KRISTA GROTE

National

Arabic School in Ground Zero's Backyard

SUMMARY

Kahlil Gibran International School is the first of hopefully many Arabic schools. It opened this week with 55 Arabic students enrolled. It is not a religious school, but a school that provides Arabic based curriculum so students are able to learn about the language and culture. This school seems to be very controversial because some people think that the school is inaccurate and narrow-minded. They think the school resembles a Madrass and is not sharing common values with other public schools. These protesters are hateful and racist and want to shut the school down.

OPINION

I think the protesters are wrong in wanting to shut the school down and keeping any more Arabic schools from opening because there is nothing wrong with wanting to open a school so kids from a certain background can learn about their culture and language. That would be like saying you can’t have any private/Christian school because then they would be emphasizing too much on their religion. The school should be able o stay open and allow those few Arabic kids to embrace their culture just as their parents were able to going up and going to school in the Middle East.


International

Terra Cotta Army in Brittan

SUMMARY

A British museum is borrowing 20 Terra Cotta warriors from the Terra Cotta Museum in China. The Warriors were made many years ago to protect the emperor of the Chin Dynasty after he died to continue his legacy forever. This is very significant for the British museum because 20 is the most number of warriors lent out to any museum exhibition before. The warriors are part of one of the greatest archeological discoveries. The Museum’s director hopes that by having this exhibit it will make people more aware of Chinese history in the western part of the world. It took four plains and trains to bring the warriors to the museum.

OPINION
I think it is great that the Chinese are lending the Terra Cotta warriors to museums in other parts of the world because this exhibit is truly exquisite, but not everyone can travel to China to see it, so by letting other people see it in other countries they are making people more aware of Chinese history and encouraging more people to visit China and see the rest of the warriors.


National

Cross-Country on a Lawn Mower

SUMMARY

Forty-four year old Paul Woods and his dog Yoda are in the process of driving from Alaska to Connecticut on a lawn mower. He hopes to reach his destination in time to be with his wife before she gives birth to their child. Woods started his journey in January 2006 and in the past six thousand miles that he has traveled he has not seen the best of America. People are always giving him a hard time when they see him on the mower by cursing at him, giving him half a peace sign, shooting paint balls at him, and throwing things at him such as beer bottles and diapers. To the back of his mower he has attached a modified Wal-Mart shopping cart to keep all of his belongings in. Once someone offered him a car but he refused it because he wanted to finish his journey the way he started it despite all the hardships.

OPINION

I think Americans today are very crude and mean. Instead of helping someone in need they just past them by without noticing or they are mean to them and make them feel even worse. Even though you see a strange man driving a lawn mower with a dog and a shopping cart attached to the back doesn’t mean you have to give him a hard time, but it also does not mean you have to help him, but at least don’t be mean to him. You don’t always know what someone is going through and it is not right to judge someone based on what they look like or what they are driving.


International

Sydney Security Prank

SUMMARY

The biggest security operation was breached by a bunch of TV comedians; one was even dressed like Osama Bin Laden. They had a three car motorcade decked out with Canadian flags, motorcycle escorts, and bodyguards. They were so convincing that they got past two security check points and were able to get 30 ft. away from the hotel were President Bush was staying. The real Canadian prime minister’s plain had not even arrived in Australia yet when this incident occurred. They did not realize this was all a hoax until they saw the fake Bin Laden get out of the vehicle. Then they arrested the eleven guys that were associated with the hoax and many officials were greatly upset by this incident, but most Australian citizens found it humorous.

OPINION
I think this incident is quite humorous but I think it is a very serious issue on the security stand point of it. If they would have been real terrorists, it is scary that they were 30ft from the president. They could have had a bomb, and they would have just driven past security. Security needs to be much better enforced especially when it comes to our president being in a different country. Security is not something to be taken lightly because many people’s lives are at stake.