Updated: Saturday, 07 Jul 2012 15:32 Natalya Coyle produced a super all-round performance in Sofia on Friday

Natalya Coyle produced a fabulous all-round performance in Fridays womens final to finish in 11th place at the European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The 21-year-old Irish athlete, whose place at the Olympic Games was confirmed earlier this month, showed impressive form ahead of the London 2012 competition on 12 August.

Coyle safely negotiated the qualification competition on Wednesday and was in a positive mood for yesterdays final.

An assured display in the fencing hall saw her finish 8th on the leader board with 19 victories and 15 defeats for a total of 888 pentathlon points.

After a personal best swim performance in the qualification competitions, Coyle was seeded in the second fastest swim heat.

Holding her own she equalled her performance from Wednesday and posted a time of 2:19.38 for 1128 pentathlon points, but she dropped to 10th on the overall leaderboard.

In the searing Sofia heat, the riding course held up well and with many athletes going clear Coyle needed to produce a good round to keep her top-10 placing.

An excellent clear round and inside the allotted course time ensured that she bagged the maximum 1200 points. Misfortune for other athletes around her meant she moved up to eighth position.

Starting just 27 seconds behind the competition leader and with a top-10 finish on the cards, the pressure was on for the Irish athlete to produce in the final run/shoot event.

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Coyle 11th at European Championships

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Laughter rang out Friday as groups of Cleveland State University students struggled to disentangle themselves as part of a bonding experience during the Viking Academic Boot Camp.

The camp, which offers remedial math and English classes, is one of the summer programs that area colleges have created to smooth students' academic path.

The CSU exercise asked them to stand in a circle, grasping hands across the divide. Then, still holding hands, they had to figure out how to unknot the group.

Some dropped to their knees to allow others to step over them, some contorted their bodies and some just gave up. Later, they talked about strategies and what they would have done differently during the team-building exercise.

"We try to tell them they are all in this together and there are no put downs," said Christine Vodicka, director of the tutoring and academic success center. "This carries into fall as they form friendships."

Summer programs, usually for incoming freshmen at public and private colleges, go by many different names but all have the same goal to provide a head start on academics, acclimation to college life and new friends and mentors.

Generally known as "bridge programs," they are aimed at those who are the first in their families to go to college, need to improve their math and writing skills and can benefit from tutoring and peer mentoring.

And they are successful, according to students and college officials.

"It is holding me accountable to graduate," said Shelby Saylor, 19, of Coshocton, a University of Akron sophomore. "Without it I probably would have dropped out after the first semester."

Saylor sat next to one of her best friends, Eddie Volk, 19, of Brooklyn, Thursday afternoon outside a room in the university's Student Union. They met while attending Akron's first "Running Start" summer program last year and are paid peer mentors for this year's group.

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Colleges offer summer programs to improve students' academic success

ANNA Mary Kay Independent Sales Director Samantha Dawson of Anna is on the road to success. This month, Dawson earned the use of a new Chevy Equinox crossover as a result of her outstanding achievements in operating her independent Mary Kay business.

The Chevy Equinox is offered in black. In addition to the Chevy Equinox, the Mary Kay Career Car Program includes the Chevy Malibu sedan in white, the Toyota Camry in black and the exclusive pearlized pink Cadillac, a coveted symbol of personal success.

In keeping with Mary Kays preeminence as a leader in providing women with an unparalleled opportunity and desirable business incentives, Mary Kay Inc. continues to upgrade the options available to star performers in the independent sales force. Since the Career Car Programs inception in 1969, more than 120,000 independent sales force members have either qualified or re-qualified to earn the use of a Mary Kay career car. Currently, more than 5,600 Mary Kay career cars are on the road nationwide.

The Career Car Program provides the independent sales force the opportunity to earn the use of a visible symbol of their success, said Darrell Overcash, president of Mary Kay Inc. U.S. Each car obtained through this exciting program reflects the hard work, determination and professionalism of the independent sales force.

Dawson began her Mary Kay business as an Independent Beauty Consultant in 2004 and as a direct result of her accomplishments, became an independent sales director in 2011. As an independent sales director, she chooses to provide education, leadership and motivation to other Mary Kay independent beauty consultants and offers her customers high-quality Mary Kay products.

Samantha will take delivery of the new Chevy Equinox, her second Mary Kay career car, at Coad Chevrolet Dealership in Anna. Independent sales directors earn the use of Mary Kay career cars through outstanding business achievements.

Mary Kay is one of the worlds largest direct selling companies with more than $2.5 billion in annual wholesale sales worldwide. Mary Kay was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash with the goal of helping women achieve personal growth and financial success. Mary Kay remains committed to enriching womens lives, and today more than 2 million people of all backgrounds are enjoying the advantages of being Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants. Mary Kays high-quality skin care and color cosmetic products are sold in more than 35 countries around the world. To learn more about Mary Kay, visit http://www.marykay.com.

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Local woman earns use of car for outstanding business performance

Braden Stump recently attended the National FFA Organization's 2012 Washington Leadership Conference on June 26-30, representing the New Raymer FFA Chapter of Stoneham.

The annual conference focuses on leadership development, personal growth and community service. More than 2,200 students -- up to 340 a week -- from throughout the U.S. who are FFA members will attend one of the conference's seven week-long sessions in June and July.

"Students come to the Washington Leadership Conference wanting to make a difference. They leave knowing they can -- and will," said Dwight Armstrong, CEO of the National FFA Organization. "I believe students are generally aware of global problems like hunger and poverty but many are sheltered and disconnected from what's happening in the world. During their time in Washington, FFA members experience real-world problems and take critical steps toward personal growth and developing leadership skills they'll need to make a difference in people's lives, starting in their own communities."

Created in 1969 and held annually in Washington, D.C., the conference helps students develop leadership skills, identify personal strengths, develop awareness of societal differences and human needs and strategize how they can help others through community service. Throughout the week, each student develops a community-service initiative for their local community, with the intention of students returning home and implementing their plans.

The 2012 National FFA Organization's Washington Leadership Conference is sponsored through the National FFA Foundation by Timberland PRO, Monsanto, CSX, TransCanada, Crop Production Services, Farm Credit and CHS.

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Stump attends Washington Leadership Conference

New online learning models are bursting from startups and top universities, bridging the educational divide.

We are in the midst of a revolution that will bring high-quality education to hundreds of millions of people who have never had access to this level of learning before.

These tools will reach those in developing cities and countries but also foment a revolution in the U.S. classroom as they change our perception of what learning can be.

Here are the leading new platfoms disupting the education world:

1.Udacity

Sebastian Thurn and his colleagues hit on wild success with their Stanford computer science courses when they opened them up to the online public.The team has left Stanford to start Udacity with venture backing and a new slate of courses. They have hit 150,000+ students in each course, signaling the demand for great online education. Thurn admits that there is no firm business model as yet, but will use the next year to experiment with different approaches.

CNN highlights Udacity's new model.

2. Coursera

Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng founded Coursera to bring high-quality university courses to the masses. They are working with Princeton, Michigan, Penn, Stanford and others to fashion online courses which include video, online testing and peer support. In a recent Forbes article, Koller expressed the hope that "maybe the next Albert Einstein or Steve Jobs is living in a remote village in Africa" Bringing top professors to a global audience can certainly change the game in the education divide.

3. EdX -- MIT and Harvard

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Jack Hidary: The Revolution:Top Ten Disruptors of Education

Online education has come to the fore as an item of discussion at the University of Virginia since last months failed attempt to oust President Teresa A. Sullivan.

It was among the areas of concern identified by Rector Helen E. Dragas as she tried to explain the move, and emails released under Freedom of Information Act requests show that it was a topic many at the top of the university were paying close attention to. In the wake of Sullivans reinstatement, it remains a hot topic among faculty.

Even Gov. Bob McDonnells appointments to the schools Board of Visitors, announced just before the end of last month, could be read to indicate an interest in the subject, with the appointment of the president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council to the board.

In her remarks, Dragas said higher education could be on the brink of an online learning revolution, now that the elite institutions have legitimized it.

In emails between Dragas and former Vice Rector Mark Kington released recently, the two discuss a New York Times editorial by David Brooks that hails online courses by companies such as UDACITY, often referred to as MOOCs, or massive open online courses, as a tidal wave about to hit higher education.

UVa engineering professor Larry G. Richards said the university has been teaching distance and online courses since 1983, offering courses first through the engineering school and later through the Curry School of Education.

First of all, we have been doing distance learning for a long time. We have only been doing online learning for the last five years, Richards said. We have special classrooms that allow us to teach classes all around the world From our view, we are on the cutting edge.

The classes offered through both schools generate tuition and can be taken for degree credit. MOOCs, by definition, do not. The classes are offered for free, do not award credit, and there is no incentive or obligation to complete them.

Mary Abouzeid, statewide director of the Teaching Educators McGuffey Practica Off-Grounds program through the Curry School, said she had seen Brooks pieces and passed them around, but for different reasons.

We read them with a completely different understanding than [Kington and Dragas] did, she said. We read it as, weve got to be careful and you dont want to go out and put junk on the Internet.

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After Sullivan's failed ouster, a question: Is UVa's future online?

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The second largest leader in online education, Connections Education, plans to open a charter high school this fall - Nexus Academy of Grand Rapids.

The company, based in Baltimore, is opening physical versions of its virtual high schools, Nexus Academy schools, in four other cities besides Grand Rapids: Lansing, Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus. The tuition-free open enrollment will have a college prep focus.

The Grand Rapids school will be located at 801 Broadway Ave. NW, in the American Seating Park complex. Officials expect to serve 250 to 300 students in grades nine through 12 on the second floor of the office building.

"Grand Rapids has been on the cutting edge of new school models and school choice both in the traditional public school setting and charters," said Mickey Revenaugh, executive vice president of Connections Education, about why Grand Rapids was chosen as a site.

"Certified teachers will interact with students both online and on-site. Every student has a specialized learning plan with the blended learning, which accommodates itself well to wherever a student might be in their performance."

Revenaugh said two math and two science teachers will be on-site and they are close to naming a principal. She said the school will offer visual and performing arts courses, bringing in instructors and have a fitness center on site.

The new blended learning high school plans to offer students access to core academic courses in math, science, social studies and English as well as Advanced Placement courses. Foreign language offerings will include Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, German, Latin and Sign Language.

Revenaugh said students will be issued laptops but Connections is exploring the best tablet solution to access its curriculum. She said Central Michigan University officials are scheduled to vote on authorizing the charter next week.

A five-member school board will be named after that expected approval.

This is the third charter school to announce plans to open this fall. Pastor and gospel singer Marvin Sapp is opening a performing arts school, the Grand Rapids Ellington Academy of Arts and Technology (GREAAT), at 600 Burton St.SE. The school will initially serve 225 students in sixth, seventh and eighth-grades but expects to add a grade each year through 12th grade.

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Online giant Connections Education opening charter high school in American Seating Park complex in Grand Rapids

Miley Cyrus' personal trainer thinks people need to ''chill out'' about her figure.

The singer has been sporting a particularly slim and toned body recently and her Pilates instructor, Mari Winsor, says it is because she has been training hard with her for the last four months, rather than dieting.

She told People.com: ''I think people need to chill out. She's healthy and she feels good, that's the main thing. She's smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, that's all.''

Mari added Miley's toned physique is the result of a gluten-free diet and daily Pilates classes.

She added: ''What we focus on with Miley is posture. That was my main concern when she first came to me. I wanted to get her shoulders down and get her to relax her upper body. If you notice, her posture is a lot better.

''She works hard. When this girl comes in, she is on fire. She's focused.''

Miley got engaged to actor Liam Hemsworth on May 31 and is already planning her nuptials, although it is thought they will not be wed until next year.

A source told HollywoodLife.com: ''Nothing has been definite yet. She's just pretty much brainstorming everything about her wedding. I know she wants to have a summer wedding, something on the water maybe.''

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Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus' Intense Pilates Sessions

People News

Jul 6, 2012, 19:01 GMT

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus' personal trainer thinks people need to 'chill out' about her figure.

The singer has been sporting a particularly slim and toned body recently and her Pilates instructor, Mari Winsor, says it is because she has been training hard with her for the last four months, rather than dieting.

She told People.com: 'I think people need to chill out. She's healthy and she feels good, that's the main thing. She's smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, that's all.'

Mari added Miley's toned physique is the result of a gluten-free diet and daily Pilates classes.

She added: 'What we focus on with Miley is posture. That was my main concern when she first came to me. I wanted to get her shoulders down and get her to relax her upper body. If you notice, her posture is a lot better.

'She works hard. When this girl comes in, she is on fire. She's focused.'

Miley got engaged to actor Liam Hemsworth on May 31 and is already planning her nuptials, although it is thought they will not be wed until next year.

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Miley Cyrus' intense Pilates sessions

MileyCyrusFeature3Miley has been heavily criticized for her recent dramatic weight loss! Now, her pilates instructor is defending Mileys thinner look and assures that the actress is healthy! Read on for more details!

Miley Cyrus health has been under debate after quickly shedding weight, but her pilates instructor, Mari Winsor, insists that Miley is completely healthy and there is no reason to be concerned!

I think people need to chill out, Mari said in an interview with People. Shes healthy and she feels good, thats the main thing. Shes smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, thats all.

Mari sets the record straight, claiming that Mileys leaner frame is due to a strict gluten-free diet and daily one-hour Circuit pilates sessions not an eating disorder.

What we focus on with Miley is posture. That was my main concern when she first came to me, Mari explained. I wanted to get her shoulders down and get her to relax her upper body. If you notice, her posture is a lot better.

Mari credits Mileyshard work ethic and extreme focus for why shes shed pounds in such a short amount of time!

Whats Mileys favorite part of her new body?She loves her abs, of course! Mari reveals. Shes young and shes got a beautiful body.

And with an upcoming wedding, who wouldnt want to look their best?

HollywoodLifers, do YOU think Miley looks healthy?

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Miley Cyrus’ Pilates Instructor Defends Her Thin Frame