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.

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.

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.

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.