Senior Reflection #1

Thinking back on my time at Herndon, there are a lot of things that I have enjoyed. Obviously college is going to be a huge change from high school and I'll be leaving my friends behind and going on to make new ones. Every year I've made new friends, and this year has been especially fantastic in that regard, so having to say goodbye is definitely going to be tough. However, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to meet new people and branch out and try new things in college. There are so many more options in terms of the types of people that I will meet, that I'm in no way worried about not finding friends, but the prospect of being fairly friendless at first is a little scary. Overall though, the friendships that I have fostered here at Herndon are going to stick with me, because even though there will be some people I never talk to again, my good friends will continue to be that, and when we all get home from school at winter break and for summer, times will go back to just how they used to be.

A Plan for Broadband

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21sun1.html

Summary: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking to implement a new system of high speed internet/access to high speed internet. The U.S. is significantly behind in broadband speed compared to the rest of the developed world, and the FCC wants to put us back at the top. The average download speed in the U.S. is 8 megabits per second, which the FCC plans to increase up to 100 megabits per second. The problem is TV broadcasting companies and communication companies oppose this, as it would potentially decrease telephone and TV users as the internet would be so much better (in terms of speed and price). A very few major companies currently hold a monopoly on prices for broadband service in the U.S. and this lack of competition keeps prices so high. The FCC has very limited regulatory powers in this area, so Congress must give them authority to increase power and get prices down so everyone has access to internet.

Opinion: I agree that the U.S. should definitely seek to increase broadband internet speeds, as well as decrease the cost. The internet has become the place to look for jobs, news, and entertainment, and a relatively few amount of people have access to all this (33/100). That means people who really need jobs (unemployed and poor) are at a disadvantage in finding a new job as they can't afford the internet. The FCC needs increased regulatory power so that by 2020 we can actually have a realistic cost for the majority of Americans and faster speeds for quicker access.

Healthy Solution: Taxing Soda

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/09tue3.html

Summary: Lawmakers in New York are on the verge of passing a bill that would put a steep tax on all soft drinks and other sweetened drinks. This bill kills two birds with one stone, providing a way to make significant amounts of money in a bad economy and at the same time helping to fight obesity, which is becoming one of New York's, as well as the rest of the United States', largest problems. An estimated $7 billion is spent battling obesity a year in New York, and this tax could bring in as much as $1 billion alone, as well as lowering that $7 billion.

Opinion: Obesity is disgusting. It is in my opinion the worst thing facing the world right now. The people most at risk are those in the lower class, as they for go the more expensive healthy food options for the cheaper options like fast food and soft drinks. I believe this tax needs to be implemented as soon as possible so it can become a model for what the United States should do: start fighting obesity.

A Nonfrivolous Suit

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/opinion/09tue2.html

Summary: Frank Sutton took a bite out of his chicken sandwich from McDonald's and was sprayed all across his face by a scalding pocket of grease in the sandwich. His lips were severely burnt and bled for 24 hours after the initial injury. Frank is suing McDonald's for over $2 million, claiming that in the amount of medical bills, loss of pay, extra expenses, that's how much was necessary. The case is going forward and has "enough evidence" to make a legitimate case against McDonald's.

Opinion: First off I think the man should have exercised more care in biting into a hot sandwich, be that as it may, there is absolutely no reason that a chicken sandwich should have boiling hot pockets of grease enough to cause damage lasting more than 7 months. This needs to be looked into properly and effectively, as that could easily have been a child who would have been hurt much more severely than an adult. The fast food industry needs much stricter restrictions and inspections before sales can be made if things of this nature are happening.

National School Standards, At Last

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/opinion/14sun1.html?ref=opinion

Summary: A new proposal laid out by the National Governors Association for reorganizing the structure of the curriculum of United States schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The new system would have students developing reasoning and logic skills earlier than they do now, and making the system national would make sure that it doesn't depend on what county you live in the type of education you will receive.

Opinion: I feel very strongly about this proposal. I think that it is exactly what is necessary for the United States to once again be at the top of the world in terms of education. Most other countries have students well beyond the U.S. in terms of math and reading at almost any level. This needs to change. If the new system is actually incorporated, which I feel it will not be, then young children can start reaching potential earlier and developing new skills to put the U.S. back to the innovating and intelligent level necessary for international competition.

New Think and Old Weapons

Editorial: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/opinion/28sun1.html?ref=opinion

Summary: President Obama is soon to deliver the "nuclear posture review," a review made every four years to make a statement about the United States' arsenal. The author points out how the U.S. and Russia have a combined 20,000 nuclear weapons, dubbed "cold war relics" by Obama. He (the author) says that this is an absurd amount as only a fraction of that number would be necessary to destroy the entire world, let alone one single country if a nuclear war was started. Thus the author believes that an arms reduction treaty between at least the U.S. and Russia is necessary, and ideally a shared reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons in the world.
Opinion: I, too, believe that there is an obvious need for arms reduction across the entire world, the problem is countries like China, who have between 300 and 500 nuclear weapons, scare us, the U.S. Also the "chillingly" vulnerable warheads in Russia, some 3,000, are at risk of falling into the wrong hands. No one is willing to be the first to reduce its insurance of safety or rather its nuclear weapons. As the editorial states, these weapons are realistically never going to be used, they are simply a way of stopping any other nation using them on one's own country. Obama has stated goals of reducing the 2,000 readily available nukes to around 1,500: a start.

Cutting of Indoor Track in FairCo

Last year we (the track community) had to deal with the possible elimination of Indoor Track, along with gymnastics and swimming, for the 2009-2010 school year. Fortunately there was enough support from the community that not only track, but all other sports were sparred the chopping block. Next year isn't looking as hopeful. Obviously there are budget cuts galore that will be happening, not just in terms of school sports but also the removal of Fairfax County's payment for all students AP classes plus many more changes besides. Education comes first and foremost, but the county's job is to meet the needs and provide for its students. Cutting freshman teams and entire sports in general removes scholarship opportunities for those gifted enough to be able to participate in sports across the country, frees up time for students to participate in less respectable activities, removes incentives for students to keep grades up, the list goes on. Here at Herndon, the track coaches refuse to let anyone join the team with D's or F's on their report card. That means every student has to have atleast a C- in ALL their classes.

Writing on this blog will do nothing in the fight to save indoor track, but it does provide me with a place to vent frustration that those who run track with me this year and who are not seniors will not enjoy the same 4 years that I was able to experience. Running track is time consuming and difficult, but it has been an immense force in shaping me as a person, and the removal of that would change me. I will (hopefully) be continuing onto the college level of sports at William and Mary to run cross country and track at D1 level, not with any scholarships, but the opportunity is there as a result of being able to constantly train all year round, including during the winter season with indoor track. Fairfax County, please don't cut sports. That is all.

Who drew the cartoon? Jimmy Margulies

Where was it published? The Record, January 18, 2010

What issue does it deal with? This cartoon deals with the issue of relief in Haiti and the problems in hurrying up the process of getting supplies to those who need them most.

What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon is saying that Haiti is being held together with limited supplies and resources. "Band-aids" are the extent of the medical supplies available to the people of Haiti, and although foreign countries are offering "full support" they certainly are not offering immediate support.

Do you agree with the cartoon's message? I do agree. There are an estimated 200,000 dead, 70,000 bodies recovered and thousands more every day. The few survivors stuck in the wreckage need the support of additional manpower (US has 5000 en route) to help dig out and speed up the process, or else these poor people are left to die in the destruction of their own homes and workplaces.

Obama 2010

The Obama administration has done a lot of talking and not a lot of delivering. Although I definitely believe Obama came in at a very difficult time, especially in terms of the economic recession, he has done little that has had a true upturning effect. We are more in debt now with the stimulus spending than we were pre-Obama, and the effects of the spending have not been really felt as of yet. Hopefully in the coming months some alleviation will happen, but I don't count on it. What I believe Obama needs to focus on is the economy above everything else. If he can accomplish one thing this year, it should be getting the recession out of the U.S., it's a difficult task, but he owes it to Americans.

Who drew this cartoon? John Cole

Where was it published? Unknown

What issue does it deal with? The extreme amount of snow that has hit the entire east coast this year, it has hit the global warming enthusiasts in the face.

What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon is poking fun at the protests of global warming and environmental promoters who argue that the the poles are melting and all kinds of species are in danger, when we've been averaging ten degrees cooler per day than is normal and have more snow a half a month in to winter than we usually get throughout the whole course of the winter.

Do you agree with the message? I do. It's kind of hard to tell people that anything is melting when most people are freezing their hands off just walking to the car. The problem is that although I believe global warming is occurring, those promoters should should know how and when to pick their fight.

Holidays

My absolute favorite holiday is Christmas. It beats out my birthday, Thanksgiving, Valentines day (especially), and any other holiday. There is a certain festive cheer that lasts the entire month of December that is easy to get caught up in, i.e. Christmas music on the radio, holiday parties with delicious food, and even 24 inches of snow on very lucky occasions. Also the gifts aren't too shabby either. Giving as well as receiving is fun, and it brings people closer together. Throw in a two week break from school and you've got the best holiday of the year. Christmas kicks ass.

Who drew the cartoon? Mike Keefe

Where was it published? The Denver Post, January 8th, 2010

What issue does it deal with? This cartoon deals with airline security and the recent bumps in levels of coordination and cooperation that have been passed, including Obama's order that anyone entering the U.S. from 14 states with known terrorism ties be fully searched.

What is the cartoon's message? The cartoon is portraying a sarcastic view on the bumps in security, saying that next thing we know, people will be completely covered in full body casts before the U.S. government feels adequately safe.

Do you agree with the cartoon's message? I believe that the cartoon is right in saying that anything further will remove or infringe on rights of passengers, but safety is still an issue of upmost importance. People from those fourteen countries have very blatantly shown their feelings towards the U.S. Not every person from those countries shares the same view, but until they are willing to take it upon themselves to sweep out terrorism ties and activity in their respective countries, the full body pat down requirement is not too much.