【推荐1】Bill Bowerman was a track coach. He wanted to help athletes run faster. So he had learnt how to make running shoes. He had also started a shoe company with a friend. It was 1971.Running shoes at the time were heavy. They had spikes(鞋钉)on the sole(鞋底). The spikes tore up the track and slowed down runners.

To make a lighter shoe, Bill tried the skins of fish. To make a better sole, he wanted to replace the spikes. Bill dug through his wife Barbara's jewelry box. He hoped to find a piece of jewelry with an interesting pattern. He would then copy the pattern onto the new soles. Nothing worked. Bill was defeated.

Then, one Sunday morning, Barbara made Bill waffles(华夫饼)for breakfast. Bill watched her cook.

He studied the criss-cross pattern on a waffle iron.

Inspiration struck. The pattern on the waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for. The squares were flatter and wider than sharp spikes. The pattern would help the shoes hold any surface without tearing into it.

When Barbara left the house, Bill ran to his lab. He took the liquid chemicals that, when mixed, would harden into the sole of a shoe. He poured the mixture into the waffle iron---and the Waffle Trainer was born.

Bill’s company put the Waffle Trainer on market in 1974.It was a huge hit. Maybe you’ve heard of that company---it’s called Nike. And today it’s worth around $100 billion.

It was the waffle iron that had changed the course of Bill’s life---and helped turn Nike into a well-known name. Today, the waffle iron is kept at Nike headquarters. It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the most difficult problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places, even the breakfast table.

【推荐3】A couple of months ago，we were in a hurry to get somewhere，when our 6­year­old daughter was just to slow things down.In response I became impatient and unkind.As I unloaded my apology，she said，“Mom，it's OK.You've never been a mom before.This is your first time.You're just trying.It's OK.”

Her response humbled(使……卑微)me.She had been able to give me what I had refused to give her just moments before—mercy，understanding and sympathy.And I needed it.We all do.Actually，there may be nothing more needed today in our nation and communities.

It's no wonder former Baptist Church member Megan has transformed her idea.Megan spent 20 years representing her church's beliefs with messages of hate towards gays，Jews and those who support abortion.When she finally started civil dialog with her“enemies”，she found“people on the other side were not the ones I had been led to believe...”Finally，she left the faith of her family.What surprised her most was the forgiveness and understanding she experienced from her former“enemies”．

Her lessons are what we all need.As she accurately describes about our cultural climate，“we have grown more and more divided and have broken the world into‘us’ and ‘them’”．But this will“not take us where we want to go”．Instead，she concludes“we have to talk and listen to people we disagree with”．

My experience with my daughter teaches me that the ability to engage with“the other”，to avoid tough judgments，and to show sympathy is learned first，and practiced best，at home.Researchers believe the key to developing those abilities in our children lies in how we respond to their feelings，especially the negative ones.

We will have made efforts to create a world where we are all better able to take the perspective of others，stay away from tough judgments and recognize and respect the humanity in the souls around us.This desire makes my own struggling to be better every day worth all the effort.

Durham has been your home in the past three years. This is an appropriate moment in time to invite you as a group of “tourists” in this special exploration. We would also like to congratulate you on your forthcoming transition from being a Durhammer to a member of society. Please see information below on offers and activities to assist with planning your coming celebrations.

View details of special offers for Winter Assembly at:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/offers/

● Sign up to keep in touch with Durham University and get a goody bag sponsored by the ALUMNI team.

● 20% discount on pre-ordered Durham University Merchandise with the ticket code WGRADUATE2019 (Or you have to pay the full price at the shop.)

● Pre-order your photographs and receive a discounted rate.

● Free entry to the exhibitions at Palace Green Library for you and your guests (with tickets).

● Purchase a diploma container to keep your degree certificate safe. Please check:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/student.registry/qualifications/order/

● Details of celebration events being held in Departments and Colleges are published at:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/ceremonies/congregation/celebrations/

Information on the highlight of the celebration, including but not limited to the opportunity to go out for BBQ and camping at Botantic Garden is published at:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/campusperks/whatsnewon/ceremonies/

We also hope very much that you will come and meet us and colleagues at the ceremony, which is a traditional and magnificent public presentation of your diploma and award, and it is always memorable and fun. You will have already received a formal email invitation, but this is just to say that we hope to meet you there and congratulate you in person.

Yours sincerely,

Sir Thomas Allen

【推荐2】"Cultural difference" is a broad term． However， when living in America， you can experience the difference in culture when you compare various details of people's lives．     1     By seeing how American students treat their weekends in a New England boarding school， I have found some differences between American culture and my own．

If you’re picturing American boarding school weekend life as partying all the time， your description might be inaccurate﹣ at least at my school． Influenced by the diligent working culture in New England， a Saturday in Groton follows a half﹣weekday schedule．     2    There are often sports matches in the afternoon ﹣ either home or away﹣ and if not， there are still sports practices and rehearsals for drama and dance．     3    There isn't a chance to stay up all night on Friday night to party．

    4    After a long week of school， everyone longs for entertainment． Back in China， I used to go to dinners or movies with my friends on weekend nights， and it's the same in Groton． Although it lies in a suburban area， there are always Saturday night dinner trips to restaurants in town， and sometimes the Student Activity Center even organizes movie trips to a mall nearby．

    5     Unlike in China， where I had to spend my whole Sunday taking extra classes and doing homework， American students don't usually have extra classes and prefer to save homework for study hall in the evening． On Sunday mornings， I usually sleep until 11， have a light brunch， then hang out with my friends and have fun．

【推荐3】Dealing with behavioral problems at school is not easy, but Dr. Terrance Newton is doing that with a surprisingly effective solution.

In his first year as headmaster of Warner Elementary School in Wilmington, Delaware Newton has already seen a tremendous change in his at-risk students. All it took was just a few quality conversations and a pair of scissors.

Newton saw the problem as soon as he started at the school. Bullying (欺凌行为) was out of hand, and students were constantly required to stop attending school for their behaviors. He believed the best way to solve this was to build positive relationships with students. So he decided to set up a barbershop at school.

Having cut hair before, Newton thought the barbershop could be a safe space for students to open up. And he was right — not only has he developed a good relationship with former troublemakers, but suspensions (停学) have dropped from 103 to 4 in the last year! Even better, bullying has nearly stopped. “I take care of my babies,” Newton said. “It’s about building the relationship, and I use that barbershop to build connections.”

Kamisha Collins has seen the difference in her 11-year-old son, Brandon Ponzo. “In the beginning of the school year, my son started off really rough and was not getting along with Dr. Newton, but now they have built this bond — he loves him very much.” Collins said. “Dr. Newton says positive things to them while he is cutting their hair. And my son’s grades have gotten so much better.”

What a brilliant idea — not to mention a fantastic leader! Thanks to Newton, a little love and care have made a big influence on difficult kids.