5 Things: CS for All, women's basketball SoCon lead & the Iowa caucus

CS For All

President Obama announced the Computer Science for All initiative in his most recent weekly address. He discussed the importance of computational thinking skills for young students, claiming that “computer science isn’t an optional skill — it’s a basic skill.” This initiative aims to give K-12 students the education they need to stay ahead in this digital world and prepare them for future job opportunities. Computer Science for All will give $4 billion in funding to states and $100 million to school districts in Obama’s future budget.

"Looking Backward, Living Forward"

Head on over to Willingham at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning for the 2016 Founders’ Day address. Chancellor Dr. R Kirby Godsey, who served as Mercer's 17th president and CEO for 27 years, will be giving the address titled “Looking Backward, Living Forward.” For more information and updates on the coveted Founders’ Day t-shirts, be sure to RSVP to the event on Facebook.

SoCon lead continues for the Bears

The women’s basketball team is on fire with 16-6 overall and 6-1 in SoCon play. Their most recent win against Furman kept them on top in the SoCon standings, and the ladies are looking good for the remaining portion of the season. Mercer students surprised the Bears with an impressive student section earlier in the season, but let’s keep it up. Don’t miss Thursday’s home game against Western Carolina at 7 p.m.

Grease is the Word

Did you get a chance to catch "Grease: Live" last night? FOX premiered the one-night musical, which featured Julianne Hough as Sandy, Aaron Tveit as Danny Zuko and Keke Palmer as Marty Maraschino. The show was the top trend on Twitter, and viewers were particularly impressed with Vanessa Hudgens’ performance as Rizzo. Earlier on Sunday, Hudgens announced the passing of her father Greg, who had been battling stage IV cancer. She dedicated her personal performance to him, and FOX paid tribute at the end of the show.

Let the race begin

Tonight Iowa voters will gather at their local caucuses to discuss and elect their presidential favorites. Keep in mind though that this is not the be-all and end-all for Iowa's delegate selection. It does, however, hold some value as it is the first electoral contest, and it will give a bit of foreshadowing for what is to come in the race. Confused on why we should care about the caucus? Check out this short explanation video as told with Lego.