New Age

We were swallowed by a black hole last night. By, we, I mean all of us. We were in a flurry of conversation about Michelle Obama's plum wool coat and Bernie Sander's homespun mittens. As we chattered away we got blind sided by a black hole. It didn't care about our political affiliations or what clothes we had on. No warning, no goodbyes, just gone like the dinosaurs or the Mayans or ancient romans - buh bye.

Of course it was a dream or rather a nightmare. Odd because everyone was riding high on the inauguration. Apparently, I'm scared we are going to lose all of it. Our pageantry, our history, our ceremonies, our rites of passage. The threats to our world and our democracy are very real these days.

Yet, when beauty shows itself to the world it is a tender thing. Amanda Gorman, the young poet with skin that shines like a radiant black berry dressed in yellow and red laid at our feet the world of poem. Asking us if we are brave enough to be the light we seek.

President Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement in one of his first acts as president. He has an appointed a diverse group of cabinet members including the first Native American appointee, Deb Haaland, as the secretary of the interior. Its somewhat unbelievable that in addition to never having a woman in an executive leadership role before; we've never had a person of Native American descent serve in a presidential cabinet.

In my own life and work I'm feeling drawn to the ancient wisdom of indigenous people. Perhaps the answer key to the climate crisis has been here all along. It would take 3 plus earths to support everyone living the same lifestyle as me and I'm a self proclaimed treehugger. What could change if we are brave enough to see the earth not as a commodity, but as a gift that is meant to be shared. The climate crisis feels like that black hole waiting to swallow us all whether or not we have a damn mask on. 

However, I can't lose sight of the light that creates the shadows. As Gorman eloquently puts it:

"When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid,
the new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it.
If only we're brave enough to be it."

One thing is sure a new age is here. What stories will we live to tell?

Mom's Magic Toast

When I was 22 years old I started working as school bus driver. That job had a few key benefits. The pay was enough to support me and my young son and I could bring my son to work with me. I won't forget the winters when I had to get up early and get us both bundled up and out the door before 6 am. I would carry my sleeping son in a log of blankets and somehow strap him into a car seat in the back. When we got to the bus barn I would start the bus and wait for it to warm up before depositing him still in log-blanket shape in the seat behind me. 

The driving was the fun part. It was a thrill to be the biggest vehicle on the road at the earliest hour of the morning. Of course the dealing with 50 plus children was the challenging part. I had no idea how to discipline 50 students with my back to them. I still don't! 

By the time I had made all the stops and just as I was getting close to the school my son would would wake up. He would poke his little bed head hair and chubby face from the seat behind me. The school kids would get him to parrot rap lines back at them.

Once at the school the magic bag of toast would appear. This was also apart of the morning ritual. I would toast two slices of bread with butter and hippy flakes (Braggs Nutritional Yeast) for him to eat to not get too grumpy. He would happily munch away after the other kids were off the bus.

Funny thing is he is nearly 18 and I still make Mom's Magic Toast upon request. I've updated the recipe to now include "everything but the bagel" seasoning from Trader Joe's. Its the more adult version of a very simple recipe that has gotten us through many hungry moments. 

Do you have a simple go-to magic recipe that you use on the hungry bodies in your life?

Equity in Engineering

 

 

Jarvis wants me to know that he is no Barack Obama. I’m only slightly disappointed, because in preparation for our interview I had listened to vulnerability-guru Brene Brown interview our 44th president. 2020 had also brought the words of Ibram X. Kendi to my shore and one of the points Kendi makes is that not one person is responsible for speaking for their entire race. I repeat something like this to Jarvis and it seems to put him at ease. The following is a summary of our conversation we had on December 21, 2020.
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I asked Jarvis to begin by telling us about his company, JQOL – Quality of Life, of which I am an employee, and his role on the Purdue Lyles School of Engineering admissions task force. He started JQOL in January of 2019 and it was just himself and a computer. JQOL is one of three African American owned civil engineering firms in the State of Indiana and one of the few new engineering firms started in the last 10 years. It’s a fact that is getting him noticed in spite of being shy to declare himself a leader in our industry.

The Purdue admissions task force is working towards understanding what barriers are preventing minority students from seeking an engineering degree at Purdue and what opportunities can be created to increase those numbers. The task force met from March to November on a weekly basis to develop recommendations based from a data driven approach. Historical data from Purdue and other similar universities was used to develop preliminary recommendations.

A big barrier to pursuing an engineering education is financial support targeted towards minority students. Another one is if an applicant doesn’t meet the November 1st early decision deadline they can hurt their chances of getting admitted. Then there is the matter of standardized testing which historically African American students under perform in, but admissions and scholarships are heavily geared towards.

Jarvis, a Purdue graduate himself, credits his high school education at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School as the means in which he was able to perform at a level that gained him admission to Purdue.  Brebeuf was in sharp contrast to John Marshall middle school that he attended previously. Jarvis admitted that on his first day at Brebeuf it was a culture shock, where at John Marshall black students were the majority and at Brebeuf black students were the minority.  Jarvis’s credits his mother, Lieutenant Kimberly Young of IMPD, as the single most influential person in his life and providing the support and motivation he needed through all the tough times.

Part of the task force recommendations include expanding the criteria for admissions to weigh other factors besides test scores and grade point averages. Making room for students who might not be acclimated to the standardized test method. Other recommendations include partnerships with technical high schools that could fast track admissions for high achieving students. For those minority students that have been admitted it is important to make sure they are supported to see their dreams come to reality.

As a business owner who is black he feels he has the ability to influence direct change and opportunities that may not happened if he didn’t start JQOL. As a co-chair on the task force he personally was able to challenge the admissions committee to be accountable to their goals. True to engineering form: does their work mean anything at all if it can’t be quantified?

I asked Jarvis about what his vision is for our shared profession. He hopes that it becomes more diverse and less profit driven. One of the reasons he wanted to start his own company was to create a work place atmosphere where people could be ambitious in their careers and be comfortable in their home life. Too often designers are weighed down by deadlines and profit margins, and we don’t take time to appreciate the impact we have on the lives of other people. As Jarvis’ business model suggests, civil engineering is ever present in our lives and unnoticed until it goes awry. He hopes that his business can help change the perception of engineers as pocket protector carrying nerds. His friends even call his business “Jcool”.

When asked what keeps him motivated and inspired the answer is simple – being surrounded by people who are also learning and growing in their careers. He has been humbled by the amount of support that people have shown him in his business venture. He lives his life by the golden rule to treat others how he wants to be treated. It’s a vision that is uncomplicated yet very needed inside and outside of our industry.

Click here to learn more about the task force.

Expecting

My son got into college. I pulled the letter out of the mailbox on Christmas day. We had been up early to do Santa's presents and both had gone back to bed afterwards. I got up (again) and took the dog for his walk. I stopped by the mailbox on the way back in by habit. There it was, a big envelope from Indiana State declaring itself that it belonged on the fridge. I rushed back inside tears already streaming down my face. I shouted at my son. Another present had arrived and he should come open it!!! 

As we enter into the last semester of his senior year I can't help but be drawn back to the third trimester of my pregnancy. My body was full of baby and I could feel him flipping around like a fish in a bowl. It was a sweet time we had together. It was before I had ever said his name to him or yelled his name in frustration. 

I feel that way again. I'm expecting again. This time the delivery looks a lot different. A car trip down to Terre Haute. An unloading of stuff and things. Can he bring his computer seems to be his biggest question. 

I want to hold this moment here forever. This feeling of accomplishment when we are still attached in so many ways. What will the future bring for him? For me? This dependency we have developed on each other will shift. I started mourning this last year. This year I am planning. Planning a party. Planning the trips I will take as empty nester. Planning the visits I will make to his dorm room. I'm also praying. Praying that vaccines are distributed. Praying that the death count slows. Praying that he can go unhindered. 

 What are you planning and praying for?

World Building

 As we pass through the holiday season we've been connecting with people via virtual calls. Its been a nice way to stay connected and check in with people we haven't been able to see in person this year. Conversations seem to focus on the highs and lows of the past year. The holiday season can be rough and I think we were all feeling that a little bit this year. That being said I have a lot to be grateful for this year. My son has matured in a way that I have long dreamed about. He is taking responsibility for his actions and it feels amazing to witness the successful development of him into a young adult. I'm so grateful to be in my own home with him and my dog and cat. We have comfort and joy in our lives and we don't even have to leave our own living room. When I was a student at the university I would dream about moments like this. I can say that the reality is better than anything I could have imagined. 

I had an unexpected job change mid-year. With the job change came new responsibilities. Design work was handed to me. I didn't have to negotiate for it. I didn't have to pay any dues. It was just here you go. All yours. 

What do I love about design? I love the whole process. Its an art form of its own kind. On the grandest of days I am a sculptor who works in the medium of dirt, trees, land, and pipes. On my humblest of days I am a diplomat between owner, architect, and city. Of course, the final product is the best reward. When a project goes from plan to reality and you can walk the site and see the details that were intimately drawn it is a small, but thrilling feeling.

Its literal 'world building' which is a term I learned from studying how to write fiction. I think all of us are thinking about world building in one sense or another. 2021 shines like a beacon on the horizon and we can all imagine something that we want to see this new world to look like. Whether it be a world free of violence or greed or environmental catastrophe. We are being an offered a chance to rebuild. What does your new world look like?