■A work study program in its fourth year of operation at Northampton High School has proved favorable to students, successful to employers, and has gained total approval of school teaching personnel and administrators. The program allows students to participate in on-the-job work situations while completing necessary academic requirements for graduation.
■The Open Campus Committee last night approved a proposal for an open campus program at Northampton High School by a vote of 29 to 13. The proposal will now go before the Northampton School Committee for final consideration.
■U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., will make good on a campaign promise to a Northampton High School student with a visit tomorrow to the school. True to his word, Kerry will speak to about 75 students on the subjects of volunteerism and education.
■School Committee members last night sealed the city’s participation in the school choice program. The program opens Northampton schools to tuition-paying students from other communities and is expected to bring $200,000 to the city’s financially strapped schools.
■Ted Koppel, a 41-time Emmy winner, has been tapped to deliver the commencement address Friday to 5,000 undergraduates at McGuirk Stadium at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Koppel said his speech will address his concerns about a media culture that now places increasing emphasis on quick-hit news.
■On the fence no longer, President Barack Obama declared his unequivocal support for gay marriage on Wednesday, a historic announcement that gave the polarizing social issue a more prominent role in the 2012 race for the White House. The local reaction to Obama’s declaration was overwhelmingly positive on Wednesday afternoon.