We Love Durham NC

Election Results, 2nd Grade Style

The boy reports in his class voting, Obama won 18 to 1. There were 0 undecideds.

I hope you’re not still undecided. Go VOTE!

Voter Registration Outside Main Library

These two ladies were registering people to vote outside the Main branch library today. They had lollipops and everything. They said they did not work for an organization, though that’s a profile of Obama on their hats (they said “Obama” as I snapped the photo).

Where to Vote in Durham

Are you ready to vote?
Find out where your precinct voting location is here.

And find out what precinct you are in by entering information here.

Sample ballots here.

Vote tomorrow, Tuesday 5/6!

Torch Run

We passed a man with a flaming torch running down University drive, and then not much later we saw he had made it down Chapel Hill Boulevard. Did not appear to be the Olympic torch, nor the Special Olympics Law Enforcement torch. He was alone, no relief van or other entourage. A glimpse of his t-shirt revealed it was the World ___ Run. Curious!

Here’s a blurry picture which doesn’t help a bit.

Tatyana Ali

The little girl from Fresh Prince is going to be at NCCU today. Okay, she’s not really little anymore. The sponsoring host is the Obama Squad, so I assume this is a political rally.
“It is official, Tatyana Ali also known as Ashley Banks will be on the campus of NCCU this Thursday at 12:45 P.M. She is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her role as Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

When: Thursday April 10, 2008

Where: Alfonso Elder Student Union Lobby on the campus of North Carolina Central University

Time: 12:45 P.M.

All are welcome. This event is free and open to the public. We ask that you do come early, seating is limited.”

Placement

If the candidates themselves were placing their election signs, you could tell a lot about their personalities. Who places the sign 1 inch away from another sign, blocking a competitor? Who “agrees” to place the sign in a long straight line perpendicular to the road? Who is very creative and places the sign across the street, when there are 25 signs in the median? Who puts 10 signs in a row in case we didn’t see the first 2?

I suppose there must be laws about how big the signs should be, and what shape, or else we’d see more variety of the signs themselves. I would like to know the candidate that puts the sign upside down. Or sideways. Or pays the skateboarder guy flipping the advertising board at the corner of Garrett and 15-501 to carry the message. Ooo, ooo, or Mr. Liberty from the tax office on Martin Luther King–wouldn’t that be a message?!

They tell me that this primary is pretty important for us North Carolinians. It’s May 6th this year (this is the NC Board of Elections link for time and other info).

NCCU to Host National Science Bowl

From my source at NCCU; this sounds fun!

The 18th National Science Bowl will be held on the campus of North Carolina Central University January 26, 2008, at the Mary M. Townes Science Building, starting at 8:30 a.m. The Bowl is part of an effort by the U.S. Department of Energy and NCCU to identify the best and brightest high school math and science students. Each team is made up of five students, an alternate and a teacher/coach. This regional competition is limited to 16 teams from North Carolina. Students will be asked questions from a number of areas, including biology, chemistry, earth science or physics. The winning team will move on to the Nationals from May 2-6, 2008, in Washington, D.C. The champions win trips to places like Australia, England and Alaska.

For the past three years, East Chapel Hill High School (ECHH) has placed in the top tier at the regional competition. ECHH math teacher Judy Jones says, “Nobel prize winners are not created from the competition. What the students get out of it is the camaraderie, enjoyment.” Jones admits though that one former student is now a Park Scholar at N.C. State and is working on a cure for a genetic disease.

According to Dr. Fredrick Johnson, NCCU’s Science Bowl coordinator, “There is a need to identify and nurture those inquisitive young minds. There is great demand for scientists, mathematicians and computer savvy specialists.”

The Science Bowl at NCCU is free and open to the public.