Happy Hello Dear Readers!

I am a happy, humbled author as I relate to you my beautiful induction experience into the Grand Island Senior High Hall of Honor. The ceremonies were indeed impressive and reception was esteemed and warm. I enjoyed speaking before the responsive advanced placement English class and marveled at the opportunity Grand Island Senior High has created with this special class. Students placed in this class receive college credit.

The first day of the induction was quite busy. We began with a meeting with the high school principle and the other inductees. Then we each went to a different class to present. After the presentations, time for questions included in class time plus a free period. We attended two receptions in the evening before the main dinner program, “Celebrating Success”. This portion included the performance of a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Before the Hall of Honor Presentations and the Inductee Remarks, Legendary Educator Awards were presented.

The second day, the inductees spoke at a breakfast for student leaders after which we hung in a hall our wall plaques complete with our photograph and biographies. Next, the principle conducted an enlightening tour of the school. When I graduated, our class size was 238, and today the graduating class is around 500. Although I believe I received an excellent education at Grand Island Senior High School, the growth and progress is tremendous. I liked the efforts that are made to address the multi - cultured student body. Students from other cultures were born in 63 countries. All of these impressions and more led me to believe to what I have always believed, Grand Island Senior High is the best high school.

I feel very connected to my high school because this award enables me to be in a building that I never sat in as a student. As a student in Jean C. Kinnie's Speech class, we worked to help pass the bond issue that built the high school of today. The year after I graduated, the first students attended classes in the new Senior High.

If you would like to read the Grand Island Daily Independent’s article entitled, “Senior High alumni, educators honored during Thursday ceremonies,” you may do so at: http://www.theindependent.com/articles/2009/10/22/news/local/10818689.txt. The article begins as follows:

“The late Ronald Moore, Rosemarie Keller Skaine and Jean Ochsner Lukesh were honored Thursday night as Grand Island Senior High Hall of Honor inductees, while the late Jerry Lee and Larry Maupin were celebrated as Senior High's first - ever Legendary Educators.

“Ceremonies were held at the Bosselman Conference Center in the Heartland Events Center.”

OTHER ACTIVITIES: WOMEN IN COMBAT; AND REVIEW WOMEN POLITICAL LEADERS IN AFRICA

Although preparing my presentations for the Hall of Honor took a lot of time, I have continued to work on my manuscript for the women in combat book. This month, I also had an interview on the subject of women in combat with a staff writer for the Congressional Quarterly Researcher. CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publications.

A review of my book, Women Political Leaders in Africa is excellent and is written in Swedish and what follows is a small portion based on a Google translation:

"The fact - based compilation for each country, coupled with the brief analysis of the country's political development, makes it easy to see the variation over time. Together with the final and summary chapter provides Women Political Leaders in Africa a good introduction to Africa, political equality and women's presence in parliaments and governments in today's Africa."

Gordana Malesevic, "African Queen Shows the Way to Equality Politics," Flamman, September 3, 2009, pp. 1 - 2.

MORE OTHER

It appears that I have been summoned for jury duty. That doesn’t mean I will be seated, but if I am, my life changes from that of its existing zoo status to total chaos.

Cheers! R