“You have brains in your heard. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

                These celebrated words from the beloved Dr. Seuss have become graduation fodder since “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” was published in 1990.

                I’ll admit, I read the piece to one of my first graduating classes. They laughed when I first read it, but on their last day of English class, they asked me to reread the story, its significance now coming full circle.

                The words swirled through my head on Saturday as our son, Tyler, crossed the stage and received his diploma, and again on Sunday as the SMH seniors celebrated their departure from high school.

                Commencement. It is the beginning of life, really; a chance to explore independence, choose which path to follow. It is a time to follow dreams, take risks.

                It is time not to live with regrets. Instead, live life with passion and commitment.

                At multiple receptions, as I saw the school photos noting changes during every year, I wondered how these students’ perceptions of graduation changed through the years.

                Did kindergarten-age Tyler think this day would ever come? Or did he enjoy perfecting his ABCs and counting to ten or maybe even 100? Did he and his classmates bond and spend time playing tag on the playground or had they already divided into unique social groups based on likes and dislikes?

                What had changed by fourth grade? Was school a struggle? Did becoming a senior seem like a far-off prospect? Did school days drag by?

                And what about the junior high years? Had he started to contemplate his future? Or, did school activities and increased homework occupy his time, pushing aside planning for his future.

                In August, did he realize this year would fly past in a flurry of cross country meets, basketball games, FFA activities, speech meets, track adventures, and band trips? Did he have a crystal clear vision of what he wanted to achieve in this last year of school?

                I had two goals as a senior. Thought I had life figured out. I knew that after college graduation, I would attend law school and then find the perfect job in Chicago.

                Sometimes, though, life brings unexpected prospects. And sometimes, those opportunities bring the best surprises.

                Graduates, as you prepare to move to the next adventure in your life, do not let anything from taking those first steps. Chart your own journey, learn from your mistakes, and recalibrate your next move.

                Undoubtedly, you’ll experience failure along this journey. In failing, you’ll learn more about yourself and what you want to achieve. Success doesn’t teach those valuable lessons.

                So now it’s time for you to go out and be the best you can be. Now, it’s time for you to embrace the education you’ve received and use it as a foundation for your future.

                Now, it’s time to enjoy the places you will go.

  Pulitzer Prize winning journalists are full of infinite wisdom about the power of the written word.

John Hersey wrote, “Journalism allows its readers to witness history.” Ellen Goodman quipped, “In journalism, there has always been a tension between getting it first and getting it right.”

American historian Edward Eggleston believed journalism is organized gossip. Maybe, if you grab a splashy rag from the front of the supermarket.

 But my sentiments favor these unaccredited words:  Journalism is the first rough draft of history.  It’s the initial telling of an event, with happenings sometimes unfolding even after the newspaper boy flings the first edition at your doorstep or you direct your web browser to your favorite news URL.

            As I write this, I’m in Lincoln, staring out the window of my downtown hotel room. The Lincoln Journal-Star sits diagonally across the street, already bustling with activity in the early morning light. A copy of USA Today arrived at my door, bright and early, offering headlines from near and far corners of the world.

            The news cycle never ends.

            In a few minutes, two of my journalism students will take part in the State Journalism finals, sponsored by the NSAA and the Nebraska High School Press Association. They are the first students from our school to qualify for the event.

            The nature of journalism has evolved since I wrote my first newspaper article. That was in high school, circa 1977. Our crack reporting staff of the Kat Kapers spent hours designing our simplistic, yet newsworthy publication. No photos or fancy infographics graced the pages. We wrote articles in longhand. Then, manual typewriters clicked in rhythm as we typed our stories into two columns.

            And we prayed – yes, we prayed in public school – that we wouldn’t have a typo and have to realign the page in the carriage and erase our mistakes.

            We didn’t ship our editions to be printed at the local newspaper. We cranked the mimeo machine. Remember the purple-blue ink handouts? Later, we formed an assembly line, collating the latest edition. No fancy Xerox machine that collates and staples was available.

            I spent two years sharing the exploits of my schoolmates, capturing the historical significance of our daily activities and accolades.  

            Later that year, I wrote my first professional (although unpaid) article, a profile of a Husker football walk-on from South Carolina who was friends with my family.

            I hand-delivered my typed copy to the paper’s editor, along with photographs I snapped at a football game and waited three days for them to be returned from the lab

            Now, I zip words and photos to editors around the state and world at the speed of fiber optics and satellite connection. Smart phones and social media bring a new layer to reporting.

            In some aspects, reporting has never been easier.

            One of the best lessons I’ve learned – and hope my students discover – is the significance a newspaper plays within a community. It’s an investment in our collective narration; the original and additional rough drafts of the moments of our lives.

            Necessity is the mother of invention.

            Take a close look at products developed in Nebraska and you’ll discover several inventions came about from need, and others, well, those creations created hours of fun.

            Whether a manufacturing plant or home-based enterprise that blossomed, Nebraska’s inventions and products are wide in scope.

            Our state’s agriculture background led to a variety of inventions, ranging from fence stretchers, corn husking hooks, agriculture equipment, and seed varieties.

            A farmer from Cozad used his creative influence to develop a siphon-gravity tube implemented in crop irrigation. Milo V. German’s invention snowballed into a new company – Nebraska Plastics – where siphons and irrigation products were made for farmers around the world.

            Do you plan to vote in the upcoming primary? Take a look at the voting booth. It may have been produced in Crete, Nebraska.

            The Douglas Manufacturing Company has designed voting booths since 1905. After having a dream, Elizabeth Robb Douglas constructed the prototype of a collapsible voting booth. By 1910, the factory received its first order for 1,000 booths.

            Even though the Elgin Watch Company originated in Illinois, a Lincoln plant opened in 1910, manufacturing pocket watches, wrist watches, and precision instruments. The business closed in 1958.

            Another Lincoln staple may have found its way into your kitchen. In 1932, Ed and Phyllis Weaver saw an advertisement for cooking equipment used to make potato chips.

            The Weavers did not have available funds for the purchase; so instead, they used kettles on the stove to create a crispy treat.

            The result, originally named Weaver Brownie Vitamin Chips soon switched its name to weaver Potato Wafers. The company closed its doors in 2006 after a supplier failed to fulfill its contract.

            Even youngsters have had fun with a Nebraska invention – the Terri Lee doll. During the late 1940s and 1950s, this Lincoln creation was a favorite with young girls. The doll and her fashion wardrobe included 500 costumes and accessories.

            The doll was named after the daughter of creator Violet Lee Gradwohl.

            Perhaps one of the most famous inventions from Nebraska is the strobe light, developed by Harold E. “Doc” Edgerton.

            Edgerton’s impact in photography continues to draw acclaim.

            Born in Fremont in 1903, Edgerton spent his childhood years in Aurora, where he discovered photography.  After earning an engineering degree from UNL, Edgerton attended grad school at MIT.

            By combining his love of photography with his studies, Edgerton preserved images that captured a split-second in time. Both amateurs and professionals have emulated his use of ultra high-speed and stop-action photography. Even the U.S. military realized they could utilize Edgerton’s research for atomic bomb testing and aerial photography.

            If you venture past Aurora once evening commences, a blinking strobe light beckons from the tower of the Hamilton County Courthouse, a tribute to its native inventor.

            How many other products have been developed in our state?

            Probably hundreds, each meeting the needs of a specific demographic.

            Or perhaps these products are the result of one person’s vision of simplicity.

            “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”

            Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts are particularly significant today, even though the meaning originated over 200 years ago.

            Without growth and progress, a community flounders, limiting room for improvement, dashing hopes for achievement, and curbing success.

            It’s a depressing thought.

            Yet, this is the situation facing a number of Nebraska communities.

            Drive through many rural towns – even mid-size cities in the heartland – and the view is eerily similar. Empty storefronts. Quiet Main Streets. Vacant houses.  Shrinking population rates.

            Instead of vanishing into a mere shell of its former glory, a community has the opportunity to chart its own future.

            How?

            By passing LB 840, correctly called the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act, an option put into law by the Nebraska Legislature in 1991.

            Currently, voters from 60 communities from all corners of the state – Alliance to Tecumseh, South Sioux City to Imperial – have enacted LB 840.  

            The approved tax is in effect for 15 years. Then, voters can take another look at the impact the funds have had on a community and vote to either approve or deny the tax again.

            A handful of communities from this region, along with several in the western section of the state, will vote this spring whether to approve both an economic development program and the tax.

            Yes, it’s the dreaded ‘T’ word. (Isn’t it one certainty in life?)

            What you won’t see is a tax on real estate. You won’t be taxed for groceries, prescription medicines, Insulin or durable medical equipment.

            Farm families won’t see a tax on farm machinery, feed, seeds and plants for agricultural use, or agricultural chemicals.

            The goal of the law is simple: a city can offer loans to local businesses for a variety of reasons, including start-up and expansion costs or monies can be utilized to recruit new businesses.

            Downtown business districts may use funds to revitalize the area.

            The benefits are numerous. Business start-up or expansion leads to job creation. Job creation leads to new residents. New residents in a town lead to additional monies spent in town, children enrolled in school…

            You get the possible progression.

            Daughter Cassie works as an economic developer in York, and we’ve discussed the benefits of LB840 and its impact on rural communities. She often points to Ord, Nebraska, as a point of reference.

            The Valley County community voted in a one percent tax in 2001. In eight years, the county’s economic development group has funded nearly 40 business projects.

            Revenue from the tax has benefited all communities in Valley County.

            Their model makes a convincing argument.

            If we, as members of small, rural communities or mid-sized municipalities want to ensure a chance for growth, offer hope for our children’s and grandchildren’s futures, we must look at the benefits of enacting LB840.

            It’s a common sense approach for investigating new ideas and approaches to business.

            Otherwise, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.

            And that…is a desolate thought.

                Last week I wrote about diabetes and its effects.  I told the story about a former student – John – and a situation that occurred in my classroom when he was in eighth grade.

                A friend (and Nebraska-isms reader) told me that I should have differentiated between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes since John’s anecdote seemed to describe someone who has Type 1 diabetes and the rest of the article dealt with information regarding Type 2.

                Point taken.

                I called John’s parents and asked about his diagnosis. John’s diabetes did not surface until he was in sixth grade when he was identified as a Type 1 diabetic.

                Type 1 diabetes can take two forms: Idiopathic, a rare form with no known cause, or Immune-mediated, which occurs when the body’s immune system destroys, or attempts to destroy, the cells in the pancreas that manufacture insulin.

                The University of Nebraska Med Center estimates between five and ten percent of cases of diabetes in the United States fall into the Immune-mediated Type 1 category. It can occur at any age, but most often, children, adolescents, or young adults are diagnosed.

                The cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown. It may be genetic; it may have an environmental origin.

                Type 1 diabetics rely on insulin injections. Some diabetics require a pump which delivers insulin all the time.

                Type 1 diabetics cannot take a magic pill to cure the disease. While increasing exercise and monitoring food consumption is recommended by health professionals, these steps will not undue what nature has done.

*     *     *

                Did you survive the weekend’s tornadopocalypse? Based on the number of tornadoes spawning across Midwestern states, the chaotic hail storms that trounced several Northeast Nebraska communities and the five tornado-related deaths in Oklahoma, many Nebraskans should be counting our lucky stars that the damage was not worse.

The potential definitely existed for a doozy of a weather system to wreak havoc.

We were in Lincoln on Saturday, preparing to head to Omaha, when The Weather Channel featured Petersburg and the baseball-size hail storm that pounded the town. With the forecast models predicting intensified tornado activity, we cut our visit short, driving into a blinding downpour near Rising City, only to see the tips of cerulean tinged with pale sunshine streak the sky by the time we reached Silver Creek.

I heard comments the last several days questioning why the National Weather Service issued the tornado watch a day early.

Folks, it’s about prevention and preparedness. We may not be able to outwit Mother Nature, but we can be ready when she comes knocking.

*   *   *

The 62nd annual Red-White Scrimmage was cancelled due to Saturday’s weather. I remember sitting with my dad through a rainy spring scrimmage, back when umbrellas were allowed in Memorial Stadium.

In those days, only the east stadium was open and maybe a couple thousand fans attended.

Now, the 50,000+ planning on attending Saturday’s inter-squad game will have to wait til the season opener to get an up-close-and-personal glimpse of the Big Red.

During a discussion about Greek mythology, John began shaking and sweating, and when he spoke, his words slurred into a jumbled mess.

As everyone’s attention turned toward John and our discussion fell flat, like Icarus falling from the sky, a classmate reached into John’s backpack, retrieved a can of apple juice, and handed it to John. Shortly after consuming the juice, John was back to his usual self, imitating Zeus and conquering the world.

It was an eye-opening lesson on several fronts: the effects of diabetes and the way his classmates reacted.

As America’s obsession with fast and easy food continues to grow, so do most of American’s waistlines, causing myriad health problems. According to the Center for Disease Control, diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the U.S.: 18.8 million diagnosed and 7 million undiagnosed cases, as of 2010.

Between 2000 and 2009, a 2.6 percent increase among Nebraska adults who have ever been diagnosed with diabetes has occurred.  Unfortunately, our state matched the same percent increase that occurred nationwide.

Nearly one in ten Nebraska adults report ever being diagnosed with diabetes. A January 2010 report from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services estimates 103,000 Nebraskans, or 7.8 percent of the state’s adult population has diabetes.

Take a closer look at our region of the state and you’ll learn that numbers from both Knox and Holt counties label over nine percent of the population as diabetic. Antelope County is close with 8.4 percent falling into that category.

Undoubtedly, these numbers will continue to increase unless we each take responsibility for our health and our bottom line…or bottom.

Even cases of gestational diabetes have tripled since the mid-1990s.

During each of my pregnancies, my doctor sent me to the hospital for testing and each time, he told me I was diabetic. Once the girls were born, my levels returned to normal.

But I also realize that each of these cases of gestational diabetes increases my risk of developing diabetes as I get older. It’s a significant cause for worry.

I completed an online assessment from DHHS and based on my responses, I’m at moderate risk.  I have a 1 in 33 chance of having Type 2 diabetes now and in the next ten years, a one in seven chance.

It’s time to take action.

Diabetes is the major cause of heart disease and stroke and a leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, and blindness among adults.

It’s the seventh leading cause of death in our country.

What are the associated costs?

$809 million per year in Nebraska.

It’s a high price to pay, especially when we all can take steps to reduce the chance of having diabetes.

            Think about your senior year. Consider the memories you made as you spent your year as the top dog: the last athletic event, the concluding dance, the final final.

            If you dig a bit deeper, you may remember the last significant moments with your classmates.

            Perhaps you participated in an age-old tradition by joining forces and missing the same day of school as part of International Ditch Day or Senior Skip Day.

            Or, maybe your class took a group outing. I’m not talking about a traditional field trip. I’m speaking about one of the favorite events of senior year: the senior “sneak” trip.

            The senior trip is an established tradition that has experienced a renaissance in some schools and elimination in many. In some instances, it has endured rules changes.

            Back in ’79, my class had a 24-hour window to travel, visit and return to Clay Center.

            Travel time limited our choices, but after careful deliberation, we decided to venture to Kansas City for a senior extravaganza at Worlds of Fun, dinner at a KC chop house, and shopping at Crown Center.

            We were a close-knit bunch, but that particular trip brought us closer together. Maybe it was our upcoming departure from home, from security and routine, that made us realize the significance of this last time together.

            As I write this column, Scott and I are in Chicago with 20 St. Mary’s seniors. Along with two sets of parents, we are supervising their last hurrah before graduating and commencing the next step in their lives.

            It’s been a fun, crazy, eye-opening whirlwind weekend in the windy city.

            And I’m certain my students have made everlasting memories, storing them in their internal memory bank so they can recall the details at any moment.

           We visited prominent Chicago landmarks, watched jousting at Medieval Times, saw a Red Panda (and agreed that the Henry Doorly Zoo is the best zoo in the country), cheered at a Black Hawks game, and walked over 10 miles a day. Students discovered the ins and outs of the Chicago Transit Authority and quickly learned that the ‘L’ sometimes transports colorful characters.

            We weren’t in Nebraska anymore, Toto.

            As an onlooker, this group has given me a renewed sense of pride about today’s youth.

            As we exited a CTA bus yesterday after trekking through Lincoln Park Zoo, each student said ‘thank you’ to the driver. He smiled and shook his head at this out-of-place display of appreciation. When I stepped off the bus, he told me he hadn’t heard those words from a customer for several years.

            What’s the significance of taking this kind of trip? It’s an educational opportunity to see new places they may never have the chance to see again.

            It’s a wake-up call about the realities of life – the hustle and bustle – beyond our community.

            It’s a social event, a time for emotional bonding amongst this group that will soon head on different life paths.

            I hope this group realizes what a special bond they share and continue to maintain that sense of family that exists among them.

                On a solemn Saturday afternoon back in November, Nebraska Assistant Coach Ron Brown led the scarlet and cream and the blue and white in prayer at midfield after a week of allegations and firings rocked Happy Valley.

                That singular moment of prayer hoped for healing and showed those watching that something bigger than a winning touchdown was important. To me, the hash-mark gathering recognized the seriousness of the accusations and asked for understanding and guidance during a complex situation.

                For most Nebraskans who follow Husker football, seeing Coach Brown praying at midfield following Huskers games is nothing new. Members of both teams meet and listen to a post-game prayer usually delivered by Brown, and sometimes, prayers offered by players.

                I’ve had the opportunity to hear Brown speak at assemblies, as well as Fellowship of Christian Athletes functions. Listening to him share testimony and talk about a connection between athletics and religion, it’s easy to develop respect for this coach who openly shares his beliefs and encourages student athletes to strive for the best.

                But Brown’s directness has caused a stir recently, not only in Nebraska, but around this vast sports nation.  Newspapers, talk radio, TV and sports outlet ranging from Nebraska’s daily newspapers to the Huffington Post to the New York Times to ESPN ran quotes and sound bytes of Brown’s March 6 opposition regarding proposed amendments to city discrimination laws in front of the Omaha City Council.

                The amendments would allow bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender occupants to file grievances if they were fired over sexual orientation or experienced workplace or public discrimination. (The Council passed the ordinance one week later.)

                Here’s the conundrum. Brown introduced himself as a member of the UNL coaching staff. Were Brown’s comments representing his employer or were the comments his personal beliefs?

                A March 22 Huffington Post article by sports writer Cyd Ziegler calls for the Huskers to fire Brown.  Ziegler believes the attitudes and beliefs of the running backs coach set a negative tone with Nebraska athletes. 

                Ziegler asserts that when Brown uses Memorial Stadium, Tom Osborne Field, or his office in the sports complex as the backdrop for videos while sharing his message, a separation between Brown’s beliefs and UNL’s policy is blurred.

                UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman reprimanded Brown, who has spent over 20 years coaching at the university.  UNL’s nondiscrimination policy is clear. UNL does not discriminate based on sexual orientation.

                This debate also calls to question Brown’s right to freedom of speech. As an individual citizen, he’s afforded First Amendment rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

                I don’t always agree with World-Herald columnist Tom Shatel, but I do agree with his perception of this situation. I’m ok with Coach Brown being himself, as long as he does not wear Husker gear and he informs UNL administration ahead of time of what he’s doing.  

                UNL has the prerogative to tell him no, also.

                Brown may be walking a fine line among religion, speech, and separation between church and state, but he’s standing strong in his beliefs.

                Presidents and statesmen have touted it. Philosophers reveled in it. Businessmen rely on its emphasis on creativity. And scholars from around the world sing its praises.

                “It” is music, the universal language of rhythm, sound and words, creating a lasting presence on everyone who experiences its joy. Music is powerful, an art form that sparks creativity and provokes imagination.

                But, what if the music suddenly stopped? What if, due to budget constraints, schools no longer introduced this most basic connection of human existence to its students?

                It’s an unfortunate yet true situation caused by a combination of factors.

                Many school districts across the country receive reduced state aid benefits, leading to cuts in programs. The first to disappear: fine arts.

                Plus, more schools elect to focus on the basics skills of readin’, writin,’ and ‘rithmatic, the heartbeat of the No Child Left Behind Act.

                These two factors are a lethal mixture for arts education programs. Ironic, since research shows students involved in fine arts activities tend to score higher academically.

                Music education is about so much more than notes on the scale. That’s why I am always reminded of former President Bill Clinton’s take on why music education makes a difference.

                “Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying music in schools, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.”

                Music education showed me how to incorporate creativity into other subject areas, like finding a rhythm to Algebra problems; to fine-tune leadership skills, try being the drum majorette and line up a 60-member band and keep them quiet; and how to listen to the deeper meaning of a song lyric and apply it to a current event.

                It’s a strong foundation of my educational upbringing.

                I feel privileged to have had outstanding music educators – primarily Lucille Norman and Lois Zulauf – teach the intricacies of the E minor scale, the history of Beethoven and Bach, and the soul of Three Dog Night.

                Yup, my fourth grade class – as well as other Clay Center Elementary classes – could be heard belting out “Jeremiah was a bullfrog….was a good friend of mine.” And some days, we’d pay homage to “Bad, Bad LeRoy Brown” because he was meaner than a junkyard dog.  Other days, we’d sway along to the optimistic “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and hoped it would begin with us.

                The message of these musical interludes – the power of harmony – still resonates today.

                Now, I think about the SMH music program and how our instructor produced a pep band for this year’s athletic events. Sitting in the crowd at the State Basketball tournament games listening to them play reminded me of some of my strongest memories from school.

                We WILL rock you!

                Hopefully, Nebraska schools will not be faced with the agonizing decision whether or not to continue music programs. It’s a strong foundation for enhanced creativity, a building block of a student’s culture, and a pathway that opens doors.

                Music lasts a lifetime.