The James Logan Courier

By Harriet Johnson Brackey
Sun Sentinel (MCT)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Joe Perri had big college dreams.

He wanted to pursue a degree in photography from an arts school.

He and his family saved, hunted for scholarships and applied for financial aid, but they eventually realized they simply couldn't find enough help to offset the $40,000-a-year cost for his first choice schools — the California Institute of the Arts and Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla.

"It was a big bummer, but I understand," said Perri, 18, who graduated from high school in Coconut Creek, Fla. "You get accepted to this big school, and you get so excited, but then your parents start throwing reality at you. We don't have that much money."

By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

The Board of Education on Tuesday night received the first quarterly report for Year 3 implementation of the New Haven Strategic Plan, highlighted by a presentation on a summer-school pilot program to assist at-risk students.

The Strategic Plan, the community’s vision for New Haven Unified, was created by more than 160 students, parents, teachers, classified employees, principals, administrators and community members during the 2006-06 school year. It consists of 54 “specific actions” being implemented under five strategies designed to help the District meet three objectives: 85 percent proficiency by the end of the 2010-11 academic year; the development of character attributes reflective of productive, responsible and successful citizens; and the meeting of graduation requirements or IEP goals by all students.

By Lisa M. Krieger
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Bay Area futurists and their fans gathered Sunday in a coming-of-age celebration for the fledgling field of synthetic biology, which builds living entities from lifeless chemicals.

With its young roots firmly secured in Bay Area universities, this new science aims to transform genetic approaches to research in medicine, energy and agriculture — building microbes that kill cancer, yeast that produces fuel or spiders that spin Kevlar-strength thread.

By John Boudreau
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

BANGALORE, India — When 15-year-old Tara Kola talks about life in her new home, she sounds like an exile.

Two years after the pull of global economic opportunities lured her family from Saratoga, Calif., the teen feels trapped in a foreign land. To take one example, her school requires students to address instructors as "Sir" or "Miss," wear uniforms with ties (even the girls) — and a name tag.

"How many California schools make you wear a dog tag?" she asks.

By Carol Rosenberg
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

Civil liberties lawyers launch a feet-to-the-fire campaign in Monday's editions of The New York Times, a powerful ad urging President-elect Barack Obama to close the Guantanamo prison camps and war court on inauguration day.

"On Day One, with the stroke of a pen, you can restore America's moral leadership in the World," says the full-page six-figure ad purchased by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Miami Herald got an exclusive sneak peek on Sunday.

By Rohan Kumar, Courier Staff Writer

Today, Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams will be returning to James Logan High School, where he first learned the game of football, to be the first inductee in the school's new Hall of Fame.

This afternoon, Williams will be sharing his story with the students of James Logan in an assembly. He will be talking about his struggles and triumphs and his learning disability which almost ruined his career.

By Jim Abbott
The Orlando Sentinel (MCT)


JOHN LEGEND "Evolver" (Sony) 4 stars (out of 5)
There are a raft of guest stars on "Evolver," John Legend's follow-up to 2006's "Once Again."

Fortunately, Legend's own considerable talents form the foundation for these 13 songs, which don't really need any additional boost from A-listers such as Kanye West, OutKast's Andre 3000 and Brandy.

By Jim Tankersley
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

CHICAGO — There's a maxim in American politics about young people. Every year, there's a candidate who counts on them to finally vote in force. And every year, that candidate loses.

Until this year.

The youth vote came out strong for Barack Obama on Tuesday, perhaps in near-record numbers. Thanks to that — and to the black vote, and the Latino vote and the yuppie vote — the Illinois senator is on his way to the White House.

By Howard Mintz
San Jose Mercury News (MCT)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For same-sex couples, the roller coaster ride for the right to marry shifted Wednesday from the rough and tumble of a political campaign back to the California Supreme Court.

And the fate of gay marriage in this torn state is as murky as ever.

"It's very hard to predict what the court will do," said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California-Irvine Law School. "This is an issue where there isn't enough law to make a prediction."

By Rick LaPlante, New Haven Schools Public Information Officer

New Haven Unified School District voters elected Kevin Harper, Michelle Matthews and Jonas Dino to seats on the Board of Education in Tuesday's election.

Mr. Harper, who currently serves as president of the five-member Board, was elected for a second term, and Mr. Dino won a third term. Ms. Matthews, who has served on School Site councils at Emanuele Elementary, Barnard-White Middle and Conley-Caraballo High, will fill the seat vacated by Jenn Stringer, who chose not to run for re-election.

By Margaret Talev
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

CHICAGO — When the first Obama supporters cleared the metal detectors at Grant Park at a little after 6 p.m. on election night, they burst into a run across the open grass, some elbowing each other to get as close to the stage as the barricades allowed.

Many thought this would be the biggest thing they saw in their lives.

Courier Staff Report

Some James Logan students who are 18 years old are casting their first votes in today's election.

"It feels good to have a voice. It is one thing to listen to the news, but it's different being a part of it," said Justin Santos, a senior.

Eighteen-year-olds have had the right to vote since 1972, when President Richard Nixon the 26th Amendment, which lowered to voting age from 21 to 18.

By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Staff Writer

The James Logan high School administration has been cooking up a new system that will be very bad news to class cutters and tardy students. The school's new Automated Dialer System, known as ParentLink, will soon be up and running, reporting all tardy and uncleared absences that day to parents via phone.

Last year the previous automated attendance machine, which notified parents, was broken beyond repair. This opened an opportunity to retire the flawed machine, and replace it with a new system.

By Jamey Padojino, Courier Staff Writer

John Rodriguez, principal of House 11, is on leave for the remainder of the first semester to recover from injuries suffered in the line of duty and surgery to repair the damage.

While he's off recuperating, Assistant Principal Ramon Camacho will fill in as House 11 principal.

On September 17, Rodriguez was severely injured when he was monitoring the lot by the bandroom after school. Rodriguez spotted a car in the area that was not supposed to be there and attempted to stop the car. Instead of stopping, the car hit Rodriguez, the impact causing him to fall down a nearby stairway, causing extensive knee damage as well as more minor injuries.