How Walkovaya Destroyed My Life
If you read my last post, you know that something went awry with my Walkovaya bank accounts. In a nutshell, they closed my accounts without notifying me. And I went nearly two weeks without access to any of my money. I've been unable to purchase textbooks, a parking permit, or even meals. I've had to rely on my credit card for everything (something I never do). And I've been in constant contact with the bank about this. Last week, I went into the branch four times, spending an hour with them each time. At the conclusion of each visit, they assured me that my accounts were reopened and things were fine. Each time, they were wrong.
Let me break it down for you in a time line.
Wednesday, 8/11 -- My card is declined at an ATM.
Thursday, 8/12 -- My card is declined at a restaurant.
Saturday, 8/14 -- I contact Walkovaya about the card being declined. I'm told that my accounts were closed earlier in the week and that I'd have to call back during regular business hours, M-F.
Monday, 8/16 -- I visit the Chapel Hill Walkovaya branch. They inform me that my account was flagged for verification in accordance with the USA Patriot Act. Upon closer examination of my account, they inform me that there was no reason for this and that my account is actually verified. They tell me that they've reopened the account. Also, they said they cut a check for the funds that were in my accounts (savings + checking) and mailed the check to my house in Kill Devil Hills, NC.
Tuesday, 8/17 -- When trying to access my account online, I'm denied. I head into the branch, where they assure me that they will fix the problem that business day. But, they don't. I'm getting pretty ticked off.
Thursday, 8/19 -- My sister gets the check in the mail and takes it to her local Walkovaya branch to deposit it in my account. She is told that Walkovaya has no account for a Mr. Christopher Lane. She informs me of this, so I head into the Chapel Hill Walkovaya branch. They let me know that my account was never reopened, even though they had already told me TWICE that it was reopened. I'm fuming by this point. They FINALLY manage to open it this time and my sister deposits the check. However, Walkovaya informs her that there will be a four-day hold on the funds in the account so that they can verify them. BUT THE CHECKS WERE FROM Walkovaya. Why do they have to verify their own checks? Beats me.
Friday, 8/20 --I walk into the Chapel Hill branch hoping to gain access to my money so that I can pay for food, gas, textbooks, and tuition. They look at the account, see that it's reopened, and I ask for an explanation about them putting a four-day hold on their own check. They tell me that the other branch must have made a mistake and that they will clear it up for me. They call the KDH branch, who then realize they've misplaced the check. They call back in thirty minutes after they've found the check. At this point, they realize that they didn't notice that the checks were from Walkovaya and therefore put an unnecessary hold on the funds. As I leave the branch, I'm told that my funds will be available and all will be resolved by midnight. Another lie.
Monday, 8/23 -- I get a call at 10 AM from the branch manager in Chapel Hill. She lets me know that my account is restored and my funds are available. I check online and she's right. Finally, Walkovaya gets their act together. I just wish they'd done that two weeks ago.
Needless to say, this was a nightmare. I'm thankful to have had a credit card to cover basic things like food and gas. Oh, and I'll definitely be withdrawing all of my funds and closing my account with Walkovaya ASAP. So, any suggestions for which bank to move to?
LikeI am a WASP – also, a terrorist.
Recently, I was stripped of all my finances.
I am left without even a dime in the bank. And unfortunately, I never carry cash.
For the next four days, I will live very frugally. That might not sound so hard, but it is when you are a college student and ALREADY live frugally. I'm eating dust for every meal and sometimes I manage to sneak a sip of water from the sink in the restroom when no one is looking. I've resorted to sofa diving for change, but to no avail. My couch has only been here for a week, so it has had little chance to swallow up my spare change. I'm exaggerating a bit, but I think you get the point. I've (temporarily) fallen on hard times.
How did I end up this way? It's primarily due to my ties with multiple terrorist organizations around the world. Who'dathunkit? A white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant male sleeping with the enemy? I guess we all have secrets, and sometimes those secrets fall into the hands of the right (or wrong?) people. My dirty laundry has now been aired.
I've kept great cover over the past 20 years. I've posed as an Honor Roll student, a Key Club president, a Unicorn, and a Resident Advisor. Would you venture to connotate any of those with terrorist? Exactly - you wouldn't. And that's why I've been so successful.
So, my friends, I think it's the end of the road for me. I've accomplished my duties. Any minute now, they'll find me. I sit waiting, on my couch, in Grimes 411. Obama and his cronies are standing outside of my door, waiting for the right moment to bust in and charge me with treason. I am documenting this so that you know the truth. Don't let the media blind you.
I was a great man, but I was a flawed man. My flaw just happened to be that I was, and still am, a terrorist.
Yours truly,
C.
It should be noted that this post was published in complete jest. If you are a member of the United States Department of Defense, I applaud your work and hope that you can laugh at a twenty-year-old's humor. As a friend stated yesterday, I am the antithesis of a terrorist.
Jackie’s Story
I promised to share some of the stories of the children here at Jacob's Ladder. The following is the story of Jackie, an eleven-year-old from Burundi, Africa.
Jackie and her family moved to America when she was 5. They are refugees from Burundi, the African country that sits below Rwanda. Burundi is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and has been marked by civil war since the middle of the twentieth century. The war is a result of unrest between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes. Jackie and her family fled the country shortly after a neighbor's newborn baby was poisoned by an enemy. Since their arrival in the United States, Jackie's mother has nearly been poisoned.
This summer, Jackie has taught us all about her culture and how different Africa is from our land. She has taught us traditional games and songs in the Kirundi language. In a session with the RAs, she simulated an African classroom. She handed each of us a worksheet printed entirely in Kirundi and spoke only in her native language. As we struggled to do our work, she showed one of the RAs how the punishment for forgetting one's supplies is a slap on the hand with a ruler.
After that exercise, Jackie explained that we had just felt what she experienced when she first came to America. She was tossed into public school and expected to do the same work as every other student, without knowing a bit of English. Jackie has progressed a great deal in her short time here in America. Her English is fantastic - and we remind her of that every chance we get.
She also shared with us a true story of her childhood in Africa. She remembers some of her life there and chronicled part of it with the following piece.
"Stories of Africa"
When I was a baby, I liked to cry because I really wanted sugar cane. Every time I cried for sugar cane and my mother didn't have any, an old man would come by. He was a friend to everybody. He would tell me, "Urashaka Umuguba?" which means "Would you like some sugar cane?" I would always say, "Ego" which means "yes" and he would give it to me to make me stop crying.
When I got older, I used to go around with my grandfather into the woods of Africa. There were lots of wild animals that lived there. One day, I saw a baby cheetah. My grandfather told me the baby cheetah was a female, so I named her Mwiza; that means "beautiful". I remember the day my grandfather went to work. He said that when he dies one day, that I will have to remember him in my dreams. I asked him to tell me why he said that. He never did answer my question but I do dream about him. Later, he took me into the store in our village and bought me an African dress. I hugged him so hard, until he said, "Stop, Jacqueline - that's enough of that!" I said, "No, I want to hug you because you are special to me, Gambu." That means Grandpa in our language.
As I got older, I kept Mwiza, my cheetah. I liked to ride on her back and we always had so much fun. Sometimes, my Mwiza could even say a few words to me. We were very close friends. Every time Mwiza tried to talk, my grandfather would tell me that there was something very special inside of me. I loved him so much. He used to buy me something from the store all the time - even expensive things. My Auntie said that when I was small I had some ripped holes in my shirt and when my mom watched me cry, he would go buy me better things to wear.
When I turned 5 years old, my great, special grandfather passed away - but I believe he is still looking after me. I still dream about him. Shortly after he died, we were told we were going to America. They told me I couldn't take Mwiza so I ran into the woods to give her a hug. I hugged her so much and kissed her on the cheek and told my friend to look after her. I said goodbye to all the people there and we climbed on the truck and headed to the airplane. "Goodbye, Mwiza! Goodbye, Africa!"
- Jacqueline Ndayizeye
I feel poetic today.
This afternoon, Chatham Hall is quiet. The children have gone off with their parents (it is Family Day). I have a large to-do list for the coming week, but my intuition told me that I needed this time off for something else: reflection.
A storm moved in twenty minutes ago. I stepped outside to stand in the rushing winds and just feel the earth. It was so good. As the thunder roared in the distance, the cogs began turning in my mind. I needed to write a poem.
I sat in the cool, still dimness of my room. My eyes peering out the raindrop-speckled window, I began to write.
My weary mind rests
quiet darkness settles in
and here comes the rain.
A single raindrop
sent from the heavens to cleanse.
Forgiveness falling.
I stare out
beyond the pane,
beyond the screen,
beyond the leaves,
beyond the sky,
and I wonder,
how could this all be for nothing?
It is for Something.
Watching Kids Climb
This summer, I have the privilege of working with some of the most brilliant children that North Carolina and Virginia have to offer. It's my second summer as an RA at a camp called Jacob's Ladder.
As the name hints, it's a Christian camp. It was founded in 1992 by a Christian couple, Aubrey and Margie Hall. The Halls had a vision, pretty similar to Jacob's from Genesis. In response to God's call, they started a summer enrichment camp for incredibly gifted at-risk students. Students (referred to as Climbers in the program) begin in the summer after their 4th or 5th grade year, and continue through the summer after their 8th grade year. So, it's a 4- or 5-year summer enrichment experience. The camp is free for these students. And they are so deserving. The average Jacob's Ladder camper doesn't exactly come from the best of circumstances.
At-risk can mean a number of things. Many of the students come from inner city Virginia or the rural backwoods of Northeastern North Carolina. They're brilliant, but they certainly aren't afforded any of the resources that most students get. Their school districts are very poor and the kids suffer because of that. Other Climbers are on the brink of being orphans. Often times, one of their parents (or even both) are incarcerated or suffering from a drug or alcohol addiction. Jacob's Ladder is a God-send, especially for these children. Their summer experience is the one time that they can get away from the stresses and pain of their hurtful lives back home. It gives them a chance to get away and be an actual kid. Man, do I love this camp and what God is doing through it!
To date, we've had students go through the program and go on to schools like UPenn, Harvard, UVA, UofR, and UNC on full scholarships. Jacob's Ladder plays a central part in building up and encouraging these students from an early age. Without the program, many of these students would fall prey to the vicious cycles of poverty, gang violence, and substance abuse that run rampant in many of their families and communities.
I'll share more on my camp experience as the summer progresses. Hopefully, you can find some hope in the reflections of these beautiful young children learning to better the world with the gifts that God has given them.
-- Christopher
PS: The website for the camp is (horribly) optimized for IE/Chrome only. I'm working with them on this. Apologies for the mess that it makes in Firefox!
You’re a maker of cars, aren’t you?
No? Well, you know one, right? Do you mind passing along this post to him? Gee, thanks!
The automotive industry is huge. There's a lot of money to be made. All the more reason for each corporation to make sure their vehicles are full-featured, lacking no necessary gadget or convenient add-on. You'd think that Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, GM, and the like would be constantly analyzing one another's vehicles, making sure their own model measures up to comparable vehicles manufactured by the others. But they seem to fail. After talking with auto owners from all across the market, I've compiled a list of simple, yet very useful features that every new car should have.
Aux-in. Also known as an auxiliary input. It's basically a backwards headphone jack. It provides a means to play music from basically ANY device over your car's speakers. In the age of iPods and smartphones, we need a way to hook up our techie treasures so we can listen to the musical tidings of the Glee Cast while we're cruising down the freeway. Or maybe some Miley? Regardless of your musical tastes, you don't want to play around with an FM transmitter - you want the pure, unblemished tones of "Don't Stop Believing" pumping from your mp3 player over your car speakers. You just use a male-to-male (hope I don't have to explain that one - just ask your parents) auxiliary cord. One end plugs in to the headphone jack of your iPod, Zune, CD player, BlackBerry, laptop, or other device. The other end plugs right into your stereo system through the much-needed AUX-IN port.
USB ports. This could be an even better option than the AUX-IN port. You can play your music and charge your device simultaneously. How about it, Ford? You hearing me, Kia?
Radio controls on the steering wheel. For real. Do you know how many deaths each year are caused by reaching over to hit the "Seek" button? Last year, there were 755,687,000 such deaths in the US alone. (Just kidding. I'm no statistician.) But seriously - this is a problem. ATTENTION CAR COMPANIES: we want convenience. And we want it NOW. So, please. We need a 'seek +/-' button, 'volume +/-' button, and a mute button. Thanks. (And yes - mute buttons come in very handy - they're really useful for drive-thrus.
Auto-up/down buttons for ALL windows. Many cars only have this option for the driver's window. But it needs to be extended to all of the windows. It just makes sense. Thanks, car companies.
DTE. Distance-to-empty or digital tank estimate. It stands for one of the two. Either way - it's simple and so useful. It tells you whether you've got 30 miles left or only 9 miles to go before you breakdown on the side of the road. My car happens to have one of these and it's pretty handy to have.
100,ooo-mile Powertrain warranty. Seriously, guys - you're making some quality cars. So, why don't you vouch for them? Your car is going to last to 100k miles, so why don't you back up your company's reputation by offering these standard with all new vehicles? Shout out to Hyundai and GM for this one.
Steering wheel lock. So folks can't steal your car! If they break in, they sure won't be able to drive off without your keys - regardless of whether they know how to hot-wire it. Oh, hey hardened criminal. So you want to drive off in Kate? Well, you can't. Her steering wheel is locked. Bazinga.
Whistle-tips. This video will explain the usefulness of this accessory. It's a must-have if you want to be hip.
Frequent happenings on Lost.
Did you read my last post? No? Go read it, then check back here. Thanks.
Alright, so here it is. I've noticed a few common trends on Lost. Things that happen ALL THE TIME. Perhaps in every episode. I wanted to make a list of them and see if anyone else out there has noticed the frequent occurrence of these activities. Check it:
Head-bludgeoning. Every time I turn around, someone's getting bashed in the head and knocked unconscious. Kate just loves to do it - even to her friends. It's always done to knock someone out momentarily so that they don't screw up the agenda of the bludgeoner. And it got me thinking - how do you do it? Head-bashing sounds dangerous. These folks must know how to do it right. After all, not a single character has accidentally died from Sawyer smacking them in the skull with the butt of a rifle. I did some research (namely ehow.com) and found that there are three ways to knock someone out. Hit them in the temple, beneath the ear, or the lower jaw. Your goal here is to shake or jar the brain - that's what causes the blackout. Nice to know, huh?- Closing the eyes of dead folks. People die all the time on Lost - but most of the time, they aren't main characters. However, time is always taken to respect the bodies and bury them properly. A big part of any Lost death is the ceremonial closing of the eyes. Someone always gets sentimental, leans over the dead person, and gently closes the eyelids with one hand. Watch for it - it happens a lot.
- Flashbacks/flashforwards. Lost really is one of those shows that you have to watch from the beginning. Biggest reason: you never know if it's being filmed in the past, present, or future. It's as though every show has at least one flash. Oh, and don't even get me started on the whole issue of time travel. That just stirs the pot even more, making the whole business very murky and unclear.
- Light vs. Dark. This is a common theme throughout the show, even if it isn't revealed until the end. The Jacob/Man in Black power struggle is depicted symbolically all the time. There are the two stones on the scale in the cave - one white, the other black. When the two boys grow up, they wear contrasting shades of clothing. And then if you take a look back at the pilot, there's a point where Locke is teaching Walt how to play backgammon. The pieces are black and white. Just sayin'.
- Cursing. Every time you turn around, Sawyer drops the SOB bomb. And it's probably my least favorite part of the show.
- Destroying the only way off the island. It happens - all the time. Locke's all about blowing up the submarine (which he does twice - though as the Man in Black the second time). And then, of course, there's all that C4 on Whitmore's freighter that ends up blowing the thing to pieces, nearly killing Jin in the process. And in the end, both Whitmore and Richard are trying to blow up the plane from Ajira Flight 316.
Those are just a few things I noticed that had a frequent occurrence on Lost. Feel free to post more and I will add them to the list. Lost is over now - and I wish it weren't. I guess I'll just have to buy the video game - yes, there is one!
I once was found, but now I’m Lost.
I've been watching a lot of Lost lately. And I mean, A LOT.
Laura flies into the States tomorrow morning, and I'm supposed to be done with every episode of the show except the last two. Easy task, right?
Not so much, especially when you have to cram six seasons into about a month. Let's do the math. That's 119 episodes running around 43 minutes each. That's 5,117 minutes to spend watching Lost. Divide that by 31 days and we find that I should have been devoting 165 minutes of every day this past month to watching Lost. But I haven't been sticking to that completely.
And because of that, I woke up this morning with a day to spare, and an entire season to get through before Laura gets here tomorrow morning. So, I've been watching a lot of Lost today. And I mean, A LOT - basically the entirety of season 6. In fact, I am watching Lost as I write this post.
So, why post this? Just as a precursor to my next post. There's more - I promise. And it's for Lost fans. (Not a fan? You're just lying to yourself. We are all Lost (by nature). Ever heard of the depravity of man? Well, it's kind of like that. Well, sort of.)
A dangerous dance.
I was walking down to the beach yesterday when I happened upon this.
Did you watch the video? I hope so. Quite riveting, right? When I walked across the wooden stairs spanning the dunes, I came across two cloth ribbons tied to the railing. They were intertwined, and blew in the breeze together. One was a light sky blue and the other was a deep dark blue. Carolina blue and Duke blue, tied together. It was downright poetic.
Was this a sign from God? Maybe.
Am I meant to marry a Duke fan? Who knows. After all, my girlfriend used to be a Duke fan (sorry to out you, L.) - so you never know. ;)
Well, I sat there in the sand, ignored the world around me, and thought about these two ribbons left billowing in the wind. These ribbons were calling me to share my struggle - to be transparent. These two ribbons told me that it was time to share my recent thoughts on where I might be after my undergraduate career.
In case you haven't heard, I aspire to be chancellor at NCSSM one day. Maybe it's foolish to announce my goal so brazenly? I don't think so. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love the school. I love meeting SMathers (NCSSM lingo for students of the school) both young and old. I believe so strongly in its mission. I want to see it prosper. One day, I'd like to help run it.
In order to do that, I'm going to need to grab a PhD and a Master's degree somewhere along the way. So, it seems that my two years left at Carolina are not the end of the road. I've still got some schooling left in me. I've settled on pursing the MAT - Master of Arts in Teaching. It's a 12-month program that I'll do once I graduate from UNC. The question is, where?
Carolina has an excellent MAT program. But so does that Devilish place down the road. That's right - Duke. And I'm considering it. (Tar Heel Faithfuls - please keep reading.) We all know how much I love Durham (or at least, you should - if you know me). By doing my MAT at Duke, I'd be doing my teaching internship in DPS (Durham Public Schools). That would give me a great foot in the door to teach in DPS once I've finished up with the MAT. And again - did I mention how much I love Durham? It's only my favorite city in the world.
So, there you have it. I want to be a high school history teacher, and later the chancellor at Science and Math. And I'm considering studying at Duke along the way.
Tar Heels: don't question my sanity. I haven't gone crazy. And don't question my loyalty - I'm still a Tar Heel born and bred (and when I die, I'll be Tar Heel dead).
Dookies: Don't get too excited. Just because I might study at your school, I'll never cheer for you. You're despicable and I wish bad luck on all of your sports teams. Don't even think about trying to convert me. I WILL PAINT YOUR SCHOOL CAROLINA BLUE.
That is all, my friends - just wanted to share my future plans with you.
A recap on my birthday.
I entered a new decade on Monday. You might not have have, but I certainly did. I turned twenty, and subsequently headed into my third decade of living.
I wasn't expecting much from my birthday this year. After all, my girlfriend is in India. My best friend is in France. Oh - and I was scheduled to work. After finally getting home to the Outer Banks late Sunday night, I grabbed the mound of mail that my sister always sets aside for me while I'm away at school. As I began opening the packages of books for my two summer school classes, I noticed a card. A birthday card. From my girlfriend.
It took me by surprise, because I had seen her hop on a plane headed to India that very morning. I realized she must have put a lot of thought into this. As it turns out, she contacted my sister behind my back to get my home address and wrote and posted letter ahead of time. The words she wrote confirmed what I've been feeling over these past two months - that we've got something special going. I was encouraged to hear her words of thankfulness and compassion as the clock struck twelve and my birthday began. I said a prayer before bed, thanking God for bringing such a joyful young lady into my life.
Laura is a sweetheart, and she's my girlfriend. I just wanted to share that with you.