Archive for the 'Ideas' Category

My Favorite Video from my Childhood

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on March 18, 2009
in Ideas, Links and Ricky
. 0 Comments

When I was really young, like, pre-school young, I had an amazing obsession with Phil Collins, which has only resurfaced in recent years.

Today, I found my favorite video from when I was a kid - it’s Phil Collins’ final song on his Farewell Tour. He’s performing Take Me Home, undoubtedly one of the greatest songs ever written. I remember watching this video over and over again on a VHS tape. To me, it’s inspiring.

My point in writing this post isn’t to get you to listening to Phil Collins. Rather, I urge you search YouTube for things you loved as a kid. You’ll be amazed and delighted at what you find.

The Talents of Every American

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on February 25, 2009
in Ideas
. 0 Comments

It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

~ President Barack Obama, last night.

Deep Holiday Thought

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on December 24, 2008
in Ideas
. 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again, so stop reading blogs and spend some time with family and friends!

We’ll talk very soon; I promise.

Generation We

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on October 29, 2008
in Earth, Ideas, Links, Politics and Social Media
. 1 Comment

I identify.

Writing a Constitution

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on October 18, 2008
in Dover, Ideas and Politics
. 0 Comments

Back at Dover High School, my greatest accomplishment was leading a committee to rewrite my Student Council’s constitution. Earlier this week, a friend sent me a Facebook message asking me for my advice in accomplishing the same task for an organization at his college. This is my public response to his question.

To start, I’m flattered to be asked for my help like this; I really appreciate it. However, there are far more qualified people to ask than I. Perhaps the Student Government of the college has an official “historian” or someone well-versed in writing constitutions. I’m very confident there’s plenty of help to be found on the campus itself.

Regardless, I’m more than happy to offer my help. In this instance, however, there isn’t a formula for producing a perfectly polished document. Writing a bullet-proof constitution for an organization is inherently a very customized task, one that needs to be fine-tuned to the organization’s needs and goals. I can’t possibly pretend to offer any truly targeted advice for an organization I’m not a member of. It’s a personal journey, and with time, any group that cares enough can pen the guidelines for a system they care about.

There are some basic guidelines to follow, for sure. For example, you must define all of your terms, layout your articles logically, and keep the document internally consistent. This doesn’t even come close to scratching the surface. I recommend learning by example.

My two favorite constitutions are United States Constitution and (selfishly) the Dover High School Student Council Constitution. The former document has guided our nation to where it is today, arguably, very successfully. The latter document was written over the span of a year by seven different people and has since been easily amended twice. Every sentence, article, and punctuation mark was placed where it was for a reason. If you reverse-engineer both of these examples, you’ll learn more than enough to do a great job.

Look those two documents over, read up for advice on Google, and never be afraid to take your time. Rushing something as fundamental as a constitution will only lead to problems down the road.

And finally, good luck!

New Direction, New Beginning

Published
by
Richard Mondello
on August 26, 2008
in Ideas, Monthly Resolutions, Ricky and Site News
. 9 Comments

I’m sitting in a hotel room in Boston with my family, ready to move in to Tufts tomorrow morning. I’m very excited, but predictably scared. It’s a huge change for me - from the countryside of Dover Plains to the urban sprawl of Boston.

In the beginning of this year, I vowed to set a new goal or focus for each month and work at it. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again - I messed up. August was noticeably missing a resolution, but the most important part of accomplishing a goal is getting back on track when knocked off course.

Let’s get back on track. I’m dedicating September to trying new things, meeting new people, and immersing myself in new experiences. Although this is what college is all about, I plan to put special effort into this endeavor. I won’t lay back and let these experience find me; I’m going to go out and seek them myself.

Besides the changes in my life, you may have noticed a change on this blog. Because this is a very symbolic time in my life, a time of transition, I changed the color scheme of the blog to something much more refreshing. It’s only one of many changes that I have lined up for this website when I get some free time.

I don’t know how my blogging will change now that I’m starting college, but I assure you that I will continue to write. I’m not sure how often or about what, but I will always write about the important things in my life and how they may relate to you, especially when it comes to bettering our world.

I hope you’ll stay with me on this journey.