CNN Student News is planning a special, Web-only program next Wednesday!  It’ll mark the midpoint of the summer and cover some of the stories we’ve worked on over the break.  So when you come in from the sun, log on to www.CNNStudentNews.com on the evening of July 15th, and check us out!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

…is part of the reason I’ve been so SLACK on the blog.  All this week, the staff of CNN Student News has been working with 104 Atlanta-area high school students, shining up their leadership skills and showing them firsthand what takes place behind the scenes at CNN.

It’s awesome.  We’re covering everything that goes into television journalism, from digital media to marketing to the decisions we’re faced with daily.  And as the MC, I’ve been working to moderate panels, ask questions, and try to stay out of trouble.

It’s a chance to get out of the office, meet personally with students who watch our show, and try to give an example of effective leadership.  And it’s really cool that I’m getting paid for this.

What have you been up to?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

…and even though we’re not producing a daily show, you’re welcome to drop us a line to let us know what you’re up to.

For our part, we’re planning summer projects, brainstorming new ideas for the fall semester, and gearing up for the 20th anniversary of CNN Student News.  Some of us are headed to the beach; others are planning “staycations,” and I’m hoping to spend a little time on the ol’ mountain bike this summer, hitting trails and dodging mosquitoes.

Is your break off to a good start?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

…for not hitting me with tomatoes after the puns.  All my best for a wonderful summer — God bless!
-Carl

…for blaming Carl for all the bad puns. And for being such an incredible audience.
-Jordan, CNNSN Writer

…for welcoming us into your classroom.
-Donna, CNNSN Executive Producer

…for downloading the podcast every day.
-Jeff, CNNSN Web Producer

…for bearing with the new voice behind the clusterbusters, that’s me Tomeka!
-Tomeka, CNNSN Associate Producer

…for the feedback we got from around the world…from classrooms as far away as Brazil and Japan, to a journalism school in Ghana, to schools right here in the United States.
-John, CNNSN Curriculum Writer

…for being kind to the new producer.
-Jeremy, CNNSN Producer

On Wednesday’s “CNN Student Views” segment, you hear some students talk about what they’d do with a thousand bucks.  Well, let’s say someone just handed YOU a grand.  And it’s simply yours to spend or save any way you like — no strings attached.

What do you do with it?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

A lot of folks consider singer Susan Boyle’s second-place finish on “Britain’s Got Talent” to be a HUGE upset.  There’s no doubt that Diversity (the dance group that won) was amazing.  But Boyle was such an overnight success — someone who exploded into Internet and television superstardom — that many thought the competition was hers well before it was over.

You may remember seeing Boyle’s breakout performance as a “Before We Go” segment on CNN Student News.  Do you think she should’ve won the British competition?  If there were no age limit on American Idol, do you think she could’ve won that?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

With less than two weeks remaining on the air before our summer break, CNN Student News wants to know what YOU think were the biggest stories of the school year.  Any news that we covered from mid-August of 2008 to today is fair game.

All we ask is that you tell us what your picks are and why you picked ‘em.  And some of your responses could be featured next week on CNN Student News!

Carl Azuz, Anchor

That was the price for a single seat at Yankee Stadium’s new “Legends” section — and that was for just one, regular-season game!

Now some of those prices have been reduced.  And it’s only $14 to snag a seat on the bleachers.  (They aren’t in the same league as the Legends seats, but after all, $14 is just a couple bucks more than the movies.)

Still, it all got me thinking about ticket costs.  There isn’t a game on the planet that I would pay $2,500 to see — not World Series; not World Cup.  Is there a game that would be worth $2,500 for you?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

He committed a crime, he’s done time, and now, former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is hoping he can get back in the game.  The league says he needs to show “genuine remorse” before it’ll let him take the field; others say he’s “paid his dues” and should be eligible to play.

Well, here’s where YOU can sound off:  Should Vick be allowed to play pro football again?  Or do you feel he should be permanently benched?

Carl Azuz, Anchor

A Mexican teenager who attends class across the border in the U.S. describes her school as another “home.”  For students like her at the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, benefits include security, stability, a chance to get away from drug violence in Juarez — not to mention an education.

Other than a place to take classes, what do you get out of school?  And what crossed your mind when you heard that some students cross a border to get an education?

Carl Azuz, Anchor