Home- On Wed. Feb. 27  MCPS Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr and SMOB John Mannes held a student town hall meeting in the WJ black box theatre. The meeting was Q&A style and lasted 40 minutes, with questions taken live from students in addition to questions sent in by e-mail. The event was webcasted live over the Internet and was broadcasted across the county.

For more information, visit: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/-departments-/superintendent-/student-townhall/

United States- On Wed. Feb. 27 the oral arguments for the Supreme Court case Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, which dealt with the Voting Rights Act, were held. The case was held to decide if Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) should be invalidated. Section 5 says that jurisdictions under the VRA must submit their State’s proposed voting changes for federal approval. The VRA, however, does not affect all US states and jurisdictions because it was mainly established to combat segregated states. Shelby County is arguing that the Voting Rights Act is outdated and there are no laws that would be passed to lead them back in the direction of segregation, so they want to regulate their own voting rights. The case will be voted on in May or June and until then, Shelby will have to remain under the VRA. (Source: LDF)

For more information, visit: http://www.naacpldf.org/case/shelby-county-alabama-v-holder

Globe- On Thurs. Feb. 28, Pope Benedict XVI finished his last day before his resignation, officially ending his term as Pope. On his final day in office, he pledged his loyalty to his successor and instructed that the Cardinals should behave with “unconditional reverence and obedience” toward him. After his resignation, he will continue to live in the Vatican, though he will trade in his red shoes for loafers and his Pope ring will be removed and destroyed. (Source: The New York Times)