Educational Assistance

Not many people knew this, but baseball legend Joe DiMaggio had a thing for students with learning disabilities.

He even has an award gala in his memory – The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala – a major fundraiser for Xaverian High and its program for students with learning disabilities. Established in 1999 after the Yankee Clipper’s death, the Joe DiMaggio Award was started by its chairman, Dr. Rock Positano, along with the approval of the DiMaggio Estate. The mission is to memorialize diMaggio’s “lifelong commitment to the health, education and well being of America’s youth.”

The major fundraiser is for Xaverian’s Ryken Education Center, a place where students with learning disabilities get help.

“This has become the preeminent education gala in the United States. The Legacy Program is benefited this year, an intensive and self-contained program running next to the mainstream. It is designed for students with learning disabilities,” said supporter and Board member Rocco Basile.

Adopted by the New York State Regents as the model of all such endeavors, since the Ryken Program’s inception in 1994 (it was formerly known as the REACH Program), over 100 young men have graduated from this special initiative and all have gone on to four-year colleges.

Four students recently received scholarships to major New York-Metropolitan area universities, said Basile.

Since Xaverian is private and tuition driven, proceeds from the Gala will especially benefit its many students. Besides the dinner and awards presentation, the evening includes a silent auction of rare Joe DiMaggio memorabilia donated by the DiMaggio Estate and Morris Engelberg, Esq.

Bay Ridge school’s highest honor, formerly called the Concordia Award, was given to DiMaggio back in 1997. The award has since been presented to Dr. Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, Henry Kissinger, television personality Regis Philbin, singer/songwriter Paul Simon, Sopranos star James Gandolfini, CBS Sports commentator Boomer Esiason, NBC Emmy-Award winning sports broadcaster Bob Costas and former mayor and current presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani.

Most recently on January 4, 2008, Brooklyn’s Xaverian High School presented the recently retired Giants running back, Tiki Barber with its coveted Joe DiMaggio Award. The “Today Show” commentator and analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” was honored in Manhattan at Cipriani restaurant.

During an illustrious 10-year playing career, Barber, three-time Pro-Bowler, set virtually every career offensive record for the Giants and is best known for team records of 10,448 rushing yards, 586 receptions and 15,631 total yards from scrimmage.

                                       Stress Management TechniquesThe simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management

Living with high levels of stress, can putt your entire health at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional stability, as well as your physical health. It tapers with your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.Causes of Stress

Stress may be because of any physical, chemical, or emotional factors that cause bodily or mental unrest and that may even cause physical sickness. Stress also has effects on the immune system. Chronic (long-term) stress has the effect of “wearing down” the immune system, leading to an increased susceptibility to colds and other infections.

Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied.How to Manage Stress

Stress is a daily part of our life; it would be absolutely foolish to think that we can eliminate it from our lives completely. What we can do is to manage it and not let it cripple us. Learn to say “no” : This is the most important step, know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept extra responsibilities that you know will cause you distress.

 Avoid people who stress you out : If someone constantly causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely. 

 Take control of your environment : Avoid environments that stress you, if traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If shopping is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online or ask someone to help out. Avoid heated topics : If you get upset over religion or politics, avoid talking about them. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people you are bound to be stressed.Know your limits: evaluate your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom or eliminate them entirely. Express instead of bottling up- If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and polite way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build creating unnecessary stress.Compromise- When you ask someone to change their actions, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend a little, you’ll find a middle ground.Be more assertive- If you need something ask for it. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. Manage your time better- Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.Don’t try to control the uncontrollable- Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control.Look for the Brightside- When facing major challenges; try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. Share your feelings- Talk to a trusted friend or a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very therapeutic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.Learn to forgive- Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.Include relaxation time-Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike. Create a Support system- A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress. Spend time with positive people who enhance your lifeExercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.Eat a healthy diet-  Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.Reduce caffeine and sugar- The temporary “highs” caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs- alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Later the stress simply piles on plus your health starts to suffer.Get enough sleep-Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

In the old days, teenagers played a secondary role in the society. They never assumed any responsibility nor was it offered. The elders usually played all the important roles and the youth was made legally responsible only after they attained certain age. In many matters, the decision of the elders was final.
Today’s teenagers, in general, have the right to obtain education. In my opinion, only the educations can increase the literacy among the teenagers and hence teenagers will have a wider range of communication. Why does communication seem to be so important? For your information, by communicating with others, we can actually exchange our ideas with them. Isn’t good for us? On the contrary, if we do not obtain education, we definitely cannot communicate well with others. This will lead to misunderstanding which subsequently leads to quarrels or even wars. Hence, teenagers have the responsibility to study and complete their given tasks, homework or assignment.
In addition, teenagers have the right to participate in family, cultural and social life. Teenagers should learn to mix well with others be it a Malay, a Chinese or an Indian. For example, teenagers should be actively involved in the activities held in the residential areas such as ‘gotong-royong’. Besides, teenagers are also responsible to help around the house. To illustrate, they can help in the household chores such as sweeping and mopping the floor, wiping the window, wash the clothes and others. These can help to shape the teenagers to be more responsible and be more independent.
Nowadays, the teenagers appear to be revolting throughout the world. On top of that, teenagers today succumb to various influences. For instance, moral values and graciousness, in the past, were prominent in most teenagers. However, these moral values and self-discipline hold by the teenagers are gradually diminishing over the years. This lack of self-discipline and self control is becoming more and more apparent over time. Even the simplest of morals say, respect, care and consideration are fading away over the years. In particular, a simple display of respect like offering the elderly a seat on the bus is being replaced by other violent acts.
Furthermore, teenagers today tend to lead a modern lifestyle as compared to the teenagers in the past. Unlike those days, teenagers are forced to stay at home playing all kinds of simple games; teenagers today have variety of choice or games, for example, computer games. Teenagers too, seem to like the same kind of things and adopt similar fashions. In particular, walkman and modern hand phones seem to be inseparable for the teenagers. The long hairstyle of the teenagers of the western countries has also become very common in our country. Moreover, teenagers today often staying up late or even involving in social ills. It’s very sad to hear that the percentage of teenagers involved in social ills is increasing. Hence, some actions must be taken to stop the teenagers from continue to abuse themselves.
In a nutshell, teenagers, the cream of the society, must not be allowed to move on the path of destruction. The home and the school have a tremendous responsibility in shaping the character of the teenagers. The teenagers need people to advise them, guide them, and to lead and show them the path of righteous and enjoyable activities. The correct directions given to teenagers can help them to be good and useful men of tomorrow.