Star Student Scholar Sophia

(edited in PM same day, I wrote too fast in the AM, I think it reads worse after editing)

In Ventura County there is The Star, it's the local paper and they just gave our family a treat.
Each year The Star presents it's awards to students for outstanding scholarship.
The Star Scholar Awards Banquet.
It is their 26th year doing this for the community, it comes with small scholarships.
They like to tell the story that in their first year it was a barbecue with a ventriloquist with a duck.I bet that had a real charm though.
I'm rather proud of the fact that my TWO daughters managed to be selected by Pacifica High School in their senior years (by academic rank), for their high school rep (one of three children per school). Pacifica runs under the leadership of Mr. Dabbs and we were very lucky to be awarded for both girls and get to go to this event in Simi Valley.( We are very lucky too to have two children able to do so well, you have no idea how lucky I felt.)

The Star recognizes 78 high school seniors

So last night we went to the Reagan Library to watch my daughter Sophia accept her award.
It was pretty amazing because:

1) It was right UNDER Air Force One, a new and impressive exhibit at the Reagan Library that I'd never seen. This airplane served seven administrations.
It made a rather unbelievable and memorable backdrop.


Here I looked up from my table.



I had to lighten these pictures the evening light came in at sunset so intense it rather blew out pictures.
It was so amazing that lovely light through this glass.
I just really did not capture that.



Sophia's father and Sophia, isn't she a beautiful child?


Signing in.



I barely was able to walk, numb leg, but it was a totally impressive view.



( As I hobbled behind)
2) Amazing, Sophia allowed me to take a couple pictures!
Some on the run.

3)They had several speakers, the CA State Superintendent of Schools, Jack O'Connell and the astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Yes, they had the astronaut that walked on the moon!
They received a copy of a book he has written, it was signed. A lovely, lovely child's book.
I have newspapers John Glenn signed for us, so this just improves the collection. Papers that celebrated his trip long ago. So my mom, of course, was thrilled for Sophia.



Dr. O'Connell, acknowledging Air Force One's presence.

4)Sophia was presented her award with a little shout out to her father from Dr. Mantooth the Ventura County Superintendent, who also was a guest speaker. He said, "Are you ready for this John." Just as she got her award. I am adding a movie of that event. The worst ones I ever saw or took. I'm afraid I was just totally off my game. My laugh clapping for her dropping my camera, it's excruciating to view.
And that's pretty nice though to try to grab for this. She specifically said, "Do not blog me."
Oh well, mums.



Coming back after accepting.



5) I could barely walk. And I realized how seriously I'm impaired especially in my right leg. I don't know what's going on, herniated disk, syrinx? But I do know while the back pain is down I have a numb foot and leg, drag my leg and mechanically walk, just walk incorrectly.
That will stay with me about this event I know.

6) She looked beautiful and my pictures turned out poorly. Three children per school are selected. Hers is the largest high school in the county, a huge, huge county, a huge school. Her friends Gabriel and April were also honored, they are such nice kids. She has been very fond of Gabriel knowing him all her high school years.
The Kids with Mr. Dabbs, their really great Principal.

.


7) Buzz Aldrin gave a very different kind of presentation, he is a year from 80!
I felt that as meaningful, as I recall his moon walk very well from the black and white TV in my home long ago that brought it to us. In those days we celebrated globally such an achievement, TV dinners were at the ready I suppose. He had slides but he couldn't see, it got really dark on the dais. It got to be strange light with the sun setting and he said he was used to teleprompters, so that was hard on him, then in the questions portion it became just like a Robert Altman movie. Which was very interesting. ( small dumb clip below)





He actually tried to speak a bit about aliens, lights they saw in the capsule and reasons why, God, religions and division, global money, some having- others not, and a host of things that I will generally recall for awhile. But mostly I was worried about walking to get there and back and the extreme weakness....so then it ended and we came home with her certificates.

Sophia has, I'm sure like all these children, and many more, worked very hard.
I really appreciate the Star for giving them a night like this.

It's not easy times for papers. This paper does a lot reaching out to community.
I know I read of cut backs awhile ago to its staff. It's just been so sad to see our industry, the free press coping, the press falling. Sophia wants to major in journalism, I think, or at the least it's one of her major considerations. She writes for her school paper, Currents. At Pacifica this year she recently won a New Writing Award in a county competition and her paper as her dad says, "Ran away with it." So we are proud that her long after school hours helped her find her place in her school, gave her opportunities to learn, exposed her to quality people. Made her think of ways to present information and how to consider points of view. What is news?
She was very glad for these days at Pacifica.