The election's over, but there's still plenty to talk about. Who better to help us understand the results than national columnist David Brooks? The New York Times and PBS Newshour commentator will discuss “What It Means: The 2012 Election and the Future of America” this Monday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. in Davidson College's Duke Family Performance Hall. Update: Davidson College says tickets for Mr. Brooks are now gone

Mr. Brooks has been an opinion columnist with The Times since 2003. He has also served as a senior editor at The Weekly Standard, and as a contributing editor for Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly.

The talk is free, but tickets are required. They may be obtained free at the Alvarez College Union ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are available for a $3 fee at www.davidson.edu/tickets or at 704-894-2135. If tickets remain, they will be available at no charge at the door on Monday evening.

Brooks is a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs. His newest book is titled “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.” Among his other books are “Bobos In Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There” and “On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future.”

The program is being sponsored by the President's Office and the Vann Center for Ethics.

Davidson and Cornelius will host Veterans Day observances on Monday, Nov. 12, which is a federal holiday. The Cornelius event will be at the Veterans Monument at Rotary Plaza, behind Town Hall. Davidson will host a program on the Village Green.

CORNELIUS

Monday, Nov. 12, 11am, Cornelius Veterans Monument at Rotary Plaza, behind Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave., Cornelius – Join the Town of Cornelius and the American Legion Post 86 at in a program to honor veterans and those currently serving in the Armed Forces. Info: www.cornelius.org

DAVIDSON

Monday, Nov, 12,, 11am, Davidson Village Green, Main Street and Concord Road, Davidson – Veterans Day Ceremony, with keynote address by Mayor John Woods, music by Community School of Davidson Chorus and band, a Davidson Police Department color guard, and placing of a wreath of remembrance.

Public schools, banks, post offices and federal offices will be closed for the day.

DAVIDSON DAY HONORS VETS

Davidson Day School students in grades 2 to 12 observed Veteran’s Day on Friday with an observance that included music by the pep band and the students sang “My Country 'Tis of Thee,” “Grand Old Flag,” and “The Star Spangled Banner.” Also during the observance Christopher Graham, Director of Facilities and Gulf War Veteran spoke to the students.

“From the mountains of Korea to the deserts of Iraq, in my mind, my mission, my directives where crystal clear. Protect and serve this country so that these people can live free. Where by which, kids of all ages can go to school in mornings such as this one to pursue all their dreams,” Mr. Graham said.

Mr. Graham served from 1988-1992 in Iraq.

“This was a great event. Sometimes we do not realize how lucky we are to be free. There are people that made sacrifices for my freedom and I thank them for that,” said 10th grader Cameron Caldwell.

BAILEY MIDDLE OBSERVES THE DAY

In honor of our local veterans, Bailey Middle School held its second annual Veterans Celebration on Friday morning in the Bailey gym. The special program featured the Hough High School Drill Team, and Bailey's own Middle School Band, Orchestra, and Chorus.

Samuel Baez was the guest speaker. Mr. Baez served two tours of duty with the Army in Iraq and is now a CTE (Career and Technical Education) teacher at Bailey.

Our sports page today has reports about the opening of the Davidson Wildcats’ basketball season Friday (vs. Emory), the LKN Giants’ appearance in the Pop Warner Jr. Midget football championship game Saturday in Charlotte, and playoff losses for both the Hough and North Meck soccer teams. Meanwhile, Cornelius native Clark Sechrest, a kicker at Western Carolina, is this week’s Southern Conference football player of the week. Read more in SPORTS»

Davidson Lands Conservancy's 2nd annual Nature Festival and 2012 annual meeting are scheduled this Sunday, Nov. 11, at the former Abersham property, now a 243-acre public park. The afternoon of fun, from 1:30-3:30pm, will include hikes, hands-on activities for children, information about the natural world and photography. And there's a history hike afterwards at 4pm to Whale Rock and a historic mill site, in partnership with the Davidson Historical Society.  Read the full story

Davidson College will host the Greater Charlotte Law School Admissions Fair on Thursday, Nov. 8, with representatives from more than 60 law schools from around the country. Read the full story

HUNTERSVILLE – Emergency sirens located around McGuire Nuclear Station will be sounding on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to test an upgrade to the siren system. Duke Energy says these tests are in addition to the regular quarterly siren tests. Read the full story

Cornelius and Davidson firefighters will conduct a joint training exercise on Saturday, Nov. 3., burning a vacant house on Field Street near the Antiquity neighborhood for practice. The training is expected to run from about 9am to 4pm. Read the full story

Davidson Police Chief Jeanne Miller will be the featured speaker at the 2nd annual Red, Wine & Bleu fundraiser at River Run Country Club Saturday night. Also ahead, time for the annual barbecues at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church (Saturday) and Davidson Presbyterian Church (Nov. 16). Read the full story