Competition

It’s a fierce competition; there are more students applying to colleges than ever before. According to a study from the National Center for Education Sciences, 21.6 million students were expected to attend American universities in fall 2012, an increase of 6.2 million since fall 2000. Not only is the competition growing to get into these schools, but also there are more students to compete against. Those numbers are steadily increasing. NCES said in a study that there is an expected increase of 11 percent for students enrolling in colleges between 2010 and 2020.

Only six years ago, 87 percent of the United States student population aged five to 17 attended public school. And in the six years since that 2007 measurement, that percentage has dropped each year as students move to private or charter schools, even homeschooling. Many parents are seeking non-public education options for their children at a younger age before transferring into public schools — if at all.

What is it that we find so fulfilling about being the first, the fastest or the best? Personal recognition or achievement, sometimes found in the form of setting records, is often attributed to an internal competitive drive. However, to say that this is the sole motivation behind record breakers would be to oversimplify record breakers’ efforts and attitudes. In fact, many find their inspiration from within, from supportive friends and family, or even complete strangers.

A rising trend of coddled and praise-hungry children is one that is pervading youth sports and education alike, and many believe that the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality is to blame. Many recreational sports leagues and gym classes across the country have stopped keeping score for fear of hurting the losing team members’ self esteem. Much to their dismay, today’s kids aren’t becoming more secure in their ability, but rather the exact opposite.

Monday, April 1 through Sunday, April 7, Ithaca College’s Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival 2013 (FLEFF) will offer forums, music, art, films and multimedia events focused on the theme of “Mobilities.” Sponsored by the Office of the Provost, FLEFF 2013 will take place both on the IC campus and downtown at Cinemapolis.

Against the advice of his crack team of legal advisors, Donald Trump has announced that he will continue his campaign to become the next President of the United States. Trump said that despite an unsuccessful bid against President Barack Obama in 2012, he still refuses to concede defeat.

Buzzsaw asks why I haven’t put IC in my will yet?

When most people think of competitive eating, thoughts of “all-American” pie and hotdog eating contests come to mind, with rows of sweaty competitors stuffing their faces with as much food as they can fit in their mouths. While such contests are not uniquely American, they did begin gaining popularity in the United States after Nathan’s Famous held its first hotdog eating competition on Coney Island 96 in 1916.

In the wake of last semester’s season of change, it is absolutely imperative that we as a campus community continue conversations of power, voice and our right to an honest education. In recent years, we witnessed unparalleled student solidarity on campus for a half-dozen social justice movements.

I slipped out of the helicopter into the vivid blue sky.