A growing trend is emerging among teens turning 16: many are choosing not to get a driver’s license immediately. A study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that only about a quarter of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license in 2014, a 50% decline from 1983. Environmental concerns and the rising costs of car ownership might influence such decisions. Biking, public transportation, and ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft provide affordable and convenient alternatives. Why they’re not driving Peer influence plays a significant role in teen decision-making, as Sarah-Jayne Blackmore noted in her TED Talk on the teenage…
Author: Vijay B. Dixit
Vijay B. Dixit
Vijay Dixit Vijay Dixit left his professional career to champion distraction-free driving after a distracted driver killed his 19-year-old daughter, Shreya, on Nov. 1, 2007. Vijay and his wife Rekha, with their surviving daughter Nayha, established the Shreya R. Dixit Memorial Foundation www.shreyadixit.org with the mission to transform the driving culture. The charity works with individuals, businesses, and communities in making distraction-free driving part of a healthy lifestyle. Vijay has been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety for his work in education and has also authored “One Split Second,” a book about the epidemic of distracted driving – how it kills and how we can fix it. He has written many commentaries on the subject of distracted driving.
Nayha Dixit in a yoga pose on the day she delivered her daughter Ahaana in New Jersey. Photos by Vijay Dixit unless otherwise noted Amid the global recognition of the International Day of Yoga on June 21, the local yoga community in Eden Prairie has emerged as a vibrant and thriving hub for enthusiasts seeking physical and mental well-being. In his address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a resolution to designate June 21, the summer solstice, as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution received support from 177 member countries. The…
The recently concluded Minnesota legislative session has given its approval to the state’s comprehensive omnibus transportation bill, which includes the Safe Roads Act. This legislation marks a significant step towards prioritizing and enhancing road safety measures throughout the state. Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) contacted Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council, to get his perspective on the funding and the potential benefits it would bring to local communities such as Eden Prairie. Game-changing initiatives Aasen described several components of the bill as “game changers,” highlighting substantial long-term investments in transportation and the establishment of new ongoing funding. The…
The senior micro-internship program at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS) is an innovative initiative to provide high school seniors with real-world work experience and exposure to different career fields. This program is unique in that it is a short-term, job-shadowing experience that takes place throughout two six-week sessions during the spring semester. For the program, EPHS engages local nonprofits and other businesses to help develop short projects on a six-week timeline. This EPHS initiative aims to help address a near-term need of the business. These projects give students a real-life business learning experience and give businesses access to high-value and…
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Cecilia Schiller’s “Puppet Master” is among the showcased items at the Northern Woods Exhibition in Eden Prairie Center mall this weekend. The piece pays tribute to the art of puppetry and the skills it entails, drawing inspiration from Schiller’s experience crafting and performing with puppets. Photos and video by Vijay Dixit The Minnesota Woodworkers Guild, comprised of professional and amateur woodworkers, is hosting its annual Northern Woods Exhibition at the Eden Prairie Center mall this weekend. The exhibition began on Thursday and runs through Sunday, April 30, featuring guild members’ work and 14 award categories with over $4,000 in cash…
Children from HATS School celebrate Holi with an invocation on March 18. (From left) Viashnavi, Bailey, Sunaina, Mahi, Nicole, Risha, Seyash, Zaysha, Diva, Reyansh, Atharva, Neeva, and Sharva. Photo by Nitin Nagpal Despite the snow piling up in the parking lot and temperatures remaining in the teens, the Central Middle School Performing Arts Center in Eden Prairie managed to capture the full spirit of spring on Saturday, March 18. This was thanks to the Hindu Society of Minnesota (HSMN). It celebrated Satrangi Holi (Seven Colors of Holi), a Hindu festival honoring the arrival of spring, there on Saturday. Six hours…
(From left) Kishori Mohan, Deepika Jain, Vaibhav Agrawal, Aparna Agrawal, Ravindra Nagraj, Adhrit Ravindra, and Bharti Gupta recently celebrated Holi in Eden Prairie with joy and colorful “gulal” powder. Photo by Kapil Jain India is the land of festivals and commemorations. No month passes without an observance. That’s not surprising. The country has documented historical markers of its traditions preserved in its vast literature, ancient monuments, and stone carvings scattered across the country. In addition, India also has a unique oral tradition of songs, dances, and festivals with stories. It helped to permeate its cultural values through the millennia for…
Six months ago, a dozen students from Eden Prairie High School’s (EPHS) Distraction-free Life Club (DLC) got together to confront the epidemic of distracted driving. They designed and demonstrated EyeDA-1; an artificial intelligence (AI) – based device for tackling distracted driving. Their invention was widely reported in local media and even became the topic of a Sunday sermon by Pastor Gail Bach at Eden Prairie’s St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. Yash Dagade, a 17-year-old junior at EPHS, the EyeDa’s lead developer, and his team are now working on a refined EyeDA-2 design. EyeDA-1 device developed by the Distraction-free Life Club at…
The Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) holiday kiosk continues to greet shoppers on the second-level walkway between AMC Theatres and the food court at Eden Prairie Center mall through Friday, Dec. 23. Three banner displays on the holiday kiosk provide information about Eden Prairie’s volunteer-run, non-profit online community news service, which covers sports, education, schools, city government, and entertainment. EPLN hopes the banners will draw community news enthusiasts, business owners and potential volunteers to the kiosk. The kiosk has EPLN brochures available that provide information about opportunities to volunteer, advertise, donate, or subscribe. The kiosk itself personifies the strength of…
Alisha and Isha Shah have been preparing for this moment for over half of their lives. After years of rigorous training, beginning at age 7, the 15-year-old twins’ hard work will reach a crescendo Saturday, July 30, when they perform India’s 2,000-year-old classical dance Bharatanatyam in a ceremony called Arangetram. Alisha (left) and Isha Shah. Photo provided The Eden Prairie High School sophomores are ready for their public performance debut. To make the occasion even more memorable, they will perform in the presence of their guru, Smt. Padmaja Dharnipragada, who owns Nrityalaya Dance Academy in the Twin Cities. She has…