The recent release of "Bully" and the controversy over its initial "R" rating (it was eventually released "unrated") has sparked a national conversation over bullying in school. Putting aside the absurdity of the MPAA rating, I’d like to talk about the movie itself, and where we might go from here.

First, the movie is worth seeing. It is an excellent portrayal of what bullying looks like from the perspective of students. It also does a nice job of showing how clueless adults can be, adults within the school system in particular. You can imagine how frustrating that is to both affected students and parents.

It’s probably too much to ask, but where I think the movie falls short is in solutions, which don’t get much beyond insisting that the school, and the public at large, face up to the issue. While that’s a good start, it highlights the shortcomings of traditional anti-bullying efforts: they tend to be reactive, with the focus typically on changing the behavior of the “bully”.  Not enough attention is paid to the behavior of the bystanders, nor on the overall climate of the school.

State College – Centre Region

is named a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community

by the League of American Bicyclists

Washington, D.C. – May 15, 2012 – May is National Bike Month with hundreds of events and thousands of riders celebrating bicycling nationwide. And a growing number of U.S. communities are taking steps to encourage residents to ride all year round —including the Centre Region. The League of American Bicyclists has announced the latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and the State College–Centre Region area was named a Bronze Level BFC. The Centre Region COG applied for the designation on behalf of six municipalities (the Townships of College, Halfmoon, Harris, Ferguson and Patton, and the Borough of State College).

The Centre Region Council of Governments is holding a brief ceremony to announce the Bronze level award as follows:

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012

'Out of touch'

He said trials in countries such as Portugal showed decriminalisation of some drugs could prove "useful and efficient".

"As a drug addict, the legal status (of a drug) is an irrelevance," he told MPs. "At best it is an inconvenience."

He added: "There is a degree of cowardice and wilful ignorance about this condition. There needs to be honesty and authenticity on this issue so Parliament does not look out of touch."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17823272

We are excited to announce the return of the Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm.  Last year's event drew 750+ people to the farm for a celebration that is based on a mission to "Help Save Farmland".  Plan to attend this year and enjoy local food and beverage sampling as well as Farmland Preservation Artist's exhibition and sale to benefit the Centre County Farmland Trust.  Participating restaurants include Elk Creek Café + Aleworks, Gamble Mill Brewery, Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering, Mt. Nittany Winery, Otto’s Pub & Brewery and Zola Bistro.  Other on-site sponsors include ClearWater Conservancy, PASA, and Buy Fresh Buy Local.  This year’s Summer Solstice Celebration is a “zero waste” through the generosity of Ecoproducts, Roaring Spring Water and the State College Borough who will be composting all materials that day – thank you to our event sponsors!

David S. Alston, the first African American Penn State football player (along with his younger brother, Harry), was immortalized in a bust that was unveiled on April 21, 2012 during the Penn State Black Alumni Reunion "Blue White For the Future Scholarship Gala" at the Nittany Lion Inn.

The bust, sculpted and donated by Penn State Professor of Art Blake Ketchum, will have a public home in the All-Sports Museum, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In addition to the sculpture, a scholarship fund is being established in Alston's name.

See the new website design:

Charles Dumas For Congress

Perhaps it's the arrival of spring, but I'm catching a whiff of optimism in the air: there appears to be the makings of a revolt against our national obsession with high-stakes testing.  And it's originating in Texas of all places!

Even more encouraging, it's not just educators who are standing up (which begs the question: why weren't teachers consulted in the first place?); it's also parents who are beginning to say, "enough is enough!"  Some parents have gone so far as to not allow their children to take these high-stakes tests. Just saying.

Truthfully, parents were never really on board in the first place. When you ask parents what they want from their schools, they've never supported the inevitable shrinking of the curriculum that occurs when you test only a narrow band of the curriculum, place enormously high stakes on those tests, and then cut resources.

From the parents' perspective, it's not just about being prepared to get a job, either. Parents have always believed that schools should also prepare students to be citizens - the original justification for public schools, by the way  (ask Ben Franklin); to discover what interests them, and to be exposed to the arts.

New Leaf Cospace 2012 Benefit Dinner Album New photos by Chantal Plank

Greenmore Gardens honcho - sat at my table, and mentioned growing the greens for the salad. One of the speakers as well.

New Leaf honchos Spud and Eric.

EcoVent honcho Erin

The three main New Leaf guys, Spud, Eric, Christian.

The telesmatic house model. A symbol of community ownership of the project.

Published as a letter to the editor.
Alleged homicide at SCI Rocvkiew

Prisoner in solitary confinement unit at SCI Rockview dies after cell extraction

Contact: hrcfedup@gmail.com (412) 654-9070

Stevieslaw: The Rich Give Back

Linking LGBT Communities In Central Pennsylvania And Beyond

http://thecentralvoice.ning.com/