What You Can't Live Without
...besides CNN Student News...
We're running a report on Tuesday about a growing number of colleges that are requiring students to have health coverage. As I say in the show, health coverage probably wouldn't be the first thing you think to bring when you head off to school.
So what is? Your Xbox, your best friend, your wardrobe, your favorite book? What's something you can't leave behind when you leave home for campus?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Bus Stops and Budget Cuts
At a Georgia county not far from CNN, many students are going to have a longer walk to the bus stop. A Montana high school recently launched four-day school weeks. And in Houston, Texas, most students living within two miles of their schools will have to walk, bike, or get a ride.
It's all designed to save school systems money. Over the past year, I've seen stories about cancelled field trips, cancelled after-school activities, and cancelled bus routes. These are all examples of how the recession is personally affecting you. But you're finding your way through it - like millions of other Americans - and for that, you should be proud.
How are you holding up?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Should Pluto Be a Planet?
Most of you came through elementary school counting Pluto as a planet. It was WAAAAY out there, small and cold and alone, but it was tough. Pluto never complained about living at the far reaches of the solar system. It just kept moving, right after Neptune, on a long, wide road around the sun.
Then, three years ago, Pluto was demoted. Research showed that it didn't have all the characteristics of the other planets. So Pluto was kicked out of the planet club, reclassified as just a planetoid, and erased from textbooks around the world.
Well, some folks didn't like that. Some still don't. Many of them live in Illinois and New Mexico, and they've decided to reinstate Pluto, restoring the remote rock to its former position as a planet.
It's like Pluto got its old job back - at least in two states. So the question is, would you put Pluto to work as a planet? Or do you think the position of planetoid is where Pluto belongs?
Carl Azuz, Anchor (and Pluto Fan)
Your Opinion: Lockerbie Bomber Released
December 21, 1988: A bomb explodes on Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people.
January 31, 2001: Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi is convicted of murdering 270 people and given a life sentence in Scotland.
August 20, 2009: Scottish officials release al Megrahi from prison on "compassionate grounds" because he has terminal cancer and isn't expected to live much longer. Al Megrahi returns to his home in Libya.
There was a lot of anger over this story on Thursday, when relatives of the bombing victims said justice definitely wasn't served. But there were some people who agreed with al Megrahi's release, saying compassion was appropriate. Please let us know what you think by leaving your comment below.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Electric Guitar 2.0
Back in middle and high school, I used to play drums – acoustic ones. I liked the look, sound and feel of them, and I loved the volume (my neighbors didn't).
There was a bit of a rivalry between drummers with acoustic kits and drummers with electric ones: Everyone thought he had the best set. Electric drums are more portable and more versatile, but many think acoustic drums are somehow more genuine.
That's why I'd like to hear what you think of the guitar featured on Thursday's show. It has a microprocessor inside; it literally tunes itself (which looks really cool when the pegs start spinning). But would you want that kind of guitar over a standard electric? I mean, what do you think is better: technology that lets you take 18 different tones on the road, or the old-fashioned idea, which requires more guitars but maybe gives more authenticity?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Return of Vick
Our first topical blog of '09-'10 school year centers on NFL quarterback Michael Vick. After serving almost two years in a federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring, Vick is slated to wear a Philadelphia Eagles jersey. The question is no longer whether he should be able to play again; it's now about what kind of difference it'll make.
And that's where you come in: Would you be any more likely to go to an Eagles game if Vick were playing? Or would you want to stay home? I'm curious to find out if you'll be cheering, booing, or if it even matters to you at all if and when Michael Vick takes the field.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Countdown to Awesome
With exactly one week to go, we're getting all the elements in place for a new year of CNN Student News. We'll have an updated look, fresh stories to tell, some new music...but the same anchor (sorry). We're also working on a new video for our alter-ego, www.Facebook.com/CNNStudentNews.
So whether you're already back, starting next Monday, or anxiously awaiting the new school year, we're looking forward to bringing the world to your classroom from now on through 2010.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
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