The Iraq War Veteran, Rep. Patrick Murphy is expected to introduce this law today. Democrats vow to bring the issue up to vote by Thursday and Republicans still vow to oppose the lift of this measure which has discharge more than 14,000 gays and lesbians from active service since 1994.

The measure of lifting this ban has gain ground due to nearing midterm elections. With the many recent oustings of Democrat Representatives, many hope to keep their positions by pleasing the gay population. But many conservative Democrats will not vote for the opposing of this bill if the military is not one-hundred percent on board for any changes to current policies.

If this measure were to pass, gays and lesbians would be able to openly serve without the fear of being discharge from the US military. However, tehy would still have to wait for the completion of the Pentagon’s nine month study and with joint approval from the President and Sectretary of Defense.

Muriel Barbary went out of her way to tell a story about standing still.

Told from the point of view of a aging, widowed concierge at an upscale French apartment building and a twelve year old resident upstairs, Elegance details the lives of two women acutely aware both of who they are and of how their incredible intelligence exiles them.

Renee, the concierge, conceals her artistic tastes and philosophical intelligence behind a veil of obstinate and grudging service to her employers, her intellectual and social inferiors in every sense except that of commercial wealth.

Paloma, the girl upstairs, knows that she possess and unusually pragmatic and coherent grasp on a variety of advanced concepts. she also believes the world to be a pointless and ugly place and decides early on to end her own life by her thirteenth birthday.

With stunning compassion and grace, Barbary introduces both of her narrators to the quiet elegance of their world. She tells her story by looking at the innermost working of the human heart, yet the motion of the book never stalls. Despite the heavily introspective narration, the story moves resolutely forward, unaffected by its surroundings.

Barbary’s story becomes all the more incredible considering it exemplifies exactly what it describes. As Paloma journals about the “Movement of the World,” she looks for movement withing stillness and silence within noise. At the same time, Barbary writes these very characteristics, leading her narrators through a silent hurricane of life changing events and cataclysmic revelations.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog looks inward to tell an outward story, its characters moving in concentric circles, never quitecoming together, but steadily overlapping with one another to tell a story of three, four or five stories made one.

With Senior Ellie  Crum capturing her second state singles championship, her younger sister Molly bringing home third in singles, and Rachel Gorsuch and Katie Cerotzcke battling but coming one game short of competing for third, the team was able to bring home the second place trophy. 

Ellie Crum finished off a fine high school career, and she is now ready to move on to her college career.  Crum has accepted a scholarship to stay in state and play for the bobcats at Montana State University next year.  She finished this year with an undefeated record, as she also did last year.

Her sister Molly also wrapped up a fine season and we look forward to seeing her compete over the next three years.  She hopes to follow in her sisters footsteps and win her own singles state championship, or multiple championships.

Montana has been known to have unpredictable weather and this year has definitely put an exclaimation point on this statement.  We had both snow and 70 degree days in April making it hard to get in good practices and meets or just be outdoors.

With good weather forecasted for the next week, many athletes and avid outdoorsman are hoping to get in some games or outdoor activities.  With such bi-polar weather, it makes it hard for spring sport athletes.  Countless games and meets have been cancelled this season due to weather conditions. 

Athletes hope to have good weather throughout the rest of the year, so they can finish their seasons out without anymore delays or cancellations.