Important Dates - Scholarship Deadlines Scholarship Deadline Approaching! - November 30 Be sure to apply for members-only scholarships online in the member log in area of the website. Finalists will be contacted by mail and will then be requested to submit a personal statement and recommendation form. Winners will be announced in early 2005. February 1, 2005 - Robert P. Sheppard Leadership Award for outstanding initiative in community service - application March 1, 2005 NEW - People to People Student Ambassadors program tuition scholarship for NSHSS members May 1, 2005 - Academic Paper Awards competition - submit up to 3 essays - application August 1, 2005 - Presidential Classroom Public Service Scholarship for NSHSS Members - college tuition scholarship for NSHSS members who have attended a Presidential Classroom program - application Right: Scott Jordan and James Lewis at the Hoi An orphanage. NSHSS President James Lewis and Scott Jordan, Director of Development, participated in the annual leadership conference of EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools), in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam in October, meeting with 600 Headmasters and school personnel from international schools in Asia. The theme of the conference was "Leading International Schools: the Consummate Global Community." NSHSS is continuing Chairman Claes Nobel's family legacy of recognizing excellence by reaching out to outstanding high school students the world over. NSHSS is promoting intercultural understanding and international friendship by connecting outstanding high school students around the globe. While in Vietnam, James and Scott visited the Hoi An orphanage, and met several children. These children have tremendous potential but are in need of some basic educational materials. We would like to invite NSHSS members to help provide these children with much needed kindness and support. Please watch for information in the December monthly update. My College Guide--NSHSS recently formed a partnership with the publisher of My College Guide, a publication geared toward high-ability, college-bound high school students who have just begun their college search. The publishers will provide members of NSHSS with a free copy, either in a print or electronic format, of its next edition. Members can begin their college search now by exploring the My College Guide web site at www.mycollegeguide.org and by requesting FREE college information online at: http://www.mycollegeguide.org/request. The publication offers plenty of useful advice including senior pitfalls, college advice from admissions professionals, and planning for all aspects of college life. NSHSS Member Brent Lemons of Keller, Texas (featured in this month's Member Showcase) is currently a foreign exchange student with Rotary International in Arequipa, Peru. He wishes to encourage anyone interested to discover more about studying abroad. He is generously sharing his photos, experience on his website at www.brentlemons.com. For students interested in being Rotary foreign exchange students go to: http://www.rotary.org/programs/youth_ex/index.html or http://www.foreignexchangestudents.org/ NSHSS Vice President Maudelle Driskell and Scholarship Chair Dr. Susan Thurman recently attended the annual conference of The National Scholarship Providers Association in Montreal, Quebec, October 27-29. The conference featured an exchange of information on topics critical to scholarship providers, ranging from financial aid information and college affordability to practical strategies for administering scholarships and addressing minority needs. NSHSS Advisory Board Member Margaret Daniels Tyler presented information on unmet needs in the financial aid process, and Advisory Board member Jean Danielson gave a presentation on empowering college-bound students through Internet research. Read Ms. Danielson's tips for students here. Right: Advisory Board Member, Jean Danielson, FastWeb Director of Educational Research Connect with other members in the NSHSS forums. Chat with members from around the globe. Visit the Member Connection Section. If you would like to be considered for the monthly Member Showcase, please click here. Alexander Bisignano Colts Neck, New Jersey Colts Neck High School "Don't let others hold you back. Do what you want, and enjoy yourself." Brent Paxton Lemons Keller, Texas Keller High School I would like to invite those students interested in going on exchange to visit my website http://www.brentlemons.com/. It has information about exchange students, Peru, and myself. "Push yourself to the limit in every area of life because when you do, then you really know you've lived" Amanda Runge Ashburn, Virginia Stone Bridge High School "In life everyone faces adversity; what makes us who we are is how we handle it. You can give up and let life win or you can fight back and allow everyone to win." Marletta Thomas Lufkin, Texas Lufkin High School "Live your life to the fullest and take one day at a time." Nichole Wells Ft. Bragg, North Carolina E. E. Smith Senior High School "Remember not the words of your enemies but the silence of your friends." --Martin Luther King, Jr. Visit the NSHSS Scholar's store and check out our selection of great recognition items like honor cords and lapel pins, available only to members. Shop in the member section of the web site or print out an order form. The Winter edition of "The Scholar's Journal" will be available in mid-January 2005. The Journal includes articles by and for members. Add a publishing credit to your resume - submit articles by December 10, 2004, for consideration. Check out previous articles at this link and review the article guidelines here. Scholar's Think Tank The Voice of Youth Electoral College In our member survey in October, we asked you to choose between George W. Bush and John Kerry. The result was 53.2 for Bush and 46.9 for Kerry, which reflects the outcome of the actual election fairly well. As I 'm sure you are aware, in the United States we do not elect the President and Vice President through a direct nation-wide vote. Rather, the Presidential election is decided by the combined results of 51 State elections (including Washington, DC). The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government. As a result, it is possible that the electoral votes awarded on the basis  of State elections can produce a different result than the nation-wide popular vote. For example, in 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote, but lost the election to George W. Bush who was awarded more electoral votes. In 2004, if Senator Kerry had won the state of Ohio, he would have been elected President without winning the popular vote. The Electoral College is administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and you can read about the history and process of the Electoral College in the national archives website. For pro and con arguments about keeping or eliminating the process, here are some sites. Con http://www.electionreform.org/ERMain/priorities/ec/ Pro http://www.avagara.com/e_c/index.htm There is a lot of talk now about perhaps changing the system we have. This will affect the elections you will be voting in as you become adults. Do you support the current Electoral College as a method of selecting a president or should the Electoral College be abolished? If you have opinions on this issue, you may direct them to editor@nshss.org. Claes Nobel School of Distinction Award NSHSS congratulates Kealakehe High School, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on being selected for the November Claes Nobel School of Distinction. The school was nominated by member Alicia Gilpin. The school's mission focuses on "The WaveRider 3R's -Respect, Responsibility, and Relationships." Alicia singled out her school's impressive citizenship program, in which the whole study body participates. The citizenship curriculum covers a wide range of issues, from ethics, civil duties, drug abuse, community service, the political process, and more. She is also proud of the Interact Club, which has won best on the Island for three years running. The school excels in connecting with the community. The Parent-Community Center provides a resource center for school families -- a partnership between the school, parents, and community. To nominate your school for consideration, please email Dr. Susan Thurman at susan.thurman@nshss.org with an explanation of why your school deserves this recognition. Be sure to include your name and contact information, the school's name and city, and a link to the school's website. New SAT The new SAT begins with the class of 2006, so it will be given starting in March 2005. Current high school sophomores will be in the first class to take the new SAT, in the spring of 2005. Look for an article from The College Board on the new SAT in the Winter edition of The "Scholar's Journal." Here is a summary of upcoming changes. A student-written essay, to be scored holistically (scored on its overall impression) Analogies eliminated Shorter reading passages added New content from third-year college preparatory math Quantitative Comparisons eliminated Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/newsat/index.html for more information