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But without a doubt, the most fulfilling Armstrong-related part of 2015--and I think, my entire Armstrong-fueled career--came during a spell of 15 weeks from August 31 through December 14. In that time, I taught "Music of Louis Armstrong" to graduate students at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. To say this was a dream come true is an understatement but even I wasn't quite prepared for how much the course would move me, inspire me and even teach me.
First, how did I get there? The great jazz critic David Adler has been teaching Jazz History at Queens College for a number of years and has always been nice enough to recruit me when he arrived at Armstrong's point in the semester. My boss, Michael Cogswell, and I had floated the idea of an entire course devoted to Armstrong in the past, but never got any traction out of it. However, when David was asked to teach a "special topics" semester of Jazz History, he demurred, saying the only special topics course that should be taught should be one on Louis Armstrong and the only person to teach it would be me. I'm still touched beyond belief at David's generosity as without him going to bat for me, I wouldn't be typing this right now.
I always loved addressing the students during my guest lectures but also always came away with a slightly nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach at how little they knew about Armstrong. These were graduate students, most of them getting degrees in Jazz Performance and every semester, I'd ask, "How many of you have really checked out Louis Armstrong?" and every semester, I'd get blank stares and somewhat embarrassed glances at the floor. How did this happen? I had my theories but was determined not to let my students go down that path. No, they would be Satch-urated to the fullest extent.
Having never taught this course before, I came up with a gameplan in August that seemed reasonable: there would be weekly reading and listening assignments; each student would have to visit the Armstrong House, the Armstrong Archives and attend a live "traditional" jazz show; they'd have to transcribe a Louis solo and a comparable solo by another artist on the same tune to analyze the differences in style; there'd be a final paper of some sort based upon research done at the Archives; and most of all, they'd have to show up, as my nearly three-hour weekly sermons would feature audio and video they wouldn't have access to anywhere else.
Again, it seemed reasonable to me but as the semester progressed, some of the students made it clear that he two hours of listening I had assigned was "too much" (in addition to listening, I asked for comments--opinions--on each track). I didn't back down, feeling that whatever they were going to get out of this course, they had to listen and comment on two hours of Louis each week AT MINIMUM. That wasn't going to change (what did they listen to? Stay tuned for the answers in a future blog post). They also read Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans, my own What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong's Later Years and selected writings by Max Jones, John Chilton, Terry Teachout, Gunther Schuller and Humphrey Lyttelton.
The "mutiny" was short-lived as the students slowly began to come around to Pops. I don't think they ever had anything against him. But in the early weeks, I played a lot of inferior-sounding recordings and threw everything at them: Sousa, B.A. Rolfe, John McCormack, Billy Murray, Enrico Caruso. the ODJB, Johnny Dunn, Paul Whiteman, Guy Lombardo, King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, Lillie Delk Christian and more. The combination of the poor quality and the corny recordings, I think, was starting to drive them crazy.
Which was the point. Because then Louis started making his mark with the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens and everyone sat up. They applauded spontaneously at the end of "Beau Koo Jack." The transcription assignments began and people started talking about the difficulty of transcribing Armstrong's rhythm and pointing out when Armstrong played "bebop phrases" (which, I'd always point out, was reversed: the boppers were playing "Armstrong phrases").
From then on, it was really smooth sailing. Bria Skonberg came in to talk about being inspired by Armstrong in 2015 and the burgeoning "hot jazz" scene that's happening around the world. The class viewed Satchmo the Great and Armstrong's complete 1965 East Berlin concert. After my wife gave birth and I spent precious little time at the Archives, I scrapped plans for them to write a research paper, instead giving them a presentation as a group at the Archives, unleashing my favorite rare video clips and treasures from Louis's private tape collection and letting them all take photos holding one of Armstrong's trumpets.
With each passing week, their homework comments grew deeper and more powerful. Why hadn't they checked out Louis before? Why isn't Louis taught first instead of bebop? In my last class, I spent almost the entire three hours going over Louis's triumphant but ultimately sad final four years. It was pretty emotional; more than one student told me they cried. After wrapping it all up, we took this photo, which I'll always cherish. Not only is the entire class there but also some folks not even enrolled: Caroline Fernandez and Adriana Filstrup from the Armstrong House are there, as well as my pal David Smith and yes, on the left, David Adler sat in on the last class, too. Oh, and one student is on Caroline's iPhone, Skyping from Mexico because she didn't want to miss the final class.
By the time I walked out of the class for the last time, I had already assigned the students their final paper--but just barely! With about a week to go, I was starting to sweat. I canceled any research paper ideas and even made the idea of transcribing another artist's solo optional as extra credit. (They struggled enough with Louis's transcriptions, though that became a highlight of the semester for me. Only 1 of the 17 students played trumpet so hearing Louis's lines on piano, saxophone, guitar, upright bass, even vibes was a thrill!) I promised there'd be a final paper of some sort but it would be opinion-based. I just had no idea about what exactly to ask!
Finally, it dawned on me. On the first day of class, I shared with them Downbeat's "Roses for Satchmo," the beautiful set of tributes to Louis compiled by Dan Morgenstern, Harriet Choice and Jack Bradley for Louis's 70th birthday in 1970. For part one, I asked them to contribute a similar "rose for Satchmo," explaining what Louis now meant to them. I then asked which Louis recordings they would play for someone to get them interested in Louis (answers mostly fell into two camps: Hot Fives and Sevens or 1950s records such as Plays W.C. Handy and Ella and Louis). Then I had them read a favorite Humphrey Lyttelton piece from 1956 where Lyttelton defended Armstrong against the typical critical accusations being hurled at him (too much clowning, set solos, commercial records), making it into a larger issue of was Louis even a jazz musician at all. After the reading, they had a series of what I called "mystical" questions to answer, such as "How could studying Louis Armstrong's life and music in 2015 help today's musicians?" and "What lessons did Pops embody that might not be taught in today's Jazz education programs?"
I didn't put a word count on it or make any specific parameters. I figured they had each come into a class on Louis Armstrong admitting on the first day that they hadn't really checked him out. 15 weeks, two books and about 30 hours of listening later, what stood out? Did anything hit them the way it hit me 20 years ago?
Now, before I go any further, I did not set out to make their responses public. But damn it, reading them made me so emotional, I want other Armstrong fans around the world to have the opportunity to read their feelings, too. I have edited each response to only include "the meat" of their answers so some of the answers jump around or address a specific question not represented here. Still, their feelings come through. I should also mention that over half the class came from places around the world--Israel, Germany, Mexico, China, Korea, Russia, etc.--so their English skills were varied; I only did minimal cleaning up of grammar but the "worldwide" perspectives on Ambassador Satch are quite beautiful. So here they are, my favorite student responses after studying Louis Armstrong this past semester. Remember, only 1 or 2 of these students admitted to having checked out Armstrong before this course (besides the usual "West End Blues"/"Potato Head Blues" Jazz History "canon" stuff). I hope this is only the first of many such courses (on many different campuses around the world!). Enjoy!
I really can't imagine how the jazz would have looked like without having Louis Armstrong in it. I feel he taught us so much about sound, feeling, rhythm, swing, listening, responding, honesty, "New Orleans style" and more…And still teach. He definitely changed me as a musician and still does. Listening and watching him taught me a lot about different kind of "attitudes" towards music, such as playing with a group, playing a duo, and more combos. He is giving me so much inspiration, teaching me that "Less is more", especially having all of the different types of music which are happening today – it so easy to forget.
I can tell about myself, that Louis Armstrong taught me to be honest with myself regarding the type of music my heart is willing to follow, and no matter what "Style of music" I like and believe in, I should continue following it, play it, regardless the variety of Jazz styles which are happening today. It so easy to get loss. Listening to Louis play, sing, hearing his true, honest music, remind me I should always do it, no matter what kind of music I'm playing or have to play. For some ears, "Louis music" might be sounded "too easy", "too simple", well not to my ears. After listening to his music during this course (and I still have to listen), I reveled so many layers of Louis: his musically, technically, creativity and more…HE IS AN AMAZING MUSICIAN. With everything which happening in today's music world, particular jazz, many classes in school try to teach you how to handle all of those types of music, and bring this "Modernization" in to your music. I don't think it's wrong, not at all, but I'm sure and believe that first we must to know and learn the roots of the music, the roots of Jazz, such as the music of Louis Armstrong. Why? Because you can find everything inside of it: from rhythm, groove, style, culture, swing, roots of jazz and swing, joy, improvisation, development, technique, virtuosity, scatting, to emotions, joy, popularity, love and much more. Thank you dear Satchmo, the great Louis Armstrong. Thank you dear Ricky.
I think the biggest thing that I got out of this class is that it has given me a greater respect for Louis Armstrong. While I always knew that Louis was a great trumpet player, I didn't realize that he was such an influence on both instrumental and vocal soloists in the jazz genre. He was one of the founders of jazz music, created his own style of playing trumpet to include full-toned high notes that most players could only dream of, and he had a style of improvising that others wanted to emulate. He was also known as the greatest jazz soloist, which is saying a lot!
Most importantly, Louis taught us that we should use our gifts to spread love throughout the world.
Ambassador Satch's legacy will continue to live on, because his lessons in music and in life will continue to teach our future musical generations how to be great like he was.
Personally, this class has substantially changed the way I see my career going in the future and it is for the better! Louis Armstrong is a prime example of what artists should aspire to be and I look forward to seeing how this course affects many more in the best way!
Musicians and scholars do not pay attention to Louis Armstrong as much as they should because the curriculum itself does not stress his importance not only in Jazz but in American history. Today you look at the standard college jazz program and the classes range from Music theory to private lessons, but nothing on Louis Armstrong. There is no doubt that the majority of today's jazz musicians have had formal musical training to an extent. If they are not exposed to Armstrong during these college years let alone childhood, there is almost no hope for them to be exposed to him later on. The result is an endless cycle of ignorance within music education.
Louis Armstrong can teach a great deal to today's musicians about being a good artistic communicator. Not only was he a genius musician in all aspects of virtuosity, taste and showmanship, he knew how to deliver. He can play the most complex thing and make anyone understand what he was doing. By the studying the way he engages with his musicians on stage and people in the audience, one can learn how to get people to appreciate your art. Even by the way he looks at the audience, they already feel like they understand him and that is what makes him successful. In today's jazz programs, there is not enough emphasis on being a good communicator to your audience. That is what makes a musician survive. Without anyone to listen, there is no music. Just by listening to the way Armstrong addresses his audience, one can learn how to engage them therefore like the individual as a person rather than just the music itself.
Louis Armstrong is one of the most important musicians that ever lived. His music really captures the joy of life. Louis taught the world to swing and he made jazz more individualistic with the sheer force of his talent. The man was excellent his entire life and his longevity is really something to be admired. It didn't matter what material he was recording or what band he was playing with, he always transcended any limitations of circumstance. Louis's music was a music of the people. It was inclusive and despite what you might have heard, it was brilliant throughout his entire career.
I could go on, but the main point is that very few people have taken the time to learn about Armstrong on their own, and as a result most people's opinions on his and his career are the result of preconceived notions that have developed from other people's impressions of him. The scholars romanticize the bebop rebellion and the listeners and musicians of today are heavily influenced by the narratives that the scholars present.
There are a lot of lessons that we can take from Louis Armstrong. His artistic integrity was second to none. Despite criticisms of his later more "commercial" periods, Louis never stopped trying to better himself as a musician and singer. His trumpet playing increased in quality over the years as he became more mature and continued to develop his technical skills. He also refused to let the critics dictate what he should do. He trusted and stayed true to himself throughout his career. That's an important lesson to learn. No matter what you do, there will always be some who don't like it. You have to soldier on, be true to yourself, and try to better yourself as a musician. Louis trusted in his own judgment and he trusted that he knew his audience.
Louis was a kind and generous man. He truly appreciated his friends, family and fans. He was sympathetic to people who had fallen on hard times. He was endlessly loyal to the people who had made a positive difference in his life. Until the day he died he gave credit to Joe Oliver and Joe Glaser, and his loyalty to them never wavered. He was inclusive, and that's why he always sought a broad audience. His perceived "commercialism" wasn't some cynical ploy to make money. In his heart of hearts, Louis just wanted to invite everyone in the world to the party. He wanted everyone to feel welcome.
Louis Armstrong represents so much of what is right with humanity. In a world of violence, ignorance, racism, and greed, it's easy to become a cynic but the boy from New Orleans hints at the other side of the coin. He reminds us about love, generosity, bravery, talent and beauty. So sit back and listen to one of his records and remember that hope isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Thank you, Louis Armstrong. The world owes you one.
Louis Armstrong in the jazz world, or even in the world of music, is as great as Shakespeare is to literature, or as Picasso is to art. He was a master, and an ambassador of music. After diving into his life and music, it changed the way I perceive jazz and most American music. Then I started to realize how almost everything that I have played in my life, almost everything I've heard from other people comes down to a single point. That point is Louis Satchmo Armstrong. I began to hear the seeds he planted all over the music of his time and beyond. We owe it all to you Satchmo!
Armstrong is an inspiration for everyone. He managed to keep up with the new music sounds for over 50 years. His passion for music is just beyond amazing. Armstrong played concerts/recording sessions almost every day of his career. Louis understood the importance of music and how music can touch and bring together people from different cultures (East and West Germany for example). The audience was most important to Armstrong, he didn't care about critics and other musicians, he just wanted to make people happy. Off stage, he lived a very humble life. He used his money to help family and friends rather than spend it all on materialistic objects. In short, Louis Armstrong changed the life of so many people by his music, his statements to the press, and his actions in life.
Unfortunately Jazz becomes more and more a high art. Many musicians see music as a competition. They want to play faster and put more notes into their improvisation as any of their peers. If you go to any Jam session in New York, you always get this impression. The same holds true for compositions. Nowadays musicians write difficult harmony with odd meters. Armstrong, with his concept of playing music for the audience and treating everyone the same and on the same level doesn't offer what a lot of new scholars and music students are looking for.
In my opinion, more people should focus on Armstrong first in order to learn how to play as soulful as he did. All the notes in the world don't do you any good if you can't back it up by a strong rhythm and a beautiful melody.
Besides being an incredible musician, Armstrong was even a better human being. He shared everything he had with his family and friends. If more celebrities acted like him, we would live in a better world. Armstrong didn't need to drive expensive cars, live in a big mansion, and wear the most expensive wardrobe. He lived a modest life and financially assisted anyone that needed help. Imagine more rich people would spend their money towards medical research, development in third world countries, and education. All these aspects would already be more advanced.
Before this class I didn't know so much about Louis. Now I can say that he is a great human being and just unbelievable musician. I feel like he's the guy who invented jazz music and we should be thankful for that. I respect Louis because he devoted his life to music and became an example to follow. He is a king of Jazz for me.
Has he changed me as a musician? Yes, he did! I don't know if it reflects on my technique or musicality but in a way he changed my mind a bit. I started to think differently in some situations, which is really cool experience. It means that I'm growing as a human being.
As it written there Louis broke up all (nowadays) rules of jazz playing. He was playing all the same stuff night after night etc. Also I think because of his latest career after 1930 when he started to entertain more onstage and press named him "Clown" or "Commercial guy" or something else. And after all that people started to think the same way about Louis and what he's doing. You definitely need to study his life before making some statements. So I don't think it's right that they don't pay attention to this genius.
First lesson is play for your audience. You should love your audience and make them feel good because as far as I know we're playing music for somebody else, not only for yourself or other musicians. Second lesson is love what you're doing. That's important thing. If you don't love your music or what you're doing then nobody is going to love it. Then it's for nothing. Third lesson is -don't pay attention to what other people think about you. Just do what do and that's it. Don't listen to critics.
That's it pretty much.
To me, Louis is a kind of like a spiritual mentor. He's an inspiration, a sound and a mentality to model. Louis speaks his mind, he tells it like it is, and he's got no time for bs. He plays with soul and passion, and he sings in a way that connects with everyone on a personal level. But possibly the best part about it is that to Louis, he just wanted to play his horn, pure and simple. The idea of maintaining simplicity in both playing and mentality is one of my big takeaways from "my time" with Louis. That, and a new found desire for liberal application of shakes and lip trills in my playing. I'll miss this.
Studying Louis in today's world is refreshing. Not only is it a great reminder that "there's nothing we can play on the horn that Louis hasn't played", it's helped me personally to keep my priorities in check and life stress in perspective. To Louis, the biggest thing was playing his horn and his music, that's it. Simple, easy. Today's musicians could learn a lot from this mentality. Forego unnecessary stress and perpetual distractions, and just play.
What does Louis Armstrong mean to me? This is an easy question to think about but very hard to answer. Louis Armstrong means a lot of things to me. First of all, he is the father of jazz and overall the father of music; he influenced the music we hear today greatly and he made jazz what it is today as well. Second, Louis is the best example of what an artist should be. Louis devoted his life to music, made a living as a musician, had a family, loved his fans, made money, traveled the world, became an ambassador, made the top 1 in the world, played with as many musicians he could have played, and yet, the most important thing about his career is that he did all this only because he wanted to and he enjoyed it with all his heart. In few words, Louis means honesty, soul and true music.
Nowadays I tell my friends and people I know about what I have been doing with the Louis Armstrong course. I tell them, I did not imagine the importance of this artist for the history of music and specially the history of Jazz. I first recommend them to listen to his early recordings, just to understand where he was coming from. Also, I would recommend to pay attention to the later years on which we learned there is so much happening in terms of music, politics, arts etc.
First of all, somebody who is studying Jazz at an Institution and is not exposed to the roots of Jazz, cannot possibly know the importance of it. Even though it is the musician's responsibility to research and know about this, nowadays, Young musicians study at Universities that do not talk about anything before bebop. This is a big mistake because if we understand the development of the art form called Jazz, we know that the blues and what happened after that, is important and necessary to understand, analyze and play. Today's musicians are either too concentrated to bebop (which is very challenging) or modern jazz and are not related to the music before that on which Louis Armstrong is one of the main characters of it. I also think that the influence of the critics about Louis and the fact that people categorize him as a commercial musician, make jazz musicians to be away from it due to the fact that no jazz musician wants to be considered pop or commercial. This is not only a huge mistake but a tragedy because they are neglecting the opportunity to learn and understand what Louis did and how much music he made and left behind in our history.
Louis Armstrong did everything a musician could have done in a long period of time and in a successful way so studying his career, a musician can understand the music business of an artist and the art form of it. In terms of technicalities, Louis did so much for this music that we could learn rom him until we die. His rhythm, his phrasing, his sound and swing are component we should embrace and learn; he made the most complicated things sound easy and that ain't easy at all. Finally, the main fact that I think, every musician and artist should learn from Louis Armstrong is that everything he did came from the honest and pure heart he had. He was devoted to music and his audience appreciates it. If there is something I learned form him (out of many things) is that he was not playing no bullshit whatsoever; he was true, he was real, he let music happen and I believed him.
Louis passes the true spirit of this music to me. The reason I describe with the word "true" is because after living in New York for over year, I could strongly feel the intense and competitive vibe when some musicians play this music, like the sessions at Smalls and Zinc bar. People want to show out what they have, to prove they can play, but most of the time that's just a bunch of notes without love. It was Louis leads me back to the true spirit of this music: with love, joyful and story-telling. He makes me reconsider the meaning of improvise. He teaches me to be brave to play less, leave more space, and shape the melody.
Nowadays the jazz program in many other conservatories all intend to teach students intricate theories and harmony stuff (no offense, this is also an important part). But neglect the importance of feel this music. This is what Pops taught us: enjoy this music and keep smiling.
I barely saw musicians smiling while play in sessions nowadays. Because they are too busy to play a bunch of notes, show out themselves and the egos. This is another thing Pops taught me, no egos.
If you wanna play swing, play like Louis Armstrong! No more than him!
First of all, today's jazz education does not have good musicianship class. Louis always thought about what audiences want; however, school does teach only skills and never teaches good musicianship like Louis did.
Second, Jazz program does not include New Orleans style's ensemble class. This class teaches only theme melodies and students learn chord progression and improvise using by their ears like Louis did. Also, this course should be required class before students start ensemble classes.
Finally, students must analyze at least 20 patterns of Louis's rhythms. After that they have to write and do presentation! Everybody can play Jazz!!!!
Louis Armstrong has become a symbol of musical integrity in an otherwise commercially run and disheartening music industry. His authentic musical offerings, which he cultivated over time lasted over 50 years- a feat that cannot be underestimated for its enduring effect on popular music in America and around the world. I think the fact that he was able to be productive for so long despite the criticisms and judgmental B.S. which surrounded him is a true testament to his unending commitment to his horn and to conveying the finest music possible to the public without fail.
People can learn all types of valuable lessons from Armstrong's life and commitment to his craft. The way he played and the seriousness he had when dealing with his Trumpet is almost unfathomable. That type of focus is something that I think lacks in today's world. His focus and morals are something everyone can learn from. To study his life and tunes is also a great peek into the whole evolution of jazz as a style of playing. His talent was as unique as anything the world has ever and will ever see.
Louis Armstrong is the root of jazz. The real jazz started and preached by Louis. Jazz music or American music industry involved person you must know the name of Louis Armstrong and his music which is the bible of black soul. He was the real ambassador of American music, jazz, love, courage, faith and forgiveness. He put all the materials into his music. He had lived with people and for people. He made us laughing, crying and feeling the glorious by his own voice and activities. He was also a mediator between white and black by his music. His music changed my view of music and attitude definitely!
Louis had desire to play and make music for people until he passed away. He put philosophy inside of his music. The love, forgiveness, piece, soul and glory. He was a mediator connecting people. In musically Louis focused the sound, melody and rhythm. His solo was simple comparing to bop players to contemporaries. Some of my teachers also emphasis having the sense of melody and groove like Louis but they did not play like that. Louis showed me how he approached music and how to sound the own voice. Also his attitude has to be respected and taught to the student. He never ignored playing different style or genre of music but he swung for every music and he made people swinging!
These kind of things are not being taught in today's jazz education program I think. Of course some of them do this I guess but not every one. Thank you so much Ricky and Pops!
I sometimes feel the Jazz nowadays tend to be too "intellectual" and lack meaning into it. Louis' music was deeply rooted in where he came from and how he grew up, and always from his heart. That was the most meaningful lesson for today's musicians.
Once again I would like to say what a pleasure it was to take this course, not only have I learn more about Louis Armstrong and jazz music in general, I feel like I have improved as a person and as a musician.
When I think of Louis Armstrong, I think of the word pioneer. He was a pioneer for jazz, having single-handedly taught the entire world how to swing. He was a pioneer for race relations being one of the first musicians to play for integrated audiences. He was a pioneer for showmanship, showing a score of musicians how to entertain an audience. As far as my own musicianship, he has showed me how to put the melody first in the music. The melody would be what draws you and the audience together.
The thing that I took away from in this course was that Louis Armstrong was of the people. He didn't just sit in a practice room and work out his ideas and present them in front of people without actually talking to them. I think most certainly that many musicians who are school educated don't get out enough in public and learn how to play for people and talk to them about what they like as an audience. In other words, you have to know what people like in order to entertain them and I think Louis Armstrong did that very well. The other key thing about Louis was that he was about the melody in his music. Many times musicians are just constantly trying to evolve their ideas and they get so far away from the melody that the audience is lost. Honestly those are the two biggest takeaways that I have had in this music.
I was really happy that I could learn about Louis Armstrong such as his life, music, think and I've been to his house during this class.
I would like to say, he was really pioneer in jazz music. I also had prejudice that old jazz standard music is boring and sounds, solo skills also old. Actually I still have little beat boring about early 1920s big band music. But the more I heard Louis Armstrong's music, the more interested I become. His simple melody solo, his trumpet is very soft also strong. I really like his singing style. Everything is good.
Louis Armstrong was a true genius of his time. Not only did he help invent and popularize jazz music but he became a household icon to most. Not only with his killer smile and enthusiasm, but with his amazing talent and humble personality. Without Louis music would not be the same today.
Studying Louis in 2015 could really help in my opinion. If you would get a good grasp on how Louis played you would have a good base of swing, melodic improvisation, and style. Most people try to jump in over their head in jazz and don't understand some of its complexity and checking out Louis could help fix that. I also think if he was to give a lesson or tip to today's young musicians it would be to always have fun with your music and just because a few people don't like what you play doesn't mean everyone else thinks that.
Thanks again for the awesome semester!!


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George and Ira Gershwin's melodies pervade popular culture with the same frequency as Carmen or Debussy's "Clair de Lune." Two weeks ago, Brian Wilson contributed to the fold of Gershwin interpretations, releasing his newest album "Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin." The album, issued on Disney Pearl Series, is his second after the release of the much-anticipated "Smile" in 2005.
As you might expect, the former Beach Boy presents these standards, musical theater numbers and arias in cooing, three and four-part harmonies awash in reverb. Wilson plays "'S Wonderful" as a bossa nova, à la João Gilberto; he redefines "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'" from Porgy and Bess as a instrumental jig for harmonica; and he adds both string and saxophone accompaniment to "Summertime" , singing with what you might call Southern California sprezzatura.
If it's too weird for you, there are plenty of other renditions to fall back on. Take the following, for instance: Leontyne Price singing "Summertime" for Jimmy Carter in 1978.
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text: lilveni 2 / 3 Oct 23, 2008 #1Diversity to me is an intrinsic part of life. It lies in all areas of life, ranging from social to working to even leisure. One who displays diversity, I feel shows much potential and flexibility of abilities. Diversity allows one always find his or her right place in society irrespective of the situation. Hence, developing this want for diversity at a young age is an essential in the highly competitive world today. However in order to experience and realize the importance of diversity in one's life, one must be first exposed to it.Fortunately enough, I was given this exposure from a rather young age. Despite of living in a small town in India, my parents always valued holistic development over any other kind. With this mindset, I was put into a Christian Convent school, which had a European faculty. Hence, though I am a Hindu, I was exposed to Christianity at a young age. After studying there for a few years, my family moved to Indonesia which gave me a new opportunity to broaden my horizons of diversity. I studied in an international school which in my belief truly embodies the idea of diversity. With class mates from countries such as Hungary, Yugoslavia, Turkey and United Kingdom, I was given more experience than I was prepared for. The school was not only diverse in the ethnicities but also in other areas such as the curriculum they offered. Their curriculum gave me a good exposure to subjects such as all the sciences, art, computer studies and all the humanities. Juggling over eight varying subjects coupled with extra curricular activities of computer club, choir and the Indian dance club was truly giving me a diverse foundation in my primary education. As I was settling in, the Asian Financial Crisis dawned on the South East Asia and Indonesia being one of the worst hit countries was in much chaos.Such an economic turmoil caused my family to shift to Singapore. This was the country whose key word was diversity. Being a land of migrants, the heritage, culture, population and even education was immensely diverse. With English as the official language, Malay as the national language and compulsive study of my mother tongues of Hindi, this country gave me many opportunities to expand and engulf myself in it's diversity. The schools were rather divided along lines of merit with the government releasing official rankings every year. Fortunately enough I got the chance to experience all the different kinds of schools since I started off with a rather average neighborhood primary school and then went on to an school of the affluent, Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) and then finally to the school which was all about merit, Raffles Girls' which further led me to Raffles Junior College.It was the transition from one school to another that gave me the chance of developing and appreciating the diversity around me. At primary school, being slightly inclined towards science and mathematics, I decided to join the robotics club. This club gave me much exposure to the technical makings of a robot and I was made to do extensive courses and numerous opportunities to participate in national robotics competitions. However the interesting fact was that, the competition also required us to ensure the aesthetic appeal of the robot, coming up with posters and taglines that helped to develop my creative instincts. As I continued to SCGS, I took up another co-curricular activity of badminton. I had never been in a sports activity though exposure to games during physical education was a regular part of the school curriculum. This gave me a new experience in developing skills in a sport which I thought was almost similar to learning new software in the computer club. Over the 2 years at SCGS, I did numerous activities such as participating in chess competitions, robotics competitions, mathematical Olympiad, organizing the open house activities of the computer society and many more. After the 8th grade, I was given the choice of changing my school to either NUS High School of Mathematics and Science or Raffles Girls Secondary School (RGS) or to stay in SCGS. With my addiction for changes and capitalizing on opportunities, I decided to shift to RGS.This school gave me the opportunity to explore myself beyond my conventional niches of the sciences. Though I decided to take up the science stream with triple science and double math, I was also given the opportunity to study geography, social studies and the best of all, philosophy. To further stretch myself, I decided to double up my extra-curricular activity of robotics with debate. Though the conventional technical science student was not expected to participate in debates actively, I wanted to explore and develop this skill of public speaking. Hence I felt that debate was the perfect opportunity for me to develop my confidence, public speaking skills and simultaneously keep awareness about current issues. When my team won the championship for an inter-school community debate, I was further encouraged to develop my skills in the area of public speaking. As I was presented with more opportunities, I went on the take the position of the deputy speaker of the school Congress which played the role of a bridge between the student body and the school administration. I concluded my two years in RGS with a truly memorable convention that was organized for young women's leaders around the world. This gave me the opportunity to interact and learn from students who had come from other countries such as Thailand, Australia and China. All the leaders were well rounded in each of their fields. This made the numerous activities together much more enriching as we shared and reflected upon the diversity of our experiences.Finally I went on to Raffles Junior College (RJC) which proved to be more than merely an educational institution for me. At RJC, I got the opportunity to study economics for the first. It was then that I discovered my true interest. Initially, like any other typical student, I used to like the subject that I could do the best at. However, exposure to economics started off in a different direction. For the first three terms, economics was the worst out of my 8 subjects. Inspite of that, it remained as my favorite. As we went into greater details and understandings of economics, appreciation for it increased and so did my performance. RJC not only gave me the opportunity to study economics but also higher mathematics. Since young, my inclination towards math led me to opt for the study of higher mathematics at school. It gave me the exposure that I feel was required for me to decide if I wanted to continue to study math as my majors in the university. This subject was immensely enriching however at the same time much demanding. At high school, it is essential for any student to not only be aspiring but also rational and pragmatic at the same time. In order to gain maximum enrichment, I continued with higher mathematics until the last term of school. I then made a decision of dropping it since I felt that I had gained what I had set out to achieve and it would only be logical for me to then focus on my core A-level subjects first.Besides offering academic diversity, RJC allowed me to further develop my public speaking abilities. At RJC, I joined the Gavel Club. This club was affiliated to the International Toastmaster's club and gave me the perfect platform to enhance my public speaking skills. It allowed me to develop as an impromptu speaker and thereby enhance my communication skill which is one of the keys to being successful in business. I was also presented with other diverse opportunities to practice these speaking skills at events such as the school open house and more close to real life events such as the environmental project. This project involved my team of three people to visit five secondary schools in Singapore and educate the student population to adopt green habits. Holding assemblies was quite an experience since it gave us the chance to speak in front of crowds as large as that of 800 students and impart environmentally friendly habits to them. This project was an enriching experience since it not only allowed us to practice our public speaking skills but also serve the community in a unique way. In additional to the gavel club, I decided to go for a change from the robotics club and took up other clubs such as the drama club (raffles players), the Indian cultural society and the Raffles Junior College History Society. Being a member of all these groups offered me with opportunities to develop my talent in varied areas. Being a science stream student, I was able to participate in the Indian Cultural Society's fundraising concert in the fashion parade, a member of the crew for the Singapore Youth Festival Drama which won the highest honor, help in the organization of Shell EcoVillage Challenge for secondary school students, judge the fashion parade for the Annual Raffles Mock United Nations and even participate and learn about India as a national better through participation in the Indian bi-cultural programme.With such abundant opportunities to develop myself in a holistic manner and such consistent exposure to a multifarious population, I feel that I have been endowed with much appreciation rather than tolerance for the diversity of this world. University would be next step of mutual exchange of diversity. A larger school population, a larger campus, a wider choice of courses would only allow me to further encompass new diversities in my persona .Simultaneously I would be able to contribute to Penn by offering my talents, initiatives and spirit of community to the university and further enhancing the diversity of the student population through sharing of experiences and mutual learning. In my short life of 18years, the variety of things I have learnt only triggers me to continue to this exposure to diversity and try my best to realize every opportunity I am presented with.


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2012 has been an exciting year. Experimentation in applications including interviews and essays has marked the most recent admissions cycle. In addition, the recession, growing concern about rising tuition and student debt, and the promise of MOOCs is shaking the world of higher education. But let's leave the 35,000 foot view of last year and gaze into the crystal ball for next year.
Trends for 2013
- Increased use of MMI in medical school admissions will continue.
- For law school, an increasingly practical approach to legal education with more opportunities for externships, internships, and coursework related to legal practice.
- More new one-year specialized masters programs like UM's Masters in Entrepreneurship or Rochester Simon's menu of one-year specialized masters programs as well more accelerated MBA programs or expansion of existing ones, like those at Kellogg, Columbia, and Cornell. These shorter programs, as well as part-time programs and one-year programs abroad, will present increasing competition to the traditional full-time, two-year U.S. MBA programs.
- More experimentation with the MBA interview. I predict more group interviews, as was introduced by INSEAD and Wharton in the last two years. I also predict continued experimentation with essays and attempts to find alternatives to essays, probably using media other than the written word.
- Continued growth of Asian MBA programs as continuing economic contraction in Europe, increasingly restrictive visa policies there, and the relatively strong Asian economy encourage Asian business schools' growth and competitiveness.
How did I do in 2012?
So that's what I foresee for this year, but how did last year's predictions stack up? How cloudy was my crystal ball. Well I predicted:
- Interview experimentation, specifically more use of team interviews for business school. On the money! 😀
- "The trend towards more openness with data (in law school admissions) will spill over to MBA programs." Not sure here. I think so, but can't point to anything specific.
- "Expect more focus on realistic, well-reasoned goals in all areas of graduate admissions." Again, I think this is true, but I can't point to any specific evidence. Jan. 3 2013 News Flash (Edit): I now have some evidence. Today's Wall Street Journal article M.B.A. Pop Quiz: Are You Employable? reports on increasing number of business schools that are have career services weigh in on admissions decisions.
- "Increased Flexibility in B-School Curricula." I expected more schools to move toward the Chicago Booth, UCLA and Wharton models where general requirements can be taken later in one's b-school career. Frankly, I haven't seen this development.
And what did I miss entirely? The shrinking of the MBA application. There have been fewer essays almost across the board.
So my crystal ball definitely had some inaccurate refraction last year. Let's see how I do in 2013.
By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.


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75% of the people who go to events do so to network, but the reality is that the networking part is usually restricted to small talk during the event's coffee breaks.
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Our matchmaking platform easily integrates with your event and adds real value for your attendees by ensuring that everyone leaves with connections that matter.


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THE CANADIAN PRESS -- OTTAWA - The prime minister is celebrating St-Jean-Baptiste in the heart of the asbestos industry as Canada's delegation to an international summit draws ire by keeping the carcinogen off a hazardous-chemicals list.
Stephen Harper's Conservative government steadfastly refuses to let asbestos be added to a United Nations treaty called the Rotterdam Convention.
Listing asbestos on Annex III of the convention would force exporters such as Canada to warn recipient countries of any health hazards. Those countries could then refuse asbestos imports if they didn't think they could handle the product safely.
Canada has twice before played a lead role in blocking the inclusion of asbestos under the Rotterdam Convention, which operates by consensus, and the country is doing so again at this week's summit.
The earth negotiations bulletin published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development reports other countries are "dumbstruck" by Canada's reasons for blocking the listing.
"Frustrations were addressed openly in the afternoon session of plenary, during which Canada was asked to explain its objection to listing chrysotile asbestos," the observers wrote.
They noted the African delegation stressed to their Canadian counterparts that it costs a lot of money to attend these summits, and so they deserved to hear Canada's rationale for blocking the listing.
Canadian delegates at the Geneva meetings are parroting Conservative talking points, telling participants they have "actively promoted safe and controlled use of the substance domestically and internationally."
That's the same line Industry Minister Christian Paradis has repeated in the House of Commons for days now. It's also the boilerplate response from government departments to any and all questions about asbestos.
The observers reported the European Union "expressed severe disappointment at the outcome, underscored the need to move forward, as opposed to backward."
Back home, Harper and Paradis are attending St-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations in the industry minister's hometown of Thetford Mines, Que. That's not far from the site of Canada's last active asbestos mine.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2007 News Releases > October 2007 > WBU alum at front of medical research at Mayo Clinic
WBU alum at front of medical research at Mayo Clinic
ROCHESTER, MINN. – Genetic testing and counseling is at the forefront of medical care today, as scientists continue to screen human DNA and determine which genes lead to certain diseases or conditions. Though controversial at some levels, the same testing is also helping families prepare for their medical futures and determine the most aggressive treatment to combat various conditions.
For Wayland Baptist University graduate Chancey Thompson, that field is just part of his everyday work. As a clinical lab technologist in the molecular genetics division of the Mayo Clinic, Thompson completes the testing and lab work to analyze a patient's DNA for mutations specific to certain genes that cause hereditary diseases.
A native of Alaska, Thompson earned his bachelor's degree in May 2006 and immediately began an intensive one-year master's degree program at Texas Tech University, earning a Master of Science in Molecular Pathology in May 2007. He first came to Mayo Clinic as an intern toward the end of his master's degree work, jumping at the chance to apply.
"It was a great opportunity," he said. "Mayo is the gold standard in healthcare, so I felt like it was an important career move."
Before the internship was over, he had a job offer. Though the job meant a move to Rochester, Minn., far from home and family, Chancey and wife Marianne knew it was a wise choice. As someone who has always found the research and laboratory side of medicine a collaborative effort in patient health care, Thompson knew Mayo would provide the ultimate experience for his future in the field.
In his daily work, Thompson interacts with expensive equipment and state-of-the-art technology, much of which he never used until coming to Mayo. He works closely with genetic counselors and consulting physicians who finalize the interpretations of the test results and consult with patients on the next steps.
"Everything is a shared effort here, and everyone works together in this lab. You don't deal too much with the individual patient, but your job is of utmost importance because you're dealing with life altering issues," Thompson said. "Sometimes I look at what patients are going through, and I look at their family history to know for myself what complications are associated with these genetic disorders. I get to see some pretty rare cases that only happen here at Mayo."
Thompson said the experience is invaluable and he finds it quite exciting to be part of one of the largest genetics testing laboratory in the United States. The future holds possibilities for further education, work in other labs or starting his own lab, though advancement at Mayo is also quite possible.
He said his experience at Wayland was also valuable toward preparing him for this work.
"Dr. Reinhart and Dr. Boyd offered me great research experience and exposure to common techniques that are the foundation of what I do everyday," he said. "The science department really taught me to utilize my study time, and that helped me in my master's work since it was so intense. Wayland also supplied the opportunity to experience science, while offering personal guidance and professional interaction."
"But one of the greatest things WBU offered me was a great challenge. I was just a long-haired kid who skateboarded around and played guitar, and the professors had compassion for me and encouraged me, and that's what helped me along," he added.
"My personal interest in science and the complexity of human design is what drives me, even to this very day."


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The European Central Bank (ECB) promised early Monday morning to create a €750 billion ($955 billion) fund to bail out countries in the eurozone when they get into debt trouble and to act in both government and corporate bond markets as a buyer of last resort.
Stocks in Europe and across much of the world soared in response. The US benchmark stock index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, rose as much as 4 percent in morning trading, reversing a large plunge last week on concerns of spreading European financial trouble and slowing global growth.
The euro rose as much as 3 percent against the US dollar and the yield on the Greek government's 10-year bond plunged as investors bet the risk of default – something investors were deeply afraid of in recent weeks – had fallen dramatically. (See factbox below.)
But while the ECB's move cheered investors, it alarmed some economists.
"This is a whole new level of global moral hazard – the result of an alliance of convenience between troubled governments in the south of Europe and the north European banks [and implicitly, north American banks] who enabled their debt habit," Peter Boone and Simon Johnson wrote on the influential economics blog The Baseline Scenario. "The Europeans promise to unveil a mechanism this week that will 'prevent abuse' by borrowing countries, but it is hard to see how this would really work in Europe today.
Mr. Boone is a researcher at the London School of Economics and Mr. Johnson is the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). "Moral hazard" refers to economists' concerns that such bailout promises lead borrowers to behave recklessly and take on more debt than they should because the borrowers assume someone else will step in and pay their debts for them.
Portugal, Ireland, Spain say they'll avoid a bailout
The ECB's bold announcement flew in the face of a previous insistence that bailouts weren't needed in Europe and that it would be wrong to signal that Europe will take collective responsibility for the borrowing and spending decisions of individual members. But even though the funds are now available for a bailout, Europe's fiscally weaker states like Portugal, Ireland, and Spain are likely to do everything they can to avoid taking one.
The reason is that the money comes with stringent demands for cutting spending and reducing deficits, something that Greece is finding out.
On May 2, European finance ministers endorsed a €110 billion bailout ($142 billion) for Greece, of which €80 billion will come from fellow eurozone members. The rest will come from the IMF
Greek austerity
Greece has promised government pay freezes, pension cuts, and a higher retirement age in the middle of a deep and painful recession. Massive protests against the austerity measures in early May saw protesters repelled from the gates of parliament with tear gas, rock throwing, and the firebombing of a bank branch that killed three employees.
Greece is already grappling with 12 percent unemployment at the outset of austerity measures that are certain to drive unemployment higher. Greece is the recipient of the first-ever financial rescue of a member of Europe's 16-state eurozone currency area. Austerity's aim is to cut Greece's annual government deficit from 13.6 percent of gross domestic product to less than 3 percent of GDP by 2014.
To receive the loan, the Greek government agreed to freeze public-sector salaries until 2014, cut state pensions, and raise the average retirement age from 61 to 63. Laws limiting layoffs in the private sector to 2 percent of the workforce are also being scrapped.
Struggling to service a ballooning national debt, Greece has been locked out of the normal source for government borrowing, the bond market. Investors have been demanding high interest rates that Athens can't afford to pay.
Other countries with debt problems are taking steps to avoid Greece's predicament. Ireland raised taxes, slashed government spending, and imposed public-sector pay cuts of between 5 and 15 percent last year. At a press conference in Brussels after the bailout fund was announced early Monday, Portuguese Finance Minister Fernando Teixeira dos Santos said his country will sharply reduce its deficit in the next fiscal year and said the government is considering raising taxes.
Lessons from England?
In Britain – where Margaret Thatcher set an international yardstick in the 1980s by subjecting the economy to its own shock therapy – it's all painfully familiar.
But even here, the rigidity of the austerity plan now being imposed on Greece has sent a chill.
"What Mrs. Thatcher did was divisive – but it came in stages," says Kevin Featherstone, a professor at the London School of Economics. "There wasn't this preplanned awareness about what was coming next, and of course in Britain there were choices that could be made."
Thatcher's Conservative administration came to power in 1979, three years after a Labour government was forced to go to the International Monetary Fund for $3.9 billion – the largest amount ever requested of the IMF at that time.
Over the course of the decade, she privatized state-owned industries and utilities, implemented strict trade union restrictions, and reduced social spending.
By 1982, the number of Britons without a job had risen above 3 million for the first time since the 1930s. The unemployment rate was as high as 20 percent in Northern Ireland and 16 percent in most parts of Scotland and the north of England.
Tougher in Greece
But a crucial difference in context between the countries underlines the stark reality confronting Greek workers, according to Professor Featherstone.
"In Greece, the talk is of defending hard-won privileges, which might to some outside observers have seemed to be over the top in some ways. But it's important to remember that they are in a context of a country in which there is very little welfare state, and a corresponding fear of unemployment," he says. "Unemployment benefits last only in the very short term, perhaps only a few months."
Few observers have been surprised at the level of anger now being unleashed on Greek streets in response to the austerity plan – described by Greece's largest umbrella union, GSEE, as "the harshest, most unfair measures ever enacted."
"The Greek population is of a rather different character from the British population," says Peter Nolan, a professor of industrial relations at Leeds University. "Greece had the highest level of general strikes of all southern, northern, and central European countries," he says, "so the Greek populace will take to the streets very quickly if they feel their way of life is under threat.
"In the Britain of the '80s, I think no one really believed [Thatcher] was going to let unemployment soar, that she was not going to prevent the closures of manufacturing of steelworks and of course the coal mines. Not only was she not going to do anything [to prevent it], but she was going to actively promote it."
Britons are once again bracing themselves for a return to austerity. After all, their country has the highest level of debt in Europe after Greece. All three of the major parties contesting the May 6 UK election were in agreement that Britain's deficit needs to be brought under control.
In March, the chancellor of the exchequer warned that the next round of public-spending cuts would have to be "tougher and deeper" than those implemented by Thatcher.
As Athens protests, Germany scoffs over Greece debt bailout
Greek debt crisis: Bailout likely, but will it be enough?
Greece bailout: What's the future of the euro?


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SAN FRANCISCO — The Rockies lost a breathtaking game, lost a road series and lost their prized offseason acquisition to injury.
Those were seagulls circling AT&T Park on Sunday and not vultures, right?
Colorado took a punch to the teeth and a slug to the ribs, falling 5-4 in 10 innings to the Giants on Brandon Crawford's home run just hours after left-hander Brett Anderson was sidelined for potentially six weeks with a fractured left index finger.
"I was just starting to show these guys why they traded for me," Anderson said. "It's hard to believe."
The Rockies' finishes at the China Basin have long strained reality. This one kept the sellout crowd in full throat until the final swing. And, oddly, it could have been worse. At least Crawford's home run cleared the fence. A good matchup for Rex Brothers — lefty on lefty — turned sour when Crawford ambushed a 91 mph fastball. The Giants' 64th splash hit at AT&T Park threw cold water in the Rockies' faces, preventing them from winning their first series in San Francisco since 2010.
"I got it in where I wanted," Brothers said. "But it was up."
Colorado had reason to think it would win, a rare plot twist given its lack of road success. Momentum shifted in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Gregor Blanco blasted a high flyball into triples alley in right center. However, Michael Cuddyer dropped the baseball as he retrieved it, sending Blanco racing toward the plate. Last May, Angel Pagan ran the Rockies into a loss with a inside-the-park walk-off home run, the first in the big leagues since 2004.
TOUT VIDEO: Rex Brothers on loss to Giants
PHOTOS: Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants
"The whole time, I was thinking, 'This is not happening again,' " second baseman DJ LeMahieu said.
LeMahieu relayed a strike to catcher Wilin Rosario to cut down Blanco's bold attempt. It only delayed the anguish.
"I really thought it was our game after that," reliever Adam Ottavino said. "The way we came back against (Tim) Hudson … We never stopped."
Every game in the series was decided by a single run. Manager Walt Weiss praised his team's resiliency but was in no mood for consolation prizes.
The challenge facing the Rockies' rebound this season has become daunting. With Anderson out, Colorado must get ace Jorge De La Rosa right as Jhoulys Chacin, who begins a rehab assignment Tuesday, inches closer to his return April 28 or May 3. De La Rosa is winless in three starts, saddled with a 9.69 ERA. He was able to navigate away from trouble last season but has been at his worst this season with runners on base.
"We believe in him," outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "He can be as good as last year. Maybe even better."
Unlike Saturday, when the Rockies won with microball, they relied on thunder in the series finale against Hudson. Rosario and Justin Morneau hit their first homers.
With the Rockies trailing 4-2, Nolan Arenado doubled to lead off the eighth. LeMahieu followed with a similar shot, drawing the Rockies to within a run before Drew Stubbs' at-bat. Weiss made a bold move, pinch-hitting for the sport's hottest hitter, Charlie Blackmon, and Stubbs delivered a single.
"I was prepared to hear it on that one," Weiss said. "But Javy Lopez has been the best in the game, really, getting left-handers out."
The Rockies remained in striking distance because of a reasonable debut by Tyler Chatwood. He worked six innings, displaying no issues with his previously injured left hamstring. Just as he returns, concern has shifted to Anderson.
"It seems like I have a black cloud over me," Anderson said. "Hopefully, it will heal quickly."
Troy E. Renck: email@example.com or twitter.com/troyrenck


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After an evening of spooky ghosts and apparitions, you'll surely want to relax in the company of other spirits. These creepy concoctions are simple to make and are perfect for livening up your haunted house party this Halloween. So, gather up your cauldron, some bat wings, and eye of newt, and brew these bewitching beverages.
Brain Hemorrhage
Be inspired by a Brain Hemorrhage
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To make an eerie Alien Brain Hemorrhage, slowly pour in a small amount of blue curacao before adding the grenadine syrup.


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Farber and Zino Named ECAC Metro Players of the Week
- Farber named Player of the Week; Zino named Pitcher of the Week -
Centerville, Mass. - Junior shortstop Nicole Farber (Oakdale, N.Y./Connetquot) was named ECAC Metro Softball Player of the Week and sophomore pitcher Hope Zino (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) was named Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, April 27th. This is the second time this year they have swept the weekly ECAC Metro awards.
Farber hit .889 in two double headers this week. She recorded another NCAA record with six consecutive hits against Staten Island, along with two RBI's, two walks and two stolen bases in the Rams 5-0 and 17-2 victories. Against Mount Saint Mary, she went 2-for-3 with two walks, one RBI and two stolen bases as the Rams took wins of 3-0 and 8-0.
Zino went 2-0 this week, posting another week with a 0.00 ERA. Against Staten Island, she allowed four hits and walked only two with eight strikeouts. Against Mount Saint Mary, she struck out a school record 15 batters, breaking her own record from last season of 14 K's, to take a 3-0 victory with no walks and just two hits.


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That's a transcription of something she said, and I think the punctuation makes it confusing. I'm guessing she said "I listed myself in the directory in the hopes that it might mean that I would be invited to a luncheon, a group — something that might happen with people who are like I am."
So the assertion is that she used it as a way to make associations with other people, to network, with lawprofs, but this was somehow disconnected from career advancement. That's a strange line to draw and it makes her sound naive. We are talking about the years from 1986 to 1995. That's a long time, and it's a period when there was a tremendous amount of attention to the enterprise of increasing racial diversity among faculty.
(Here at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, we had Donna Shalala as our chancellor during that time period, and her central agenda — celebrated in the NYT — was "the Madison Plan," which included "doubl[ing] the number of minority faculty members by adding 70 within three years." Taking advantage of the Plan's incentives, my law school hired 4 new faculty members — all drawn from other law schools.)
Here's video of Warren attempting to field the question:
Note that she says:
"The only one as I understand it who's raising any question about whether or not I was qualified for my job is Scott Brown and I think I am qualified and frankly I'm a little shocked to hear anybody raise a question about whether or not I'm qualified to hold a job teaching," she said, pushing to put Brown on defense. "What does he think it takes for a woman to be qualified?"This is nonresponsive to the issue, an attempt to distract. The question is not whether she was qualified. The question is whether she tried to obtain or did obtain a special advantage, with race taken as a plus factor. In affirmative action, the concern is not whether those who are hired are qualified. It's whether the most meritorious candidate received the offer and whether race should boost one person over the next person.
Now, I assume that Professor Warren supports affirmative action within the law schools where she has worked. Ask her about it! Does she vote in favor of admissions policies that count race as a plus factor? Has she supported faculty appointments, choosing one person over another, with race as a factor? I'd be extremely surprised if she hasn't. Assuming she has, why is she acting outraged that anyone would say that it seems that it benefited her and that she sought that benefit?
By the way, does anyone think it's acceptable to check the "Native American" box on an job/admissions application based on one distant ancestor? Affirmative action isn't about genetics!


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Dr. Huang (BD Wong) reunites with the SVU squad to track down a twisted seducer of young women.
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Region's youth perform drama of urban violence
New London — A group of about two dozen local students at New London High School on Saturday staged a performance of "Sincerely, The Streets," an original play that tackles the difficult issue of violence and its effects in a community.
The performance was the capstone of an eight-week summer program organized by Writers Block Ink, a regional program in which students write and perform hip-hop- and dance-based theatrical productions to explore and illuminate social issues.
During the course of the summer, the roughly 25 students work in groups to craft a script, write original songs and poems, choreograph dance numbers and learn some tips on stage acting.
The theme of "Sincerely, The Streets" is violence of all kinds. The play deals with weighty issues such as gang violence, rape, suicide and domestic abuse, and expresses the effects of the violence through acting, rap, dance and song.
"Everyone can relate to violence," said Isaiah General, a 16-year-old Norwich Technical High School student who plays one of the show's main characters. "Violence in our streets is real; violence is an issue that needs to be resolved."
The show focuses on a group of teens as they find their way through a vicious cycle of violence on their neighborhood streets and discover the ripple effects that violence has on each other and their community.
"The theme really hits close to home; every single kid on stage has been affected in some way by violence," said Naomi Jones, a 15-year-old Waterford High School student who plays a television news reporter in the show. "It's important that we can express that, and what I've told the others is that this is not a show, it's a testimony."
Jones said she first got involved with Writers Block Ink last summer because she wanted "to inspire people to change the way they do things."
Adriane Jefferson, an adult leader who directed the performance, said the group has been discussing the death of Michael Brown, who was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 9. Brown's death, and the unrest that has followed, served as grim reminders that the show's theme was apt.
"This is the reality for a lot of these kids, and sometimes it's a reality check for the audience," Jefferson said. "But not everyone understands where these kids are coming from, what they're experiencing and how it affects them."
Jefferson said she enjoys seeing how the students grow and develop as artists and individuals over the course of the eight-week summer program. Most significantly, she said, the students gain the confidence to express themselves openly and perform on stage in front of an audience.
"We try to create an environment where it is OK for them to be themselves and they feel like they belong, and for some of them, it is the first time they feel understood or empowered," she said. "That generates the youth leadership and helps empower the next generation."
Jefferson can personally vouch for the empowering effect of Writers Block; at 16, she was a founding student member of the organization.
"While the show is one output of what Writers Block is, at our heart the first two words of our purpose are to empower youth," said Clarissa Beyah-Taylor, the president and founder of Writers Block Ink. "What we want to do is launch leaders."
Student performers said they received an outpouring of positive feedback after the show's opening performance on Friday and felt gratified that "Sincerely, The Streets" could have an impact on the audience.
"It's so rewarding to hear people clapping and to hear them say that this show changed their view of something," said Ariana Sampeur, a 15-year-old Norwich Free Academy student. "The fact that we're able to develop something that is a positive message in eight weeks shows that the youth can make change and that our voices are necessary."
Twitter: @ColinAYoung
'Black is not a crime' rally
During intermission of the
Writers Block ink play, the
Rev. Carolyn Patierno, of all
Souls Unitarian Universalists
Congregation New London,
announced that a rally will
be held at 3 this afternoon at
Parade Plaza in response to the
recent events in Ferguson, mo.
organizing the rally are
members of various
community organizations,
including hearing youth Voices,
New London Parent advocates,
all Souls Unitarian Universalists
Congregation New London, the
Council on american islamic
Relations in Connecticut and
aCLU-CT, among others,
according to a press release.
Some youth participants
will gather at 11 a.m. at 60
huntington St. to make signs
and march to the Parade Plaza
at 2:30 p.m.
For more information, contact
mongi Dhaouadi, executive
director of Council on islamic
Relations in Connecticut, at
email@example.com or at
(860) 514-8038.
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From HTML Wiki
< Elements
The <ruby> element allows one or more spans of phrasing content to be marked with ruby annotations.
- Ruby annotations are short runs of text presented alongside base text, primarily used in East Asian typography as a guide for pronunciation or to include other annotations.
In Japanese, this form of typography is also known as furigana.
HTML Attributes
See global attributes.
Example A
In this example, each ideograph in the Japanese text 漢字 is annotated with its reading in hiragana. [try it]:
HTML Reference
The HTML5 specification defines the <ruby> element in 4.6.19 The ruby element.


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China Slows Oil Imports From Iran
China continues to slow oil imports from Iran in a move that could signal Beijing is trying to avoid U.S. sanctions. The WSJ's Wayne Ma explains.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... Eustace the oil imports from Iran joining me now is reporter Wayne Ma from Bejing ... okay Wayne view was that it was slapped sanctions on China it can increase imports boosting just the app that up to say happy and ... so on are they smiling ... at imports from Iran and now to avoid sanctions from the US ... read the thread on USD ... China of an exemption in late June ... after the epic and demonstrated it cut imports in the first half the year ... and now that exemption is due for renewal in December ... and China surpassed the show that same Ochoa somewhere ... the import decline of Twitter ... October's import data came out today and it's it's important because ... but it's going to the finals of the figures that the US we use the term and whether or not to do this when you in December ... the cayenne time it is Tehran's largest oil customer ... any IDF POW I've China cutting back on imports is having an overall incl ... on impact on on its oil industry and being ... too well ... even though it your words are gone from Iran there up from several countries ... most notably brush up with surpassed Iran ... and analysts are saying that ... these import the surge in imports from Russia Saudi Arabia and in Angola ... which are the top three suppliers of this year ... up more than ... a ... more than make up for the decline in Iran ... ok and Korea is also looking for a Weaver exams and that what the trend are we seeing there and will may as well I ... will wear inputs enough to make a difference ... book three in Japan of which are of other ... major customers Iran ... have and have declined have reduced imports even more Korea actually halted imports ... in August September because of a European shake up Dan and ... I mean you should be ... in Japan's that imports of between January and September down about forty percent ... I knew ... and cake thanks Fran much rain a lot lot reporter training us from Beijing


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Real life superhero at Comic- Con…..Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African American president.
Now, with co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole, The Silence of Our Friends, The Heroes of Olympus), he brings his incredible story to comics in the graphic novel trilogy MARCH.


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Tom and Cathy Crain
Tom and Cathy Crain are longtime board members of the Worldwatch Institute and Tom currently holds the position of Board Chair. In 1998, Tom was reading State of the World when a reference to the Council of Supporters in the book caught his attention. He immediately spoke to Cathy, a longtime reader of Worldwatch publications, and they flew from their home in Cincinnati to Washington to visit the Institute. Since then, Tom and Cathy have generously supported Worldwatch financially through the Council of Sponsors and provided leadership as board members. Cathy holds a graduate degree in environmental studies and spent many years working in socially responsible investing. A West Point graduate, Tom worked at a Wall Street firm for 30 years and he points to unmanaged capitalism and the drive over the past two decades for unrestrained, unregulated globalization and economic growth as being incongruous with sustainability. Tom and Cathy refer to Worldwatch as "the premier think tank on global sustainability issues. There are lots of organizations and activist groups that are a part of the environmental movement, but Worldwatch provides information for everyone. In that sense, Worldwatch is an engine for the movement."


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RV Forum flags - click HERE
Have a look at this site:http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/Should give you a feel for what's out there.
My new favorite sale site. They had a 24 footer that the sale is pending I'm Doring to know what it sold for. That's exactly what I want.
Who and where do you plan to entertain? Sorry, just trying to understand why you want an RV if you don't want to camp or sleep in it. Maybe a conversion van makes more sense?
Simply put, I don't see you finding what you are after on your current budget. There are functional $10,000 motorhomes out there, but it takes a lot of shopping to find one, and they are usually from private sellers wanting to make a quick sale. While it may seem strange they also tend to be Class A's, and sometimes Class C's. Smaller Class B camper van style RV's seem to actually retain their value more than any other type, which makes your search that much more difficult, perhaps this is due to the fact that they can somewhat be used as daily driver vehicles, something that few people would try to do with a 30+ ft long Class A. Also even if you do find one in fair condition, you should expect to budget for ongoing maintenance, as well as any deferred maintenance items. I bought a 15 year old class A with 75,000 miles on it last year for $20,000, and in preparation to take it on a 4,000+ mile trip this summer I ended up spending over $5,500 on maintenance and upgrades, about half (maybe 2/3) of which were things I could have put off a little longer. This included everything from new shocks to a $700 dash air conditioner repair, as well as new spark plugs and having all the fluids changed, most of the work I did myself.
I have been to PPL many times. DO NOT get too excited until you go there and inspect closely. I didn't shop MH but did have a hard time finding anything NOT water damaged. I'm not saying everything is bad but inspect closely and use that knowledgeable person that you know.
It sounds backwards to me. If you are going to sleep in motels often and seating is more important than a bed it sounds like you need a mini van or perhaps a regular van or even a car that gets 2 to 3 times the mpg and far easier to maintain than an RV. I just woke up so maybe I'm missing something.
Would you folks mind if I post a couple of local craigslist adds and give me your opinions and thoughts?[/quoteTony, the only reason online forums exist is to ask and answer questions. That is the sole reason we are here. Feel free to post as many ads as you wish.
Quote from: Tony79dr on September 04, 2017, 12:32:40 PMWould you folks mind if I post a couple of local craigslist adds and give me your opinions and thoughts?Tony, the only reason online forums exist is to ask and answer questions. That is the sole reason we are here. Feel free to post as many ads as you wish.
Would you folks mind if I post a couple of local craigslist adds and give me your opinions and thoughts?
It's possible, but the search will take time and effort. Don't jump at the first one you find.Here's an example I found on Craigslist three years ago. It's my current motorhome, and while it's too small for a family of four it's an example of what you can find if you look long enough. Since then I've put another 24k miles on it, and the total maintenance has been to give it a tune-up, replace the house battery, and last week align the front end after replacing the front tires. I'm currently in the middle of an open ended trip through Colorado and New Mexico - so far 3 weeks and counting!http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,74857.msg680693.html#msg680693So there is hope. LOl
The 2003 Four Winds looks real good. The price is in line. However that is a really small RV. Go live in your bathroom for a week to find out how small it really is, or go rent one for a weekend. The only downside to this RV despite the fact it is a C, would be making the bed. If you go see it ask them to make the bed.http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2003/Four-Winds/M-21RB-C6-0/3011606/ValuesThe 21 footer is way too small unless you are a midget and travel alone. And it is massively overpriced.http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/1995/Tioga/M-C-Ford-351/3032418/ValuesThank you. I don't ever plan on living in it. Think of its use as a really big mini van. The NADA bummed me out. But better to know now. Haha
Thank you. I don't ever plan on living in it. Think of its use as a really big mini van. The NADA bummed me out. But better to know now.
What's your opinion as far as size on a class b airstream lounge ext? 24.5 See that was just right size wise. Are class c's in 24 smaller?
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