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Bringing History to Life at Beverly Manor Middle School

Ben Coffey and Holden Sandridge, seventh graders at Beverly Manor Middle School, both agree. "This opportunity allows everyone to experience something instead of just sitting in the classroom."

Woodrow Wilson, played by Judd Bankert, came to Beverly Manor Middle School for the sixth year to hold a mock press conference. All of Beverly Manor's 7th grade students, who are currently finishing their study on World War 1 and President Wilson, attended the conference. Twenty-two of them, however, were selected by teachers to be the "press", and each were allowed to ask President Wilson one question of their choosing. "They got the benefit of having the additional research. We spent time giving them background. The question was totally theirs. They had ownership of the questions," said Mrs. Scarlett Kiser, the 7th grade Social Studies teacher who organized the event.

These press conferences have been a Beverly Manor tradition for six years. It was originally organized as a larger event for all of the local middle schools to participate, but as Beverly Manor showed more and more interest, Woodrow Wilson came to their school. "I have been coming here for a long time," said Ellen Abernathy, who works with Museum Education and with school outreach programs. "[To do this] They have to learn the protocol of a press conference and how to approach a president. (...) I think they have to delve into the era. They really come to understand that there was a whole different lifestyle."

The twenty-two students involved asked excellent questions that showed this deeper knowledge of the time period, and Woodrow Wilson's personal life- including questions such as "Could you explain your plan for peace? The Fourteen Points?", "Why are you so concerned about having peace with people in other countries while here at home you are ignoring the rights of American people and are not trying to stop segregation?", "What in your childhood really influenced your Presidency?" and "You were so quick to crush rebellions in Haiti and Mexico. Why didn't you do that in Europe?". President Wilson gave wonderful and detailed answers to every question. He explained his love for Princeton University saying, "I'd rather be a professor there than president [of a college] anywhere else." When asked about the Senate's rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, he said that the Senate had rejected it because they thought it might be a threat to our sovereignty, but he went on to say that "agreeing to do what is right is not giving up sovereignty", and explained his vision for the League of Nations as part of his Fourteen Points, wanting to promote "rights of nations, big and small."

One of his most inspirational answers came to Emily Gardner's question: "What in your childhood really influenced your Presidency?" One thing in particular that he felt influenced him was his struggle to learn to read. At about the age of 9, Woodrow Wilson was just learning the alphabet, but his parents never gave up on him. "When faced with a great challenge, it needs to be taken head-on." He went on to tell the story of a student that came to him when he worked at Princeton. This student was having trouble with his Latin classes, and asked Mr. Wilson's advice. He replied, "Take all of the Latin classes you can. (...) When you come across something you're struggling with, hold tight until you've mastered it."

Many people in attendance feel history is extremely important. One of these people is Abby Claytor, a junior at Bridgewater College who is working as an intern at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, "Anyone can enjoy history in the right way." Mr. Bankert, who played Wilson, feels that Wilson's messages transcend his period. "He speaks to contemporary issues, and his Fourteen Points have relevant, universal truths." Some of these points that he feels are most important are (1) all international settlements are reached in open negotiations, (2) ensuring total freedom of the seas, (3) elimination of barriers of trade, (4) weapons reduction, (5) settlement of colonial disputes by listening to the people within the colonies as well, not just the ruling governments, and (6) the establishment of the League of Nations. "They're as relevant and appropriate today as they were over one hundred years ago. (...) There are some political figures that are very contemporary. They're very much rooted in their time, but Wilson isn't like that. (...) They [his ideas] don't just apply to his time or his generation, but to us today."

A Unique Look at Egypt

Many sides to the Egyptian revolution have been discussed on this blog as well as in the main news outlets. These reports detail people that are upset with a government, but don't give the true details behind what has happened in Egypt over the past few years.


I had the honor of talking to Salwa, a woman who lives in Egypt and her father lives in the United States. Her husband participated in the protests earlier this month. She expressed her hopes and the realities about living in Egypt before and after the revolution.

staunTEENS: How do you feel about your husband being in the protests?

Salwa: I was extremely happy and proud when my husband decided he would also go down to Tahrir and join in the protests.  I myself really wanted to go, but I was concerned about leaving my 3 year old daughter with a friend because of how unpredictable the situation seemed, and worried that I would not be able to get back to her if things turned dangerous or a tighter curfew would be imposed.  Seeing how many people actually did go and fill the streets in such a peaceful way was one of the most beautiful and moving thing I have ever witnessed.  One reason it was so impressive, which people in the United States may have a hard time grasping fully, is that prior to these days the fear of speaking out was so strong and permeated every aspect of freedom of expression.  My mother used to tell me, even when I was in a taxi I should not speak about politics or about the regime even in English, because it was very possible that the taxi driver was actually a spy for the regime and it was a true reality to have as a result of speaking out that secret police would come to your door in the middle of the night and take you away...to who knows where and to do who knows what.  It could be very dangerous for you and your family.

staunTEENS: How did your husband become involved with the protests? Is he involved on Facebook?

Salwa: Although my husband is on Facebook, I don't believe his involvement and decision to go protest came from that source of organization and inspiration.  Simply seeing on TV that so many people were going to protest, that the regime was still not stepping down, and that there were calls for more people to come and support the movement made him believe that change was possible and that he should be there with his people.

staunTEENS: Has daily life changed for you since the protests? How?

Salwa: Daily life on the surface seems to be getting back to normal, people are going back to work and school, shops are open and business running.  But what has really changed is very intangible.  Today at work we had a political discussion about who is in favor of which potential presidential candidate, I have never seen this happen before in this country.  All of the people in my office, when discussions of an election came up, would just shrug and say "Why vote?  It will not make a difference anyway."  This change in people's attitudes really speaks volumes about how people feel about taking control of their country and their lives. 

In order to explain further, I must first describe a bit what life on the streets of Cairo was like before the Revolution...Cairo is a huge city, there was very little garbage collection and it was everywhere in the streets.  Getting anywhere in the city was a total struggle, the streets are packed with cars, trucks pedestrians, donkey carts and microbuses, and because so many people were so desperate - for everything, and mainly to just make it through the day scaping a living together, people would just sort of keep their heads down and push their way through life.  During my time at home when I could not go out and protest, I wrote to different websites such as that of CNN and the White House to try and get people to understand how Egyptians were suffering.  Here are some very realistic scenarios of people I wrote about that I would encounter everyday:

An woman has injured her leg when she fell doing heavy cleaning during her work as a maid.  She goes to work still every day, limping and in constant pain, because she must try to earn enough to feed her family since her husband has passed away and none of her children are old enough yet to earn a significant amount of money.  If she goes to a public hospital she may still have to pay, small as it is, and she will have to wait for hours for someone to see her, and most likely they will just tell her she must not work for a while, and give her a prescription for pain relievers, or something to help with the swelling, that is ineffective anyway because it has been diluted by the pharmaceutical companies.  So instead of letting her leg heal by resting it, she works, and it gets worse and she just lives with daily pain.  How would you feel if this woman was your mother?

A young boy is riding in a microbus when a speeding mercedes cuts off the microbus causing the bus driver to swerve and hit a large chunk of cement left lying in the road.  The microbus overturns and the young boy is killed.  The man driving the mercedes has contacts with the police or government, he mentions their names at the scene of the accident and is promptly let go with no further action taken against him.  The family is distraught, but there is no one to turn to.  There is no counseling available to the family to get through their grief, and nothing they can do to stop it from happening again to someone else.  How would you feel if this young boy was your little brother? 

A mother and father have a young girl with a heart problem.  In order to pay for her medical care, and for her schooling as no adequate school will accept the girl with her condition, the father must work in a nearby city away from his family.  On a late night drive back home to see his family for the weekend, his car runs into something in the road and he is brought to a hospital in critical condition.  There is no proper facility for surgery at this hospital so he is taken to another.  On the way in the ambulance his heart stops and there is no defibrullator  - a basic piece of equipment - to restart his heart.  They take the father to the nearest hospital, which it turns out also does not have a defibrullator, and the doctor, unable to save the man, breaks down in tears. 

Although the first two are very realistic hypotheticals, this last scenario is the true story of my friend Rowida.  Every day things like these were happening.  There was such a feeling of just trying to scrape by, just trying to live, and that people must fight for themselves to survive everyday.  This is what it is like to live under a dictatorship, where all the money for public works are stolen by a greedy few and where people are too terrified to speak out.  Little to no money was going into public hospitals and medicine, into roads to keep them safe, to police to earn a decent wage so they didn't have to take bribes, and to schools.  Even lack of proper garbage collection produces such a feeling of depression and lack of pride when you see the garbage all over the streets, in between the buildings and in every empty lot. 

Although there is so much to do, so much to fix, so far to go, the change in the feeling on the street is amazing.  Driving around, although there is still so much traffic, you can feel that people are happier; people are curtious and thinking of others, you don't have to fight your way through intersections and on the roads, people are not aggressively honking in anger and frustration.  The city is so much quieter. And it is cleaner.  Starting the day after Mubarak stepped down, not only were all the street cleaners out with carts and trucks, private citizens came out and for days now I have seen them cleaning the streets, bagging up the garbage, painting lightposts, signs and even the curbs. And not just in Tahrir, but all over.  We have a lot of work in front of us, but for the first time in the lives of many Egyptians there is hope.  I think every Egyptian feels it.

staunTEENS: Do you have any fears or concerns about the future of Egypt?

Salwa: I don't know, maybe I am naive, but I just can't believe it could be any worse than what it was.  I feel for the honest people who have lost their jobs or businesses, and I hope that the change comes quickly enough for them to recover.

staunTEENS: What can the young people in America learn from what has happened in Egypt?

Salwa: I believe that many Americans, young and old, can learn that as a people Egyptians are very peaceful and kind. 

(...) I think it's important for Americans to understand - Egypt has no need for religious division, we are a people seeking self-worth, self-determination, and justice and peace in our daily lives. 

I am so hopeful that what has happened here in Egypt can be the begining of a movement to change so much in the rest of the world.  

What We Can Learn from Egypt

The 18 days of protests in Egypt were intense, powerful, and moving. People in the United States and around the world witnessed as young Egyptians used Facebook, Twitter, and other means of social media to get out their message. Wael Ghonim, a Google executive in the Middle East, was instrumental in organizing these protests. Using Facebook, he was able to rally people together for the first day of protests, and then after his disappearance, people continued to gather in growing numbers, and he told CNN of his shock when he was freed and saw how many people became involved. “This revolt was mainly inspired, initiated by young people savvy with social media,” said Mahmoud Elshazly, President of the Alliance of Egyptian Americans.

The people in Egypt protested for eighteen days to try to get Hosni Mubarak to step down as president, in addition to having the Constitution rewritten. Mubarak came into power after the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981. He ran uncontested in multiple elections and won all of the other elections, as well as amended the Constitution several times. In the eyes of the Egyptian people, he had become like a dictator. Protests started on January 25th, and just a few days ago, Hosni Mubarak finally resigned as president of Egypt. This was one of the demands of the protestors, as well as establishing a new constitution.

This event can be inspirational to American teenagers. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, is used everyday, and these tools helped to create a revolution. “In Egypt, every one is ecstatic and celebrating the departure of a hated dictator, except of course the few people who benefited from his regime. Step by step there will be a new modern constitution, parliamentary and presidential elections," continued Mr. Elshazly. "Of course there are fears that the military which considered Mubarak as one of their own might stifle the democratic reforms.”

The inspiration lies in the fact that anyone can change a system with which they are displeased. Even against all odds, anything can be done by anyone, especially in this emerging age of communication and connection. With more protests starting in the Middle East and North Africa against oppressive governments, it will be interesting to see how social media impacts these events.


Special thanks to Mr. Mahmoud Elshazly for his wealth of information and input on this article

Mary Baldwin College Athletics: Squirrels say "Tweet"

The score of today's basketball game against Southern Virginia University won't just be on the website or in the newspapers. The Athletic Department can now be found on Twitter and Blogger, as well as Facebook.

Every day, the Athletic Department sends a quick update of what's happening via Twitter, and every day that there's a game, the scores are tweeted for anyone and everyone to see. In addition to this, every week coaches blog about the upcoming Spring season. Another such blogger is Charlie Angersbach, the athletic trainer at Mary Baldwin. He writes about ways to train and exercise and stay healthy. "I've seen an increase in the number of girls coming to the weight room," he said. "I hope this will help them."

"I enjoy doing them [the blogs] and I think it's good for people following what we're doing," said Coach Christie Shelton, the softball coach.

The active blogs now for Mary Baldwin are the blogs for the Softball team, Tennis team, and Charlie's fitness blog.

Egypt Defined

Sometimes it is hardest to try to start watching the news during a huge event because of names and terms discussed. These people and places are never explained- the viewer is simply supposed to understand what is happening. This is where staunTEENS comes in to help. The situation in Egypt has drastically changed and is constantly changing every day, but here is a simple overview of the biggest people, places, and events.

President Hosni Mubarak- Mubarak has been president since the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981. Mubarak has run uncontested in multiple elections, and has won any elections in which he was opposed. He resigned on February 11th, 2011, after 18 days of protests. 

Tahrir Square- Tahrir Square is where many of the protests over the past few weeks have been taking place. It is a major center in Cairo where many important buildings are located, including the national museum which houses the famous mask of King Tut and other Ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Muslim Brotherhood- Finding exact details on the Muslim Brotherhood is extremely difficult. It is a Muslim organization that could be considered more on the “fringe”. The United States Senate in a report says that the group began in Egypt in 1928, and many of the Muslim extremist groups whose names we recognize- such as Al-Qaeda and Hamas- derive from the Brotherhood. Some Americans worry that with the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran will remake Egypt into a country that is not friendly to America.

Protestors- Most of the people involved in the protests are common people that have been angered by the actions of their government.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad- Elected in 2006 and again in 2010 in what many consider a false election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the president of Iran. He is well known for comments about how he plans to “wipe Israel off the map” and that there are no homosexuals in Iran. Some people are worried that the protests in Egypt will allow Iran to exert an Anti-American influence and recreate Egypt to not be friendly to the United States. However, very few of the protestors in Egypt are determined to have a theocracy (government run by religious law).

Wael Gohnim- This young man is the Google executive responsible for marketing in the Middle East. He disappeared just two days after the protests in Egypt began and he has just been freed. It is said that he inspired many people to join the protestors with his statements to an independent Egyptian TV network explaining why people are protesting.