Susan Boyle: First in YOUR Book?
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
Biggest Stories of the School Year
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
$2,500 a TICKET?
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
Michael Vick and the NFL
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
School: A Home away from Home?
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
Summer Plans
Our last show of the school year will be on Friday, June 5. And while we're off the air for two months, I'll be mixing together a little vacation, paycation and staycation. Here's how that breaks down:
Beachfront = vacation
Backyard = staycation
Job = paycation
Nocation = schoolcation
What's on your calendar?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Michael Phelps' Apology
In the wake of a three-month suspension from competitive, organized swimming, Olympic champion Michael Phelps is back in the pool. A photo that appeared to show Phelps smoking from a marijuana pipe was what got him in trouble, and he said he's already learned from "bad judgment and a very stupid mistake."
So what's your take: Do you accept Phelps' apology? Do you think he had anything to apologize for?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Why Can't We Disconnect?
"The perfect storm of attentional problems...the worst situation to be in": That's how one brain researcher describes texting while driving. The last time our blog covered the subject, more than 100 of you logged on to say that it's a bad idea.
But it doesn't take a brain expert, a blog, or a bucket full of statistics to tell you that it's dangerous to text while operating heavy equipment. So why do you think that people still do it? Why can't we disconnect, even if it's only for long enough to get from A to B?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Paying for Online News
Would any of you be interested in paying for premium, online news content? It's hard for many folks to imagine, given sites like CNN.com that provide headlines, articles, analysis and video - all for free.
But the Reuters news service says professional customers need its premium content for their jobs. And other news sites are considering doing the same thing so they won't have to rely as much on advertising to pay their bills.
So what's the verdict: Is there any news content that you'd be willing to pay for?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
P.S. Please note that here are NO plans to start charging for CNN Student News. The show will remain cost-free and commercial-free!
A New Face
Dr. Maria Siemionow had a great quote in Thursday's show about people like Connie Culp who seek face transplants: "Those people are not just coming with such a commitment because they want to be beautiful. They want to be normal. They just want to come back to society as anybody else."
And thanks to her own commitment, an exceptional team of doctors, and a miracle in medicine, Ms. Culp can come back to society. She can talk again. She can smile and taste food. And her facial features are expected to improve further as she uses her new muscles and undergoes future procedures.
It's undeniably an amazing story. While there's no way to understand the horror she went through to get here, seeing her progress makes all of us appreciate how far she's come - and how fortunate we are. I'd be interested to hear what you thought when you saw this story on CNN Student News.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
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