Uncovering the Unfortunate Truth

Reading up on all of the current political happenings as the election draws near has really opened my eyes to certain issues that have been unseen before. The recession has been such a major problem in the U.S. for quite some time now. This downfall has spread its negativity to a variety of people, affecting so many in numerous ways. I stumbled upon this article about hunger and how children are major victims, especially since the economic turn. The reporter does a story on a single family and interviews the children and mother, asking questions about how they deal with life everyday in the constant struggle to find nourishment. Emotional impact is most definitely the stylistic route taken by the writer, which is a good decision based on the sensitivity of the subject. The content of this story is shocking and sad, yet informative of how people have been having to deal with such difficult situations. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504103_162-5066474.html?tag=contentBody;cbsCarousel

Sports Writing Makes the Goal

White enjoying the sights New York City has to offer.
 He won this trip in an essay contest in 2010.

What is the perfect career for an N.C. State student with a passion for sports and writing? Chris White knows.

Planning to graduate in May of 2014, White is a junior majoring in sports management with a minor in journalism. He hopes to land an internship with either the Durham Bulls or the Hurricanes to assist in his aspiring career of becoming a sports writer.

“I am originally from Durham so it would be a great opportunity to be able to work with a local team,” White said last week.

Not only is White preparing for his career by taking writing and sports management classes, but he also has a blog titled “Reflections,” which is updated frequently.  He writes about a variety of topics including music, movies, politics, and of course, sports.

“My blog is great practice for what I want to do in the future and I get to have fun while doing it,” he said.

Throughout the months of summer when school is out of session, White puts his passion to practice by working at his local Baptist church as a camp counselor. He has been a counselor at the Grey Stone Baptist Church Summer Camp for five years after he spent time volunteering in the program and being a camper as a child. White is able to play different sports with the kids and interact through many fun activities.

“I love being able to work with kids," White said. "It gives me a chance to broaden my experiences in the world of sports." “Basketball is a camp favorite that never gets old.”

As the school year continues, White stays hard at work on the path to finishing his degree. He is keeping an open mind for future careers after graduation, but sports writing is his number one choice.

“I have always kept the options of coaching, sports medicine, or even being an agent in the back of my head,” he said. “As long as my job has something to do with sports, I’ll be happy.”

Young People in Politics

At this year's Education National Summit, students were able to have their voices heard.

This article from Scholastic News shares the story of students having the opportunity to talk about issues that so closely affect them. These include technology in the classrooms, standardized testing, and one size- fits all learning strategies.

"It's kind of odd, isn't it, that we're three years in and this is the first time we thought ‘Oh yeah, we should ask students what they think,'" spoken by Melissa Harris- Perry, moderator of the event. 

The broad cast was shown on MSNBC, reaching a wide variety of audiences. This event informed the public to the real problems and concerns that students deal with in modern day education.

The article does a really good job of conveying the most important highlights of the conference, while also being very informative. Several quotes were recorded from both the children involved and the adults in charge of running the event. 

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757550

The True Super Heroes

"I'm Batman, you are Robin, and that guy over there is the bad Spiderman."

This direction was given to me by a child no older than six years old. His name is Tommy and according to this extraordinary imagination, we all had to pull our supernatural powers together to defeat the bad guy. As if pretending had nothing to do with it, we all sprang into action.

At one point I crossed the line of my role as Robin but this Batman was sure to put me in my place. "What do you think you're doing?! Robin can't fly like Batman, that's what I do! " he said.

Luckily everything worked out in the end and the evil Spiderman was defeated by the great power and strength of Batman and Robin. Although I had stepped out of my boundaries a few times "Batman Tommy" assured me that I had done a good job of helping win, but to work on my powers for the next time.

Looking back on this adventure I come to the recurring conclusion that kids are some of the best actors around, except to them what is acing is much more than something you pretend to be--it is what you are.

The "big kid" lesson that I take away from this experience is that if you handle every situation, no matter how small it may be, with great conviction and dedication then there is no way success will not be in store. Even if you're not the best sidekick in the world, you can always work on it and improve for the next time around.

As long as you do your best and never give up, you're the best super hero in the world.

Careful Cartoon Selections

It is no secret that children love to watch cartoons, but research has shown that certain programs can do more harm than others. This article reveals a story about disrupted sleep habits for preschoolers due to the overwhelming nature of certain shows like Scooby- Doo or Spongebob Squarepants. These cartoons are created for an older audience whereas Dora the Explorer or Sesame Street are much more age appropriate and will be processed easier by the younger children, allowing them to sleep soundly. This is a very quick, short article that gets to the point and offers an interesting take on how the media can affect little ones. http://www.newser.com/story/151530/help-preschoolers-sleep-turn-off-spongebob.html

Elementary Students Gain a Lesson About Life

The traumatic terrorist attack that will always be remembered in the hearts of American citizens had an anniversary yesterday, September 11th. This event has affected the lives of so many, and as it becomes a major mark of history it is imperative that today's generation of youth know what happened only eleven years ago. An elementary school in Thornville, Ohio made an impact in this necessity by providing students with a meaningful presentation from the local police department and EMTs who said a prayer for all who lost a loved one in the attack and shared their memories of that shocking day. The article itself was well done, especially dealing with such a sensitive topic. There are several quotes from the presentation, as well as perspectives from children who are students at the elementary school regarding what they thought about 9/ 11.

http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120912/NEWS01/209120310/Thornville-students-help-remember-9-11-victims?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

A New Generation of Voters

Argentinian government contemplates lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 in an effort to involve a younger demographic of voters. The debate on whether or not to go through with this action calls upon several perspectives as to why or why not it would be beneficial. This article does a good job of taking into account both sides of the argument, explaining the reasoning of each.  This article is interesting due to the relevance of heated political topics currently taking over the U.S. regarding the upcoming election. It makes the audience aware of governmental issues occurring elsewhere and causes a sense of reflection from these new ideas. 

http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/11507510/