Current Connection 2:1

                   In an article entitled How to pick the "Right" College posted at US NEWS,  Missy Sanchez,  the director of college counseling at the Woodward Academy in College Park, Ga., claims that high school students need to take two things into consideration before making the final choice for their college.  Those two things are the price of the college and what elements you should not base your decision on.

                  According to Sanchez, researchers have found "that many students seek an education from a school they may not be able to afford."  Thus, students, facing hard decisions, feel as if they are against all odds to get into the college they would like,  a feeling some kids never experience, a feeling so bad it leaves some seniors wondering if college is even for them.  As a high school senior i am experiencing these same problems.  Right when I feel like i have made my decision I think "goodness, I don't want to be in debt when I leave college."  

                  In recent study, Missy Sanchez concluded, "Many kids have two or three colleges that they can afford, and would like to attend.  So, to help these kids on the "fence" decide, we need to establish elements that the kids should not base their decision on."  Students who continue to struggle with choosing a college should think about what is more beneficial to them academically, as high school comes to an end, students start realizing the importance of academic issues, making them more likely to choose the right college.

                  What should students do to help themselves be ready until it is time to pick a college?  Sanchez concludes, that by keeping the academic requirements of the your dream college in mind throughout high school, for, yes, "you will be where you need to be academically when college registration rolls around."  Having your academic goals in mind,  a teenager is more likely to have the academic requirements needed to be accepted into their dream college.  Some students don't realize how big the requirements are to get accepted into college.  Students think that anyone can get accepted into any college, but sometimes students learn the hard way that is not always true.
                
                  I have heard many people say "if only I would have went there".  Nearly every person that has said this imply chose the wrong college to go to.  Choosing the right college paves the way for your future.  Often times, people who say that are not happy with the way their lives are.  I, for one, do want a happy a life, that is why choosing the right college is so vital to a person's life.

                  Good News! Anyone who has ever went to college had to make this big decision at one time or another and they all lived through it, so chances are that you will live through it!

               

Current Connection: 1.2

Writer Paul Graham explains in his article "Role of a Student" the role of a high school student. 

It says in Paul Graham's article about the role of a student that "back in the day, kids would simply choose their line of work". High school students nowadays are often pressured into deciding what they will do for the rest of their lives at such a young age. This could be the reason for such bad economical times, because if people make the wrong decision when they're seventeen they will be suffering the consequences when they're fifty. 

According to Paul, "If I were back in high school and someone asked about my plans, I'd say that my first priority was to learn what the options were." Paul says this to show that often times, high school students are completely sure how they want to spend the rest of their lives. People even say that the decision part of your brain doesn't completely develop until you're twenty-two.

Writer Paul goes on to say, "It might seem that nothing would be easier than deciding what you like, but it turns out to be hard, partly because it's hard to get an accurate picture of most jobs." Deciding what you like and how you want to spend the rest of your life shouldn't be too hard. At the end of the day you're the only one who knows how you want to spend your life. 

Should a peers n really have to decide the outcome of their life in high school? It seems odd, but people have been doing it successfully for years. 

 For our own sake, us high schoolers should take the time to carefully look over all our future options.

Current Connection: 1.1

Writer Judeth Lanier in her article Redefining the Role of the Teacher  explains the role of a modern day teacher. 

In the modern day teaching relm, teaching styles "differ" from the way they used to be. Traditional "show and tell" styles of teaching are a thing of the past as modern curriculums are much different than in the past. So, as to many students surprise, teaching is becoming increasingly more difficult. 

According to Judeth, "new technology is one of the most powerful forces changing students' and teachers' roles in technology". New tools such as the internet and personal computers make dry-erase boards and paper things of the past. New technology helps students do work in the classroom more efficiently. 

 Writer Judeth expands, "To truly professionalize teaching, in fact, we need to further differentiate the roles a teacher might fill." Due to the various atmospheres, teachers. and students, this should be an effective method. Correct? Teaching is after all a basic skill that humans possess. So should we really change the way people have been doing things for many years? 

While this might seem illogical, keep in mind the fast-changing modern age. 

 In honor of teachers, and how hard they work. We should pay them with our best behavior year round!

"flopping" in the NBA

             There is a huge controversy in National Basketball association this season.  That controversy is that the NBA board of administration said that in this current season "anyone who flops will be subject to a fine."  "Flopping in the NBA is when a player acts like they were hit harder than they really are and flails around to encourage the ref to call an unnecessary call.  NBA veteran Kobe Bryant said "flopping is just a way for players who are more times than not less talented than their opponent to get the upper hand."  I also agree with this statement.  I don't think players should be able to help their team beat smarter more talented teams by doing goofy things to influence the ref.  I also think that the new fining method is a good idea,   I think it will for the most part put a stop to all of the unnecessary "flops".

             The NBA is really trying to put an end to flopping.  The NBA commissioner Pete Starvell said "players will be charged $2,500 for every flop this upcoming season."  I think the NBA admin will have to do it a few times to make people believe but I think it will slowly put an end to it.  But some NBA players don't feel the same way.  Sacramento Kings star Kevin Martin said "I think if a player is a good enough actor to convince the referee that he is being fouled hard, then that is fair game."  I think that is a good argument but ultimately "flopping" just isn't a part of traditional basketball.  I have loved the game for years and have shared so many basketball memories with my father and grandfather.  With that being said, I hope the game will remain the same as it has been for the past century.



 http://www.nba.com/2013/news/04/18/playoffs-flopping-rules/index.html#$/2013/news/04/18/playoffs-flopping-rules/index.html

NFL on "safety rules"

                     There is a huge controversy in the professional football world right now.  The administration of the NFL wants to instate some new safety safety rules in the NFL, such as the "crown of the helmet rule".  It says in the article I found on NFL.com that the NFL administration wants the "crown of the helmet rule" to be completely outlawed in the professional football game by the year 2016".   Deoin Sanders spoke up in a  round table discussion and said "this takes the being tough aspect out of the game".  I think that if the whole NFL admin wants to instate a new rule, then they should just make it a new rule and not worry about what the players say.  This reminds me of when the Arkansas Triple A made the rule that High School Football teams around the state can only do "two a days" in August every other day of the week opposed to every day.  The coaches thought this was a bad idea because it wouldn't give us quite as much as time to practice anymore. But there were no serious exhaustion related injuries this year because of that rule.  Usually if the Admin wants to put a new rule in, it is for a good reason.

                 The NFL is not the only proffesional organization trying to change things up a bit or "make things more modern" as the admin would say.  The NBA has a new rule that all "post players" are to wear mouthpieces for the duration of the game.  League administrations do their very best to keep the game as fair and safe as possible, although some players and former athletes beg to differ by saying "things should just be kept the same to maximize tradition".  The administration of the NFL responded by saying "we agree that tradition is very important, although the health of our players is more important at the time being"  I am personally very glad that the NFL is trying to do something to keep the game safer.  I have had to go thnrough an ACL reconstructive surgery.  Although I love football, being injured or hurt really takes the fun out of the sport.

THE C9-T11 STEROID

                There is a huge controversy in the sporting world as of right now.  The controvesy is focused on the "escalation of contradictory opinions regarding the supplement C9-T11" according to the article I found on Philstar.com.  "The compound, derived from a rare African herb, has been shown to increase muscle growth by up to 200 percent and lean muscle growth by up to 700 percent."  I personally do no think that this "steroid" should be allowed in any proffesional sport.  It has been proven to give an "athletic advantage" from a "study held at Michigan University". Anyime people are becoming more athletic from something taken orally, it is unfair to there opponent who may not have equal access to the supplement.  I do not believe it should be able to be used in the NBA and neither does there commisioner David Stern.  David released the statement "C9-T11 will no longer be of legal use in the assosiation".

               "As of now, C9-T11 is classified as a food".  I think that this will change very soon because "the supplement was supposedly used by Juan Manuel Marquez in his conquest of Manny Pacquiao" and he performed better than he ever has according to most sports analysts and critics.  I personally just do not think that physically helpful additives should be allowed in proffesional sports.  I know from personal experience that when I work and train hard for a sport I atleast want a fair match with my opponent.  I think that most athletes feel the same way.  Jerome Bettis (former Pittsburgh Steelers halfback) said that "C9-T11 should be made illegal asap in the sporting world".  I hope that becomes a reality because of the unfair advantage!

Transgender Athletes by Peyton Richardson

                There is a big controversy right now in the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) world right now as the first ever transgender fighter has entered the professional world of MMA.  I found the article on cnn.com where it explained the situation more thoroughly.  It said on the website "Born a man, Fallon Fox became a woman through surgery and then trained to fight in mixed martial arts".  The controversy is whether or not a woman who was formerly a man should be allowed to fight in the women's division.  I personally don't think that a former man should be allowed to do such a thing.  I know just from play fights I have had with my 15 year old sister throughout the years that men have a "competitive advantage" in the physical aspect of fighting.  The MMA administration board was not aware that Fallon was a transgender until after her first fight.  Ericka Newsome (Fallon's opponent) believes it was unfair not be aware of Fallon's background until after the fight was finished.  I agree with Ericka,  in my experience with MMA everything you know about your opponent helps in the fight.             

                 The MMA Administration is doing a further investigation on Fallon in an attempt to determine whether she should be allowed to fight in the women's division or not at all.  The professional MMA league "requires two years of hormone therapy for transgender fighters."  I don't think any amount of therapy or training can remove the physical advantages a man is born with.  Ericka's manager Matt Hamilton does not think Ericka was given a fair chance in the fight, Matt "appealed the fight" in the MMA official meeting.  Matt does not think the loss should go on Ericka's record because of the odd circumstances.  Although I don't think Fallon should be able to fight in the women's division I think that the loss should be counted on Ericka's record.  Even though there were probable unfair conditions in the fight Ericka lost a fight and I think to deny that loss would be lying.


http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/09/us/transgender-fighter/index.html

PGA Against "Belly Putting" Ban by Peyton Richardson

               There is a huge controversy in the professional golf world right now.  The administration of the PGA wants to put an end to "belly putting".  It says in the article I found on cnn.com that the PGA administration "wants "belly putting" to be completely outlawed in the professional golf game by the year 2016".   But the conflict is that Tiger Woods stated "I think I speak for the majority of the PGA players when I say I think that "belly putting" should not be outlawed in the game, it has been a part of the game for years and serves no unfair competitive advantage to the golfers." I think that if the whole PGA admin wants to instate a new rule, then they should just make it a new rule and not worry about what the players say.  This reminds me of when the Arkansas Triple A made the rule that High School Football teams around the state can only do "two a days" in August every other day of the week opposed to every day.  The coaches thought this was a bad idea because it wouldn't give us quite as much as time to practice anymore. But there were no serious exhaustion related injuries this year because of that rule.  Usually if the Admin wants to put a new rule in, it is for a good reason.

               The PGA is changing a lot, just like the NFL and other professional leagues.  The PGA administration said they just want "things to be as fair as possible".  This seems to be the case in the NFL as well, the NFL changed where you kicked the ball off from by moving it to the 30 yard line instead of the 25.  The NFL claims that by moving it up 5 yards it helps prevent injury which seems to be a problem late in the season.  The NFL is wanting to keep everyone healthy so they can find out who the best team really is.  The PGA is doing the same thing.  They want to find out who the best golfer truly is, they don't want a golfer to be successful by using little tricks other people don't know.  I think that is a good idea, keeping the sport as even as possible makes it all the more competitive.  I also think they should decide now though because it says in the article that the controversial technique, which involves anchoring the club to a part of the body, is favored by major winners Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson and Ernie Els.  I think these players should know in advance whether or not they need to start developing a new technique in advance. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/25/sport/golf/pga-tour-belly-putter-golf/index.html?hpt=isp_c1

The Manti Te'o Scandal by peyton richardson

             I read on an article on Espn.com College football had an interesting week a few days ago when Notre Dame's star linebacker Manti Te'o claimed that his grandmother and girlfriend had died the previous day. The big controversy is if Manti really had a girlfriend that died.  Many people claim Manti never even had a girlfriend that could have died in the first place.  In an interview on Espn Manti said "I had a hoax played on me and I was truly heartbroken when I found out the news". I personally think Manti really had a hoax played on him even though most people think it was a big hunk of balogna.  I don't think a potential heisman trophy winner and future NFL player would lie to the press and sacrifice his reputation if he was lying.

           Although Most will agree that Manti made up this whole "internet girlfriend scandal" in order to get more attention and pity for the heisman race.  I don't think he did, there is plenty off evidence that points otherwise.  An acquaintance of Te'o confessed to orchestrating a hoax that lured Te'o into an online relationship with a nonexistent woman.  What I personally hate is the fact that an Espn reporter said "Manti would have most likely been a first round pick in the 2013 NFL draft, but this scandal will indefinately change that".  Regardless if it was a hoax or a lie, I don't think things you say should affect your football performance. Manti is a tremendous football player and in my opinion he shouldn't be punished on the field for something he said in an interview. http://search.espn.go.com/manti-te-o/

a fatal gunshot wound by peyton richardson

I came across an interesting article in the paper about a murder in Sharp County.  It says in the article "alleged murderer captured after manhunt in Ash Flat" out of the Batesville Daily Guard that a man was killed by his friend saturday morning at about 4:12 am.  The article states that two couples were riding in a car together in Sharp County early Saturday morning when Chris Bryant Shot Benard Servin in the head.  I Couldn't believe what I was reading when I first started reading this. I dont't understand how you could hang out with somebody for a whole day and pretend to be so close to them and out of nowhere end their life.  People die all the time but when I hear a crazy story like this one it just really gets to me.  The article stated they had played pool earlier that night and seemed to be getting along so great prior to the incident.

While reading the article I came across some disturbing info that just sends chills down my spine.  In the article it said that Benard's girlfriend Heather was beside him sleeping when he was shot.  Heather said "she woke up all of the sudden to a loud explosion and saw her boyfriend collapse into his seat, she started slapping him trying to get him to wake up.  This really bothers me, that just goes to show you that it was so unexpected Heather couldn't believe it was reality.  Heather is very lucky an accident didn't occur because the vehicle was moving when the shot was fired at the driver.  Later in the day alleged murderer Chris Bryant was arrested for the first degree murder of Benard.  Chris deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison, people do not have th right to harm other people no matter how bad things get.