Steroids In College

Steroids are defined as "any of a large group of fat-soluble organic compounds, as the sterols, bile acids, and sex hormones, most of which have specific physiological action." These drugs can be used for helpful purposes, such as medicine and have to be perscribed by a doctor. However, most usage of steroids or human growth hormone (HGH) is illegally done and the drugs are shipped in from other countries where they are legal illegally. Steroids have become extremely prominent in sports, especially in Major League Baseball in the past few years. They are also found in the school system, specifically in high school or college. However, their usage is declining.

The first website I looked at was http://www.steroidlaw.com/steroid-law-44.html. This website article comes from the website steroidlaw.com. The article lists the NCAA's sanctions on steroid usage in sports as well as a brief history of the illegal drugs. Also featured is many different types of steroids as well as what measures are being taken to test for these illegal drugs.

The second website I looked at was http://media.www.msuspokesman.com/media/storage/paper270/news/2008/10/25/BodySoul/College.Students.And.Steroids-3505954.shtml. This website belongs to Morgan State University, which is a college institution. The article makes the case for why steroids should not be used and what some of their harmful side effects are. It also mentions many reasons as to why people, specifically college students use steroids.

The third website I looked at was http://www.anabolicsteroids.com/steroidscollegesteriods.html. This website has the story of a kid in California named Mike who took steroids to help him get more girls. The story details his weight gain and the early fatal side effects of his experiment with the illegal drugs. Mike ends up overweight and has to go through rehab and psychological evaluation. This website features many different stories about steroid usage and its harmful impact.

The fourth website was http://media.www.sanmatean.com/media/storage/paper796/news/2007/09/10/Editorial/Steroids.A.Problem.For.College.High.School.Athletes-2959169.shtml. This website belongs to the college of San Mateo. The article talks about the harmful effects of steroids and the risks it can have, both short term and long term to student-athletes. It also mentions how student-athletes should be more educated on its risks.

The fifth website was http://www.acsm.org/Content/ContentFolders/NewsReleases/2003/STEROIDS_THREATEN_HEALTH_OF_ATHLETES_AND_INTEGRITY_OF_SPORTS_PERFORMANCE.htm. This website comes from the American College of Sports Medicine. The news release contains information on the harmful effects of steroids as well as a call for the eradication of all steroids usage in sports.

The final website was http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/sports-medicine-steroids-drugs.htm. This website contains information about steroid usage and how it can harm student-athletes. It also lists specific side effects and the effects they can have, both short and long-term.

These six websites all have to do with steroids in college but none contains exactly the same information. Rather these six sites together help form a more complete picture to help with understanding the harmful effects of these potent and illegal drugs on college students.

Twitter: Social Networking Tool or Credible Journalism?

I believe that Twitter is a social networking tool, period. Twitter is not a credible journalism source. If Twitter is going to be considered a credible journalism source, then Facebook and Myspace should be as well. While we're at it, why don't we make Wikipedia a credible source as well? The reason why is that anyone who has access to the Internet can post anything on Wikipedia, they do not have to do any research or even be a credible source. The same goes for Twitter as both also fail to be unbiased as they are the thoughts & words of an individual.

The Future Of Journalism

The future of investigative journalism is murky, just like the waters of the Hudson River in New York City.  Journalism's focus has shifted from being accurate in the past, to being the first one out with the story, regardless of if the facts are correct or not.  Journalism has also shifted away from being plain to being interactive online, with features like photo galleries, videos and blogs.  Online journalism should be independent and not be forced or told what to cover based upon who their sponsors are.  and they have the ability to provide much more multimedia than newspapers do.  Investigative reporting is important but it should be on issues that affect the people, not on what people are forced to do.

The Washington Post Has The Power To Make Change In Washington...

The article by Tom Grubisich is very interesting and has some truth behind it. The Washington Post and its website washingtonpost.com does have the power to bring light to issues that Washington D.C. are dealing with. Like the article says, some people assume that there are no problems in D.C. because it's the nation's capitol. However, this is not true at all. I agree that it has the power to bring about change in D.C. and help make things better in that city and that can set an example for the rest of the country. However, it can only occur if people are able to access the Internet and the newspaper itself.

Real or Not Real?

The first site I looked at is www.aircongress.com. This website is purely opinion and does not show both sides of the political issues it discusses. Rather, it is run by extremeist Republicans and it is also not even updated regularaly.

The second site I looked at is the Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan. This website is also purely opinion as it is made up entirely of blogs about various issues. This is updated daily, however there seems to be no organization to it.

The third site I looked at is MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action. This website is again purely opinion, more specifically, it is the opinion of the members of the MoveOn PAC group. The website is updated daily with new issues and causes to help support but it fails to show both sides of the issues.

The last site I looked at is Dave Barry's blog. This website is purely opinion. It is updated daily and its main writer receives help from others in writing and posting the material discussed to the Internet. The stories covered fail to show both sides of the issues.

Other Schools Communication Sites

The University of Florida's Journalism website is very difficult to locate and requires some searching to find it.  I had to look in several different areas as it was not listed under Communications.  The website does not feature any videos or anything interactive on it and is very plain.

The University of South Florida's Journalism website is even more difficult to locate than UF's and requires even more searching as it is not listed under Communications.  This website is even more bland and plain than UF's and does not feature anything interactive on it.

The University of Central Florida's Journalism website is a little easier to navigate than the previous two schools.  However, the website does not have its own page, rather it has a PDF of what are the requirements for the degree.  This website is also not interactive.

Florida State University's Communication website is very easy to navigate.  The website has its own page but it is very bland as it does not feature anything interactive on it, other than a picture slideshow and requires some searching to find it.

The University of Miami (FL) website is the best that I have seen of these five websites.  The website not only has its own page but it also has a video which runs on it as part of a promotion of the department.  This website was not too difficult to locate.

Florida Southern's Communication website could be helped by adding more videos and picture slideshows on there to show what our department is capable of.  Also, it would be nice if it was a little easier to access.    

On The Eighth Day, God Made Tim Tebow...

The 2008-2009 college football season has come to an end but a familar theme remains present: the BCS National Championship returns to its rightful home in Gainesville, Florida. Two years ago, the No. 2 University of Florida Gators upset the No. 1 Ohio State University Buckeyes 41-14 in Arizona to win the National Title. The No. 2 Gators reclaimed the National Title on Thursday night with a 24-14 victory over the No. 1 ranked University of Oklahoma Sooners in Miami.

The game featured the last two Heisman Trophy winners in sophomore Sam Bradford of OU and junior Tim Tebow of UF as well as two of the highest scoring offenses in the country. The three big questions entering this game was the health of the Gators dynamic playmaking wide receiver/running back, junior Percy Harvin; if Oklahoma's "average" defense could stop the Gators quick offense and if the Gators quick defense could stop the Sooners high-octane offense.

Harvin played in the game and played well as he accounted for 122 yards rushing and a touchdown while also making 5 catches for 49 yards on an ankle that he said was "90%" healthy. Tebow did not play his best game as he had his first 2-interception game of his career but he still completed 18 of 30 passes for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 109 yards on 22 carries.

Florida and Oklahoma played a very sloppy first half as the Gators had two turnovers while Oklahoma had one. Both teams high-powered offenses failed to muster more than a touchdown apiece at halftime.  UF's defense may have bent during the game but never broke as sophomore free safety set the tone for his team early in the game with a crushing hit on OU senior wide receiver Manuel Johnson.  The Gators defense was able to consistently pressure Bradford and came up with two critical goal line stands in the first half along with a fourth down stand by sophomore defensive tackle Torrey Davis.  UF was also able to block afield goal try by the Sooners in the Third Quarter.  However, the Gators took control in the fourth quarter as Tebow led UF to the go-ahead score on his patented "jump pass" to junior wide receiver David Nelson.  Sophomore strong safety Ahmad Black from Lakeland High School recored a key interception that helped put the game away.

Tebow will be returning to the Gators for his senior season and will be looking to lead essentially the same team to another National Championship in the Rose Bowl while also becoming the second player to win the Heisman Trophy twice.       

In The Beginning...

Welcome to the Bible of Sports, according to Kyle Carmack... Each week, I'll be providing a preview of a big sports game or event as well as my thoughts, pictures, prediction & a summary following the game.