I was waiting in the locker room, just waiting for the bell to ring, listening to the ambient conversation meandering over the tops of the lockers. I couldn’t believe how rude and hateful some people were; insult after insult sullied the air.

My commute between classes has become so familiar: a four-minute ritual practiced every 50 minutes. It is a sobering experience that’s both insightful and saddening. The most telling part of my interclass commute is the moment I lock eyes with a fellow student passing. For that fleeting instant when our eyes lock, the other person is completely genuine, all assumptions forgotten. If the eyes are the path to the soul, a second’s worth of eye contact tells far more than I could ever imagine.

Passing others in the hallway, I see the freshman who walks awkwardly, wondering where he fits in, if he even does. I see the girl who always clutches her books tight, afraid to let anyone close. And I see the clumsy boy, lacking any self-confidence whatsoever. Sometimes I forget that I was once in their shoes, just as awkward, afraid and insecure as they are. All they need is the kindness of someone else, someone to open the door for them, someone to smile back and someone to be a friend.

We all get caught up in our own little “bubble,” forgetting that life exists outside of what happens around us. When I lived in my own little world, I was oblivious to how other people felt; I forgot that one unkind word could make or break someone else’s day. Now that graduation is near, I’ve learned that life is too short to spend your days living in your own bubble and wasting time being rude and spiteful.

We have to realize that our bubbles encompass more than just us, but those around us as well. So while we’re sharing this space, why not be kind to those around you? If you’re lucky, they might just be kind right back.

Health Care Reform goes into effect in two major stages: the first part becomes effective September 23, 2010, the second part four years later, on January 1, 2014.

Going into effect in the first stage, insurers will be required to allow dependent children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26, an eight year increase from the current drop-off age of 18. A new provision also prohibits insurers from dropping customers after they get sick. Also in the first stage, a new 10 percent tax will be applied to all indoor tanning services.

In the second stage, effective nearly four years later on January 1, 2014, insurance providers will no longer be allowed to deny customers insurance based upon pre-existing conditions. Another provision will fine those who refuse to purchase insurance; a fine of 1 percent of the total income of each citizen per year is established, after 2016, the fine increases to 2.5 percent of each citizens yearly income. 17,000 new IRS agents will also be hired to enforce the new fine.

The support of the American public has yet to be won: a March 29 poll from Rasmussen Reports found 54 percent of the nation’s voters favor a full repeal of Health care Reform, with 60 percent of Americans under the belief that it will increase the national deficit. As of March 23, the attorney generals of 13 states have declared the law unconstitutional; a lawsuit against the federal government is currently underway.

“America has unfortunately been taken down the wrong path by President Obama,”

(polls)

Ten American missionaries were detained at the Haitian border Jan. 30 when they tried to take 33 children out of the country into the Dominican Republic. The 10 missionaries, members of the Idaho Baptist Convention, admitted that they did not have permission or the proper paperwork from the Haitian government needed to transport the orphans across the border.

“We were just trying to do the right thing,” said Laura Silsby, the detained leader of the missionaries, in an interview with MSNBC.

“Our point was to draw attention to the plight of Haitian orphans” told Corina Lankford, a fellow detainee, to The New York Times. “We came here to help, not to become the story,”

Ostensibly, their intent was to transport the children to the Dominican Republic and then to the United States, where they could be adopted. The missionaries were fully aware that what they were doing was wrong, so the Haitian government has been especially harsh toward them. Prime Minister Max Bellerive was angered by their actions.

“It is clear now that they were trying to cross the border without papers,” Bellerive said in an interview with MSNBC, “and it is clear now that they knew what they were doing was wrong.”

Although the Haitian government dropped all charges against the last two of the 10 detained Americans in question Feb. 25, the lesson to be learned from this incident stands.

Prior to the incarceration of the 10 Americans, 15 Haitian children a day were being airlifted from the largest pediatric field hospital in Haiti to the United States. Pilots would airlift the children to the United States, and then take care of the paperwork after they had arrived.

When the 10 Americans were captured and accused of kidnapping, the Haitian government started cracking down on the rules surrounding medical airlifts. Immediately after the jailing of the 10 Americans, Haitian officials required doctors to have all papers in order before the children could be airlifted to the United States. This was a near-impossible task, because the papers needed were buried under mountains of rubble. As a result of the lock down on medical airlifts by Haitian officials, only three children were airlifted to hospitals in the United States for the 24 days following the incarceration of the Americans. Pilots who violated this new policy faced up to a $400,00 fine and jail time if they airlifted children without the proper paperwork.

“For these kids, the kidnapping case isn’t just a distraction; it has become the difference between life and death” said Dr. Lee Sanders, a pediatrician who is treating children in a makeshift field hospital set up inside an airport.

One girl could lose her leg if she cannot get out of Haiti in time. The infection is spreading, and doctors will need to amputate.

The 10 Americans should have left well enough alone; they have only caused more problems for the Haitians. Innocent children have died because of their actions. If they had followed the rules, at least 300 additional children could have sought much-needed medical attention in United States.

The actions of the 10 missionaries were counter-productive, and have also detracted from the real issue at hand in Haiti, as their story was being splashed on the front pages of countless newspapers across America.

They had good intentions, but as the saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” And that’s exactly what the Haitians are experiencing — a living hell.

• Andrew Keith

For two days, robotics teams from the Greater Kansas City area met to compete and show off their robot-building abilities.

“They did a very, very good job,” sponsor Bob Stewart said. “It really is something to be proud of.”

The competition requires that students design and build a radio-controlled robot capable of competing against other robots in a soccer-style game. Each team attempts to score points in a two-minute time period, avoiding hilly terrain and blocks from the opposing team. New this year are rules that prohibit the robots from lifting the ball. Only kicking is allowed.

Members of the Cougar Robotics team competed in 10 matches ­— winning seven, losing twice and tying once. The team scored high early on, but lost out late in the game.

“In robotics, we face a difficult task, building a robot in six weeks,” junior Ryan Kirkendall said. “It takes a lot out of you, but once the robot is completed, you realize how much you have learned. We do these things because they are hard and challenging, and when it’s all over, we are glad we did it.”

“At C.E.S., the screens were big, the images were high-def, and the video samples were vivid and punchy,” David Pogue of the New York Times reported. “The [electronics manufacturers] made 3-D TV seem fantastic. You almost couldn’t wait to buy one when they come out this summer.”
With the unprecedented success of 3-D movies such as Avatar, electronics manufacturers want to bring 3-D into the home. With the quality 3-D found in Avatar, Electronics manufacturers have come out with several models of 3-D televisions, built to appeal to the average consumer.
As a result, Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic now offer 3-D televisions that require 3-D glasses. Most models range from $1500 to $3500. For those who wish to forgo the glasses, Phillips Electronics has an alternative: 3-D televisions without the 3-D glasses. Prices start around $8900 for the 42-inch model.

Viewing angle is another hurdle for 3-D television. If the viewer moves a certain distance away from the screen, or is viewing the screen from the side, the image appears flat and two-dimensional, negating the purpose of the 3-D television, according to PC Magazine.

“The viewing angle is poor, and price is too high,” sophomore Chris Moss said.

According to Moss, 3-D television is little more than a gimmick; too cumbersome and cost-prohibitive to become popular in the home.

The biggest problem with 3-D is the lack of content, according to CNET.com. Only two networks have announced plans for 3-D: Discovery Channel and ESPN. ESPN is the largest supporter of 3-D broadcasting and have been planning their conversion to 3-D since 2007. Beginning on June 11 with the FIFA World Cup, ESPN plans a live 3-D broadcast of over 85 sporting events worldwide. The June 11 Live 3-D broadcast will likely be the make-or-break moment, determining whether or not 3-D can make the jump from silver-screen to big-screen.

Andrew Keith

Windows 7 has been eight years in the making, and Microsoft has finally gotten it right. Windows 7 is faster, more efficient, easier on the eyes and, for the first time, intuitive. The biggest change from Windows Vista is speed. Windows 7 makes a sluggish Windows Vista or Windows XP computer run like new.

A few new features have been added to the taskbar along the bottom of the screen. Gone is the Start menu and, in its place, is a Windows logo button. Windows 7 enables users to attach their favorite programs to the taskbar for faster launching. One click to launch Firefox, another to launch Word and another to launch Photoshop.

Another great feature of Windows 7 is called “shake.” When you have too many windows open, you simply click and “shake” the window with your mouse to hide all other open windows. To display the hidden windows, simply shake the window again.

Have an Xbox 360? If it connects to the Internet, Remote Media Streaming will allow you queue up videos, pictures and music and play them back on your Xbox. Open a movie in Windows, and the TV connected to your Xbox will seamlessly play back the video.

Possibly one of the most revolutionary features is multi-touch. Popularized by Apple on the iPhone, multi-touch has now made its way into everyday computing. If your laptop is touch screen enabled, Windows 7 supports multi-touch. When browsing photos, use two fingers to “pinch” the screen to zoom in or out. Tap with two fingers to right-click. The caveat: Few laptops have a touch screen, save a few expensive tablet computers. Microsoft has allready released software specifically designed for touch screens dubbed the Windows 7 Touch Pack, which includes simple painting applications and some touch screen games.

Windows 7 is not without its flaws. Three distinct editions of Windows 7 exist, all geared toward different consumers. Also, the software isn’t cheap; prices range from more than $200 for Windows 7 Home Premium to $320 for Windows 7 Ultimate. Windows 7 is more efficient than previous versions of Windows, almost any computer built within the last five years will run Windows 7 well. Windows 7 Home Premium is the best version for most users, and is the least expensive. The full-fledged Ultimate version costs $120 more and only includes one extra program, BitLocker, a data security tool. And the third version, Professional is geared towards businesses and schools.

The bottom line: Windows 7 is a great product, and well worth the high price tag. Windows 7 is everything Windows Vista should have been, and more.