Jason Waskiewicz

The Author of this Homepage

My Picture in October 1997

Name

Jason Waskiewicz

Age

Occupation

I am a teacher. I majored in Physics in college and am certified in Pennsylvania and North Dakota for Physics and General Science. I now work in Westhope, North Dakota as THE science teacher. I teach every science course and one math course for grades 7-12.

Interests

It is clear from the nature of my homepage that I have a strong interest in slide rules. Some of my other interests include learning foreign languages (German at the moment), reading books (especially science fiction), writing books (exclusively science fiction), drawing, running, cross-country skiing, and swimming. Just recently I've taken to repairing old telephones, so this may develop into a hobby as well.

Future Goals

I have found a job, so my goal is to be happy in it. Ideally, I'll stay in it until either death or retirement (hopefully I'll like it so much I won't want to retire). I would also like to get more education -- become certified in Chemistry, learn more languages, and take college courses. At the moment, I am working on getting a master's degree in science education (I wanted Physics, but in this state, the school where I could get that is too far away). I also want to travel, marry, have kids, own a golden retriever, and raise rabbits.

Other Interests

Movies: Das Boot, Lawrence of Arabia, LA Confidential, The Day of the Jackal, Vertigo
Authors: A.E. van Vogt, Robert Ludlum, John Buchan, C.S. Lewis
Books: The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis; The World of A, by A.E. van Vogt; The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth; A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller

Touchy-feely Personal Stuff

Marital Status: Single and looking, but it's hard to find a single female willing to live in rural North Dakota and be married to a teacher there (2nd lowest paid in the nation!).
Politics: Conservative (very), but with a stubborn liberal streak in a few areas. I might be conservative, but I refuse to be a robot. Just because conservatives support something doesn't mean I will.
Religion: Christian, Protestant; I've been associated with Word of Life, Orthodox Presbyterian, and regular Presbyterian Churches. I have not yet officially joined one, but once I settle down, I will.
Dr. Laura: I've listened to Dr. Laura since school let out, and can see why so many groups are out to "get" her. She's intelligent, articulate, confident, and won't back down. This makes her "dangerous" where moronic bigots who shout (or rap) disgusting slurs are merely obnoxious. (enough on that controversy until I get my conservative views section set up).
Teaching: School is too easy. There are no standards and the usual response to students failing to meet standards is not to teach better, but instead to lower the standards. I favor vouchers, privatization, merit pay for teachers, and all those things that the NEA opposes. The NEA does not speak for me. They speak for themselves, so when school begins this fall, I will withdraw from the union, and I encourage all teachers to do the same.