A student-led push to get solar panels installed at a middle school in Tacoma is receiving national recognition from a clean energy nonprofit organization called Generation 180. The girls involved are advocating and fundraising for the project.

Sammy Firkins, Gwen Newport and Annie Son will talk about their idea to generate solar electricity at Jason Lee Middle School in a panel discussion organized by Generation 180. In 2019, the three of them teamed up with their science teacher, Kathy Hall, to push for solar panels to be installed. Hall, who uses solar power at her own house, said it’s long been a dream of hers. The school would be the first in the Tacoma district to use solar energy.

The girls presented their idea to Gov. Jay Inslee’s STEM Education Innovation Alliance meeting in early 2019 and received enthusiastic support. They then spoke to the Tacoma school board and obtained buy-in from the district, though they were told the district did not have the roughly $ 200,000 for the 277 solar panels and that they would have to fundraise. They’ve since raised more than half that amount through grants and individual donations.

Gwen Newport said she’s always cared a lot about environmental issues and that she’s troubled that climate change does not get the attention it deserves. “At this point, I feel like it’s kind of been given to my generation almost as our responsibility now and so being able to be a part of this project and take action is really important to me,” she said.

The solar panels have not been installed at the school yet. But Hall said she estimates that the project will reduce the school’s power costs by about $ 14,000 a year, and that it also will serve an educational purpose. “We will have live data always streaming available so that people can see how the panels are working and how they relate to the amount of electricity we’re using, and it will be an incredible learning tool,” she said.

At a comedy night at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, members of the school’s Stand­Up Comedy Club bring lots of laughter to their classmates with funny speeches and humorous body movements. These college students’ humour entertains busy, young people and eases their stress.

Yet the club member Ariella Shua says comedy is serious work. Every comedy starts as an individual project—each member writes their own material. Then they try it out in weekly club meetings where all club members read the material, go joke by joke and see what works and what doesn’t. Nothing unsatisfactory will be compromised (妥协).In this way comes a satisfying comedy.

Ariella joined the club last year. Now she does not go anywhere without bringing something on which she can take notes. “Whenever I just have a thought in my head that seems like ‘Oh, this is strange.’ or when I see something or overhear someone saying something in the library, I just put it down,” Ariella explained. “Later, when I’m trying to write my own material, I go through my notes to see if there is anything that I can use.”

President of the Stand­Up Comedy Club Nicholas Scandura finds that writing is one of the many skills he has developed since joining the club. “Writing jokes is really fun and it takes a lot of critical thinking,” he said. The club gives its members a sense of community. When they meet, they share funny experiences, tell jokes and laugh.

Over the past ten years, stand­up comedy clubs have become common on college campuses in America. Nicholas said, “Now everyone wants to do it because the culture of stand­up has gotten a lot of media attention and become more popular.”

Last year, Harry Kuperstein joined the club and discovered the club was a natural fit. Noticing the funny qualities of different situations improved his way of looking at the world. Becoming an active member also helped him work on the future skills he would need as a medical doctor. “Having jokes ready to go might help smooth over interactions between doctors and patients and make you a better public speaker,” he said.

The client crises in my social-work job always multiplied during the holidays. As I drove through the darkness that rainy December night, I shelved my worry and focused on our December events.

The parking lot was full. Everyone in our small Arkansas town must have turned out for the Christmas program. Our second grader son Jon should have joined his class inside the gym by now, but I was running late. Jim and Michael, our fifth graders, were warm and dry inside.

While Jon played with a toy in the back seat, I drove once more through the parking lot. Then I saw, through the downpour, the narrow area of grass between two cars perfect for our small car. I pulled into the spot, nosing forward to line up beside my neighbor.

With a loud noise, the front of our new car ran over some hard stones and hung over a foot above a pool. Shaking, I held the wheel and couldn’t decide whether to drive forward or backward. Either would do damage to my car.

Suddenly, someone tapped on the driver-side window. A man stood there in the cold rain. Without greeting he gave me instructions. “When I walk to the front of your car and lift, put it in reverse (倒挡) and back up.”

He moved unhurriedly around to the front of the car into my headlights. With apparent strain, he lifted and held the car’s front end. I remember staring a moment, and then I put the car in reverse and looked over my shoulder until the front tires rested on the ground again. Before I could thank him, he was gone. I never saw him again.

Much later, I realized our car-lifting angel marked a turning point in our family’s direction. In the decades since that evening, life has thrown plenty of difficulties in our way. But I recall that night and know confidently that there’s someone ready to help.