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Equality

A boy with dwarfism struggled to get his lunch. So a cafeteria worker made him a souped-up cart.

He went from struggling to stylish.

julian worsham, dwarfism, beaverton oregon
via Beaverton School District

Julian Worsham gets a new cart.

Six-year-old Julian Worsham of Beaverton, Oregon is like a lot of other first-graders: he loves Super Mario and Taekwondo. But he has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, and goes to a school that wasn't built for kids his height.

"He's born into a world that just, in some ways, is not built for him," Julian's father, Brett, told WHAS11.

His mother did a walk-through before his first day at school to make sure he wouldn't run into any problems because of his height but forgot to check the cafeteria. [We] "noticed that where the food was, was right at his head," Heather told the Beaverton School District. Then, to make things more of a struggle, he had to carry his tray outside to the lunch benches.

The school made him a makeshift cart out of an upside-down milk crate on wheels to help him transport his lunch from the cafeteria to the benches.

"When I saw it I thought, 'Wow,'" said Enedelia Mottram, who's served lunch for the school district for 18 years. "I just wanted to help Julian, because I mean his head barely reaches the lunch line. He can't see anything."

Julian's first cart wasn't cutting the mustard.

via Beaverton School District

That night, she talked to her husband, James, a metalworker, to see if he could come up with something better. He got his team together at Wright Manufacturing in Portland to create a new cart that allowed Julian to transport his lunch tray and see over the counter.

James told the Beaverton School District that he wanted to make something that Julian would be "proud to push around."

James and his team put together a badass cart with adjustable, handlebar grips just like a motorcycle that has a stool inside so he can reach the countertop. It is adorned with flames and a personalized license plate that says, "JULIAN."

Julian's parents were blown away by the care and creativity that was put into creating his cart.

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"They took the time to get those license plates with his name, which is just like, they just really put a lot of heart into it. So when I saw it, the first thing I saw was actually a picture of James and his team who made the cart and I cried. It's just such a sweet thing," Heather said.

Julian loves the license plate and the flames and is now able to grab his lunch and get out to the benches in style.

"He's independent now," said Mottram. "Before, a staff member [would] have to be there to help him," she said.

Heather hopes that the story will inspire others to reach out and help other people in need.

"There's just wonderful people in this world that, you know, they have their eyes open. They're seeing needs that need to be met and they're meeting them. So I hope that other kids can get their needs met through this," she said.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Teachers

Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn't turn in assignments

The lowest grade that teachers are allowed to give students is a 50.

Diane Tirado/Facebook

Left: Teacher Diane Tirado. Right: The note she left for students after being fired.

If you're of the mind that kids today are being coddled and not properly prepared for the real world, well, you might want to buckle up for this one. The story out of a public school in Florida has parents and teachers alike up in arms.

A Florida teacher was fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments. Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn't hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

She got fired for it.

schools, teachers, education, grades, students, parentsMichael Scott from The Office saying "What?"Giphy

The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy."

The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don't turn anything in. That means that an extremely poor completed assignment is worth the same number of points as no assignment at all.

Hardly seems fair, right? Westgate is far from the only school that has such a policy, however.

whiteboard, education, classroom, teacher, middle school, 8th grade A message written on the whiteboard for her students after Diane Tirado was firedDiane Tirado/Facebook

It's a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

"Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tirado"

The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

A = 90 to 100
B = 80 to 89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 50-59

Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school's policy.

“A grade in Mrs. Tirado's class is earned," she said.

“I'm so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it's not real."

Diane's post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it's not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn't exist.

No zero policies are common in many schools, and teachers notoriouslyhate them. But it's at least worth considering why they exist. Some educators say it's because when a student earns a zero, it's very difficult for them to ever recover their grade in that class. In other words, it may be too harsh. Others argue that, if you don't want a zero, don't turn in nothing! Getting an earned-zero is a great way to learn to at least try.

A follow up statement from the school stated: "Ms. Tirado was released from her duties as an instructor because her performance was deemed sub-standard and her interactions with students, staff, and parents lacked professionalism and created a toxic culture on the school’s campus. ... During her brief time of employment at West Gate, the school fielded numerous student and parent complaints as well as concerns from colleagues. Based on new information shared with school administrators, an investigation of possible physical abuse is underway."

However, school representatives did not deny the existence of the no zero policy, and Tirado claims the school engaged in a smear campaign after she became a "whistleblower" on their policies. She's currently considering legal action against the district.

Still, the debate over the grading policy rages on.

“The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard," Diane said.

This article originally appeared 6 years ago.

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Community

Fourth grader gives PowerPoint to her class announcing that she's autistic

The entire class broke out into applause.

Image via Canva

Fourth grader Campbell made a PowerPoint to tell her classmates she has autism.

Fourth grader Campbell is unashamed of her autism diagnosis. The incredible 10-year-old created a PowerPoint presentation to tell her class all about it, complete with helpful information about autism to help them understand what it is and to encourage an atmosphere of acceptance.

Campbell's mom, Stephanie Hanrahan (@tinklesherpants), shared a video on Instagram of her daughter giving her presentation to a room full of attentive students. "Our daughter decided to tell her class she's autistic. We had no idea she was doing this. She decided to use her free time at school to create a presentation," she writes in the video's caption.

The video begins with Cam standing in front of the class starting her presentation. "My name is Cam, and I have autism. Autism is a disability that affects socializing with people, learning, and other stuff. It can make life hard, but I am very open sharing about it," she begins. "I like to call autism my invisible disability."


Cam goes on to explain all the things that autism can affect, before moving on to describing how all autism is not the same. She shares that she has a younger brother with autism named Eli who is in second grade. "We have the same disability, but we don't have the same special needs," she says.

Another slide features 'Famous People with Autism', where she included photos of Elon Musk, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates and more...including herself in a funny nod. The next slide is about basic autism facts, before she highlights another slide about stimming. She shares that stimming is a natural way that people with autism move or fidget with their bodies. Common stims may be flopping, knee bobbing, repetition, and humming. "Stimming is absolutely not okay to make fun of or copy," she says.

At the end of her presentation, the entire class gives her a rousing round of applause and Cam wears a large, proud smile on her face.

Her mom Stephanie added in the caption, "Do not discount this generation. I know there are bad seeds in every bunch, but in my experience, children are often way more open-minded and inclusive than adults. And it’s all because of classrooms like these where an autistic girl is given the chance to stand with pride and say, 'This is me.' Raise your kids to be proud of every stripe. Raise your kids to embrace everyone’s story."

Cam's powerful presentation got tons of positive comments from viewers, including a teacher who knows her. The teacher wrote, "I’m one of the fourth grade teachers lucky enough to know Cam and the gift she is to us all. I boo hoo cried during her whole presentation out of admiration for her and pride in her peers. There is so much beauty in kids and we learn so much from them. If the world could mirror our fourth graders, it’d be a much more beautiful place. Thank you for sharing the gift of Cam with us, and the world! She is a deeply beautiful soul and we all have so much to learn from her. ❤️"

Others chimed in, saying:

"AND she started a trend at school of kids talking about their differences. That was awesome on so many levels!"

"This is so brave and her peers response is so beautiful 👏🥹❤️."

"She did such a great job of explaining Autism, stimming and several other aspects of the condition. She was funny and confident, and her classmates seem to have enjoyed and learned a lot. This really helps get conversations started and makes the entire environment a lot more inclusive! Way to go🔥."

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Pets

Four guys asked their new neighbor if they could walk her dog. Then the dog wrote back.

"If you ever get bored, we are more than happy to look after him/her."

via Stevieticks / Instagram

A black dog and a note form "the boys from number 23."

If you've lived your whole life with a dog, a home has to feel pretty empty without one. Your heart has to feel like there's something missing as well. When Jack McCrossan, originally from Scotland, moved to Bristol, England with his three friends, they were bummed out to learn that their landlord didn't allow dogs.

So when they saw a beautiful black Sheprador (a German Sheppard Lab mix) in their neighbor's window, they knew that had to become buddies with her. They wrote the dog's owner, Sarah Tolman, a letter asking to arrange a play date with the dog. "If you ever need someone to walk him/her, we will gladly do so," they wrote.

"If you ever get bored (we know you never will, but we can dream), we are more than happy to look after him/her. If you want to come over and bring him/her to brighten our day, you are more than welcome. If you want to walk past our balcony windows so we can see him/her, please do," the letter continued.


"We hope this doesn't come too strong, but our landlord won't allow pets, and we've all grown up with animals. The adult life is a struggle without one," they wrote. "Yours sincerely, The boys from number 23," the letter concluded.

Soon after, the boys in 23 received a response from the dog herself, Stevie Ticks, accepting the offer. However, it may have been written by her human, Sarah Tolman. In the letter, Stevie shares a bit about herself, saying she's two years and four months old, was adopted in Cyprus, and that she's "very friendly and full of beans." (The boys shouldn't worry about a gassy hound, in England, "full of beans" means lively.)


"I love meeting new people and it would be great if we can be friends. I must warn you that the price of my friendship is 5 x ball throws a day and belly scratches whenever I demand them," the letter continued. A few days later, the boys got to meet Stevie. "Meeting Stevie was great!" McCrossan told Buzzfeed. "She was definitely as energetic as described. We got to take her for a walk and she wouldn't stop running!"

black labrador, dogs, dog-walkers, kind nieghbors, stevieticks, bristol, ukA black labrador (representative image).via Canva/Photos

Tolman thought the boys' letter was a fantastic gesture in an era where, quote often, neighbors are strangers. "In a day and age where people don't really know or speak to their neighbors, it was really nice for them to break down that barrier," she said. After the story went viral, she saw it as an opportunity for people to share their love of dogs with the world. "My mother and I are amazed at all the love we've received from around the world these past few days," Tolman wrote as Stevie. "If you have a doggo in your life, share that love with those around you."

A lot has changed in the past 6 years since this story warmed hearts around the globe. The boys have since moved away, but as of September 2024, Stevie is around 8 years old and still doing well. Her keeper and Sarah's partner, Chris Bowley, shared an update on Instagram. "[The boys] sadly moved out of Bristol. However, we have always tried to keep the ethos going of Stevie having as many friends and meetups as possible," Bowley wrote.


This article originally appeared six years ago.

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Family

The 50/50 method marriage hack will help you solve your biggest fight: What's for dinner?

How much do you really want it?

via Canva/Photos

A couple debates over what to eat for dinner.

Sometimes, being married can feel like being one-half of a two-headed monster. You have to discuss and, often, debate every decision you make with the other person. This can get exhausting, especially when it involves small things such as what to eat for dinner, what color to paint the bathroom, or what movie to watch.

Oftentimes, these decisions can take forever because one person has an idea, such as, “Let’s go get Italian food tonight.” However, the other person says no without having any suggestions. This can result in a stalemate that lasts for far too long, all the while your belly begins to groan louder and louder.

What's the 50/50 method marriage hack?

Kira Kosarin, an actress and musician best known for starring in Nickelodeon’sThe Thundermans (2013-2018) and as Betsy Kelso on That ‘90s Show, has figured out a fun way to solve this marriage problem with her husband, actor-musician, Max Chester. They call it the 50/50 method.

@kirakosarin

What’s your 50?

“My husband and I have a really great method for negotiating small things, like whether we wanna go out or stay in, or what we want for dinner, in a way that doesn't get you stuck in that awful loop where it's like, well, what do you wanna do?” Kosarin opens her video. “And it basically takes that conversation, and it turns it into numbers so that you can articulate what you would want selfishly and then also find common ground and make the decision based on what you now know truly the other person wants.”

kira kosarin, kira kosarin music, guitars, thundermans actress, moroccan lounge, live musicKira Kosarin at Moroccan Lounge in August 2022.via Justin Higuchi/Wikimedia Commons

How do married people choose what to eat for dinner?

Kosarin uses the example of a conversation about where to go for dinner. “One of us will go, ‘Hey, I can’t decide. What’s your 50?’ And I’ll go, ‘I’m leaning, like, 60% Thai, 40% Indian.’ And then maybe Max will go, ‘Ooh. I’m leaning, like, 10% Thai and 90% Indian.’”

Max would win in this scenario because he passionately wants Indian food. “Because even though I want Thai a little more, I now know you want Indian a lot more,” she says.

The 50/50 method is effective because it allows people to quantify their desire. In this case, Chester made it known that he wanted Indian food instead of just kind of wanting it, as Kira did with Thai food.

couple eating dinner, wine, romantic dinner, cheers, couple drinking wine, wine glassesA couple having a romantic dinner.via Canva/Photos

Kosarin shared another scenario where the two debated how much they wanted to go out on a Saturday night. “He’ll go, ‘Well, honestly, I'm like 60 in, 40 out.’ Then I can go, ‘Hmm. I'm like 20 in, 80 out.’ He'll go, ‘Okay, you really wanna go out. I don't really mind. My percentages are pretty close. Let's go out and do what you want.’”

Ultimately, the lesson of the 50/50 method is that communication is key when it comes to having a healthy marriage. That means getting into details about how much something does or doesn’t mean to you. It’s also a lesson in compromise; if someone feels 90/10 about something, give them their way, and they’ll probably oblige when you feel as passionate on another day. Finally, the 50/50 method turns agonizing discussions into a game, and the couple that plays together, stays together.

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Joy

Gary Oldman loses it after Stephen Colbert replays his career highlights. With fart sounds.

His laughter is absolutely contagious.

PhilipRomanoPhoto -/Wikipedia, Jasmin Hunter/Wikipedia

Perhaps his greatest performance of all time.

Listen, there are actors, and then there are actors. Those who can truly transform themselves, mind, body, and soul, into a character. Gary Oldman is that kind of actor. Whether he’s playing real-life historical figures, or fictional icons, Oldman nails any physicality, dialect, and nuance needed to bring these characters to life, even (or perhaps especially) if those characters are pretty out of this world. In the case of Zorg in 1997's The Fifth Element, that’s literal, but we digress.

If you’ve been watching Oldman on his latest show, Slow Horses, you might have noticed that his character, Jackson Lamb, has a fairly distinct tick of sorts: flatulence. The dude farts. A lot. Ferociously. And, being the consummate, Oscar winning actor that he is, Oldman wholeheartedly commits.

“He’s got no filter, he doesn’t care about being judged and there’s really nothing to lose,” he told The Wrap. “There’s something very freeing and liberating about playing someone who really doesn’t give a f–k.”

Now, imagine applying that characteristic to some of Oldman’s other notable, serious roles, like Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One, Sirius Black in Harry Potter, and even Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, because Stephen Colbert recently sat down with Oldman and played some of these iconic scenes (and more) all with a fart effect.

Needless to say, the result was pretty epic. But really, it’s Oldman’s red faced, crying-from-laughing reaction that really seals the deal. Watch:

In fact, the moment only endeared people to him more, judging by the comments.

“An actor that can find that much humor in farts dubbed in his movies is something we don’t deserve. Wholesome video of the day for me.”

“His reaction was pure joy. Absolutely love it.”

“This was the greatest interview. I love Gary Oldman even more now.”

Why are farts funny?

Farts have been making people laugh for a long, long time. In fact, the world’s first record joke, traced back to 1900 BC, was centered around a woman farting in her husband's lap. And it’s generally agreed that farts continue to be joke fodder because, well, everybody knows what it’s like to have a little toot come out. It’s a little reminder that none of us have full control over our sometimes-disgusting human bodies. Is it base? Yes, but it’s also universal. And universal is often funny.

Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of fart humor, there’s still lots to love about Slow Horses, especially if you’re fond of underdog stories and yearn for a refreshing take on the espionage genre. In particular, Oldman’s Lamb has plenty of intensity, charisma, and uniquely dark humor (not to mention a healthy dose of menace) that makes the character compelling.

By the way, there’s even more gems to be gleaned from this interview, including which onscreen death was Oldman's favorite, which he shares at around the 2 minutes and 45 seconds mark on the video below:

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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