Teens talk about what life is like in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Fifteen-year-old Gery Kehaiova can do something few other teen-agers can: She can twirl 45 hoops around her neck, waist, arms and legs, all at the same time. She does this almost every day, sometimes three times a day, as a performer in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This year's edition of the circ

Seventh grade is a little early to be taking the Scholastic Assessment Test. Most students don't take the SAT until 11th grade. But through a program called the Midwest Talent Search, the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University identifies gifted and talented students in junior highs and middle schools and encourages them to take the SAT or ACT (American College Testing progra

The concept of smoke is nothing new to the Indianapolis 500, or to racing in general. Burning rubber in the pits, a crash in the third turn or a blown engine in the main straightaway all create those hazy fumes. There is something else, though, that creates smoke . . . cigarettes. And this is where Indy car driver Scott Pruett comes in. Although Pruett didn't qualify for the Indianapolis 500

Lawrence Wilson, a 16-year-old South African, has witnessed great changes in his country. From the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990 to the promise of elections that will give black South Africans the right to vote, he sees this as a time for hope. "It's the beginning of a new South Africa. (Mandela's release) sparked off everyone trying to strive for peace and change from apartheid," he said

You're part of a space shuttle mission. You train the way every astronaut trains. You can even eat the same foods the astronauts eat. Jenni Waicukauski, a junior at Bloomington High School South, did that and plenty more. She and more than 140,000 other kids from around the world have attended programs by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., since 1982. "When I was little, I

Violent incident sparks organization designed to promote multicultural understanding. It was one of the first times the first-grader had ever ridden the school bus. As he sat down in a seat, a few of the older kids came up to him and started taking his belongings away and teasing him. The older students were only having fun, not intending any harm, but the boy had never been so scared. Althou

Record industry and a watchdog group agree that labels help consumers know what the words of song are before buying music. Parental concern about music isn't new. In 1950, many parents thought Elvis Presley's hip movements were obscene. Today, parents are alarmed by album covers depicting nearly nude torsos and lyrics urging people to challenge police _ or worse. The fact is, lyrics that inclu

ADDITIONAL READING Great Black Hoosier Americans by Luther C. Hicks, 1977. Freedom's Road: A History of the Black People in Indiana by Ethel Rosenberg, David-Stewart, 1970. It's like going through a time tunnel. Songs from the 1800s. Practicing for a church get-together. Dull blue and gray clothing, a style of dress appropriate to the time. Speaking in authentic dialect. This is Freetown Villa

Rachael Wiley gets her first lesson on ice from Kristi Yamaguchi as part of the Make a Wish Foundation's program. Ten-year-old Rachael Wiley's first ice skating lesson was not from any ordinary teacher, but from Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. In mid-January, just three weeks before Yamaguchi performed in Indianapolis, she came to skate with one special child. And Rachael, who has a co