text:
North American River Runners (NARR) specializes in white water rafting on the New River in West Virginia. The Lower New River is a whitewater roller coaster ride of towering, crashing waves. With more than 25 Class II to Class IV+ rapids, including The Keeneys, Upper and Lower Railroad, Greyhound Bus-Stopper, and Double-Z, the Lower New offers enough thrills and adventure for any enthusiast. One of the oldest rivers in the world, the New cuts its bed from the rugged West Virginia hills, winding through the 1,000 foot gorge known far and wide as The Grand Canyon of the East. Historic mining ghost towns pepper the gorge's walls. Calm pools between rapids give you a chance to take a swim, and to enjoy the awesome scenery and the abundance of wildlife. Several trips options make this a great adventure for both the experienced and the beginner.
Gentle and playful, the Upper New River is a wonderfully diverse section of river that appeals to all ages. Kids, teens, college students, parents and grandparents. Watch your 10-year-old maneuver his own boat in one of the flat water sections. Meanwhile, chat carefree with your guide as she rows your oar-powered raft. Bask in the sun. Breathe deeply the fresh air of your breathtaking surroundings. Pull your boss back in his inflatable kayak after Rudy's Ripple. Take a short hike to a waterfall or jump off the New River's notorious Jump Rock. Relax on a leisurely two-day trip and camp right on the river.
North American River Runners · 800.950.2585


text:
Embassy Transcripts
Michael McFaul, Special Assistant to the President of the United States
Bishkek, May 6, 2010
Remarks at the Meeting with Students and Faculty of the American University in Central Asia
Dr. McFaul: Thank you, Ellen. It's a great honor and pleasure for me to be here. I apologize that instead of 90 minutes we have to leave in 45 minutes because I'm suddenly going to Almaty today. That was not my plan. But it's great to know that I can speak English here and that's going to save us some time, because I can speak really fast if I need to. [Laughter]. But if I am too fast, slow me down, okay?
It is great to be back at a university. I teach at Stanford University. I'm just on loan to President Obama. I worked for him for two years during the campaign, and now I'm in the fourth year of service to him as both a candidate and as a President. But my home and my future home and the rest of my life is at the university: speaking, working, interacting with students and faculty, so this feels very natural to me in a way that being at the White House situation room for meetings to talk about your country sometimes feels unnatural to me.
The topic of my lecture, and I'm going to try to keep it brief so that we can have some time for questions, is a very blunt question. That is, does President Obama care about democracy and human rights around the world? My very blunt answer is absolutely, yes. But that's not a good enough answer because it's clear to me having been here for a few days now, that some of the things we say and some of the things we do thousands of miles away don't always get articulated and translated all the way out here in Bishkek or other parts of the world. So what I wanted to do was spend a few minutes on the answer to that question first. Then second, pivot to what is the Obama approach for promoting democracy abroad. And third, very briefly talk about what that means in terms of America's relationship with your country.
First on the question does Obama care about democracy and human rights abroad? I've already said the answer is yes, but I want to explain a little bit that this is a debate that we have had in my country that goes all the way back to the founding fathers. The debate, to cartoonize it in the interest of time, to twitterize it in the interest of time, is between two different groups. It has been traditionally between two different groups.
One group in the American tradition, they self-identify themselves as realists and they say we have interests, we have American national interests abroad, and we should pursue them for the economic and security of the American people, and how countries abroad are organized internally, whether they're autocratic or democratic or run by Mullahs or run by these gentlemen [painting to pictures of Lenin, Marx, and Engels in the auditorium], doesn't really matter because countries basically have their national interests and how they're organized internally doesn't matter. The people that espouse this view about foreign policy, they say: "Well, we've got to go out and we have to pursue these interests." What are some of these interests? They're things like oil, gas, military bases, transit centers, access to resources that help advance the security of American people and help advance our prosperity. That's one tradition.
The other tradition is sometimes called idealists, sometimes called liberals, sometimes called Wilsonian internationalists after President Woodrow Wilson. They argue that the United States has both a moral obligation and an interest in advancing democratic institutions and democratic ideas abroad. Their argument is the following. There are lots of arguments, but I'm just getting to the essence because we don't have much time. Come to Stanford, take my class on this someday. You're all welcome.
But the essence of their debate with the realists is that how countries are organized internally impact what they do externally. That there's a relationship between the kind of regime that a country has, say democracy, autocracy, communism, monarchy, and how they interact with countries abroad. And in particular, the one big argument that these liberals or these idealists make, is that democracies do not come in conflict with each other. That is in the history of the United States we have never had an enemy state that was a democratic state. They've always been autocracies, they've always been ruled by dictators, the countries that have threatened our national security interests.
Now to be sure, I want to be clear about this, there are some times in our history and there are some times in some places today where autocracies, we have relations with autocracies. But the argument is not that. The argument is that the enemies of the United States have always been autocracies, whereas the most stable and reliable partners throughout our history have been democracies. So that is a debate that started from the very beginning of our country, through the 19th Century it was there, less important when we didn't have much power, because we could debate these things, but we didn't have any power to change countries abroad and interact, so it didn't really matter. It became a much bigger debate during the 20th Century and especially after World War II.
Where is President Obama in this debate? He actually rejects the debate as too white and black. He believes, as he's said in many speeches, that the United States has to pursue our interests and has to pursue our values at the same time. And in particular, and I was going to quote this at length but maybe I won't in the interest of time. When he received the Nobel Peace Prize he laid out these two arguments in the speech, so I encourage you if you would, to go get the speech off of our web site at the White House and download it and read it, where he talks about these two things. Then at the end of that he says this is a false dichotomy. Because at the end of the day, yes, we have interests in oil and minerals and bases and all those things and we also have interests in promoting our values abroad, precisely for the reasons I just said. Because in the long run, democracies are more stable partners for us in advancing these security and economic interests abroad.
Moreover, again, I encourage you to go do some homework after this, okay? I want you to go read some speeches from President Obama. I want you to go read his Cairo speech and in that speech you'll see the first four themes are about relations between the West, the United States, and the Muslim world, and don't skip that part, read those parts too, but the last three are about democracy and human rights and why these are universal values, not just American values.
Then I want you to go read the speech that he gave at the New Economic School in Moscow, a kind of partner, not unlike this institution that we're in today, where he also talked about how these things are not in contradiction. Promoting our values abroad helps to defend our interest and also of course the subject of universal values that he keeps coming back to.
The third piece of homework, I want you to go read a speech that most people ignore but is very important in my opinion to your country right now, and that's a speech he gave in Accra, Ghana in July, where he talks about the relationship between democratic institutions and economic development. Particularly emphasizing how democratic institutions are your best bet for fighting corruption and fighting corruption is a necessary condition for advancing economic growth. By democratic institutions he meant things like a free press, an independent press, an independent parliament, and opposition parties. Those are the institutions first and foremost in my country and I would say around the world that are most interested in fighting corruption. Not because they're good or necessarily better than you or me, but if you think about it when you're running as the leader of an opposition party, that is the person that is most motivated, or woman, man, movement, most motivated of all to expose the corruption of those in power. That's the way it works in my country, and that institution is important for fighting corruption. Likewise, independent media. If you don't have independent media it's very hard to fight corruption. Third, independent courts. Again, it's very hard to fight corruption without them. It's all in the Accra speech, that's your third piece of homework for today.
Then finally, if I could just say go read his United Nations General Assembly speech and the speech that I just mentioned, the Nobel speech, and you will see, it couldn't be clearer. This is the President of the United States. This is not just some low level official like me, some propagandist speaking in Bishkek. This is the President of the United States outlining what is our policy. It could not be clearer as far as I'm concerned, that this is part of the Obama administration's strategy. Policy. Our objectives.
So second, what's our strategy for achieving it and how does it differ from the Bush administration strategy? After all, the Bush administration also had a strategy for advancing democracy abroad.
I would say there are four, maybe five important parts of the strategy. First, get your own house in order. President Obama on his first day as President signed a new Executive Order that has constraints on people like me in terms of what we're allowed to do and what we're not allowed to do in the spirit of transparency and in the spirit of fighting corruption within our own government. And in other speeches he talks about - if we can't eliminate torture, if we can't live through our own ideals as embodied in our constitution, then we have no right or legitimacy to go to other countries and to stand before people in Bishkek and say you should do this.
So the first plank of the Obama strategy for promoting democracy abroad is actually to advance democracy and human rights within the United States and to do what he calls, to restore the example that is America.
Second is an idea called dual track engagement. This is important, especially in our relationship with countries like Kyrgyzstan. What do we mean by that? By dual track engagement, President Obama firmly believes that rather than isolating and lecturing and yelling and coercing and invading countries as a way to get them to change or as a way to get them to interact with us, he has articulated a policy of engagement with other governments all around the world. You probably read about it. This policy's been severely criticized in the United States for some of our attempts to engage some very controversial regimes -- I'm thinking particularly of Iran, I'm thinking particularly of Russia -- where our engagement with the government is something new. Where we're reaching out and we're engaging with them in ways that in his view, President Obama's view, advances America's national interest and advances the interest of these countries.
The part that gets less attention is the second track. It's the track of engaging directly with people abroad, irrespective of what our relationship is with their government. So engaging with civil society, engaging directly with individuals, and the kind of strategy that we're going to do both these things in parallel and simultaneously.
So the Cairo speech, when the President traveled to Cairo, that was not a bilateral meeting with President Mubarak. That was his attempt to take the podium and to try to speak to over a billion people, directly to the people, not directly to the President of Egypt and then the President of Egypt interprets President Obama's words to the people of Egypt and to the people of the Muslim world. That's what we mean by dual track engagement.
An example of dual track engagement is this very institution and you. I hear there are a lot of American exchange program alumni here. That's exactly what we mean. That irrespective of who is the president and who is the prime minister here in Kyrgyzstan, we support independent institutions, learning institutions, we support exchanges, we support direct connectivity between the people of the United States and the people of Kyrgyzstan. Some of us, and people sitting here do this out of a sense of dedication to universal values, dedication to education. They're moralistic people. I bet you there are some moralistic people that run this institution. Right? And that's fantastic. I am too. But let me tell you another reason we do it.
We do it because we also think that it's in our national interest. We believe, and most certainly the Obama administration believes that our best weapon, our best tool for advancing democracy in Kyrgyzstan or any other country is to expose you, to connect you directly to the American people, directly to American civil society, directly to institutions that make America what it is. Not just, with all due respect to my colleagues who work for the government and myself, not just interacting with people like us but directly with American civil society. We think that's our best instrument for advancing our interests abroad. And we also think that it's our best instrument for you to have a much better understanding of what really is America and what really is not America. Rather than let your government or even your journalists, I respect your journalists, but rather than have them tell you what's in our national interest and what we're trying to do, we believe that this dual track is a much better way to do it.
The third plank that I think is unique to the Obama administration, or if not unique, is just getting much more attention since we've come to power, is emphasizing the relationship between democratic institutions and economic development. At times in our assistance strategy, at times in our thinking about these things in academia where I usually work, there's sometimes been a separation, there's sometimes been an argument that over here we do our democracy work and our human rights work, and over here we do our economic work. There are some governments and some leaders, especially in your neighborhood by the way, that make the argument that you have to do economic development first and after you've modernized the economy, you'll be mature enough to have democratic institutions.
We disagree with that argument. We think maybe that's true sometimes, maybe there was evidence to support that. But the overwhelming evidence today shows that there's an interrelationship between democratic institutions and economic development. And it goes both ways.
Especially in countries that do not have oil and gas, for you to attract investment, and I don't mean foreign investment, I mean domestic investment. For you to have people to make long term investments in the viability of your economy, you have to give them faith that their assets won't be sold. It's just that simple. The only way you can do that is to have stable, legal institutions. Democratic institutions. The rule of law that says if I invest a billion dollars in this company it's not going to change irrespective of who becomes the next President or Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan. What happens to that money. If you cannot do that, then you do not develop. That's the history of the last thousand years I'm talking about, not just the last 30 years. Those countries that could figure that out -- Great Britain, the United States 300 years ago, 200 years ago, are the ones that are the richest countries in the world today, and those that couldn't figure that out, those are the ones that are still struggling to this day. So the intertwine that these democratic institutions undergird economic development is one argument. But the flip side is also true. New democracies have very little chance of surviving if they can't deliver economic development to the people that elected them. If you cannot have a democracy that delivers, that democracy fails in much greater proportion and much faster than those democracies that actually grow.
So in our new way of approaching international assistance and bilateral assistance, we're trying to weave these two things together rather than trying to think of them separately.
Fourth, we're trying to internationalize what I would call the global struggle for democracy and human rights. This is not an American value. President Obama says this many times. This is a universal value. Only the most arrogant American would come up before you and say democracy has an adjective before it, it's American democracy. That is utter nonsense. Sometimes we've talked that way in our past. Sometimes we've talked about the American way of democracy, our way or the highway. That is exactly the opposite of the way President Obama approaches this question, and therefore, we are trying to in our relationship with the United Nations, in our relationship with all international institutions, try to embed the struggle for these universal values in these multilateral institutions rather than just making it an American crusade abroad.
Moreover, this is something Obama, unlike President Bush, has a strong belief in the value of international institutions more generally. This is the approach that he wants to bring in terms of our advancing democracy abroad. Because sometimes it will be negative for the Americans to be in the front line. Sometimes it will be much better to have the United Nations, the OSCE, the European Union, or I would say in some countries where we have an interest in advancing democracy abroad, to have a face of America, especially if you look and talk like me, not so good. Sometimes it's better to have Serbs, Slovaks, Latin Americans who have had a democratic transition more recently and have experiences that can be more useful and valuable in these projects. So we want to internationalize what we're doing and not just make this an American project and an American crusade.
Fifth and finally, related to the last point that I just said, this project in President Obama's view is one that is long term, it is not short term, and requires a great deal of humility and patience to succeed. I don't know if you know his background, but he's a grass roots activist. He's an NGO leader. That's where he came from. He worked in the city of Chicago to do community development projects. You have to be a man of patience and humility to believe that the tiny little steps that you're taking to try to improve the lives of the people of Chicago will have any difference. It's a long, long term strategy. He believes the same about democratic institutions. You just can't buy them off the shelf. You just can't bring some expert from America and "voila" you have democracy. It's something that takes time, that we have to be in the business of nurturing. But ultimately we need to stand behind you, you the people that are trying to build democracy in Kyrgyzstan, not in front of you, and to be patient and have humility about the limitations of what we can do to help you in your struggle.
I think I could just end there. I hope what I've just outlined resonates in terms of what that means for what we do here in Kyrgyzstan. Let me just say a couple of things in closing about what it means here in particular, though.
First of all, if somebody tells you all we care about is our base or our center and we could give a damn about democracy in Kyrgyzstan, it's simply not the truth. It is not the President of the United States' view. When I happened to be traveling with him to Prague, the Czech Republic, during the events here and flying back on Air Force One we had a long discussion about events here in Kyrgyzstan, and the result of that long discussion, by the way, was he told me I had to come here and see with my own eyes and report directly to him about what's going on here. That's why I'm here today.
But I want to be clear. The President of the United States in what he says has been absolutely clear in all the major speeches he's made about how we're going to do these things together and in parallel. Advancing our interests and values. This is not a choice. We are not going to make a choice between those two things. We think they are integrated, not separate.
Second, the notion of dual track diplomacy, dual track engagement, that's exactly what I'm proactiving right here. I spent several days meeting with the provisional government, listening to their views, finding out ways we can assist in this very difficult democratic transition that they are trying to guide. But I also spent a lot of my time meeting with civil society leaders, members of the independent press, and now you. That is dual track engagement as we practice it, and we'll continue to do that irrespective of who wins the next election, irrespective of how the referendum comes out. We will hold those people accountable in the same way and we will engage directly with you. That is the policy of the Obama administration.
To do that, I just want to emphasize we haven't cut our money, we haven't cut our budgets for advancing democracy, what we call democracy and governance here in Kyrgyzstan. Those funds have remained robust during this transition.
Third, the democracy and development story. We believe fundamentally we have to do both here, and with conversations with the government, we have talked about ways that we can speed up economic assistance to the provisional government in this very troubled time. But at the same time we've spent a lot of time talking about ways to fight corruption. Because without doing that in a very profound way, together, as partners, none of this economic assistance will ever matter if it's not allocated in a proper way.
And by corruption and transparency, I also mean what we do here in your country. We want to advance as much transparency as possible in what we're doing here. We think that's in your interest and in our interest.
Fourth and finally regarding international institutions, I just came from a lunch with representatives from the World Bank, from the IMF, from the OSCE, from the United Nations. As we work here during this difficult democratic transition that you're in right now, we believe that partnering with these organizations rather than going off on our own is the best way for us to interact both with them and with you. So we're trying to translate these lofty words from President Obama's speeches into very concrete policies here on the ground as we move forward.
With that I'm going to stop and I'll take your questions for the next 15 minutes. I hope I wasn't speaking too fast.
Question: My name is [inaudible]. [Inaudible]. [Inaudible] has written an excellent work on liberal and non liberal democracies. So if you take Africa, Ghana, the foremost democracy of the Caucasus, Georgia. If you look at Central Asia you don't see any country that can conform to these expectations.
My question is, does it much matter for the United States which way Kyrgyzstan goes? Liberal or non liberal democracy building? Because if you look at our neighbors, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, they all can be characterized as non liberal democracies. But to me it really matters if we go the liberal way. Thank you.
Dr. McFaul: That's a great question. Did everybody hear and understand it? Good.
Yes, it does matter. It matters in a couple of ways, and then I'm going to say some things historically, too.
What happened in your country just a few weeks ago was a tragedy. A real tragedy. When people's lives are lost, there's no other way to describe it. But from that tragedy has a real opportunity to build what you're calling a liberal democracy. I believe it's real. And I want to tell you, thinking comparatively and historically about other countries around the world and as well as in your neighborhood here, these opportunities are very rare. They don't happen very often, and they're oftentimes squandered. They oftentimes lead to bad results. So one has to seize the moment and use it, if for no other reason than for the honor of those that died just a few weeks ago.
For you just to go back to normal, to me that would not be right. That would not be to honor what happened to those people. Nor would it be right for us just to go back to the ways of before. We also have to seize this new moment to try to help build here what you call liberal democracy. And it matters in several respects.
One, it matters because it's our policy and we believe that this is part of who we are as the American people. This is what we've done for a long time to be engaged and supporting these kind of values.
Two, let me be very blunt, democracies are more stable allies and partners. Autocracies can be good friends of the United States. We've had some good friends. But there are two problems with autocracies. There are two problems with dictatorial regimes. One is they can change their mind overnight because they don't answer to you. They can just change their mind. So today they're a buddy and a friend of the United States and tomorrow they're an enemy. Saddam Hussein comes to mind in my historical experience as somebody who one day was a great ally of the United States and the next day he changed his mind. There are some others in the neighborhood. There are other historical examples.
The second problem with autocracies is they're not stable. They don't last. Because they don't have a mechanism for handing over power in a peaceful normal process.
My favorite example of this, although one can think of your country too, but my favorite example is Iran. Iran for 28 years was a fantastic ally of the United States with the Shah. Just fantastic. Couldn't ask for more. But that 29th year when he fell from power, it was not such a great outcome. We're living with the consequences of investing in that autocracy and not thinking about that to this very day as a result of that mistake.
So those are the two problems with investing in autocracies as long term allies. Therefore we have a national security interest in seeing stable democracy take hold here in Kyrgyzstan.
The last thing I would say, just more historically, and forgive me, I'm an academic and I sometimes go back and forth. When I hear people say well, we don't have any democracies here so it can't work here in Kyrgyzstan. I've heard people say that to me over the last couple of days. I just want to remind you about the history of democracy. That statement everywhere around the world at one point in time was always true. So there was a time in Europe when there were no democracies, it was all monarchies or something else, and so those that said we should have a more liberal, back then that was the used more, a liberal system of government, they would say well, that's not the British way, that's not the German way, that's not the French way, that's not our culture, that's not the way it was. Right? At one point in history, that was true.
At one point in history not too long ago it was accepted as true and American academics wrote this. They wrote about German culture and they wrote about Japanese culture as being fundamentally supportive of the strong man, of the autocratic ruler, right? That seems like a little bit of a silly theory today looking at the history of those countries.
Only 30 or 40 years ago, and one of the principal authors of this idea was my colleague at Stanford, there was a theory that Catholic countries could not be democratic because at the time most Catholic countries in the world -- all of Latin America, Spain, Portugal, Italy was a very difficult democracy, not very stable, there was a whole theory, therefore, that if you were a Catholic you didn't want to live in a democratic system because you liked authority and structure and the Pope and all that. That is a pretty silly theory today if you think about it.
I could go on and on about why that was the case. The point is, yes, the argument always can be made, but when I look at these cultural arguments they constantly fall down, and I'm sure, just knowing what I know about your country, that at some point there will be liberal democracy in Kyrgyzstan. On that I'm absolutely positive. When has always been the question. And to me, right now is a really historical moment to actually answer that question in the affirmative and to say that when is right now.
Question: I am on an international research and study board. I think [inaudible] really in Kyrgyzstan there are many people who have gained an education abroad. Like we have programs that are funded by U.S. State Department, but unfortunately in recent years, there was a decrease in funding and a decrease in the number of such programs that have taken place. Are there any prospects that in the future it will increase? I understand that for Kyrgyzstan right now we need fresh ideas. Like people who have gained education abroad to be in the government, to [inaudible] of democracy.
Dr. McFaul: Great question. The short answer is yes. But I want to tell you why. There are a couple of reasons.
First of all, I want to make one point, and this is more of a personal point, but I think I can generalize it to be policy, which is to say exchanges are important not only because some of you, I hope some of you I'll see in my classes at Stanford some day. There are ways to fund it privately, too. So we can talk about that off-line. And I believe, I've had lots of students over time from other countries. There's no doubt about it, that education changes their lives.
But I want to emphasize two other things. Exchanges also change Americans. They change Americans. I'm a product of exchanges, right? I grew up in a place called Montana. It's about as rural and far away from the international world as you can imagine. Through an exchange program a gazillion years ago, I went for the first time abroad to study in the Soviet Union.
That experience totally changed my life. So I want to emphasize, that when we say exchanges it's generally the back and forth that is good.
The other thing is as a teacher, as an educator, I've had Kyrgyz students in my classes, and it is fantastic to have those people in the classroom with me teaching about these very issues we are discussing. You bring a perspective to my classroom that helps to educate American students. I would say that about any exchanges that we have. We gain so much from having you there, that don't underestimate how good it is for us, just purely from my self-interested point of view.
The last thing I would say on this, we have an ally in this argument right now. His name is Barack Obama. Where did he come from? Who was his father? His father was an exchange student. Without exchange students, President Obama does not exist. I just tell you that because he firmly believes in everything I just said. Government moves slow, and we should have done this faster, we've only been around for about 15 months now, 16 months. But it is the top agenda item from the Cairo speech and from other initiatives that we want to expand the exchanges, particularly of people at your age. So it's our responsibility and I hope we'll do it sooner rather than later.
Question: I am a graduate of [inaudible]. We are familiar during the election Mr. Obama utilized modern technology and internet. What do you think about initiatives during promotion of e-government? The second question is what do you think about the utilization of [inaudible] for political stability during a short period? Thank you.
Dr. McFaul: Thank you for your question. It's another major initiative that we've undertaken at the White House on e-government. In fact I think what I should do is get together this information in one place and get it to our embassy so that we can transfer it to you all because we have a whole bunch of things that we're doing in the name of transparency in the United States. E-governance, e-humanrights.gov, e-data.gov. We're trying to put everything on the web to empower people to know how their taxpayer money is being spent. It's something that President Obama believes in very strongly.
Second, we have begun some initial engagements with governments abroad to share this experience already. We have, for instance, for the first time ever in the United States government a guy whose name is Aneesh Chopra, and his job is Chief Technological Officer for the United States government. Usually you have chief technological officers in companies in the Silicon Valley where I live. We now have one in the United States government. And in a series of exchanges, most recently with Russia, Aneesh has traveled to Russia to talk to their government about how to use these technologies to increase transparency. I don't see any reason why we couldn't do that here in Kyrgyzstan as well.
Then on the second side in the spirit of dual track engagement, when Aneesh traveled to Russia he went with several CEOs of some major American high tech companies -- Twitter, Mozilla, eBay, several others, and they took one movie star, by the way. Ashton Kutcher, who has his own foundation for using social networking to advance civil society. Believe me, I was real skeptical about this Ashton Kutcher guy going on a U.S.-sponsored trip. It turned out he was the most serious guy of all in advancing these technologies. In fact you can read about it if you want. I can help you. They Twittered, they had 17 million people following their trip by the end of their trip in Russia, and through that trip they met with people like you, they met with university students, but they also met with a lot of NGOs to how to leverage their new technologies to just help advance what you're already doing. And I've already talked to the State Department folks that led this trip. We want to try to do a trip like this very soon here in Kyrgyzstan. I commit to you we're going to try to make this happen.
The gentleman, by the way, that ran that program out of the State Department, is a former student of mine, so I have a little bit of leverage with him, and I've already been in touch with him since his trip. We'll make sure they come here to your university as well.
And we'll try to get Ashton to come, too.
Question: My name is Bermet, I'm Vice President for Academic Affairs of this university. We are really thrilled to have you at ACA. Many students in our politics department have read your works and articles. Most of the faculty of the politics department, including myself, have used your works and articles for personal research. I have lots of questions but I'll ask just one which may be interesting to all of the audience here.
You said that President Obama has sent you here to see it with your own eyes and report back to him. So what would you report to him?
Dr. McFaul: In a word, I'm going to bring back a message of optimism. I have to say from afar, when you read about the reports and when people are killed it's always, like I said, I don't want to be flippant about that. You read about the government, you read about all the fighting, this guy, that guy, that gal, they can't get along, they're awful, that's how journalists tend to report about those things. And I want to be clear, I've only been here for a few days. I don't claim to be an expert. But what I've taken away is there's a lot more to work with in civil society. When I say that I mean this as well, right. There's just so much more going on in Kyrgyzstan than most people know. Including I would say myself.
I was here last in July and I met with civil society leaders and government leaders and already the difference between Kyrgyzstan and your neighbors was apparent. And countries have their own paths, they need to choose their own ways, and it's not for us to judge. I want to really emphasize that, because that's the way President Obama talks to other leaders around the world. He is not sitting in judgment of other leaders and saying you should do this, you should do that. It's just not his way. What I'm going to take back from this trip is this incredible historic possibility that you're now living through. Most people don't get to live through it, by the way. I want to empathize that. I have friends from Iran, for instance, that have the same aspirations about democracy and human rights of many of the leaders and NGO leaders I've met here, but their moments and opportunities are constrained. You have this great historic opportunity with lots of dangers, with lots of difficulties. But the main message I'm going to take back is that the situation is more stable and more optimistic than I would have said had I not come on this trip. That's a good lesson for us all. Before you pass judgment on things to actually do your homework, interact with real people, and not just read briefing papers that come to us at the White House. So I'm cautiously optimistic. That's the message I'll take back.
One more question.
Question: [Inaudible]. Recently people are saying that Russia was much to do in Kyrgyzstan and there are many youth who are dependent on Russia. If this in fact happens, what would the steps be taken by the United States? There is a fear that Russia has a very big influence on Kyrgyzstan and there are many who depend on Russia.
Dr. McFaul: I know my geography, I know my history, I read opinion polls about the people of Kyrgyzstan. Russia plays a major role in your history and in your economy and in geopolitics. That's a statement of fact. That's not an opinion, that's just a statement of fact.
Now what could be different is rather than seeing that influence as something that the United States needs to fight and check and have a great struggle over who has more influence over whom, that's something we can change. That's something that President Obama does not believe in. I've been in every meeting that President Obama has had with President Medvedev. He's met with him several times. He's spoken to him on the phone several times, including as I alluded to just a few weeks ago in Prague. In the very first meeting that we had, it was April 1, 2009, we met in London, and we talked about your country back then. President Obama laid out an argument where he said basically, look, there was a time in history, he referred to the 19th Century, but I think he could have said the 20th Century too, where my country and Russia, we viewed the world as spheres of influence. We were two super powers, empires, and we wanted to have influence and compete all over the world. Right? Kyrgyzstan, Angola, Latin America, Cuba. There was this super power game.
President Obama fundamentally rejects that world view about spheres of influence, and somehow the notion that we, if we score points somehow, right? Two points for America means minus two for Russia, and plus five for Russia means minus five for the United States. He fundamentally says: that's the 19th Century, that's not the 21st Century.
Instead, in the 21st Century we have a lot of common interests, so let's just take one that's in your neighborhood. The extremist forces in Afghanistan. We believe, we have a strategy to try to address that threat. Why? Because they attacked us. They attacked us on September 11th. We have a military strategy and we have a development strategy, by the way, we have a multi-prong strategy to try to deal with that threat. And in our conversations with President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, President Obama asked, now isn't that a threat to you too? Those same people. If they're not killing our soldiers, wouldn't they be trying to kill your people? And I would say that about the Kyrgyz people, too. Do we not have a common interest in addressing that threat? President Obama's answer is yes. It's not zero sum. It's a win/win solution. That is, we have a common set of interests in dealing with that threat. He says that about non-proliferation, he says that about Iran in his arguments with the Russians.
Now it's early in our relationship, the Obama administration's relationship with President Medvedev and the government of Russia so I don't want to be naïve in predicting how this relationship will over the next three years and inshala over the next seven years when we win the next election. I can't predict that. [Laughter].
But what I can report to you is that I'm optimistic. We again talked about Kyrgyzstan in Prague with President Medvedev, and I see a different way of talking about United States relations with Russia in relation to places like Kyrgyzstan because of this new dialogue that President Obama has tried to bring. That is to get out of the mindset of spheres of influence, which fundamentally don't make any sense anyway n the 21st Century, and to look for win/win solutions rather than zero sum solutions.
I know that's our policy, and I'm cautiously optimistic that President Medvedev also embraces that kind of thinking. In fact at the press conference in Prague speaking about the new START Treaty at the press conference, he spoke in English for the first time ever and he used the phrase, "This treaty is a win/win solution for the United States and Russia." That's one treaty, just one time. There will be places where we'll compete. But to me, that gives us hope that we can have a different kind of relationship with Russia that then I think means a different kind of relationship between Kyrgyzstan, Russia and the United States.
Thank you all.
# # # #

subset: commoncrawl


text:
My mother and I have had our issues. But since I've had children my respect for her has evolved. The first time I had the babies on my own for a few days the one thing I wanted more than anything at the end of the day wasn't a stiff drink. It was to call her and salute her for all those years she raised two kids on her own.
And so in 24 hours I will know more about her next battle for survival.
Of course, something like this gets your mind spinning and many of my thoughts have turned to my kids and the passage of time.
I know listening to someone talk about their kids can be like listening to a fellow tell you his dream: boring. But bear with me a moment.
Stella is just 4 and going on 14 – beautiful and gorgeously willful except when she's dangerously stubborn. She wants to ride her bike but doesn't want to learn. She knows all the songs in Singin' in the Rain.
Theo is 2. He is a dreamer with a streak of reality in him that comes with being number 2. Meaning he solves his own problems.
I share these things with you because I'm sharing them with myself. I am pausing to consider them. I'm asking you to consider my two kids so you might consider your own pregnancy, child, or children in this moment in time. I'm doing it because parenting is so much about letting go that you can almost forget to hold on.
I don't know, maybe this is ridiculous of me to write and maybe I should stop now. But you see, the other morning Theo woke up and when I fetched him from his crib he grabbed my chin, looked me in the eye, and said, "I want to snug with you."
I brought him into our room and into the big bed and brought him to my chest. He turned his head to the side and fell asleep and drooled on me.
It was heaven. Maybe the last slice of this particular cloud nine: soon he won't lie on me, he'll be next to me. And then too soon he won't be there at all.
So I soaked up that weight, that warm connection that is the greatest of pauses, a stillness with a tangible, physical component that cements you in the moment.
I tried to feel the measure of all of Theo's 20+ pounds because kids have taught me that in the way my mom hugs me now she's reaching back for a little bit of that weight, for a tiny taste of that moment when I was her baby on her chest.
Tell me one thing you love – in this moment in time – about your pregnancy or your child. I could use a smile right about now…
What did they find out about The Dadler's mom? Find out here!


text:
A Look Back at the Sacred Craft Surfboard Expo
The Sacred Craft Consumer Surfboard Expo came to the Ventura County Fairgrounds on Saturday May 16 & Sunday May 17, 2009. Patagonia and Fletcher Chouinard Designs (FCD) were on hand for the festivities. Here's a look back at the show.
[Video shot and edited by Tim Davis]
More photos and video after the jump.
Things started off early on Saturday morning with the board demo. Photo: Jason McCaffrey
Unfortunately the conditions weren't conducive to testing much more than longboards. Photo: Jason McCaffrey
Inside the show, FCD's Ben Lemke says it's all good in the FCD booth. Photo: Jason McCaffrey
The quiver at the FCD booth featured EPS foam shapes by Fletcher Chouinard, Gerry Lopez, the Campbell Brothers and Mickey Muñoz. All of the boards were glassed in epoxy by the FCD crew right here in Ventura on the Patagonia campus. Photo: Tim Davis
Fletcher Chouinard checks out a book with some friends. Photo: Tim Davis
FCD head glasser, Sammy Cammack, shaped and glassed this gun for the upcoming southern-hemi season. The pin work was done by local maestro Chris Fallon who also attended the show. Photo: Jason McCaffrey
Another big draw at the FCD booth was Gerry Lopez signing his book Surf Is Where You Find It. Gerry was mobbed throughout the show but he always had a kind word and a smile for those who wanted to meet him -- a true ambassador of aloha. Photo: Tim Davis
Gerry also gave a shaping demo on an EPS foam blank. Photo: Tim Davis
The same hands that helped Pipeline surfers reach new heights of performance in the '70s. Photo: Tim Davis
Gerry's finished product. Photo: Free
[Video courtesy of Crystal Cove Media.]
Dan Malloy also had some time in the shaping bay. Dan shaped an alaia with guidance from John Birchim. Photo: Jason McCaffrey
Dan Malloy talking with the head of Patagonia Japan, Takayuki Tsujii, in front of the Danny Hess booth. Danny's boards along with Fletcher Chouinard's were featured in Thomas Campbell's recent film The Present. Photo: Free
Being mindful of the Campbell Brothers / Moonlight Glassing booth. Photo: Free
Bonzers new and old from the Campbell Brothers. Photo: Free
DK checks out a modern version of the original Bonzer design. I had to pry this board from his hands. Photo: Free
Legendary Santa Barbara shaper Reynolds Yater. A 10' Yater Spoon holds a fond place in my quiver. Photo: Free
As we mentioned in our previous post, Chadd Konig and Nole Cossart, are currently on a paddleboard trip from Gaviota all the
way down to Mexico, surfing their alaias along the way, in order to
raise awareness for SaveNaples.org. The duo took time from their paddle to shape an alaia for the show. This is Chadd oiling up their design. Photo: Free
One of the big draws was the Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by Channel Islands. This year the shape-off paid its respects to late Santa Barbara shaper John Bradbury. Here we see DK checking out the old Bradbury boards on display. Photo: Free
Creative Freedom Surfboards by John Bradbury. Photo: Free
Participating in the shape-off were Max McDonald, Matt Moore, Marc Andreini, Randy Cone and Wayne Rich. Each shaper was tasked with recreating a specific John Bradbury design. Here we see the finished products from everyone but Wayne Rich. Photo: Free
Wayne Rich started his tribute demo by erecting a small shrine in honor of his friend John Bradbury. Instead of recreating one of John's production models, Wayne shaped one of John's personal boards. Photo: Free
We caught up with Wayne right as he began to mow down the blank he'd just outlined. The board he replicated can be seen in the background. Wayne is one of the most respected shapers and surfers in the Santa Barbara area. His boards can be seen almost daily in the lineup at Rincon. All photos in the series by Free.
Foam dust.
Level? Check.
Side view before starting in on the rails.
The rails start to take shape.
Taking down the nose.
Finishing touches.
After he was done, Wayne Rich broke out a handmade wood box...
...with a note inside for his late friend. Tribute indeed.
Thanks to everyone featured above and to the Sacred Craft crew for putting on a great event. See you in the water.


text:
With the heavy snowfall that has blanketed much of the Northeast and the Midwest, you can probably imagine how frustrated people are becoming. When winter is supposed to be winding down but snow keeps falling, patience runs thin -- and this might be the reason a man in Michigan went crazy. According to a video report by Newsy, a 39-year-old man whipped out a handgun and shot a snowplows windshield after the plow driver pushed snow around the man's vehicle.
Police say that the man was angry because he couldn't get his vehicle out -- so he did the only logical thing he could think of. Thankfully no one was injured.
Apparently this isn't the only violent incident that has been reported over the past few weeks. People are sick of the endless snow and it's really taking its toll. As for the man in Michigan, he could face serious charges for losing his temper.
Check out the video above for more.
© Effie Orfanides 2014
Suggested Links
- Man has hiccups for two months straight, can't stop them
- Weiwei vase is destroyed by protester in Miami
- Pregnant man ready for another baby, wants wife to carry this time
- Kayla Finley VHS rental: 27-year-old arrested for not returning VHS rental
- Missing Chicago student Pravin Varughese found: Student found dead after 6 days


text:
College Hockey:NESCAC picks: Dec. 7
I think I might be getting the hang of this prediction thing, as I had a solid week at 4-0-2 (.833), which brings the season total to 11-3-5 (.711), breaking the 70-percent success rate. I candidly am surprised by my results to date, which may be akin to a blind pig finding a truffle, but I will take the record and see if one more successful week can be "dug up."
This the final weekend left on the conference schedule, and no team wants to go into the break on a downer. Lots of hard-fought hockey in some interesting match-ups to be played, so here are the picks.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Amherst at Williams
Williams demonstrated some better offense last weekend at home, and now will need to ramp up to the next level against the always defensively-stout Lord Jeffs. As good as Nathan Corey has been for Amherst, so too has Sean Dougherty for the Ephs come up big for his team when needed. This one is already a battle for a top position in the standings; the team securing the two points is the visitors in purple. Amherst 4-3
Manhattanville at Trinity
The Bantams host the Valiants, looking to build on last Saturday's big 1-0 win over Amherst. The visitors from the ECAC West will pose a serious challenge to Benjamin Coulthard and the rest of his teammates. This is another one-goal game, albeit with a bit more scoring in the third period that makes the difference for the hosts. Trinity 3-2
Colby at Connecticut College
The Camels certainly played well enough at Middlebury and Williams to merit earning more than just the one point obtained in Friday's tie. Colby will be happy not to see players wearing Bowdoin shirts after back-to-back losses to their rivals last weekend. Both teams would like to get moving up in the standings, but the home team lays claim to the two points in this one. Connecticut College 4-2
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Amherst at Middlebury
The Panthers offense kicked into high gear against Tufts last weekend, putting up a nine-spot. Last season's regular season finale was Jack Arena's only regular season win at Middlebury, but there won't be a repeat in this one, as the young Panthers are building some early season swagger. Middlebury 5-2
Hamilton at Williams
The Continentals have proven they can play a tight defensive hockey game, and Williams may be the perfect match-up to continue the style. Opportunistic scoring is the difference in this one, as Joe Quattrocchi looks to out-duel his Williams counterpart in this low-scoring affair. Hamilton 2-1
Colby at Tufts
The Jumbos will be happy to see a team that is slightly more offensively-challenged than their last two opponents (Bowdoin and Middlebury). It's back to basics and keeping things tight in their own end that leads the Jumbos back to their winning ways. Tufts 3-1
Finals for the semester are certainly the focus for the players in the next couple of weeks, but this weekend is all they are thinking about in the last games before the break — drop the puck!
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


text:
DFS: "This is the End"
Dartmouth Events
DFS: "This is the End"
This irreverent comedy follows six Hollywood stars—including Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco and Jonah Hill—housebound together as LA goes apocalyptic.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
BFVAC - Loew Auditorium
Sponsored by: Hopkins Center for the Arts
Intended Audience(s): Public
Categories: Films
Fee required.
With a "salty mix of the ridiculous and the reflective" (LA Times) this irreverent comedy follows six Hollywood stars—Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson and Danny McBride—housebound together as LA goes apocalyptic. Peppered with hilarious cameos by other A-List actors (Emma Watson, Michael Cera), This is the End paints a delightfully bizarre picture of people who, even when facing the second coming, can't stop talking about and making movies. D: Seth Rogen, US, 2013, 107m
For more information, contact:
Hopkins Center Box Office
Permanent URL to this event: http://dartmouth.edu/events/event?event=24980
Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.


text:
Shopping basket
Your shopping basket contains:NO PRODUCTS
Ordering service
Security and customer service are important to us. Advantages for you at a glance:
- Full right of return
- Secure payment
- All customer data protected
- Rapid delivery
NAVIGON® MobileNavigator for iPhone
Turn your iPhone into a first-rate navigation system with NAVIGON® MobileNavigator.
NAVIGON® for iPhone
- with regional map
- Reality View® Pro
- Active Lane Assistant
NAVIGON® for iPhone
- Map of Europe with 41 countries
- Reality View® Pro
- Active Lane Assistant
The most popular topics
The best sellers
Navigation software Maps and services
- NAVIGON® Real Roadsign Pro
- NAVIGON® LPG and Biodiesel Filling Stations
- NAVIGON® Safety Camera
- NAVIGON® FreshMaps EU 44
- Points of interest package: all in one


text:
Lead Commerce manages your customers, inventory, warehouses, orders and pick-pack-ship operations from a single web-based management console.
From barcode scanning to handling both B2C and B2B ecommerce needs, Lead Commerce can run your entire small business efficiently and economically.Request a Free Product Tour
Create quotes, place orders, track shipments and process returns efficiently using our order management features.
Track stock levels, perform inventory adjustments, manage purchase orders and receive inventory with bar code scanners.
Lead Commerce is a multi-warehouse management system that lets you track your inventory across different locations.
Create custom reporting templates based on your own data fields and criteria and run those across any time to better understand your business operations.
Print pick lists, packing slips and shipping labels from shipping providers like UPS, FedEx and USPS.
Customize Lead Commerce to fit your exact business requirements by creating data fields on-the-fly.
Complete contact management for prospecting and keeping track of support issues with a built-in ticketing system.
Native ecommerce capabilities allow you to run a custom storefront built to your exact specifications.
Lead Commerce offers Point of Sale capabilities using our integration with SQUARE, keeping your store operations in sync.
Lead Commerce can work with barcode scanners to allow you to automate your receiving and fulfillment processes.
Get the inside scoop about every feature Lead Commerce offers in our application, the value of each feature and how it can help you build and expand your business.
Learn More About Features
Hear from other successful Lead Commerce clients, learn about how they implemented our solution and how well their businesses are doing today.
Read Success Stories
Find support articles, help videos, online documentation, API sample code and more in our Support area.
Explore Support Center


text:
Comedian George Lopez has been entertaining audiences for years on stage, TV and most recently with his late night talk show. Now he is bringing the fun back to TV with his all-new series Saint Geroge on FX.
The series follows a recently divorced successful entrepreneur Mexican-American caught between two cultures. He struggles to balance the parenting demands of his All-American Anglo ex-wife and the cultural expectations of his overbearing Mexican-American mother. As he attempts to relate to his 11-year-old son, his life is further complicated by his fun-loving but freeloading uncle and cousin. As a wealthy businessman, he also gives back by teaching history to a multi-cultural classroom at a night school in downtown Los Angeles, where he's supervised by tough and sexy Assistant Principal.
Besides Lopez, the series stars Jenn Lyon, Olga Merediz, Diana-Maria Riva, Kaden Gibson, David Zayas and Danny Trejo.
Don't miss the return of an icon when Saint George premieres March 5th on FX.
For more information head over to http://www.fxnetworks.com/saintgeorge


text:
Twine Line: Elkhart begins one search for two coaches
Central and Memorial each need new boys basketball bosses. Students will be part of the screening process; an emphasis on feeders needs to be part of the future.
In a perfect world, or at least a convenient one, the coaching version of the Van Arsdale twins would walk through Elkhart's doors right now.
A couple of unassuming, unflinching stars within the realm of basketball who arrive together. And in the interest of fairness to both sides of town, a couple of individuals who can work together and can produce alike.
Don't hold your breath, though. I'm not aware of any such available twins.
So, Elkhart will likely have to search for, and hopefully land, two quality coaches who are unrelated.
Their philosophies don't really need to be identical. They just need to work.
Elkhart, steeped in basketball lore and basketball love, deserves that much.
For the first time since the city's two public high schools opened in 1972, Elkhart Central and Elkhart Memorial have boys basketball head coaching vacancies in the same offseason.
It's an interesting and challenging time for Elkhart Community Schools — which is taking an interesting approach to filling those two positions.
There will be just one seven-person screening committee charged with bringing recommendations for both jobs to the school board.
The committee will be headed by Bob Woods, who is director of business operations as well as athletic coordinator for ECS.
And, as was Woods' idea, a committee of this nature will for the first time include students — one returning basketball player each from Central and Memorial.
"It might be unique, but we think it's important that students have a voice, that they be able to ask questions, that we see the interaction with their (potential) coach," Woods said. "They give us another viewpoint to consider. Our whole goal is to do what's best for students."
Woods declined to identify the members of the committee other than himself, citing the possibility that some candidates might contact those members directly, but the group includes Central and Memorial administrators. Past committees also have included community members.
Woods has been with ECS for more than 40 years. He has served as athletic coordinator for about 20. He's been involved in many search committees, but not all.
He was on the committee that brought in the last Memorial coach, Mark Barnhizer in 2006. He was not on the committee that brought in the last Central coach, Troy Noble in 2012.
Woods said each candidate interviewed for the current openings will be interviewed with both positions in mind, which is kind of novel, but in keeping with an ECS mantra of providing equal resources and opportunities for both its high schools.
Some candidates may not like the concept of not being encouraged to pinpoint a school of choice, but others may love it. After all, the chances of being hired are doubled.
"If you're applying, we're taking it as you're applying for both jobs," Woods said. "I think any candidate who comes in should be willing to go to either school. If you say, 'I'll only come here if I can get get the Central job,' or 'if I can get the Memorial job,' well, you can say that, but then you run the risk of not being one of our top candidates. We're one school community."
One school community that is trying to hook two top-caliber coaches.
Which brings us to the candidates' side of the equation, and to the question of whether Elkhart is still an attractive landing spot.
Woods says Elkhart certainly ought to be. He points out that Memorial (24-2) was one narrow loss to eventual champion Carmel from playing for a Class 4A state basketball title just two years ago, and that the Central baseball team's state title run just last spring further "shows we still have the athletes who can win."
Woods calls historic North Side Gym, which the two schools share for games, another selling point. It's a point that has been especially appealing to some coaches in the past. Others have been somewhat flustered by the restrictions related to setting up North Side practice schedules.
It's a matter of embracing the venue while tolerating the logistics.
Of course, much about Elkhart basketball has involved embracing and tolerating. At Central and Memorial alike over the decades, there have been sensational years and there have been down periods.
Going forward, a key to sustained prosperity in an increasingly competitive environment for the sport probably depends in part on having coaches who will invest energy and know-how into developing a quality feeder program, a program that instills fundamentals at an early age, affords repetition, inspires joy for the game and doles out some expectations.
That's a lot easier to do, a lot less tricky, in a one-high school town than a multiple-high school town, but it needs to be aggressively pursued nevertheless.
Sure, there are challenges. In Elkhart, grade-schoolers often move among schools, and at the middle school level, there is the awkwardness of three schools for two high schools. One middle school, Pierre Moran, feeds almost entirely into Central; one, West Side, feeds almost entirely into Memorial; while the third, North Side, is split about 50-50.
"We're working very hard on getting a feeder system going," Woods said. "That's going to be one of the expectations for the new coaches, to be very involved there. I think perhaps lip service has been paid to it in the past, but I think the new coaches will find that they have great support from us in getting it going."
Why's any of this matter so much? Again, Elkhart loves its basketball, and the kids love their basketball. It has at times been a uniting passion for the community. There's a heritage here that needs to be respected, and furthered.
Not unrelated, when the teams win, there are "more butts in the seats," as Woods points out, and it is boys basketball and football that are the school corporation's revenue sports. When they succeed, other sports and students benefit as well.
Applications for the coaching positions are being accepted through May 9. There will likely be two rounds of interviews. Woods' goal is to have coaches chosen by the June 10 school board meeting, but it could be later.
As the search commences, here's hoping Elkhart can go 2-for-2.
Anthony Anderson is The Elkhart Truth's assistant sports editor. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com or visit on Twitter @AnthonyAnders11.


text:
In 1999 Barb created the Accredited Staging Professional (ASP®) program, Stagedhomes.com®, the Staging University®, and the International Association of Home Staging Professionals® as a way to share her techniques and create the powerful international network of Accredited Home Staging Professionals®.
StagedHomes.com® offers Home Staging Training to both Professional Homes Stagers and Real Estate Agents, with over 22,000 ASP® graduates to date!
The ASP® Training Course leaves you with the ability to conduct your business with new freedom and power. What you learn will never leave you. The ASP® Course is not just a one time class... It is a moment to moment approach to your business and life.
The Stage is set for participants to engage powerfully with all the ASP® Course material and to maximize the true value of Participation. This produces empowering results in a very short period of time.
Hi Barb,
I can't thank you enough for sharing your expertise on Home Staging with me for three full days during the Webinar.
You are the queen of "Creative Genius". I not only benefited from your command of the home staging process,(creativley and business-wise) but also by the welcome reminder of the importance of giving "superior customer service" and being people oriented.
Many thanks for a fabulous experience. I really enjoyed getting to know you.
Until the next time.
Fond regards,
Pat Walsh Ammerman
Broker, Realtor, ABR, ASP®, IAHSP®
Northside Realty
Raleigh, NC
Thank you for an incredible three days. I have not felt this inspired and excited in quite awhile. After losing my position in April due to downsizing, I had been trying to figure out what's next. Of course, everyone kept advising me to follow my passion, which is great advise, except inside I did not believe I would be taken seriously or could generate revenue doing the things I "truly" enjoyed doing. You and the invaluable information you provided during the 3-day ASP webinar course changed all that. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction and changing my life.
Joy Pacheco, ASP®, IAHSP®
Living&LovingLife (again)
Dear Barb,
The three day intensive Webinar was time and money wisely invested! I learned so much from you and even though we were not visually connected- I certainly felt and fed off of your enthusiasm and love for Staging! The multitude of ideas on how to market yourself and your product were extremely helpful! Just knowing that there's a support system in place whenever I need it- that's tremendous! The Staging University and Media center - my gosh! The continuing education and support is already in place! Thank you so much!
Susie Cleek, ASP®, IAHSP®
About Us |
Contact |
Search |
Site Map |
Home |
Online Course |
Go to The Staging University®
Visit our other web sites: IAHSP.com | Advisory board
© 1999-2016 StagedHomes.com®. Stage®, ASP®, ASPM®, StagedHomes.com®, IAHSP®, Accredited Staging
Professional® are Federally Registered Trademarks of StagedHomes.com®
By using this site, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use, Federal CAN-SPAM Act


text:
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
This chapter describes how to install ECB and setup (X)Emacs correctly and what are the first steps after activation of ECB.
|1.1 Installation of ECB
|1.2 How to set up Emacs for file parsing with ECB
|1.3 First steps after activating ECB first time
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
This section describes how to install ECB.
|1.1.1 Installation of ECB for XEmacs users
|1.1.2 Installation of ECB for GNU Emacs users
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
For XEmacs-users it is strongly recommended to use the package-management-system of XEmacs for first-time downloading/installing ECB or for upgrading to a newer version of ECB. Here is a short guide (for details about the package-manager of XEmacs see the related info-manual):
Caution: If ECB is already installed and you just want upgrading to a newer version then it is recommended to deactivate ECB before proceeding with the steps below!
This can be done via the menu "Tools --> Packages --> Add Download
Site": Choose one of the listed sites. Or you can customize the
package-get-remote by hand and save it for future
This can be done either by the menu "Tools --> Packages --> List and
Install" or via the command
pui-list-packages. After that a
special packages-buffer is displayed where you can interactively
install or upgrade packages. At the end of this buffer there is a
short description how to use this buffer.
Mark the package named "ecb" for install. Do this also for the required packages "semantic", "eieio" and "speedbar". The package "mail-lib" is needed for easy submitting of problem-reports to the ECB-maintainers and the package "c-support" is needed for easy using hideshow within the Methods-buffer of ECB(1).
After marking all needed packages for installation hit x to install them.
If you have already installed ECB and you want just upgrading to the latest available version then proceed as described above - same if you want to upgrade one of the required packages.
Now you can immediately start ECB via the command
there is no need to restart XEmacs! As an alternative you can first
read the online-help via
If you do not like the package-manager of XEmacs but you want installing ECB "by hand" direct from the ECB-website then you have to follow the instructions for GNU Emacs, see 1.1.2 Installation of ECB for GNU Emacs users.
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
IMPORTANT: If you are a XEmacs-user please read 1.1.1 Installation of ECB for XEmacs users before proceeding with the following instructions!
Using the new cedet 1.0 suite: From beginning with version 2.01 ECB supports the next generation of the cedet-tools. But before the cedet 1.0 suite becomes stable this means that ECB runs correctly with loaded cedet 1.0 but the ECB-upgrading feature (see section 7.1 Downloading new versions of ECB and/or required packages) does not support autom. upgrading to latest available cedet versions. This will be first available after first stable release of the new cedet-library 1.0.
So, if the cedet 1.0 suite is loaded then the min- and max-version of semantic, eieio and speedbar (mentioned in the Requirements-section of the file `README') have no relevance! If the new cedet 1.0 suite should be used then just install and load cedet 1.0 like described in the cedet-installation-instructions and go one with step 3.
Please note: ECB maybe requires a newer version of these libraries than shipped with (X)Emacs. You have to install exactly a version ECB requires and also to make sure that the correct version is loaded into (X)Emacs!
But ECB performs two autom checks:
So if you are not sure if you have installed the required packages at all or if you have installed the correct versions of these packages then do not worry about this, just go on with the following installation steps: If ECB is missing something it will give you proper feedback and support not later than at load-time or start-time!
load-path variable.
You MUST add the ECB-install-directory to the
load-path either by changing the
load-path variable
directly in your `.emacs' or `site-lisp/site-start.el' or by
working with a file `subdirs.el'(3).
So for example the needed entry for your `.emacs'-file could be:
(add-to-list 'load-path "/path/to/your/ecb/installation/directory")
ECB is NOT properly installed if it's directory is not added to
load-path and for example just loaded by
(load-file "/path/to/ecb/ecb.el")
Do not do this!
If you want to load the complete ECB at (X)Emacs-loadtime (Advantage: All ECB-options available after loading ECB. Disadvantage: Increasing loadtime(4)):
(require 'ecb)
If you want to load the ECB first after starting it by
ecb-activate (Advantage: Fast loading(5).
Disadvantage: ECB- and semantic-options first available after starting
(require 'ecb-autoloads)
This loads all available autoloads of ECB, e.g.
ecb-byte-compile and
Regardless which method you prefer: In both cases the used statement must be placed after the statement of step 3!
ECB is now ready for use and can be activated by calling
ecb-activate or
ecb-minor-mode. Now you can either starting
using ECB or you can do these optional installation steps:
Maybe you are interested to read the online-help of ECB before first start.
This byte compiles ECB. You can safely ignore all messages if there are any. (You can also bytecompile ECB from the command-line either by using the `Makefile' or by using the batch-file `make.bat'; just read the comments in that file you choose.)
The ECB distribution contains a subdirectory `info-help' which contains the online-help of ECB in Info-format. You can install this online help so it's available in the Top-directory of Info. There are two ways to do this:
The supplied `Makefile' offers a target
install-help which
does both of these steps. You have just to call
install-help with the correct EMACSINFOPATH set (see the comment in
`Makefile'). Here is an example:
make EMACSINFOPATH=/path/to/emacs/info install-help
Copy the files of the subdirectory `info-help' into the info-directory of Emacs and modify the file `dir' manually.
But it doesn't matter if you do not execute this step (8.) because the
online help of ECB is always available though, see
ecb-show-help (see section 4.14 Interactive ECB commands).
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
Please note: Normally it should not necessary for you to bother with the following stuff unless you have problems getting ECB working correctly for you.
|1.2.1 General hints for a correct setup
|1.2.2 Setting up semantic
|How to setup semantic correctly
|1.2.3 Setup for file types not supported by semantic
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
ECB is for browsing files and therefore you have to setup your
Emacs-configuration properly so the file-parsing engines like
semantic, imenu or etags can be activated automatically for parsing
your Emacs-Lisp, C, C++ or Java buffers(6). For this Emacs must activate the correct
major-mode for the source-files and Emacs can only do this if
the option
auto-mode-alist is setup correctly. The correct
major-modes and possible file-extensions(7) are:
|Language LANGUAGE
|Major-mode MAJOR-MODE
|Extension(s) EXTENSION(S)
|Emacs Lisp
|.h, .c
|.h, .hxx, .hh, .HH, .cxx, .cpp,.cc, .CC
java-mode or
jde-mode (if you use JDEE)
Example: If you want files with extension ".cpp" being c++-parsed by
semantic and ECB, your
auto-mode-alist must contain an entry
("\\.cpp\\'" . c++-mode)
After this ECB will correctly parse your ".cpp"-sources and display all the parsing information in the ECB-methods buffer.
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
To ensure ECB and semantic are working correctly for all by semantic supported languages you have to pay attention to the following aspects concerning your Emacs-setup:
For all semantic-supported file-types parsing files is done completely
by semantic. ECB just displays the parsing results. For all needs of
ECB semantic is completely setup by ECB itself, i.e. ECB sets up
semantic for you! You have only to add the installation directory of
semantic to your
load-path (in an appropriate way)!
Please note: If you setup semantic for yourself following the recommendations in the installation instructions of semantic then you have probably added code to your startup-file like:
(setq semantic-load-turn-everything-on t) (require 'semantic-load)
Be aware that this also enables the minor-modes
semantic-show-dirty-mode and
semantic-show-unmatched-syntax-mode where the former one
highlights all code which has to be reparsed with dark background
(which results in large portions of dark background ;-) and the latter
one underlines all syntax which can not be parsed. Especially the
former one can be really annoying.
To switch off these modes you can add to your startup-file:
(global-semantic-show-dirty-mode -1) (global-semantic-show-unmatched-syntax-mode -1)
If you have already checked point (1.) and if you have still problems
getting ECB/semantic working properly for your sources you should
check the related major-mode hook. Every major-mode X has a hook with
name "X-hook" which is evaluated after activating the major-mode
(see above, 2.), e.g. the hook for the major-mode
c++-mode is
Semantic adds automatically during load-time a special
"semantic-setup" to these major-mode hooks(8) in form of a
"setup-function". Example: For c and c++ modes semantic adds
semantic-default-c-setup to
c-mode-hook and
If your own Emacs-setup (e.g. in `.emacs' or `site-lisp/site-start.el') overwrites such a major-mode-hook then semantic can not be activated for this major-mode and in consequence ECB can not work properly too!
Check if your Emacs-setup uses somewhere
setq for adding code
to a major-mode-hook. IMPORTANT: Use
add-hook instead of
If your source-files are "running" with correct
and correct major-mode hooks ECB and semantic will do what you expect
them doing!
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
From version 1.94 on ECB supports also parsing and displaying file-contents for file-types not supported by semantic (i.e. there is no semantic-grammar available for such file-types).
Such non-semantic file-types can often be parsed by imenu and/or etags. Both of these parsing methods are now supported: ECB can display the results of imenu and/or etags in its Method-buffer. ECB uses for this speedbar-logic. Therefore the following speedbar options takes effect for this feature:
Normally there should no need for you to bother with these options, because the default values are suitable for most situations! But if you are not satisfied with the parsing/display results then you can change some of these options.
|[ < ]
|[ > ]
|[ << ]
|[ Up ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]
This section of the ECB online-help is displayed automatically by ECB after activating ECB first time and describes what are the first basic steps:
M-x customize-option RET ecb-source-path RET(10). This lets you customize the option
ecb-source-path with the customize-feature of Emacs. This opens
a customize-buffer where you can insert all the directories where ECB
can find your source-files. Save your changes with the button "Save
for future sessions" and then throw away this customize-buffer either
by killing it with
M-x kill-buffer or clicking at the button
M-x ecb-customize-most-important RET and see a list of
options which you should at least know that these options exist.
The online-help of ECB is available via
M-x ecb-show-help,
(The section you are currently reading is part of the online-help of ECB)
Here is also the chapter "Tips and tricks" very interesting!
|[ << ]
|[ >> ]
|[ ? ]


text:
Amaker would not be upgrade on Haith
CORAL GABLES – If the Miami Hurricanes hire Tommy Amaker as their new men's basketball coach, they'd be making the same type of puzzling, risky move Missouri just did in hiring Frank Haith.
Before Haith left UM, many, if not most, fans wanted him fired. Why?
Haith had a winning percentage of .560 (129-101) to go along with one NCAA Tournament in seven seasons.
Amaker, who has spent the past four seasons at Harvard, previously coached at two schools from major conferences – Seton Hall and Michigan.
Combined at those schools, Amaker had a winning percentage of .558 (176-139) to go along with one NCAA Tournament in 10 seasons – Michigan served a postseason ban two of those seasons.
If Miami hires Amaker to replace Haith, it'd essentially be swapping one 45-year-old coach who has high character, makes academics a priority, and has ACC ties in the Tar Heel State for another one.
The only difference: One has the endorsement of Coach K, so he's considered a sexy candidate.
Soon after Haith left for Missouri, I threw out Amaker's name on Twitter as someone who would be a good fit at Miami. I still believe that — if Miami wants the status quo.
At least there would be one upgrade with Amaker's hiring: the 'Canes would finally have a natural point guard.
Amaker played point at Duke before later serving as an assistant coach for Mike Krzyzewski, so he'd recruit a point guard after years of Haith bringing in combo guards in bulk.
Amaker may prove to be a success at Miami. But hiring him would be a huge risk for a program that has been to the NCAA Tournament just twice since Leonard Hamilton led them to the Sweet 16 in 2000.


text:
Whether treating a toddler in an emergency or supporting a teen through chemotherapy treatments, we are dedicated to the care of each patient. It's through teamwork at every level of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and with you, the family, that we are able to achieve excellence in pediatric care.
See more about us
With a proven track record of providing world-class care to patients in more than 30 pediatric specialties, we are a model for other pediatric hospitals. Infants, teens and young adults belong in a children's hospital where they can get specialized treatment from caregivers who know the important differences between children and adults.
See our clinical services
Research is a cornerstone of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta mission to enhance the lives of children. In conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Tech and Morehouse, Children's seeks answers to the most challenging childhood medical conditions through teaching and research.
We all want happy, healthy kids. But as a busy parent, helping your kids eat well and stay active can be a challenge.
At Strong4Life, created by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, our doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts create fun, easy ways to help your kids eat, move and live healthier. From picky eaters to passionate gamers, we have a slew of simple tips by experts who understand, because we're parents, too.
As a not-for-profit organization, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your donations directly impact the lives of each family served by Children's and support many initiatives such as clinical excellence, research, teaching, wellness and charity care.
How Aflac Supports Us
We are pleased to welcome Douglas K. Graham, M.D., Ph.D., as the new Director of Hematology/Oncology/BMT.
Contact the Aflac Cancer Center
- Make a referral.
- Make a donation.
To make an appointment,
call 404-785-1112 or 888-785-1112.
See if our Second Opinion Services are right for your family.
Dr. Ann Mertens knows that the hope of pediatric cancer patients is in the numbers.
Mortality rates have fallen by more than 20 percent for many cancers in the past three decades. The five-year survival rate for all cancers has risen to more than 80 percent from less than 50 percent in the 1970s.
And in a recent survey conducted by her research team, more than 90 percent of pediatric cancer survivors reported that they were in "very good" or "excellent" health.
"I think that speaks to the resilience of kids," said Mertens, an epidemiologist by training and the Director of the Clinical Research Office in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. "They deal with it, and they move on."
Mertens, who has authored or co-authored almost 250 publications and research conference abstracts, has been tracking "these kids" for decades. But in recent years, as she reviewed her research data, she realized that the patients still have critical needs often missed or ignored by the medical field as they move toward adulthood.
"We used to throw everything but the kitchen sink to cure them, to keep them alive," she said. "But we've learned we can't do that. We need to find ways to have a great survival rates, but also maintain a better quality of life that speaks well of the whole 'bench to bedside' process."
To promote this emerging field of cancer survivorship, this world-class expert joined the Aflac Cancer Center in 2007 to build one of the largest pediatric cancer survivorship programs in the country. And unlike many programs, this effort is designed to not only provide long-term scientific data of pediatric cancer survivors, but help patients and their doctors overcome challenges that might occur decades down the road.
"They're at risk for all sorts of complications," she said. "And so the question became how do we help them as they progress through life?"
Mertens's query is a good one—and CURE Childhood Cancer has awarded Mertens's team a new grant to study this critical issue of "medical transition" from acute cancer treatment to cancer survivorship. Specifically, her team will be looking at the challenges facing young adults who are "particularly challenging."
"As they transition from high school, these adolescent/young adults will diverge in their life path moving forward," she wrote in her grant proposal. "Some will continue to live at home, some will get jobs, and some will go off to college. Each path requires different focus to engage these young adults in their health care moving forward."
Mertens's own career in cancer moved forward because of the serendipity of a number of factors—including Children's having the largest volume of patients (critical for researchers), Atlanta being a thriving philanthropic community and her own long work history with pediatric oncology legend, William G. Woods, M.D., the Aflac Cancer Center's Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Director and the Daniel P. Amos Children's Chair.
And now that she's here, she's able to devise and direct research projects that can help this "unique and complicated" population. From nuts-and-bolts administrative issues, like keeping their paperwork and records in order, to finding doctors who can recognize their specialized concerns as they become adults, this population faces a host of issues not covered at the final discharge.
"What I've really become interested in is how to educate survivors, and their parents, on what the journey might look like," she said. "And specifically, at what point do you tell information related to that journey."
Tell them too early in the process, and doctors and researchers are likely to scare them about the long-term effects. Tell them too late, and conditions—like heart problems—related to their cancer could be missed.
In addition, researchers are concerned that many providers, from primary care physicians to specialists, do not have the training to deal with such a complicated case who might arrive in their office.
"Very few medical schools deal in any substantial way with cancer survivorship," Mertens said. "It is such a new field—we are trying to intervene and help providers navigate this care."
Mertens is looking at telemedicine as a potential solution for many survivorship issues. With help of another CURE grant, she hopes to determine the effectiveness of telemedicine visits on cancer survivors who live more than a short drive away from the hospital or lack proper transportation.
She believes that telemedicine could be the answer to improving access to care for those hard-to-reach patients.
To aid in the research, Mertens and her team have created–with the help of a three-year grant of more than $1 million from the federal Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality–SurvivorLink, a new website and database, cancersurvivorlink.org, that engages patients and providers with separate portals that address each category's key concerns. The provider portal was launched in 2009, and the patient portal was launched in 2010.
"Doctors can actually look at this and say, 'OK this was the diagnosis, this is the treatment they had, and this is the recommended screening as we move forward,'" she said in a recent Emory University interview. "In essence, we're putting an infrastructure in place so we can educate the primary care physician as well."
In addition, it allows patients to store their records and information, with special privacy settings that allow them to select exactly who has access to the documents. It also fosters a long-term treatment plan that goes far beyond the initial chemo and radiation care.
Mertens is working on this in coordination of a statewide initiative, which includes four other pediatric centers in Columbus, Savannah, Macon and Augusta. (In 2007, Mertens was selected by the Georgia Cancer Coalition as a scholar to the Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program within the state).
At first, the project hit an obstacle with patients over concerns of security, she said. But once parents felt comfortable that their children's information would be kept safe, they started to embrace the concept.
"Once we got their attention and we could explain the purpose, everybody was like, 'I need this and I need it now, and I need it bad.' Once we made the connection, they became very interested."
And now, armed with both this portal and an increasing amount of data, Mertens said she and her research teams can start asking key questions about how pediatric cancer survivors should be treated in the aftermath of their acute care.
For example, patients may be at risk for cardiac problems. Would it be useful and beneficial to have kids screened with exercise echocardiography to see if there's a signature that could mark abnormalities? And could doctors then know which kids or young adults need to be moved to cardiac drugs or at least undergo cardiac therapy?
Or, sometimes girls are more vulnerable to breast cancer if they had a pediatric cancer. Should they be treated with tamoxifen? Or at least be aggressively checked for signs of breast cancer, so it can be caught at Stage 1, and not Stage 3?
Her research is already yielding some answers. On the cardiac question—preliminary results indeed show that there might be great benefit to checking the heart, with the exercise echocardiography being an accurate predictor.
And such findings might open the way for exploration of other useful clinical information—from exercise to medication—that will help former pediatric patients live happy, healthy lives.
"And that's the goal," Mertens said. "Keep those survivorship numbers high, but make sure we give them a level of care that allows them to have a quality of life that lasts a long, long time."
Find a Doctor
Preregistration Forms
Billing & Insurance
©2016 Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Inc. All Rights Reserved.


text:
After snagging a groupon to come here, Splash Landings made for the perfect playdate since it's an indoor waterpark. It is super affordable (even without the Groupon) where an all-day pass is $6. Parking is free since it's in a lot. Kids under 2 years old are free which meant that two of the kids in our group were free. The lifeguards are more about enforcing the rules and aren't meant to be extra babysitters. Parents still need to keep a close eye on your kids and I would recommend using the complimentary swim vests, as well, especially if your kids are going to go down the slides.. They have several slides for the older kids (a kiddie slide and big kids slide) and fun water fountains to splash around in, as well. Kids under 9 must have an adult (16+ years old) there to supervise in proper swim attire. Also, kids must be at least 42" tall to ride the large water slide.
We mostly stuck by the family section where it was about 1' tall where my 2 year old wandered around splashing about. Make sure that you bring your own locks for the locker rooms and towels, as well. The locker rooms were pretty spacious and customer service was very friendly and helpful. They also have a family changing room and a wiggles and giggles childcare service if you just want some alone time in the pool. Their Aqua shop also sells swim diapers, pool noodles and goggles. It's super affordable with a $6 daily admission fee or you can always purchase a public/family swim pass or a punch card.


text:
Home / Academic Support / Strategies for Success / Crafting Your Degree /
Strategizing Your Schedule
Take Control Of Your Education
This is your education. You choose your major, your minor, and the classes you want to take to satisfy all the LSA Degree Requirements. In order to get the most out of your choices, it is important to plan out what classes you will take and when you will take them. Your first step is to solidify your understanding of the requirements for your degree. This includes prerequisites and requirements for your majors and all the LSA degree requirements. Once you understand all of these requirements, you can use the following guidelines for planning your long-term and semester schedules. Go to the bottom of this page to download blank four-year, semester, and weekly schedules.
Focus First on Your MajorStart with classes for your major or majors you are exploring.
If you have chosen a major, select your classes for your major and build your schedule around these. You should plan semesters ahead of time, because some classes are only taught once a year. If you are planning to take classes in a spring or summer term, remember that fewer courses are offered. In this case, you might need to look ahead at the spring/summer course offerings when planning your winter classes.
If you have not chosen a major, focus on taking prerequisites for any majors you are exploring. You want to use your time to explore subjects that might lead to long term interest. You will have plenty of time later to take classes specifically to meet LSA requirements.
If you are pursuing two majors, make sure that you understand the requirements for both. Some of the classes that you take might count for both majors. It is a good idea to pick one of the majors as your primary focus and center your planning on completing it for certain. That way, if something changes and you cannot complete both majors, you will complete one for certain.
How Do I Decide What Else To Take?
Your major, including prerequisites, will only take up about a quarter of the credit hours of the 120 credit hours you need to graduate. Therefore, you have a number of other choices to make when making your long-term plans and choosing classes each semester.
Meeting LSA Degree RequirementsMake the most out of your choices for your LSA requirements.
Do not stress out about Meeting the LSA requirements. Most students find that they complete most of them without thinking about them. As you take courses of interest and prerequisites to possible majors, you will find that some of your degree requirements are naturally fulfilled along the way. Then, after a couple of years, students might need to take one or two classes to complete distribution.
You get to choose which classes to take for each requirement. For example, each semester more than 50 classes meet Race and Ethnicity and there are more than 200 natural sciences, social science, and humanities classes. You owe it to yourself to take the time to find classes that are interesting to you when looking to meet a requirement.
It is a good idea to begin your language classes early because you need to achieve fourth-term proficiency. Students who test into advanced levels usually find it easier to continue their study of the language, rather than take a break.
Classes for Your Academic Minor
You are not required to complete a minor, but if you are pursuing one, selecting a class for it is an easy way to fill out your schedule. Remember, you will often have a choice of which classes to take for your minor, so make sure you understand the requirements. You do not want to take a class because you thought it was required only to find out later that it was just one option for the requirement.
Always Be on the Lookout For Something New and Interesting
Spend some time exploring classes on the LSA Course Guide. You are probably not familiar with what each department offers and will probably find classes that spark the thoughts, "Wow, I never thought anyone would teach a class about that, I've always been interested in it." Or, "Wow, I never even knew that was a subject."
Check Topics courses each semester. Topics courses are courses with a standard number that change topics each semester depending on what topic the professor decides to teach. In addition, some departments offer multiple sections of their topics course every semester, so make sure you look at the description for each section.
For example, one semester there were four sections of History 328, Humanities Topics in History:
Section 1, Scotland Since 1603: History and Culture
Section 2, History of Forensic Pathology and Medicine
Section 3, History of Jewish Visual Culture: Vision and Images Ancient to Modern
Section 4, War and Peace in the Middle East
Ask your friends or classmates. If you are in a class that you enjoy, you might ask classmates if they have taken other similar courses that they would recommend. It is a good idea to ask fellow students why they looked a particular class because their interests and strengths might not match yours.
A Weekly Calendar (PDF)
A Semester Calendar (PDF)
4-Yr Academic Plan (PDF)
Academic Support
- Strategies for Success
- First Year in LSA
- Crafting Your Degree
- Managing Your Time
- How Do You Learn?
- Getting the Most From Class Time
- Prepping for Tests
- Reading for College
- Course Specific Strategies
- Mindfulness
- Encountering Difficulties?
- Staying Motivated
- Exploration and Immersion
- Collaborating with Peers
- Consulting with Faculty
- Health and Wellness
- Events
- Comments ⁄ Suggestions
- News
- Academic Standing
- Learning Resource Centers
- Students with Disabilities
- Testing Accommodation Center