Millinocket brings Students from China

In the New York Times, Abby Goodnough describes how Stearns High in Millinocket, Maine has developed a transfer program for Chinese students from China. Their intent is to invest in this project which includes building a dorm system and weekend programs, and hopefully become firmer and more stable financially. Superintendent Kenneth Smith has already gone on frequent trips to major Chinese cities for recruitment. He has also invited Ms. Fox, who has experience working with Chinese transfer students, to help his faculty learn new ways of teaching these transfers.

There is one hitch. Under State Department rules, foreign students can attend public high school in the United States for only a year, a system that Dr. Smith considers unfair, given that they can attend private high schools for four years. He is pressing Maine’s Congressional delegation to seek a change, but in the meantime, he intends to recruit a handful of Chinese students to attend Stearns next year.

This is attempt can only be seen as a desperate last resort by Dr. Smith in order to revitalize his outdated school. Facts such as small size of the town, lack of high quality diverse educational classes, as well as minimal low-quality school materials all work against the logic of this idea. However, if this plan does succeed and if Chinese students are willing to transfer over to this school, then the profit would be substantial since the boarding, room, and tuition fee would be $27,000 a year.

US and China go GREEN

Elaine Kurtenbach reports in the Times Magazine that the Shanghai and the US are trying to cooperate and create a greenhouse gas emission limitation agreement. While both sides had their fair share of accusing the other side of emitting more carbon dioxide, these two countries have finally set aside their differences in order to help Earth. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has to say:

We regulate greenhouse gases in the U.S. We monitor and require emissions to be reported in the U.S. We have rules that are phasing in, slowly, regulations for reducing emissions from stationary sources

Now that China has put into progress their 5 year plan starting 2011, a foundation has been laid as an example of progressive movement into reducing greenhouse gases being emitted into air. China, the world's most productive country at the moment is willing to give up their factories that spew out carbon dioxide and change for a better cause, the survival of Earth. Now it is up to other countries to decide, will they progress alongside the US and China, or will they be left behind and in the near future be at the mercy to these progressing countries.

Free-Speech in China

In the Time Magazine, Christopher Bodeen discusses how Communist Elders are advocating the right of Free-Speech. A letter was posted online by these retired political figures stating how invalid the some of the newer rules and regulations were because they restricted China's 1982 constitution which gives the people of China the right of Free-Speech. Parts of the letter directly challenges the of the goverment:

"If the constitution is violated, the government will lack legitimacy. The people must assert and exercise their legitimate rights,"

For many years, regulations upon regulations have covered the fact that the Chinese, in fact, do have the basic freedoms of speech. However, after so many years the people have grown accumstomed to the fact that free flowing opinion is not accepted in society and definately abhored by the government when it is being challenged. This movement by the earlier generation of leaders shows great provocative intentions for the government because they are bringing back what they most treasured in their years of political influence. The next would have to include the involvement of the common people. These leaders must rally their opinions to match what is morally correct in order for this movement to be successful.