WASHINGTON -- For Monica DiLeo, a senior at Cheshire High School, the highlight of her week in Washington was meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.

DiLeo, one of 104 students selected for the U.S. Senate Youth Program, met with the president Wednesday and had her photo taken with him and the other student delegates in the East Room of the White House.

"I worked in his 2008 presidential campaign and was among the thousands who saw him speak in Hartford," DiLeo said. "But I freaked out to see him in the White House. It was incredible."

DiLeo has been active in various high school Democratic Party groups in Connecticut. She said she plans to major in chemistry in college and then attend medical school.

The 104 high school students -- two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense schools -- visited Washington for a weeklong intensive study of their government.

The other Connecticut delegate, Abdul-Razak Mohammed Zachariah, a junior at West Haven High School, said he was impressed by the other delegates.

"All of them are so different -- a lot of states are very different than Connecticut -- but we all worked great together," Zachariah said.

His career goal is electrical engineering.

The delegates also met with John Roberts, chief justice of the United States; Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; British Ambassador Peter Westmacott; NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr.; Brian Lamb, CEO of C-SPAN; and members of Congress.

This week marked the program's 50th anniversary. Just as DiLeo, Zachariah and the other delegates met with Obama, the first class of delegates in 1962 met with President John F. Kennedy at the White House.

View post:
Conn. students savor week in nation's capital

Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor sit behind Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy at the State of the Union in 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a CNN.com contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist.

San Diego (CNN) -- Now that we have Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina, on the Supreme Court, the esteemed body will soon find itself in the middle of a telenovela.

The storyline involves the contentious issue of affirmative action, which is central to Fisher vs. University of Texas, a case that is scheduled to come before the court this fall. It will cast a spotlight on two of the court's justices: Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito. Affirmative action seems to be intensely personal to both of them, though for very different reasons.

First, let's take a minute to note just how similar Alito and Sotomayor are in terms of their background. Both are baby boomers, born just a few years apart. Alito is 61 years old and Sotomayor is 57. They grew up in neighboring states. Alito is from New Jersey and Sotomayor is from New York. Both came from ethnic, working-class families. Alito's parents were teachers, Sotomayor's father was a tool-and-die worker and her mother was a telephone operator. Finally, both went to Princeton University and Yale Law School, where both served as editors of the Yale Law Journal.

Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Given all those similarities, what could these two Supreme Court justices possibly have to argue about? Affirmative action. That's what.

Will the Supreme Court strike down affirmative action?

Alito has highlighted in a 1985 job application for promotion to officials in the Justice Department of the Reagan administration that he belonged to a group called Concerned Alumni of Princeton. And what were the Princeton alumni so concerned about? Why, that there were supposedly too many women and minorities being admitted to the prestigious but predominantly white institution.

Read the rest here:
Personal take on affirmative action

Derry Area School Board began its March 1 meeting with a moment of silence to remember slain middle school teacher Rebecca Stahl and to offer thoughts of support for her family. The body of the popular sixth-grade math instructor, who was on medical leave, was found Feb. 24 in shrubbery off a Unity Township road three days after the 37-year-old Hempfield Township woman was reported missing by her father. Authorities have said she was strangled and have arrested her husband, David Frank Stahl, 41, for criminal homicide in her death.

At last week's meeting, Derry Area Superintendent Roberta McCahan remembered Rebecca Stahl as a "consummate professional" who "always had a smile on her face and was that haven in the storm for any student who needed academic or emotional support." McCahan also recalled Stahl's "compassion for children, her enthusiasm and amazing work ethic" and noted she remained at Derry Area after serving as a student teacher.

"She loved to teach math, and her enthusiasm for her content area was contagious. Many of her more reluctant learners were successful under her care," McCahan said, adding, "Rest in peace, Becky."

The superintendent also thanked Derry Area staff as well as others from Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Valley districts and Westmoreland Intermediate Unit who helped provide guidance and counseling as Derry Area students and faculty coped with Stahl's death. Last week, Derry Area middle school students organized a "Mrs. Stahl Spirit Week," wearing a different color to school each day to remember their late teacher.

Money matters

In other business, the school board approved a 2012-13 Westmoreland Intermediate Unit budget of $4.8 million, representing an increase of $434,486 from the current school year.

Derry Area administrator Cheryl Walters reported that the district has made the cut in a pre-application phase and has been invited to submit a follow-up application for a federal Keystones to Opportunity grant of up to $1 million; the application is due by March 16. If the funding is approved, Walters said, it would support literacy programs for district youngsters from birth to grade 12.

The school board withdrew its offer to Bob Slezak to continue as head coach of the varsity baseball program and authorized administrators to declare the position open for applications for the 2012 season. soon to get under way. Board member Ralph Neiman -- who cast the sole vote opposing the coaching move -- declined to comment, noting it was a personnel matter. School board President Dave Krinock, who is a volunteer baseball coach, abstained.

At the August board meeting, when a number of 2011-12 coaching slots were filled, several parents expressed concern about Slezak continuing as head baseball coach.

After that session, one of the parents, Marsha Reitz, indicated several players were discontent under Slezak's leadership and might not return for their senior year with the team this spring.

More here:
Derry Area board remembers teacher, OKs Westmoreland IU budget

As tuition costs continue to mount at universities across the nation, some colleges are sitting on mountains of cash.

And while some of that cash goes to regular campus operations or scholarships for students with financial need, many schools dont really use it at all, investing the money to fund big future projects. And sometimes, when the economy tanks, the money simply gets lost in the market.

Private schools rely on alumni and corporate sponsors to raise funds for the schools endowment fund, and while some endowments are quite restricted (as in they can only be spent after a certain amount of time, or can only be invested so as to use the profits), many leading universities have taken criticism for collecting the money and sitting on it while raising costs for students.

The most recent comprehensive endowment study from the National Association of College and University Business Owners, which evaluated the 2011 endowment funds for 839 institutions in the U.S., found 75 with more than $1 billion in the bank.

[Related: Best College Degrees For In-Demand Careers]

Here are the 10 richest universities in the U.S. If any of the results surprise you, let us know in the comments section below!

Photo: ThinkstockThe Richest College: Harvard University

2011 endowment funds: $31,728,080,000 Change from previous year: 15.1% Students, Fall 2011: 21,000 Undergraduate tuition: $52,652 for tuition, room and board for the 2011-2012 school year

Topping the list for the richest university in the U.S. is Harvard, a school used to appearing at the top of most college rankings of distinction. The schools more than $30 billion eclipses the other schools endowments on this list, so even though the fund saw the least year-on-year growth of any other on the list, it doesnt seem to be in much danger of slipping down in the ranking. In any case, the recent success of a certain Asian-American Harvard alumnus in the NBA will surely open many alumni wallets for next year.

2nd-Richest: Yale University

Go here to read the rest:
The 10 Richest Colleges in America

The Owls Head Garden Club is offering a scholarship to eligible residents in RSU 13. The purpose of the program is to assist residents in obtaining education beyond high school in the field of environmental science or related studies. Applicants receiving a scholarship must be residents of Cushing, Owls Head, Rockland, St. George, South Thomaston and Thomaston. They must be pursuing or planning to pursue an environmentally related course of study at the postsecondary level at public or private colleges, universities, vocational or professional schools in horticulture, floriculture, landscape design, conservation, wildlife science, forestry, botany, plant or marine biology, agronomy, plant pathology, environmental control, city planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land management or allied subjects. The education may be part time or full time. Applications may be picked up at Ocean Side East guidance office, University of Maine in Rockland, Bowdoin College and the Owls Head Town Office. Application deadline is May 1. Mail applications to Cindy Lucas, 42 Snow Hill Lane, South Thomaston 04858.

In February, University of Maine at Fort Kent Alumni Association President Meranda Hafford-Castonguay presented Leslie Kelly, board member of the Greater Fort Kent Ecumenical Food Pantry, a donation of $360. The UMFK Alumni Association board of directors recently held a talent show featuring a variety of local talent to raise the funds. Proceeds from the event benefited the food pantry and the UMFK Alumni Association Scholarship Fund. Taking part in the presentation ceremony wereKelly, Roger Damboise, Raymond Phinney, Michelle Dubois, Beurmond Banville, Hafford-Castonguay, Bruce Nadeau and Robby Desjardin.

Dunkin Donuts of Orono and Old Town recently donated $4,000 to benefit the University of Maine Alumni Association, Black Bear Athletic Fund and Presidential Priorities to support scholarships as part of its community outreach and corporate responsibility program. The university provided each location jerseys from all of the male and female sports teams to display at the local outlets. Taking part in the ceremony to present the donation were Todd Saucier, president and executive director, UMaine Alumni Association; Ullysses Tucker Jr., director of annual giving, Office of University Development; Eric Rolfson, vice president for development and alumni relations; Michelle Wise, director of guest relations, Dunkin Donuts; Dina Pereira, director of operations, Dunkin Donuts; and Mike Hodgson, assistant athletic director for development.

Bar Harbor Bank and Trust president and CEO Joseph Murphy recently announced the donation of a gift of $22,500 in support of the Maine Coast Memorial Hospital Mary Dow Center for Cancer Care expansion project in Ellsworth. The center was established in 1997 as a medical partnership with Eastern Maine Medical Center CancerCare of Maine.

Curves International kicked off its 2012 Curves Food Drive on March 1. Each club is asking its members to donate bags of nonperishable food or cash throughout March to support area community food banks. In addition, Curves clubs will waive the joining fee for new members who bring in a bag of nonperishable food or donate $30 to a local food bank from March 12 through 25. For information, visit curves.com.

Visit link:
Noteworthy News for Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor sit behind Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy at the State of the Union in 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a CNN.com contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist.

San Diego (CNN) -- Now that we have Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina, on the Supreme Court, the esteemed body will soon find itself in the middle of a telenovela.

The storyline involves the contentious issue of affirmative action, which is central to Fisher vs. University of Texas, a case that is scheduled to come before the court this fall. It will cast a spotlight on two of the court's justices: Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito. Affirmative action seems to be intensely personal to both of them, though for very different reasons.

First, let's take a minute to note just how similar Alito and Sotomayor are in terms of their background. Both are baby boomers, born just a few years apart. Alito is 61 years old and Sotomayor is 57. They grew up in neighboring states. Alito is from New Jersey and Sotomayor is from New York. Both came from ethnic, working-class families. Alito's parents were teachers, Sotomayor's father was a tool-and-die worker and her mother was a telephone operator. Finally, both went to Princeton University and Yale Law School, where both served as editors of the Yale Law Journal.

Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Given all those similarities, what could these two Supreme Court justices possibly have to argue about? Affirmative action. That's what.

Will the Supreme Court strike down affirmative action?

Alito has highlighted in a 1985 job application for promotion to officials in the Justice Department of the Reagan administration that he belonged to a group called Concerned Alumni of Princeton. And what were the Princeton alumni so concerned about? Why, that there were supposedly too many women and minorities being admitted to the prestigious but predominantly white institution.

Original post:
Opinion: Payoff from affirmative action?

Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor sit behind Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy at the State of the Union in 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a CNN.com contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist.

San Diego (CNN) -- Now that we have Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina, on the Supreme Court, the esteemed body will soon find itself in the middle of a telenovela.

The storyline involves the contentious issue of affirmative action, which is central to Fisher vs. University of Texas, a case that is scheduled to come before the court this fall. It will cast a spotlight on two of the court's justices: Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito. Affirmative action seems to be intensely personal to both of them, though for very different reasons.

First, let's take a minute to note just how similar Alito and Sotomayor are in terms of their background. Both are baby boomers, born just a few years apart. Alito is 61 years old and Sotomayor is 57. They grew up in neighboring states. Alito is from New Jersey and Sotomayor is from New York. Both came from ethnic, working-class families. Alito's parents were teachers, Sotomayor's father was a tool-and-die worker and her mother was a telephone operator. Finally, both went to Princeton University and Yale Law School, where both served as editors of the Yale Law Journal.

Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Given all those similarities, what could these two Supreme Court justices possibly have to argue about? Affirmative action. That's what.

Will the Supreme Court strike down affirmative action?

Alito has highlighted in a 1985 job application for promotion to officials in the Justice Department of the Reagan administration that he belonged to a group called Concerned Alumni of Princeton. And what were the Princeton alumni so concerned about? Why, that there were supposedly too many women and minorities being admitted to the prestigious but predominantly white institution.

Read the original post:
Taking affirmative action personally

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

THE Commission on Higher Education (Ched) in Davao region announced Tuesday that all major colleges and universities in Davao City have petitioned to increase their tuition for school year 2012-2013.

Based on the list of all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that applied for tuition hike 24 HEIs from Davao City have filed their petition as of February 27, except for the Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF) that only offers medical and allied medical courses.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Among these major HEIs are Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU); Brokenshire College (BC); Davao Doctor's College (DDC); Holy Cross Davao College (HCDC); MATS College of Technology; Joji Ilagan Career Center Foundation (JIB); Mindanao Medical Foundation College (MMFC); Philippine Women's College (PWC); STI-Mindanao College; University of Mindanao (UM); and University of Immaculate Conception (UIC); among others.

Cesar A. Adegue IV, education supervisor of Ched-Davao Region, in an interview last week told Sun.Star Davao, said Ched cannot yet disclose the specific rates that these schools have asked to implement.

Adegue said one of the core prerequisite before any school can hike their school fees is to hold a consultation among their stakeholders which would include representatives of the student council, alumni, and faculty.

"Katong mga wala nakahimo ug consultation, dili jud 'to sila pwede makapa-increase sa ilang tuition (Those schools that have not conducted a consultation cannot increase their tuition)," Adegue said.

The list of the remaining schools from Davao City that have petitioned to hike their school fees are the following: ACLC College; Agro Industrial Foundation College; Davao Central College; DMMA College of Southern Philippines; Ford Academy of the Arts; General Baptist Bible College; Holy Cross College of Calinan; Holy Cross of Sasa College; Philippine College of Technology; Samson Polytechnic College of Davao; St. Peter's College of Toril; and St. Francis Xavier College Seminary.

Ched also announced that of the 93 HEIs across Davao Region, 41 HEIs have applied for tuition increase which translates to a total of 44 percent: two from Island Garden City of Samal; three from the province of Davao del Sur; three from Digos City; one from Panabo City; four from Tagum City; two from Davao Oriental; and two from Compostela Valley Province.

View post:
Ched-Davao Region: All major colleges, universities to hike tuition

VERNON

UConn student Lukasz Gilewski stood in a crowded courtoom Monday and spoke admiringly of the fellow student whose life he took when he was distracted while driving a university shuttle bus.

"I will do my best to live my life in a way that best honors him," he said of David Plamondon, 20.

A short time later, a judge spared Gilewski jail time and sentenced him to two years of probation.

Gilewski, 22, of Newington had earlier pleaded no contest to negligent homicide with a motor vehicle and failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian. The sentencing was in Superior Court in Rockville before Judge Elliot N. Solomon.

The full sentence is six months in jail, suspended, followed by the probation. There also are a series of conditions that include giving up his commercial driver's license which Gilewski already has done and speaking to new drivers about the importance of attentive driving. Negligent homicide with a motor vehicle is a misdemeanor.

Plamondon's family criticized the sentence as being too light. About 20 family members and friends watched the proceeding; each wore a pin with Plamondon's picture and the words, "In our hearts you will stay."

"Today, I grieve for my son knowing that justice was not served in court," Plamondon's mother, Linda Plamondon, said outside the courthouse after the sentencing. "I am disappointed with this plea agreement. This was an act of manslaughter."

About 8:10 p.m. on March 22, 2011, Gilewski was headed north on Hillside Road when he stopped at a stop sign, turned his signal on and started to turn left onto Alumni Drive, the police report states. As he started turning, he made eye contact with a southbound bus driver stopped at a stop sign. He waved, he told police.

"I then looked up Alumni Drive and saw a pedestrian right in front of my bus just to the right of the middle" Gilewski told investigators. "I then lost sight of the pedestrian; I heard a tumbling noise and realized I had run over the pedestrian."

Follow this link:
UConn Student Bus Driver Spared Jail Time In Death Of Fellow Student

Published: Monday, March 5, 2012 at 8:25 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, March 5, 2012 at 8:25 p.m.

MALL WALKERS PRIZE PARTY, 9-10 a.m., Eagle Ridge Mall food court. Sponsored by the mall and Lake Wales Medical Center.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS, what they are and how to acquire them, 7 p.m. meeting of Winter Haven-Bartow area attention deficit support group, Polk School Board exceptional student education building No. 270 at Bartow Airbase. Dr. Kevin Kindelan will give the program.

WEDNESDAY

QUIT SMOKING NOW, start of free six-week program to become tobacco-free, will meet weekly Wednesday-April 11, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Florida Southern College, Thrift Alumni Building, next to Wellness Center. Program includes nicotine replacement therapy patches at no cost to participants. Call 877-252-6094 for more information or to register.

THURSDAY

ADULT/CHILD CPR AND AED, $28, 6-9 p.m., Regency Center for Women and Infants, Winter Haven. Register with Citizen CPR at 863-291-5977.

MARCH 13

GRAND IS GRAND, $10, class for new or expectant grandparents, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Regency Center for Women and Infants, Winter Haven. Call Regency Library, 863-294-7020.

MARCH 14

Link:
Medical Event Calendar