Wise Words for You

Archer  was facing a dilemma. It was spring term, senior year and he was getting a new car. It doesn’t sound like a dilemma but things weren’t that simple. Archer and his parents had a  great relationship.  He respected them a lot and felt they returned that respect. They had their problems now and then but were always able to listen to each other and talk through those problems. Back during Archer’s sophomore year, his mum and dad told him that if he maintained a B or higher in his classes and followed the rules of the school and the family and never got involved in anything illegal, they would  buy him a car  for graduation. Supposedly Archer had done just that and his proud parents were rewarding him next month with the promised car. The problem was the “supposedly” part.  Archer had a secret,  and if he shared it with his parents, he would lose the car he wanted so badly. Two months ago Archer had borrowed his parents’ car,  had a few...

Following the Vivarail announcement that it will be providing five Class 320s for the new Wales and Borders franchise, CAF has now revealed that it is in final negotiations with operator KeolisAmey to supply and maintain a major fleet of new trains. The Spanish firm – which is already supplying trains for Northern, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains – has been selected as the referred bidder by the franchise’s next operator. It will build 44 two-car and 26 three-car units, which will be in service by September 2022, and a further seven two-car units to be delivered in September 2024. The trains, all DMUs, are based on the Civity platform designed for commuter and regional services. They will feature “the latest safety technology combined with exacting interior design specifications for customer comfort,” including wi-fi and air conditioning. As part of KeolisAmey’s commitment to ensure at least half of all new trains are assembled in Wales, the CAF fleet will be built...

Tina  considered herself a pretty assertive young woman. She was sixteen but felt her confidence in both her values and her place in the world was stronger than most of her peers. That made Saturday night even more surprising and harder to deal with. She had gone to a party her parents agreed she could attend. In arranging a ride, her mother had called the parents of an acquaintance of Tina’s she knew from chorus. Chris lived nearby and Tina’s parents thought they could carpool. It was decided that Tina’s mother would drive the two of them to the party and Chris’s father would drive them home. The problem arose at the end of the night when Chris' dad arrived to pick them up. When Tina opened the passenger door of the car,  the smell of alcohol  washed over her. She got in and thanked Chris’s Dad for coming to get them. He seemed normal to Tina, but she wasn't sure what a drunk driver looked like. Tina was close to her parents and respected how often they told her...

A new fleet of electric trains are to finally enter service on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line after the fitment of a modified windscreen by Hitachi.This is expected "over the coming months" once driver training has been completed.The introduction of the Hitachi trains has been delayed for months because drivers said they could not see signals clearly through the curved windscreens. A new flat windscreen has been fitted to one of the trains, which ScotRail said had been tested successfully this week. The first of the class 385 trains should have started carrying passengers on ScotRail's flagship route last September. Perry Ramsey, operations director of the ScotRail Alliance with track body Network Rail, said today: "We have trialled the modified driver's windscreen on the new class 385 trains this week. "The feedback from all parties including [train drivers' union] Aslef was that the flat windscreen manufactured by the existing supplier would be ...

Kevin is a talented basketball player  whose high school team made it into the playoffs and all the way to the city championship game. As a result, Kevin had to miss his school’s baseball tryouts and a couple of weeks of practice. So, he was grateful when the coach gave him an opportunity to come out for the team anyway. Kevin’s older brother had been on the varsity team for four years, so the coach knew the family and assumed Kevin would follow in his brother’s footsteps. But Kevin had  never played  league baseball before and had no expectation of getting a lot of playing time. Besides, the team already had a solid lineup of experienced players; he would just have to be patient and  earn his position  through hard work. Which is why Kevin was shocked when the coach announced the starting lineup for the first game: Kevin was picked to  start at third base. Kevin immediately felt confused, then embarrassed, then guilty. He was  confused  ...

ScotRail has confirmed that its temporary class 365 trains have began service from late evening on Saturday, 23 June. The ten trains have been hired from Eversholt Rail while ScotRail prepares for the delivery of the new Hitachi class 385 electric trains, which will enter service in the coming months. Delivery and introduction of the 385's has been delayed due to the necessity to modify the driver's windscreens. A modified windscreen has been approved but the fleet now needs to be converted. See here One eight-carriage train will enter service this weekend, increasing the number of electric services between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Falkirk High route to five out of eight services per hour in total. The remaining trains will be phased into service in the coming weeks. When the roll-out is complete, seven of the eight trains per hour along the route will be electric, and customers will benefit from an extra 17,200 seats per day. As the priority is getting the train...

Jay  and his mum were on the way home from attending an evening at school for parents and teenagers. The event was designed for parents and teens to build  communication  skills around the issues that kids face during high school. The night had gone so well that Jay decided this was a good time to ask his mum about  drugs . He had been wanting to do that for a long time, but figured he’d just get a lecture. He wanted something more real than that. Jay told his mum about a party he had recently attended where some of the kids were  smoking pot . Jay had never smoked pot before and he was tempted to give it a try, but he declined because he thought about what his parents might do if they found out. Now seemed like a good opportunity to find out exactly what they  would  do. So he asked his mum. She replied that she would be  terribly disappointed  in him. That she would feel she had  failed  as a parent. That she wouldn...

Today Blackpool Transport launched 18 brand new Palladium buses on routes 3 & 4. The introduction of 18 state-of-the-art Enviro200 single decks from Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) will signal the next stage in Blackpool Transport’s £22m plan to revitalise their entire 140-vehicle fleet and create one of the UK’s most advanced line-up of modern, low emission public service vehicles. The 9.7m, 34-seat Enviro200s will operate on Routes 3 and 4 providing services for local schools, Blackpool and Fylde College (Bispham), Whitegate Drive Health Centre and customers travelling to and from Cleveleys, Marton and Mereside. In parallel with the Enviro400 City double decks operating on Blackpool’s famous Palladium routes, the new single decks have USB charging points, free Wi-Fi, audio and visual announcement systems, mobile phone holders, stop buttons at every seat, infotainment screens, e-leather seats and wood effect flooring. Commenting on the latest vehicle introduction...

David  is a student in a school district where his mother is on the school board. Recently, three of his classmates posted a web site that  openly attacks some of the teachers and students,  using explicit and offensive language. It even goes as far as predicting which gay students will be the first to die of AIDS. Remarks about several teachers are scathing, suggesting that one fantasies about having sex with young girls and that two married teachers are having an affair. The site includes disgusting graphics. Several weeks ago  David learned the identities  of the three students who created the website when one of them accidentally said something to him in a conversation. The other two quickly corralled David and  pressured him  not to reveal their names. He agreed, not thinking much about it at the time. David used to be close to one of the three students, but that friendship has faded. Now, the school principal has obtained a program tha...

Maya knew she was busted as soon as she saw the school’s Assistant Principal walking toward her. She was at her friend’s school dance and they had gone to a “pre-party” beforehand. Maya wasn’t a big partier but she had shared a couple of drinks with some of her friends and now was about to be busted. The Assistant Principal approached her and said that she looked like she was unsteady on her feet. Maya tried the think fast and replied that she had played in a soccer game that day and was sore. The Assistant Principal then asked for her name and what school she went to, and commented that she smelled alcohol on Maya’s breath. Maya told her what school she was from and that she had not been drinking. The Assistant Principal began to explain that she would have to call Maya’s school the next day with her suspicions but was interrupted by a group of students. As she turned to answer them, Maya slipped out the door of the school. Maya was panicked. She was pretty sure the Assistan...

This time we offer a hypothetical instead of a case history: It's midway through the spring semester, and you are taking a maths test. You've been  struggling all semester  in this class, and you know that this test will form a  big part of your grade . You feel like you are doing quite well on the test until you come to the last problem. It is worth 20 points and you just  can't remember  how to solve it. As it happens, the class maths whizz is sitting right in front of you and you can see he's just finished it. You are close enough to see how he solved it, and you know that no teacher can see you if you  cheat .   What do you do? Would you cheat? Whether you respond yes or no, explain your reasoning. Think of someone you have a great deal of respect for. Would that person cheat? Why or why not? What would you do if you cheated and then a fellow student confronted you and was angry about what you did? Suppose you cheated. If...

r In everything, goodness is there. Our goal is to find it. In every person, the best is there. Our job is to recognise it. In every situation, the positive is there. Our opportunity is to see it. In every problem, the solution is there. Our responsibility is to provide it. In every setback, the success is there. Our adventure is to discover it. In every crisis, the reason is there. Our challenge is to understand it. By seeing the goodness, we’ll be very enthusiastic and our lives will be richer.

Maria was worried  about her good friend Pam. Pam was always talking about how fat she was and what she was trying to do about it. But the truth is that Pam was  not at all fat . In fact, she was downright skinny. Since their freshmen year Pam had lost at least 15 pounds. Now, they were juniors and Maria was afraid that  Pam had an eating disorder . Maria was also getting frustrated. Where were all the grown-ups? Who was watching out for Pam besides Maria and her friends? Maria knew that someone from their school had talked to Pam’s parents last year, and that Pam’s mum had gotten angry about the school poking its nose into  family business . Pam’s mum claimed that Pam had a dancer’s body and a high metabolism. That was last year. Now things were worse and Maria felt like she was literally  watching her friend disappear . Finally, one Monday afternoon Maria had had enough. As she watched Pam take three diet pills and eat four grapes for lunch she decid...

Sam knew something was weird  the second he got to class on Tuesday morning. He saw kids whispering and pointing at him. Some were looking at him funny. He sat down next to his best friend and picked up the graded report the teacher, Mr. Crosby, had graded over the weekend. Sam looked at the ” A-“ and forgot about the rest of the class for a minute. He had worked hard at that report and was thrilled it had paid off. He looked up and saw a bunch of kids  staring at him . While the teacher cleaned up the white board, Sam whispered to Dylan, “ What’s going on?” Dylan, looked down and said quietly, “Conner told everyone you copied your report from the internet.” “  But, that’s a lie! ” Sam said. “I never cheat and everyone knows it.” He was hurt and angry. He couldn’t focus the rest of the morning in class. At recess he went up to Conner and asked him if he had really told everyone he had cheated. “ It’s no big deal,” Conner scoffed. “ I only told a few people. Light...

Mary is an eighth grader  and, until recently, pretty popular at school. Lately, she started  finding notes  in her locker and in her backpack that were really upsetting. The notes were unsigned and mean. They said things like: “ We don’t like how you’re treading on our territory.” “  You act like a slut. ” And even, “ You better watch out because we’re watching you…” Mary had no idea  who   might be sending the notes but she had an idea  why .  In the last few months she had started accepting invitations to high school parties. She had also fooled around with a couple of sophomore guys. She had a feeling that the notes were from some of the high school girls. She knew how  gossip  got around and how mean other people said the sophomore girls were. What was she supposed to do? Almost every day this week she received a note.  She felt angry, scared, and hurt.  She showed the notes to two of her friends. One of them sa...

Chris  was just about to finish his sophomore year and felt like his whole world was  crashing in around him . His mum was a recovering alcoholic and had been sober for three years . . . until now. When Chris was in  middle school his mum went through rehab. When she finally came home, Chris’s dad said  he would leave her  if she ever drank again. Everything seemed okay until his dad took a new job this year and had to travel a lot. During that last few months, every time Chris’s dad left town  his mum would drink . It was on the sly but Chris knew the signs. He saw the thermoses in the bathroom, the “water” bottles in her bedroom. It was like middle school all over again.  It was like living in a nightmare. The hardest part was trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. If he called her out on her drinking, his dad would probably leave all of them. If he didn’t do anything, something bad could happen to his mum.  He was mad and...

Phoebe is a senior and president of the student body.  Lately she is becoming more and more overwhelmed by her  rigorous AP course load  and college applications. She has been  sick for the past month  and has fallen behind in many of her classes. Her application to Brown University and her AP Art History paper are  both due on Monday.  It’s Sunday now. Phoebe makes a tough decision and  plagiarises  the entire section  on Impressionism on her paper, finishes her application and goes to bed. On Monday, Phoebe turns in her paper. By lunchtime, Phoebe’s AP Art History teacher had asked to see her. He quickly realized the fact that a large portion of her paper was plagiarized and confronts her about it. Phoebe bursts into tears and explains to him about all the pressures of being sick, taking five AP’s, playing three varsity sports and being president of the student body. Brown is her number one choice for college and she felt she...

Stephanie is in ninth grade  and, until recently, felt pretty lucky. She had a good group of friends, was fairly popular, and was doing okay academically. The fall was hard because  starting high school  meant meeting a whole new group of people and teachers. Things were just beginning to get easier, and  now she was in trouble. Stephanie always thought of herself as a good friend but two weeks ago she found herself in a  pretty big dilemma .  One of her good friends, Rebecca, had confided to her that she liked a guy in the sophomore class. Stephanie had offered to go talk to him for her. When Stephanie told the boy that Rebecca was interested in him, he told Stephanie he might be interested but also asked if Stephanie wanted to hang out that Saturday at a local party. It didn’t seem like that big a deal when Stephanie said yes, but on Saturday, she let things get carried away and  the two hooked up . She didn’t even know why she did it. It just...

You can keep your WhatsApps and your Snapchats, your Facebook Messenger conversations and Twitter messages. We still want MSN Messenger back. Having launched back in 1999 MSN Messenger, the only means of contact for 90s and 00s teens, s urvived for 15 years before finally being killed off on this day, October 31, back in 2014. MSN Messenger was  the  IM client to end all IM clients. It was bigger than AOL, the precursor to Skype and even more addictive than texts. It's generation-defining, like vinyl for the '70s child or  Pokémon GO  for, well, anyone around today. If you were born in the late '80s or early '90s you'll no doubt fondly remember MSN Messenger, and all these wonderful things that came with it. 1. SETTING SONG LYRICS AS YOUR STATUS It was no coincidence that MSN Messenger's powers peaked around the same time as the emo fad swung into action. The cause? The ability to set song lyrics as your status that topped ev...