"From a clinical standpoint, have you ever considered getting some help?" Uneasy chuckles fill the aisles at Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C.'s famous independent bookstore, in response to the question from an audience member. But the speaker at the front of the room, a petite woman by the name of Amy Chua, is unfazed.
Blair is many things, but wild it is not. Its wilderness is limited to the swamp behind the athletic fields and Blair Boulevard between fifth and sixth periods. So for junior Connor Siegel, spending last semester on two-square-mile campus abutting a national forest and encompassing eight different lakes was quite a change.
In a classroom tucked away on the second floor, a handful of students gather, leaning on desks and lounging on chairs. They sit at ease, joking and chatting, completely relaxed — a mood that befits the atmosphere of the room. The walls of the room are hung with posters about human rights, equality and tolerance. One features several figures in rainbow neon colors, bearing the legend "Generation Q: Young, Proud, Queer." This room, where the people are friendly and open to all comers, is the meeting room of Blair's Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA.
Freshman Bronwen Tursman breathes deeply, eyes intent on the screen in front of her. With every inhale and exhale she takes, her character in the video game takes another step through the fantastical world on screen. But this is no game - it's an alternative therapy Tursman uses to manage the illness that leaves her in constant pain.
Adrian, a senior, stands at his desk in his English class. For what seems to him like an eternity, he stares blankly at the passage he is supposed to be reading aloud. "Focus," he tells himself. "No silly mistakes." For most Blazers, reading a few words aloud is an easy task. But on this morning, it's not easy for Adrian. Stoned, smacked, baked, blazed - he's high.
Freshman Manpreet Gujral's response to the burqa ban is immediate and strong. "That's wrong," he says. "Anybody should have the right to wear or do something for their religion." For Gujral, the matter is personal: He is a Sikh and he wears a turban.
A new school chapter of Rebuilding Together recently began efforts to assist local low-income homeowners through home repair and assistance.
A school's library is its backbone. It strengthens and supports all departments and stimulates learning and independent thought. The library breathes life into the lessons from the classroom. We cannot afford to cut back library resources any more than we already have.
The little building is filled with surprises. Single-storied, white with a red awning, from the outside it looks like it could be a warehouse, or maybe a simple store. But its well-lit, bustling interior is filled with wheelchairs, walkers - and dogs. In the foyer, a man laughs as a dog says goodbye to him through licks and tail wags. In the main room, a train of people in wheelchairs and scooters lead their dogs in a circle around the floor. In a side room, a woman with a walker speaks to a group of teenagers about why she loves her dog so much.
A plan to cut Ride-On bus service from 27 area routes has been proposed by county officials and will go into effect in March if the County Council approves the changes. The cuts are part of an effort to offset the county's projected $600 million budget deficit this fiscal year, according to county spokesperson Esther Bowring.
Superintendent Jerry Weast proposed a $2.2 billion preliminary operating budget for fiscal year 2011 (FY 2011) at a Board of Education meeting last week. Weast's goal in preparing the budget was to keep expenditures as low as possible without compromising quality of education, reflecting limited resources as a result of the recession, according to Chris Barclay, vice president of the Board.
As global temperatures continue to rise and emissions levels continue to increase, the need for action on climate change from world leaders grows more important. This month, the U.S. attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss an international solution to the global warming crisis. At the summit, the U.S. faced the choice of committing to an immediate and costly emissions reduction agreement.
Pizza. Ice cream. Hamburgers. Chocolate chip cookies. Ask just about anyone to name their favorite things to eat, and at least one of these mouth-watering dishes is sure to come to mind. But for vegans, all of these foods are taboo.
One year after the High School Assessments (HSA) Bridge Plan was first introduced, some teachers are questioning the standards of the HSAs and the HSA bridge projects as graduation requirements. The bridge projects are designed to provide a way for students who have trouble succeeding on the tests to fulfill their graduation requirements, which many teachers view as a necessary option for students.
Charlie Chaplin, Martin Scorcese and Bing Crosby seem like an odd grouping of people. Short of being famous, what might they have in common? They all got their start in the entertainment world through short films.