Scott: What is up? It is Monday, February 9th. I am Scott Evans and Channel One News starts right now.
First up today, ISIS terrorists claim an American hostage has been killed by bombs dropped from Jordanian planes.
The country of Jordan ramped up its fight against the terror groupin Syria last week after ISIS said it killed a Jordanian pilot.
ISIS claims one of those Jordanian airstrikes hit this building and killed the last known American being held by the terror group, Kayla Jean Mueller. But ISIS has lied before about the fate of its hostages and the pictures offered no evidence of her death.
Kayla: I am in solidarity with the Syrian people.
Scott: Mueller, a 26-year-old aid worker from Prescott, Arizona came to help desperate Syrians caught up in the conflict when she was taken hostage in 2013. Her family said they are hopeful she is still alive, and asked her ISIS captors to contact them privately.
The country of Jordan is working closely with the U.S. and all targets go through a vetting process first.
And from political figures to sports leaders, many are remembering the life of the legendaryhead basketball coach for the University of North Carolina, Dean Smith, who died over the weekend at the age of 83.
The coaching great who won two national championship titles died Saturday night with his wife and five children by his side.
Smith coached the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997, and when he retired he was the coach with the most wins in the sport of college basketball. That record was eventually broken, but his vision and leadership will always remembered.
President Barack Obama honored the retired Hall of Fame coach last year with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. Smith could not attend the ceremony, but his wife accepted the honor.
President Obama said he was chosen because he not only won games, but made sure 96 percent of his players graduated.
Smith won NCAA titles in 1982 and 1993, and coached players like MichaelJordan and James Worthy.
Last night was music's biggest night. And the stars came out for the 57th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Once again, hip-hop rap star LL Cool J took the mic to host the Grammy Awards show, with featured performances from a powerhouse list of musicians.
The album of the year went to Beck for “Morning Phase.”The best new artist went to Sam Smith. And Sam Smith also took home the top prize, “Record of the Year,” for "Stay with Me,” the Darkchild version.
And if you think you have got to be a music star to win a Grammy, think again. Coming up we will show a high school teacher who also got the award.
It is the second year the Grammys have celebrated a teacher with the music educator of the year award. And after more than 7,000 submissions from all over the country, a high school teacher from New Hampshire received the honor. And his students say, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
When Windham High School opened in New Hampshire six years ago,Jared Cassedy was hired to lead the music program. His students quickly nicknamed him "the energizer bunny."
Cassedy: I just get so excited. I love, especially when I talk about music and my students and education. I'm so passionate about it.
Scott: His passion has been highly contagious. Cierra Cowan plays bassoon in the school band.
Cierra: We're getting so much done and we're working so hard, yet it feels like we're having the best time of our lives while we’re doing it.
Scott: Jillian Dipersio plays clarinet.
Jillian: He constantly tells us, “I don't see you as high school musicians. You are high-quality, professional musicians to me.” And he’s the kind of person you want to meet those expectations. And it makes it incredibly exhilarating when you can.
Scott: Adam Consentino plays the tuba.
Adam: It becomes something you want to do because you want to impress him. You do it for him, really.
Scott: Mr. Cassedy says he got his love of music at home.Parents had him taking piano lessons early. In his high school band, he played the clarinet.
Cassedy: I loved being part of a collaborative unit of people.
Scott: He started Windham's band with 40 students. Today it has 87.Anyone can join. Mr. Cassidy doesn't believe in auditions.
Cassedy: I believe, and it’s one of my biggest [parts] about musicand music education, is that I want toprovide access to all students.
Scott: But they take music seriously. In 2012, Cassidy took the band to New York to enter a contest. They won it! They entered another in Chicago the next year.
Cierra: We won again, and I was shocked.
Scott: That earned Windham an invitation to perform at a recital last year at the famous stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Jillian: I remember looking at Mr. Cassedy, and we're both just looking at each other and we're laughing because we couldn't believe it.
Scott: After the concert, when Mr. Cassedy returned to the hotel, his musicians were waiting.
Adam: And he turned around and his face just lit up. And it was wonderful.
Jillian: And he gave a hug to every single person.
Cassedy: If I could just freeze frame that moment in time, I don't think I could ask for another moment like that.
Jillian: It's really a place to belong. We don't feel like we are band geeks here.
Cierra: Definitely not. I would be proud to be considered a band geek and be part of this band.
Adam: I will straight up say it. I am proud.
Scott: A former student wrote the letter to the Grammy committee to nominate Mr. Cassidy for the award.
Raymond: Cause I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of such an honor. I learned music lessons. I learned life lessons. He was one of my biggest mentors.
Cassedy: It's a wonderful recognition. I see it more as a recognition of the students. Without the students coming back every single day, giving it 110 percent, their lips are falling off, and they're exhausted, and they’re studying for midterm exams, and they have a lot of pressure on themselves. They’re the ones.
I could be up there waving my arms around, but they're the ones making the music.
Scott: What a cool award to win. Alright coming up, many high school seniors are singing the blues.
Senior year is usually described as one of the most exciting times of your life. But now all that fun is taking a back seat for college resume building. Keith Kocinski has more.
Keith: Yeah Scott, my senior year was pretty fun, but to be honest with you, I didn't have much time to hang out. And it turns out thatI’m not the only one. A new study finds that students are spending so much timetrying to get into college, they are not socializing as much as their parents’ generation.
Ryann Stibor: I would say we’re a pretty stressed out generation.
Keith: Ryann Stibor is 18, a senior in high school in Simi Valley, California. She is in the drama club and taking six advanced placement classes. She has applied to eight colleges.
Ryann: It’s a lot harder, and it’s kind of become very cut-throat a little bit in high school. Everyone is competing for the one spot in all these different schools, the one scholarship.
Keith: That pressure to get into a good college has taken a toll on student's social lives.
UCLA's annual survey of college freshman found that just 18 percent of students spent 16 hours or more with their friends each week during their senior year of high school. That's compared to 38 percent of students in 1987.
Researchers say the so-called "senior slump" has become the "senior sprint."
Kevin Eagan: You're seeing students take on more AP and honors courses. They’re taking on more extracurricular activities to build that college resume, to pad that application. So those pressures are taking away from student's time to be kids.
Keith: They are also drinking less alcohol.
In 1987 35 percent of high school seniors spent six or more hours each week partying. That's dropped to just 9 percent. And those who drink wine or hard liquor plummeted from 68 percent in 1987 to 39 percent last year.
Eighteen-year-old Danny Mcelaney is a freshman at UCLA. He says he had to give up some socializing to get there.
Danny: That was my number one priority in high school, just get through it, get good grades, get accepted into college.
Keith: While it is a positive thing that students are drinking and partying less Scott, researchers say that all work and no play means that students are arriving on campus with higher levels of stress and depression.
Scott: Thanks Keith.
So tell us, does your focus on getting into college stress you out? Well, drop us a line at Channelone.com and tell us what you think. We may even feature your comment later this week on the show.
And on that note, we are out of time. I am Scott Evans. Make this week awesome, and we will see you tomorrow.
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