By Chad Fukuoka 

         Every year it’s a tradition for the NBA to hold its All-Star Game. This year, the game was in New Orleans, part of a rebuilding effort for the city, since it had already hosted a couple of BCS football games. The fans appeared to be enthusiastic and were very supportive of the players and the events. Usually, the All-Star weekend isn’t highly regarded by most basketball fans since players often put in less than full effort into what is essentially a practice game. The festivities were extra special this year and people felt compelled to make the experience a memorable one for fans and the city.

          Basically, the All-Star weekend is an opportunity for the premier players to show off their individual skills in several competitions and the events conclude with the All-Star game. In most instances, the actual game is sloppy and unorganized with little effort by anyone. It’s mostly a chance for fans to cheer for their favorite players without worrying about the final outcome. This time the game was competitive and decided in the last 30 seconds. During several interviews, players were excited about the experience and kept on emphasizing the importance of putting on a good show for the fans. They were carefree, humorous and entertaining.

          In addition to giving residents of New Orleans an opportunity to watch basketball, the players helped with the rebuilding effort. They volunteered some of their time to build houses, renovate buildings, and do charity work. I thought it was a nice gesture by each player and the NBA itself. Often, athletes and professional sports leagues are tainted by scandals, fights and bad publicity. People need a chance to see that many athletes are caring, generous and capable of being a good role model. The NBA All-Star weekend allowed fans to understand this and provided good publicity and entertainment for the city of New Orleans.

By Chad Fukuoka

      Most people feel college is a place to study, and then study even more. Often, students forget to create a balance between work and play, leading to stress and uncontrolled emotional swings. I was in the same position during my first semester of college. I was getting good grades, but frequently at the expense of spending time with my friends or participating in activities that I enjoyed, such as basketball or taking care of my dog. It reached the point where I hardly had any time to watch television or email my friends because I was too worried about trying to get the highest score in my class.

      You might be wondering what happened to me or whether I even solved my problems. During my second semester of college, a lot of devastating events occurred in my life. My best friend dropped out of her classes, another was in a car accident, and another got into trouble with campus security. These events made me realize there are way more important things in life than doing well in school, like having good friends, a supporting family, and just enjoying your life. A person won’t always be judged by their individual performance, there are redeeming qualities such as loyalty, trust and kindness that are involved in making friends and acquaintances. Without these, can a person really find true happiness if they are likely to go through life alone?

       Anyway, I missed three weeks of school to help out my friends and that allowed me to explore other areas of my life, I did volunteer activities and started to look for a job. I also regained contact with several people that I haven’t seen for over a year. I’m going to have to transfer to another college because of my missed days, but that’s okay. I’ll still have my activities and a job for the five months until I go back to school. The main thing is I learned a lot about myself in this process and I’ll look back on it and be glad I made this decision.