Current Connection 2.1

Current Connection 2.1

In an article entitled "Teens and Sleep,” posted from The National Sleep Foundation, the writer explains about the importance that sleep has in our lives, and how we need to make it a priority.

The author of this article, helping further his argument, tells the reader how sleep can “limit your ability to learn, listen, concentrate, and solve problems….contribute to acne and other skin problems…lead to aggressive and inappropriate behavior… and cause you to eat too much or eat unhealthy foods...” Most teens who aren’t getting enough sleep each night, suffering from these negative effects, are especially having trouble in school and sports. I can relate to these effects. On the nights where I stay up too late, the next day at school I can barely keep my eyes open, much less pay attention to my teacher.

The author, a very intelligent person, goes on to explain that most teens, including me, need to “make sleep a priority.” Most teens need "about 9 1/4 hours of sleep each night to function best." However, they do not get enough sleep each night. That is why so many teens are suffering from not being able to stay awake in class, getting sick from lack of sleep, and not performing to the best of their ability.

The author, stating a fact, says that “when you are sleep deprived, you are as impaired as driving with a blood alcohol content of .08%, which is illegal for drivers in many states.” It was researched that "falling asleep at the wheel cause more than 100,000 car crashes every year." This is a very dangerous and scary thought. Teens need to increase the amount of sleep they get by going to bed earlier and having a consistent sleep schedule. This will overall increase their ability to perform in sports and concentrate in school, and it will also help you be in a more positive mood throughout the day.

I have heard the question asked by teachers many times, "Did you get enough sleep?" Most of the time the answer is no. We definitely need to get more sleep every single night. Sleep is a peaceful cloud that revives the body much like happiness revives the soul. I can't remember the last time I got a full 9 1/4 hours of sleep, and I'm sure many other teens never get a full night of rest either. I strongly believe we need to encourage teens to get more sleep and that will benefit us in numerous different ways.

Skipping sleep can be very harmful, even deadly, if you're behind the wheel, so it is imperative to make sleep a priority.

Works Cited

Unknown. "Teens and Sleep." National Sleep Foundation. 4 Jan. 2013. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

Current Connection 1.2

In the article written by a group of teens from Centennial, Colorado titled "Is Too Much Homework a Problem?" students recommend that teachers reevaluate the amount of homework they are assigning to their students because it could possibly be causing stress, lack of sleep, and overall decreasing their love for school.

One student asks a rhetorical question, "How would you like to go to school five days a week and then come home and do homework all night long?" I can completely relate and agree with this question. Obviously no one wants to work all day then go home to more work. Students are being required to sit in class to learn, and then go home to continue to do ample amounts of homework assigned by 5 or 6 different teachers.

Another student researched that "more and more kids are getting stressed because they are getting double or even triple the amounts of homework they need, which can result in staying up later." Sleep deprivation is a huge conflict, especially with high school students. They have to stay up so late finishing assignments, and begin to get frustrated because they're so exhausted, which causes so much stress.

One of the teens brought up the fact that "some kids have after school sports or activities then come home to loads of homework." I can really relate to this because, like me, most high school students play sports. Any athlete that plays sports knows that they're very time consuming. Also some students may have a job that they have to help provide for their family. After going to school, then going to practice, and then working, the last thing a student wants to think about is homework. This also adds a great amount of stress.

Many students, including me, can relate to the pressure, worry, and stress that one feels trying to manage a social life outside of school, and also manage to get all our homework completed. I strongly believe teachers need to decrease the amount of homework that they assign.

Too much homework is definitely a problem and should be reconsidered. It's causing stress and a lack of sleep from students all over the United States, which is ultimately ruining their passion for school and making getting an education less enjoyable.

Current Connection 1.1

In an article by College Professor Raymond Gerson titled “Is Standardized Testing Overvalued?” Gerson demands that elementary, middle and high schools in the U.S. reevaluate how much importance teachers put into standardized testing because they are ultimately not preparing students to be “critical and creative thinkers.”

Gerson explains that “there is nothing wrong with some standardized testing.” However, he describes how teachers spend most of their time teaching for one standardized test and are missing the concept of helping students to apply that knowledge to every day work and life problems. I strongly agree with Gerson on this concept because sometimes we spend all our time in class focusing on one big test that does very little for our education in the long run.

These standardized scores are used to determine student success and also if a school gets a passing or failing grade. This puts lots of pressure on not only students, but also the teachers and school districts. I don’t think having standardized testing is an efficient way to evaluate students because having a good education “cannot be measured only by standardized test scores.

Standardized testing is not allowing teachers to simply just teach, but instead they’re being forced to spend most of their time doing basic skills and drilling students to prepare for a standardized test. Being drilled or forced to memorize certain material for a specific test is less motivating for a student and does not encourage them to take that “crammed” information on with them throughout their life.

Many students, including me, can relate to the pressure and stress that one feels throughout the school year preparing for a standardized test. I think that we should decrease the importance in these tests and it will increase the amount of well educated students.

The emphasis schools are putting on standardized testing should definitely be reconsidered and reevaluated because it could overall be affecting the success students are having with their education and learning strategies.

 

How Sports Nutrition Can Affect Health

                                                How Sports Nutrition Can Affect Health

     The nutrition that an athlete consumes is very important, not only for your health, but also for your performance in the sport you play. In today's world, there are many great, competitive athletes. One must be better than the rest to be able to compete, and in that, they will have to live a healthy lifestyle. 

     In the article "How Sports Nutrition Can Affect Health," by Michael Grants, Grants explains how having a good nutrition can be good for your health, and good for your performance in the sport you play as well. He says, "Sports nutrition experts break the nutrition into the basic three types that the food basically is made up of. That is protein, carbohydrates and fats." I agree with Grant on that. It is important to keep a good balance of these three things, without a good balance of them, it could lead to a "nutritional downfall."

     He informs you in his article that without a healthy nutrition, your performance in the sport you play won't be as good. "Your sports nutrition health should always come first," says Grant. I also agree with him on this concept. I play football, and a huge part of playing well is making sure I have a healthy food nutrition. I have to make sure I am drinking plenty of water, and taking in proteins, that "give energy to the body." I know that whenever I don't drink as much water or eat unhealthy foods before football games, it usually affects the way I play. It causes me to get tired faster and not have as much energy. 

     Maintaining a good nutrition can affect your life in so many positive ways. If you eat and drink healthy, and take in the right amounts, it can make you a healthier person and improve your performance in sports. Grant suggests that you "carefully follow the guidance about sports nutrition and ponder over the tips given in this article." It's so important to have a healthy nutrition, and it'll make you a successful athlete.

Works Cited:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Sports-Nutrition-Can-Affect-Health&id=460571

Boston Bombing

                                                                      Boston Bombing

          On Monday April 15th in Boston, Massachusetts, two bombs were set off near the 

finish line of the Boston Marathon. In the article “Boston Marathon Bombing,” by Josh Levs, he tells about the devastating tragedy that took place in Boston. Three people were killed from the explosion and “one of the dead was an 8 year-old boy.” There were also at least 144 people who were being treated in the hospital, with “25 of them in critical condition and 25 of them in serious condition.” The bombing sent chaos throughout the whole entire town. They immediately began trying to figure out who it was that bombed us. They found the suspects by looking through the cameras of nearby stores, and finding two suspicious guys who were wearing "black backpacks." They were brothers from Russia. Tamerlan, who is 26, and his younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is 19. The older brother was killed in a "gun battle with the police" after the "tense day-long manhunt." The younger brother, was captured from a covered boat that was in the back of a backyard. He was severely wounded and was taken to the hospital. He is currently awake, able to talk, and responding to the polices' questions. 

     I believe that because of this bombing, many things should be taken into consideration. I think we need to give more recognition, maybe even a pay raise to police and FBI. We often don't take the time to thank them, or to even realize how important they are. They risk their lives for their community everyday and without them, the two guys that bombed Boston, might have escaped. I also think they need to reconsider the type of punishment that should be given to people who do violent actions, like this bombing. They usually are given death row, where they are in prison for about 10 years and then they are executed. However, I believe they should not just sit in prison, but have some sort of cruel or unusual punishment for a long time, then be killed. I think what they did, killing innocent people and children, was so wrong, and they deserve to be tortured and suffer. 

     I believe we need to always thank our police for doing their job and taking care of the citizens. America needs to always remember this bombing, in honor of the people who were killed and injured. It was a very devastating day for many people in Boston. 

Works Cited: 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/15/us/boston-marathon-explosions

 

I Won't Let Go

                                                            I Won't Let Go

  People listen to music for many different reasons. Some listen to it for the beat or to get fired up for sports events. Some listen to it because they are looking to get away from their problems or want to feel relaxed. But some listen to music because the lyrics have a special meaning to them. They listen to it for the emotions and way it makes them feel.   The song "I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts is a song that has a special meaning to me. 

     When this song comes on the radio, I immediately stop and so many memories are brought back. Rascal Flatts sings "I will dry your eyes, I will fight your fight, I will hold you tight, and I wont let go." The song is sung about how he won't let go of someone and how he will always be there for them through the good times and the bad times. He also sings, "You think you're lost, but you're not lost on your own, you're our not alone." He's saying that although sometimes in life you might feel very alone, you're not because he's always there for you, no matter what happens.

      I can relate to this song because not long ago my friend's dad, Tom, got very sick and passed away. I was very close to him and had a great bond and relationship with him. When I was at his funeral this song, "I Won't Give Up" was playing. Now whenever I hear this song, it reminds of him. In the song it says "I will stand by you, I will help you through." There were many times when Tom couldn't walk or hold himself up very well. I was always there for him to help him walk and hold him up. I know what it's like to have a good friend and to always be there for them. 

     I believe that Rascal Flatts did a really great job in their song "I Won't Let Go." It's a song that has significant meaning to my life. It makes me feel many different emotions. It makes me feel sad because I miss Tom a lot, but happy because I remember all the good times I had with him, and I know he's in a better place. It reminds me to love my friends and always have their backs through any trials they go through. 



Lyrics: 
http://www.elyrics.net/read/r/rascal-flatts-lyrics/i-won_t-let-go-lyrics.html

Don't Take Away Our Summer

Don’t Take Away Our Summer

I understand that going to school and getting an education is very important. However, I know that summer is what every high school kid looks forward to. I also know that you would have some very angry kids if they decided to do year-round school, including me. In the article “Year-Round Education” by Tyler Weaver, he discusses the topic of having school all year long. I strongly disagree with adopting this method, and I believe many other students all over the world would disagree with this method also.

In a year-round education system, “students would attend the same amount of days (180), except that these days are arranged differently.” They would have several short vacations throughout the year instead of one three-month summer break. I don’t like the thought of this because I would rather have a longer break one time, then little breaks throughout. To me, little breaks would not be as fun, rather than one longer time period without school. Schools like to argue that “students forget much of what they learned in school while on a long summer break.” I, as a student, do not think this is true. Even if this was true, when we come back to school in August, our minds are refreshed the first couple of weeks. This eliminates the problem of students “forgetting” the material over summer.

Schools also like to claim that year-round education “improves student achievement.” I know when I have school for long periods of time, I might start to get stressed out and worry about my grades. This might actually cause me to do worse. Summer is usually a motivation to keep up my grades to end the year good, and to have a good summer. If they decided to do year-round school, my fellow classmates and I would have nothing to look forward to and no motivation. I strongly believe that they should not have year-round education, and not take our summer away.

getting focused before game

   There is a big part in life when you come across a though point and have to get passed the jitters. 'Having your game face on before the game helps over come jitters' This article ties in with me because before every game i always get scared with jitter bugs. so befor every game i sit away from everyone els and i pray and continue to put a game face on. ''Good athletes know their bodies well, and It is important to be present and aware of how you are breathing." The article is telling the truth because there are time where i am in the game and i am tired so i start to breath in threw my nose and out threw my mouth.
This method helps me when i am on the the field in the fourth quarter,and i need a break but cant take one because my team needs me.
    Getting rid of jitter bugs before the game is better to try to over come. "While others may be distracted by weather, conditions of a field, who the opponent might be, what the team record is, etc., you just need to do what you came to do." This method helps me beacuse i always get nervous and i always tell my self that im not the only one thats feeling this way and not to stress about it. Also another way that i get rid of jitter bugs is to remind myself why i am there and that someone needs to get the job done and im the one to do it. "Great athletes do not predict their next move or action based on their last failure." This is a great method because if you have your mind set that your gonna mess up it happens. It was 4th and goal and i had my mind set that i was gonna make it in the endzone. The ball was snapped and Jacob Hardin handed me the ball and i plowed right in.



http://www.active.com/mindandbody/articles/5-Ways-to-Overcome-Game-Day-Jitters.htm

Super Bowl Tragedy

Super Bowl Tragedy

While millions of people were watching Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, there was a power outage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the article “Power Outage Nearly Ruined Super Bowl” by Luke Hughes, he talks about the game saying it was “a pretty dull and uncompetitive first half, and appeared to be headed for more of the same in an expected lopsided win.”  At halftime, the Ravens were in the lead 21 to 6. Then during the beginning of the third quarter, the power went out, leaving the Superdome pitch black and the players, coaches, and millions of viewers in chaos. It took about 34 minutes to get things “back up and running.” Many people argued that the time during the power outage helped the 49ers to settle down and regain momentum to come back and tie up the game. I agree that the power outage did help the 49ers to come back. This was said to be “one of the most bizarre circumstances in sports history.”

During the power outage, both teams stretched and tried to keep their hype for the game. The San Francisco 49ers began to come back with the score being “28-23 at the start of the fourth quarter.” I believe the reason they had such a dramatic turnaround was because of the outage. I have experienced this when I played in a football game that was delayed due to bad weather. I remember that when I came back to play after the delay, I wasn’t as fired up. That’s also probably how the Baltimore Ravens were after the got back to play. The power outage “allowed the 49ers to regroup and severely alter the direction, and nearly the outcome, of the game.” The fans loved the excitement of the close game as both teams fought till the end. The Ravens finally won, leaving the final score 34-31, but the power outage and San Francisco’s comeback “still stole the show.”

Works Cited

http://nesn.com/2013/02/power-outage-nearly-ruined-super-bowl-but-delay-gave-49ers-hope-and-made-for-entertaining-finish/

Twenty-One

Twenty-One

            Some songs are listened to for the beat or rhythm, but some songs are listened to for the story that is being told through the lyrics. In the song “Twenty-One” by Corey Smith, the lyrics tell about a young man who says he is “seventeen, wishin’ I was twenty-one.” I can relate to this song because I am seventeen years old. I can also relate because just like Corey says, I can’t wait to grow up and be twenty-one. The lyrics tell about how “the teachers all would hassle me” and tell him to “stay awake” and “pay attention.” This reminds me of myself because I always sleep in my World History class with Coach Rush. It’s really hard for me to pay attention. When I hear this song it reminds me of my life and that’s why the lyrics mean a lot to me.

This song brings back memories of summer and the good times I’ve spent at the river with people I love. Corey Smith says “Four A.M. on a school night, still hangin' out with my friends.” Just like every other seventeen year old guy, I like to stay up late on school nights and hang out with my friends. When this song comes on at the field house, all my football friends and I sing it as loud as we can. He also says “I didn’t act my age.” Like Corey Smith, I like to “dance with the college girls.” And I never act my own age. I really like listening to the song “Twenty-One” by Corey Smith because I can relate to some of the lyrics and it brings back great memories.  

Work Cited

http://artists.letssingit.com/corey-smith-lyrics-twenty-one-zwbg5lr#axzz2If7PqcCA