Tag: Wayzata High School

U of M China Center Hosts Annual China Day for Local Middle and High School Students

April 16th, 2008
In its sixth consecutive year, China Day, hosted by the University of Minnesota (U of M) China Center, is set to welcome nearly 900 middle and high school students to Northrop Auditorium on Friday, April 18. The event aims to engage students in discussions about the upcoming summer Olympics in Beijing while promoting the study of the Chinese language. This year, the China Center is bringing in the largest number of students ever for this annual event.

Scheduled to kick off at 9:00 a.m. at Northrop Auditorium, located at 84 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, China Day will feature a diverse range of presentations covering various aspects of Chinese culture, as well as insights into the athletes participating in the Beijing Olympics.

Participating schools include Blake School, Breck School, Minneapolis South High School, Minnetonka High School, St. Paul Central High School, Wayzata High School, Saint John’s Preparatory School, Highland Park, and Patrick Henry High School.

The event, sponsored by the Office of the President and the Institute of Global Studies, will follow a structured program:
- 9:00 – 9:20 a.m.: A slideshow featuring Chinese language classes in local schools.
- 9:20 – 10:20 a.m.: Welcoming remarks by Meredith McQuaid, Dean of the Office of International Programs, and Dr. Yongwei Zhang, Director of the China Center. Keynote address by Professors Chris Isett and Doug Hartmann on the upcoming Olympics in China.
- 10:25 – 11:05 a.m.: Olympics-themed Jeopardy game with categories including facts, sports, athletes, culture, and venues.
- 11:05 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.: Lunch with a prize drawing and a photo exhibit showcasing Chinese cities.
- 12:20 – 12:40 p.m.: Student representatives from each school will discuss their Chinese language projects.
- 1:00 p.m.: Conclusion with students returning to their respective buses.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Giorgi at the University News Service at (612) 624-0214 or Kate Sophia at the China Center at (612) 624-5075.
Craigslist Escort Service Shooting Woman Identified as Wayzata High Student

April 10th, 2008

It has been an interesting couple of weeks with regard to crime in and involving Wayzata. First there was an armed robbery at gunpoint at the Blockbuster in Wayzata. Now Starsha Laquisha Swift of Plymouth, and a Wayzata High School Student has been accused of aiding and abetting an attempted murder. It apparently was part of a plan to make quick money by offering erotic services on http://www.craigslist.org/ and robbing potential johns.

Let me be clear in my position that I condemn prostitution. Prostitution spreads STD’s, creates unwanted pregnancy, can often result in abuse during, and is a blight on our community. Additionally, there is a clear and dynamic link of substance abuse within the world of prostitution.

Will Wayzata High School expel and or discipline her outside of the legal process? My position is that WHS should. She is an adult, reportedly 18 and in my opinion should not be allowed to interact further with students who are young and impressionable. We are talking about attempted murder and hooking in Swift’s case. There are rules for those enrolled in sports and activities that they have to adhere to a morals clause–no underage drinking, no tobacco, etc. It should absolutely be no different for crime a felony committed by a student, activities or not.

The other real tragedy of this is that http://www.craigslist.org/ is a powerful tool for interacting with people. What makes it so powerful is the ability to interact with locals without a fee to exchange goods and services on a community bulletin board. Every news story featuring craigslist seems to get intensified as television anchors try to scare us into watching television, don’t interact with your neighbors, don’t trust anyone. That is not the kind of world that I want to live in, and it is audacious for national and local news organizations, anchors, and reporters to sensationalize these news stories for better ratings. I challenge you to continue to use craigslist if you use it, and try it if you haven’t. Use common sense, of course, but these kinds of things are going to happen anyway with our without a particular bulletin board on the internet.

Do you have a different take? Post in the comments section in this article or email me at wayazata at gmail.com.

Tag: Wayzata High School

U of M China Center Hosts Annual China Day for Local Middle and High School Students

Craigslist Escort Service Shooting Woman Identified as Wayzata High Student