Lead Practice

 a)

American folklore is something that we all can look back on with a sort of awe, especially when it comes to the American West, but there are some that can take that appreciation to another level.

Jesse James was one of the most infamous figures of the wild west, known for robbing banks, stagecoaches and trains. He and his gang were able to gather sympathy then and still to this day. Another man by the name of Jesse James, the great-great nephew of the outlaw was caught trying to finish what his ancestor started, robbing First Fidelity Bank, this time for $20,000. But just like his great-great uncle, he too was caught in his attempt. 

b) 

Imagine waking up in late winter expecting to brave the late winter temperatures. To your surprise, you find temperatures similar to summer rather than winter. 

Here in Chicago, residents experienced just that as record-breaking temperatures soared to 88 degrees. People were taking drives with the convertible tops down or sunbathing at Olive Park Beach. City University students took advantage of the warm temperatures, talking on the lawns, roller skating along campus or spending time at the beach. While temperatures are expected to drop, it’ll only dip into the 70’s with plenty more sunshine.

c)

When you go to a tropical island, you expect the serene beaches and beautiful wildlife, but what if you could go somewhere that has that and more. Costa Rica.

This Central American country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the left, and the Caribbean Sea on the right and is packed with over 12,000 species of plants and over 1,000 species of animals. You can climb mountains and volcanoes, swim with angel fish and visit parks for only $0.50 a person. You can see everything the tropics have to offer in one place.

d)

Is there a way to never walk more than a quarter mile to get to your college classes? At Indiana University that is going to become a reality with over 100 classes being offered in every dorm building.

These classes cover a range of topics, from introduction to computer programming to culture and society. Converting conference rooms into classrooms, every dorm building will have at least one classroom by August. 

According to Nancy Lorentz, the assistant to the dean of students for residential education, this convenient class location will have smaller class sizes, which will allow for help sessions and easy access to instructors. This new class set-up will be offered to about 2,500 students in resident halls.

e)

“If I had to do anything besides making art, this would be it,” said Melissa Martinez, the preparator of the Scottsdale Museum of Modern Art. Leading the installations of art worth millions, she isn’t what artists expect. 

“Sometimes I feel like I should be introducing myself as a 40-year-old man,” she says. But once she opens a crate or uses a forklift, they know she’s up to the task. Martinez approaches each installation as a way to give a sense of an artist’s working style. At 26, she holds a degree in sculpture and is also working on a show of her own. 

f)

Every day, Rick wakes up and has to be the bad guy in someone’s story. Reading a letter titled “Assignment for Repossession” he gets into his truck and heads off to do just that. Today he has to find a Chevy Celebrity whose owner is three months behind on payments. Finding the Chevy, as its now former owner works inside a McDonald’s, Rick hops in and drives the repossessed car away in under 20 seconds. 

That’s how every day is for Rick, although it isn’t always that easy. Repossessing cars can be a dangerous business. “You gotta be careful because a lot of these people are professional deadbeats. And once a deadbeat, always a deadbeat,” said Rick. 

g)

After being diagnosed with diabetes, the best thing one can hope for is to control the disease, but for Patrick Hogan, that wasn’t the case. Needing to have his leg amputated from complications with diabetes, he has had to throw out every single left shoe he buys.

Until now.

After finding the National Odd Shoe Exchange in Phoenix, a non-profit to help people with different sized feet, or only one foot, his luck changed for the better. NOSE collects donations from shoe manufacturers to serve 17,000 people across the US and Canada.