Scott: What is up? We have got a packed show for you today. From President Obama in Asia, to those dreaded SAT tests, and of course, it wouldn't be Friday if we didn't have the Next Big Thing, so what do you say we get it started. It is November 14th, I am Scott Evans and Channel One News starts right now!
First up, let's see what's making headlines.
President Obama met with the president of Myanmar yesterday. The remote Southeast Asian country is moving away from military rule and towards democracy.
Pres. Obama: It is a great pleasure to be back in this beautiful country and to once again have the opportunity to consult closely with all of our ASEAN partners.
Scott: This is president Obama's second trip to Myanmar, also known as Burma. He is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country.
Myanmar was closed off for nearly fifty years because the country was ruled by a military dictatorship and the U.S. did not recognize.
That changed in 2010 when a new president was elected and the country started to move away from military rule and towards democracy.
While meeting with President Thein Sein, President Obama urged him to move towards more freedom and democracy. Mr. Obama also wants Myanmar to do more to stop the persecution of Muslims in the mostly Buddhist country that has generated worldwide outrage.
Next up today, outgoing lawmakers in the House and Senate may finally be voting on a measure that would pave the way for construction of a controversial oil pipeline.
After years of debate both houses of congress are set to vote on a key part of the Republican agenda: finishing the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The pipeline will move oil all the way from Canada down to the gulf coast. Supporters say the pipeline will mean the U.S. won't have to rely so much on other foreign countries for oil.
But opponents of the pipeline are worried about how it will impact the environment.
The White House has hinted that President Obama will veto any action on the pipeline.
Josh Earnest: I think it's fair to say that our dim view of these kinds of proposals has not changed.
Scott: But Senate Democrats say they won't oppose the pipeline.
That's because it is a hot issue in Louisiana where Democrats are trying to appeal to voters in the runoff election between Democratic incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu and Republican Congressman Bill Cassidy, which takes place on December 6th.
Now that's a wrap of headlines.
But before we go to break, we want to say thank you to all of you for sending us birthday shout-outs. They are awesome. And we are going to be airing some of the best ones in the show. So keep them coming.
Now here’s Washington Middle School has a birthday wish that has a little musical flair.
Lady: Hey Channel One, this is the Washington Middle School sixth grade orchestra in Dubuque, Iowa. We heard you had a very special year this year, so we wanted to say…
Happy birthday Channel One!
Scott: Tom is here now and we are talking about what comes next after high school. And today it is those SAT and ACT tests. So Tom here’s my question for you, do you know what the word ‘cantankerous’ means?
Tom: As a matter of fact I do Scott. It means bad tempered, and it is actually one of those vocab words you better know for those big tests. But now skipping those admission tests is an option for some.
It is Natalie Casimir's first semester at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. To get in, she had a high school GPA of 3.7 and a long list of honors and extra-curricular activities.
One thing she did not have to submit? Her SAT score.
Natalie: I was like no way! No way!
Tom: Wake Forest is one of a growing number of schools that have dropped the requirement for an SAT or ACT score, which had been a key criteria for admission in the past.
Some eight hundred schools now let students apply without it.
Allman: We see many students who simply don't test well. They have intellectual curiosity and drive and have all the tools to be successful college students but that Saturday morning test is their nemesis.
Tom: Casimir says she studied hard for the SAT but still got an average score.
Natalie: I felt like nothing I did would have been good enough to get me ahead of those numbers.
Tom: And she questions how useful the test actually is in determining a student's success in college.
Butthe College Board, which administers the SAT, calls the exam “essential” and says combining test scores with a student's high school GPA offers the best prediction on how well a college freshman will do in their first year.
But Wake Forest discovered something else.
Allman: There's no statistical difference in grade point average or in graduation rate between submitters and non-submitters.
Tom: And a study of schools using a test-optional policy backs that up. A new report found no significant differences in graduation rates and GPAs between the two groups.
Even though the College Board disagrees, it decided to listen to some complaints about the old test. Last springthey gave the SAT a makeover.
Students and parents were querulous or complaining about the vocabulary on the test. So the new SAT takes more relevant words such as "intense" and makes students know their meaning in the context of a sentence.
Christine Brown is with Kaplan Test Prep which prepares students for admission tests.
Christine: There are some questions where it feels like it may be a little more straight forward, I wouldn't necessarily use the term easier. And there’ve been other sample questions that are frankly quite challenging.
Tom: The test will also focus on math that matters, such as figuring out ratios and percentages. The essay is now optional and the test returns to a 1,600 point scale.
When the College Board announced these changes were coming, it admitted that standardized tests are failing students.
David Coleman: It is time to admit that the SAT and ACT have become far too disconnected from the work of our high schools.
Tom: But the SAT is changing in part because the ACT, its main rival, is now more popular. Last year 1.8 million students took the ACT. About a hundred and forty thousand more than took the SAT.
Christine: A lot of the changes that the SAT is making do put it more closely in line with what the ACT has been doing for decades.
Tom: But Natalie says her university measured her by something far more important than a number on piece of paper.
Natalie: I feel valued, not by a number but for my character.
Tom: And I am sure the change will be a big stress relief for many students.
Scott: I bet. I remember being so stressed out taking those tests.
Tom: Me too, me too.
Scott: Alright now coming up we are cooking we are cooking with no electricity in this week’s Next Best Thing.
This week's Next Big Thing is all about putting out the flame in order to change the way the world cooks.
But first, let's see what you thought about last week’s idea.
We told you about Meatless Mondays, where schools across the country are scratching out meat on the Monday lunch menu and instead tossing in more veggies.
So is it the Next Big Thing?
44 percentof you said yes, greens please. But 56 percent of you said no, burger me.
This week we take a look at a kitchen appliance that’s making an impact on the world.
Wonderbag is a cordless, power-free, and gas free slow cooker that just might change the way millions of people cook.
It was first developed for people in developing countries who don't have access to ovens, electricity or gas flames.
And the concept is simple, no batteries or plugs required. All you do is bring your food to a boil and let it cook for five minutes, then take it off the heat. Seal the pot inside the bag and leave it for three to four hours to finish cooking.
Each Wonderbag saves natural resources like wood, coal and gas, and a family on the continent of Africa can save up to 30 percent on their energy bill every month. Families are also at a lower risk caused by fumes, smoke, and fire.
And it saves 80 percent of their water. They will only need to collect fire wood once a week, minimizing deforestation and carbon emissions.
Every Wonderbag reduces emissions by half a carbon ton per year.
Fewer emissions will help slow down global warming and climate change.
Right now there are one hundred thousand Wonderbags in homes in southern Africa, saving fifty thousand carbon tons this year. That's enough to fly a jet around the world 9,452 times.
It can even make a difference to your parents who may be afraid to leave a slow cooker plugged in for several hours while they step away, thinking about an electrical fire. The Wonderbag removes that worry. Plus it saves electricity.
Well you know what to do, head to ChannelOne.com to vote.
And that’s going to do it for us this week. I am Scott Evans, have an awesome weekend and we will see you right back here on Monday!
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