Once Again for Ben?

It still shouldn’t suprise us that once again another superstar athlete is in trouble with the law. This time the allegation involves alcohol and young women, a combination that over the years has been a recipe for disaster. For the second time in a year the suspect, Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers franchise quarterback, has been accused of sexual assault.

Roethlisberger continues to face a lawsuit from last July by a woman who says he raped her at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino in 2008. Roethlisberger has continually fought these allegations since the case began.

Roethlisberger’s agent, Ryan Tollner, said in a statement that he is very skeptical of the alleged victims motives consider the happenings at the previous Lake Tahoe events two years ago. Roethlisberger, is currently not in custody and has not been criminally charged with either case.

The accusation came in a local college bar called Capital City, which is located in downtown Milledgeville, Georgia. According to the alleged victim, Amber Hanley, a 21-year-old college student, she and a few friends were in a VIP area in the club with Roethlisberger. She said she asked the quarterback to take a photo with her friend, whose boyfriend was a fan, but he seemed disappointed that's all she wanted. Hanley said she rolled her eyes, and Roethlisberger called her an expletive and walked away.

The nature of the occurrence was not described, yet Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone indicated that the incident was being termed a sexual assault. Malone added that Roethlisberger and the alleged victim were interviewed and the woman was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released.

Guilty or not, I will never understand why these high-profile athletes feel the need to put themselves in these unwise positions. In this specific case, there was no reason for the 28 year-old Roethlisberger to be in a COLLEGE club consisting of young COLLEGE aged kids. There is nothing but trouble to find in such a place that is not meant for anyone of his persona. Especially after the past years episode, you would imagine that Roethlisberger would for steer clear of any night-club atmosphere let alone young college-aged women.

I understand that athletes are human beings just like the rest of us and that they also enjoy having a good time. However, there is a time and place for enjoying oneself and the nightclub atmosphere is just not the ideal place. I shouldn’t have to recount the various sexual assaults, shootings and robberies that athletes and other high-profile stars have been associated with while being inside and out of nightclubs. Do the names Adam Jones, Plaxico Burress and Darrent Williams ring a bell?

In the end, I don’t quite believe that Roethlisberger is quite foolish enough to commit such an act. His recent one hundred million dollar plus contract should might something to do with that. Either way, I hope that justice is served however that may be. With that being said, this last event will hopefully put an end to the partying days of Ben Roethlisberger. It’s about time that athletes grow up and avoid childish situations. There’s no question of your innocence if you’re at home taking care of business.

Ways for College Student to Maintain Health and Fitness

Eating healthy and staying in-shape is becoming harder and harder for college students to do now a days. Long days and nights cramming for exams, poor eating habits, minimal cash for groceries, and pizza nights have been the staple for most young students during the college experience. After a quarter or two, let alone a year or two, even a 19 year olds body can become subject to the dreadful "college weight gain". For those of us college students who would like a little guidance or just an extra push of motivation, this article should provide some of the necessary information that will help improve your overall health and fitness goals.
I took the time to gather information from several active University of Cincinnati students who were able to give me a great insight into how we can all not only get in shape but improve our overall level of health. These students included factors such as how to find the time to workout with a busy schedule, what exercises are most beneficial and how the average struggling college student can eat a nutritionally sound diet.
Senior Heather Thomas told me that she finds it easier for students to work out right after their classes are done for the day. "This allows you to get your workout done right away, without being able to find any excuses for why you couldn't make it to the gym." Junior Jared Butts agrees that this is an excellent approach to staying consistent and ensuring that you don't miss your workouts. Butt's stated that "If you can fit your workouts in earlier during the day you will find that no only will you miss less workouts, but you will also find that you have more energy during the earlier hours of the day."
In terms of the most beneficial exercises for students to use, I was able to email members of the Queen City Nutrition newsletter to receive their take. Members were able to give me more than enough good advice on exercises that my readers could easily perform while gaining quality results in their fitness routine. Tom Roberts told me that a workout consisting of prodominatly cardio-vascular activity along with moderate weightlifting is best for those trying to lose weight or stay in the best possible shape. Roberts added that "cardio-vascular workout are the best for not only cutting fat but also keeping the heart healthy." Rebecca Hammond replied that "Eliptical machines, treadmills and stairs steppers are not only great for performing cardio-vascular exercise but they also tone the legs as well." Hammond also added that "Cardio should be performed for about 45 minutes to an hour at a time for about four to five sessions a week."
Members Brent Friedson and Lauren Jacobs were also very helpful in providing me with more tips on great workouts. Friedson informed me that "weightlifting workouts should be performed about five times a week at high intensity." This will insure that muscles are being worked hard enough to grow yet they are given enough time to rest. Jacobs added to this helpful info by stating that "performing at least a half an hour of cardio after your training is most effective over performing cardio activity before weight training." The body is able to burn calories faster and at a much more significant rate when workouts are performed in this manner.
Urban Active diet consultants and University of Cincinnati students Kristen O'Neill and Hannah Spieles concluded my fitness questionare with their thorough input on how college students could most successfully eat a well rounded diet without surpassing their tight budgets. Spieles first stated that "The best route to eating healthy for less would be to make sure that you are only buying the necessary foods that are required in a healthy diet...it makes no sense to buy any side items that are adding unnecessary calories to your daily diet." O'meill commented that "The only items on your grocery list should include fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, and whole grains...all necessary to eat a healthy sound diet." Avoiding the junk food and snacks will not only make your trip to the grocery store cheaper but it will also keep your diet cleaner and your health up to par.
Overall, our bodies and health are the most important things that we own. We must do all we can in order to ensure that we take proper care of such a significant investment. Wether it's working out everyday of the week or twice a week, its best to ensure that you perform some type of exercise in order to keep oneself in good health. I hope that everyone can find these lessons helpful throughout their college life and beyond. We must remember that our bodies will treat us exactly how we treat them. In the long-run if you live by this simple phrase then you will be most likely to ensure that your health and fitness is a very significant part of your everyday life.

The Age Of Social Media

Social networking websites...one of the most popular and current forms of communication known to date. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few years, then I’m sure you either belong to one or have at least heard about one of the many that currently exist. Websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and many more are some of the more popular social networking sights that have taken over the internet. People can spend hours of their time on these sites without even holding a single conversation with someone else. Countless hours of time spent, without much to show at all right? Others may beg to differ, which brings me to question “Are social networking sights a pointless fad or a useful tool of the future?”
After speaking with multiple individuals about such websites, I was able to gather several contrasting feelings towards social networks themselves and their future. Beginning with University of Cincinnati junior Kristen O’Neill, I was given the perspective that social networks were a positive idea and would be around for many year s to come. O’Neill told me that social networks are popular due to the ability to “stay in touch and meet new people all with the click of a mouse.” I was then informed that social networks are the fastest growing form of media ever invented. “Facebook was the first form of media ever to reach 100 million users within 9 months.” This is very interesting considering the competition consisted of media outlets such as television, the internet, the radio, etc.
Next, senior Jarryd Armstrong of Mississippi’s Jackson State University had a somewhat similar opinion with his outlook on social networking sites. Armstrong found that social networking sights are the wave of the future due to the current dependence that society is placing on the use of the internet. “With the way that everything is being handled through the internet, why wouldn’t society heavily entertain the idea of holding their social life through the web as well?” Armstrong makes a solid point as the use of the internet has sky-rocketed over the past few decades, with only more dependency here in the near future. He also mentioned that the ease of use and accessibility made social networking websites practical for almost everyone, no matter the age.
As with any intriguing topic, there are always two sides to the tale. While asking my question I was able to find two tough critics that were especially opposed to the whole idea of social networking websites. Erick Johnson of Solon, Ohio and Tom Lowery of Tempe, Arizona made it clear about their feelings towards the popular trend. Johnson finds that social networking sights are overly intrusive and constitute as a “great way to waste valuable time without even realizing it.” He told me that “Sights such as Twitter and Myspace give away too much personal information about people and intrude their personal freedom”. He also added that “People spend so much time filling themselves in on what other people are doing with their lives that they forget how much of their own valuable time they are wasting away.”
Lowery, had a much similar take on the issue as well, stating that he previously wasted too much time doing irrelevant tasks on Facebook and Myspace. This led to him taking action by deleting both of his accounts. “I just felt like these websites distracted me from getting the more important things that I needed to be doing done…I had to avoid myself from using them in general.” Lowery added that people need to focus on their personal communication skills more before they take a turn for the worst by becoming too internet dependent. “It’s a shame that people would rather have a conversation through typing messages than through the phone or in person…this can’t be good for the personal communication skills of the upcoming generation.”
Overall, I found it quite interesting to take in the different perspectives of people about such a popular and highly debated topic. Personally, I can understand where both sides are coming from. I feel that social networking sights are great for staying in touch with distant friends and family. What better way to stay in touch on a consistent basis. The downside to this would be the invasion of privacy that comes along with the information that we post about ourselves and others on these sites. I feel that the user age on these sites should definitely be monitored accordingly. On another aspect, I would have to agree with many individuals that say that we indeed do spend too much time on these sights, not accomplishing much at all. I personally find that most college student in general spend too much time away from their work due to their activity on several of the more popular social networking sites. In the end, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best solution to this issue would be to monitor or limit the amount of time we spend on such sites daily. This would be the best way to prevent ourselves from the future title of “the Facebook Generation.”

Today's Job Market after Graduation

Today’s graduating seniors are facing one of the worst economic downfalls in the history of the United States. As many of us may already know, now is not exactly the best time for graduating college students looking to land immediate career moves. The current job market is a harsh one to face, with many companies not only on hiring freezes but downsizing at the same time. Things may not be looking too desirable yet many students at several universities here in Ohio are using several strategies to keep a positive attitude during such rough times. These students, as well as the recent college graduates that I have spoken with will give perspective college graduates a idea of how students just like themselves are not only preparing for jobs after graduation but the economy itself.
While speaking with many current college seniors from several different universities, I quickly found out that most of them feel the same way about the current state of the economy and the job market. Senior Brittny Justice of Miami University feels that the opportunity to land a job in the following months after graduation will be quite challenging for herself. “With companies getting rid of many of their employees, I find it quite challenging to believe that many of them would be willing to bring on young inexperienced workers.” Justice believes that best bet for many students would be to try to land an internship with a company that is most likely to hire from within. This is definitely a good idea due to the fact that most companies that are actually hiring are usually looking for experienced workers. An internship would seem like a worthy option of giving you the best opportunity to score that highly coveted job opportunity.
One of the many similarities that I heard while speaking with everyone was the common concern of how seniors should go about searching for perspective jobs. I myself was most concerned with this issue, being that graduation is only a few months away and I needed to kick my job search into “hi-gear”. Lisa Fowlkes of Xavier University, explained that her best method of finding job opportunities was through the universities career development center and job fairs. “The CDC will help put you in the best position to start applying for jobs while most job fairs will give you direct contact with popular employers that are looking to hire in your local city.” Every university has a career development center on campus, while job fairs are held quite frequently and are open to students from other universities as well.
After talking to current graduating seniors I figured that it would be most helpful to everyone to speak with students who have already graduated during this current recession. Two students, Lindsay Escaja (Ohio State University) and Matt Ricca (Ohio University) who both graduated in spring of 2009 were able to give me a detailed perspective on how the job market has been in their eyes and the best ways to land a job currently. Matt started by informing me that he has found it especially tough to find a job here in Ohio. Even with his finance degree he has been unable to find a solid entry level job in the near year that he has been out of college. “I would inform all current seniors to start their job search as early as possible during their final year and half so that they can give themselves the best possible opportunities…My biggest regret is that I didn’t start up soon enough.” On the other hand, Lindsay found that even though the job search these days is extremely challenging, there are many entry level jobs out there that can get you on your feet. She has currently started working with University Hospital in Willoughby, Ohio. She insists that if a decent job comes your way, you should be quick to accept it being that times are tough and that rent has to be paid.
After gathering all of the information that I received from the current and past college graduates, I began a plan of success for other students who are looking for a bit of assistance in going about the post graduation process. First, stay involved with your universities career development center and plan on attending as many career fairs at your university and others as possible. These resources are here for our success and will give you and idea of what jobs or companies you plan on applying to. Next, begin applying to jobs as soon as possible and to as many as possible. Being that the job market is in a tough position, you can never send out enough resumes right now. The following step would be to not shy away from entry level positions that may have not been what you were initially expecting. Even though they won’t bring in the salary you expected, they are adding experience to your resume and helping you to move up through the workforce. The final step is to stay on top of your current classes and finish college as strong as possible. Many jobs look at how strong you finished your senior year of college and relate such to your work ethic. Hopefully the seniors out there will find this insightful and helps them worry a little less about the big life experiences that they await in the next few months. BEST OF LUCK!


"The future depends on what we do in the present" - Mahatma Gandhi

Pay What You Owe

When it really comes down to it, other than two decent seasons in 2002 and 2007,the past century has been one to forget for the Cleveland Browns. Since returning to the NFL in 1999 the Browns have long suffered from a series of horrible management decisions that have made them one of the worst performing teams in the last decade. For some reason the Browns management staff just can’t seem to make the necessary choices in order put the team in route to success, including their most recent ordeal with kick returner and wide receiver Joshua Cribbs.

I know that running a successful NFL team might not be the easiest job in the world but some things go without saying. Why in the world a team that has not had many highlights since returning in 1999, wouldn’t be willing to sign their most prized player shocks me. Most people would find this issue to be resolved as easily as picking up a pen and signing the deal as soon as the season ended.
Cribbs has three years remaining on a six-year, $6.77 million deal. He made a base salary of $900,000 this past season. The Browns have offered to raise his annual salary to $1.4 million for the final three years of his contract, Cribbs' agent, Peter Schaffer, said. Cribbs has told the media several times that it’s not about the money but about receiving “fair value”.
I can’t begin to see where there could even be any confusion of whether or not Cribbs deserves a more significant pay increase or not. Let’s see…where do we begin? Not only is Cribbs a kick and punt return specialist but he gives the Browns a short field whenever the other team decides to put the ball in his hands. They certainly are in need of great field position due to the simple fact that every time their offense touches the field they are putting the ball in the hands of starter Brady Quinn with a 2009 passer rating of 67.2 and backup Derrick Anderson with an even more astonishing rating of 42.1. Cribbs also finished the year with four return touchdowns, one receiving and one rushing. His multi-dimensional versatility easily makes him the most dynamic player on the field for the Browns.
My question for the Browns would be to ask them what more can this man do to receive the additional money that he has rightfully earned. This year is the third consecutive season that he has made the Pro Bowl. No other player has done such in the last ten years that the Browns have been back in Cleveland. His eight combined kick and punt return touchdowns are a new NFL record set within his first five years in the league. Not to mention that he has remained in the top 3 kick returners over the past 3 years with the highest kick return average of 2009 being that of 27.5 yards. During his career with the Browns Cribbs has played wide receiver, wildcat, quarterback, kick and punt returner and even showed great talent on the kickoff and punt teams. I truly don’t understand how you can feel that a player that means so much to your team doesn’t deserve any type of contract bonus. Especially considering no one else has shown any other signs of stepping up in his place.
In the end, I’m fully convinced that the decision to go without resigning Josh Cribbs would not only be a devastating blow to the Cleveland Browns team in 2010, but more so it would show the fans of Cleveland that the organization is not committed to winning. To put a menial price tag on winning is unacceptable for any team in professional sports. Especially with a franchise as deep rooted and with a historical fan base such as the Cleveland Browns. This offseason will show exactly where the Browns want to be in terms of turning this franchise around and putting themselves back on the road to success.

A City in Need of Saints

As of last night, the final two teams have been chosen to play in Super Bowl Forty Four. One of those teams might have come as a huge surprise to many, considering the fact that they are making their first Super Bowl appearance in team history. To the city of New Orleans the Saints are certainly not just any professional sports team and as well as this is not just any normal Super Bowl. To the embattled city of New Orleans, Louisiana, the Saints are one of the few positives still left over from there dreadful past. To a city that Hurricane Katrina left with barely anything, the Saints have not just giving back to the community with a great past few years of football, but yet through their crucial assistance to the community off the field.
The saints are not just a source of pride for the state of Louisiana but they are one of the state’s largest stimulators of the economy. Just for starters, Saints and their owner Tom Benson donate an annual amount of $5 million in cash, goods and services. The amount of money and jobs that the Saints bring to the city’s economy is quite a blessing for a city that has been through more than most can imagine. In 2008 alone, the Saints brought in $552.5 million, with $22.1 million in state taxes and 3,968 jobs created.
This past year alone the Saints created 480 direct jobs and 4,206 other jobs in the local economy in the city of New Orleans. According to reports prepared by Dr. Timothy P. Ryan of the University of New Orleans, the Saints created $161.97 million in earnings for Louisiana residents.
The 25-year expected total in direct impact of the Saints on the state is $12.02 billion, according to Dr. Ryan’s findings in his 2002 report. The total impact – direct and indirect – will be $26.04 billion. Overall this equates to a projected total earnings amount of $1.23 billion for the state of Louisiana.
Saints owner Tom Benson is furthering the positives for the city through leading the campaign to host the Super Bowl at the New Orleans Superdome in 2013. The economic windfall for Super Bowl host cities is estimated to be in excess of $300 million. While the game not only attracts thousands of spending fans, there will also be a plentiful amount of national and international media attention. The attention that New Orleans would bring after the heartfelt events that have happened here would bring a great deal of positive exposure to a city that truly deserves such.
Either way the game turns out on Super Bowl Sunday the New Orleans Saints must be considered true champions. Not only for their role in bringing the fans of New Orleans great joy during tremendously hard times, but for their large part in assisting to keep New Orleans on its feet when most thought it had collapsed. In a day in age where professional sports are headlined by athletes demanding highly over-priced salaries, it really is nice to find out that there are individuals out there in sports that actually care about what’s going on in the world around them.

"We don't need a weakened government but a strong government that would take responsibility for the rights of the individual and care for the society as a whole."
-Vladimir Putin

Haiti: A week After Disaster

A week after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, the country is still in dire need of more help. The United Nations Security Council has approved a proposal to send an additional 2,000 soldiers and 1,500 police officers to the small country. Never the less, hospitals have been over-crowded from the beginning and are running out of medical equipment and supplies. Doctors at the hospitals are using vodka to sterilize the limited medical instruments because there is no rubbing alcohol on hand. Treated patients lay outside with tents made of tarps and blankets providing some shelter. Formerly vacant buildings are being used for treating patients, due to the main hospital building being deemed unsafe. Things have gotten so bad that hospitals have ran out of needles and docters have began operating with hacksaws due to the lack of proper operating tools. It is reported that in the following days the military will be bringing in new supplies and helping with the orgnaization of the "hospital" areas. They will also assist in delivering patients to operating hospitals that will have the necessary docters, equipment and space necessary. Haitian President René Préval will be addressing the nation today according to his spokesman. The flow of supplies into Haiti has not been made easy due to congested roads and the crowded airport, and thousands of survivors have been left to scrounge for food and emergency aid. U.S. Air Force C-17 found a way around this airport congestion by dropping 55,000 pounds or about 40 pallots of bottled water and food into Haiti on Monday, the first U.S. airdrop of supplies. The deputy commander of Joint Task Force Unified Response, said today that U.S. forces intend to carry out more aerial drops, but it technically hasn't been made clear when those would occur. No death toll has been declared for the earthquake, which struck on the afternoon of January 12th. Some death tolls estimates range from 100,000 to 150,000 in Port-au-Prince alone. The United Nations estimates that 3 million people are need of food, water, sheltered and medical assistance. Outside of Haiti, people have contributed more than $220 million to major U.S. relief groups.

"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow