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Samples from Yuma, Colorado From Yuma, Colorado Dianne Harper, an English teacher at Yuma High School, in Yuma, Colorado, sent us Desiree Yost's Definition Paper from Fan the Deck. You'll enjoy reading Desiree's outstanding essay. Congratulations to both of you! Nostalgia Sometimes it is hard to find the right word to describe the sensations one experiences. In fact only a few exceptional words can describe these passions completely. Nostalgia is the perfect word for the strong need one gets to go back in time, such as to childhood where everything was still innocent and pure. While the formal definition is simple, it is thorough. Nostalgia is a yearning to return to the past, which makes people collect antiques, read literature from that time, or even wear clothes of that era. It is best related to wishfulness, desire, need, or even homesickness. Nostalgia, however, is not a fulfillment of one's existence in the present. It is not an act of looking forward to the events that are likely to become reality. Being troubled in mind or worried about some uncertain matter or event is not an experience of nostalgia. Nostalgia is like a dream, vivid and colorful but lost. When awakened from the dream, it is hard to grasp all the details, but the desired to do so is always there. It is the tear that trickles down your face while looking through an album of people lost; the breathe you can't let out as your hear a voice from a long ago friend; the way your heart half beats, then skips a beat entirely at the thought of your very first love. Being able to describe these desires is a benefit and sometimes even a relief. Some ways to use the word might include: "A wave of nostalgia overcame me when the Creedence Clearwater Revival song played on my car stereo," or "When I talked to my best friend from high school, we both became a little nostalgic." The word nostalgia has changed throughout time. First, the Greek and New Latin used the term algia. Later the Old English word genesan, meaning to survive. This "to survive" is true; the longing to go back in time can be a painful emotion, and going on with time is part of surviving the test of the world and life in general. Overall, nostalgia is a perfect word to use to describe the yearning to go back in time. Its sound alone evokes loneliness and displacement. A clock set to the wrong time, a drum beating a melody of another year, all of this and more, locked in a strong, yet graceful, word. Nostalgia.

Persuasive Assignment English teacher Dianne Harper sent us Curt Metcalfe's persuasive paper from Fan the Deck. Although Curt's audience is local (Yuma, Colorado), it makes some universal points. The purpose of school, contrary to popular belief, is not sports. Therefore, we should remove the emphasis placed upon sports and remember that school is for learning. Not only do sports separate the have's from the have-not's even further, they distract from the only real reason for public education. It is true that sports can be fun and keep kids interested in something, but there are other ways of involving kids without making sports the most important thing. School is not the place for fun, nor is it the goal. We are here to learn, not to "turn left" or frolic around with other guys on a mat. We are also not here to put a bouncy ball in a hoop or "volley" a ball back and forth over a net. And until someone is able to present a logical argument as to how being able to hit a double into the gap in right field and score the winning run benefits our education in the long run, the emphasis on sports must be removed. Given the fact that school's fundamental purpose is to educate the mind and prepare the individual for success in life, it is imperative that interscholastic sports are removed from the realms of the high school, especially in the context of competition with other schools. A tired and age-old argument is that school sports boost morale and get everyone loaded up with school pride. I suppose it can. But how does a big spoonful of "Go Big Red" really reinforce the design of education? I realize that this fellowship with one's peers is invaluable, but it does not fulfill the purpose of public education. If no one else has noticed, the fact that we can run faster and jump higher than any other nation is not getting us anywhere. What else can we expect from the below-average CSAP results? Give our high schools a basketball CSAP and we would do great. And not to mention the fact that we rule in the Olympics. But is that what is really most important? If it is so important that we be good at sports, then maybe we should go to a place all day where we learn how to play sports and maybe have some optional math and science games in the evening. Sound good? Sounds crazy. This spring those students involved in track, baseball, or girls golf will miss in excess of ten days per sport. If any others were to miss that many days in one semester, they would have to go before a review committee to see if they deserve credit for the classes they missed. But since they will be defending the honor and pride of the Indians, we let it slide. When I am involved in golf in the fall, I am a victim of this sort of schedule. Often times the golf team would leave at eight or nine o'clock in the morning to get to tournament in Longmont, Brighton, Loveland, or even farther. We would miss whole days of school two or three times a week. Not only will students neglect schoolwork on game days, they will be unable to concentrate the day after. It is a well-known fact that a lack of sleep causes a lack of oxygen to the brain, and, in turn, an inability to concentrate and learn. Often times an away game will take students to Eaton, Highland, or Platte Valley, which are all schools in our league and are all at least two hours away. And sometimes the destination is much farther than that. For example, during golf we have tournaments in Castle Rock, Brighton, Loveland, Ft. Collins, and Denver. We leave early, and get home late. In essence, we are missing more than one day for the event. When all is said and done at least two days--the day of the event and the day after--are affected. In addition, not only will the "student-athletes" be tired from some fierce competition, they might possibly be physically injured. It is no rare sight to see a few students on crutches the day after a rousing match with a rival school. It really doesn't matter what the sport is. It seems as though one can successfully tear an ACL in any sport, regardless of how much contact is involved. More important to the school than the actual injuries is the learning that the student can--or cannot--accomplish. The high school has removed hats and chains from the learning environment to rid the atmosphere of distractions, but I have a hard time believing that a broken arm is not a distraction. How much can you learn doped up on Vicadin? Of course, I realize that sports are fun to some people, and they do allow for some joy in our young lives. However, they should not come at the expense of our education. It would be much wiser for us to swallow our pride and follow the English on this one. They have sports; they are just intramural, and only after school. These games, yes, games, would never take away from the incredible importance of a good education. The students in England are not student-athletes, they are students during the day and athletes only after school is over. They never leave school early, and they never travel to other towns, so they still have time for homework and an adequate night's sleep. During the summer these teams may travel around and compete with other town's teams, but not during school. The point is, school is all about an education--no more, and no less. It is the only thing we come here for, and if we distract ourselves from the mission, we will no doubt fail as a society. Granted, if we were preparing our youngsters for the NBA it would be a different story. But we are not sending anybody to the pro's. Chances are great that not one of Yuma High School's aspiring athletes will ever make it to the pro's. We are wasting our time and wasting our minds. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, but apparently it's not too great a price for a chance at the post season.

Another Essay from Yuma, Colorado Dianne Harper, an English teacher at Yuma High School, sent us Brandon Chapman's comparison/contrast essay from Fan the Deck. Congratulations, Brandon! You must love those Lakers. ShowTime When one thinks of famous basketball players of the new millennium, two names from the LA Lakers immediately come to mind, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Some debate whether these two can be compared to the "ShowTime" of the 1990's Bulls team led by Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Scottie Pippen. These two may not compare to the Bulls of the 1990's, but they are the current NBA's main attraction of almost every sports fanatic. Kobe and Shaq are both key players and team leaders on the LA team, but they differ in some of their talents and abilities. It's the final seconds of the NBA championship finals and the Lakers are down by one, who will Laker's Coach Phil Jackson go to for the winning basket? The coach has two options: Kobe or Shaq. Both players are vital to the team's success in winning and are considered to be the key players. The one who receives the ball in the final seconds depends on which one the other team wants to guard. Shaq is used to draw people inside the paint, and Kobe takes people away from the paint. They both rely on each other to get open looks to score. When Kobe is guarded, Shaq will be open for the lay up underneath the basket. When Shaq is guarded, Kobe will be open to look for his patent fade away jump shot. Currently, Kobe is averaging 29.6 points per game and Shaq is averaging 27.7 points per game Because of their scoring ability, they are both considered to be the key players of the LA Lakers. Not only are they key players, but Kobe and Shaq are also the team leaders of the team. When situations on the court seem to go down hill, these two always pick their team back up. They communicate with their teammates and help them keep their composure. For example, during the 99-00 season, Rod Harper was extremely angry with one of the referee's calls, so he kept yelling and screaming at the referee. Before Harper received a technical foul, both Kobe and Shaq were in Harper's face to calm him down to prevent a technical. Kobe and Shaq's role on the team is not only to score, but also to show team leadership. Despite these similarities, their abilities differ dramatically. Kobe Bryant is considered to be a guard. His position requires him to attack the basket on the dribble, to pull up for jump shots, and to assist his teammates in scoring by dishing the ball off to others. On the defensive end of the court, he is used for his quickness and mobility to keep other players off the dribble. His speed allows him to steal the ball from the offensive team. However, Shaquille O'Neal is the team's center and powerhouse. Very rarely is he out of the paint looking to score. He uses his seven foot one inch body frame to post-up in the paint and get a lay-up. On the offensive and defensive end of the floor, he is also used to rebound the basketball. Shaq averages 12.7 rebounds per game compared to Kobe's 4.9 per game. Shaq also blocks the opponent's shot on defense, averaging almost three blocks per game. Furthermore, Shaq and Kobe differ when shooting free throws. Kobe makes approximately 87% of his free throws, but Shaq is lucky to make 44%. On the NBA road, the Lakers are easily the hottest ticket. They average an NBA best road attendance of l9,600. In many cases, even the opponent's crowd cheers for the LA Lakers. The Lakers show with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal is like none other in the NBA. Although their abilities may differ from each other, both players will likely be seen in the Hall of Fame in the years to come.

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