The iPad is a tablet computer which the user can carry around with them. Users can browse the Internet, play games from the App store or read an e-newspaper, just like a normal laptop. Except users won’t be able to multi-task, make phone calls or take pictures.  

While calling it an oversized iPod touch is too general, the iPad didn’t live up to its potential. Don’t start calling me an Apple hater, or a Windows lover yet, just hear me out. I own an iPhone; it is one of the few products that lives up to all the hype Apple gets.

On the iPhone owners can use an App while talking to a friend, listen to music while reading the newspaper and upload photos straight to the Internet. With the iPad users cannot do more then one task at a time, a big letdown considering their phone that costs less is able to multitask easily. 

If I spent $499 on any laptop, Mac or PC, I should be able to do everything a mobile computer can do. Why would Apple release their revolutionary product without all of the same capabilities?

Some users argue the size of an iPad is more compact, when really it is not much smaller in size. Coming in at 9.56” x 7.47”, it is not something that will be able to fit in a pocket. 

It will take up some space in a backpack or purse, not much better than an average laptop’s size.

If purchasing an iPad just to have a simple tablet computer to browse news with, listen to music or play games on, I suppose the price is justifiable. However, I prefer to get more than one thing done at a time. 

I’d rather spend my money on a laptop. 

While I enjoy the iPad and the features it has, it doesn’t live up to its hype or its $499 price tag.

Well it is. Sitting on the court for all the Men’s NCAA Final Four Championship games in Indianapolis, is pretty much amazing. The front row seat is awesome. The clothes and the shoes from Nike are all free. And the players’ sweat? Well I’ll mop up Gordon Hayward’s sweat any day.

Yep, I got to be a “Ball Kid” for the Final Four. Of course there is more to being a ball kid than watching the games. And there is more to the Final Four than just the games.

Friday, the teams practice for four hours. This really isn’t a lot of fun. With Saturday came the semifinal games. I silently prayed for Butler to win, even when they were struggling throughout most of the first half. But by the half Butler had tied Michigan State at 28. 

The second half of the game was even better. I sat there on the court watching the Dawgs keep up and take the lead from the Spartans. 

Even with Korie Lucious’ mystical ability to drop every field goal, Butler won 52-50.

I may have broken the “don’t cheer for either team; stay neutral” rule when I screamed out loud that mid-major Butler had actually topped Tom Izzo and the Spartans.

Honestly, the second game wasn’t as intense. Duke seemed to dominate West Virginia. I got to clean up after the West Virginia timeouts, which meant standing next to the West Virginia bench and listening to Bob Huggins colorful pep talks to his players.

The real heartbreaker in the game was Da’Sean Butler. Butler fell after going up for a rebound and ended up leaving the game with an injury.

He fell a mere foot from where I was sitting. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone in more physical pain than Butler. Huggins then came onto the court to scream at the ref for not calling a foul, using more colorful language to emphasize his point. But then he got down on his knees and comforted his player.

After that Duke sealed the deal 78-57.

The night of the final game, it was storming in Indianapolis.  When we entered the dome hours before tip-off the place was already electric. We spent time in the media room during the pre-game. Everyone was buzzing about the same thing: David vs Goliath.

But when they walked out onto the court that night, David and Goliath seemed pretty evenly matched. Butler kept the game close the whole time, but Duke powered through the Butler defense. 

Besides the Jayhawks victory in 2008, this was by far one of the most exciting final games I had been to. Even when Hayward’s last second half-court heave rimmed out and gave the Blue Devils the national championship, it was a perfect game.

But it was made better by the look on Hayward’s face when he missed. He was satisfied. Just being a part of the game had been enough for Hayward. All of the Butler team was content. No one layed down on the court and cried, they congratulated Duke and walked off to their locker room. 

It was the essence of college basketball.

I sat alone on a Friday night thinking to myself, “How am I going to handle this? What can I do now? I’ve lost everything I worked for. This is what I wanted most out of this year.”

That night I was in distress and disbelief, isolated from my surroundings and contemplating what to do next.

I needed to be alone. 

It really knocked me down and I felt what it was like to be near rock bottom — at least, in a certain aspect of my life.  

Getting back into baseball, the game I love, when I was told I wasn’t good enough, seemed like trying to fight a guy with my arms tied behind my back.  

I knew in my heart that I earned the right to put on a uniform and rep my school colors. 

But I’ll never play another game as a Tiger because I’ll be attending Blue Valley Southwest, most likely for the rest of my high school days.

When it comes right down to it, I just had to man up and deal with it.

It was tough explaining to people how I didn’t make the team, or how agonizing it is seeing the guys that made the team leave class early for a game.

People say don’t dwell on the past. 

For anyone whose ever dealt with the same experience, I’m telling you, don’t forget about it.

Remember it. 

Thrive on it.

I have to use it to motivate me and to accomplish what I want to get done.  

I will move on, but I will never forget that feeling that burned inside me and hearing the words uttered from the coach that I didn’t earn a spot on the team.

“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to let you go.”

Don’t ever let that go. Use it as fuel.

I’ll never let one person’s judgement make me turn my back on a sport that I’ve been playing since I could barely tie my cleats. 

Especially when that person may not even know the character within me.

Overcoming being cut from the team goes beyond just sports for me.

It helped teach me how to overcome adversity and will greatly benefit me with other obstacles that might come across my path as I get older. 

I’ve had my skin practically freeze in late March night games with piercing wind blowing across the diamond. 

I’ve sweated off a sufficient amount of Gatorade in triple-digit heat in mid-July.

If I cherish being on the field and feel like I belong playing at a competitive level, then why should I quit and hang up my glove and cleats?

Just like the inspirational line from the movie Never Back Down, “the outcome is on you.”  

A good friend of mine reminded me of it, and how it related to me as well. 

I can’t control the result of my tryout that I worked so hard for. 

I can control how I handle the situation.  

I can sit back and watch things pass by.

Or I can stand up and control how I take the fall.  

It’s my decision and I’m going to make the one I won’t regret when my own kids ask me about my run with high school sports. 

I know I won’t let anything or anyone get the best of me. 

Even though I’ll never suit up in black and gold again, I have tremendous opportunity ahead of me at Southwest.  

Maybe this is fate, I don’t know for sure. 

But I do know it’s my turn to step up to the plate come next March, and you can bet I’m going to make the most of it.

The legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden said it best.

”Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

“An economic recession? Not in our school.”

However, because of recent budget cuts, just like the rest of the country, our district, and our school, is struggling to make ends meet. 

Blue Valley is now facing a challenge like never before.

Principals and teachers in all schools in the district will be forced to decide what really deserves school funding and what expenses will have to be cut.

So, within the coming months of our second semester, and most likely into the next school year, our Johnson County bubble will be popped. 

The economic downturn we all thought would pass has hit our school.  

We will all be feeling the effects of a tighter budget and more difficult financial decisions. No expenditure will go unexamined.

As students, it is our duty to ensure that amidst all of the budget cutting and expense examining, we understand the situation and stand up for the most valuable parts of our high school experience.

Field trips, although few and far between, provide for a learning experience that can’t quite be achieved in the classroom.

 Unfortunately, a tighter budget won’t allow funding for trips to see plays or visit museums.

BV sports, one of the most cherished parts of our school, could see a change in the near future. 

With less money to devote to athletics and salaries for coaches, sports programs could see a reduction in teams, only allowing for varsity and junior varsity.

The list of potential items that could be cut is long. In all reality, every area of the district will feel some pain, whether it’s the custodial staff, the volleyball team or the art department.

It’s easy to just pass on the blame for the budget cuts. It’s easy to complain about our district’s financial condition.

 And, it’s easy to assume the extremes that the budget cuts could possibly produce.

But there are small things students can do to make a difference. The phrase “every penny counts” should, in the next few months, be taken literally. 

Simple things like turning off computers at the end of the day or watching our paper consumption can in the long run make a difference in the school’s budget.

We all have something we’re passionate about within our school. In such a trying time, BV as a whole must take careful consideration in how we spend our money so we can preserve what really matters.

I’ll be honest; it’s been the most challenging year of my life. 

My grades aren’t where I expected.

 I’ve worked harder than I ever have before, and to this point there aren’t many accomplishments to show for it. 

It’s frustrating, yeah.

My dad was on the receiving end of several tear-filled phone calls about test scores this year. 

Not joking.

But I can honestly say that I’ve taken on some of the most challenging classes our school has to offer (made it out alive), and benefited from them.

I’m more prepared for college than ever. If I take away the microscope I use in AP Biology and look at the big picture, college readiness is what counts.

If I can do this, anyone can.

Enrollment is here and I would recommend signing up for a few of those tough courses you think will send you over the edge. 

They won’t. 

No matter what that AP class will throw at you, with a good sense of time management and some motivation you’ll be able to work your way through it.

I did it. 

If I was able to, it’s possible.

I can almost guarantee some late nights spent reading a textbook or writing an essay though. 

It’s all part of the job description. 

College classes require college-level reading and college-level application.

More nights than not I fall asleep with a textbook in my hands, the lights on in my room and my glasses perched on my nose. I got used to it.

You’ll probably consume a good amount of coffee, energy drinks, Rooster Boosters, etc., and spend a good portion of your paycheck on them. 

A tough junior schedule isn’t a bad thing — the challenge will make you a more responsible, driven student.

 But the benefits don’t come easily. There’s plenty of work that goes with it. And by plenty, I mean a near overwhelming amount. 

Junior year can teach you a few things:

    1. A 50 percent on a unit exam isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

    2. In order to do well in pretty much any class, you actually have to read the material. This can be harder than it sounds. Textbooks (at least the ones we use) are not written like action novels.

    3. One low semester grade won’t kill your GPA.

It can also teach you a lot about yourself. You’ll become the kind of student who does the homework, reading and test-prep even if it isn’t worth a grade. 

Just start preparing now, though, because speaking from experience, junior year was a wake-up call for me. Kind of like that annoying alarm clock that I wake up to at 5:30 a.m. every day to finish up my physics worksheets and pre-calculus book assignments. 

Freshmen and sophomores need to form good study habits now so that come junior year, five chapter’s worth of material isn’t impossible to study for. 

Try to use your assignment book to designate time increments or page numbers to get a certain amount of reading done every night. 

That way, you don’t end up reading two chapters of history in the early morning hours before a test. Been there, done that. 

For seniors who made it through this year: I applaud you.

For my fellow classmates: we’re halfway done. 

For freshmen and sophomores: junior year isn’t impossible, it just seems like it when you’re there.

by Caitlin Holland

Persona one:

Strut, strut, strut.

The hallway is my runway.  Spectators are all around, with their eyes glued on me.  The glamorous lighting is nothing short of spectacular.

Show a smile, do a shimmy, turn, turn and smize.

Persona two:

Pencil? Check.

Extra pencil? Check.

Peering through my spectacles, I get in a little bit of last minute studying that will really push me toward that A.

Oh shoot, did that boy just smile at me?  Play it cool.  Deep breaths.

“Hey.”

He likes me.

Persona three:

“Rahhh rah rah rarrr…”  — the noise from my very hip and stellar Bose headphones.

Let me check my calendar for the week.  Looks like I’m booked every night.  So many concerts, so little time.  You know what I mean?

Man.  They’re out of the concert T-shirt I wanted.

Oh well, I’m traveling to New York to see them in a month anyway.  I can just pick it up then.

Maybe a combination of all three? Perfect.

Say hello to the new me, 2010: a runway uber-nerd with a love of music.

A new year means being able to reinvent yourself, right?

Maybe I’m taking the phrase a little too literally.  You won’t be seeing me in fashion magazines anytime soon.  My motivation for school has dropped during my final semester.  And I am merely an average music junkie.

A new year doesn’t mean reinventing yourself; however, a new year does give you the perfect opportunity to set new goals.  And this year is even greater than the average — you can make goals for the next decade.

Don’t worry.  I’m not going to pass out a form asking you to write down three goals for education, three goals for your personal life and three other goals.

But really, goals aren’t as bad as your elementary teachers made them seem.  You’re not going to change over night, but setting goals will help you get to your destination eventually.

As I sat filling out scholarship application after scholarship application over my winter break, I decided I needed a goal.  

At the time I only needed a short term one — finish at least two applications by the time we returned to school.

Goal accomplished.

My next goal?

Decide which college I’m attending by spring break.

Those are both short term goals that will add up to helping me reach a long term goal for the future: graduate from a university with a degree in graphic design.

Ultimately, I use goals as deadlines to work toward.  They help keep me focused on my most important tasks.

“A new year, a new you” is not meant to be taken literally.  It merely gives you the opportunity to aspire to be better with the help of goals. 

by Stephanie Roche

by AJ Barbosa