CNN Student News Transcript: August 26, 2008

(CNN Student News) -- August 26, 2008

Quick Guide

Democratic National Convention - Check out some highlights from day one of the Democratic Convention.

Seeking Independence - Discover why two Georgian provinces are making an appeal to Russia.

How Short is Too Short? - Learn how a school's cheerleader uniforms conflict with the dress code.

Transcript

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: On Headline News, online and on iTunes: However you're watching us today, thanks for checking out CNN Student News. I'm Carl Azuz.

First Up: Democratic National Convention

AZUZ: First up, we're heading to Denver, Colorado, where day one of the Democratic National Convention is in the books! We'll shine the political spotlight on the GOP next week, but right now, the focus is on the Democrats. More than 4,400 delegates gathered at the Pepsi Center Monday, as Democratic Committee Chairman Howard Dean called the convention to order. On Thursday, the event's moving over to Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos. That's where Barack Obama will formally accept his party's nomination and give the first outdoor acceptance speech since 1960. But before we look ahead, let's look back at some of the convention highlights from Monday, including a keynote address from the candidate's wife, Michelle Obama.

HOWARD DEAN, DNC CHAIRMAN: The 45th quadrennial national convention of the democratic party will now come to order.

PATRICIA MADRID, CO-CHAIR PLATFORM COMMITTEE: There were over 1600 platform hearings in every state in the union. This platform reflects their concerns and their hopes.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: This week is the culmination of an historic race that has brought millions of voters to the polls.

MICHELLE OBAMA, SEN. BARACK OBAMA'S WIFE: With little more than our faith in each other and a hunger for change, we join my husband, Barack Obama, on the improbably journey that has led us to this moment. I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president.

Shoutout

NINETTE SOSA, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for the Shoutout! What animal is featured on the logo of the Democratic Party? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it a: A) Bear, B) Eagle, C) Bison or D) Donkey? You've got three seconds -- GO! The Democratic donkey was popularized by a cartoonist in the late 1870s. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout!

High School Visit

AZUZ: Obama's opponent, Republican Senator John McCain, was in his home state of Arizona yesterday, where a celebrity endorsement added some "Gasolina" to his campaign. McCain spoke at an event at Central High in Phoenix, the school where his wife Cindy graduated in 1972. He picked up a couple custom-made jerseys and the support of Puerto Rican reggae star Daddy Yankee. The Republican candidate also spent some time talking about his Democratic opponent.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a tough presidential campaign we're in. I have a very honorable opponent and one who will receive the nomination of his party this week in Denver, and I look forward to the last couple of months of the campaign with him. There are stark differences between us, but I think all of you can be proud that, again, this country will go through an experience and the most fundamental part of democracy.

Promo

AZUZ: The Democratic and Republican Conventions will dominate news coverage over the next couple weeks. That's why they're our "Talking Democracy" topic this month, and we want you to be part of the conversation. Break out those video cameras and give us your take on these massive events in an iReport! Remember to get your parents' permission first. You can find out how to submit your videos at CNNStudentNews.com!

Spoken Word

CHELSEA GARDNER, TORNADO EYEWITNESS: It kind of started bending a little bit, and then it would just move back, and it went more toward our neighbor's house.

ALIA GARDNER, TORNADO EYEWITNESS: It was so scary. It was like the scariest thing ever.

Colorado Tornado

AZUZ: This is what they were talking about. A pair of twisters touched down in Colorado on Sunday. You can see in this video that the storms kicked up massive amounts of dust and looked to be dangerously close to some homes in the area. Luckily, officials said there were no reports of damage or injuries. The tornadoes hit about 20 miles south of Denver, right on the eve of the Democratic Convention.

Tropical Storm Gustav

AZUZ: A different kind of severe weather is threatening Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as Tropical Storm Gustav follows on the heels of Fay. Hurricane warnings were in effect for some areas after Gustav formed on Sunday. Experts warned it could dump more than two feet of rain on parts of the region, which suffered through Tropical Storm Fay less than two weeks ago.

Word to the Wise

SOSA: A Word to the Wise...

autonomy (noun) a state of being self-governing, especially having the right of self-government

source: www.m-w.com

Seeking Independence

AZUZ: Two provinces in the country of Georgia want autonomy, and they're taking their case to Russia. South Ossetia and Abkhazia: They're officially part of Georgia, but they have their own governments, and those are supported by Russia. You probably remember the recent clashes between the two nations. It was sparked by events in one of those provinces. The fighting has cooled down, but as Phil Black tells us, the tension over the status of these provinces is heating back up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN REPORTER: In South Ossetia, they're not thinking about the potential global impact of their desire to break away from Georgia, but they are determined to have their own country. The region's president, Eduard Kokoity, spoke at a rally in the capital Tskhinvali just last week, telling his people that he would ask Russia to recognize South Ossetia's independence. Monday, he made that appeal in person at Russia's parliament.

EDUARD KOKOITY, SOUTH OSSETIA'S PRESIDENT (TRANSLATED): I appeal to the president of the Russian Federation to recognize South Ossetia as a sovereign, independent state.

BLACK: The leader of Georgia's other separatist territory, Abkhazia, also argued for independence.

SERGEI BAGAPSH, ABKHAZIA'S PRESIDENT (TRANSLATED): Neither Abkhazia nor South Ossetia will ever again be part of one state with Georgia.

BLACK: Russia's parliament can't officially recognize their independence, but it can ask Russia's president to do so. That formal request to Dmitry Medvedev sailed through both the upper and lower house with a unanimous vote. The parliament's will is not legally binding on the Kremlin, but President Medvedev has previously spoken about respecting the will of the people in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He must now decide if he's prepared to risk further upsetting the West, who insist these territories must remain part of Georgia. Russian support for these breakaway regions could be payback over Kosovo. The Serbian province declared independence in February with support from the West despite strong objections from Moscow. South Ossetia and Abkhazia have been largely autonomous since the breakup of the Soviet Union, but they say they must break away from Georgia entirely because of the recent conflict. Georgia says it still wants to reunite the whole country under the Georgian flag. Phil Black, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

How Short is Too Short?

AZUZ: It's time for a little fall football under the Friday night lights. At a lot of schools, you know it's game day when team members and cheerleaders wear their uniforms around campus. But what's fine for the field does not always work for the classroom. One Ohio school district altered its dress code during the summer and ruled that the cheerleaders' skirts don't make the cut. Andrew Setters of affiliate WLWT has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOMAN: I don't think that the length of a skirt affects education.

ANDREW SETTERS, WLWT REPORTER: While the Monroe High School cheerleaders were showing off tonight, they were not dressed this way earlier. Many wore long shorts and t-shirts, then put their uniforms on over the top during their pep rally. They've been warned their skirts violate the school's dress code.

ELIZABETH LOLLI, SUPERINTENDENT, MONROE LOCAL SCHOOLS: The skirts that the cheerleaders wear are very short, and they're very tight and they're slit so that they can do the gymnastics that are required of a cheerleader.

SETTERS: The superintendent says girls need to wear something else during the school day. The skirts are only okay during assemblies and games.

LOLLI: You want to have students wear appropriate clothing during the educational period of the day, and then after school wear the appropriate clothing for the event.

BECKY DANIEL, MOTHER OF CHEERLEADER: My daughter is a senior. This is her last year. We paid for uniforms, and they should be able to wear them on game day.

SETTERS: For parents, it's frustrating to have the school say that the uniforms they provided come up short.

TONYA TURNER, MOTHER OF CHEERLEADER: They conduct themselves like ladies. They are representatives of the school, and they all handle themselves very well, and I think that it is ridiculous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, one farmer digs up the world's most famous mouse, or at least a potato that looks a lot like him. Rick Brown says his jaw dropped when he discovered this twisted tuber in his garden. After all, how often do you stumble across a spud that's the spitting image of Mickey? Brown's been planting potatoes for 30 years, but this is his first veggie look-a-like. Normally, the goodies from his garden end up on his dinner plate. But he's planning on saving this special spud.

Goodbye

AZUZ: That mysterious masher is where we peel on out of here. And if you're groaning, I don't take the blame; I didn't write it. I'm Carl Azuz. Y'all have a great day!