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VOL. VI, No.
22; Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Dear Arthur,
Today's newsletter includes
(Note: You can now click on the blue hyperlinks below to go
directly to the story!):
Dr. Michael DeBaun
addresses Civitas students on stem cell
research.
Civitas
Conference
on
the Nuclear Club
Next Session of High School Model U.N. on Saturday, January
13, 2007
Hot off the wire: Major
League Civil Rights Game
This week's
blog on sending more American troops to
Iraq.
Israeli Consul to visit
St. Louis
SPECIAL
NOTE: There will be no
Civitas e-newsletter the week of Monday, December 25,
2006.
DATE |
TIME |
PLACE |
ACTIVITIES |
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2007 |
2007 |
2007 |
2007 |
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Jan-March |
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Schools |
Class Visits to Middle
School Classrooms |
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Sat.,
01/06/07 |
9:00 AM -11:00 AM
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Crossroads |
Discussion Group #7 |
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Sat., 1/13/2006 |
9:00 AM - 12:00
PM |
Crossroads |
Second H.S.M.U.N.
Session (new)
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Sat., 01/20/07 |
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Crossroads
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Conference Prep. Session #1
and Seminar on Students from Washington U. on
China |
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Sat.,
01/27/07 |
9:00 PM - 12:00 PM |
Crossroads |
Conference Prep. Session
#2 |
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Sat.,
02/03/07 |
9:00 AM -
12:00 PM |
Crossroads |
Conference Prep. Session
#3 |
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Fri., 02/16
- Sat.,
2/17/07 |
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Comfort Inn --
Maryland Heights |
Civitas Conference |
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Mon.,
02/26/07 |
4:00 PM
- 5:00
PM |
C.C.G.C. |
Middle School Teacher Meeting
#3 |
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Civitas Home
Page
&n
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Dr. Michael DeBaun Gives Outstanding Presentation to High
School Students on Stem Cell Research
Dr. Michael DeBaun
gave an extremely informative, articulate, and
illustrative presentation to Civitas students on stem cell
research at last Saturday's discussion
group. Dr.
DeBaun is Associate Professor of
Pediatrics, Biostatistics and Neurology at Washington University
School of Medicine and he directs the Sickle Cell Medical
Treatment and Education Center at St. Louis Children's
Hospital. He is also the proud father of Morgan DeBaun,
Rosati-Kain class of 2008.
Readers may recall
that the future of certain kinds of stem cell research in
Missouri were on the ballot last November. Many citizens'
"education" on the issue was limited to 30-second
commercials. Dr.
DeBaun expressed his concern that citizens of
Missouri had not been adequately informed about the issue.
He gave us an outstanding introductory lesson on stem cells
(both adult and embryonic). He did not try to influence
anyone to accept either
side of the issue as it was
framed in Missouri last month, but he did explain what
were the points of controversy and what were appropriate
questions for each of us to address. One of the recurrent
themes that he expressed was that scientific discovery is moving
so quickly that it was virtually impossible fifteen years ago to
predict what we know about stem cell research now, and
consequently we should be careful about saying 'yes' or 'no' to
any possibilities that might arise in the future.
Our
thanks to all students who attended. Our next discussion
group will be on Saturday, January 6, 2007 at Crossroads (map) from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. We will
not have a speaker, so this will be a time where our topics will
be best characterized by the late David Brinkley who would say,
"We'll start some place and end some place else."
Click here to view additional
photos
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UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL GLOBAL CONFERENCE
This conference may well be the most engaging one
that we have ever had. The stakes could not be higher than
they are in renewed nuclear arms race. What was once
defined as a black and white issue between two polarized sides
in the Cold War is now a real game with more than a score of
players in a cloud of uncertainty.
For more
information on the conference, click here.
To immediately sign up for the
conference, click
here Should you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or (314)
367-6480.
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High School Model U.N. Continues on Saturday, January 13!
Four weeks
of suspense has concluded .... and the winning date for the
second session of this year's high school model U.N. is
Saturday, January 13, 2007. It will be at Crossroads
School (map)
from 9:00 AM - Noon.
Picking up from a lively model U.N. session on November
18, 2006, students will resume deliberations and voting on
Saturday, January 13, 2007. This second session will be at
Crossroads School (map) from
9:00 AM - Noon.
We
will continue to operate with the following committee
arrangement:
Each committee grouping will
continue to have its own set of resolutions. You can
access the status of resolutions from the November 18 session by
clicking here. We also encourage you to submit new
resolutions. Please e-mail them to [email protected].
You can get full
information on the January conference by clicking here.
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We still have a few slots open for interested students:
One hour
after tickets for the game went on sale this morning, Civitas
purchased ten tickets for the game. It's a good thing we
did; they were almost sold out at that time. In any event,
we will be sponsoring a trip to Memphis the weekend of Saturday,
March 31 - April 1, 2007. Besides the ballgame between the
Cardinals and the Cleveland Indians, we'll go to the Civil Right
Museum (located at the old Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin
Luther King was assassinated). Those of us from Civitas
who have previously been there consider it possibly the most
powerful museum that we have ever seen.
Memphis is
also good for Bar-B-Que, blues, jazz, and even a place called
Graceland. We will have more details on this trip as we
have time to plan it. However, we have only ten tickets
(of which probably half will go to staff). If you're
interested in the trip, e-mail us immediately at [email protected].
If you are wondering
why the Cardinals and the Indians are the two teams to play in
the momentous game on the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson
breaking the color line in the major leagues, it is because:
- The Cardinals (while slow to initially
integrate) became a model of racial harmony in the early
1960s. An excellent description of this was written by
Harvard historian, David Halberstam. The name of his book
in 1964.
- The Indians (who still
have a team name that some consider politically incorrect) were
the first American League team to integrate. They signed
Larry Doby to a contract in 1948 and he starred for them for
many years. By the way, the old St. Louis Browns (now the
Baltimore Orioles) signed two African-American players shortly
after the Indians signed Doby.
For more information on
the inspiration behind the game, the game itself, and
related activities, you can access the appropriate Major League
web page by clicking here.
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da Blog:
DO YOU FAVOR SENDING MORE AMERICAN TROOPS TO IRAQ?
It was less than two weeks ago that a
special commission headed by former Secretary of State James
Baker on former Congressman Lee Hamilton recommended the United
States not increase its armed forces in Iraq. While President Bush
said that he was interested in the report, he also has spoken of
increasing the number of American GIs and marines in Iraq. American public opinion
is strongly opposed to sending more troops to Iraq. Do you think that it
would be a good idea for President Bush to increase the level of
American troops in Iraq?
Why do you think that he is considering this
option?
LINK TO CIVITAS
BLOG:
LOS
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ISRAELI-CONSUL TO VISIT ST. LOUIS
On Thursday, February 22, 2007, Consul
General Barukh Binah, an Israeli minister, Congressman Russ
Carnahan (invited) and State Representative Jeff Roorda
will address high school students from bi-state areas at Soldan
High School. They will talk about international affairs and role
of the United Nations. This program is sponsored by Soldan High
School's Model United Nations Club in cooperation with ROTC. Our
junior officers will present the colors at this ceremony and we
are in process of inviting the Mayor to present the key of the
City to the Consul General. We are also working with St. Louis
PD and the Secret Service to insure a smooth conference. If you
have any questions or need more information please let me
know.
Teachers and
students: if you are interested in learning more about this
event or in attending it, please contact our outstanding model
U.N. faculty advisor from Soldan International Studies High
School, Dr. Hamid Azimi
at [email protected].
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Additional
Links
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| Civitas Blog
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| Resolutions
(High School U.N.) for 2004-2006 | Checklist
for Writing a Model U.N. Resolution
| Conference (Feb., 2007)
on "The Nuclear
Club" |
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Middle School Country Rosters for
2006-2007
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