Good Company

Just the other day I read an article that I found very interesting and something I have been saying for some time. The article was titled "In a Bad Mood? You Might Have Picked It Up." I always find it interesting when someone has to do a study to figure out what most of us know as common sense. The study found out that, like a cold, good and bad moods can be 'picked up' from those around you. The study came out of the University of Warwick (in Coventry England). The study stated that "Evidence suggest mood may spread from person to person via a process known as social contagion." The team also found out that mood isn't the only thing that spreads among friends - so do symptoms of depression like helplessness and loss of interest. While those are not strong enough to push other friends into depression, they still can bring us down. The researchers also found that having more friends who suffer from bad moods makes it more likely for you to be in a bad mood. The good point of this study is that they also found that the opposite applies, people who surround themselves with more positive people will be more positive.

Like I said earlier, this is pretty much common sense, or is it. I have seen a lot of students who really have a lot of potential but they are brought down simply because of the people they hang with. I don't know if it is peer pressure, trying to fit in with friends or simply what this study says, that hanging around people who are always down can bring you down also. If you hang around friends who don't care about their grades, then it could be possible that you might quit caring. If you hang around friends who are disrespectful to the school, then you might become that way. It's like catching a cold. You may not want to be that way, but the "virus" effects you.

Even if this sounds simplistic or silly to you, I hope that you will take notice of the kind of friends you hang around with in lab or sit with at lunch. What kind of attitudes do they carry? Are they good students who care about their future and graduating? I really think you will be amazed when you start hanging around people who are positive and laugh a lot. You will notice that it has a tendency to rub off on you. I have been fortunate to hang around people in my life that make me laugh, have positive outlooks on life, enjoy kicking back and overall are really good people. They know who they are and I thank them for that.

This last week or two I have been very fortunate to hang around some really positive people. I have been part of the National Technical Honor Society and also selecting a great group of Junior Rotarians. One thing I have noticed is that when I see them around school, they are usually involved in some pretty good company.

National Technical Honor Society 2017-18

On Tuesday evening, October 3rd, Vantage Career Center will be holding our annual National Technical Honor Society banquet and induction ceremony. The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is a way to honor student achievement and leadership in career and technical education, promote educational excellence, award scholarships and enhance career opportunities for the NTHS membership.

To become an NTHS member, a student must first be carrying a 3.5 GPA or above, have 95% attendance for their Junior and Senior years, no discipline problems in both years and have passed all of their End of Course Exams. If the student meets the above mentioned criteria, then they must write an essay stating why they feel they belong in the NTHS, have four teacher recommendations, submit a resume and complete their application. Once all of this is turned in, a committee of teachers and staff meet to discuss each candidate and determine which students best represent the NTHS.

As a member of the National Technical Honor Society, each member has met the seven character attributes, and at the induction ceremony, vow to continue these attributes. They are: Skill, Honesty, Service, Responsibility, Leadership, Citizenship and Scholarship.

I am so proud of these students because they have made so many great choices in their lives. They not only have been successful here at Vantage and their home school, but I know they will be successful in their future college or work careers. If you happen to see these students in the hallway or in your classes, please congratulate them on a great high school career and a great honor in being selected for the National Technical Honor Society. This is a very small percentage of our student body (roughly 5%), but they truly are the best of the best.

CONGRATULATIONS:

Shown in the picture front row left to right:

Cierra Brown (Van Wert), Savannah Habern (Paulding), Megaen Price (Antwerp), Mackenzie Shepherd (Lincolnview), Jenna Dunlap (Jefferson), Jessica Schnipke (Ottoville), Hannah Schevey (Paulding), Amanda Roberts (Antwerp), Briana Martz (Van Wert), Andrea Snow (Continental), Darcy Sybert (Continental), Hayley Kuhlman (Van Wert), Kali Edgington (Jefferson), Kailey Denman (Lincolnview), Row 2: Nathan O'Neill (Lincolnview), Josh England (Lincolnview), Jordan Bonifas (Jefferson), Alex Meyers (Kalida), Dillon Elkins (Kalida), Clay Schnipke (Ottoville), Chloe Foltz (Paulding), Jacob Mueller (Ft. Jennings), Emily Freund (Ft. Jennings), Garrett Silance (Wayne Trace), Cooper Chung (Jefferson), Joey DeBoer (Wayne Trace), Louis Rammel (Lincolnview). The following students were on a field trip and were not in the picture: Devin Ricker (St. John), Alexis Rupert (Van Wert) and Aaron Sealts (Ft. Jennings).

How Do You See It?

I know a pretty hot topic of discussion lately has been about all the hurricanes that we have seen recently. There was hurricane Harvey that hit Texas just a couple of weeks ago and then this weekend we have seen the devastation in Florida from hurricane Irma.  I know that several people around Vantage have places down in Florida and were lucky enough to escape with only minor damage. We have all seen the pictures of the flooding and the damage to buildings, boats and landscape. I think it makes all of us pause and realize how in an instant our lives can change all around us. We should be grateful for each and every day that we have and make the most out of every moment.

Most of Sunday and Monday night I was watching the events unfold down in Florida. I was pretty much glued to the weather channel. As many of you know from my blogs, I enjoy the warm weather and beaches that places like Florida and the Caribbean offer. I have been to Key West and down in the Lesser Antilles. It is sad to see so much damage to such beautiful areas. However, the one thing that I found really interesting as I watched the news channels interview residents in the days following the storm, was the different ways that people look at things. I would hear two people being interviewed who were from the same area but they had different ways of looking at the damage. I am not saying either way was right or wrong. I don't know how I would react in that situation. There was a young gentleman who lost everything he had except the clothes on his back, yet he seemed so calm and at peace as he spoke with tears in his eyes and stated that he will re-build and he will fight back. There was another person who seemed like they were just giving up and too tired to fight.

I don't know much about any of those two people, if anything at all. However, it reminded me of a quote from C.S. Lewis that states, "For what you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are." I know we all deal with certain problems and issues in our own lives. It may be something like an irritation at home or school, or a bigger concern like a health issue. I think we learn to deal with those issues before they ever approach us. I believe that  life experiences and circumstances have the opportunity to shape us into the person we are today and the person we will become. It all starts with how we handle each and every situation. As young students, you have the opportunity to begin shaping your life today. When situations arise that frustrate you and cause you to be upset, then take some time to cool off and then deal with the situation. Think through things before you act. Don't hit the send button until you have thought about what you are saying or who you might hurt. The steps that you take today to act calmly in any situation will prepare you far into the future to be a mature and responsible adult. Then when life throws a real "hurricane" at you, you will be ready to face the unknown future with peace.