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RG3 Should Go To The NFL

by Cheval John

Normally, I would be for college athletes, especially football and basketball players, stay their entire four years of their eligibility in order to get their college degrees because it will allow them to fall back on something if their dreams of playing in the National Football League (NFL) or the National Basketball Association (NBA) doesn’t work out. With junior quarterback Robert Griffith III, also known as RG3, I take an exception.

Griffith had a phenomenal year, passing for 3,998 yards, 36 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He became the first player from Baylor University to win the Heisman Trophy and is one of the top prospects that could be drafted in the NFL next year. He also has a chance to return for his senior year in order to help the Baylor Bears improve to an even better record and possibly play for the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship and forgo the draft.

I honestly think that he should go to the NFL Draft. Now you might be saying, “I thought that you want to see college athletes go for four years in order to get their degrees?” I do, but here is the reason why I take an exception with RG3: He has already attained his Bachelor’s Degree and is about to graduate with his Masters Degree next year, so why should he come back and play his “senior year, when he has the opportunity to make millions of dollars in the NFL? It just doesn’t make any sense and if he does decide to come back and play, then all the power to him and I hope that the team succeeds next year because even though they get another quarterback, they probably will not be like RG3 and that is o.k.

College Newspapers Are More Relevant Than You Think

Before I started working for the Houstonian, the independent newspaper of Sam Houston State University, my perception of college newspapers was that they were not as relevant as major newspapers. I thought that they were in the same category as high school newspapers. Now that I have been there for almost a year, I have seen the importance of college newspapers and the impact that they bring to university students.

With the supervision of a faculty advisor, students are in charge of operations of a college newspapers. It is one of the few places on a university campus that a person can gain professional experience before they graduate. Also, they will know the “ins and outs” of their university.

The best part about working for a college newspaper is that you have a chance to cover areas that you are passionate about. For example, I am a sports reporter for the Houstonian and I have the privilege of covering sports teams  sponsored by the athletic department of Sam Houston. I love it because it allows me to share their stories and report on the teams’ success and failures. Also, you have the opportunity to meet a reporter from any of the major newspapers in the United States and work side by side with them.

Even if you decide not to work for a major newspaper after you graduate, you will have the maturity in your future career because of the experience gained while you worked for your college newspaper.

A Once In A Lifetime Opportunity

As graduation ceremonies are going on around the world, I would like to give my congratulations to all of the graduates who have worked so hard to get to that milestone. They understand that it is very important to get a college degree because they will be set for the rest of their lives.

You might say, “The economy is tough and no one is hiring, so is it still worth it to put four or more years of my life through college to get a degree? Yes, it is absolutely worth it because according to Census Bureau, a person who earns an associate degree will earn over $400,000 more than someone who only have a high school diploma in their lifetime and for someone who earns a bachelor’s degree will earn double that amount.

It gets even better, a person who earns a master’s or a doctorate will earn more than someone who has a bachelor’s degree.

That’s an incentive for anyone to go to college and get a degree, but don’t let that be the only motivation because if that is, then you are missing the point.

When a person go to college, they learn about things that they would not have learned in high school. In my final semester as an undergraduate, I took a class called “Economic History: Industrial Revolution to Present.” Through that class, I learned a lot about economics from a historical standpoint and it allowed me to understand what was going on during the so-called “Great Recession of 2008.”

If you still feel that it is not worth it to go to college, then that is your choice, but I got to warn you, you will be missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

If you agree or disagree with this post, please leave a comment here.

It’s Not Worth The Trouble To Shop On Black Friday

Today is Black Friday. It is a day when Americans are out shopping early in the morning time to get merchandises that is on sale for a cheaper price. Many would stand outside the stores in the cold for an average of 5 hours until the stores open to get that particular merchandise before someone else does.

Crazy things happen on that day. An example would be someone pepper spraying another person in order to get in the front of the line or fighting another customer in order to get that particular merchandise. During this time over the years, many people have been arrested for fighting over a product. A few have been trampled by an onslaught of customers trying to get that particular thing that is important to them.

Personally, I think that it is ridiculous that people would wait out in the cold hours before the store opens in order to get a specific merchandise. I understand that it is on sale for that specific weekend, but that same particular product will be on sale either before Christmas or the week after. It is not worth it to get into fights or even go to jail just to get that specific product because it will follow you for the rest of your life.

Celebrating Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated in the United States and Canada. It is a time when families come together to give thanks for all of the blessings that was bestowed upon them.

In the United States, the history of thanksgiving began in 1621 when the English arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They prepared a feast and celebrated by thanking God for keeping them safe in their journey from England to what is now the United States.

To all my readers, happy thanksgiving and I hope that everyone finishes the year on a high note.