With the election behind us, it’s nice to take a break from the normal news and take a quick look at positive changes going on around the world. In this article, civility deserves the spotlight.

For the past couple of months, Chick-fil-la has been trying out a new, exciting food: Mac-n-Cheese! This new dish has our whole Media Office super excited! There is just one small problem with this awesome new sensation though. It’s only being tested in six cities including Phoenix, Greensboro, San Antonio, Baltimore, and Houston. The recipe consists of Macaroni noodles and three cheeses: cheddar, parmesan, and Romano. I definitely think it’s worth the drive to Greensboro to try it out. Make sure to put in a good word with Mrs. Lehnes to hopefully bring mac-n-cheese to Rocky Mount! If needed, I speak for our whole student body in saying that RMA stands ready to be taste testers!

Every act of kindness can make a big difference, and this fact was fully embraced by Albert Lexie, a 76 year-old shoeshiner who recently passed away. Albert worked at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital shining shoes for $3 per pair. For over thirty years, he saved every tip he received adding up to a grand total of $202,000. He donated it all to the children hospital’s Free Care Fund which provides medical care to children who are uninsured or underinsured. He was later inducted into the Hall of Fame for Caring Americans. The hospital’s President stated, “He is the perfect example of how small incremental acts of kindness can impact millions of people.”

Speaking of thoughtfulness, students at Walton High School in Cobb County, Georgia recently received an encouraging surprise from their principal, Catherine Mallanda. This Principal created an initiative to encourage high school students to write positive affirmations for other students on bathroom walls. Mallanda described her reasoning behind this saying, “I think anything we can do to build students up and make them realize how important they are and how special they are, is what we need to do.” This initiative is for a short window of time during the height of college applications and school work and is a means of reducing stress in students and inspiring them to be their best selves. These affirmations serve as constant reminders for students to know how special they truly are.

On a different note, on Nov. 4th Ross Edgley finished his 1,791 mile swim around Great Britain, becoming the first person to circumnavigate Great Britain as he touched land for the first time since June 1st. He swam for twelve hours each day in six hour shifts, eating between 10,000 and 15,000 calories during his time off. His meals consisted of pizza, pasta, rice pudding, bananas, and a daily can of Red Bull. When asked what the hardest part of the journey was, Edgley replied with a story describing thirty minutes during one of his night swims in which a giant jellyfish became caught on his face. Despite this terrifying experience, he powered through and continued swimming. He also recalled being accompanied for five kilometers by a Minke whale during what he considered to be his favorite leg of the journey. During the last kilometer, 300 swimmers jumped in the water to join him in celebration. In only 157 days, Edgley made history.

At a Tennessee Elementary School, a school janitor was serenaded by a Kindergarten class for his 60th birthday—but not in the usual way. James Anthony, who is hearing impaired, has worked for the school since 1991, and this year he received a special surprise. The Kindergarten class learned how to sign the “Happy Birthday” song specially for him. He was overjoyed and laughing while the kids signed and was so thankful for their kind hearts. Principal Jimmy Anderson said, “Mr. James teaches the kids sign language every now and then, and he teaches them good manners and how to treat other people.” His loving contribution towards the school has been invaluable, and this was the perfect way for the students to show their appreciation.  

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/kindergarten-class-signs-happy-birthday-for-longtime-hearing-impaired-janitor

https://www.foxnews.com/world/swimmer-circumnavigates-great-britain-in-157-days         https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/yearinoffbeatgoodnews/georgia-school-posts-affirmations-on-bathroom-walls-to-motivate-students-to-greatness/ar-BBPmQvP

https://www.today.com/news/meet-albert-lexie-late-shoeshiner-who-donated-all-his-tips-t140371 https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/10/24/chick-fil-testing-macaroni-and-cheese-menu-six-cities/1748303002/ https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-tests-mac-and-cheese-2017-7

http://www.fox13news.com/consumer/chick-fil-a-testing-mac-cheese-in-six-cities