The Cost of College

By: Amanda K.

As seniors in high school, we’re all probably thinking about college, and many of us know what college we’re going to already.  There are many factors that we thought about when choosing which college we wanted to go to, such as location, majors, and price.  Most schools probably have your majors, so that was easy to check off.  Location shouldn’t have been hard to decide, but then comes the price factor.  The question I want to know is: Is it really worth going to the college of your dreams, no matter what the cost?

For me, the biggest worry was price.  How do I find a good college that I can afford on my own without going into debt by the time I’m twenty?  Let’s face it, student loans, scholarships, and financial aid will only give you so much money, and then you’re still at the point where you owe tens of thousands of dollars.  When you’re struggling with money and mom and dad aren’t there to help you anymore, you’re stuck.  This is where the government should come in and help.  They say we’ll be most successful if we go to college and get a degree right?  Well how do they expect some of us to do that when we just can’t afford it?  Hopefully the answer is near.

Obama has a plan for us.  He wants us to be a country where everybody has a chance, not just where a small group of people are successful.  Everybody wants the American dream, and if they didn’t get it growing up, they want to get it as an adult and give it to their children by sending them off to college. They can make this possible by going to college to get a good education.  “Obama’s proposal would boost federal investment in the Perkins loan program from $1 billion to $8 billion and revamp the formula for distributing the money. Under the plan, colleges would be rewarded based on their success in offering relatively lower tuition prices, providing value and serving low-income students”.

The thing is, all colleges seem to be concerned about is money.  The most important thing should be education and making difference in people’s lives by making it possible for them to get the education they want and need in order to be successful.  High class families are fine in times like these, but that’s only a small percentage of our population.  The middle and lower class need help.  Unfortunately, the republicans have objected to this new proposal, so getting congressional approval may not work out in our favor. 

Even if the cost of college doesn’t drop in time for us to attend, hopefully by the time we are sending our own children to school it will be more affordable.  It will benefit all of us. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-outlines-incentive-plan-to-reduce-college-tuition-costs/2012/01/27/gIQAc92fVQ_story.html

Newt Gingrich had Plans to Build a Moon Base

By: John Twist

There were many ideas said during the presidential campaign before the official nominations of Obama and Romney. Some of them were better than others, but occasionally, there’s one idea that’s so absurd, it’s hard to imagine that someone running for president suggested it. Earlier this year in January, Newt Gingrich stated, "By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American."

First off, no, but I like your confidence and determination. I don’t think he understands how money works. I also admire the fact that he says his “second term” during the speech. (How’s that coming along by the way?) Building the international space station cost over $100 billion and had the combined effort of 16 countries. Building a base on the moon would cost substantially more money than that. Also, the fact that he said that it would be American. How can we build a base that is more technologically advanced than the International Space Station.  It took 16 countries to make a small space station, so how can you build an entire base using only one? Just to prove that I’m not making this up, here is the actual speech he gave in Florida on January 23, 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fau6Lr7_fQc

During George W. Bush’s presidential term, he stated that he had plans to go back to the moon. The plan was called Constellation. During that time, engineers designed feasible ways to successfully build a base. Even more of a problem is the trouble NASA is in. Obama cancelled Constellation and put in a different program. It doesn’t have a specific purpose or use. It’s simply a program that involves space. Since the cancellation, NASA had lost thousands of jobs, and in a tough economy, it’s hard to get those jobs back with a needed budget of an additional $3 billion per year.

How could you even say that it would be permanent? To be permanent, you need people to live there. He did say that he planned on having 13,000 people living on it in 2020. There are basic issues to this idea. First and foremost: how would we breathe? Where would the air come from? I suppose we could literally transport containers of air to the station. But then would we have to pay for air? Would we literally have to pay to breathe? Another problem is that the moon has no atmosphere. This makes it extremely vulnerable to solar radiation. However, the biggest problem with having no atmosphere is that there would be no protection from asteroids. The entire station could be wiped out or severely damaged in an instant. It would be damaged everyday by microscopic pebbles.

There are far more problems with having a base operational: cost, food, transport, repairs, and jobs are just some of the many large problems faced. I do enjoy the idea of space exploration, but it takes decades to do these projects, not eight years. Also, with all of the domestic problems, how could you even focus on the moon? I wish it would be happening because it would be awesome to have a base on the moon, but it’s riddled with problems and lack support and enthusiasm from the people and the government.

• "Newt Gingrich Promises Moon Base, Flights to Mars: A Reality Check - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/newt-gingrich-promises-moon-base-flights-mars-reality/story?id=15449425>.

"Why Newt Gingrich's Moon Colony Is A Good Idea And Why It's Still Not Possible - Forbes." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/28/why-newt-gingrichs-moon-colony-is-a-good-idea-and-why-its-still-not-possible/>.

United States Had Plans to Nuke the Moon

United States Had Plans to Nuke the Moon

By: Austin Rosenberger 

A story that surfaced over a decade ago is making the rounds again this week, as some media outlets are reporting that the U.S. considered detonating an atomic bomb on the moon in an effort to intimidate the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.

On Sunday, the Daily Mail revived the story, citing a 12-year-old interview with physicist Leonard Reiffel, formerly of the U.S. military-backed Armour Research Foundation and later a deputy director of NASA. Celebrated astronomer Carl Sagan also was said to have been involved with the secret project, which reportedly was known as "A Study of Lunar Research Flights" or "Project A119." For a plan that would seem to be foolish today, it had actually been under serious negotiations in the midst of the Cold War. America has always strived to “one-up” its counterparts and to send this sort of a message to the Russians is huge in terms of Americas technological advances as well as it standing its firm ground to show the world what it means to be a role model country.
It was hatched in 1958 - a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a nuclear arms race that would last decades and drive the two superpowers to the verge of nuclear war. The Soviets had also just launched Sputnik 1, the world's first satellite. The U.S. was falling behind in the space race, and needed a big splash.

People were worried very much by (first human in space Soviet cosmonaut Yuri) Gagarin and Sputnik and the very great accomplishments of the Soviet Union in those days, and in comparison, the United States was feared to be looking puny. So this was a concept to sort of reassure people that the United States could maintain a mutually-assured deterrence, and therefore avoid any huge conflagration on the Earth," said Reiffel. 

In the interview, Reiffel reportedly said the plan had been to launch a rocket that would deliver a small nuclear device to the moon's surface, where it would detonate.

The plan reads:
“Nuclear detonations in the vicinity of the moon are considered in this report along with scientific information which might be obtained from such explosions. The military aspect is aided by investigation of space environment, detection of nuclear device testing, and capability of weapons in space. A study was conducted of various theories of the moon's structure and origin, and a description of the probable nature of the lunar surface is given. The areas discussed in some detail are optical lunar studies, seismic observations, lunar surface and magnetic fields, plasma and magneti3 field effects, and organic matter on the moon.”

However in the end military officials abandoned the idea because of the unknown that would ensue the impact of the missile.  “One of the craziest things we ever did was develop and deploy nuclear tipped anti-aircraft missiles, plane to plane. That's always seemed like insanity," he said. Once miniaturized nuclear weapons were created, "as all the services wanted their share--so they had to think of some use for these things, and their uses were marginally insane," at least by today's risk-reward standards, he stated. To this day the Air Force will not comment on whether the plan was true or not.

The link below is a video that goes into further detail behind the US plans.
http://www.click2houston.com/news/U-S-had-plans-to-nuke-the-moon/-/1735978/17583356/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/akx7d9z/-/index.html
Sources:

Todd, Brian, and Dugald McConnell. "U.S. had plans to nuke the moon – CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs." CNN Security Clearance - CNN.com Blogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/28/u-s-had-plans-to-nuke-the-moon/>.

"U.S. had plans to nuke the moon | National News - KETV Home." Omaha News, Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports, Channel 7 News - KETV Omahas Channel 7. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ketv.com/news/national/U-S-had-plans-to-nuke-the-moon/-/9674576/17583356/-/clbjwl/-/index.html>.

Hot Careers that are Hiring, RIGHT NOW

Hot Careers that are Hiring, RIGHT NOW

 By: Libby Schauer

If any student reading this is like me, then you’re just as concerned about finding a job after graduating college as I am. Or maybe you’re not going to a 4 year school, but rather entering into the military, a 2-year, or an apprenticeship. Whatever the case may be, according to the Lake Country Reporter, up to 91 percent of the 2010-2011 graduating class (Pewaukee High School) has elected to attend a two- or four-year college. That means more students are electing to continue their education and form a career. What are we all going to do? If we think the competition for valedictorian, or 5^th ranked or 15^th ranked in our grade is tough, just wait until we are in competition for one job spot. And in my opinion, that’s a much harder place to be, along with much more riding on your ability to beat the others and win. That’s why I chose an article on the hot careers now, according to the article on Yahoo.com. Many of them are expected to be growing from 2010-2020, still time for our grade to grab some of these perks:

1.    Medical Assistant-

According to the Department of Labor, from 2010 to 2020, employment of medical assistants is projected to grow by 31 percent, faster than the average for all occupations. Why not have a career that utilizes your organizational skills, attention to detail, and willingness to help others?

Education Options: Although medical assistants can learn on the job, some employers may prefer candidates with formal education, says the Department. Such programs could include a certificate or associate's degree in medical assisting.

2.    Paralegal-

Being a paralegal is the “easy” way to be in the legal system without law school. According to the article, “Paralegals lawyers prepare for hearings, trials, and corporate meetings, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. They might even get to research case law and write legal documents and arguments.” The paralegal field could see its employment grow by 18 percent from 2010 to 2020! Following cutbacks during the recent recession, some law firms are rebuilding their support staff by hiring paralegals.

Education Options: An associate's degree in paralegal studies is one common route to preparing for a paralegal career, according to the Department. If you already have a bachelor's degree, look into earning a certificate in paralegal studies.

3.    Accountant-

Enjoy math? (Me neither). But if you do, then you should consider accounting! Because money will always be in circulation, accounts are always in demand. The public will need help, and that’s why accountants have a job. From the article, “The Department of Labor projects that job growth for accountants will hit 16 percent from 2010 to 2020. In addition, there appears to be an increased focus on accounting in response to corporate scandals and current financial crises, says the Department.”

Education Options: Look into earning a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. According to the Department, most accountants have this credential.

4.    Public Relations Specialist-

With the 21^st century literally buzzing with technology, this should come as no surprise as a hot career. The public is ready to hire and pay to protect their corporations, organizations, businesses and personal life issues. If you like to communicate and reach out to others, this career is right up your alley. Employment for public relations specialists is projected to grow 23 percent from 2010 to 2020, says the Department of Labor.

Education Options: A bachelor's degree in a communications-related field like public relations, journalism, or communications is generally required to prepare to pursue a career as a public relations specialist, according to the Department.

5.    Computer Software Developer-

Interested in the technology helping the 4^th career grow? Then check out Computer Software Developer. With the opportunity to create different types of software, from video games to word processors, software developers could be in charge of a software program's whole development process, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. They're also the ones to fix or improve the computer program if an error occurs. The Department of Labor projects 30 percent job growth for software developers from 2010 to 2020!

Education Options: Look into earning a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering. According to the Department, this is the typical credential of software developers.

Soon, we won’t be competing against 150 some students for a top spot in our class rank, or the best test score in the class, but against maybe hundreds of other adults who come from all different places. Everyone will be vying for that one position, will you have what it takes?