Don Quixote: Its Impact and Influence
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s take a look inside one of the most influential books of all time. Written by Spaniard Miquel de Cervantes in 1605 (with a Part Two published in 1615), El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de La Mancha (commonly known as Don Quixote) is also considered by many to be […]
UPDATED: Scotland’s Declaration of Independence?
At the height of the British Empire, England had rule over one-quarter of the world’s population. In the years since, some of the countries under their rule either won their independence through war (the United States and India) or through diplomatic negotiations (Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Of its remaining fourteen territories, the citizens of […]
Civil Unrest: Yesterday and Today
It has been more than two weeks since the shooting of an unarmed African American teenager sparked protests and riots throughout a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. But the debate that has begun after this this event is not likely to come to a resolution any time soon. As the United States Justice Department and […]
Anne Frank: The Enduring Power of a Single Voice
Maybe you have read Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl. If so, you will know that it chronicles the lives of the Franks, an upper-middle class Jewish family who fled Germany for Amsterdam. They went into hiding to avoid capture by the Nazi’s, who were forcing the Jews into concentration camps where many were […]
Patents: For the Benefit of Society
You have probably seen a copyright symbol– © –printed inside of your favorite books or on the backs of CDs. But what do you know of the patent? Both copyrights and patents protect the originators of intellectual property–any idea, process or invention that comes from a person’s mind. Patents, however, can be a very complicated […]
Pages to Frames: Our Favorite Books into Films
In 2011, the young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars charmed readers and impressed critics everywhere, topping all kinds of bestseller lists. The book, by Vlogbrother and awesome guy, John Green, is a love story between two teens who meet in a cancer support group. In June, the film adaptation hits the big screen, […]
Youth Can Do It!
Every single day, young people everywhere take part in projects and activities designed to make a difference in their communities and around the world. They volunteer in food pantries, help beautify their neighborhood parks and tutor those in need of a little help. April 11-13 is designated as Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), a time […]
State Dinners at the White House: A Photo Essay
The occasion of an official state visit by the leader of another nation is always an important event in the time that a president spends in the White House. Acting as the representative of the United States and hosting the acting head of another nations carries with it lots of rules and words of polite […]
Economics of the Olympics
There’s been a lot of press out there about how the current Winter Olympic Games is the most expensive in history. But what does this mean exactly? And if the cost to host the Olympics continues to rise to such epic proportions, why do countries keep bidding against one another for the privilege? Who Pays? […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
A Year of Action: President Gives State of the Union When writing the Constitution, our forefathers decided that our president would, “from time to time, give to the Congress information of the State of the Union.” In it, he would “recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary.” This means summarizing the […]