Author Topic: My experience at MMS  (Read 3803 times)

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Offline WhitneyS

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My experience at MMS
« on: April 29, 2005, 01:34:00 PM »
After reading the responses of other former students from MMS, I have come to realize that my response is much different than those of my friends who I went to school there with.  My exeperience at Mission Mountain School was wonderful.  That place changed my life not only while I was there, but after I left as well.  Did I hate things while I was there?  Sure.  I hated having to eat things I didn't like... Tuna, mayo, milk.  But that's about all I HATED.  Sure I didn't like having consequence workcrew or intervention, but everything there taught me a valuable lesson about life.
When we had to run laps because someone in our class didn't finish their homework, it taught me that we are only as strong as our weakest link.  After leaving MMS, I got a job as a waitress and have being doing it ever since (almost 5 years).  When the other people I work with are lagging on their responsibilites, the restaurant has a lot of problems.  When I work on group projects at school, if one person doesn't complete their part of the project, it is up to the rest of the group to complete their tasks for them.
Intervention sucked, but it taught me a lot about gratitude and hard work.  I guess having the priveledge of a shower, mail, and phone calls taken away can be harsh, but it made us all work harder and come together to get those privledges back.  
My experience at MMS is different from everyone else who went there.  Everyone underwent their own struggles, and had THEIR own experiences and I definitly had my own while I was there.  For example, for 7 months (Oct-May) I shoveled horse shit everyday for 3 hours a day, 7 days a week.  ALONE.  While I was doing this, the other girls either had their elective classes (music, art, etc), were making christmas presents for their families, or were having study hall time.  And through all of this, I was shoveling horse shit in 20 degree weather and filling the troughs with buckets since I couldn't use the hoses in the winter (they would freeze).  That was the BEST experience of my life.  I worked hard, I exercised, I had time alone to think... And the metaphor it stood for finally made sense after being out there for awhile.
I am not perfect.  I still have issues that I work though on a daily basis.  But MMS changed my life for the better.  And I give thanks to all the staff members and the girls who were there with me for changing my life.  I am currently a junior at Arizona State University.  I am doing well in school, I have a job, and I am extremely close with my parents.  I am happy with myself and my life... And all of this would not have been possible without the help of MMS. There is so much more I would like to say, so if you have questions or comments (PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ME NASTY COMMENTS... I won't respond) conact me directly.
If you would like to contact me, you can email me.  And if you want to talk to my parents (who share the same views on MMS as I do) you can ask me for their emails/phone numbers and I will make sure it is okay with them.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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My experience at MMS
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2005, 01:44:00 PM »
Showering and being able to communicate with the outside world are RIGHTS, not priviliedges. These are basic rights that each and every person deserves, even convicted murderers, and yes, even children in locked/residential facilities.
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Offline Invertix

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My experience at MMS
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2005, 01:53:00 PM »
I was thinking exactly the same thing.
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Offline Cayo Hueso

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« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2005, 02:00:00 PM »
Ditto.  It's not any different from what's been said by those still 'under the spell' from these various places.  Things like, 'it was for my own good, I did the necessary things to get myself there, I would be deadinsaneorinjail, my brain needed to be washed etc.'  Same shit, different day.  What a shame. :sad:

Cult: A religion with no political power.
--Tom Wolfe, American author

« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
t. Pete Straight
early 80s

Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2005, 04:50:00 PM »
You know what? I think that it is great that you had a good experince at MMS. But what about the other girls who were not treated fairly?  It's good to look at your own experience, but what about looking at it through another persons? You may have been greatly lucky receive such fairness or you may have been able to manipulate the system..."getting on the good side" and therefore you were not picked on like other girls. It doesn't seem as though you had great troubles in the first place, but what about the other girls,
your friends, who may have had severe trauma previous to MMS and they were humiliated, insulted, embarrased, critisized, punished, and falsely diagnosed instead of receiving the peoper treatment/therapy? you know if you look inside your heart you will see what is right and wrong.

I feel as though I have to compare it for you so you see my vision of things.. Imagine yourself growing up in an abusive household. You would never admit to any abuse because you were never targeted and you were always treated right. When asked about your childhood you would say " I had a great childhood", but what about your brother and sister who were the main targets of anger? Would you stick up for them? Just because you were treated right does not make it fair. You do not need to stick up for something because it was right for you, was it right for everyone? did you witness anything that you thought was wrong? Do you think other girls are complaining for no reason? Are they making things up? While girls were being forced to talk about their deep personal lives where were you? or while being punished like the girl who had to build fences and live in a tent for 9 months? (what did she do anyway?)or being forced to tell their friends that they are nazi and they hated them? I could state many examples, but I just want to know who would you stick up first the school or your friends?

As angel had stated before:

""So over all the question is: Is Mission Mountain school, bad or good? with concrete evidence and information. This is something hard for people to identify because sometimes things were fun at that school..but look at it this way. If a person abuses another does that make them bad or good? in order to make a clear point it is important to state specific situations. Some girls will tell you that it was a great school, and it was in the purpose that it had, like a church...it is great, but just because it has a great purpose it doesn't mean that the purpose was served. People can say "well MMS was made to toughfen you up." yes true, but what lines were crossed?

Also was Mision Mountain School a problem as an entire school including all the staff?...If all the staff were witnesses to what ocurred there and let it slide they too are guilty. They had the option of working there. If you saw girls being treated innapropriately or felt that something was not right, would you continue on working there?""
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Offline Anonymous

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« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2005, 11:44:00 PM »
You know what, I have been semi active on this board, been respectful of everything people have said and I really think it's ridiculous that you people are writing off Whitney's experience as the same as "those under the spell". I was at MMS with Kerry,Angel AND Whitney and I can tell you that Whitney did not have it easier than any of us. She had to do the same amount of work, and was not given more "breaks",nor did she "manipulate" the system. As much as I may hate John Mercer and hate certain aspects of that school I don't agree with what you are saying. I agree that showering is a right, and I think it was stupid we had to go for awhile without showers, but we DID have communication with the outside world. I don't think that kids should have been able to just call whomever they wanted whenever or be sent anything. Kids are there for a reason, and 9 out of 10 cases they WOULD try to lie and manipulate their families to leave if given the chance for freedom in phone calls. Not let them speak to or write to their families at all would be abusive,but that is simply not the case. Yes, I think that once girls got past a certain point they should have been allowed unsupervised phone calls but the fact that that didn't happen still doesn't make it abuse. I'm honestly appalled at this so called "supportive" communities responses to Whitney thus far. I don't care how many people you have spoken to to form your opinion on MMS, the bottom line is Whitney was there and you weren't so you have NO right to discredit or devalue her experiences.

Melissa Gower.
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Offline Anonymous

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My experience at MMS
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2005, 12:45:00 AM »
Melissa and Whitney

I posted the message that you are not agreeing to. I apologize for the way it came out. I am not trying to put Whitney down it's just that it seems as though some girls were treated more fairly than others. I trully feel sorry for making it sound the way it did, when I wrote it seemed right. But now that I look at it I do blame the headmaster of the school for all of this. It's easier to place blame and use anger because my cousin went there and I feel that no one stuck up for her even though her peers knew she was being mistreated. When you feel that you are fighting something that is wrong and someone says it's right you blame them too because it's seems as though they are against you. I guess I felt threatened my whitney's post because she had so many good things to say, and me amongst many other people would like to just shut her up because of anger. I felt as though she was protecting the school while my cousin has been so troubled since her experince. But now I do not want to fight I just want to do something about all of this.. I would like her to get justice and it is not easy when others comment about their great experince at MMS, because it makes us seem like we are making all of this up....so can you please state what you think the problem is? is our attempt to shut down the school extreme or just trying get rid of the headmaster? .please help! Can we stop going in circles like "yes it was a good experince for me and " no i hated it".....Over all...are they in the right or wrong? were your friends treated fairly? Please tell me yes or no.was it the headmaster or the school?
Whitney please reply as well.  and I apologize again for blaming you.. please understand our dilema.
I am also sorry to angel for quoting her with out her consent.
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Offline Anonymous

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My experience at MMS
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2005, 01:17:00 AM »
If you want, you can write to [email protected] and maybe together we can make a difference.
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Offline enge4815

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My experience at MMS
« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2005, 01:41:00 PM »
Whitney,
Are you from texas orginially? I think I know you I was your big sister when you came to MMS and You're already a junior at ASU? OMigosh how time flies. my name is Rebecca and I don't now if you remember me but if you do reply back to this. God it's been almost ten years since I was sent there and I remember it like it was yesterday. I am glad that you have stayed strong and I am glad to see your post. Not that i agree with everything you said but what you said was important and valid to you. I am happy to see that you have changed and maybe that makes you like MMS but they had some good ideals and some defining goals to strive towards. I think that oyu have achieved that by being successful from all your hard work and the tings you learned from their. I am going to make a post now and i hope you will respond back to me at any time. I have not kept in touch after school for many reasons... but now I think I will. Thanks
Rebecca Engel
P.S. Anyone who knows me and is on here please let me know and respond to my post!!
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
am only here to share about my experience opinion, and goals outside of MMS. I don\'t agree with all but I also don\'t agree with all MMS stood for either. When you read my posts I invite you to make your opinions and write back to me about what I said. B

Offline ainoue

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« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2005, 05:21:00 PM »
i am alarmed at reading someone's comments based off of their cousin's experience.  i would quite honestly be more interested in hearing from the source, rather than a cousin.  no disrespect to whoever you are - i do value your opinion and i think you are entitled to it.  however, i think that anyone who has been at mms would agree that you cannot comprehend the experience unless you are there in the flesh and blood.  maybe i have misunderstood - perhaps both you and your cousin went there?  
whitney is one of the most amazing women i have ever met, and anyone who watched her grow at mms would know that she is not lying about her experience there.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »