to another school. Details were not available but no more at the old school.

At 14 probably he's probably a sophomore.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141209002

the only reason they had undergrads was so they could call it a university.

...and is well known even nationally. I highly doubt Ahmed is going to have any problem going to any college he desires, and was never going to have trouble doing so in the first place.

Something isn't right with this story, and it's more than just the silliness of the police.

The success of Dad is irrelevant. You know something we don't? Do tell. Not trying to incite anything, just curious.

...unless that's changed? I confess it may have, it's been a long time since I (foolishly) thought about trying to go to college.

But aside from that...if the school thought it was a bomb, why wasn't the school evacuated? If the POLICE thought it could be a bomb, why was there no bomb squad? That's what makes me think there could be more to this, but what that 'more' is...I have no clue. And I admit I could be completely wrong, too. It's just odd.

As for the college thing: There is no way in hell we could afford the small private college my youngest attends. He got there on scholarships. His dad took 20 years to finish his undergrad; I never finished mine. We are absolutely working class. Where there's a will... as they say.

...go to a small local college and, well, let's just say that at the rate I was saving money, I would have graduated sometime around 20015. No, that's not a typo lol.

But yes, you're right on that will and the way part. Now that I'm older, I actually would like to go to college, but since I can learn for free I'll take option instead. Of course, it doesn't have that nice diploma, but...the self-satisfaction is well worth the effort too (and I get to miss out on all the campus social things, which is a bonus to a homebody like me; the only 'butterfly' in my social life is on my avatar!)

I think higher education is wasted on the young. I flunked out of college in my first year when I was 19; but going back to take courses now that I'm older, I love it. Totally different experience. I no longer care about the diploma, I just take classes that interest me. Hopefully I'll never stop.

Was the forced classes. I get that they are trying to give you a well rounded education but good lord when I was 19 I wanted none of that. I wanted to take the classes I was interested in and they were having none of it till I took a few years of crap I couldn't care less about. I totally get it now but at the time it was infuriating and it drove me out of college into the work force.

I have since taken quite a few of the courses I was interested in. Many of them just auditing them with no credit or grade and have enjoyed them immensely.

Good for you for just learning for the sake of learning.

I know a girl who had perfect SAT's and a perfect GPA and didn't get in. They could fill each class three times over with students like that.

so apparently no one thought it was any type of actual bomb.

If I had, I'd have let you know in some kind of very obvious, heavy-handed manner like usual. But no, nothing more than what I mentioned above sadly.

Maybe we could play with the 'he ran for President of Sudan' thing, add in a bit of OBAMA IS A MUSLIM AHMAGAWD, and say that...President Obama is planning to build the world's biggest golf course for retired presidential muslims in the Sudan with the express purpose of moving forward the global climate change crisis because its really a diversion to funnel money to a solar power company?

...I think I could probably get a few people I know to bite on that, actually...

GFM was at a little over $3K so far. Thanks for posting.

Edit: oops, I meant $3K

Let him finish high school (maybe somewhere else), date, have fun with friends. He's 14, he does not need to hang with 20 year olds.

First of all, what happened to his kid is insane and could only happen in a country that has made "anti-science" as American as...well...apple pie.

And there's no doubt that he's a smart kid, but how about we let him get into MIT based on his capability. The fact that he build a digital clock at age 14 isn't an express train to MIT. It says he's a hell of a smart kid with a lot of possibility. If he's going to get into MIT, how about we wait for him to post a 3200 SAT and a 32 ACT with 5's in all his AP classes. Let's not anoint him because some right wing asshat cop didn't like the fact that a brown skinned teen kept telling him a circuit board with some number was a clock. Obviously, Ahmed should have let the white kid carry the clock into school.

istandwithahmed - but I'd like him to stand where he wants to stand based on what he wants to do.

Ahmed needs to enjoy been a kid first. MIT can wait until he is old enough. But if funds are raised I hope they are put aside until he is ready to go to school.

Is he even interested? Adversity is part of life and his adversity was relatively minor. I think he can earn MIT on his own.

He's a few years away from college. Since this money goes directly to the father, technically it could be used for anything.

Or even if it paid for a moving truck out of Texas.

Texas doesn't deserve Ahmed, and Ahmed certainly doesn't deserve Texas.

I say this as someone in Texas (specifically the DFW area, where Irving also is) that works with some fantastically brilliant engineers every day at work.

Most Nobel prize-winning graduates of any school in the country.

I didn't even want to commute to school by subway everyday.

He literally took the shell off an alarm clock and put it in a box. Curiosity is great and commendable and should be encouraged, but suggesting he's shown MIT level promise is laughably asanine.

Do you have a source for that claim?

It is exactly what you find in a comercial clock when you open it, right down to the backup battery connector, the circuit board, and the clock face with mounting points for the case ittself. the electrical plug to put in the wall is there. The clock face is the real giveaway. It would be the same as setting up the parts of a desktop pc outside the case and declaring you built a computer. I commend his curiosity, but pouring coke into a glass doesn't mean you made a softdrink.

Looking at the picture closely I would say that you appear to be correct.

I understood his father is a successful businessman.

Everybody is out to make a buck.

This seems a little patronizing to me.

his dream was to attend MIT. Hayes had on a professor from MIT who invited Ahmed to the MIT campus and offered to personally give him a tour. So maybe she'll mentor him. I'd rather wait to see if he gets accepted to MIT before I donate any money. He'll probably be eligible for scholarships.

choose to live in these RW communities - there is no job offer that would tempt me to live among racists and zealots. The entire family should find a new state.

You do in fact live among bigoted zealots who frequently attack minorities they despise. Jamaica is the most dangerous place in this hemisphere for LGBT. You just compartmentalize that which is what all people do when they live among bigoted zealots. You look at the good around you, which is what the Texans do as well.
What you are saying is that you live in a place where you are more comfortable with the flavor of zealous bigotry than you are with the Texas flavor. That's all.

our gay neighbor would say otherwise but hey whatthefuckever!!!

also like to go to space camp or MIT or at least have a robotics class at school or a trumpet that isn't over 30 years old. This kid is getting opportunities only because something terrible happened to him. There are thousands of students that are having terrible things happen to them, and because of their own lack of luck these terrible things are not going viral, and so no one will know about it.

People want to help this kid. There are thousands of others who also need help. We can help them by properly funding schools, dismantling racism, addressing our bizarre culture of bullying and false security and zero-tolerance for some but not all, and so on. It's easier to give one kid a college education, though; I get it.