By Jensen Krosch Standardized tests are widespread in the United States, nearly every day students are required to take an exam to measure their intelligence. Although, what is the point of standardized tests? Most tests focus on the more logical end of people’s minds, completely ruling out critical thinking, creative solutions, and other knowledge. In the real world, most … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Why it’s time to drop the hat rule
By Ellie Halverson The hat rule. It’s a rule in the dress code implemented in almost all public schools in America. The rule explains that a student cannot wear a hat on school grounds during school hours, but why? What could be so bad about a student wearing a hat? A few teachers from Spring Grove Public Schools participated in an interview, giving their answers to this … [Read more...]
Do I love my wife like cheese?
I love you! What am I talking about? What does that mean? Today, the word “love” has been pretty watered down. I LOVE pizza, sunrises, milk, hamburgers, and babies. I also love flying, mountains, indoor plumbing, and my wife. Here’s a problem: Should I say that I love cheese in the same way that I say I love my wife? How do we use the same word for food that we do for a … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Smoke in your eyes meant meat on the table
As the boy crawled on his stomach with his face near the ground, there were about four inches of clean air below the smoke. No, he was not escaping a burning building. The building was not on fire, but it contained a fire. It was just one of many chores for young Warren Lange during the early 1930s on the family farm on South Ridge in Houston County. In the smoke house, there … [Read more...]
Spiritual affective disorder
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley You may have heard of “seasonal affective disorder,” a condition in which the shorter hours of sunlight during the winter months may affect a person’s moods and ability to cope with life effectively. I had an uncle who suffered from this disorder and … [Read more...]
I’ve decided to stop dancing on marbles and kicking snard
New Year’s Resolutions are something we hope other people make. There’s another year in the past. A riotous New Year’s Eve filled with hot and iced tea caused me to fall asleep before midnight. As my wife woke me for a kiss, I heard a crunching sound. That’s seldom a good thing. My wife mumbled she’d stepped on a cat toy. The cat toy turned out to be my eyeglasses that the new … [Read more...]
Avalanche
Have you ever had a project that grew and grew? Perhaps it was a job that had to be dealt with eventually, but you just did not have the right amount of time to get to it? Does that sound familiar? I had such a job awaiting my attention. Fortunately, I had set it aside in a remote room in my house. The saying, “Out of sight, out of mind” fits the situation. My job of … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past In a hurry? Avoid the “milk runs”
Butter was a staple for the early settlers of southeast Minnesota. Before cooking oil, there was lard and butter for cooking and baking. Butter was on every dinner table for use with many foods. However, butter did not become a major commercial enterprise until dairying became a major agricultural pursuit in the 1880s. Raising hogs was the first large-scale livestock operation … [Read more...]
Love is in the air
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches Today I bought Valentine’s cards for my kid’s school classes- because if I don’t buy them early, I’m making a frantic shopping trip Febuary 12 and nobody wants that. And even over a month before Valentine’s day, there was a whole aisle of red and pink choices — because the world is ready to talk about … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project How the arts help student achievement
By Grace Torgerson When a school has budget cuts, often it is the arts that are the first activities to be cut. But why? The arts activities are often the ones that are most beneficial to high school students. Arts teach teamwork and cooperation, as well as many more specific skills, like playing an instrument or painting. When a student is involved in the arts there is a … [Read more...]