Drug and Alcohol ABuse in College

Today, more and more college students are dealing with drug and alcohol abuse. Students are being forced to go to tratments or classes to help them kick addictions that college has encouraged. According to Santa Clara University EMT's, the number of freshman students being rushed to the hospital has doubled over the past few years. These hospital visits are mainly the result of drug and/or alcohol abuse.

Another issue in college is when friends are afraid to speak up to get their friends help. instead of telling the students to stop, people watch their friends slowly kill themselves by drinking excessive amounts or abusing illegal drugs. These substances could potentially get students kicked out of the University, yet it remains a huge problem. Do your friends a favor and help them. make them aware of what they are doing to their lives and their bodies. These "innocent days of drinking and partying" can cause life long problems of liver damage and addicted behavior. Go to drugfree.org to read up on abuse problems and to talk to people in order to get help for yourself or for your friends. Do what you can to help them now because you never know when they will take their addictions too far.

Playoffs Here We Come!

As the second place team in the league, the San Jose Sharks have stepped it up this season to be the leader of the Pacific League. The Sharks defeated the Anaheim Ducks last night to clinch their spot in the playoffs. So far, on the Sharks and the Red Wings have clinched spots in the playoffs as the first and second place teams in the NHL. Goalie Nabokov made 34 saves to secure his sixth shutout of the season. Nabokov's leadership has helped the sharks to reach a record of 45-13-10 and to make him one of the top goalies in the league with a personal record of 34-8-7. Tomorrow, March 17th the Sharks take on Phoenix who are currently last place in the Western Conference. Watch the game at 7:00 PM and wish them luck!

World Trade Center

It is official! The construction of the new World Trade Center is underway. Although this project will take a very long time to complete, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have placed an order for 22,000 tons of steel for the construction of the new building.

Battered Wife Syndrome

Right now, one of the biggest news stories in the papers and online is the Chris Brown and Rihanna controversies. Despite Rihanna having to have plastic surgery on her face because Chris hit her so hard, he has decided to go back to him. Not only is she going back to him, but they have just finished a duet together and are showing the world that they are still as close as ever. Even though Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 20, are you and they are each others "first loves", this is a typical case of battered wife syndrome; she'll keep running back to him.

On TheRoot.com, Sophia Nelson writes a disturbing piece right after her friends funeral. Her friend was murdered by her husband, which has made women worry for people like Rihanna who can not stand up for themselves and take the abuse. I believe that abuse awareness needs to be a bigger issue in our society, and not just talk about it when a famous person gets hit. The reality is, many people in our society are victims of domestic violence, and Rihanna is not act as a good role model. Instead of inspiring women to stand up for themselves, she has shown her weakness; that she believes this behavior is acceptable and appropriate.

Starvation in India

Today in the New York Times, there is a story about how the Indian Growth is still soaring while child starvation increases. Children are dying of lack of food and nourishment. In India despite growth and good government intentions, has malnutrition at 42.5 percent. Malnutrition makes children more prone to illness and stunts physical and intellectual growth for a lifetime. There are no simple explanations. India’s public expenditure on health remains low, and in some places, financing for child nutrition programs remains unspent.

Maddoff in Jail

It is about time! It is official, Bernard Maddoff was put in jail after pleading guilty to all 11 charges. He will wait in jail until his full sentence is announced.

Record Breaking Game!

Tonight, history was made in college basketball. Syracuse and Uconn went head to head which ended in the second longest game in Division 1 college basketball history. The No. 6-seeded Orange outlasted the No. 3 Huskies, 127-117, after six, count them, SIX overtimes!!! The games lasted 3 hours and 46 minutes and lasted until 1:22 am. Eight players fouled out and Syracuse’s leading scorer, Jonny Flynn played a total of 67 minutes. The game was 10 minutes short of completing two whole games!

In the end, Syracuse prevailed because of UCONN had an ungodly number of turnovers, which in the end helped Syracuse.

Shoe Thrower

Iraqi man who threw his shoes at former president George W. Bush was sentenced to 3 years of jail time.

Campus Safety

Are female students safe on college campuses? Over the past few years, more and more women have filed reports about being sexually attacked or assaulted on their college campuses.

As a student of the University of San Francisco two years ago, we would receive emails about twice a week warning students of current reports are assaults. The school goes to great lengths to protect their students on campus. In order to enter into a dorm building, you much successfully swipe your access card to get through two door. Then you must walk past a receptionist and show her your ID and picture. If you wish to bring in a friend who does not live in the dorm, the guest must check in the ID at the front desk and leave it on file until you exit the dorm. All guest must also leave the dorm by 10 pm or else you will get written up. The school goes to great lengths to protect students, yet there are still several reports on a weekly basis.

When I was a student at USF, I was informed that several female students were sexually assaulted in the bushes directly in front of my dorm building. There are campus safety who drive around to "protect" students, but it still seems like these crimes are occurring on a regular basis.

At Cal University, there is a sexual predator who has been walking around campus and lifting girls skirts and trying to manually penetrate his victims. This has been going on for several weeks now, and he is up to 19 victims. The police and campus safety are investigating this case and trying to prevent it from happening again, but it has not stopped! I believe that a more intricate system needs to be put into action to protect these women, especially on large campuses like Cal's because there are more places for people to be alone and attacked.

Free Agent Signs with Buccs

Derrick Ward has agreed to a four-year, $17 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Smile! It is almost the weekend

This video always puts a smile on my face.  I love seeing new funny youtube videos so if you have any suggestions, feel free to send them to me! For now, enjoy!

New York

This weekend, I am flying to New York to visit one of my friends who is currently working for an internship in the Fashion District.  I have been to New York many times, but this is the first time I will be going to act as a tourist.  I am going to the famous Carnegie Deli and we will be visiting the Statue of Liberty and exploring Ellis Island.  I can not wait to see the bright lights of the city!  On the other hand, I could use a weekend somewhere warm, not in NY with 30 degree weather and bone chilling winds.  

Weather Report...wish me luck

Michelle Obama on the Cover of Vogue

In March 2009, our new leading lady will be on the cover of Vogue.  Michelle Obama posed for the cover and a spread in the world's most famous fashion magazine in the country.  Her look was gorgeous and flawless and she is indeed one of the most gorgeous first women we have ever seen.  In the article, she talks about her plan as the President of the United State's wife.

Several articles were written about her Vogue spread, and every single article i read about the spread talked about Michelle and her clothing.  I do know that she is posing for a famous fashion magazine, but she said so many important and moving things in her article that were completely ignored.  Instead, articles about the magazine discussed her wardrobe choices throughout the election and how she is now a fashion icon.  I do not deny that she is a fashion icon, but she is much more than that.  I feel that we should be talking about how she may be one of the most intelligent and well educated first ladies we have ever seen who puts her family before anything else and plans on helping her husband in many ways to be the best president we have had.  Forget what she wears, lets focus on what she has to say.

A Hero and a Law Breaker?

This weekend in Denver Colorado, a good samaritan was doing his usual good deed.  As he and a friend were helping two elderly women cross the street during a snowstorm, a speeding truck was raced down the street to potentially hit all four of the pedestrians.  Jim Moffett, one of the men, pushed all three of his companions out of the way and was hit by the speeding truck.  When he was in the hospital, he suffered bleeding of the brain, broken bones, a ruptured spleen, and a dislocated shoulder.  Upon waking up, he was informed that a nearby police officer cited Moffett for Jaywalking.

I think that it is ridiculous to give a citation to this man.  I am not saying that you should feel bad and pity a man who has been so hurt and not cite him.  He was simply crossing a street and helping two older women cross the street.  He and his friend who were helping the women cross the street were cited, but the older women were not.  I believe that this is unfair because if you cite one, you should cite everyone.  And if you decided to "feel bad" for the older women, why don't you feel bad for the man who almost lost his life trying to save those old women.

READ THE STORY HERE

Tis the Season

Tis theseason boys and girls.  The flu season has officially arrived!  Lucky us...there have been many absences from classes lately because the flu is spreading around campus like wildfire! Although Cowell is offering Flu Vaccinations, this is not preventing a great number of students from getting sick.

I was lucky enough to catch this flu last week.  I forgot how much I hate being sick until I literally could not move my body and my temperature went from freezing to burning hot in just two minutes.  The moral of the story? Don't get sick!  Wash your hands consistently and be sure to avoid sharing drinks or beer pong cups with your friends who may be infected.  Trust me, it is NOT fun!

Chris Brown's Reputaion in Shambles

This past weekend, Chris Brown and girlfriend Rihanna were expected to play at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. When they both called in sick and Brown went to the police to turn himself in for domestic violence, we knew that there was a huge story behind it. On Saturday night, Chris Brown and Rihanna were driving when they began fighting. A near-by woman called the police because Brown had hit and bit Rihanna numerous times then left her stranded. Before this, Brown had a squeaky clean reputation, being know for his clean cut image.

After Rihanna was released from the hospital, more stories emerged that Brown's mother was a victim of domestic violence and he grew up watching his step father hit his mother. Could this be the cause for his sudden violence for long time girlfriend Rihanna? What could she have said to anger him so much that he would hit her numerous times in the face? I guess all we will know are the stories that Chris and Rihanna tell the police until his trial date is set.

Sarah Palin; When Will She Go Away?

After the most recent presidential election, some of the top runners are still in the news. Because Sarah Palin was such a popular figure to talk about over the past few months, she is still being talked about constantly. In my opinion, it has been ridiculous how reporters have payed more attention to what she is wearing than her qualifications to have one of the most influential jobs in our country. Instead of focusing on her scripted debates, they would write stories about her spike high heels and her expensive new wardrobe. In my opinion, that is the last thing I would want to read about when voting for a president or vice president.

Many people are asking is Sarah Palin will ever just go away. After her loss as vice president, many humorous videos and stories have come out making fun of her because of things she has said and done. Many still cannot get past the fact that she is a hunter who eats moose burgers, and the fact that she claims her foreign policy experience is good because of how close Alaska is to Russia. One of the most popular videos that has emerged is of two "Russian" men who sing to Sarah. While these people who make fun of her want her to disappear, i believe that their stories or videos that do make fun of her keep her popularity alive.

David at the Destist; Funny or Offensive?

The most recent sensation on the collegehumor.com and youtube.com is a video of a young boy who was given laughing gas at the dentist. While the young boy is funny by saying ridiculous things like, "Is this real life", he is confused about how he feels by being high on laughing gas, and his dad pulled over the car to tape his son. Many people find this video hilarious, but many others believe that it was inappropriate to tape their son and put it up on the internet.

People have posted on websites and written stories about how this video is offensive. It is said that it was almost like the father was making fun of his son by video taping their ridiculous conversation and posting it on the internet. So you be the judge; funny or offensive?

Steroids

Today in sports, many athletes use steroids to improve their performances.  No matter if steroids are against the rules in professional sports, many athletes still get caught for using enhancing drugs to make them the best.  Today, Alex Rodriguez came forward and admitted to using steroids from 2001 to 2003.  Even though he apologized for his illegal drug use, he is now being put into the "cheating" category with Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire.  This will most likely anger his fans and may be faced with fines.

So why come forward now? It has been five years since he had taken steroids and had not gotten into trouble.  At this point in A-Rod's career, he was falling out of the limelight.  With a very public divorce and talk of an affair with world famous singer Madonna, I feel that he wanted to be back in the limelight for a little bit longer.  

Lucky Coin

For high school athletes, their college choise is extremely important. When you are being recruited by the top colleges in the country, their choice can be quite difficult. For high school foorball players these days, there are many great options of schools to choose from.

Ka'lial Glaud, a high school linebacker from New Jersey, was being recruited by West Virginia and Rutgers, but did not know what choice to make. Instead, he left his fate up to a single coin.

Ka'lial Glaud decided that he would to to West Virginia if it was heads and Rutgers if it was tails. "Tails came up, so that's when I decided Rutgers. I Didn't know where I was going to go," Glaud told his home town newspaper.

Ka'lial, now finishing up his senior year of high school, plans on attending Rutgers University in the fall because of one lucky coin.