Recipe for Better Students?
Longer school days - and more of them - are not popular ideas with you. (We blogged about this back in March, and 87 percent of you said that more time at school was NOT needed.)
President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan feel differently. They believe that more class hours would make American students more competitive in the world, though others say it's not more hours that are needed, but more motivation for students or more support from their parents.
I'm not sure there's a right answer here, but I would like to know your opinion: What would make you a better student?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Teen Violence
It was a hard story to watch, especially when you hear from the grandfather of Derrion Albert. The 16-year-old honor student was described as an "innocent bystander" when an off-campus fight broke out between two groups from his Chicago high school. Albert was killed in the fight.
I wanted to use this post to give you a place to talk about this story and the issue of teen violence. And if you're willing to share your thoughts on why it happens - and what can be done to stop it - we welcome your comments.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
20
It's the atomic number of calcium, the bill that features the face of Andrew Jackson, the number of units in a score, the number of faces in an icosahedron, the Super Bowl when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots...and the number of years that CNN Student News has been on the air.
We'd love to know what stands out to you the most from Friday's show - and what you think the world will be like 20 years from now!
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Winning, Shutout or Not
It's not every day we blog about a "Before We Go" segment, but Wednesday's story was worth it. Leading 46-0, a high school football team agreed to give up its shutout so that a player on the other team - a 15-year-old with Down Syndrome - could realize his dream to score a touchdown.
What would you give up a shutout for?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Soaked
Parts of Atlanta are under water. Pictures e-mailed to us from friends and coworkers showed rivers with mailboxes sticking out of them - in other words, streets - or at least what were streets before the rain hit. There wasn't a break last night when it wasn't hammering my roof or thunder wasn't rattling my windows.
It isn't a hurricane - just a continuous line of storms, one after the other, dragging across northwest Georgia, drenching the counties in their path. (Our Web producer, Jeff, couldn't get into work today without a boat. He doesn't have a boat. He's working from home as I type.)
So as we cope with closed roads, closed schools, and water everywhere, we'd like to ask those of you who've encountered severe weather: What advice do you have for people who are soaked in the Southeast?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Constitution Quiz!
On Thursday's show, we quiz your knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. A couple of the questions were TOUGH because I knew it wouldn't be for a grade.
Was there anything in the report that surprised you? What do you think is the most important part of the U.S. Constitution?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Outbursts
Celebrities are TRASHING Kanye West's outburst during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Serena Williams caught a lot of bad press for her outburst during the U.S. Open, and the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a vote on whether it disapproves of Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's health care speech.
When you're a public figure and you speak out against something, cameras are rolling, millions of eyes are watching, and your career can be affected - sometimes positively, often negatively. It's similar to what you face in school if you speak out, whether it's in a class, at a game, at a classmate or at a teacher.
Is there a time when you think speaking out is appropriate, or is it better to hold your tongue? When and how is speaking out acceptable? When isn't it?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Religious Conversion Controversy
On Monday, you'll hear a lot of perspectives in the case of a Muslim girl who converted to Christianity. She ran away from her home, saying she was afraid her parents would kill her for changing her religion. Her father says this is untrue and that she would be in no danger if she returned home.
Here is a judge's solution: Get everyone together to discuss the issue and try to work things out. If this happens, it would help the girl, her parents, and the organizations involved to avoid a courtroom trial.
We'd like to hear what you think of this story and solution.
Carl Azuz, Anchor
How Would You Stop a Dropout?
What I mean is this: If there were one thing you could say to keep someone from dropping out, what would it be? If there were one thing you could do, what would it be?
Carl Azuz, Anchor
Weigh In on the Health Care Debate!
On Thursday, we bring you some background and highlights from President Obama's speech and the Republican response regarding health care reform. You can read the complete transcript of the president's address by clicking here, and you can see Rep. Charles Boustany's response by clicking here.
We'd love to get your take on this controversial issue, so please comment below!
Carl Azuz, Anchor
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