Wrichtmyer's blog

In a time of perilous panic and haphazard tactics being used, Coca-Cola reins king of the commercials. I certainly think that they did a wonderful job of bringing into account current events while also adding humor. The immigration and border debate is certainly a hot press issue in today’s society. With Americans becoming more isolated from one another and getting heated over the immigration debate. Most Americans would believe in securing our borders, but most are divided among the current amnesty conflict. By injecting ourselves into the debate, Coca-Cola unites both the fronts through this witty commercial. I truly believe that Coca-Cola has done a wonderful job with this commercial. We are brought back in time between two hostile countries, and the borders of the government are shown distinct through a line in the sand. Even elementary children are able to recognize that the two forces are not friends to each other. This hostile nature breaks when one of the two are consuming Coca-Cola. The drink serves as a mediator between these two people that hate each other. This is a huge positive aspect of the story. The ability to connect the audience with a commercial and make them feel better about the story makes them able to reach success. This is a key part in any commercial is the ability to connect with the audience and make them like the product. Because of this, the Coca-Cola company has ranked as Numéro Uno in the Superbowl Commercials for the year of 2011.

Barry Schwartz is very radical in his own ideas. It the college process is hard for all involved. Barry Schwartz has some interesting and radical ideas on college applications. I do agree with his diagnosis of problems with the system. All involved in the college admission process have to deal with stress at one level or another. Such pressure can be counterproductive, generating students who look great, but in reality rely on “easy A’s” or test preparation courses. Just because your child doesn’t get into Yale or Harvard, does not mean they will never succeed in life. A student who attends a community college has the potential to make more money and be more successful than a Harvard graduate. In fact, a study done shows that at first the Harvard graduate with the same degree as a community college student will make more money, but within five years, their salary will equal. While that is understandable, some parents go too far out of their way paying thousands of dollars to help their child be “the best”. From this, children learn quick fixes rather than having pride in both their strengths and flaws. Something I think that should be done is that colleges should look at more then just what a GPA is for a student, and at what their essays say about them, and if they are willing to take in people who could be motivated during college and not burned out because they tried their hardest to get into the college and have no desire left to actually attend the college

In my humble opinion, the winner of the CNN hero award should go to Roy Foster, a “community crusader.” Roy has hit a soft spot for me, aiding those who have served in the military. I read an amazing statistic, that 1 in 3 homeless males were at one time serving in our armed forces. This is truly remarkable. The United States repays those who put their lives at stake and receive life-threatening injuries. Unfortunately for these veterans, losing their eyesight, hearing, or even limbs affects their creditability as job applicants, physically or even mentally unstable to hold a job. This is something that occurs in modern-day society regularly, something we should not be proud of. Instead of helping others and reaching our hand out, we are turning our backs on those who have traumatizing diseases such as PTSD. As a nation we should be supporting these people the most, and politicians the least. Power and money should not be given to one party, while the other is left without either. Our country needs to stand together like Roy Foster, and look to not only respecting and paying tribute to our troops, but to also pay them and provide them with food and shelter. It is truly remarkable that Mr. Foster would go to such extremes to help these people, and I praise his support. By not only providing these people with support, but also education, they are able to get up off their feet and help the world. Especially during the draft during Vietnam, these troops did not full receive a high school education, never mind a college education. This allows those people to help receive this education in return for their valued service that they have given. Roy Foster will serve as a hero to me for many years to come.

In today’s recent economic recession, all people should be instructed on how to manage their personal finances. From the teenagers in Louisiana, to the adults in Montana, people are always needing to manage things better. I recall a moment in my life where my mother, being as smart and encouraging as she usually is, instructed me that I should be able to manage my time better. Just like time, money is a precious commodity that one can control on their own. Growing up, children are only brought up with the rules of what their parents, family members, or friends have told them. Some families do not talk about money management, or even money for that matter. To them, working more equals more money, and working less equals less money. There is no leeway or money management. By having people take a rigorous money management course, they are able to help improve the economy through intelligence. Making people intelligent and giving them more education is the path to a better America. If America does not follow the path to education, then the people will eventually degrade into debt and the corporations and big business will prevail. Unfortunately for America, they do not see the way credit card companies and loaners receive their money; by ripping off the American people. If we in fact help improve the intelligence and money savvy-ness of the citizens, we will be able to help become richer citizens. This education will help Americans and I do not see anything negative.

America has long sought to intervene when other countries need help. Whether it was Europe in the Great War and World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean Conflict, or even the recent war in the Mideast, America continually wants to help other countries in need. In the beginning, it was to stop German aggression and continually defend America’s allies against the Nazi regime. As time progressed, a new threat emerged: Communism. Through the Vietnam and Korean wars, the United States helped to defend the Southern parts of the countries that were protecting democracy. This is perfectly fine, but unfortunately America has taken this approach to the extreme. I do not believe America should help Haiti. The country is under no attack from a foreign army or war. America needs to work on its own debt and economic deficit, and look towards improving its own country. Instead of wasting its own money on other countries and supplying troops in a an effort to continue its foreign presence, America needs to cut back on its defense budget and aid itself.
There is no possible way to fully prevent any catastrophe, whether it is in Haiti or in the United States. For an example, Japan was recently hurt by an earthquake; a devastating 9.0. Instead of being completely safe and prevented, the world’s third largest economic superpower was actually devastated. Now the country of Japan is being threatened by three nuclear reactors that are failing in one plant. The United States should not go out of its way to help Japan economically, as it is such a rich country and the world’s largest creditor, it should divert the 49,000 troops already in the country to help the Japanese. Though it may be wasting American taxdollars to aid a rich country, it is a reassurance by the United States that it is there to help their investors.

I believe that we as Americans do not control our lives to a certain extent. Up until the age of 18, the American youth is legally obligated to follow their parents and follow in the path in which they have been given. The parents have their children (who have no free will at the age of five) and make them perform acts of soccer, t-ball, football, and other sports. The parent’s ability to bring about their lost childhood wishes and impose them upon their children is simply troubling. Children nowadays are starting football (a very dangerous sport) at an age before they can enter middle school. It is simply baffling how children are being forced to do all of these sports and are put under major academic pressure as well. Teenagers as Sophomores are receiving SAT classes. As Sophomores, some adolescents are taking AP classes. This is simply overbearing for a lot of children. Of course, parents are doing the right thing by encouraging their children to be the next Neil Armstrong and Karl Marx, but the amount of pressure can either make or break a child. If one believes in social Darwinism, then this is perfectly fine. However, when one grows up in life and is taught to be anti-social and instructed to perform work, we grow up with children who have the potential to perform another Columbine. This is not because of the people that may “haze” them, but rather the lack of support they have been receiving at home. Instead of parents adapting to their children’s needs, the children have been adapting to the parent’s needs, something that should not happen. Children are not all the same, most have peculiar needs that need to be satisfied in certain ways. By growing up scripted, the children are becoming more alienated from their true selves.

In my opinion of Time’s top 250 inventions of 2009, the Energy Hub is without a doubt the best invention. I myself live in a very old household, it was built around 1850. At that time, house builders were not looking towards “green energy”, efficiency, or even warm. They simply built a house that was livable in. This poses serious threats to me, my parents, and most importantly, my cat. Living in such an old house, heating efficiency isn’t exactly the best. It’s quite bad, to be honest. In order to combat such problems, I would recommend this invention, the Energy Hub that was mentioned in Time’s top inventions of 2009. This brings the people to using energy, notable heat and electricity, in a more efficient manner that would allow one to be able to save money. Especially in these tough economic times, we are all looking forward to helping one another save a few Benjamin’s here and there. This device not only allows you to program heating cycles based on time and days, but also monitors the electricity usage for the entire house. Costly devices, such as the television, desktop computers, and other large electronic devices play a huge role in one’s electricity bill. Those having electric heat are even more likely to buy the device, seeing where heat is needed the most (so that they can possibly use more insulation in that area). Altogether, the Energy Hub looks to provide the world with a greener tomorrow; one cent at a time.

Without a doubt, my favorite childhood toy would have to be my Legos. Inspiring countless children at my age, Legos were the “building blocks” (pun intended) that inspired my creative mind. Starting off small, I remember learning how to follow the directions of the structures, and building them without my parent’s help. Of course, this wasn’t enough. As time progressed, so did my interest in Legos. I began to build larger structures with the instructions, from houses and other buildings to large cars. As my imagination grew, so did my interest in Legos. I eventually began building entire towns, without directions at all. My interest manifested itself in these plastic bricks, something that almost became an obsession. I remember building an airport, garages and other structures, as well as a police station, all products of my imagination. Whenever I was in need of more Legos, I would simply go to yard sales with my family to find cheap deals. I recall a moment where an entire room (about 10 feet by 10 feet) was just packed with Lego structures. Unfortunately, as I began to outgrow Legos, I was realizing that I eventually had to take down these magical structures and throw them into a plastic container. Spending countless hours on a city of Legos, and merely having to disassemble it is quite frustrating. As I grew out of Legos, my mind still thought of building large buildings and entire airports. With this skill of engineering, I have decided to build computers now, something that I thoroughly enjoy.

In today’s sports society, entertainment and fans rule the environment. Sports teams are constantly looking to improve the creditability and prowess of their own teams. Much like the Miami Heat, (which did not turn out well as expected, unfortunately) colleges are looking to gain successful students, as well as athletes, in order to gain the prestige and appear as a better institution. Much like colleges giving scholarships to outstanding students, colleges give outstanding scholarships to athletes to participate on teams. The NCAA unfortunately has a GPA exception of upholding a 3.0 GPA, something most college athletes are challenged in college academically. The irony resides in the college’s request: academic scholars are not required to uphold a certain amount of sports or extra-curricular activities, why should college athletes uphold an academic GPA of a 3.0? I do agree, colleges should have the athletes passing college (even in the easiest academic environment) but they should not be challenged. Athletes should have their decision as to whether or not they should pursue an academic future. Most college stars actually skip parts of college in order to join in the professional draft. This is the norm for professional stars. These athletes are being prevented from working out and practicing in their sport because of the academic rigors of college. If the colleges only have a standard of “passing” in college, then these athletes will be able to spend more time preparing for the professional sports, and both the colleges and athletes will prevail. The students will be better prepared and the colleges will receive a higher contribution from the students when they become successful. The NCAA has a reputation for being strict upon the athletes, and something must be done about this attitude. Eventually things will become laissez-faire. If they do not, then the professional world and the fans will ultimately be hurt by this.

Without a doubt, I have experienced a plethora of teachers. From a Montessori elementary school, to a public middle school, extending to a Catholic high school, I have certainly experienced all sorts of teachers. Certainly the teachers that have had a profound impact upon me are the teachers that are enthusiastic in teaching their subject. Certainly my junior year, I experienced two very enthusiastic teachers who loved what they taught, and it reflects upon the class. Whenever teaching something you are a master in, your ability as a teacher increases. Another trait that is desirable in a teacher is one who connects with the students regularly. Many a time have I seen teachers who put their “8-3” in, and do not stay after class for assistance or do not open up to their students. These teachers prove ineffective, as they cannot connect with their classmates and cannot teach effectively. It reminds me of the “invisible wall” a mime produces. Much like the mime, a teacher is conceited inside of a box, and cannot teach effectively (though it may be funny to laugh at the teacher’s ineffectiveness).
An undesirable quality in a teacher is one who does not flex their schedule. I remember during middle-school especially, many teachers would arrange their schedule based on snow days or class performance. As I progress into high school, less teachers seem to teach to the students, but merely fulfill a teaching quota. When it comes to homework, teachers should be more lenient. Whether it is due to a tough academic schedule, (we do have seven classes) or simply personal illness, teachers should be able to extend homework until the end of the quarter. In college, there is no homework assigned, simply tests. As a college preparatory school, teachers should focus less on homework and more on tests.