Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments, set up to provide adult education to working men. They were often funded by local industrialists in the hope that they would benefit from having more knowledgeable and skilled employees, providing them with profitable way to spend their free time and as an alternative to gambling and drinking in pubs. The world's first Mechanics' Institute opened in Edinburgh, Scotland in October 1821. Lancaster wasn't too far behind Edinburgh, opening the first Mechanics' & Apprentices Library in the town in 1823.
The library expanded and moved house several times, before finally settling on the corner of Meeting House Lane and Castle Hill in the 1850s. In 1887, to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, local businessman and Mayor of Lancaster, Thomas Storey offered to rebuild the Mechanics' Institute. The building was renamed The Storey Institute in his honour in 1891. As a young man Thomas had spent much of his free time at the institute and was grateful for the help it had given him in improving his prospects later in life.
The new building cost about £12,000 to construct which would be more than £1,200,000 in today's money. In 1906 Thomas Storey's son, Herbert, paid another £10,000 towards the cost of an extension, almost doubling the size of his father's building, creating more rooms for teaching. This was to done mark the accession of Edward VII to the throne.
The official purpose of the current building was "the promotion of art, science, literature, and technical instruction". It was designed by the famous Lancaster architects Paley, Austin and Paley whose office stood nearby on Castle Park. It contained a reading room, a library, a lecture room, a laboratory, a music room, a picture gallery, a school of art, and accommodation for a caretaker.
Over the years, the building has been used as the City Art Gallery, a public library, a girls' grammar school, and from the 1950s to 1982 as the Lancaster College of Art. In the 1960s there were touring exhibitions of works by famous artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Francis Bacon. The permanent art collection was moved in 1968 to Lancaster City Museum. In the early 21st century the institute was converted into a multi-use building by Lancaster City Council, and was renamed The Storey. Today it provides units for small businesses, a café, gallery & exhibition space and Lancaster's Visitor Information Centre.
There are eleven long established and prestigious wizarding schools.
Durmstrang Institute is the Scandinavian wizarding school. Located in the northernmost regions of either Norway or Sweden, the school is willing to accept international students as far afield as Bulgaria. Durmstrang is notorious for prominently featuring the Dark Arts in its curriculum.
Although believed to be situated in the far north of Europe, Durmstrang is one of the most secretive of all schools about its whereabouts, so nobody can be quite certain.
Durmstrang once had the darkest reputation of all eleven wizarding schools, though this was never entirely merited. It is true that Durmstrang, which has turned out many truly great witches and wizards, has twice in its history fallen under the stewardship of wizards of dubious allegiance or nefarious intent, and that it has one infamous ex-pupil, Gellert Grindelwald.
Beauxbatons Academy of Magicis thought to be situated somewhere in the Pyrenees. The school takes many of its students from France, as well as large numbers from Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. It is said that the stunning castle and grounds of this prestigious school were part-funded by alchemist gold, for Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel met at Beauxbatons in their youth, and a magnificent fountain in the middle of the school's park, believed to have healing and beautifying properties, is named for them.
Beauxbatons has always enjoyed a cordial relationship with Hogwarts, though there has been a healthy rivalry in international competitions such as the Triwizard Tournament, in which Beauxbatons has sixty-two wins to Hogwarts' sixty-three.


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On Wednesday September 12th, Molly Stentz subbing for Brenda Konkel spoke with a panel about the recent teacher's strike in Chicago. Molly spoke with Chicago high school social studies teacher and blog writer Adam Heenan, writer for The Progressive Magazine Kari Lydersen and reporter for the New York Indypendent Newspaper Jaisal Noor.
When 26,000 Chicago Teachers Union members hit the picket lines Monday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel called it a "strike of choice" that is "unnecessary," "avoidable" and "wrong." He stayed with the narrative he's been pushing for more than a year – that teachers are acting selfishly upon their own interests at the expense of students and parents.
Molly spoke with the panel about why Chicago Teachers have decided to strike and the impact this decision might have on education in the windy city.


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Tag: Kylie Minogue
April 4, 2019• Dizzy Heights, Music
Dizzy Heights #54: Watch the World Argue — Songs About Dancing
I've been sitting on this idea for about a year. It felt too obvious, but then I ran into a really busy stretch, and then suddenly...
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Album Reviews: Sarah Cracknell, Adam Lambert, and FFS Lead June Releases
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Join Popdose for a look back at three decades of Babyface's wide-ranging influence as a singer, songwriter, and producer....
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Stop laughing, you bastards! A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with David Medsker – my comrade in arms both here and over...


We recently got to get out of our Tempe, Arizona studio and shoot outdoors! Shooting outdoors is something that Jodi Lynn loves. This stunning boudoir addict got to try out our newest prop, a rose gold armchair that Jodi Lynn picked up at a recent vintage market! We love how it made her floral crown and lace gown pop against the desert landscape. Having flown in for her Supermodel for a Day Package, to beat the heat Miss C started hair and make up at 3am just so that we could capture that dreamy lighting we love so much. Working with her is always an great time! We love building long lasting connections with all the special ladies who come into our studio to be photographed.
Boudoir photography is an intimate form of photography but as you can see; it doesn't have to be strictly indoors! Jodi Lynn has scoped out some amazing yet discreet locations to shoot boudoir photography. It's completely up to you according to what you envision and what you're most comfortable with. You're the boudoir bombshell!
Looking to add something special to your indoor boudoir photography? Call our Tempe, Arizona Studio today and ask about our outdoor sets when you schedule your session! Contact us or call us at 480 495- 5455. We can't wait to work with you!


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Profit warnings and how to profit from them
Brian Bollen 14:18, 2 October 2017 Features
For traders News and features Features Profit warnings and how to profit from them
Profit warnings and how to profit from them are firmly in the news. On the one hand, the list of UK companies issuing profit warnings seems to grow almost daily. On the other hand, the infamous Tesco profit warning of September 2014 - its fourth of that year and the fifth in a series that began two years earlier - is now the subject of formal judicial proceedings.
Three former senior Tesco executives find themselves in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London accused of overstating group profits. In October 2014, Tesco followed up its warning by reporting a 92% fall in profits after writing off £263m.
At the time, this was put down to a simple outbreak of overenthusiasm. It transpired that Tesco managers had been over-optimistic in estimating how much the company would receive in rebates from suppliers.
Something more sinister
Only later did it become clear that something altogether more sinister had taken place. Awareness grew that Tesco, its management, its shareholders and its customers were facing a scandal involving aggressive accounting.
In the wake of the profit warning the share price fell to as low as 165.95 pence in December that year compared to a five-year high of 385.00 pence in May 2013. pence in April of that year. It has recovered since then, albeit weakly.
It has been as high as 218.25 in November 2016 demonstrating that there is still money to be made by investors even in the wake of apparent disaster. After investment bank Jefferies recently raised the target price to 185 pence, the price finished September at 187.15.
Profit warnings the result of inappropriate behaviour
It is not so much profit warnings themselves that are the problem. Yes, the impact can be devastating, even fatal. But profit warnings are often just the logical result of underlying inappropriate behaviour that should not have been allowed to develop.
They then represent the start of a process of purging that can quickly result in humiliating individual dismissals and much-need corporate restructuring and self re-assessment. A worst case scenario will end in takeover, administration or liquidation.
The Tesco case is far from unique as highlighted in a recent feature by Marcel van Rinsum of the Department of Accounting & Control at the Rotterdam School of Management.
It told how the pages of corporate history are littered with examples of aggressive accounting. It is immediately obvious in such cases that profit warnings are almost inevitable.
Aggressive accounting examples in recent decades include
British & Commonwealth/Atlantic Computers
Hewlett Packard/Autonomy
Profit warnings create opportunities for contrarian investors. As with much of matters relating to international finance and institutional investment, it all ultimately comes back to fundamentals.
Is the underlying business sound? What is good about it? Tesco has a large market share built up over decades. The UK's competition authority seems prepared to allow it to continue to grow. Is it genuinely commercially successful?
It is certainly struggling to cope with a lower inflation environment and the challenges posed by competitors. Discounters Aldi and Lidl are particular thorns in its corporate flesh.
More recent warnings have been issued by
Spire Healthcare
Beazley
Switching sectors completely, constructor and outsourced services provider Carillion is another member of the profit warning brigade. It issued a shock profit warning in July 2017.
Shares that had been worth 379.40 pence in February 2014 fell to 54 pence on the reporting of a first-half loss of £1.15bn. It then not unexpectedly reported a reduction in its full-year revenue outlook at the end of September, the share slipping further to 51.25.
Might Carillon be worth considering either on the upside or further downside? For what it's worth, the UK government has spoken out in its favour, emphasising the long-term nature of its own commercial relationship with the company.
Redirection efficacy in question
Courtesy of Carillion
Management are at least making the right noises about addressing the issues and restructuring the business. And while some question the efficacy redirection already being taken, Stephen Rawlinson, an analyst at Applied Value, sees a future for the company. Carillion did, after all, record sales of £4.395bn in the year to 31 December 2016.
It could go either way. If the restructuring works and the company stays in business, the shares could recover. If it doesn't and other problems begin to surface, it might be on the road to eventual ruin.
Different investors will take their different views on upside and downside. They will buy or sell accordingly, either via institutional and personal direct investment, institutional short selling or the striking of agreements on contracts for differences.
Back to fundamentals
It all comes back to fundamentals, which demonstrate that some profit warnings can be easier to forecast and anticipate than others. London-based insurer Beazley, for example, announced a profit warning on 29 September 2017.
It said that earnings would be US$150m lower as a result of claims following recent natural disasters. It has calculated that the average net cost of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, and Mexico's earthquakes, will be $175m-$275m.
It would not have required a degree in rocket science for the intelligent investor to have come to the conclusion that major disasters will have an impact on insurance and reinsurance companies.
A good simple discipline when there is news of a natural disaster is to ask oneself who will benefit and who will lose. Insurers will clearly face large claims. They might not, however, be as large as first thought.
RMS, which lays claim to be the world's leading catastrophe risk modelling company, suggests that total insured losses from Harvey and Irma alone cost the industry in the region of $60bn-$90bn.
Maria could cost a further $15bn-$30bn and the Mexico earthquakes a mere $1.2bn maximum. The cost could have been much, much more, RMS suggests. Significant amounts of property damaged were not insured limiting costs to the industry. Even in a catastrophe, the insurance industry seems more than capable of coming out ahead.
An ill wind that blows nobody any good
It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, as we noted in September. Businesses such as Ashtead, an international equipment rental company with national networks in the US and the UK and a small presence in Canada, will benefit.
Trade Now Trade Now
Rates were already improving ahead of the hurricane season as a series of projects began to ramp up in volume. Equipment coming back in from rental is going out at higher rates, sometimes much better rates.
Ashtead CEO Geoff Drabble patiently explained the significance of this to analysts at the time of the company's first quarter results in September. The impact of those higher rates will quickly feed into financial figures.
Supply-demand dynamic changed
"The supply-demand dynamic has changed. There will be a significant clear-up programme. We are shifting hundreds of trucks into the areas affected. A major rebuild programme will be required over several years."
In this case, the business fundamentals are combining with nature to deliver what will almost literally be windfall returns to Ashtead and its peer group.
When construction and support services company Interserve issued a profit warning in mid-September, the outsourcing group joined a growing number of British companies flashing an amber light. Its reward was to see its market value cut by more than half.
Coverage in the Financial Times set the fall firmly in the context of economic uncertainty and weak government spending. Interserve's shares at one point were down 52%. Then again, this was the company's fourth such warning in less than a year.
Outside service providers first to be hit
As suggested earlier, some profit warnings are easier to forecast than others. Outsource service providers are usually the first to be hit when purse strings tighten as it is easier, quicker and cheaper to impose cuts externally rather than make in-house staff redundant. Then again, they can be the first to profit when the spending taps are turned on again.
Walter Hin at Walbrock Research says the fall in Interserve's shares has broken his expectations. It's between Interserve and Carillion for the race towards the bottomless pit of doom, he observes.
Having said that, there are some good divisions that he likes. One is the equipment services division with operating profits growth of 10%. It has an EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) margin of 21%, along with a 16% return on assets.
With £48m in operating profits, deduct 20% for taxes which leaves it with £38.4m after-tax profits, he points out. Interserve's international construction saw profits increased to £8.3m in six months from £6m, a 38% increase.
Courtesy of Interserve
Middle East tensions could disrupt
While Middle East tensions could disrupt operations, he put a value of £149.6m on the division. The question is whether Interserve will be able to reduce debt to a sustainable level to carry on as a going concern?
A placing is looking like a real possibility, he suggests. He places a total value of £734.5m on the sum of Interserve's several parts.
On the same day that Interserve issued its latest warning, private hospital group Spire Healthcare faced its worst ever day of trading. It blamed compensation claims arising from the conduct of former surgeon Ian Paterson. He was jailed for 15 years earlier this year after carrying out unnecessary surgery on hundreds of people.
Ultra-exceptional item, but...
While this can clearly be classified as an ultra-exceptional item, Spire Healthcare is also feeling the public spending pinch and its effects on normal everyday business. New measures introduced by the UK's National Health Service are restricting patient choice as to which hospital will treat them under the Choose and Book regime.
Interim CEO Simon Gordon says the company is adapting in response to the changes. "We are increasingly focussing the business on the self-pay opportunity and on our existing healthcare insurer arrangements," he said.
Strip away the jargon and the message is that the company is shifting its focus to the private sector. The unusually good times servicing the public sector as the Labour spending boom began to pick up pace are firmly in the past.
Conventional wisdom will have it that that it is obviously too late to take advantage of investment opportunities generated by profit warnings once they have been issued.
But as one door closes another one opens. Profit warnings and the negative reactions they cause can be meat and drink to the contrarian investor.
A lower share price can make the company issuing the warning a more attractive buy opportunity if there is a fundamentally sound underlying commercial business.
Remember, as the founder of Franklin Templeton Investments is often credited with saying: "The best time to buy is when there is blood on the streets." Maybe there are bargains on offer today in Catalunya...
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Capital.com Profit warnings and how to profit from them


In principle feeding camels is not different from feeding ruminants. Camels are pseudo ruminants. Camels posses remarkable ability to utilize tough feeds. They consume mainly vegetation which are thorny shrubs and herbs with limited tiny leaves. The lips are thick and the upper lip is divided and very sensitive, suited to pick leaves from small branches i.e. nibbling. The small tongue is good enough to hold the leaves. The camels can consume even the little branches that contain thorn quite comfortably.
The stomach capacity is as in cattle approximately 11 to 15% of body weight. The camel has no gall bladder therefore no bile salt to assist in digestion of fat. Feed resources are desert type of vegetation which are mainly shrub. Most camels are browsers with a few exceptions that are grazers.
Food requirements are not yet established as in cattle. Work needs to be done to determine feed requirements. Under drought conditions camels can decrease feed intake and metabolism and therefore adapt to difficult conditions. They can maintain appetite even during drought. Feed intake can drop to 5kg per day. Under normal conditions feed intake is between 30 to 40kg per day.
Local animals can differentiate between poisonous animals as opposed to those new to the locality. Camels should be allowed to graze 6 to 8 hours and left for the same period to ruminate. Grazing should be in the morning hours and late in the afternoon and can be as far as a radius of 20 km from the camp. They disperse easily therefore the herdsman must be on the look out to keep them together. Grain can be given in the evening.
Supplementary feeding is not common but it is necessary especially for the working animal. For the working animal the major supplements should be energy feeds. The feeds should be given in separate mangers rather than one manger for all animals. Camels bite and kick one another, trample on the manger hence spilling the feeds.
Camels can be kept with cattle and sheep and goats because camels are browsers, sheep and cattle are grazers therefore vegetation is efficiently utilized.
Camels appetite are uncontrolled when exposed to lash grass. With much consumption bloat can be a problem especially when clover is involved. If they are on poor pasture they can save on nitrogen in their body by cutting down the nitrogen excreted. They can cycle as much as 97% of urea produced which is an adaptation to the arid conditions.
Camels can survive for long periods without water because of the ability to cut down on the water requirements. This varies with breeds as others can go for longer periods than others. For example, riverine types are more vulnerable to water shortages. Delta camels will require water to drink on a daily basis for optimum production. Camels in most parts of North Eastern Kenya can go without water comfortably for four days and still maintain good production.
The ability for camel to go on without water for long periods of time should not over exploited. The drinking capacity is enormous especially after a long period of thirst. Camel do not experience water intoxication.
Water sources are varied in the arid areas. Water that is not contaminated is however recommended if available. Camels can consume salty water. Desert camels may derive 3 to 30 liters by foraging.


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To deliver the best possible care to our physiotherapy patients, AMDC has recently expanded to establish a new physiotherapy department. The new physiotherapy department, which is located in the ground floor of the building in the opposite corner of AMDC clinic, is fully equipped and headed by a trained physiotherapist.
Other physiotherapy services are also offered.


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Price Intelligence
Retail Auditing
MAP Compliance
Best Seller Intelligence
Matt Ellsworth	| June 3, 2020
Wiser's Quick Guide to D2C Marketing
Home / Wiser's Quick Guide to D2C Marketing
Direct-to-consumer retail is not a new business model, but the rise of e-commerce has changed the retail playing field by making it easier for D2C startups to compete.
Previously stale product categories have had new life breathed into them by D2C startups that cut out the middlemen. It's an exciting field that has excited consumers and opened a new level of competition for traditional retailers.
In this article, we'll look at what D2C marketing is, and how companies in this space can develop a marketing strategy that drives awareness, sales, and loyalty.
What is the Direct-to-Consumer Model?
Before we jump into what D2C marketing is, it's important to understand the D2C model.
As the name implies, D2C is a business model where manufacturers sell directly to consumers. Where B2C involves intermediaries in the form of retailers that sell manufacturers' goods to consumers, D2C companies have direct relationships with their consumers.
This is significant because it means D2C companies own the entire process of getting their products to customers. From sourcing and manufacturing to marketing and distribution, D2C retailers have the entire value chain under their control.
D2C brands also tend to start with a narrow focus. Harry's is a D2C razor company that positioned itself as an alternative to companies like Gillette by offering just one razor, compared to the massive assortment of options Gillette offers. Casper's sold one mattress, rather than the dozens you would see at an incumbent mattress retailer's store. They don't try to be all things to all people, just the best at what they do. That has a major impact on their marketing approach.
What is Direct-to-Consumer Marketing?
From that definition, it's easy to see what D2C marketing actually is.
It's everything a D2C brand does to price, package, and promote its products directly to its target audiences. Upstart D2C brands are leveraging existing digital platforms that allow them to generate enormous reach at a lower cost than traditional channels and build deeper relationships with customers.
D2C marketing is interesting because D2C brands have full control over messaging and pricing. They can collect customer data directly without going through an intermediary retailer.
D2C is the perfect model for digital-first brands. According to research by Statista, 22 percent of all retail sales will be via e-commerce platforms by 2023. Moreover, additional Statista research showed that email, search, social, and direct navigation to online stores are the most valuable sources of buyers for e-commerce.
What has helped make D2C brands successful is in using platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, Kickstarter, and even Amazon to drive awareness, interest, and purchases. These platforms make it easy to scale reach without paying the prohibitive prices they would pay on traditional channels. Offline channels have a place, but the digital-first companies can get the most out of digital-first marketing.
How to Create a Powerful Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Strategy
In this section, we'll look at some ways D2C brands can create strong marketing strategies that grow their business and set them apart.
Start Simple and Differentiate
A simple product assortment makes the marketing effort much more straightforward. As research from CB Insights showed, the most successful D2C brands are starting out with a smaller assortment of products. In some cases, they are starting with just one product.
Bonobos started out with one pair of men's pants. Casper started with their take on the "perfect" mattress. Harry's started with one single razor.
The takeaway here is that simplicity makes it possible to cut through the clutter of "long-tail" selling on the internet. Amazon's assortment is unmatched, but can leave consumers paralyzed with all of the seemingly similar choices in every product category. The best D2C brands know that by starting simple, they can differentiate by being the best at one particular thing. It makes it easier to iterate on your products by learning what consumers respond to. It turns out the limiting choices is a great thing for consumers and for businesses.
Make Content King
Content is the conduit between your product and your audience. It's what shows people not only what your product does, but how it fits into their lifestyles. Crafting content with different media types helps you reach a broader audience than just the people who are searching for your products with the intent to buy.
Dollar Shave Club is one example of this approach. The razor company has a blog that not only discusses men's grooming and style but also takes a broader focus on health and lifestyle topics. Revolution Beauty, on the other hand, works with influencers on product reviews and demos, while fitting their products into wider topics like societal definitions of beauty, gender, and other popular subjects.
Think not only about what's directly relevant to your product, but what your audience cares about more broadly. Use that to guide the types of content you create.
Work with Influencers
This is a continuation of the point before. Influencers are a vital marketing channel for D2C brands, particularly if you're targeting younger consumers. Influencers have built a strong connection with their followers. If they feel your product is something their audiences will benefit from, they are likely going to be willing to work with you.
Building trust with consumers as a new brand is hard. We all know that people trust the opinions of their friends and peers more than they trust messaging from a less-familiar brand. But influencers have a friend-like relationship with their audiences, so working with them is like generating word-of-mouth at scale.
Remember: followers/reach is not the only important metric when deciding which influencers you want to work with. An influencer with a small but highly engaged following may be more valuable to you than one that has a large but diluted audience. Ask for engagement metrics when vetting influencers so you can see if their audience is truly willing to take their recommendations.
Design a Compelling Online Experience
Consider the buyer's journey as you craft your online experience. What do users need to see as they enter the consideration phase? What do they need to see before they feel confident making a purchase? Creating content that maps to all stages of the buyer's journey means that you will always have something for your audience, no matter where they are in their decision process.
Don't forget to focus on customer service as well. It's well known that it costs far more to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. Your content, email, and social media strategy should make room to engage with loyal subscribers. Your online customer support should be friendly, helpful, and prompt when customers have issues with their orders.
Use Digital Platforms, Email, and Community Pages
Platforms like Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and others are powerful channels for driving awareness and acquisition. You can leverage these channels' paid and organic reach to get in front of thousands, if not millions, of people in a very short amount of time.
But you don't truly own your audience on any of those platforms. Facebook has dramatically throttled organic reach, forcing brands to pay to get in front of the audiences they built. Google has added new features to their search results pages that are taking clicks away from brands, in addition to frequent algorithm changes that can drastically impact your organic traffic. On all channels, paid ads are becoming more expensive as more brands compete for the same ad inventory.
Use these channels as a means of funneling users to the properties you do own, such as your website and email list. If you have a forum or community page, ask users to sign up for it. An email list is a major asset because it is far less susceptible to the whims of a third-party platform. Develop an email strategy that facilitates customer support and delight through targeted promotions.
Matt Ellsworth
Matt is the Sr. Manager, Marketing & Demand at Wiser, the leading provider of actionable data for better decisions.
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Light curve and phase diagram of GSC 02259-00970. This was my 20th variable star discovery, confirmed on 29 March 2016.
This is a semi-regular variable in Andromeda with a period of 79 days.
It was discovered using Muniwin on 71 unfiltered images taken with the Cluster Camera of the Bradford Robotic Telescope between 2013 July 8 and 2016 January 11. The light curve and phase diagram were constructed using AIP4WIN photometry.
For more information see the AAVSO VSX.


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Rachel's Challenge includes a series of student empowering, educator motivating programs and strategies called the Awaken the Learner Five-step School Improvement Process that equips students and adults to create and sustain safe, caring and supportive learning environments essential for academic achievement. The programs are based on the writings and life of 17 year-old Rachel Scott who was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at her school. Shortly before her death she wrote,
"I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go."
The elements of the school improvement process are designed to create a culture of kindness and compassion and to equip students and adults with resources to insure that their schools are safe, caring and supportive learning environments essential for academic achievement.
Rachel's Challenge was started by Rachel's dad and stepmom, Darrell and Sandy Scott when they realized that the writings and drawings Rachel left not only had an impact on her friends and classmates, but also resonated with students around the world. Although Rachel was a typical teenager who even wrote about her "ups and downs," she had a passion and conviction that she would someday change the world. The Scott family knew her story and passion had to be told to inspire others to make their world a better place.
More than 21 million people have been touched by Rachel's message, and they continue the legacy of making a difference in their communities. Each year at least 2 million more people are added to that number. These are just a couple of the results of Rachel's Challenge. In one survey, 78% of students indicated they would definitely intervene in a bullying incident in their school after seeing Rachel's Challenge. In the last 3 years, Rachel's Challenge has received nearly 500 unsolicited emails from students stating that after hearing Rachel's story they reached out for help as they were contemplating suicide. Some even state that "Rachel saved their life."
The purpose of the elementary programs is to encourage elementary school students to live a life of purpose, do simple acts of kindness and create a KC (Kindness and Compassion) Club to make their school a better place. There are multiple resources for teachers to sustain the impact of Rachel's stories in grades K-5 throughout the school year.
Rachel's Story for middle schools can include an assembly, student FOR Club training, an evening community event and a variety of optional support components. There is also an intensive smaller group training day, Chain Reaction. These programs have components that can be combined in different combinations to meet the local needs.
The presentations include video and interaction with the Rachel's Challenge certified presenter that challenges students to examine their own lives to make a positive impact on their school and community. The training session provides instruction on how to start the FOR Club and plan initial club activities that will sustain the impact of the assembly.


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45,000 runners go 'all-in' to complete 84km in Southeast Asia's only regional running championship.
After a series of races in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines, the adidas King of the Road came to a grand finale in Singapore. The Singapore leg started and ended at the city's newest attraction, Gardens by the Bay.
In the crisp morning air, runners started to gather at the start pen. Everyone waited for the flag off; some were talking and others were doing little stretches to keep their muscles warm. The patient runners were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.
The elite runners were ushered to the front and off we went. The elite runners got off to a flying start. In the end, the Philippines racers battled vigorously to claim bragging rights as Southeast Asia's best. 'King' Eduardo Beunavista finished with a time of 53 minutes 12 seconds while 'Queen' Mary Grace Delos Santos clocked 1 hour 1 minute 52 seconds.
"I'm very happy with adidas KOTR. It's nice to see the global leader in running bringing together passionate runners from all over the region," said Eduardo Beunavista.
Mary Grace Delos Santos said that she would welcome competing at adidas KOTR and returning to Singapore again next year.
Our Singapore athletes did us proud too. Melvin Wong and Ivan Low came in 6th and 7th positions respectively. "The thing that sets adidas KOTR apart from all other races is the route," said Melvin Wong.
The 12,000 runners in today's run were given an experience like none before. KOTR Singapore is one of the first few running events held at Gardens by the Bay this year. The adidas KOTR routes passed through some of the most scenic and exciting landmarks each city has to offer. In Singapore, the runners navigated through Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, Arts Science Museum and the Singapore Flyer.
I always look forward to races organised by adidas. Not just because the race packs are always loaded with goodness but also because of the impeccable organisation of the races.
From the race pack, everyone was given a different coloured racing vest. This morning, it was a spectacular colourful sight that reflected the vibrancy of the sporting and running scene in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Despite the morning sun relentlessly beating down on the runners, the passionate runners were 'all-in'. I was thankful for the scenic route and the well spaced out hydration stations. The cheering supporters and lively DJs gave the runners a "boost" in the final strides.
"To watch each runner aim to achieve his or her personal best across all five countries is truly an inspiration. This was precisely the vision of adidas KOTR when we initiated the original concept of hosting a regional running competition last year," said Amit DasGupta, Director, Brand, adidas Southeast Asia.
At the end of the race, all had truly run their hearts out. The runners were 'all-in' to become kings and queens of the road.


Registation for the 8th ISSMMTC is now closed.
** Fees include applicable taxes.
Partial financial support was available for students, post-doctoral fellows and early career scientists to attend the 2018 ISSMMTC in Victoria, BC, Canada that took place 7-9 May, 2018. Grantees were required to present their work as part of the conference in the broader theme of submarine mass movements and their consequences.
The deadline for application submission was 15 February 2018.


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Young pitchers helped St. Mary's baseball gain the upper hand
By William L. Anderson	 Last updated Jul 3, 2021
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They say a good pitch will beat a good shot every time, and the St. Mary's baseball team has lived by that credo during the 2020 season. But it wasn't just the quality of the pitch that set them apart. Spartans on the edge, it is also the quantity.
In addition to junior ace Aiven Cabral, who pitched 6 1/3 innings for victory in the Division 2 title game on Thursday, the Spartans have relied on a stable of young pitchers like rookie Eric Bridges and sophomores John Nowicki and Tommy Falasca to get through the year.
"It's really on the mound this year that I think we've been able to part ways," said St. Mary's coach Derek Dana. "Eric has been huge for us a few times, John and Tommy have both started games for us all year and these guys have all been there. With the pitch count changing the way you can approach a week of matches, the ability to pass the ball to young people and challenge them is a good thing. "
Besides Cabral, Bridges may have had the playoff performance when he threw a full set of four hits to lift the Spartans against Masconomet in the Division 2 North Final. Nowicki and Falasca both started multiple. games during the year, while Nowicki also made two saves, including one in the state title game on Thursday.
Having guys of this caliber behind him is one of the reasons Cabral is never nervous about losing a game, even when he's not throwing.
"I feel like these guys are still supporting me, and I always protect them," Cabral said. "We're family there and I always trust these guys to be important to us."
That sentiment extends to Colby Magliozzi, who has caught this rotation all year.
"We've had a lot of young guys this year after losing a lot of COVID year shots," Magliozzi said. "A group of young people had to step in, and they all did when it mattered most. They didn't look like young guys when they were there, to be sure.
And with so much big game experience early in their high school careers, the sky is now the limit for returning pitchers over the next few years. Cabral will return as a senior ace in 2022, but the Spartans will have at least a reliable four-way rotation in their quest for a triple round.
Young pitchers helped put St. Mary's baseball on edge – Itemlive: Itemlive
St. Mary's sophomore John Nowicki has become one of the Spartans' main throwers this season. (Item file photo)
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