Watch Out For Typos — They Can Make You Look Stoopid

We’ve all made typos – those pesky errors that sneak into our writing when we hit the wrong key or suffer a momentary lapse in concentration. That’s why we have smart programs such as spellchecker and autocorrect, which were created to make our jobs easier. When autocorrect, for example, comes across a sentence like “The […]

Getting roasted over a coaster

Some spelling mistakes can be quite embarrassing. Take, for example, the mistake that someone at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina didn't spot. As a result, hundreds of teachers in the school system received free coasters bearing the words "Career and Technical Eduction." Yes, you guessed it. It should have been: "Career and Techniqual Eduction." A CMS spokesperson told us the […]

College students have it tough these days

I went to college back in the Stone Age — we didn't have cable TV in dormitory rooms at Messiah College, just in the main lounge. So what did my brother-in-law, Santosh, and I do? We ran a cable from our room to the lounge illegally, of course. It was great to watch all those […]

The university gift with strings attached

If you went to college in America, you probably spent a small fortune on books, perhaps even more than you spent on beer. The books —  almost always new hardback editions — were required reading in various courses. Well, what if you found out that a particular book was required not by a professor but […]

A school full of smiley-faced children

If you’re a good parent, you probably try hard to protect your children from strangers who might harm them.You monitor your children’s activities on the Internet and you don’t let them post pictures of themselves on public websites, especially pictures that might draw attention from the wrong people. You expect schools to exercise the same […]

Get good grades, earn some cash

When I was a little kid, my mother offered me money to do math, 2 ngwee per sum. As I grew older, the monetary rewards stopped, perhaps because my mother didn’t want me to be motivated only by money. Or perhaps it was my sister who spoiled it all with her "show me the money […]

Miss Teen South Carolina robbed of title

It was the final round of the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant, only five contestants left. "This is the round of the competition that ultimately determines their fate," Host Mario Lopez said. "The make it or break it moment. The ladies will have to demonstrate their ability to answer a thought-provoking, final question." Lauren Caitlin […]

When teachers act like gangsters

During my schooldays, I endured a number of canings and pinchings at the hands of teachers and principals, both in Zambia and India. I vividly remember my entire Form 3 (Grade 10) class being caned in Ndola, Zambia, because we were making too much noise. My butt was sore for days — and striped for […]