Week 39: CNN and News Media

Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place.

A major milestone in the history of television occurred this week 31 years ago, when CNN launched its first newscast out of an Atlanta, Georgia studio. By broadcasting news 24 hours a day (instead of just 30 minutes a night), CNN forced the entire news industry to change.

Today, news has changed even more. Critics charge that there is less emphasis on journalism, and more emphasis on slicing information up into entertaining bits. When you factor in the Internet, the lines between news, opinion, and entertainment become even more blurry.

In an age where there is such a diverse selection of news sources to choose from it’s important for you to develop the critical thinking skills that help you to think for yourself, instead of having others do your thinking for you.

Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as Atlanta, Georgia to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today

Week 38: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay

Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place.

The Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges are so massive that 90 of the world’s 100 highest mountains are found there. This week in 1953, Edmund Hillary (a New Zealander) and Tenzing Norgay (a Sherpa born in Nepal), became the first people to ever climb the highest of them all, Mount Everest.

From the very first attempts to climb Mount Everest in the early 1920’s, Europeans and Sherpas have worked together. Sherpas are an ethnic group that live in the highest mountain regions of Nepal. Mount Everest has always been considered holy to them, and today, all expeditions there begin with ceremonial offerings and prayer for protection.

Today the term “Sherpa” is often used in a generic way to describe any mountain guide in the area, but ethnic Sherpas are rightfully proud of their identity and prefer that people understood the distinction.

Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as Nepal to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today!

Week 37: Brown vs. Board of Education

Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place.

Diversity as we know it would not exist in our schools today were it not for a landmark Supreme Court ruling that was handed down this week in 1954. The case of course was “Brown vs. Board of Education.”

Today, we often hear about how our country has become politically polarized—that on the most difficult issues, we aren’t able to find agreement as we have in the past. Difficult Supreme Court decisions of late have frequently been decided by a 5 to 4 vote.

“Brown vs. Board” was ultimately decided by a 9 to 0 vote—but that unanimous vote didn’t come about easily. There were two justices who were inclined to vote against the ruling. But Chief Justice Earl Warren felt that the issue was so important, a 7 to 2 victory would not be acceptable. Considerable time and effort were exerted (including a re-argument of the case) in order to finally win over the last two votes.

Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as the Supreme Court in Washington, DC to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today!

Week 36: Nutrition and the Color of Foods

Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place.

Being able to calculate your intake of calories, fats, and vitamins is an important part of healthy eating. This would be much more difficult to do were it not for laws requiring nutrition labeling on food products. Those laws took effect 17 years ago this week.

Now fruits and vegetables, they need no labeling. You can be assured that they are healthy. But did you know that the color of a fruit or vegetables acts as a kind of label of its health benefits? That’s what researchers at Tufts University in Boston believe.

According to them, all fruits and vegetables have cancer-fighting qualities. On top of that, RED foods (like tomatoes and watermelon) protect against heart disease. BLUE/PURPLE foods (like blueberries and plums) slow age-related memory loss. GREEN foods (like spinach and broccoli) help preserve eyesight. And YELLOW/ORANGE foods (like carrots and pumpkins) boost the immune system and protect our eyes. Now that’s diversity you can live by!

Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as a local farmers market to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today!

Week 35: Peter Tchaikovsky

Diversity is any kind of variety that makes our world a better place.

When most people think of Russia today, they are reminded only of the rise and fall of the Communist empire. This is a shame because Russia’s history dates back a thousand years, and Russian cultural contributions to the rest of the world have been immense. This week we celebrate the cultural heritage of Russia, by commemorating the birth of Peter Tchaikovsky in 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia.

Tchaikovsky composed the music for three of the most famous ballets of all time: Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty, and the Nutcracker. His works achieved greatness in part because he composed melodies that perfectly matched the physical movements of the ballet dancers.

Many historians of music view Tchaikovsky’s work as a masterful blend of the musical traditions of Western Europe and Russia. This is a recurring theme across humanity: the creation of works that are beautiful, meaningful, and lasting when different worlds meet.

Remember, you don’t have to travel as far as Votkinsk, Russia to find diversity. There are hundreds of opportunities to celebrate diversity right here at your own school. Find one today!