My Plan of Action

- Complete reading "Play Their Hearts Out" and take notes to implement into article - Create an extended version of introduction to provide more in-depth information about AAU basketball - Try to obtain more local evidence of AAU basketball to support my opinion - After finished project is done, I need to revise my papers and pay attention to detail - I need to find more specific examples of players and AAU teams to make my article not sound too "general", but in a way readers can realize that this is a real problem today

The Corruption of AAU Basketball 1

AAU which stands for American Athletic Union is used to create higher level competition for basketball’s elite players. It is a great way to expose players’ potential because sometimes the high school level of competition just isn’t enough. Grantland’s Jonathan Abrahams recently wrote an article about Andre Iguodala, whom currently plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. According to him, Andre suffered a loss in production under high school basketball because he was forced out of his comfort zone and time to time had to play under the basket because of his height. He was introduced into AAU, and completely blossomed to a star player because of the elite talent that revolved around the organization. While some praise the aspect of AAU ball, critics believe it is an organization full of corruption. NBA agents, college coaches, shoe companies want to raise sales and to simply have the best talent to represent. They want to find the next Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but are limited in doing so. AAU basketball is able to fill that void, but with a cost that relies on illegal actions such as providing impermissible benefits that could actually hurt the player in the long run. Numerous college athletes have been suspended because of impermissible benefits and links to NBA agents and boosters.

Football Debate

There are obviously risks at play in contact sports especially if it’s football. But the fact of the matter is people don’t care at all because of the excitement it brings. Americans enjoy themselves through this type of entertainment; they enjoy to see a football player get viciously tackled leaving them stunned on the football field. The disgusting fact is that instead of most fans to react with a response that seems to care about the player and to see if he’s okay after the play, it is nearly always going to be “He got destroyed!” That’s the sad fact of our modern era: Americans are too caught up with entertainment. They ignore the important things such as possible injury that could result in death or major injuries like concussions. I wouldn’t blame it on anyone because the players were already predisposed to enjoy football therefore making it a huge impact on their life. The players become easily attracted to football playing the sport for the majority of their upcoming life. The players know what is exactly at stake, but their passion for the game shuns the dangers that revolve around football. The only thing here to blame is the American culture. Our children become grown with the same intentions of our elders – we enjoy dangerous entertainment. Some people argue that football players are completely safe because they are padded and are equipped with helmets. Arguably, football is one of the top sports that have the most injuries per year due to the groundbreaking force that football players bring to each other’s bodies. We must recognize that some of our entertainment is corrupt and brings too many negatives than positives. Watching football to see football players risk themselves for pure entertainment is almost identical to watching people beat each other to death. The American society has to come to realization that we have to protect our future generation from some of the dangers. Of course, entertainment plays a large role in the American society, but why can’t be in a way it brings an assurance of safety?

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Review

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe absolutely stunned me when I first watched it when I was younger, in a good way. I read the entire series prior to the movie and felt like it brought a much greater realization than you would expect from a movie. It lives up to the hype especially the fact that movies today are bashed consistently because avid readers believe the movie isn’t as “true” as the book. Most movies I’ve watched previously that are made after its book was released are full of terrible acting. In general, it brings negative reputation to the book itself. A brief summary of the storyline of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is that a group of four children that bear the Pevensie name are evacuated from their homes because of the bombing in London, England. They separate from their mom and relocate to a professor’s home named Digory Kirke. Lucy decides to explore his home and finds an ordinary wardrobe. She is curious and opens it surprisingly seeing the magical world of Narnia. The rest of the children discover this mystery and journey into the world of Narnia. In this world, they are completely separate from the ordinary world with Professor Kirke. The Pevensie children are unexpectedly called to an adventure to save Narnia from the White Witch. They fight through tests and enemies to help achieve their goal. In general, this movie was absolutely excellent. It had great acting with stunning visuals despite the fact it was created almost a decade ago. Personally, I would recommend this to anyone especially someone who read the book because I assure it will bring excitement and pure movie awesomeness.

Unexpectedness

Unexpectedness Coach John Tim Lasky [SPOTLIGHT ON COACH AND JOHN] COACH: Last year wasn’t so great. COACH: We prepared hard for last season, but we took everything lightly as a whole. JOHN: Oh come on, Coach, cheer up. Our new teammates have high expectations this year. JOHN: They’re all very athletic and come with great amount of skills capable of making us a winning team unlike last year. COACH: I don’t know John. We might be a little under-experienced because our veterans graduated last year. COACH: We were mentally strong as a team, we were fearless, we had everything to win, but it didn’t happen. COACH: We were so close to winning the State Championship or at least reaching it. JOHN: Coach, you need to be more positive and look towards the future. If we prepare even harder to reach our goal, there should be no reason it can’t happen. JOHN: We just have to take everything that failed from last year and improve. Our defense last year wasn’t top-notch, even with one of the best big-men in our conference. JOHN: There are only a few more weeks until kickoff. We need to prepare while we have time, Coach. COACH: We’ll begin starting the day after tomorrow. [LIGHT FADES TO BLACK] JOHN: My name is John, I was my team’s starting quarterback last year. We had high expectations to make the championship game because of our individually improved players. Notice how I say “individually” not team. JOHN: We had star players on our team, we had one of the best coaching, the best defensive and offensive plays, but for some reason we lacked effort and teamwork. JOHN: I look back at some of the old film from last year and I can clearly see why we didn’t even surpass a .5 win/loss ratio. JOHN: Most of our players think it’s an individual performance. Our high school is one of the most-looked at high schools for college football prospects because of previous student-athletes that were enrolled here that later made it to the league. JOHN: Our coaches are known for great player-development. This attracts a lot of high school players to transfer to our school or simply attend. JOHN: But anyways, our players want to show off to college scouts. They like to use our school as a step-up to the higher level. JOHN: I’ve talked to my coaches about it, but it just seems as it rubs off and my criticism gets nowhere. JOHN: But hopefully this year, everything changes and maybe we can actually win and pursue the championship. [LIGHT FADES FROM BLACK TO WHITE] [COACH AND JOHN ARE IN THE FOOTBALL OFFICE TALKING TO EACH OTHER DURING OFF-SEASON FROM LAST YEAR] JOHN: Our players like to show off. They want to play more to themselves rather than as a team. COACH: Are you sure? I think it’s mostly because we aren’t focusing and taking our opponents lightly. JOHN: Why would I not be sure about a topic as serious as this? If you don’t talk to our players soon and fix this, we’ll end up being the same or even worse and not improving from last season. [PRESENT DAY. COACH AND REST OF TEAM ARE IN THE LOCKER ROOM] COACH: Alright, listen up. Starting from today, we start fresh. Forget everything we’ve done previously; it doesn’t work with you guys. COACH: Even though this is just high school football, there shouldn’t be a reason that you should take it lightly. Think of this being your professional career. Would you rather play as a team and win? Or would you like to play as an individual and lose every single game of the season?

Best Buy Employees' Reaction

1. 65 year-old man – This is going to be completely hilarious. I can’t wait to see the faces on these best buy employees. This might be the most fun I’ve had all 65 years of my life. I think these khakis look pretty similar, maybe my blue polo might be a little off, but I think I’ll be fine. Here comes everybody else. Oh man, this is hilarious! Look at the face of that employee, he’s completely shocked. Oh I best peace out; apparently the cops are on the way. I’m not going to jail for something this stupid. 2. Ugh, this job can be very boring at times. There’s nothing very entertaining here to do to pass the time. Wait what is this? When did we get new employees; I’ve never seen this guy or that girl. What the, there are so many of them! They’re wearing the same exact outfit as us! I’m not sure what to do, tell them to leave or just leave them alone. Oh man, this is pretty funny, the faces on the customers makes this entire thing actually entertaining. I got to tell my friends about this! 3. What in the world? When did we get new employees? Wait hold on for a second, these people don’t actually work for us; they just have a blue polo and khakis, but no name tag or a best buy trademark on their shirt. Ok, there are more of them coming in. Who are these people and what are they doing in my store? Alright I’m calling the police. Hey you in the blue shirt, the police are on their way. Get out of my store immediately! 4. How stupid is this. I get a call from the local best buy saying there are over 90 people that came right into the store impostering employees and are acting like they work there. I really don’t feel like dealing with something this stupid. I already know this will be a complete waste of time when I get there because they will just run for it. Ok this manager seems very upset, but I really can’t do anything because they all left. There is nothing illegal about wearing a blue polo and khakis. Ugh, I knew this would be a waste of time.

The Swamp Monster

The day is during the year of 1791. There is a small village off the country side of Kansas. The population here isn’t much and the people here are rather strange and awkward. The village is named after a priest that founded the village years ago; his name was Virgil Kent. I hear stories about him all the time how he seemed like a great person and was very active within the community, but I also heard rather inconsistent stories that really don’t correlate to the description I learned of him. Everytime I hear his name, I get a weird vibe and the people around me become silent and awkward. It’s like they become brainwashed everytime they hear Virgil Kent. I try to ignore it because he died recently. I remember when the time of his death, there seemed to be an immediate effect with the villagers, it’s like their personality and attitude completely changed and they actually seemed normal. Over the course of a few years, that effect diminished; they returned to their original personality of being strange. Anyways, my name is Lucas and I was born a little west of here. My parents had difficulty in raising me because we were just peasants at the time. My father was the one who supported our family while my mother took care me. Years later, my mother caught a deadly disease and was on the edge of dying. I hate looking back at the fact I couldn’t help her survive; I deemed myself useless. My father and I had to watch helplessly as she slowly passed away. I will never forget that image in my mind; I used it as motivation to realize that I can be stronger than I was. Combat and blacksmiths always interested me throughout my childhood, but it was almost virtually impossible to find a mentor. I didn’t want to give up simply because I couldn’t learn from someone; I wanted to protect the people I love. I realized I wouldn’t be successful if I completely relied on someone to guide me through a skill; I had to learn on my own because of my situation. As the years progressed, I quickly learned the main aspects of blacksmithing. My collection of the weapons and armor I created became abundance in my storage. This was the first time of my life where I was actually proud that I accomplished something. It has been a long 13 years to get to where I am; the journey was a long road filled with obstacles I had to overcome. I learned a lot through my errors which gave me experience in tough situations. I am twenty-four now, and not much has changed in this village. My father has aged which put himself out of work. He usually lies in bed staring either upwards at the ceiling or the river outside that connects the village. Every day I return home from work, he always has that blank expression as if he is thinking of something. I assume it’s my mother and I can’t really blame him because I think of her most of the time as well. But wait, if I actually think of it, my father has stopped responding to me ever since he fell in the river a few weeks ago. He was trying to pick an apple from a nearby tree but somehow tripped into the river because of his small length. I dropped my rake and ran to his calls of distress, lifting him out of the river. He seemed okay when I asked him, but something was out of place. How could have my father fell into the river if there is a large fence that encloses the river? I was dumbfounded by this fact. At that time I didn’t really think of it too much and just continued on to working. However, after the incident, he stopped responding to me with a blank stare towards the river he fell in. I was curious onto why his behavior changed dramatically; therefore I looked for answers that may dwell in the village. I was a bit nervous and afraid to go to the central part of the village because the stories I hear about the people here and simply the fact that it was my first time talking to a villager. I traveled to each store, asking the people who didn’t seem strange if there was anything unusual about the river. Each response was nearly identical, “I am not allowed to speak of the river”. I felt helpless once again because I couldn’t find a solution to help my father. This entire process brought nightmares and vivid images of my mother’s death. Part of me wanted to stop immediately, but the other part wanted to help my father. I focused solely on finding answers and neglected the images in my mind. I asked a teacher who seemed odd in comparison to the other villagers. He was very charismatic and not so much awkward. I asked him about the river and he seemed quite hesitant to respond, but finally gave me an answer of “Come, we must speak of this secretly”. He directed me towards a hidden room under his carpet. We climbed down a dusty ladder into a rather spacious room. There were drawings, maps, jars filled with strange materials, and a wide variety of books. The room was dim, with the only light coming from a small candle. He brought out a red book whose cover was dusty; the book was severely beaten up. He explained to me that there is an ancient swamp monster that resides in the river within the village. I started to become fearful because I knew I would eventually encounter the monster. He continued to explain to me that the entire village has been affected by the monster thus explaining why their behavior is unusual. We shifted focus to a jar which appeared to have a material similar to salt, but instead it was dyed green. The man explained to me that to reverse the effect, I had to throw this into the river when the moon is full. I felt a great amount of relief because I was expecting something much more difficult. The man told me to leave immediately and to not speak to anyone on my way home. Hours later, I waited, sitting on top of the fence that enclosed the river. I could see the bright, moon become full which signaled the cue. I opened up my bag and took out the jar. I stared downwards toward the river, and took a long, deep breath of air. I didn’t want to hesitate much longer; I arched my throwing arm, and threw it downwards. Immediately, I could see a dark, red burst of fumes exploding out of the river. I stepped back and ran towards my cabin to be precautionary because those red fumes definitely don’t seem normal. Little did I know, something extraordinary was happening before my eyes. I heard a laughter that began to crescendo in volume. It was an old man, rising outwards from the surface of the river. “Thank you for resurrecting me, young man.” “This world is finally mine!”

End of the Living World

It was a few years ago when that happened people started to get sick and die but then soon they came back alive like the living dead. Soon we found out the reason for this disease is because of an element the French found, an element of great power which can ensure the French ultimate victory. It was the time of World War V all the soldiers who came direct contact with this element died and became zombies this disease spread quickly America builds an wall which spreads the outside world and America soon every country but America was affected for years nobody knew what is going on outside that wall. My name is Larry and I am going to tell you what happened to our world Tom: Wake up Larry, it’s time for school. Larry: Give me five minutes Larry woke up and started getting ready for school Tom: Hey we are going to be late for school Larry: You are not the boss of me you little shit head Tom: Whatever you say let’s go to school Larry: Man school is boring it would be better if they teach us normal stuff like science and math instead they teach us how to exterminate zombies At the same time John: Mr. President I have to tell you something serious the wall its started to crack President: What are you talking about John that wall is meant to stay for at least five-hundred years there’s no way that could happen who told you? John: There has been report from the people’s who lives near to the wall we sent researchers and experts to the area and it is true in one or two week it will collapse and the undead will rush in and it will be the end of the living President: Oh no! There must be a way to stop this John: Well you’re the president. What do you want to do? President: we’re going to have to strengthen the wall. But if we do that, we’ll have to break some of it down to start repairs. Then the zombies would get in… John, what’s the best way to fight zombies? John: Sigh… I don’t know sir President: Hm, me either. (President scratches his head, thinking) President: I know! John, I want you to have a survey given to every person who knows anything about zombies. The person who knows the most will be in charge of the zombies who are trying to break down my wall! John: But, sir! President: Follow my orders, John! John: Yes, sir. (John leaves the office and closes the door) John: Well we’re all screwed. What an idiot! (Change scene. Larry is in his driveway shooting hoops. John is trying to find the person who knows the most about zombies) John: Hey kid, are your parents home? Larry: My parents are never home John: Great. See ya. Larry: Wait, why are you looking for my parents? John: I’m giving out a survey for the president. It’s to see who knows the most about zombies Larry: I do! (John starts to walk away) John: Yeah right. Stay in school, kid Larry: Fine! I don’t care about the dumbass president anyway! But I bet that no grown-ups know the three secret weaknesses of a zombie John: What are you talking about? Larry: I’ve done experiments. Nobody else cares about the zombies but I do. John: How do you even know about… What’s behind the wall? That’s top secret information! Larry: I have my sources. From what I’ve heard, I’m your last hope John: Damn. Well I guess taking you to the president can make things worse than they already are John: Well look at this. The most unexpected person to know about zombies is a kid. I just don’t see how that works at all. I work for the president and our staff doesn’t even have a clue to stop this crisis. Location is Washington, DC John: Okay kid, we’re here. Larry: I have a name, and it’s Larry. John: Larry, whatever. John and Larry walk together towards the back entrance of the White House. Larry: Oh wow! This is so cool! I never realized the White House had a secret back entrance John: Well this will be your last time seeing this so enjoy it while you can. John and Larry meet with the President John: Mr. President, I come with good news. This little kid is Larry, he knows about zombies. President: Oh, I was expecting an older… uh… person. Anyways, it’s nice to meet you, Larry. Larry: Hi Mr. President! I’ve read so much about you President: Oh, yes I’m sure of that. So you know a lot about zombies? Larry: Yes, I have a huge obsession with them. They are so fascinating and interesting; it’s thrilling. President: So, how did you find about them and is your information legitimate? Larry: Yes of course! I read many books about them and studied their characteristics Little did Larry, John, and the President know, the zombies were planning an invasion. There is a spy within the President’s cabinet who works with the cult of the zombies. He is very human and looks just like any other presidential security guard. Right now, he’s looking at the president, eyeing his every move, taking notes and visual maps of the area they are in. President: Ok Larry, come with me, we’ll discuss this in a more enclosed and private area. The President and Larry travel through the White House into the underground war base. Larry meets the head war general and his staff. They speak about the crisis and the dangers if they leave this unsolved. Larry tries to think of a solution but can’t think of one that will save the city and the people that dwell within it. Larry: I don’t know what to do Mr. President President: We have to think of a solution quickly because the walls are caving in Larry: Sir, if we use all of our weapons, it won’t permanently stop the zombies; they will end up coming back for more President: There has to be a solution to end this; I have everything to create mass destruction Larry: Wait, there is a way, but… President: But what? Larry: We all die with the zombies and the city. We could use your nuclear weapons to destroy the city and the earth together. We can either sacrifice ourselves, or die to these worthless zombies Larry: I’m not going down without a fight President: But that’s absolutely absurd! John: Mr. President he’s right, we have no choice but to launch our missiles President: But my family, my people, my wealth and myself… it will be all gone… John: Mr. President we have no choice, activate the missiles now President: No! I’m not doing it. We can still survive, take any weapons, we’ll kill them all! I swear! John and the President continue to argue. Things seem to get out of hand and John tries to kill the President. The president tries to resist but ends up being shot and killed in the process Larry: Oh my god… John: Do you want to end up like him? Just shut up and bring me that brief case over there by the armory Larry brings a silver briefcase, not knowing what is inside John: I’m sorry Mr. President… John opens the brief case and inside is the nuclear missile controls. John grabs the president’s dead body and puts his fingerprint to start the countdown John: It’s all over now… 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… 0

JJ Guatno

JJ Guatno by rhscw

Narrative Story

As a kid I was always surrounded by technology. My father had connections for new technology that wasn’t open to the people. I remember my father coming home with boxes filled with things I wasn’t very sure of. It always felt like Christmas seeing him walk through the front door with stacks of cardboard boxes. Because of this, I learned very quickly with the never-ending development of technology. I could discriminate which was what, and the functions of individual technology. I was that kid who didn’t play sports or any type of recreational games; instead I stayed in my classroom or my house and studied technology.

Years later, I based my intelligence and the love of studying to the real world of education: school. I learned how to create great study habits that I stuck with throughout my student career. I developed exceptional knowledge of technology, but most importantly, the computer. I was always in love with the computer. It is very similar to the human body; it has a body and a heart (the motherboard). Like I said earlier, I never really spent time with my peers. To specifically talk about the computer, I was always interacting with it every day. At a very young age, I learned to perfect it based on my day-to-day interaction. My father was always busy and couldn’t spend much time in teaching the computer’s functions, but I learned on my own through failure.

As I grew older, I realized that my life couldn’t be focused wholly on technology; I needed to expand my knowledge. I grew curious with life and its offerings to help add to my knowledge. I looked for remedies, but I couldn’t grasp onto a clear subject that I could be consistently interested. I had a little interest into music, but couldn’t find a secondary to help me become interested. I didn’t have many friends to turn to for advice and interests, but I focused my attention on one of my role models that helped me become interested with technology. I read an autobiography of him, and his situation when he was younger was freakishly similar to mine. I continued to read his autobiography which took forever because of its unlimited length.

Weeks later, I finally finished his autobiography. I learned a lot through just a story of his life. I tried to take some of his interests and make it mine. I found out he played the cello when he was in middle school and all the way through high school. He explained his passion for musical instruments. He compared a mere wooden instrument to ways of life, and the beauties it attains. He went furthermore into detail how the cello expanded his knowledge and interests of life. When I read this, I quickly caught on and realized the next sentences could help change my life as a person. I was in a rush of euphoria to just learn a musical instrument. I couldn’t choose between the stringed instruments. I wanted to choose something that was identical to the cello, which was the violin.

The Unknown Holiday Of June 21st

Most people aren't very familiar with a holiday on June 21st, but skateboarders do. On the 21st of June, skateboarders celebrate by this holiday named "Go Skate Day" by letting everyone in their community know to just have fun and skate. It's a very interesting concept especially if you don't celebrate it. I believe it's a great thing for the skateboarding community, because it brings everyone together and just enjoy a hobby they all take part in. At the same time, this is also very controversial. A lot of people are annoyed with skateboarders because they like to use property as their own playground. They tend to make a lot of noise and "wear down" some property as some owners would like to say. Honestly, it is understandable for some of the owners to say that because they do make skateparks for a reason. I only wished that the people who celebrate this holiday not only have fun, but to be safe as well.

Thoughts About Charlotte Shooting

It's very unfortunate and tragic to see anybody get murdered, especially if it wasn't justifiable. I find it even more sad that the football player, Ferrell, was only looking for help because he just survived a horrible car crash. Apparently he wasn't unarmed and posed no real threat to the police, but still he was murdered and gunned down 10 times which is absolutely unbelievable. I think it was absurd for the police department to respond to the public by saying it was "fitting" and "appropiate". First of all, Officer Kerrick had no right to discharge his weapon and especially 12 times. Of course people would argue that this result was fueled through racism of some sort. I wouldn't fully agree to that but in a sense it seemed like it was. Ferrell's mom is a very tough woman; she forgived Officer Kerrick even after he shot his son 10 times. I only hope that Kerrick is booted from the police force and receives additional punishment because the murder of Ferrell deserves justice.

Learning In Classrooms vs. Learning Online

There is a common trend that started not too long ago. A group of teachers stated that online education statistically proves that it is far more superior than the traditional classroom. There have been many commercials to advertise online learning from TV to social media. Like every arguable statement, there will always be the opposition who argues otherwise. Actual professors who have gained intelligence over the years argue that online learning is actually detrimental to a children's potential and learning. They continue to say that online learning doesn't recreate the actual interaction with a teacher and the interactions with classmates. The professors continue to argue that most of their education is accumulated from classmates and students they interacted with. Online learning does provide great education, but it isn't sufficient for children to become successful later in life in specific situations that require socialization and other skills that are attained through the traditional classroom. Personally, I believe that while online education does provide exceptional education, the cons of it outweigh the pros thus resulting that the traditional classroom is far superior for not only now, but in the long run.

Personal Statement

Personal Statement

            My name is Josiah Janae Guatno and come from a very unique and diverse family with origins of Filipino descent. My family holds a prestigious rank in a city in the Philippines named San Fernando that all started from my great-great grandfather, Vivencio Cuyugan. Vivencio, despite his many struggles he encountered, he managed to overcome these obstacles and became a very successful man. Through the heritage, ancestry, and history of my family, I become who I am. It encourages me to become someone great through the means of hard work and passion through my academics despite the obstacles that I will have to overcome. I enjoy working around with a variety of people with the leadership and community skills I attained through school and my community. Many of my peers have thanked me in the past for my help, which is one of my many steadfast qualities as a person. I have an endless amount of goals that I hope one day I can achieve. I intend to finish high school with the completion of specific exams that will thoroughly extend my education such as the Comp TIA A+ exam in the field of computer engineering. Computer engineering mostly defines what I am as an academic success. As a kid, I have been blessed with my father’s education in the field and the environment he laid upon me. I have exceptional knowledge and experience in computer engineering that I will take to the collegiate level and achieve my Master’s degree, which is my largest goal that I intend to pursue no matter what it takes.

Thoughts About Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a great author. Throughout high school, I was always assigned a reading by him and was mesmerized by his work. It was so unique and abstract in a sense it captivates you but makes you think deeply within the story. One book by him that I enjoyed the most was "The Alchemist". The book is about a shepherd boy who follows his spiritual journey across Egypt to find treasure. I remember that we were studying Magical Realism and that this book had a great number of examples. The book had me on the edge of my seat everytime I opened the book to read it. The way he incorporated Magical Realism into the story was absolutely astonishing. I couldn't tell if it was real or if it was magical (spiritual) at some times. This proved that he was such a great writer because Magical Realism is very difficult to incorporate into a story where it features realism and magical elements. Other than his writing that intrigued me, his life story was also very interesting. His parents were against him of wanting to be a writer and instead wanted him to enroll to law school. He took a rather long and difficult path to become a writer which proves that we really wanted to be a writer. Honestly, I couldn't see myself giving up valuable necessities to become a writer or something else.

6 Words About Syria

Assad using chemical weapons is wrong.

We don't really know if Assad is actually using chemical weapons against his own people, but it is assumed because he is the leader of the regime in Syria. Under the United Nations, the use of any chemical weapons towards a population is outright illegal and prompts the other members of the United Nations to respond to Syria. Chemicals weapons are so detrimental to society because of its terrible effects it has on humans. The photos that emerged on the media show exactly why chemical weapons are banned from use. It's absolutely disgusting that the regime of Syria would use these weapons towards its own people. Only a man with an empty heart would do this.

Personal History

I was born in Durham, North Carolina alongside an older brother on July 8, 1996. My parents had just moved from the Philippines which made it harder to raise us because jobs were very scarce at the time. As time progressed, my father and mother obtained jobs that were under their degree making it easier to take care of two kids. During elementary school, my dad introduced me into basketball. I quickly made it my favorite hobby and loved every aspect of the game. As I got older, I realized something great during my childhood which would soon create my personality.

                My parents came to America not knowing anything. My dad struggled to pay for our family needs with just a minimum wage job of working at a pizza parlor. All four of us stayed in a small apartment with nothing inside; it was just barren. I remember my dad telling me how he would look in the dump sites near the apartment complex and he would always find small pieces of furniture to add to our apartment. Later in time my dad finally found a job where he could work under his specialty which was computer engineering. He got offered to work for SAS in Cary which made our lives as a family much easier because we could now afford to actually supply our needs without it being at a minimum. Everything seemed to fall in part together. My mom got offered a job to work at Duke Hospital and Durham Regional Hospital as a nurse and we finally moved out of that crumby apartment into our own house.

                I was born in Durham so I didn’t really know any of my family. My dad told us that our cousins will be moving to Durham with us as well from the Philippines and that they would be staying in our house until they can support themselves. My brother and I didn’t really know what to expect. We both were kind of nervous but ecstatic at the same time because we get to meet our cousins. The entire process of meeting family I didn’t know and having them stay at our house for an extended period of time is something I cherish even today. I couldn’t picture myself what I am as of today without them; they made my life much more enjoyable and taught me valuable lessons.

                Now, I just turned seven, my cousins have moved out two years ago and I’m enrolled at Eno Valley Elementary School. I got to meet a lot of great people here and to interact with them on a day-to-day basis. I always looked at the kids on the blacktop playing a sport I was very unfamiliar with; they had a ball in their hands and would bounce it and throw it towards a goal. I was really curious to ask them what they were playing but at the same time I was too shy to ask. The first thing that popped into my head was, “I gotta ask Dad!” I was so anxious to arrive at home and just barrage my dad with questions. I finally got to ask him and he told me it was a sport called basketball. He explained to me every aspect of the sport, and mentioned how he also played himself when he was in the Philippines. I was so excited to play. My dad and I would go to a random blacktop and we would just play for hours and hours. As months went by I quickly became one of the better kids to play at my school. My dad realized this and enrolled me for a higher competitive league rather than the usual recreation league.

                This time of my life was probably the most influential. I found out that I would be playing for an Amateur American Union team located in San Francisco, California. Our team was called SF City and my teammates were from different states which made it a lot more interesting. I had mixed emotions playing for an AAU team especially located out-of-state. I felt extremely depressed because my parents really never got to watch me, but I also got to play the game I love deeply.  To make everything short, I ended up playing for the same team for three years straight. During my last year, I was ten years old. This year was when my team finally had reached its full potential. We were ranked #2 in the country and had a lot of expectations in regards to making the championship game. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. We lost in the semi-final game because I let my team down in the last minute of regulation. That last minute still haunts me today. I remember it as if it happened yesterday, just watching my man go right by me and score the game-deciding basket. From then on I was completely frustrated with myself, I didn’t know what to do; basketball was all I knew.

                I ended up taking a break from basketball when I entered middle school and then into high school. I searched for other remedies to enjoy myself but it was just never the same. During the end of my freshman year I met one of my greatest friends even today. His name is Devin Williams and he showed me what hard work was and that giving up isn’t an option. I started getting back into basketball because of him and he showed me the quote that fueled myself to become someone greater which was, “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes hard work, sweat, and tears.” I thank him for helping me become who I am today. I didn’t know who I was and where I would end up; he turned my life around. Without him I would have been on the same endless path to nowhere. 

Should College Athletes Be Paid?

When college is mentioned, sports and its athletes are brought up as well. The NCAA is a non-profit organization that directs all of colleges' athletic programs. The people watch sports for entertainment, to cheer on their favorite team, to experience the thrill of competitiveness. In a way we serve as customers, providing views to the broadcasters of college sports games. The NCAA makes $6 billion annually through broadcasting off of games, sales of athletic wear with athletes' names on it, and the list goes on. Without these college athletes, the NCAA wouldn't be making any money at all. These players risk their bodies in all of these contact sports, most recently Kevin Ware suffered a gruesome incident resulting in a leg broken in two areas. So the question arises, do college athletes deserve pay? College and the NCAA are no different than professional sports. The NFL alone generally revenues approximately $6 billion (The same as the NCAA!) The real difference here is that NFL players get paid salaries, college athletes however do not. People argue that college athletes in turn, receive education and a scholarship but others argue that isn't enough to compensate for injuries that are likely to occur. Now, should college athletes be paid? I personally believe they should; $6 billion is more than enough to handle college sports, therefore allowing college athletes to be paid.