BY Thomas Vaughn ‘To teach is to learn twice.’ The timeless truth of that apt aphorism by Joseph Joubert has been much on my mind and deep in my heart recently, as I taught my final classes at Motlow in McMinnville. Actually, I believe to teach is to learn many times. That’s certainly been true…

BY Nat Hentoff As China prepares for its resplendent Summer Olympics, it nonetheless cannot restrain itself from suppressing dissent. China promised that all accredited journalists covering the games will not be censored. But the Associated Press reported (Nov. 13) that ‘The Chinese government has created profiles on thousands of foreign journalists coming to report on…

By Roger Cook I think we have entered into a time for looking back at the year that is behind us, as well as forward at the coming year. We can do nothing about the rough places in our lives, the mistakes we made as we tried to find a fulfilling life along the road…

By Kathy Mitchel and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: After 10 years of trying to make my marriage work, I finally could not take the verbal and mental abuse any longer. When a friend overheard one of my husband’s tirades, she offered me a place to stay, a job, a car and an airline ticket. I…

NASHVILLE (AP) ‘ Vince Young insisted to every questioner he had no fear of the rumored Madden video game cover jinx. Turns out he didn’t have immunity from the growing pains of an NFL quarterback in his second season. Call it the sophomore slump. Unlike 2006 when Young won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the…

KNOXVILLE (AP) ‘ Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge is disappointed that his top target, Lucas Taylor, isn’t with the Volunteers for the Outback Bowl, and he said his receiver came up just short of meeting a new NCAA rule. ‘He’s as hard a working guy in the classroom as anybody we have on this team. I…

BY ROB NUNLEY Maybe I’m just getting old, but it seems like these ‘end of the year’ editions are coming more and more frequently. It feels like just a few weeks since your friendly neighborhood sports columnist last gazed into the official Southern Standard crystal ball and made his predictions for 2007. But after checking…

BY DALE STUBBLEFIELD AND ROB NUNLEY Another busy sports year is nearing its conclusion, and media organizations around the country are bestowing awards for story of the year, athlete of the year and the like. The Southern Standard sports department prefers to set trends, rather than follow them, but in this case, we’ll make an…

The WCHS Pioneerettes brought home a second0place trophy after competing in the TSSAA state championships in Murfreesboro on Dec. 1. The team received a score of 363, one point out of first place in the hip-hop division. The squad presented WCHS principal James Bennett with the second place plaque. Members are, front row, from left,…

McMinnville Garden Club members met recently at the NHC Nursing Home to make corsages and boutonnieres for residents to enjoy through the holiday season. Members present are, first row from left, Patsy Webb, Melba Hale, Linda Moore and Helen Elkins. At back, Linda Woods, Billye Hitchcock, Mary Jo Boyd, Judy Worthington, Jan Burch, Betty Butcher…