Archery : Benefits to Health (Blog Post 2)

As opposed to disc golf which I wrote about in my first post, archery is something I have taken up relatively recently. A bunch of my friends and I have a group discord where we post various events, chat while playing videogames or just talk about anything and everything, or even just share funny things about our days. I love this discord because it has helped me stay connected with my friends due to various events, but also to be able to try new activities. I had never tried karaoke for instance, until I joined the discord. Another thing that this discord server got me interested in is archery! There is a great place where we like to meet known as “Archer Park” in Burnsville, Minnesota. It has separate lanes, and has varying distances ranging from 10 to 80 yards. As a beginner I like to stick to 20 yards, but some of my friends will go up farther. We all use recurve bows, which essentially means there is no mechanical assistance when you are shooting, just a string and your hand! That is one of the things I love about archery is you really feel connected to the bow and you now any mistakes are due to your own errors. This can seem daunting, but is also a great source of improvement over time.

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According to the website worldarchery, “On their way to topping the Olympic podium, a male archer burns an estimated 1,084 calories”. Exercise has also been proven to be a benefit to mental health! I have personally struggled with mental health, I remember at my previous institution Saint Olaf College I spent a lot of time alone and cooped up in my room, which ended up making my mental health worse over time. Nowadays I try to spend more time outside and with friends, because these things are extremely beneficial to one’s mental health.

Links:
https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/mental-health-benefits-of-getting-outside/
https://worldarchery.sport/news/147916/8-health-benefits-archery

[The Utah Jazz] Don’t Get No Respect

If you couldn’t already tell, full disclosure, I am a Utah Jazz fan. Now that that’s out of the way, lets focus on the facts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMh0GWFDg_2/

If you were looking at the NBA power rankings for the first half of the season, you would think the Jazz were the most inconsistent team in the league. Those rankings are not a good indicator of their success in the beginning of the season.

One example comes from week five power rankings. During the first four weeks of the season, the Utah Jazz, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Milwaukee Bucks were ranked in the all-time top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. What were the rankings that week? Lakers first, Bucks second, and Jazz sixth. At this time, the Jazz had the same win-loss record as the Bucks, and were ranked higher than them in pace, defensive rating, offensive rating, and net rating. Also, keep in mind that they had the third best record in the western conference, behind the Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.

A few days after those rankings came out, Shaquille O’Neal decided to conduct a very awkward interview with Utah Jazz shooting guard, Donovan Mitchell. Shaq said, “you are one of my favorite players, but you don’t have what it takes to get to the next level. I said it on purpose, I want you to hear it. What do you have to say about that?” To which Donovan replied, “alright.”

This is something people have been telling Donovan since his rookie year, no matter how well the Jazz perform. They were on a seven game win streak and had one of the best records in the west when Shaq said that.

The Jazz didn’t let any of the noise from the media get to them. They continued their winning streak and made it 11 games in a row before losing, which is the longest winning streak in the league this season. They also clinched the first place spot in weeks 9, 10, and 11 of power rankings. Currently, they’re third in power rankings and first in the western conference. They have three wins over the second place team in the west, are still ranked in the all-time top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency and sent three of their players to the NBA All-Star game.

With all their success, you’d think they would start being taken seriously. No. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were among the original picks for the All-Star game. They had a third member, Michael Conley, join the game after a couple other players were kicked out due to COVID-19 contact tracing. Since Conley was filling in, he wasn’t part of picking teams.

The captains for this year’s NBA All-Star game were Lebron James and Kevin Durant. Neither of them wanted Donovan Mitchell or Rudy Gobert. Not even Rudy Gobert! And he’s a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Lebron’s reasoning? He had this to say, “I just want to say something, because there’s no slander to the Utah Jazz but you guys got to understand, just like in video games growing up, we never played with Utah. Even as great as Karl Malone and John Stockton were, we never would have picked those guys. Never.” No slander, huh? We do not live in a video game. The league needs to accept that the Jazz are a force to be reckoned with.

The Jazz are not allowed to as inconsistent as other teams, and too much weight is placed on Donovan Mitchell’s shoulders. I can remember several times the Jazz have choked during important games, and I’ve been a disappointed fan, but not this year. The Jazz are going to come in hot during the NBA finals and I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by their abilities.

Are our kid becoming addicted to video games?

Are our kids spending way too much time on video games? Has this become the new normal? These days that all kids talk about and do. The World Health Organization declared that compulsively playing video games has become an all time high and is considered as a mental health disorder. Its proper name is called “gaming disorder”. Its becoming a new wave that kids are just getting hooked on. Kids who have become really addicted too it are spending all there free time and even times when there not free playing video games. That also get withdrawn afterwards if they lack on not playing the game for a little bit. But the real question is? Why are our children so addicted too this? “Game creators work hard to hook players to their games. They use predictive algorithms and principles of behavioral economics to make the gamer binge”. Its so scary too think about when you read this because there starting this at a young age. A kids mind is developing every day and as time goes by they can also be destructive because of this and see what the games are doing and think its okay in real life. 

I can relate too this a lot. I have a little brother. He’s eleven years old and addicted too video games. Any game out there he has it and plays it. It was already an issue before the pandemic but ever since the pandemic has started its been through constant playing the game can be very hard on us when we tell him too stop even disciplining kids now is an issue because he’s constantly wanting too do it

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kids+playing+video+games&id=B40EA952011A614C105A3B9795A8649DE12FE195&FORM=IQFRBA

How to Treat your Child’s Video Game Addiction

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMCqWXzhGCR/

There are no words

Minneapolis is on fire.

I’ve hardly been able to stop watching the attached video. It’s a live stream of Minneapolis from the wee hours of May 30, 2020.

I have worked in that neighborhood for 17 years. I have walked on all of those streets. I have shopped at many of those stores. I’ve eaten at the restaurants. I’ve worked in that neighborhood longer than I’ve lived anywhere in my life.

In the video, I can see people trying to burn down the building that I have spent countless hours, days, weeks, months, and years. It looks like a war zone. It looks like a movie. It’s hard to comprehend the destruction while sitting miles away, in my home office. It’s breathtaking and heartbreaking.

I can’t seem to focus on anything else, just watching the familiar streets filled with glass, hearing the fires crackle and the alarms sounding. I’ve been trying to do homework for hours and I keep coming back to the video. I can’t stop thinking about the people who live and work in that neighborhood. There is a hospital two blocks away, full of patients with COVID.

I remember on 9/11, I was drawn to the TV in the same way that I am drawn to the internet today. I know that this will pass, that we will rebuild, and this will be relegated to a “where were you during the Minneapolis riots?” moment.

In the meantime, I think I will try to focus on the good in the community. It’s out there if you look for it.

http://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/general-interest/how-to-support-the-twin-cities/

Helmet cannot prevent concussion.

Helmet cannot protect people from concussion.

Yes a helmet can protect a person from TBI, but it cannot prevent concussions. The inner rotation impact is what causes concussions for people in most head on collision. Rotation impact is the brain and skull colliding. Even though it looks harmless from the outside with head on collision, the brain inside is smacking into the skull. This is the part that causes concussions. Football is one example of concussion, with head on collision and foreseen concussion on fields. Aside from football, any other activity can cause a concussion. Playing soccer and getting hit in the head by a ball can cause concussion. The same goes with falling off a bike or getting into fights.

Like the TED video, concussion can occur with any activity. Football is not the only sport or activity that is known for causing concussion. Anything can cause head injuries and a helmet cannot prevent those concussion from occurring. Understand that safety is first and that head protection is vital, but still be cautious on any given activities.

Supreme Court of the United States

Established by the United States Constitution, the Supreme Court began to take shape with the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789 and had its first assembly in 1790. The Supreme Court is the final judge in all cases involving laws of Congress, and the highest law of all — the Constitution.

“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.”

– Article III, Section 1, United States Constitution

The Supreme court is what our country is built on. Cases that make their way all the way up to the Supreme court shape the laws we must all follow. The Supreme Court plays a very important role in our constitutional system of government. First, as the highest court in the land, it is the court of last resort for those looking for justice. Second, due to its power of judicial review, it plays an essential role in ensuring that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its own power. Third, it protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution. Finally, it sets appropriate limits on democratic government by ensuring that popular majorities cannot pass laws that harm and/or take undue advantage of unpopular minorities. It serves to ensure that the changing views of a majority do not undermine the fundamental values common to all Americans, i.e., freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and due process of

(photo from https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/courtbuilding.aspx)

USA Today list the top 21 Supreme Court Cases you can see some votes were unanimous and some are very close. These cases have divided our country and brought our country together. Cases are heard on a number of items. Race, voting, marriage, marijuana, education, health insurance, slavery and so much more.

Supreme Court Judges hold highest power in our country. So why would we want someone who doesn’t hold our countries laws, morals or values high? We are in a historical time in America. We have an opening on the Supreme Court and it is a controversy like not other in American history.

The sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh date back to his high school and college years — decades ago. There have been several female’s to come forward and say they have had encounters with Kavanaugh that show he should not be on the highest court.

Suddenly it is a he said/she said case. How long is “too long” to be sexually assaulted and come forward?

A “#Why I didn’t Report” movement is being backed my both male and female victims of sexual violence after President Trump questioned the length of time from one accuser. Seven out of 10 victims of sexual assault do not go to authorities.

One google search and you can see both sides posting their opinions. News media coverage on both sides. Each side claiming fake news reports. Blue vs Red. Liberal vs Conservative. We all see the battles. CNN vs FOXNEWS. Each website has their own agenda and projects their own version of the same situation. What can anyone believe anymore? We are so quick to judge, so quick to talk, not a quick to listen and hear the other side. We have an obligation to research and sift through the information out there.

I ask you a question.

Is this about IF he did this?

or

Is this about the morals and values of a position on the highest court in the US?

What have we become that we are so angry and unable to look at the real question here? What standards do we have for the judges on the highest court in the US?

Interested in our Supreme Court Case History?

Read the cases that have made their way to the Supreme Court. Do these court cases affect you? Do you want someone in our court system that can change these decisions? What rights do you value? What rights are you willing to loose just to stand by a political party that would not stand by you?

Marbury v. Madison, 1803 (4-0 decision)

Established the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review over Congress.

Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857 (7-2 decision)

Denied citizenship to African American slaves.

Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 (7-1 decision)

Upheld “separate but equal” segregation laws in states.

Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 (9-0 decision)

Separating black and white students in public schools is unconstitutional.

Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963 (9-0 decision)

Criminal defendants have a right to an attorney even if they cannot afford one.

Miranda v. Arizona, 1966 (5-4 decision)

Prisoners must be advised of their rights before being questioned by police.

Roe v. Wade, 1973 (7-2 decision)

Women have a constitutional right to an abortion during the first two trimesters.

United States v. Nixon, 1974 (8-0 decision)

President cannot use executive privilege to withhold evidence from criminal trial.

Bush v. Gore, 2000 (5-4 decision)

No recount of the 2000 presidential election was feasible in a reasonable time period.

District of Columbia v. Heller, 2008 (5-4 decision)

Citizens have a right to possess firearms at home for self-defense.

United States v. Windsor, 2013 (5-4 decision)

Federal government must provide benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

Obergefell v. Hodges, 2015 (5-4 decision)

Same-sex marriage is legalized across all 50 states.

Blog post # 2

Being Multilingual

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In Public School Reviews article: Benefits of Foreign Language Education and Huffington Posts article: 6 Multilingual benefits that you only get if you speak another language, it shows that learning more than one language has more advantages than disadvantages.

For me growing up in a multilingual household, it wasn’t as difficult as people may think it is. Of course, cultures were different when I was at home versus in school but it was easy to tell what language I needed to use or not and to react a certain way or not. According to these articles and because of being multilingual, I was able to benefit cognitively by easily learning new things and understanding different reasons and beliefs to things. Whether it was English class, history class, or science, I had the ability to not just learn but to also think deeper in detail on how things could come to be.

Another topic that these two articles talk about that benefits a person who is multilingual is that it provides people with intellectual abilities and social awareness to interact with different people of different cultures. Because I lived in a different environment at home versus my school and personal life, I feel that because of that, I am very socially aware and acceptable of how different people are. I come to love different cultures and the way people view or do things and I appreciate the diversity in this world.

In many schools these days, they teach different languages and I believe it is important to provide that to students because I believe that learning a new language helps with better communication among different cultures and societies. I believe that it is very important to connect with one another to be open to each other to live as peaceful as possible and to respect one another.

Thank you,
Sophia Vu