It’s your life decisions and
your lifelong learning strategy.
What you live to love
may never even matter to me.
The knowledge you acquire as an adult
is what truly defines your intellectual capacities.
Mixed and mingled with your personal experiences and
categorized by priority
it’s that special information called
adult education.

Adult Education
My philosophy on adult education (AE) is influenced by my experiences as a United States
citizen. American citizenship remains a valuable asset in a looming global economy.
Consequently, AE serves as an appreciable. My life is defined by the practical knowledge
acquisitions of AE. Additionally, I am defined by ethnic and cultural memberships. Such
memberships have a bearing on my experiences in this country. With critical reflection, I
integrate these experiences and proudly pursue education. Each installment of course work in
my lifelong learning pursuit furthers my ability to exercise a more inclusive philosophy.

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 AE consists of established research and an evolving genre of education practices with tailored
methodologies. These methods of facilitating are extremely efficient and currently merging into
constituencies outside of general AE—such as human resource management (HRM). This is
significant because HRM is primarily focused on the improvement of organizational standards
and the development of the employee as resource. Meanwhile, AE is a recovery system granting
a rite of passage to those left behind. AE has a social conscience, which is apparent in the
offerings of adult literacy and GED programs.
My personal experience shapes my philosophy in a positive light. My origins are of middle
socioeconomic status (SES). In my experience, SES has not been a transferable entity. My
survival was based on the ability to acquire usable and relevant knowledge. AE was not just a
field of study it was a lifeline to inspire continuance in a competitive society. The need for
survival inspired me to embrace diverse ways of knowing.
AE will be my tool to achieve an intellectual status which will ensure my place in society. Its
doctrines convey an appreciation for all forms of education. I have an appreciation for
vocational knowledge as well as traditional academia. I know what “knowing how” can do for a
high school drop-out. I realize what a PhD can do for an American citizen from humble
beginnings as well.
I have an interest in facilitating individuals who strive for vocational opportunities.
Additionally, my current studies provide me with a level of mastery that will transfer into
facilitating students who are on a linear path in higher education. I am thrilled with the idea of
achieving a Doctorate of Philosophy. Meanwhile, I will continue to embrace vocation. Reading
and writing amounts to as much satisfaction as novice participation in technical trades such as
plumbing and carpentry.
Adult Education encapsulates the essence of Western civilization. American citizenship is a
strong motivator for knowledge pursuits. Yet the emergence of a global economy fueled by
information technology and increased efficiency in manufacturing is even more captivating. AE
is a celebration of the freedoms of democracy and the right and or right to acquire knowledge in
traditional and non-traditional settings. As AE serves the socio-economic need and the social
conscience.
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Professionalism Leadership and Intelligences
Robert Sternberg’s theory of successful intelligence suggests intelligence is not strained by
socioeconomic considerations. Sternberg measures the individual’s values and considers the
skills needed to succeed within the individual’s socioeconomic context.
In the passages that follow I apply a practical use of Sternberg’s findings. I briefly address
the generic use of analytic, creative, and practical intelligences needed in organizational
structures. Below is a brief synthesis that incorporates leadership to the previous education
passages. Managers and politicians are to corporate America and the general community; as the
K-12 instructor is to the student body. Here is a look at how Sternberg’s theory of successful
intelligence can be applied to the dynamics of organizational leadership. Chances are there are
folks out there who have no idea they are actually freaking geniuses.

Contextual Intelligence
Context is defined as the human, organizational, and environmental factors that affect
decisions leaders make. When making contextual decisions stakeholders and the power structure
are among the many things that must be considered. Among the stakeholders are the internal and
external participants of the organization that will benefit from the change. Awareness of the
stakeholders and their relationship with the power structure has a direct ethical effect on
decisions. Leaders are ultimately limited by sociological norms that breed in organizations and
communities. Each organization is controlled by a power structure. Just as each community is
controlled by sociological factors. Successful leaders manipulate the structures in question with
their potential to read social situations and their ability to negotiate. Effective application of the
contextual process is essential to continuity within any realm of leadership.

Project Oriented Intelligence

It is very important for leaders to achieve a level of support from the participants and the
power structure. Participant support is the essence of change. Change is the essence of progress.

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For example, in corporate America the power structure includes immediate supervisors, middle
management, and upper level management. Proven techniques in establishing support and
credibility include the forming of ad hoc committees, monitoring of opinions, and cultivation
through organized meetings and activities. The skilled application of these proven techniques
will ensure a foundation for relevance and success during short and long term projects.

Creative Intelligence
Pertinent ideas are strategically influenced by the collection of data from questionnaires,
interviews, observations, group sessions, review of print and data base materials, social
indicators etc. This data is then supported by justifiable objectives. Ironically, these processes
can prove there is no need for change. The decisions that follow after need is established are
evaluated depending on the leaders flexibility. When challenged by stakeholders with little
flexibility, leaders must consider alternative interventions to influence change.

Analytical Intelligence
Leadership objectives should be transferable as components of an organization’s mission.
Objectives define the interaction that will take place between the leaders and stakeholders and
serve as markers for relative measure of accomplishment. Without clear objectives it is difficult
to trace how activities contribute to outcomes. Tangible objectives should be documented
clearly with no filler words or jargon. Leaders must take special care not to develop these
objectives in a vacuum. The inclusion of internal and external stakeholders assures relevant and
practical outcomes. Leaders must include strategies that promote a cultural synergy to better
assist change.

I know that was kind of heavy, but that’s what MGEL is all about. As always, let’s have some
poetic relief. This next poem is called Leadership.
Can you handle the truth?
Walk a day in my shoes.
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 Are you ready to lead?
Are you willing to bleed?
Your ears are untrained.
You can’t handle the truth,
and you are not learned.
Yet you choose to spoof.
Fall back I’m at the front of the line.
Fall back and let me handle mines.
Fall back because it’s not your time.
I have momentum for which they don’t make words.
I was born a noun, but now I’m a verb.
It’s not what you say.
It’s what you do.
So my question for you is can you handle the truth?

True Education
The well-meaning instructors who have served their purpose in my past efforts are
now released. In my mind’s eye they were perpetrators of a caste system that denied me
my true rite of passage. I had wrongly personified these beings as prison guards in an
awful retaining facility for captives who could not concentrate on the day’s business and
were spared only by the ringing bells and the switching of class in what could have so
easily been a game of musical chairs—yet the chairs were bolted in place. These clerics
were not playing fair, I often thought as I changed rooms to see my chair was still there.
Then the ringing of the final bell, surely an affirmation of Pavlov’s theory, I usually
dashed for the doors of freedom that merely led to a bumpy bus ride to another prison
guard—my authoritative father. He provided continuance in the structuring of my
regulated world.
The academic offerings of K- 12 and college truly presented educational opportunities
that I will cherish. Yet, those experiences were not exclusively governed by academia. It
is with the passing of life’s experiences and the formative settings created by high school
and college that I have acquired an insatiable appetite for knowledge and awareness.
Education is now a lifelong process tailored only by my adult value system and not
necessarily influenced by social strata.

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 Being a scavenger of knowledge is an exhilarating feeling that parallels to weight
lifting and my eight year stint of having the ability to dunk a basketball. What each of
these sensations have in common is they produce an unscheduled release. The human
brain develops a tolerance for most of life’s sensations rendering them either obsolete or
desired more frequently. You then ask yourself how long will this last, can I do it again,
or do it better?
The excessive high school dropout rate across the country could be the result of some of
the things you read about in this book. I’m willing to bet the numbers would decrease by
half if certain school districts changed their curriculum to suit the communication
channels that these students often patronize. For instance a considerable number of youth
from the African American community use music as a channel of communication. This
next poem addresses how the hip hop culture could afford to clean their image. The title
is Social Contamination.
Education is not a stigma,
but millionaires rapping about ignorance
are an enigma.
What’s their constitution?
Hip hop or not
we don’t need the pollution.
Cultural gaps
throughout the nation
overflow with ignorance
causing social contamination.
The most intelligent of rappers
communicates to the masses
about dropping out of school
because he failed his classes.
Increasing high school dropout rates across the nation
is social contamination.
The most creative of rappers
says he doesn’t even write.
So the entire western civilization is wrong
about that form of documentation and communication.
That’s social contamination.
Why create the illusion?
Wealth never results from ignorance.
No culture’s youth
can strive on false pretense.
Some of us are blessed with
linguistic skills and
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 intuition.
Most of us need to
stay in school and
pay tuition.
You say tomato.
I say tomato.
I drink mines from the faucet.
You like yours from a bottle.
We all have opinions,
but we don’t all have a venue.
If language was food
I would take the word nigger off the menu.
Yet the word nigga is another dish and
the problem is some other races can’t distinguish.
Take nigga off your plate and
put it on your computer.
N I G G A does not translate [spell check]
Every time you open your mouth to rap
just consider this:
Some of us fall victim to a culture gaps.
With cultural gaps miscommunications are developed.
The majority of any population
in Western civilization
needs education
to fight
social contamination.

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 20 COMPOSITIONS AND
POETRY PART 2
Hip Hop Curriculum/Urban Curriculum
American citizens have collectively personified an evolving ethos of democratic ascendancy.
History has documented this country’s many turbulent moments. Many a man have fallen victim
to its injustices without reparation. Yet time has healed its many social infestations. Some of
those who were able to publicly conquer the stalls of human nature have been documented and
celebrated as heroes. Opportunity for growth and new life prevailed within the past injustices
that rivaled freedom. I have observed some characteristics of previously celebrated societies to
further my inclination towards patriotism.
You have surely heard the cliché “when in Rome you must do as the Romans”. You have
probably pondered the meaning of the frequently repeated phrase “the fall of the Roman
Empire”. Throughout my life I have considered American citizenship a great asset. My
priorities caused me to wonder what could make an individual destined to experience less than
freedom in a free society.
As adult learners we are limited to our personal experiences when sorting and prioritizing
information. I like to relate this precept to computer software. An analogy is: Computer
software is to the operating system of a computer as previous experiences are to the adult
cognitive pathways. Therefore, I consider the fall of Rome from perspectives of sociology,
science, and mathematics.
When classifying my purpose in today’s society, I find it entertaining to acknowledge my
aptitude in areas such as the aforementioned, which sustain society itself. If I am a member of a
failing society what is my contribution? Surely we are not all born to achieve high levels of
aptitude in science and math. Yet, those of us who have the capacity must achieve.

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 In reference to sociological contributions, few of us will ever grow to the moral levels of
heroes, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who sacrificed his life in a time of societal decline.
My patriotic inclination has been reinforced due to my recent acknowledgement of the success of
the Civil Rights Movement. I have further justified these cognitions having observed other
African–American males who are in good social and economic standing. Yet, I could not ignore
the population that seemed to have disproportionately suffered for the same membership I and
my cohorts have learned to cherish.
There is a dichotomy perpetuating itself, an infestation, as well as a scientific and
mathematical deficit. We may be living in a time of intra-racial demise. There is no justifiable
reason for regression within a sub group in a thriving free country. Maybe the answer is
indoctrination within the proven communication channels of those members who are failed by
this great country or as some would say, those who are failing themselves.
I think I have the solution for those starved for the intellectual freedoms that America has to
offer. First, membership must be acknowledged. Membership to a thriving society means each
citizen is responsible to achieve at the highest capacity their God given talents will permit.
Achievement in America means acknowledging the importance of indoctrination as well as
patriotism. Most important to modern societies are the capabilities enhanced from the
development of sociological, scientific and mathematical acumen. Second, education leaders
may want to communication vehicle of hip hop music. Not for its lyrics, but for the machine that
drives the industry. A micro system of many societal precepts exists within the hip hop culture.
Hip hop history presents a forty year old socio-artistic movement comprised of engineering
sciences (including high tech music production and radio broadcasting), business administration
(record labels, entertainment law, entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting etc.), and poetic
artistry (suitable for literary and psycho-social analysis). This is a power vehicle of potential
indoctrination. In essence it is a preliminary transport for the traditional bodies of knowledge.
This alternative can be immediately installed through the well-established doctrines of African-
American studies and distributed among the K-12 school district where the need exists. Shall we
allow our youth the powerful intra-scope of the sociological, scientific, and mathematical

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elements of an American born culture and industry with a healthy black influence and
patriotism? May I suggest a HIP HOP CURRICULUM?

I have been toying with naming this proposed body of knowledge the Urban Curriculum. There
are probably some elite sports stars who would want to become urban scholars and analyze the
doctrines of urban and or African-American studies, as well as the machine that made hip hop a
viable culture and industry. Someone has to document the historic shift in department store
clothing lines right? This next poem is titled No Child Left Behind.

We must be compliant.
We have to get the numbers up in math and science.
Together these two subjects increase your prospects
for logical and critical thinking.
It’s much easier than it seems.
There’s no need for tension.
Math is merely a language of three dimensions.
You have to see-it-do-it-here-it,
so pay attention.
As for science
there’s no need to fear.
The ways of the world
are simply being rediscovered.
All you have to do
is memorize the rules.
So stay in school.
Ignorance of the law
is no excuse.
Why pay the price for a lie
when you’re given the truth.
Never take for granted
your citizenship in this nation.
The government guarantees free education.
In case you didn’t know,
years ago
we had no chance
to grow.
The curse of discrimination
ruled the nation.
But history’s
no mystery
don’t let it stop you from living.
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 The present is a gift.
Respect the gift that you’re given.
The nation has healed from years of discrimination.
We must also repent and commit
to learning communities
to protect our citizenship.

4. American Institutions Continued: Retail Citizenship (Parleying The Retail Parlay)

A brief and general analysis of world history lends relevance to the significance of
transportation, technology, and exchange (the three). These three constructs have influenced
education and culture throughout the world, which have in turn cyclically expanded the three.
Add one component of the three to education or culture and an interesting continuum is created.
The populations most affected by the three have reached imperial living standards under the
guise of political classifications such as socialism and democracy. Furthermore, its geopolitical
positioning has evolved generationally to form what we now know as western civilization.
These populations can be specifically classified by culture, political or religious affiliations, and
geographic location, while generally classified by race and ethnicity.
Sociological occurrences such as war have shifted the weight of cultural influence as well.
As transportation, technology, and exchange have revolved to influence the evolution of man
through better education and cultural enhancements, so have the three evolved to increase the
destructive capacities of war. Hence, world war is no longer an option as the cultural, political,
and economic superpowers fight contemporary battles to achieve world peace and a sustainable
world economy. Governing bodies regulate the economic endeavors of those populations that
have inherited the freedoms allotted by the three.
This paper is intended to visit a governing body known as antitrust law. This is a brief
analysis observing a segment of America’s retail culture and the global economic battlegrounds
regulated by this body of law. This researcher has organized citations that convey a trend of the
willingness of antitrust agencies to entertain trivial issues in the retail environment, while
American progress in global markets has been marginal since the inception of antitrust law.
Therefore, the problem is America’s willingness to invite free trade surrenders to a stalled
reciprocation by foreign markets. Meanwhile, the players in these markets are behaving badly in

193
their own territories. This researcher posits a charismatic leadership is needed to parley antitrust
administrations and enforcement processes, while furthering the possibility of an inclusive global
antitrust law. The research does not imply who that leader should be, but presents a general
review in the current undertakings of antitrust law.
This researcher has performed a thorough survey of scholarly and popular articles, which will
define antitrust law and cite some examples of the regulating bodies in action. In addition, the
research cites examples of some of the cartels caught in the act of destroying competitive
markets. This paper will:
● Explain the significance of competition law
● Define cartel and why cartels must be regulated by an international governing body
● Explain why companies must protect themselves from unfair competition
● Explain some of the antirust experiences of the world’s largest company

Scope
The scope of this research effort is confined to the perspective of the retail industry and how
some of their violations are policed by antitrust enforcement agencies. America’s homeland and
global business efforts have expanded. This paper examines specific areas of retail antitrust to
provide a fundamental view of local and global competition. Hence, the research will define
antitrust law and what it means to the American and global economy, who are some of the cartels
caught in the act of destroying competitive markets and agreements within the realms of antitrust
law. The literature is organized within the following five subheadings: A Brief History of
Antitrust Law, Cartels in the Global Environment, The Retail Parlay and American Antitrust
Issues, Antitrust from the Perspective of the World’s Largest Company, A Brief Overview of the
World’s Largest Global Company, and Parlaying for Bilateral Agreements.

A Brief History of Antitrust Law

American antitrust law began in the 1800s when large business trusts segmented the economy
and unified. Some were singular monopolies that exercised complete control of supply, product,
and price. Since one company was in control of an entire industry, there was no competition.
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Therefore, small businesses had little chance to exist and consumers had no choice in who they
patronized. Furthermore, prices were subject to increase and without standard of regulation,
quality became questionable.
The American government took action and found resolution during the presidency of
Theodore Roosevelt. Competition prevailed as President Roosevelt began to enforce antitrust
laws protecting consumers and reshaping the American economy for the greater good.
Coordinately, the U.S. government passed several laws to uphold competition for future
generations.

Cartels in the Global Environment

Trust and cartel are both defined as a combination of corporations with the purpose of
reducing competition and controlling prices. Many Americans are likely to affiliate the term
cartel with the movement of contraband. As this term is often used in that context by American
media outlets. As a matter of semantics, much like a narcotic trust, the clandestine behaviors of
global and corporate American retail cartels are rarely uncovered by pure investigation.
Intelligence tactics must be enlisted to conquer the mal intent of the cartel. Schinkel (2008)
wrote of some general practices of this secret underworld.
The cartel sells a rational amount of inputs to each of its direct purchasers. This creates
an artificial scarcity on the downstream market, from which the direct purchasers benefit
through high sale prices. Combined with low input prices, the allocation mechanism
forwards part of the cartel profits to the cartel’s direct purchasers. The arrangement is
tacit, simple, and covert. No money changes hands. The deal requires little or no
communication and will in all likelihood leave few traces and no hard evidence. (p. 685)
The next example offers a perfect landscape of antitrust at work. The European Union’s
regulating board found fault in the glass industry when cartels were accused of merging to
influence supply chain pricing. Miller (2008) wrote this of French glass maker Saint-Gobain:
[Fined] 896 million euros ($1.12 billion) for fixing the price of glass supplied to Europe's
car manufacturers… The fines handed out to four European glass makers totaled 1.36
billion euros and capped a surge in aggressive fines… the European Union has issued to
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 bust price-fixing cartels, from zipper and candle-wax manufacturers to brewers… Also
fined were Pilkington PLC of the United Kingdom, Japan's Asahi Glass Co. and
Belgium's Soliver NV. The four companies together control 90% of the global market
for car glass, valued at 2 billion euros in 2003. (p. A6)

The Retail Parlay and American Antitrust Issues

Antitrust law can easily be mistaken as contemptuous. Especially since retail offenses are
committed with material items Americans take for granted. Yet these items are part of everyday
fair trade that must be regulated on a global scale. For instance, the long term competition
between Coke and Pepsi closed one of its chapters at the turn of the millennium. Pepsi filed suit
accusing Coke of controlling the fountain drink market. According to Pepsi, Coke required
restaurants, movie theaters, and other business formats to sell Coke only. Coke prevailed by
pitching to Pepsi’s unsuspecting competitors that Pepsico's ownership of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell,
and KFC restaurants created a conflict of interest in the fountain market and choosing Pepsi
meant supporting their competition (McKay, 2000, p. B10).
In the year of 2000 Pepsi lost the suit they filed against Coke. Yet the suit was arguably
justified. Coke controlled a large part of the market. “Coke [held] about a 65% share of the
fountain market in the U.S. Pepsi's share [was] about 22%” (McKay, 2000, p. B10).
Nevertheless, the fountain business only represents a small percentage of the carbonated
beverage business. This means Coke did not create a competition conflict.
Again, what we as Americans consider household items are protected brands with proverbial
CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS in a global marketplace. In the example that follows, the Federal Trade
Commission fights for the rights of several products, including Barbie dolls, to be sold in
discount retail stores as well as one of America’s largest specialty retail stores. Fischer (1997)
wrote the following about the parties concerned.
The FTC accused Toys "R" Us, the world's largest toy retailer, of stifling price
competition by threatening not to stock certain products if suppliers also sold them to
discount warehouse clubs like Price/Costco or Sam's Club. The clubs, which typically
offer lower prices than retailers do, say they have been unable to purchase many best-
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 selling toys. The FTC charges that actions by Toys "R" Us, starting as early as 1989,
allowed the company to maintain artificially high prices for a wide variety of popular
toys. (paragraph 1)

Antitrust Episodes With the World’s Largest Company

Antitrust law is inspired by the need to referee the power of corporations throughout the
world. Large companies have the ability to spoil competition, and manipulate government
policy. The companies in conjugation actually pose the threat of a “manufactured” inflation.
Hence, a visit with the antitrust establishment should not remiss the consideration of the world’s
largest company. Norman (2008) writes the following about a moment in Wal-Mart’s antitrust
saga:
State officials filed a formal complaint against Wal-Mart, charging that the company sold
milk, butter, cigarettes, laundry detergent and other items below cost in West Bend,
Racine, Beloit, Tomah and Oshkosh, Wisconsin… Three years later, the Wisconsin
Division of Trade and Consumer Protection reached a "settlement" with Wal-Mart in this
case. Wisconsin law allows a retailer to sell an item below cost---but only as a response
to below cost prices at their competitors… Wal-Mart faced up to $175,000 in fines, but
got off easy in Wisconsin with only a $15,000 payment. (paragraph 3)
Norman (2008) offers another prime example of how antitrust laws regulated Walmart on a
global scale.
The Germans busted Walmart for selling milk, butter, flour, cooking oil, and other
products below cost on a regular, sustained basis. The German Cartel office said: "The
material benefit (of below cost pricing) to consumers is marginal and temporary, but the
restriction of competition by placing unfair obstacles before medium-sized retailers is
clear and lasting" (paragraph 11).

A Brief Overview of the World’s Largest Company

Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated and Wal-Mart International mark the true potential for
capitalism and globalization. In analyzing the company, there is an abundance of
academic theory meets real life in areas such as sociology, business administration,
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information systems, psychology, and international studies. Walmart prevails in the
global economy. Wal-Mart International is an agile entity that develops retail settings
based on the retail climate of the country where it operates. This sector of the company
suffered stifling losses in Germany and Korea, but has made adjustments through
partnerships and subsidiary agreements with retailers established in other foreign
countries. The Walmart story is significant, because larger businesses have a greater
potential to affect society and in this case world culture.
The Walmart story began with a simple business strategy exercised by Sam Walton.
After 20 years of retail experience, Walton started the franchise in 1962 with a focus on
high volume sales. Walton initially sought out the best deals from suppliers and shared
the savings with customers. As a result, the company grew exponentially. Walmart
expanded worldwide through acquisition, and diversification. Soon they became the
world’s largest employer. Yet their global experience has ranged from complete
evacuation and sellouts to success stories comparable to their American experience.
Nevertheless, Wal-Mart serves more than 90 million customers every week in the United
States, Japan, Puerto Rico, Canada, China, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina and the list
goes on. In essence, this company has a diverse population of stakeholders. Wal-Mart’s
worldwide pool of stakeholders varies in their relevance to the company’s successes and
failures. Lawrence (2008) wrote the stakeholder theory.
The stakeholder theory of the firm argues that corporations serve a broad public
purpose: to create value in society. All companies must make a profit for their
owners; indeed, if they did not, they would not long survive. However,
corporations create many other kinds of value as well, such as professional
development for their employees and in this view, corporations have multiple
obligations, and all stakeholders’ interests must be taken into account.
(Lawrence, 2008, p. 6)
One of the ways Wal-Mart creates value in society is through its ability to offer low
prices and a broad range of retail items under one roof. Unfortunately, at one time,
extremely low prices decreased wages and health insurance opportunities. With
increasing media criticisms and civil litigations, Walmart has made major adjustments
towards business ethics. In addition to the aforementioned, the company has faced
criticisms for its patronage of foreign suppliers, as well as reoccurring gender bias in
promotion and payroll.
The company answered American adversity with compensation and worldwide
expansion. Wal-Mart’s attempt at globalization is not a mirror image of their American
successes and woes. Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico have offered market opportunities
similar to America. Conversely, South Korea and Germany abruptly pulled the welcome
mat from the company forcing immediate sell-outs of all assets in both countries.
Reaching Community Stakeholders Through Charity
The Walmart Foundation is a not for profit philanthropic sector of the company that
donates money to underserved populations and organizations that wish to facilitate these
populations. The foundation sponsors education, workforce development, economic
opportunity, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability. It has a formal
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application process for organizations that wish to facilitate the underserved in these areas.
The foundation requires that the organizations have the potential to expand and replicate
nationally. http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/203.aspx
Walmart as Corporate Citizen
Lawrence (2008) lists six principles of corporate citizenship.
1. Sets high standards for behavior of employees.
2. Values and implements dialogue.
3. Invests in communities in which the corporation operates.
4. Respects the rights of consumers.
5. Invests in employee development.
6. Demonstrates a commitment to the environment. (p.66)
Walmart surely enforces corporate citizenship. Similarly, the company is proactive in
social performance. The mere existence of a discount retailer with this level of success is
the result of a disciplined team of executives dedicated to the ritual of passing the savings
on to the customer. The next descending tier in the corporate citizenship category is the
manager. Manager’s values are very important to Walmart. Managers are the face of the
company and the liaison between the ideal and actual operations. If internal issues result
in litigation due to the poor behavior of managers, all stakeholders are negatively
affected.
Some Interesting Facts About Walmart
Again, Wal-Mart’s corporate culture is based on efficiency. The company is anchored
on the premise of saving money and making money. Much of the manufacturing of items
in Wal-Mart’s supply chain takes place in China. According to recent statistics, when
being compared to a country, Wal-Mart’s dependence on Chinese goods sets the
company at number eight on the list of countries that import from China. The company
is number one when compared to other companies. Wal-Mart has a reputation for
innovative technology. They were the first to integrate warehouse information
technology in retail sites. This move proved to be efficient for supply chain management
and served as an example of how to increase profit margin in the retail industry.
Sam Walton dedicated his life to a personal reality he developed through education,
tacit knowledge, and practical experience in the retail industry. He opened his own
business. In doing so, he planted the proverbial seed that grew into a mega phenomenon.
This seed was fertilized by timely public policies, new trends in information technology,
and most importantly, the demand for low cost retail items. Nowadays, the company is
merely a microcosm of business and society where stakeholders, ethics, and public policy
meet. If it’s not the best price, it is the best or most diverse selection. Besides, where
else can you get a box of cereal, one pair of socks, a tie, automobile tires, and a big
screen television all in one visit.

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Parleying for Bilateral Agreements
The goal of antitrust law is achieved when cartels are policed and bilateral agreements are
reached between trading and competing countries. This researcher argues the goal should be
pursued globally by a charismatic leadership with strategies as intense as those used in war. Yet
this should be a weaponless or intellectual war where all involved benefit from the capacities to
transport commodities and use technology for the greater good of exchange.
The U.S. has antitrust agreements with Germany, Australia, the European Union, Canada,
Brazil, Japan, and Korea to name a few. The Korean market has been quite a challenge. The
U.S. government has long parleyed with Korea, who operates a fairly new democracy
underpinned by a communist past. The Superintendent of Documents (1992) published the
following about bilateral agreements reached between America and Korea.
In 1989 and 1990, the United States and Korea signed several bilateral agreements which
outlined specific market liberalization measures to be taken by the Korean government in
several sectors. These include: wine, beef, cigarettes, agriculture, investment,
localization practices, and telecommunications. Currently, under the Financial Policy
Talks, the U.S. and Korean governments are also conducting negotiations aimed at
liberalizing Korea's financial markets, including deregulation of interest rates and other
banking practices.

Summary of the Literature

The unsung battles in antitrust law are lapsed by huge gaps in time ranging from their
inception in the 1800s to the turn of the millennium. Like any other body of law, antitrust relies
on decisions and precedents to shape its foundation. The success of antitrust enforcement in
America can be seen when compared to global antitrust. It is evident in the difference of the
crimes committed. It has been documented that America is free of cartels. Since much of the
progress and privilege Americans enjoy today is based on the many hard fought battles of those
who previously inhabited the land, antitrust law (for most American citizens) is likely a non-
issue. It may be difficult to conceptualize the legal ramifications involved with pricing milk and
cheese. And who would think the spectrum of competition includes companies such as Pepsi

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and Coke battling behind the scenes. The entertainment value of their marketing efforts eludes
cut throat conflict and leads one to believe America is an open and friendly market where Pepsi
and Coke accentuate competition due to difference in taste
An interesting perspective to use in the processing of sociopolitical information is the historic
perspective. A simple timeline would surely convey the progressions, transgressions, recessions,
secessions, and accessions of the world’s populations. Whether through the terminal secessions
of war or the cultural transgressions of genocide, the American progressions of industrialization
and capitalism or our global accessions resulting from bilateral trade agreements, there have been
three constants attributing to human development. Those are transportation, technology, and
exchange. These phenomena, with charismatic leadership, will do for the world what President
Roosevelt did for America at the inception of the antitrust movement.
In America, we have had the largest company in the world policed about the price of butter.
Toys R Us, the world’s largest toy company, could not take Barbie off the shelf and Pepsi could
not get Coke to stop talking behind its back. It is all because in the travels, the advancement of
human intelligence, and the protection of fair exchange that Western civilization has reached an
epicenter where populations can be made to consume and compete ethically. The world now has
a chance to expand under the guise of proven regulatory standards. As countries around the
globe develop a love for efficiency and a trust for each other, antitrust offers more opportunity
for growth.

I consider the composition above to be the finale. It is part of our original core synthesis from
the first chapter. You’ll notice the brief considerations of institutions such as slavery,
industrialism, progressivism, and education as they present an inferential relevance and connect
to the final topic of globalization. This poem is titled Global Economy.

Hey what’s your sign?

No that’s astrology.
How do you fit into the global economy:
Negative,
Positive,
Correlated,
Deviated?
You’re a statistic.
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 What’s your skill set?
How do you coexist?
I recommend education.
You must persist.
You’ll see the consequences later if you resist.
Resources, technology, and transportation are the pulse of every nation.
And no matter what nation holds your citizenship,
you can prosper from an international awareness.
Ever thought about learning another language?
Maybe you’re wondering why I’m even saying this.
Sometimes I like to broaden my scope.
As our American economy suffers I’ll expand my horizons.
If I can’t make it here I’ll find another country to survive in.
I’m still bewildered by astronomy.
But as an American citizen I’m willing to venture beyond into the global economy.

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 21
E-mail Journals
This chapter covers e-mail journals written during my time as a student at a university that had
many satellite campuses throughout the country. Many administrative concerns were handled at
a central office in another region of the country. This made e-mail a very efficient
communication tool. As the chapter progresses, it tells a one sided, but necessary story of a
student who is reaching out for a formality that he did not get in the workplace and holds
steadfast to his convictions of what he thinks is professionalism. Considering the tuition
surrendered for this level of education, he expects a consumable product. The campus e-mail is
used to monitor assignments, as well as communicate with faculty. There were some intense
debates with faculty and students in these digital files and some light hearted fun. This chapter
ends with the poem titled Inspiration.

Welcome to _____ _____ University. An electronic mail account has just been opened for you.
If you wish to change your password or other information such as your e-mail alias, you may
do so online at…

If you need further assistance, please contact the _____ _____ University Helpdesk

I attended orientation on _______. I am now registered. Please advise me of any other steps that
need to be taken as I await my awards letter.

I registered with you at the orientation on _/ _/ __. On the same day I spoke to Ms. ________.
She advised me to fill out a summer SL1 which is no longer available online. Did you complete
that information for me? Should I attempt to call Ms. _______ and complete the information
myself?

Thanks for everything. Please send me a schedule for future orientations. I missed the first half
hour of Tuesday's presentation. Location does not matter. Although, I do prefer the _________
Campus. You can reach me at my _________ e-mail addresses.

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The following amount has been deposited into your checking/savings account.
Deposit Amount:
For questions regarding this direct deposit, please contact your bank.

Hello Dr. __________:

My name is Mark Dabney. I am registered for your class (EDU 602). In reference to the
assignment P-7, I have chosen A book to review. The book is titled "What Every Teacher
Should Know About Special Learners". The author is Donna Walker Tileston. I completed my
undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts at Auburn University. My current major is Adult
Education here at ________ ________ University. I'll soon apply to the Metro Resa
Program. Within that program I will pursue full-time employment in the area of special
education. It is my long term goal to attain the necessary certifications for an optional career in
adult education.
Dr. _________:
I have found another book. The title is "Common-Sense Classroom Management for Special
Education Teachers Grades K-5". The authors are Lindberg, Walker-Wied, and Beckwith
(2006).

This webquest thing will be a great tool for the children. In the future I will tailor each site to fit
their individual interest. In order to accomplish this, I will need your correspondence on detailed
items such as favorite colors, current homework assignments, favorite cartoons...

I won't be able to see the children as often as I did before I started school.
Again, this webquest vehicle can be an all-inclusive opportunity for me to interact with the
children and monitor their academic progress. I know what you are
thinking. " Momma, who he think he is. Ohhhhhhh my GOD!!!!!!" Remember school is cool
but there are many social factors that interfere with the learning process. The parents have to
reinforce all material covered.

Dr. ___________:
Is this a misprint?
975 - 1,000 A
925 - 974 A-
875 - 924 B+
850 - 974 B
825 - 849 B-
800 - 824 C+
750 - 799 C
700 - 749 C-
In the other syllabi for courses here at _ _ U, I have noticed like yours, they do not offer the A+
grade. Yet, a 90% is considered an A-. I assume this would be the equivalent to
an EDU 602 score of 900 of 1,000 possible points. To clarify, if this is not a misprint, the cut for
an A- is 925 of 1,000 points?
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Hello Dr. _________, I have talked with several administrators, and chatted live
with the _ _ U chat service. I was referred to you after speaking with _____ ______. I am
forwarding a series of inquiries that I have made to various members of the _ _ U
faculty, between the ______ __________ Campus and the main campus.

The questioning begins with an e-mail to Dr. __________, instructor for the EDU 602 class I
completed during Summer Session II. I also have an attachment which contains a
dialog that took place on the _ _ U chat service.

While reviewing these documents, keep in mind that I do not wish to file a grievance. My
original motive for the first email to Dr. ________ was to challenge a grade on one of my
assignments. This was an option he offered to the class. If the scale were to be adjusted to
match other class scales my final grade would be .07% points short of the A- letter grade, which
would make the A- or B+ a judgment call on the part of the professor.

Since my initial inquiry, other factors have arisen. It seems that my pursuit for clarity would
actually be beneficial to all involved, and future students of EDU 602.

The following amount has been deposited into your checking/savings account.
Deposit Amount:
For questions regarding this direct deposit, please contact your bank.

Hello _________ and Dr. _________:

_________, we have had some brief meetings about the presentation due _/ _/ __. I remember
you mentioning that you will be doing the first three topics of the chapter. I regret not being able
to meet with you at the last class. If you would have been able to attend that class, I'm sure these
questions would not be necessary. Where does your presentation end as far as page number?
Are you planning to attend the next class? Dr. ________, if __________ is not able to attend
tomorrow's class, will I be responsible for all of chapter 11?

I told you last time I was going to take care of the first three points for chapter 11 and that you
need only to take care of the last three points. What does a page number have to do with the
points? Was it necessary to cc Dr. _______, wouldn't it have been easier to just email me?
Chapter 11 is a lengthy chapter the best thing to do is to prepare for your portion and let Dr.
________ address me if necessary, which will not be necessary.

What is your phone number? I'll meet you face to face and we can settle this very quickly,
without any further explanation. Dr. _______ is the facilitator who grades this assignment. It is
due tomorrow. All parties must be considered for proper communication at this point. Which
three of the following nine points are you covering:
1. Program Evaluation Defined pg. 225-226
2. The Heart of Program Evaluation pg. 227
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3. Connecting Evaluation to Other Components of the
Interactive Model pg. 227-230
4. Planning for Systematic Program Evaluation pg. 230-235
5. Informal and unplanned Evaluation Opportunities pg. 236-238
6. Approaches to Program Evaluation pg. 238-243
7. Collecting Evaluation Data pg. 249-252
8. Data Analysis pg. 254-256
9. Making Judgments About the Program pg. 256-261

My number is (_ _ _) _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ I will be in the Student Center or the Computer Lab the rest
of the evening and tomorrow from open until class starts. This is between me and you. The CC
was in case you did not reply. Meet me, or call me and let’s get this over with so we can both
move on.

I will cover the first 5 points you have spelled out in the email, I told you last class that I would
take the first three points as spelled out on page 371 which cover the first 5 points you have
spelled out. Don't make the assignment into a mountain we are simply going over the
information that our classmates have not read and it needs to be in its simplest, and I am
giving a handout to our classmates.

Forgive me for procrastinating. I would like to see your presentation. I will send you some of
my work on Monday.

Please advise me on the process of transferring from _______ Off-Campus Programs to the Main
Campus. My financial aid has disbursed early. Is this a complicated situation? Can a refund be
reversed (while a transfer and repayment of tuition is arranged) without confusion between the
two campuses and the financial aid department? If so, I would like to proceed with a transfer to
the Education Leadership-Community Development Program at the Main Campus.

It is not easy getting in touch with the people at the main campus. I have had success
communicating with you on previous occasions, and look forward to your advice. I am BCCing
this message to Ms. _______ because I have classes that begin on _/ _/ __ and _/ _/ __. at the
________ County location.

The following amount will be deposited into your checking/savings account.

Deposit Amount:

In response to my previous e-mail about dropping classes; I am considering a transfer to the

Main Campus. You will notice a BCC message preceding all correspondence.

I'll be waiting for transfer information from the Main Campus. Of course, I wish to remain
registered in my Spring II classes during the process. The previous e-mail concerns Spring I
classes only.
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I have dropped two classes. Is this a problem? A refund was posted on _/_/__ from the payment
of the four classes that I had previously registered for. Is the adjustment process extensive or is
it simply another direct deposit into my account without penalty for dropped classes not
attended?

Hey ________,
Great development so far on the project! I don't have a picture, but here is a silhouette. (ha ha ha
ha ha ha).

I am quite a talent scout. You are amazing!

Hey ______,
Take a look at the following adjustments.
Mark Dabney is a native of _______, _____ ,where he attended the prestigious Lake Erie Prep
School For Boys. Mark is a “hip hop” song writer and “street literature” author. His most
successful project to date is the book Fo-O-Sho-You-Right. He is convinced, due to his prep
school background, he can succeed in any corporate climate and is eagerly seeking a challenge.
Additionally, Mark speaks five languages fluently and has a PhD from Howard University in
Linguistics.

Hey Ladies,
I just want everyone to know this is the BGE!

I had no idea you were taking over big boss lady. Take a look at this attachment. ________
requested comedy on the slide show end. She mentioned she liked my humor, but if you think it
is a bit over the top, try this!

Mark Dabney is a poet and author best known for his narrative, investigative research called The
Transformative “I”. He has been a small business owner and corporate professional as well.
Mark is currently in negotiations with the Wayans brothers for production rights to his book.
Additionally, Mark is involved in many philanthropic efforts including the Goodwill Industries I
prefer the new stuff foundation.

207
Dr. __________,
I was doing some reflecting this weekend. I noticed you gave me a penalty for going overtime
on my presentation. Being that you are very statistics oriented, I thought it would be okay to ask
for a numerical value or some type of rubric for the loss of points (just for the sake of personal
improvement). The grade report did not explain how many points were lost. I was a bit
disturbed to see the average score (per Blackboard) was around 96% and my score was 88%;
therefore, it is very significant for me to identify the cause of such a point spread. Were the
penalties the same for all students? Are the points subtracted incrementally per second over
time, or minute over time? Grades last forever, thanks for your consideration.

Dr. _________,
I remember seeing that slide! I guess my question really is, do you have record of a pre-penalty
score and over time elapsed? I want to be able to say; darn it, if I would not have gone over by
___ minutes I would have gotten a ___%.

Dr. _________, just in case you missed my last e-mail, I'll be lobbying for recommendations for
the next six months from all of the professors I have made a positive connection with. My short
term goal is a scholarship from Off-Campus Programs for the fall.

Dr. __________,
You can e-mail the proper authorities if you wish. I assume they want to know if I am
academically capable, just like the Doctorate program recommendations. I have attached my
narrative.

Dr. ________:
A year ago I took your class EDU 590. I am in need of a recommendation for a specialist
program in Library Science at the University of _________. They want to know specifically
if I am a hard working student and if I am academically capable. Considering the regimen of
your class last year, I think you are the most appropriate professor to write the recommendation.

Dr. ________:
I thoroughly enjoyed both the Adult Learner and Planning For Instruction in Non-Traditional
Settings classes. You may remember some of my work. If not, I will send an attachment next
week.

I am in need of a recommendation for the University of _________'s Library Science Specialist

Program. They specifically want to know if you consider me academically
capable to continue on in a post-grad environment and if I am a hard working student.

Hello All:
208
First, I would like to thank each of you for the wonderful learning experiences. Second, I would
like to request your considerations in reference to "reference letters". My first attempt was the
Endowed and Times Two Scholarship awards. I completed the paperwork, yet the reference
letter should have been attached in order to meet specified guidelines for the _/ _/__ application
deadline.

Hello Dr. _______:

Please take a look at this information. Considering I did not give you this information last week,
nor did I leave a stamp and envelope. I think an e-mailed reference letter will be just fine.

Hello Ms. __________,

Just in case my application for the Times Two Alumni Award arrives after the deadline, I have
included my narrative in an attachment. I hope I am correct in assuming you can forward this
information to the committee. I have experienced a challenge locating professors for reference.
However, I was assured that the committee would receive an e-mail in my regard.

Narrative Description for the Off-Campus Programs Endowed Scholarship

Mark Dabney
__________ ________ University’s Off-Campus Programs

My personal experiences with _ _ _ Off-Campus programs grants inspiration to me

and my loved ones. I am currently a graduate student majoring in Instructional
Education. The practicality and effectiveness of the Masters of Education program offers
a dynamic outlook for my future career choices. Those close to me witness the positive
effect of the convenient education offerings that are changing my life. A positive life
change brings me closer to my goals. My personal and career objectives are now within
reach and _ _ _ plays a large part in my success.
My personal objectives are two tiered. First, I dedicate myself to a life-long learning
process for me and for the sake of my children. I find usable knowledge with each unit
of course work. My children benefit from my enlightenment concerning methodologies,
learning styles, and varied intelligences. I wish to offer capable reinforcements to what
my children are learning in school. Second, my individual goals include research and
literary efforts. Many topics interest me. Coordinately, I aspire to write about my
research efforts and pursue publishing opportunities.
My career objectives are two tiered as well, including teaching and post-graduate
aspirations. First, I wish to reenter the workforce as a facilitator in a K-12 or an adult
education environment. My long-term goal is to achieve expert status as a special
education professional with an emphasis on technology as a learning tool. I wish to
emphasize technology as an adult educator as well. Second is the addition of a doctorate
program that best suits my career choices. Current considerations consist of library
science, special education, and curriculum development.
_ _ _’s Off-Campus Programs contributes to my personal and career objectives with
competent instruction and non-traditional convenient facilities. Additionally, _ _ _ can
assist my process by considering me for the Off-Campus Programs Endowed

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 Scholarship. My request is for my final semester as a graduate student. The Off-Campus
Programs Endowed Scholarship is an appreciated financial aid option during my final
efforts.
I am proud of my personal and career objectives. Furthermore, I appreciate _ _ _ for
what they offer me and my loved ones. Through their offerings I am a better citizen and
well prepared to accomplish my desired career goals. I request consideration for the Off-
Campus Programs Endowed Scholarship with great anticipation.

Not to worry, my true priorities consist of post-grad opportunities. I will be in touch within the
next six months as I apply for different programs. However, if it is at all feasible, one or all of
you can e-mail the proper authorities on the scholarship commission by _/_/__. I have attached
the final revision of the essay I sent to the scholarship department.

Narrative for the Times Two Alumni Award Committee

Mark Dabney
Central Michigan University Off-Campus Programs

The addition of a Technology Certificate offers an extension to my portfolio. As an

aspiring educator, I have often requested advice from professors concerning proper
education pursuits. Several professors contributed advice concerning what was currently
needed from professionals in the school system. Technology has been a recurring
response in discussing proficiency for students and education professionals. With my
own observations and the advice of professionals, I consider a Master’s of Instructional
Education to suffice. Yet professional diversification and flexibility result from proper
education choices. A certificate in Educational Technology will afford me the flexibility,
diversification, and skill sets needed to contribute to today’s K-12 and post-secondary
environment.
I possess a well-rounded background consisting of brief, but for the most part positive
experiences in corporate America, small business, and service. While transforming
careers, returning to school inspires me to search for opportunities that will promote
flexibility in the future. My goals are reinforced as I read the syllabi for each class. The
narratives from each professor posit images of careers accelerated by proper education
choices.
The traditional path seems to be a Master’s, Specialist, and then a Doctorate program
in education. Yet with the growing influence of information technology and multimedia
options, a technology certificate is needed as well. There is very little chance for students
to achieve optimum education and apply the transfer of learning to today’s information
oriented society without a technological aptitude. Accordingly, scholars acknowledge a
measure for information literacy. With these concerns, an aspiring educator must follow
suit.
My career will progress swiftly with the proper decisions towards education. I eagerly
await employment, as the stigma of “paper accumulation” can be haunting without the
proper job title to accompany earned degrees. Furthermore, I realize teaching is where
the experience is earned. Accordingly, through experience one develops the appropriate
skill sets to continue contributing as an expert in a chosen field.

210
 I appreciate the Times Two Alumni Committee for their consideration. The award of
full scholarship, or any form of assistance, assures my completion of a diversified
education at _ _ _ Off-Campus Programs. With a diversified education, I will possess
flexibility as a professional. In essence, proper decisions concerning education influence
effective contributions as an educator.

Hello Ms. _________:

After e-mailing several professors, I got a reply from one professor and a commitment from
another. The professor who replied had to leave town before the first application deadline ( ____
_, ____ ). I found out about the deadline extension while the professor in question was out of
town. Therefore, I explained my situation to another professor who was overwhelmed with
summer classes (she has quite a schedule). Yet she was nice enough to offer to e-mail a
reference letter for me.

Hello Dr. _______:

I really appreciate this. I need two letters. First, I need a letter e-mailed to Ms. __________.
She is the Assistant Director of Financial Aid, Off-Campus Programs. She has forwarded my
application and narrative, via e-mail, to the scholarship committee. My second request is a letter
to ________ College. I have applied to the ________ campus. Below is a hyperlink to the
reference request form for _________ College.

Dr. _______,
After thinking things over, I spoke with human resource last week to adjust my schedule. I will
be working from 4:00am - 8:00am instead of 4:00am - 12:30 in the afternoon. Is it possible to be
late for class and not be penalized?

Thank you Ms. __________. It was tough synchronizing all of that information. Thanks for
taking the extra time to put the pieces together. Will I need to sign the revision? I will complete
the MAE program in Instructional Education as of _ /_ /__.

Thanks for the opportunity! I did the math on gas and food expense. I think I should secure a
part-time job in the area before I volunteer. Then I can commit to more than two days a week,
work, volunteer, and finish my Capstone. I'll try to call you again if I don't get an e-mail back.
Canceling without talking to you would be like leaving a call off message at work with someone
besides the boss, right? I hope you are not angry. We still need to touch base by next Monday.
For the rest of this week, I'll be writing my research paper. I consider volunteering to be a big
opportunity, considering I'll be making decisions about my next step in academia. Talk to you
next week!

Thanks for the Power Point edit. I wish we could have used it, but the class was so impatient. I
assume we will use the second half this coming Wednesday. I have changed my theme. The
topic remains single gender education. The title is now Current Issues in Single Gender

211
Education. I am not writing about the pros and cons of single gender education. There is
definitely plenty to write about.

As I have explained, I am merely a Socratic Deconstructivist. A fancy way of saying I take for
granted nothing that has been previously taught to me and wish to rebuild my academic
foundation. In essence, sometimes I look in the dictionary for the meaning of words like "store."
The word has about 20 meanings. Only in the Socratic Deconstructivist process can one ignore
their pride and seek more meaning about things they already know. HA HA HA HA HA HA!

I am currently a graduate student finishing in __________ of ___, with a Master's of Education.

I spoke with Off-Campus Programs in _______ of ___ about adding a second undergraduate
degree to my portfolio. I am very interested in the Community Development major with a
Health Sciences concentration.

To indulge the response of "why such lofty expressions". I want to write for a living. I'm toying
with "lofty" right now. Soon I'll regress to a more technical style with direct action verbs, active
voice, you know the deal. You should see my "street literature". I don't have to justify that to
take the classes do I? If not, please inform me of the mandatory process for me to begin classes
in the Spring. Additionally, let me know exactly how many classes you will accept from my
undergraduate credits.

Out of eleven classes, I got five of my books from the library. When you get used to searching
nationwide library databases you'll find they will save you a lot of money. Amazon is another
good source, but nothing beats the library. Your local library will borrow the book for you.
They call it an interlibrary loan. It takes them a month or so to get the book. You have to start
early, but it’s free.

I am currently working on my Capstone in the Instructional Education Program. My GPA is 3.9;

however, the Capstone project I have chosen is quite extensive. If I chose to complete the
Capstone without exercising my options for incomplete (I) status, I will be finished with the grad
program in __________. If I use the option of "I" (as opposed to a letter grade), my academic
progress could stagnate for as long as one year (the maximum incomplete option). In order for
me to continue my education pursuits as I have planned, I will need undergraduate prerequisites
for my post grad pursuits. Therefore, I will likely be taking undergrad courses before I complete
my graduate degree. Below, I have pasted my recent correspondence with the financial aid
department. I have been advised that you will be the person to talk with from now on.

Hello Mark ,
I have corrected your program plan. Here is the standard information I send with all program
plans. Attached is a draft copy of your Program Plan for your Bachelor of Science degree in
Community Development degree with a concentration in Health Sciences, and Community
Development Curriculum Guide. These tools are designed to guide you as you pursue your
degree. I would like to call special attention to the following rules.
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 30 hour rule – Students must complete 30 hours of residence credit. These credits must be
earned at Central Michigan University. (Distance learning courses are considered residence
credit.)

40 hour rule – The University requires students to take a minimum of 40 hours of courses
numbered 300 or above.

60 hour rule – The University requires that you complete a minimum of 60 hours of
coursework from a four-year college or university (including _ _ U).

27 hour rule – You are limited to 27 hours of College of Business Administration (CBA)
courses.

I am grateful that we worked the "kinks" out. I still have other options, but this one seems to
make the most sense. Ever since our first conversation I have been searching for a better route.
You and the others who advise me seem to consider it taboo to backtrack from grad to
undergrad.

Thanks Dr. ________. I hope all is well as far as our discussion. I'm sure everyone understands
the emotions involved in lengthy projects such as this. With the B- and the double jeopardy
grade, there is just one question. Let’s just say B- was my final grade. Would the second reader
have the power to send the capstone to _ _ _'s main campus with a two "letter" grade difference
from your final grade, or a two "increment" grade difference? Are the parameters B- to C, or B-
to D- (E)? In essence, if you don't mind, define the parameters of the two letter grade difference
that could possibly defer the grading process with another read at the main campus.

Actually, everyone does not understand the emotions that were demonstrated today. In my __
years full time at _ _ _, I have never had a student with the demonstration of emotion as was
experienced today at _ _ U. My students have always handled the graduate course load and
expectations with courtesy and respect. As I communicated today, there is an expectation of
professionalism for graduate students at _ _ _. I look forward to you participating in the
graduate experience as other students have done.

I merely remember requesting to either speak to you or have an appointment with you. When
you came forward I requested a set time for my free read to be complete. I would hate to leave
the ambiguity unanswered, which existed in your last e-mail response. My use of the word
emotion was in reference to the positive momentum and attention; the energy that I have given
the project itself. Therefore, I do admit being assertive in pursuing a completion date for my free
read. So I could then give due diligence to corrective procedures.

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Now if we are discussing tone of voice, that is where the problem may have been. I may have
spoken in an assertive tone, merely from the excitement of being able to meet with you in
person. For that, I apologize. You are very much a superior instructor.

However, in my humble opinion, you are not very accessible, and for that reason there can be an
anticipation in satisfying your expectations to complete this process, which has cost me
$_ _, _ _ _ in tuition and personal expenses. I am currently unemployed and look forward to the
completion of this program. Whether my future is in teaching or management, I will always
remember the positive challenges I have faced with your class. Please understand, my inquiry
was simply to suite my needs for proper completion of the assignment.

In essence, I am merely acting as a concerned consumer. I hope I have not been misunderstood.
You offer a superior product in your delivery of the capstone workshop. Yet you must admit, it
is a nontraditional format with very few face to face or classroom opportunities. I would hate to
be permanently damaged by a misunderstanding, or have my work judged by some unavoidably
human bias that could result from a looming miscommunication. If mediation is necessary
please advise.

Your free read will be available on Wednesday. Sorry, if there was a miscommunication. It was
always going to be ready on Wednesday, December 3 as that is will I will be in the office - with
your hard copy or your e-mailed copy.

I will place your binder in my outbox at the ______ ______ Center tomorrow afternoon. You
may pick it up by asking the clerk to retrieve it from my outbox.

I had trouble finding your home, but I was able to drop my Capstone Project off around 6:45pm.
Sorry if that was a little late. It was dark outside. I hope I didn't disturb the family. If you don't
mind, can you send me an e-mail confirming your receipt of the two copies of my Capstone
Project, which I left in the white mailbox, on the front porch.

So there it is. The Capstone project mentioned in the passage above is the expanded version of Chapter 2.
We have arrived at the end of our journey after traveling back to my very first memory. I prescribe this
format to all who have the capacity for self-analysis and the depth of processing to mixed the genres.
This next and final poem sums it all up. It’s titled the Inspiration.

Once in a blue moon

a person survives the pleasure
that reached its greatest measure
only to become abandonment and pain.
Then he revives from the death of his vulnerable brain.
In his rebirth
he neither loves nor hates,
gives or takes,
but each breath of life is extreme.
His paranoia will produce a powerful poetry.
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His hunger will produce a lust satisfied by food alone.
His thirst will be satisfied by water.
He will rise among the learned and
educate the world
as if they were his sons and daughters.
Allow me to reintroduce myself.
I’m the Big Pontificator,
AKA
Mr. Criterion.
AKA
Q and A,
the question and the answer.
AKA
The Intellectual Dancer,
AKA
Proph/Prof,
prophet and professor.
AKA
Thought Lover,
the cognitive caresser.
BKA
Mr. Existential Truth;
Mr. that’s-right-I-said-it and I got proof.
BKA
The Researcher,
the truth will hurt yah.
BKA
Late Bloomer,
the education consumer.
BKA
Prose Prolific,
I’ve been lifted.
BKA
-Rhyme and Reason,
you’ve been subjected to treason.
BKA
-Thug Antithesis,
grew up in the hood and
went to private schools.
I get angry,
but I romance
before all of my releases.
BKA
- E-T-H-O-S,
the ethos of Synthogy,
the litmus test.
BKA
-Epistemologist

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