Many schools have opted for the “cash for grades” incentive program to peak the academic interest of its students. For those schools whose student body is plagued by extended absences, lack of interest, or poor performance, this may seem to be the perfect solution. Arizona, Maryland, and Georgia are just a few of the many schools that are offering payment for good grades. Students in one school in Tucson Arizona can earn $25 per week just for attending school, and up to $100 by making the honor role. Is this a travesty of education, or a solution to declining grades and increasing absences in the public school setting? According to a 2008 survey of high school principals called Principals’ Partnerships, four out of five high school principals were opposed to the idea. They believe educational values and a strong work ethic are put on the back burner. Yet, opponents of this idea believe the concept of money for grades will help underprivileged children succeed. Whether you believe cash for grades is a panacea for declining academic performance, this topic is sure to illicit controversy.
For further information on this topic and additional references go to the library website, click on article databases, and select Facts on File.

Cyberbullying


The internet can be a dangerous place, and lately it has given teenagers a new outlet for cruelty to one another. Aggressors can now threaten or humiliate their targets through websites or social networking places online. Cyberbullies can cause great emotional harm for their victims, and the bullied adolescents can be very reluctant to talk about it to parents or authority figures. Making the pain worse is the fact that a great deal of the torment is from classmates, and can continue at school.

There are many efforts to stop this problem, including governmental regulation and school intervention, but none so far have been without controversy. Giving schools authority to punish cyberbullying, for instance, is reasoned by supporters to be the best way to cut down on the worst incidents. Opponents, however, maintain that schools should have no authority outside the building, and parents need to be able to regulate their children’s online behavior. Potential laws have also been put forward, but many are flawed, and the risk of violating free speech is always present.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic go to the library webpage and click on article databases. Under the Humanities section, click on CQ Researcher.

This blog was written by our guest writer and library intern from Rivier College; Senior English major Jennifer Rafferty.

The Internet: The Reason Behind Cheating?

For academics, the Internet may be viewed as either a boon or bane to students’ intellectual stimulation. For some, the Internet may be considered a vehicle which easily facilitates and encourages academic dishonesty. Many of today’s students rely heavily on the Internet for a major portion of their information and research. According to Debra Humphreys, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at the Association of American Colleges and Universities, “academic honesty is the cornerstone of college learning and liberal education, and indeed, is a continuing problem that colleges face.” Surveys reveal almost 90% of college students view major acts of plagiarism as unethical, yet 40% admit to having plagiarized material at least once. (CQ Researcher 9/19/03)

Professors at Syracuse University and Rutgers firmly believe more teaching is required so students will be able to adequately evaluate the mounds of information available through the Internet. They need to learn how to properly cite sources of information and give credit where credit is due. It has often come down to the “cut and paste” phenomenon. Some students believe copyright laws do not apply to the Internet and many take information as freely as they download music. Is this Internet really to blame for this growing trend? This is certainly a debatable issue, albeit one that educators will certainly voice an opinion.

A complete discussion of this topic is available in the September 19, 2003 issue of CQ Researcher. To access the full text simply click on Article Databases at the Library website, scroll down to the Humanities and Social Sciences Section, and click on CQ Researcher

The Baddour Library Staff would like to offer our sincere congratulations and best wishes to the graduating class of 2009. Special congratulations go out to three of our current and former library student workers Phil Hamel, Marcia Wescott, and Mike Adams. We enjoyed working with all of you and wish you success in all your career pursuits.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you have imagined.”

Henry David Thoreau

April is National Poetry Month so please join the Baddour Library staff in celebrating. This month the library’s book display features both prolific and well-known American poets including Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, and Walt Whitman, to name a few. We also pay homage to New Hampshire poets Donald Hall and our own Professors Alexandria Peary and Donald Wellman . We wish to offer congratulations on their recent publications of poetry. Please consider stopping by the library to view their works.

New Hampshire also joins us in the celebration of National Poetry Month with a blogspot featuring a different Granite state poet each day. Take a moment from your busy work and school schedules to enjoy the tranquility and contemplation poetry can offer. The link to this website is http://nhbookcenter.blogspot.com/

April also offers us the opportunity to acknowledge the services of your Library and your Librarians. Join us for refreshments and a HUGE Book sale to celebrate National Library Week April 13th-19th. This week of celebration is sponsored by the American Library Association. This year’s theme is “Worlds connect @your library.” At your Library a whole world of knowledge awaits you.

See you then!

Just One and You’re Hooked

Did you know that just one cigarette can lead to addiction? According to Dr. Joseph Franza, from University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, studies have found among adolescents, after only 1 or 2 cigarettes, shifts in brain activity occur and there are changes in brain physiology whereby the individual becomes sensitized to nicotine and the beginning phases of addiction appear. Franza discovered that withdrawal symptoms are actually suppressed for weeks. Researchers have developed a Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC) which serves as a measure of nicotine addiction. If one answers “yes” to any one of the following questions then addiction has already begun.

Have you every tried to quit smoking, but couldn’t?
Do you smoke now because it is really hard to quit?
Have you ever felt like you were addicted to tobacco?
Do you ever have strong cravings to smoke?
Have you ever felt like you really needed a cigarette?
Is it hard to keep from smoking in places where you are not supposed to, like school?
When you tried to stop smoking or, when you haven’t used tobacco for a while; did you find it hard to concentrate because you couldn’t smoke?
Did you feel more irritable because you couldn’t smoke?
Did you feel nervous, restless or anxious because you couldn’t smoke?


A copy of the complete article is available in Scientific American May 2008.

The Eastern Air Shuttle

Eastern Air Lines, once one of the great names in American aviation, pioneered the concept of a no frills air shuttle service between major cities. So successful was this venture that the name "Eastern Shuttle" became both a household phrase and an aviation icon.

Inaugurated in 1961 with Lockheed Constellations and Electras, the Eastern Shuttle flew every hour on the hour between Boston Logan, New York LaGuardia, and Washington National. No reservations were required. No seat assignments were made. All one had to do was show up and go. This basic commuter-train-style of service was revolutionary at a time when air travel was still generally regarded as luxurious. Even more revolutionary was the guarantee of a seat no matter what. If the aircraft filled up, another one pulled up to the gate right away. There was no need to wait an hour for the next shuttle. In time, the propeller-driven fleet of airplanes was replaced. Jets were introduced in 1977. The following year Eastern proudly advertised "The All Jet Air Shuttle."

In good weather and good traffic, the shuttle flights from New York to Boston and Washington took about forty minutes or so, terminal to terminal. By railroad, the same trips took four hours

to Boston and three hours to Washington, center city to center city. By automobile, it took longer through often miserable driving conditions. Furthermore, in the sixties the Eastern Air Shuttle seemed glamorous and progressive, and so it became a great success.

This success plus deregulation lead to competition. In the 1980s Eastern's monopoly ended when New York Air started a less expensive alternative departing every hour on the half-hour. This did not last long, but the damage was done. As Eastern continued to lose business to competitors in numerous markets, its iconic Shuttle was sold to Donald Trump, who later sold it to US Airways. Then Pan Am stated its own shuttle which eventually went to Delta. Eastern, like Pan Am, went into bankruptcy and ceased operations.

While Eastern's story has a sad ending, its contributions to passenger aviation remain. Eastern flew many routes, of course, but is perhaps best known for inventing the Air Shuttle. A very enlightening history of Eastern Air Lines and its contributions to air travel, including the Eastern Shuttle, can be found at this website:

www.answers.com/topic/eastern-air-lines.

For anyone with an interest in the history of passenger air transport, this site is well worth a look.