User:Soliloquial/Bolt

Spencer Weiss

Usain Bolt, Olympic Sprinter

Usain Bolt is a professional sprinter from Jamaica. He currently holds the records for both the 200 meter dash and the 100 meter dash, at 19.30 s and 9.69 s respectively. He gained world fame at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he got gold medals for the 100 m, 200 m, and the 4 x 100 m relay. He also got two silver medals at the World Championships, a gold medal and two silver medals at the World Junior Championships, and a gold medal at the World Youth Championships. His many achievements have gained him the nickname “Lightning Bolt.” Bolt was born on August 21, 1986 in a town called Trelawny, Jamaica. He spent much of his free time playing soccer and cricket with his brother. After attending William Knibb Memorial High School, his cricket coach recommended that he try Track & Field. Although not initially following his coach’s request, he later won his first high school medal at the championships in 2001, with a time of 22.04 seconds for the 200 m. Pablo McNeil, previously a 100 m Olympic athlete, later became his coach. The 2002 World Championships is where he gained prominence as a track star. There, he won the 200 m and took silver medals in two separate relays. His popularity as a Jamaican track star later gave him a place in the 2004 Athens Olympic qualifiers, where he competed in the 200 meters, but lost due to a leg injury. He became a world record breaker at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he broke the records for both the 100 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. Following the Olympics he became the IAAF Athlete of the Year and won a Special Olympic Award for his outstanding performance. He is currently aiming to improve his time of the 400 m in 2010, where some are suggesting that he might break the world record, as no major championships are occurring then. Although once a cricket and soccer hobbyist at his home in Jamaica, Bolt is now a prominent athlete in today’s society.

Spencer Weiss

Physical Education in Today’s Curriculum

Despite being recommended by most states as a mandatory element of student curriculum, physical education has faced much criticism since its inception. One criticism of physical education is that a large amount of bullying takes place in physical education classes. Because not all student athletes have the same abilities, some take this advantage to criticize their peers about their inabilities. Some bullying even takes place between the teacher and the student. This can lead to low self-esteem and, eventually, depression. Another common criticism of physical education is that it strongly emphasizes weight loss and body image. Because many students in good health already have bad views of themselves, additional emphasis on this might lead to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia. In severe cases, these eating disorders can eventually lead to death. Finally, many criticize that physical education should not be included in a student’s GPA. Many honors students who get straight A’s in all of their academic classes might fail physical education causing them to have a significantly lower GPA. Proponents of removing physical education from the GPA believe that all students should have equal opportunities to receive respectable grades, and that physical education discourages this aspect of grading. Even though physical education has many positive aspects, such as providing students physical exercise, there are many negative aspects that cause many to think that physical education should not be a required aspect of today’s student curriculum.