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)