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SUMMER STUDENTS: DON'T ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW--THEY ARE OLD ONES.

JOHN

Health Care

Children age 26 and younger will be able to remain covered under their parents health insurance plans (this is increased from past age limits which were anywhere from age 22-25). Medicare recipients will receive a $250 rebate to help in closing the “doughnut hole” (with the goal being to close the doughnut hole completely by 2020). Health insurance companies will be banned from excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions for children. The measure will require most Americans to have health insurance coverage; would add 16 million people to Medicaid and would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people. It will regulate private insurers more closely, banning practices such as denial of care for pre-existing conditions. Now how do you feel about the new bill that was just past in 2010?

For more in formation for cost and regulations check out this website below:
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html

K.J. Picard (9:00am)

The Islamic Revolution

First off, I don't expect you to know much, if anything, about the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran or about Iran in general. That said, how do you picture the lives of women in Iran today? What do you think women do over there? How are they treated by men? Are they oppressed by men or by their culture? What are their desires, goals, and struggles? Are they different from women in the United States? From where do you get your ideas about Iranian women and Iran in general?

Also, do you think the Islamic Revolution was beneficial or catastrophic for Iran (or somewhere in between)? Why do you say so?

If you want to read a little about the Islamic Revolution (also called the Iranian Revolution), please go to this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution

Thank you!

Neli Aryani (10:00 am)

Biracial Children

I have two biracial children and struggle with what they are missing and what they go through and are going to go through. I am white and the father is black, but he is not in their lives. All they know is what I can teach them and show them; I feel they are going to miss out on their heritage. I also fear what they are going to have to endure growing up, as far as who they feel they belong to and how society is going to treat them. I believe they have all the options in the world and are going to benefit from both sides, because in my eyes they are my children and color doesn't matter to me. I watch people when they see them call me mommy and people can be, and are cruel. I guess what I'm asking is what can I do as the parent to help them, teach them, guide them, and most of all protect them? How can I give them what I don't have or know?

Autumn (10:00)

Together forever..........Not !!!!

So many people today just causually date, and sometimes they stay together for a long time. How do you know if you're really meant to be with that person? Should you stay with your high school sweetheart as long as possible, or should you venture out and see what the world has to offer ?

In case you're a little lost what I'm asking is, is staying with one person for the rest of your life a good thing, or should you get to meet other people so you'll know that the one you're with is worth it?

Ashley Mitchell (9:00)

Out of the middle east?

Ever since President Obama was put into office he has been moving toward getting all American soldiers out of the middle east. Some people believe that we aren't doing any good over seas. Do you think we should just pull out of the middle east? What if when we leave, everything goes back to the way it was over there? What if the absence of American involvement causes things to get worse and there is another attack?

Andy Dodge (9:00)

Music Industry?

Where is the music industry heading? Some may say it is collapsing on itself, that yesterday's acts are gone and record labels are doomed to support disposable artists. Others may say that there is plenty of raw talent in the business for it to sustain itself. Is music growing less appealing with time? Will there be another musical breakthrough era like the 1990s? Is the industry losing power to the convenience of the Internet? Do you think today is a great time to be a musician or a very bad time ? Why do you think so?




Jed Bean (10:00)

What do think when you hear of the ''American Dream''? Now-a-days in our society what does it mean to have this? Would you consider fancy cars, lavish homes, glamourous clothes being it? Do you think living life in a comfortable setting making ends meet with some cash left over is more like this dream that many immigrate to our nation to achieve? Or do you think a life where you're barely making enough to put food on the table but you're happy and so is your family is more like it? Do you think it just means that you have the freedom of religion, speech, and press? Is it a place where everyone is equal and really treated the same with no exceptions? Is the Dream a never-ending party? Do you think that today in our society, in the state that it is in today, it's much harder to achieve your idea of this Dream? What's it take, in your opinion, to get what is most coveted by thousands and thousands of people in countries that don't have an opportunity to succeed?

Saul Sanchez(10:00)

Electric Money?

What do you prefer, paper or plastic? Every day more and more people are putting their money in banks instead of keeping cash. I honestly think that one day there will be no more cash, just credit and debit cards. Some employers have actually stopped handing out paychecks and instead, they give you a prepaid debit card and put your check on it everytime you get paid. Or you also have the option to set up direct deposit to your own bank account, you don't have any other choice but to use plastic to access your money. My job does that and I think it is completely ridiculous.

I don't trust banks at all. If everyone stops using cash and only uses paper that will give the banks ALL control. What happens if our economy goes in the hole and the banks just shut down all bank accounts? A lot of people have ALL of their money in banks and if that happens, there it all goes.

With that said, how do you feel about everyone turning to bank cards instead of cash? Do you trust a bank with all of your money? If you don't, would you ever?

Jessica Sherman-Corbett (10:00)

plugged in

Are people too plugged in?

With all the new ways to communicate online, are people losing their social skills? Do you think Internet sites like Facebook and Twitter are used too much? Some people spend all day on sites like these, either on their phone or their computer. As a society, are we over Interneted? How much do you Facebook or twitter? Should we start to unplug ourselves?

- Matt (9:00)

Gamer?

Are video games a waste of time? How many people do you know who play video games? Do you play video games? If so, how much do you play? Is there anything positive that comes from video games? Should all schools have required game systems so the students can play educational games? Do you think video games should be banned? How many hours is too many per day for playing video games?

Jesus Camarena (9:00)

Is abortion okay?

Do you think that abortion is okay? why or why not? Some people have different opinions on abortion. Some people think that it's okay if you aren't old enough, some people think it's okay if you were raped. Other people say it's not the baby's fault you got pregnant, so you should not abort it.

If you're thinking about having sex, knowing what could happen, shouldn't you be thinking about having a baby? If you're mature enough to start having sex, does that make you mature enough to have a baby?

What are your thoughts about abortion? How would you feel if you went through with it? Or someone made you? What would you do if you were, let's say, sixteen or seventeen and you got pregnant? Even if you believe abortion is wrong, are there some situations in which you would have an abortion (or would want your girlfriend to have one)? What are these situations?

Thanks for your time!

Kaitlyn Taylor 9:00

Legalized Abortion?

At this time in some states, abortion is legal in the United States. Do you think it should be legal or illegal? What about women under 18, do you think they need parental consent? Or is it their decision? Do you think some young people have sex because they know there are so many ways out of becoming a parent?

Kaylan (9:00)

Teen pregnancy

Why is teenage pregnancy on the rise? There are a lot of teenage issues today, the main one being teenagers having babies. Teenagers are getting pregnant younger and younger every day. WHY? What is going on in their lives? How are they going to care for their babies? Most teenagers don"t know the first thing about caring for a baby because they are still babies themselves. Babies aren't toys that can just be put on a shelf and forgotten about. Are teenagers ready to be parents?

Anita Freeman (9:00)

Is sex out of control?

Should people wait until marriage before they have sex? Why or why not? Do you think it's okay to try sex first if you think you're serious about someone? What if you're not serious? Is it okay to be in a relationship just for sex? What if you decide you're never going to get married to anyone? Is it fine to have sex then? Does marriage even matter anymore? Why or why not? If you're not married but want to have sex, does it matter how old you are? If you're not married, is it okay to plan to have children?

If you can, check out any of these sites before you answer:

http://www.allaboutworldview.org/premarital-sex.htm
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20061220/premarital-sex-the-norm-in-america

According to this site, "There is absolutely nothing in the bible forbidding premarital sex." What do you think?

http://www.libchrist.com/bible/premaritalsex.html

Kasha Topps (9:00)

Speaking Spanish?

Should taking Spanish be a requirement in high school since it is the second most commonly used language in America? Consider that over 15 million Mexican immigrants now live in the United States.


~Brittney Pribble (10:00)

Recycling: How will it change our world?

I am studying to become a landscape designer and through my studies and work experiences, I have come to respect nature more and more. Our society as a whole has become so wasteful that it is getting harder and harder to find space for landfills. Last year I went on a field trip to the St Louis Botanical Gardens. After a day of seeing beautiful flowers and themed gardens we drove past a large what I thought was a natural hill. Upon asking the teacher that was with us on the trip what it was I found out that it was a landfill. This landfill was massive and took us miles to pass. It struck me as so sad that land was being used to cover up trash. So my question for you is: If recycling and water conservation were to become mandatory, what effect would it have on your daily life? Do you feel that making the committment to recycle as a nation would cost us money or save it? Do you even care about recycling? If not, why not? (Be honest!)

Lois Sjoken (10:00)

Go To The Big Leagues, Or Go To College

Do you think that there should be a rule that states that all baseball players need to go to college for at least one year before they are drafted and move on to professional baseball? For Example: The NCAA has put in a rule for basketball and football that the athletes must be in school for a year before they are drafted and go on to professional basketball or football. Do you think the same thing should be implemented for baseball?


Jake Oltean (10:00)

The truth or not the truth

Do you think our government is hiding major secrets from us? Do you think some conspiracy theories are true?

For example: Do you think the government caused 9/11 to happen to scare us? (see link) http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/> (watch both videos "Addendum"and "Zeitgeist-The Movie")

Do you think George Bush was using related contexts during his presidency from the Nazi party in WW2? (see links) http://naomiwolf.org/ and Youtube- search: Naomi Wolf-"The End of America" (watch all parts for full video)

Jeremy Harding (10:00)

tattoo you?

Do you think tattoos and piercings ruin your body? Do you think getting them is going against the word of God? Would you ever get a tattoo or a piercing? Which one do you prefer and why? Are there any benefits about getting tattoos? Would you judge someone by their tattoos or piercings? If you don't like them, would you not date someone who has them?

Jesse Naive (9:00)

Is it okay to have required classes?

In high school states require so many semesters of certain classes to graduate; do you think that is okay? Do you think more kids would stay in school if they only took classes they are interested in? Or are high school students too immature to be given this responsibility? Do you think they would take the easy way classes, or do you think they would use it to their advantage to get ahead in their future schooling/careers?

Lindsey (9:00)

Who Gets the Giving

Do you think that Americans and the U.S. government give too much to other countries in their disasters than they give to disaster victims in the United States?

Do you think it is right that the U.S. gave so much to Haiti when there is still a lot of recovery left for the Katrina disaster?

Did you give to Haiti relief or Katrina relief? If so, which one and why? If you didn’t give, why didn’t you? If you could give, which one would you give to and why?

Becky Gryczewski (9:00)

Do professional athletes make too much money?

Professional athletes do have amazing talents--that's why they're professionals. But do they deserve the huge amounts of money they are paid? Some athletes will make more money signing their first contract than some families will earn in a lifetime. What is your opinion on this? Are athletes overpaid or not?

(9:00)

Nolan Bradley

Are They Really Okay?

Adam is a twenty year old soldier in the United States Army. He joined the Army right out of high school because he felt he wasn't quite ready for college. Adam has always been the really sweet but notoriously devious kid that loved to have fun. Since enlisting, Adam has been to boot camp here in the states, and he was stationed in Germany right before he did a fifteen month tour in Iraq where he worked as a scout. Right before leaving Iraq, a friend in his squad was killed. When Adam returned home, he was definitely not the boy who he was before he had left for war. The features in his face seemed harder and when he slept at night, he would jump out of bed at any tiny noise that was made. He is fidgety and sometimes seems like he has A.D.D. He said he felt like he no longer had anything in common with his childhood friends or family members and could not wait to get back to duty. Now Adam is getting ready to leave for a twelve month tour in Afghanistan that he signed himself up for. He confided to me that he was a little worried about going because in Iraq, they were wanted, the people cheered them. In Afghanistan they hate Americans and want us out of their country.

I worry what this will do to the boy I once knew and how he will be able to check back into real life in the United States after his time in the Army is up. Adam cannot even legally buy himself a beer, but he is going to war for the second time in his life. I researched and realized that not much counseling is given to soldiers returning from combat. The resources are available if they want them, but are over when they are no longer serving in the Army.

My question to you is this:

Do you think that soldiers returning from war should receive mandatory intensive therapy before (and a while after) being allowed to return to their normal lives?
Amy Hansen (10:00)

America

In the state our country is in, should you be proud to be an American? What does it mean to be proud of your country? Is it wrong to not be proud to be an American?

Justine Miller 10:00

do you think that adopted children should have the right to know who their real parents are before the age of 18?

Adopted children are usually not allowed to find their biological parents until they are 18 years old. Is it wrong to hold from a child until they are 18 where their biological traits come from? Do you think that it is better to let a child know they are adopted at an early age? Is it better to withhold that a child is adopted? What age is a good age for adopted children to know who their biological parents are? Do the adopted parents need to have complete control over finding the biological parents so the child doesnt get hurt by the biological parents?

Jodi Hardwick (10:00)

What Do You Think About Abortion?

What Do You Think About Abortion? Is abortion okay? Why or why not? Is it murder? If no, why do you think this? If someone's ready for sex, shouldn't they also be ready for what consequences it may bring?

Kiara (9:00)

Where do you get your eggs?

Eggs

Do you ever think about where your egg and poultry production is coming from? Do you know what you're getting when you buy a dozen eggs at the grocery store? Do you think the quality or nutrition of an egg depends on how the chicken is treated?Is there really a difference in nutrition between brown eggs or white eggs? Brown eggs usually cost more, but why?

How many eggs do you eat a week? Do you ever think about what you might be eating when you eat a store-bought egg?

Thanks for your time!

--Lazarus Pishos (10:00)

Media violence

Do shows and video games make people more likely to commit crimes? Some people point at cases like the Kip Kinkel shooting spree in Oregon in 1998, the Columbine shootings in 1999 or the Petric case where a teen age boy shot and killed his mom when she took away his Halo game. They say these crimes might not have been committed if the killers had not been influenced by playing violent video games. What do you think? Does playing violent video games and watching violent TV make us more likely to commit violent crimes?

Jessica Brooks (9:00)