Opinion: Should Foreign Language Be a Requirement for College? by Zoe Detter

As soon as a student starts high school as a freshman, the college talks and lectures begin. You must take these classes, colleges want to see this and that on your application. Taking into account all the required courses a student must take in high school and their optional extracurricular activities, why is foreign language another thing to add to the list? Overall, from my personal experiences and research, taking a foreign language course in high school for the sole purpose for its requirement for college has many negative effects.

A Better use of Time

Once a student enters high school, they become more independent. They are able to choose some of their own classes, called electives. These “free class choices” are a really valuable time for students to take classes that interest them or will teach them more about topics they might be interested in studying in college. However, most “competitive colleges require at least two years of foreign language classes in high school” (Grove). This means that in most cases, students are automatically being forced to use up one of their electives to take a foreign language, just so they can get into a good college. According to Carden, “for the average American, studying foreign languages in school is a waste of time given all the other things she could be doing” (Carden). Foreign language isn’t for everyone, and these precious electives could be used in a much more valuable way. For example, if a student wants to go to college to study architecture, it would be a much more valuable use of time for them to take an art or computer-aided design class, rather than a foreign language they will take two years, and then forget.

Hola Espanol, Adios Banda

From personal experience, I can say that the sole reason I take a foreign language is so that I can get into a good college and meet the requirements. I feel as though I am missing out in high school. Sure, I still take classes that I enjoy, but if I didn’t need to study a language, I would enjoy my high school experience more. I took band all throughout middle school, and ended up falling in love with the clarinet. When it came time to pick my high school courses, I couldn’t rearrange my schedule in a way so I could take band AND a foreign language. I had thought about it, and getting into college is much more important, and I had to quit band. So even if a person isn’t taking an elective that will help in college, they could still be using it to take a class they would truly enjoy.

The True Purpose of Education

After all, the purpose of going to school is to learn skills that will be used in life, and to get educated for future careers. Sure, learning a foreign language is very beneficial, but time is precious, and it should not be wasted taking a class that a student will never use ever again in their life.

The GPA Impact

Every single high school student has heard the three letter acronym that will determine their future: GPA.

GPA in “simple terms”

A student’s grade point average, also known as “GPA”, is one of the major factors colleges look at when they’re going through and accepted students. The GPA “is a standard way of measuring academic achievement in the U.S.” (“What is a GPA?”). All grades are taken and averaged together. This small number is enough to change a students future.

Will I even get in?

My grades are good, but are they good enough? Will I get into a good school? These questions cross my mind at least once a week. A high school GPA could determine if you could even qualify to get into your “dream college”. Each quarter throughout the school year, I always try my best to keep my grades as high as possible. I find it hard keeping my GPA as high as I would like when I have to take a class that will lower it. Spanish is not one of my strong suits, and I just do the best that I can each marking period. Although, it frustrates me when I know I could be taking a different class that I would not only enjoy, but also be good at. Therefore, I could not only have a higher GPA, but also spend my time taking a class I enjoyed if it weren’t for foreign language requirements.

From my Point of View

Don’t get me wrong, by no means am I against the study of a foreign language. If someone enjoys exploring different cultures and is interested in learning yet another language, they should have the option to study it. In my eyes, foreign languages should not be forced upon a student. From my experiences, I take Spanish, and it gives me anxiety every time I get called on to answer a question, because the language doesn’t “click” with me. I also know that after my second year of Spanish, I am dropping it, and will never use it again in my life. Taking a class, learning the skills, passing, and forgetting the information is the perfect example of a waste of time. We each have one life, and we should live it to the fullest, filling it with the things we love in life. I believe foreign languages shouldn’t be forcefully added to the list of “stressors” in a high school students schedule.

Opinion: Baker Mayfield Will Be the Goat by Scott Gilbert

Baker Mayfield was the number one overall draft pick in the2018 NFL draft going to the struggling Cleveland Browns. He was a very controversial pick for many people due to other players such as Saquon Barkley and the way Baker carries himself. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner has turned the tide for the Browns, changing their 0-16 record from last year to having the Browns achieving their first win in over 600 days to ending the season a game short of a winning record. Along with other achievements he has done for the Browns already and just as a rookie, I say within the next few years, Baker Mayfield will be one of, if not the top quarterback, in the NFL.

Baker Mayfield has had a hot start for the Browns this year, though many people don’t recognize it. Baker is definitely underrated as quarterbacks go. Mayfield is only a 23 year old rookie, he will grow and develop just as great players such as himself do. For example, compare his stats to others. Tom Brady, one of the games top quarterbacks’ stats of his first year starting (since he only played one game as a rookie) don’t even compare to Baker Mayfield. Within just twelve games, had more passing yards than Brady. Baker ended his historic season with 3,725 passing yards, verses Tom Brady’s 2,843 passing yards in his first main year in the NFL. Baker has over 200 more passing yards than Tom and just for a rookie, 3,000 plus yards is a pretty decent number since playing in the NFL is a huge jump from playing in college. Even the 27 touchdowns Mayfield has beaten the all time rookie touchdown record making him the first rookie ever to have 27 touchdowns as a quarterback. Brady only had 18 touchdowns and with Mayfield’s 310 completions to Brady’s 264, and Mayfield’s QB ration of 93.7 and Brady’s 86.5 show just how good Mayfield is right now and what his future will have in store for him. These stats along with his good completion percentage of 63.8% are only the beginning of what Baker Mayfield will become as he settles in the NFL.

In the past years, the Browns have typically chosen a quarterback for their first or second round pick as they did again with Mayfield. Most of these picks, however, did not perform to their given hype and expectations. For example, last year's quarterback was DeShone Kizer. There was a lot of excitement with this pick thinking he would carry the Browns to a good season, but that turned into the opposite. The Browns went 0-16 last year. He wasn’t horrible and that wasn’t all his fault, but Mayfield has done so much better and lead the Browns to multiple wins already this year. Kizer had some good things and bad things. His 2,949 passing yards was an alright thing, not too good, not too bad, but he had 23 interceptions. 23! That’s a lot. Granted it was his rookie year and the NFL is a lot different than college but Mayfield only had 14. The hype given to DeShone Kizer has been ruined and he is now a backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, but Mayfield has lived up to and exceeded his projections. Nothing has phased him coming into the NFL and he is only getting started. Since coming in, he has ruined the “curse” the Browns have had in the previous years when it comes to picking quarterbacks.

Although Baker Mayfield has had a tremendous start to his NFL career, there are people saying that this is a fluke and that Baker isn’t as good as what people think he is. But just ask interim coach Gregg Williams about Baker. Williams said in an interview that Baker has what it takes and that he is the future of the Browns organization. He also said, “Each and every week, there are things that are just abundantly clear to how he handles stress, how he handles confusion and how he handles dysfunction. To be really good, you have to be a master of dysfunction.” What he said about Mayfield is that he has the physical talent of an excellent quarterback but also the mental ability of one too. How he handles his stress and his confusion or just any feeling at all is what makes him stand out from other quarterbacks. Athletes have to learn to control their emotions and to control how they feel, losing that will mess them up. Gregg Williams said that Mayfield has it. He has what it takes. He just needs time and more experience. But with that being said, this doesn’t make him perfect. He has messed up, but that’s the life of an athlete. For him being so young and having an excellent presence on the field makes him a standout player. Baker Mayfield’s mentality will make him “dangerous”, as he always says.

All in all, Baker Mayfield is a top tier quarterback and he will continue to grow to be the top quarterback within a few years. As being a finalist for rookie of the year, he had an excellent season since taking over in week 3 and now is comparable to many top quarterbacks right now. His attitude on the field makes him a threat to every team and his leadership of the team carries the Browns each and every week. I hope to watch Baker Mayfield grow to be something amazing one day, and to be able t see him rise up, and lead the Cleveland Browns to a Superbowl Championship.

Philosophical Essay: Fate vs. Freewill: You decide.. Or do you? by Jordan Patrick

Great philosophers and thinkers of the world have pondered the question of Fate v.s. Freewill for hundreds of years. Often times, the argument develops religious aspects which makes it hard for people to reach a sound conclusion. There have been so many different viewpoints about the topic, and reasons for why it sways one way or the other. No matter what viewpoint is being examined, the main goal is to fulfill life’s purposes. However, fate is the ultimate deciding factor in what happens in the world, and in your life.

By fate, I don’t necessarily mean that God is sitting on a throne in heaven pulling the strings behind the scenes of everyone’s life. I do, however, believe that everything happens for a reason. Every small decision you make and every event that occurs, has a purpose, which may never be known to us. Countless stories have been told about people who left their keys at home, which ended up saving them from a fatal car crash or collapsed office building. One woman was supposed to meet her friends for lunch at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, but ended up changing her schedule last minute. She lost both of them (Babakhan). All the people in these situations understand their near miss, and become grateful. However, millions of things happen, or don’t happen, everyday that have the power to change our lives, most of which we don’t even realize. If you trace back every step you take and decision you make, and think about all the alternate possibilities and outcomes, you would be stuck for hours. In fact, usually when you are meant to be doing something at a certain time, you don’t know the reason for a long time.  Eventually, you will be rewarded or penalized for your actions in some form or another.

A relevant example of the importance of every decision, is the life of George Bailey in the movie It's A Wonderful Life. George wishes upon his guardian angel that he has never been born. He then sees what the world would look like had he not been born, and been in all the places he was at the times he was. He sees that his absence would have a huge effect on the lives of those around him, and may have even resulted in the death of some people. Every event is governed by fate, and plays a crucial role in the story of our lives.

Some scholars have argued that life can be a combination of both fate and free will. The base of our lives is controlled by fate, but ultimately we have to utilize our free will to make the decisions that govern our lives, and fulfill our potential. Sometimes this can be true. For example, it may be our fate to work at a clothing company, but we have to work hard and make the decision to work smart in order to be promoted and move up in the business. However, fate is clearly the dominant force in our lives. Our lives should not revolve around where we work and how much money we make. If we all led our lives by following our gut feelings constantly, this argument would be much more one sided, leaning unarguably in the direction of fate. It is important to live life passionately and do everything in the name of what feels right to you in that moment.

Although we are free to make our own decisions in this country, our lives are ultimately controlled by fate. Fate v.s. Free will is an ongoing argument that has been discussed by scholars and philosophers alike. Depending on what your religion teaches you to believe, whether it be God or the universe, there is a higher power above our own selves, that helps us along the route of life. We may think that we can prevent certain things in our lives from happening, but if it is destined to happen, there is no way to escape fate. Our day to day lives aren’t exactly written in the stars, but they are largely impacted by our destiny and what is meant to happen.

Biography: The Process by Kyle Nealon

One phrase has become synonymous to the wild years of the Philadelphia 76ers’ disappointing years of losing. That phrase is “Trust the Process.” The main man through the entirety of their “tanking” effort is Joel Embiid. His name has become a parallel to the process, and his life has become the centerpiece to the adversity the 76ers have faced. Joel has become the city of Philadelphia’s hope for new strides for their professional sports teams. Joel has been on this journey since his days in Africa, and because of his background, his talent, and his character, he has been able help people all throughout the world at an incredibly young age.

Childhood

Joel has been the body and blood of the Philadelphia 76ers, even though he has spent a slim time in Philly. Born in Yaounde, Cameroon, Joel was brought up well in a poverty-stricken country. His parents always gave him a roof to lie under, clothes on his back, and food on his plate. He excelled in the classroom and was an athletic star on his soccer club and volleyball team. Embiid had aspirations to be a European volleyball player, yet those goals quickly changed when he discovered the game of basketball. One of his teachers, knowing his interest in the sport, sent him home with a video of Nigerian NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon and registered him for a camp mentored by NBA player and fellow Cameroonian, Luc Mbah a Moute. At this camp, Embiid showed major promise because of his premier athleticism. Because of his performance at the camp Joel was chosen to participate in the NBA’s African talent camp, Basketball Without Borders, which Embiid would eventually be a mentor for as an NBA player. ² This background of athletics, especially in multiple sports, allowed him to excel later in life.

Adversity

In addition, Joel has been through many struggles in his short life. He lived well because of his parent’s hard work, but he has said it was difficult living around major poverty. He also struggled linguistically, but he was able to overcome these difficulties and eventually spoke French, English and Basaa, one of the main languages in Cameroon, all fluently. Although, one obstacle Joel would never be able to overcome was the death of his younger brother, Arthur, who was only 13 at the time. He died in a car crash on October 16th, 2014. Joel hadn’t been able to see his brother in four years because of his ongoing basketball career, and he struggled with this event for a long time. In a recent interview a reporter asked if he ever questioned his future in basketball, and Joel mentioned, “After my first year, when I found out that I needed a second surgery, and that was at the time that my brother had just died too. So to me, in my head I was like ‘what am I even doing here? I have one year of salary under my belt. And that’s enough to go back to     Cameroon.” ¹ Because of tragedy and self-questioning, Joel’s strength was tested, but his struggles have developed his character, and in combination with his talent, have propelled him to many achievements in basketball.  

Basketball Life

Joel came over to the United States when he was a teenager, and he attended high school at Montverde Academy and The Rock School, both in Florida. He went to Kansas University as a five star recruit, college basketball’s highest praise for a high school player. Embiid attended the University of Kansas for only one year. He was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year, college basketball’s biggest award. Embiid was selected with the third pick overall by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft. “Trust the Process” was the nickname given to the 76ers’ years of “tanking,” or losing, which spanned around half a decade.  The “keystone” in the Keystone State’s only NBA team is Joel Embiid. Twisting the nickname for the Sixers losing, Joel “The Process” Embiid has been with the Sixers the longest, and was the sense of hope during these 76ers’ dreadful losing seasons. Many fans of him and the Sixers say that he has revived the city of Philadelphia’s pride in their teams. This pride has surfaced because of his exceptional talent on the basketball court. 2016 was Joel Embiid’s first full year playing in the NBA because of significant injuries to his back in the previous two years. He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October, November and December. The 2017 season was much of the same. On November 15th, Embiid scored a career-high 46 points, the most by a Philadelphia player in 11 years, and grabbed 15 rebounds in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Embiid also had 7 assists and 7 blocked shots, making him the first NBA player with 40 points, 7 assists and 7 blocks in a game since Julius Erving did it for the 76ers in 1982.³ His exceptional play has re energized the Sixers organization, as well as the city of Philadelphia.

Rags to Riches

Everyone can learn from the story of Joel Embiid. He grew up in a country entirely in poverty. In the span of around seven years, Joel picked up a basketball and proceeded to become one of NBA’s most talented young players. From 2017 to 2022, Joel will have received 148 million dollars from the Philadelphia 76ers.  He has brought smiles to the faces of many people in Philadelphia and his home country Cameroon, through his efforts on NBA courts around the United States. But more importantly, he has donated much of his time and money toward helping people in these areas. Truly, Joel has a rags to riches story, with more riches than most would normally think. Joel trained and worked hard to get to the point that he is at, and through all the struggles, Joel always knew to “Trust the Process.”

History: The JFK Assassination with A Different Ending by John Deibert

John F. Kennedy was president of the United States of America in January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963. He was the 35th president. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, were members of two of Boston’s most prominent Irish Catholic political families. JFK had many persistent health problems throughout his childhood and teenage years. Eventually, he would be diagnosed with a rare endocrine disorder called Addison’s disease. However, this disease did not stop him from doing what he loved. When Kennedy got older he joined the U.S Navy. Two years later was sent to the South Pacific, where he was given command of a Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boat. In August 1943, a Japanese destroyer struck the craft, PT-109, in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy helped some of his marooned crew back to safety, and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism. Unfortunately, his brother Joe was killed in action in 1944.

Eventually, JFK entered politics in 1946, when he decided to run for Congress. He ran for the Democrats. This started his adventure to run the country.Kennedy announced his candidacy for president on January 2, 1960. He defeated a primary challenge from the more liberal Hubert Humphrey and chose the Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson of Texas, as his running mate. In the general election, Kennedy faced a difficult battle against his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, a two-term vice president under the popular Dwight D. Eisenhower. Against the odds, John F. Kennedy won the election for presidency. On the day November 22, 1963, tragedy struck America. JFK was officially assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Or was he?

An Inside Job 

One conspiracy theory is that JFK was killed by the CIA and even Lyndon B. Johnson - who was the vice president. CIA officials were reportedly deeply angered by Kennedy’s lack of support in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion to oust Cuba's Fidel Castro, a debacle that cost Dulles (Head of CIA) his job in 1961. Kennedy did not have a great relationship with the CIA, which would have prompted the planning of an assassination against JFK. Some people believe that Oswald acted alone. Moreover, there are records of deceased CIA agent George Joannides, who monitored anti-Castro Cubans in the South, a group that had “brushes” with Oswald. This is suspicious due to the fact that this group had ties with Lee Harvey Oswald. The CIA should have had a closer watch on him. The CIA obviously didn’t. This lead to John F. Kennedy to be shot by him. The conspiracy about the CIA getting involved with the assassination is more believable if the CIA was somewhat close to Oswald. 

Cubans and Soviets

Americans also believe the soviets and/or the Cubans were behind the assassination.  People believe the Cubans would have plotted the assassination because of the fighting between Fidel Castro and JFK. John F. Kennedy attempted many assassinations against Fidel Castro to get him out of power in Cuba. However, Fidel Castro would not die from any of the attempts. Moreover, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a big eye opener for the United States. Kennedy wanted to stop the missile crisis and make sure no one got hurt. Fidel Castro knew that the UNited States was interfering with his missile plans. FIdel Castro did also know that JFK was leading assassination attempts on him. Fidel could’ve easily took matters into his own hands and had a man assassinate John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. The Soviets would have helped Castro with the assassination because they were allies with each other. Furthermore, the Soviets would have been perfectly fine with being apart of the assassination. The United States and the Soviets were in the Cold War era of JFK. The Soviets would have very well tried to disturb the peace of the United States, and possibly throw it into chaos. 

The Mob

Another theory that is pondered on is the mob being apart of the assassination. Many theorist believe that it is the mob because Robert Kennedy attempts to prosecute the mob had backfired. However, there is no public evidence of an organized plot to assassinate the president. Many experts discount this idea. Ralph Salerno - who was a police detective that investigated mafia involvement - said “he reviewed thousands of pages of electronics surveillance of organized crime leaders.” Another statement was “We even came across a few sympathetic remarks about the president,” he said “‘No, they killed the wrong one.’ ‘They should have shot his brother.” Overall, the mob has had some bad history with the Kennedy’s, which could’ve lead to the assassination of JFK. In the 60’s, mobs were big in organized crime. They often created chaos in big cities due to rival mafia members. Mafia members would sometimes hold no mercy against a target. They would often kill their intended target. The mafia did not have a friendly relationship with Robert Kennedy, and could’ve accidently targeted John Kennedy instead. Robert Kennedy was also into politics, just like his brother. The mafia could’ve gotten the names wrong and killed John in Dallas.

* * *

All in all, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Many conspiracy theorist believe that some other person or group had to be behind the assassination. The theories listed above are one of the most popular theories. There are many other theories, which is why you should research other conspiracy theories about John F. Kennedy. When President Kennedy was tragically killed he was still early into his presidency. John F. Kennedy wanted to have change civil rights of all americans. He wanted everyone to be treated equally. However, President Kennedy did not make it that long into his life to make that change. Lastly, John F. Kennedy’s assassination is still a big topic in today’s society. There is still evidence that can point in a direction of one of the many conspiracy theories about the assassination.

Story: The 20,000 Leagues that He Didn’t Want to Travel by Ryan Tinkleman

Now that he finally got to the small island, Christopher didn’t have to think about how he was going to get back to mainland. There was plenty of stuff to hold his interest for a while. There was great pleasures: pelicans to be scared off, shells to be collected, and of course the waves crashing on the shallow slopes that made the island just barely accessible at low tide, which it most certainly was. But the waves started to get a little too close and a little too turbulent. And the island started...sinking? No, but the island was shrinking noticeably. Remembering where he had walked just minutes ago and where the water was coming up to now, Christopher, and that increasingly unpleasant feeling in his gut, agreed that he should probably get back to the beach. But with the sea being turned into white foam all around him, the question was, how?

Christopher woke up early on this lazy summer Thursday for just one reason: low tides at the shoals. While not usually the first one to disturb the quiet in the North Carolinian beach house, Christopher was completing his mental checklist, which was mainly things he eventually got around to when his mom asked him for the fifth time. After he ate breakfast and brushed his teeth, he did the egregious act of applying spray sunscreen to his own face. Now that he was ready to go, his father and mother had a quick monologue that Christopher’s father would be the one to take him to the beach. It was only a couple minutes to the peak of low tide, and he was going to finally going to experience the full glory of the shoals, sleeping siblings or not.

Immediately ditching his father and dropping the chairs in their area, Christopher ran up the beach, until he reached the small, lagoonish pond of brine that formed at the base of the shoals peninsula. He kept looking for Sean or his dad to come before he ventured out into the vast array of little islands off of the mainland, yet no one came. He contented himself with playing with the young fish that populated the salty pond that lay only feet away from the ocean and collecting the plethora of seashells that lined the coast. Eventually, Sean, who seemed groggy at best and irritated for being the older sibling at worst, came and walked alongside Christopher.

“Hey Chris”

“Hey Sean”

Not wanting to upset his brother but too excited to resist the urge, Chris went for the more polite approach to going out.

“Sean can I--we please go to Pelican Island? Look at all those pelicans, it would be so cool and it’s not even that far and I can swim well and you’re older and-

“Hold on, buddy, we can go out a little and see if we can walk there. If we can’t, then no way.”

“Okay but umm--okay”

Chris didn’t want to test his luck with Sean, he got a better reaction than he expected already, and there was no reason to push his luck yet. Sean started to lag behind Chris as they started wading through the water, but Chris didn’t realize. He was running through the water as fast as he could, and didn’t think twice about the yell behind him. At this point, he transitioned from tip-toe to swimming. Christ didn’t think that Pelican Island was far, but every time he looked up to see how much farther he had to go, the island seemed just as far as it had before. Then he made the mistake of admitting to himself that his muscles were starting to tire. This frightened him, but he had to continue going. The mainland was farther from him than the island, and he figured that once he got to island he could rest before going back. Finally, he reached the island’s base and walked out of the water to the warm sand. After being delighted by the island and realizing that he must get back quickly, he saw Sean back on mainland. Sean was waving his arms and seemed to be shouting, but any trying to decipher any sense out of what he was yelling was futile. Chris looked around, he didn’t see any boats, and he wasn’t sure if he had the time to stay on the shrinking island while someone was called to get him. But he did notice lots more white foam in the shape of a hook that started at the end of the peninsula, went out into the ocean, and came back right to the island he was at. Considering his aching arms and legs, he wasn’t sure he could swim back to Sean, but if he could walk along the hook where it was more shallow, then maybe he’d have a chance to get back safely. He started along the hook fine at first, but almost immediately he was swimming, and the waves here were even worse than the ones on the other side of the island. With the plan abandoned and the island being more diminished when he got back, Chris was starting to panic. Sean kept waving, the waves kept crashing further on the island, and the island kept shrinking. With the undeniable knowledge that his only way out was swimming back, Chris started out into the ocean again. Walking at first, keeping his head above the water along as he could, then swimming. He was so concentrated on his fatigue and switching between swimming on his back and on his stomach, that he didn’t realize how far it was. Chris looked up after what felt like one of the hardest moments and his life and his entire being was seized with terror. He was almost midway through and felt like he swam back and forth three times straight. For a brief moment he started treading water and considered going back to the island, but instinct and adrenaline drove him on. At this point he was going much slower, and the current wasn’t in his favor, but he kept going because it was his only option. Then he felt his leg touch something, some sea creature, and his panic induced state of mind concluded that if it wasn’t a jellyfish, it was shark. His arm hit it too, and his fingers felt the grains of sand. He didn’t stop until he got to Sean, but the relief of a thousand teachers-not-collecting-the-homework-you-didn’t-do washed over him.

Chris and Sean got back to the house, Sean walking funny and wincing in pain at his swollen foot. Turns out someone did actually hit a jellyfish. Their mother noticed them over the puzzle on the table she had been doing since last night. “Back already?” she asked without looking up. “You guys weren’t out there for that long, and you know you need your vitamin D”. She added “Go back outside and come back when something important happens”. But Chris and Sean had enough of the ocean for one day.

Autobiography: A Race to Remember by Tori Morris

I step off of the yellow school bus surrounded by crowds of teenagers preparing for their final race. Set up to my right are rows of tents containing athletes from several different school districts. When I turn around, I see the starting line a great distance away from where I am standing. I sit down under the tent and try not to let my nerves take over. I need to clear my head.

It is a brisk and sunny late October morning. On any normal Saturday, I would still be asleep in my comforting bed, but today is different. I have been preparing for this day ever since I began running last year. This being my second year of cross country and last time running on the junior varsity team, I feel like I have to prove myself on the course today.

There is a slight breeze in the air, and it is certainly colder than it has been on other meet days. Thankfully, I peek through the tent and notice that the ground looks dry and ready for the stampede of athletes who will be running through it in just a couple hours. I remember in previous years when the beautiful green course that I’m looking at now, appeared brown and swamp-like due to the a storm passing through the area a few days before the league meet. At least I could look forward to finishing in a clean uniform this time, I think to myself.

While debating whether I should retie my sneakers, I notice the crowds of spectators have gotten much larger. The first event must be starting soon. There are two events before I have to endure my last exciting and nerve racking race. I listen and witness the pistol go off twice before I make my way towards the starting line. I perform a few last minute stretches and take a final deep breath. My couch calls me over to the starting box and I get into position.

The referee in the bright orange shirt blows his whistle and my heart beats practically out of my chest. I take one final glance at my teammates around me. Most of them I will not see until the race is complete. The pistol goes off with a loud bang and I sprint ahead into the stampede of runners. All of the sudden, I realize that the crowd is motioning us to go back to the starting line. It must have been a false start. Trying not to get nervous, I make my way back to the starting box. I look to my teammates around me, they all look shaken up from the false start. The referee holds up the pistol for the second time and I rush through the disoriented group of runners. I focus on my breathing and then on my surroundings. On both sides of me are blurs of red, blue, and purple uniforms. I speed past multiple athletes known only by the color of their uniforms. At my left, I approach a slight incline. The applause and cheering motivates me to continue my climb. At the top, the ground levels off, so I pick up my pace.

I don’t take any notice to the people in front of me until someone calls out my name.

“Tori, you’re the third girl!” the voice yells, motivating me to not slow down. At this point, I’m in shock; there’s no way I could be that far ahead of the pack of girls in this coed race. Then, I sprint ahead and notice one of my teammates not too far in front of me. I hear a spectator say that she is in first. Now that my place is confirmed, I realize that I need to keep this pace in order to stay near the front.

Before long, the pack of runners and I travel through the second loop of the course. The finish line is so close, I can practically hear the sighs of relief coming from the runners who have already completed the race. When I reached the bottom of the last incline, I begin to slow down. My stamina is running out, but I need to push forward. A girl in a navy blue uniform passes me on the hill, and I begin to panic. I need to keep going. I need to keep going. I need to keep going. I repeat this phrase over and over again as I continue the trek up the hill.

Reaching the top, I’m met with the open gate leading to the track. Two hundred meters left. Another girl passes me. One hundred meters. The crowds of people around the track are cheering and the applause vibrating in the air is all I focus on. I hear a few people shout, “Go Tori!” and catch a glimpse at my mom close to the fence. I start to sprint. Fifty meters. I’m closing in on the finish line, and I can feel every hard step I take on the rubber track. I train my eyes on the chute lined with multicolored flags. Taking one final step, I cross the finish line and glance at the countdown clock a few feet from my face.

13 minutes and 50 seconds. Following the referee’s instructions, I raise my hand and wait in the line on the track to see if I won a medal. When I reach the front, the referee gives me a bronze medal with fifth place engraved on the front! I barely have time to think about my success before I am met with my mom handing me a water bottle and wrapping her arms around me.  Then, my cousin Seth walks past me and says, “Congrats!” I finally get a chance to glance at the ribbon around my neck. I am in shock with excitement.

One of my coaches comes towards me with a smile on her face. “Well, how did you do?” she asks as I hold up the medal so she can read my place. “Aren’t you proud of yourself?” She asks me. I think about that question and realize that I am proud of myself. All of the hard work I put into practice and the other meets paid off in the end. Even though I was in the “B” race, I still performed well and showed how much I improved throughout the season. My actions over the cross country season prove that I deserve fifth place. I smile to myself; there’s no way I’ll be forgetting about this incredible experience anytime soon.

Tori Morris on the right with her friend Erin Lipkus on the left.

Opinion: The Benefit of Video Games in School by Kayla Przekop

It has been said from many people of the older generations that “video games fry the brain”. In fact that is not the case, because they actually do the opposite for the brain. Playing video games allows the student to have better attention, increased visuospatial skills (ability to identify visual and spatial relationships among objects), and increased density of the brain. Video games should be allowed in school with restrictions.

The attention of a student is immensely important to the learning they are suppose to do throughout the day. When a student does not pay attention, it's almost as if they ‘zone out’, which means they basically heard nothing from the teacher. The goal of a student is to learn and be ready for the outside world so they can get a job and earn money. This is all based off of their younger schooling/high school days. The child's future depends on these critical years. By allowing students to play video games in school, it will raise their attention span so their time for learning is optimized.  After multiple studies were conducted, found that video games will improve the attention of a child. “For example, video game use is known to affect attention. The studies included in the review show that video game players display improvements in several types of attention, including sustained attention and selective attention” (Nichols, 2017).  The article continues to say that the regions of the brain in which play a role in attention are more efficient in gamers compared with non-gamers. Not only that but they require less activation to stay focused on demanding tasks. By allowing the student to play video game, or by incorporating games into the daily lesson plan, children will have an increased attention span during the day.

The phrase ‘practice makes perfect’ is a true yet false statement. Even though anybody can practice a skill constantly, will they ever become perfect? In the case of sports, an athlete can definitely get better at their skill, which is likely hand eye coordination or reflexes. They can practice it over and over again and constantly get better little by little but will never become perfect at it. Unsurprisingly, the same goes for most video games. In a study based around video games and how they affect the brain, there was a clear link between playing video games which keep the gamer on their toes and certain parts of the brain. By practicing certain skills in the game, the child is more likely to repeat what they just learned because it will now come naturally to them. From the studies, the performance of the brain after playing video games enhanced and the structure of the brain increased. The evidence from the study illustrates that playing video games increases the size and competence of parts of the brain responsible for visuospatial skills (Nichols, 2017). In many classes in the high school, finding relationships between two different things is critical to understanding the key concepts during the day. By incorporating different video games into the daily lesson plans, students will be able to make connections between concepts and create a deeper understanding of the text.  By intensely doing the same process over and over again it will eventually improve certain areas of the brain. One study found that playing video games frequently and intensely was associated with more cortical thickness in the brain, or essentially more density in certain brain regions ( Bushak, 2015). With this being said, storytelling in video games may improve children's social skills and emotional abilities- especially those with autism. Video games have also been linked to improving memory and problem solving skills.

Games can be integrated into the school day by creating an elective, or held in a 9th mod room. It gives the students an opportunity to do what they want and enjoy their time, without having to worry about getting in trouble while playing in school. By having a signup sheet in homeroom, it can allow the student to pick a day of the week to go down to a certain room and at least give the opportunity to play the games they want once in a while. Another great way to integrate games into the educational day is by actually using them while learning. For instance, some of my teachers thought it was a great idea to play games that are based off of what we are learning, especially in biology. It helped me and my fellow students really grasp the idea that was being taught. This would eliminate students getting bored and falling asleep while the teacher is non-stop lecturing, when the subject isn't interesting. Who wants to learn about meiosis in biology and be expected to remember all of it? Wouldn't an interactive game taking a student through the steps be more helpful and engaging? Isn’t it better to be a kid while they still can?