One hundred and fifty years ago today, a tall thin man, weak and dizzy from an as yet undiagnosed case of smallpox, rose from a temporary platform to face a crowd of onlookers beneath a cold and drizzly gray sky. He was there to deliver “a few remarks” in dedication of an as yet unfinished cemetery. The previous speaker was Edward Everett renowned orator and the the main featured attraction that bleak morning.

I wasn't always Lincoln.

Many of us are today well aware of the angry clash of vision which holds our government in deadlock between proponents of the two major political parties and ideologies. Conservatives and Liberals are more divided by staunch partisan hatred than at almost any time in our nation’s history. It is well to remember, that the last time tensions rose to these heights we embarked on a Civil war which devastated our country and claimed over six hundred thousand American lives.

These days many schools are felling the weight of state mandates testing and are opting to reduce time for assemblies and school shows. Those that do continue using school assemblies often try to focus them exclusively on tested areas such as Math and Reading.

This morning we all woke to news of the results of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses which took place last night. 

I was listening to NPR again this morning on my way in to work (I know, I know ... NPR again?), and I caught an interview with a gentleman by the name of Ta-Nehisi Coates which I found really interesting. He is the author of a recent article in The Atlantic entitled “Why Do So Few Blacks Study The Civil War?”. As a long time Abraham Lincoln impersonator, and a true lover of history, I was amazed that this was a topic which I had never before considered, and as I listened I realized it’s importance.

Great school assemblies don’t just happen. It can take a little doing to select the perfect program to make a great fit for your school. And finding a great school assembly for a Middle School can be especially tough!