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Dear Editor,

I completely agree with what coach Tubby Smith has to say, as a high-school basketball player, it is never fun to hear slurs or anything coming from the fan section directed to you or your teammate in a close game or in heated competition. With high school games being typically closely contested a fan aspect is big because it can give or take momentum to a team at anytime. Hearing chants that have F-bombs and racial or derogatory slurs is just terrible and no player in any level of the sport should have to deal with it. With emotions flying in the heat of a game, anything can happen and that can danger the fan saying the rude comments and can tarnish a reputation and hurt the player himself.

finals editorial

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/117551613.html

http://www.publishaletter.com/readletter.jsp?plid=28431

Restrepo Reactoion

Restrepo is an emotional example of live journalism that really hits hard.  Everyone is always hearing about the war in Iraq due to all of the media coverage there, and so they forget that there are soldiers fighting a very tough fight in Afghanistan too.  The Korangal Valley is one of the most dangerous places in the world for U.S. soldiers to go, yet our soldiers still go there to fight terrorism regardless of the danger.  This fact taught me to appreciate our military much more than I used to.  Moreover, seeing the soldiers keep their cool even after being shot at every day proved how mentally strong the military makes our soldiers.  Although afterwards many of them might become addicted to drugs, alcohol, or just become really depressed, when it comes to doing their actual job it seems like they have a completely different way of thinking than most people.  Personally, if I had bullets flying right by me, I probably would just stay in cover and not even try to fight.
The bravery of the soldiers in Restrepo should really teach people to respect what they have, because many people have it worse than them.  The Korangal Valley has been dubbed "The Valley of Death" by Americans, yet our soldiers went there anyway, risked their lives everyday, alternated from working hard on building an outpost to fighting, and attempted to make peace with the natives regardless of the hatred that some of them had.
Furthermore, after the soldiers in Restrepo's comrades died, it really showed how they're people just like everyone else.  They might be able to keep their cool in a fight, and act much braver than most people, which might make them seem more than human, but their sorrow reflect their true selves.  Also, the fact that it didn't really show how sad they were until the very end of the movie showed that even though their mission was done and they were all going home, some of the events that happened would stick with them forever.

Olive Garden Review

Olive Garden is awesome. Their salads are banging. Chicken Parm is delightful. Get it

Current Event: Make-up

Kyrie Irving misses day of NBA draft combine

     Number one prospect in the NBA draft, Kyrie Irving, says he will be doing all the medical tests but will not be participating in any closed-door drills just like passed projected number one picks have done in recent years. Irving is most likely to be heading to Cleavland in the June 23rd draft. Interesting enough, Irving's role model is the last number one pick by the Cavaliers, Lebron James. The Cavs are hoping for Kyrie to be their Lebron and take them back to the playoffs despite the youth and the inexperience. They are hoping the talent of the first and third pick in the 2011 draft will make Cleavland a competitive team once again like they were with Lebron as a part of them.
     I believe this is not going to be anywhere close to the predictions Cleavland has for themselves. Kyrie Irving is a young teenager who missed almost all of his freshman year of college and is now going to the NBA. You hate to say it but the reality is it is better for Irving to not participate in draft drills because that might actually drop his initial value in the draft. He is a star but he is not superstar material like past number one picks. Although he has his flaws, Irving is still a great talent and has the ability to be a great player in a couple of years if he puts in the work.

Afghanistan War

"The killing of Osama bin Laden has set off a reassessment of the war in Afghanistan and the broader effort to combat terrorism, with Congress, the military and the Obama administration weighing the goals, strategies, costs and underlying authority for a conflict that is now almost a decade old. Two senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar suggested Tuesday that it was time to rethink the Afghanistan war effort, forecasting the beginning of what promises to be a fierce debate about how quickly the United States should begin pulling troops out of the country. Both Mr. Kerry and Mr. Lugar said they remained opposed to a precipitous withdrawal.Inside the Pentagon, however, officials make the case that rather than using Bin Laden’s death as a justification for withdrawal, the United States should continue the current strategy in Afghanistan to secure additional gains and to further pressure the Taliban to come to the bargaining table for negotiations on political reconciliation. And in Congress, a debate is getting under way over the underlying authority used by two successive administrations to wage the post-Sept. 11 fight against terrorist organizations and their supporters." I think this is a good reason because Osama Bin Laden's death should not be a reason to leave because there are still war threats and possibly the United States can be attacked. We never know exactly when the war would end or how it will end but i do not think the war should end just because one man, the face of the organization, is dead. I think it makes them deadlier without a face because now we do not know where the attack is coming from.

Current Event 5/10/11

Lebron's 'Retarded' Comment

     Lebron James has been recently reported as saying "that's retarded" at a press conference after reporters said that teammates Dwayne Wade was being questioned about his take-down with Boston Celtic point guard Rajon Rondo. He had his mouth covered as he said the words when Wade was being asked if the play was dirty. After the recent game four, Lebron opened his post game interview with an apology for using the word.
     I think that he has his rights to be mad about that because it was a physical game and it was a fight for the ball, Wade did what he could to stop and Rondo just fell awkwardly. Lebron, being very close with his teammate felt frustrated about the situation and spoke on instinct rather than his head and i believe he was right by also apologizing the game for his comments. It shows how Lebron is more focused than ever in the playoffs and how mature he is to be ready to win a championship.