Why Sports matters more than Academics by Nishant

Why Sports matters more than Academics

Have you ever wondered why your parents told you academics is more important than sports? Well, it is because it makes you smarter, so you can get a job and do things for yourself. But unlike academics, sports makes you fit, healthy, helps in our daily lives and in competition in an international arena purely for enjoyment. It also pushes mental and physical capability and lastly encourages teamwork. Just think about all the famous sports people. They do sports for money and a few more things i am going to tell you about.

Sports makes you healthy and fit

Sports unlike academics burns calories, levels your blood pressure and if you keep doing sports regularly, it will keep you fit even until your 80’s. Take a cycle for example. If it isn’t maintained for a long time, the metal on the cycle will rust, the gears and chain won’t work anymore and the cycle will become useless. Like a cycle, the human body will become useless. Like a cycle, the human body needs to be maintained and just like a cycle needs maintenance, the human body needs exercise. Academics on the other hand will only improve mental strength. And if you only do academics and sports very rarely, your body will become worn out and weak.

Sports helps in our daily lives and in competing an international area because of enjoyment

Sports has been done by people for a long period of time and many other people have enjoyed watching it. Ask yourself why do people play sports? They play it because they like it and because it is entertaining. Some people think that academics is better than sports and just doing academics and no sports is fine. But in my opinion, academics makes your brain feel tired and weak, making it work constantly. Take someone sad for example, if they start playing sports, it will make them happy, because i think sports is freeing, fun and enjoyable unlike academics.

Sports improves your body and mind

People may not realize it but sports improves your body and mind. Physical strength (body) - as it improves your muscle strength as your exercise and if you do sports regularly it improves your stamina. Mental strength (mind) - as and when you play a sport, you become more aware, therefore your reflexes improve and the more you play the sport, the more focused and concentrated you are. Plus sports encourages teamwork, as most sports are team sports. Now to the academic side of things, as academics only improves thinking capability and is mostly an individual work.

Conclusion

So now you know that sports is important. But i am not so sure you think sports is more important than academics. But think about it, sports make you healthy, fit, improves mental/ physical strength, encourages teamwork, plus helps in our daily lives and in competing in an international arena purely for enjoyment. Now look at it, i am not saying academics is not important. I am just saying sports is more important than academics in more ways than academics.

Asset Tests should Be banned by Sunidhi

Argumentative Essay

When I first wrote Asset exams, I assumed it would help me with my performance in school. I started to write these exams since 3^rd grade – but it was only when I reached middle school that I realized what horrible things these exams can do. Hence, I strongly believe that exams such as Asset should not be compulsory. They create high test anxiety, although you may think it’s not a big deal-children cannot face such a feeling. Schools also give consequences for performing poorly in these exams. Lastly, children mugging-up answers to score well in these exams do not develop long-term thinking.

Many students across the globe experience test anxiety while writing an exam. And such anxiety differs from person to person – so while some of use just feel our heart beat a little, others can even end up becoming sick and also start to feel nauseas. This test anxiety happens during standard that as well. But is it really worth for students suffering from test anxiety to feel double the pain? Besides the anxiety created by standard tests, do they really have to go through another round of it? Although some of us don't feel so tense, what about the others? Many may think test anxiety is just a not-so-good feeling, but it’s much more than that. Recent studies have found out that highly-anxious students perform a minimum of 12% worse than their low-anxiety peers, or those who don’t feel anxious at all. And you must be wondering why students stress so much about these exams. Well, some schools have exceptions for those students who perform poorly.

A student writing Asset exams says “We are given consequences by our school if we don’t get good grades. But I personally think this is a good way to teach the student to do better so the school doesn’t get a bad name.” I, as a student who has taken Asset exams, think to give consequences for performing poorly is OK. I did support this student’s statement. But then I realized that schools already have consequences for not scoring well in their standard tests. So why do they have negative consequences for not scoring well in exams like Asset? And, of course, not many schools understand student’s feelings of anxiety and tense. They would take this as a reason as some excuse for not studying. And these children are left to face consequences while the rest of us sit back at home and watch the Asset top rankers get medals, certificates etc. on T.V and say “Wow, Asset really brings out a child’s true potential”. But we don’t understand is standard tests can bring out your ‘true potential’. So why Asset? It’s not of much use, it’s just another dreaded and feared exam.

“Exams are necessary for improving a child’s performance.” A majority of people support this point. And as a matter of fact, I do think exams are necessary for students. But I think Asset are necessary for students. One of the reason being many students think of it, with so many exams in a term, “just another exam”. But still afraid to face the consequences, they do not want to take it Asset lightly. So, instead of taking the long, hard route of studying, they take a short route and begin to mug-up answers. The side effects of mugging-up answers can be very harmful in a way to children not only attending school, but everyone else who chooses to take a shortcut. This is because it does not allow them to develop long-term thinking. This means when you mug-up answers, neither are you understanding what you repeat continuously nor does it stay with you for long. So you tend to forget them at some point- without knowing what the answer said in the first place.

I’ve heard many students say with a sigh “Although I don’t like Asset, it is a necessary evil”. But I strongly feel it should be changed to ‘unnecessary evil’. Asset is just another one of those exams that are dreaded by many students. The aim of which Asset looks upon is a good and beneficial goal. But the path which they take is not right and hence end up doing unfair things to students. They intend to improve a child’s performance but instead makes it worse.

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned By Aaryan Maini

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned

By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

I strongly believe soft drinks should bebanned. There are three reasons why soft drinks should be banned. First it is bad for your teeth. Secondly it causes a lot of obesity and finally it causes diabetes.  About 1.8 billion coke bottles are sold every day. This is only for Coca Cola. If you include other softdrinks it would be even more. You find soft drinks everywhere.I am going to convince you why soft drinks should be banned.

The first reason I feel soft drinks should be banned is because soft drinks are bad for your teeth. When we drink a lot of soft drinks it ruins the enamel.  Kids are most at risk because their enamel is thinner than adults.  It would be better if you drink water instead. The sugarinteracts with bacteria in your mouth to form acids which ruin your teeth. Each sip causes damage that lasts twenty minutes.  The two main effects are erosion and cavities. Studies done by the National Institute of Health and the Wisconsin Dental Association have proven this. People who like soft drinks may say if you drink soft drinks quickly or brush your teeth afterwards you canprevent cavities. This can help your teeth but drinking soft drinks will also cause obesity.

Soft drinks cause obesity. This is the second reason why they should not be allowed for children.  About 91 per cent of kids in the world consume soft drinks. Even though a lot of people like soft drinks many of them end up becoming obese. Soft drinks end up leading to heat diseases and other things. 82 per cent of the adults in the world like and drink soft drinks. There are many more drinks healthier than soft drinks which are both healthy and tasty. Some of the soft drinks that cause obesity are Coke, Fanta and Pepsi etc. A 20 ounce soda can has 240 calories. Many Americans get 10 percent of their calories from sugary drinks.  People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel full so they do not eat less.  They consume more calories than they need and this can cause them to become fat.   Some people may think if you do not drink too much you will not get fat.  However, studies show that drinking just one soda every day increases your chances of being overweight by 27%.

Drinking soft drinks not only increase your chances of being overweight, they can also increase the risk of diabetes.  The Diabetes Association recommends that you should avoid sugary sodas because it raises the blood sugar. The high level of quick digesting sugar combined with a sedentary lifestyle is a big risk factor for diabetes. The extra energy is not needed and is stored in the body as fat. Obesity is one risk factor for diabetes. In addition thehigh sugar from the drinks requires the body to make more insulin. This over works the pancreas and can lead to diabetes.

However many people still find soft drinks tasty. They want to be allowed to drink soft drinks if they choose. If the government bans soft drinks they might as well ban all other unhealthy things like chocolates, candy etc.  This takes away their ability to make their own decisions.  However kids are very likely to make bad decisions when it comes to sweet things and their health.

Would you choose taste over health?  I think soft drinks should be banned, at least in all schools.  I hope you all agree with me.  Even though most of you like soft drinks I hope you can go with your health over taste and prevent more kids from ruining their health.

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned By Aaryan Maini

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned

By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

I strongly believe soft drinks should bebanned. There are three reasons why soft drinks should be banned. First it is bad for your teeth. Secondly it causes a lot of obesity and finally it causes diabetes.  About 1.8 billion coke bottles are sold every day. This is only for Coca Cola. If you include other softdrinks it would be even more. You find soft drinks everywhere.I am going to convince you why soft drinks should be banned.

The first reason I feel soft drinks should be banned is because soft drinks are bad for your teeth. When we drink a lot of soft drinks it ruins the enamel.  Kids are most at risk because their enamel is thinner than adults.  It would be better if you drink water instead. The sugarinteracts with bacteria in your mouth to form acids which ruin your teeth. Each sip causes damage that lasts twenty minutes.  The two main effects are erosion and cavities. Studies done by the National Institute of Health and the Wisconsin Dental Association have proven this. People who like soft drinks may say if you drink soft drinks quickly or brush your teeth afterwards you canprevent cavities. This can help your teeth but drinking soft drinks will also cause obesity.

Soft drinks cause obesity. This is the second reason why they should not be allowed for children.  About 91 per cent of kids in the world consume soft drinks. Even though a lot of people like soft drinks many of them end up becoming obese. Soft drinks end up leading to heat diseases and other things. 82 per cent of the adults in the world like and drink soft drinks. There are many more drinks healthier than soft drinks which are both healthy and tasty. Some of the soft drinks that cause obesity are Coke, Fanta and Pepsi etc. A 20 ounce soda can has 240 calories. Many Americans get 10 percent of their calories from sugary drinks.  People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel full so they do not eat less.  They consume more calories than they need and this can cause them to become fat.   Some people may think if you do not drink too much you will not get fat.  However, studies show that drinking just one soda every day increases your chances of being overweight by 27%.

Drinking soft drinks not only increase your chances of being overweight, they can also increase the risk of diabetes.  The Diabetes Association recommends that you should avoid sugary sodas because it raises the blood sugar. The high level of quick digesting sugar combined with a sedentary lifestyle is a big risk factor for diabetes. The extra energy is not needed and is stored in the body as fat. Obesity is one risk factor for diabetes. In addition thehigh sugar from the drinks requires the body to make more insulin. This over works the pancreas and can lead to diabetes.

However many people still find soft drinks tasty. They want to be allowed to drink soft drinks if they choose. If the government bans soft drinks they might as well ban all other unhealthy things like chocolates, candy etc.  This takes away their ability to make their own decisions.  However kids are very likely to make bad decisions when it comes to sweet things and their health.

Would you choose taste over health?  I think soft drinks should be banned, at least in all schools.  I hope you all agree with me.  Even though most of you like soft drinks I hope you can go with your health over taste and prevent more kids from ruining their health.

Pokémon Go Should not be banned Dhruv Pandey

Pokémon Go Should not be banned

Dhruv Pandey

Class VI-C

Pokémon Go is a location-based, free to play reality game, which I believe shouldn’t be banned, because it gets people out of their houses to get some fitness, they get to battle other players,  and compare their own experiences with others. One can discover new places at Pokestops like historic sites, water bodies etc. It has already been banned in Saudi Arabia, but I really hope that the game doesn’t die out. The main part of the game is that it is fun, people enjoy playing it, and that matters the most.

Pokémon Go makes the player go out of their homes, and catch Pokémons, instead of staying in their homes like a couch potato. Research has proven that the more Pokémon you catch, the more weight you lose. A hospital in Michigan has encouraged patients to plan Pokémon Go as a part of physical fitness and for health benefits. People are also walking their dogs more often because they are going outside to walk and jog in an attempt to catch Pokémons. People who take care of stray dogs and are trying to get them adopted are making progress because players don’t mind having a dog walk with them.

At level 5, you get to pick one of the three teams and play by their side. When you move around looking for Pokémon and are at the Pokestop, you might find another player and start comparing your experiences. That other player might be your friend or someone you don’t even know! So you get to meet new people and interact with them if you want to. When I saw people playing the game in Singapore, I felt like asking them things about the game, but I chose not to. At gyms, you get to battle the Pokémon others have left, and view the other Pokémon’s skills. The hospital at Michigan is also helping their patients interact and connect with other patients.

It is educational. As you are running out of the Pokéballs to catch Pokémon with, you have to go at Pokéstops. When the game came out, Niantic Inc. made sure that most of the Pokéstops were located at famous or historic places that people should know about. Some cabs also used to take you through a guide in the city to some of the Pokéstops that are famous tourist spots. At the start of the game while it is loading, it clearly states: ‘Stay aware of your surroundings’. Now if you listen to the game, you will probably also see the places where the Pokéstops are located and their historic significance. You get to see the place and catch the Pokémon. Double the fun!

People may think that the game is unsafe, and may cause accidents or kill people. Well, it is not the game’s fault. It is the player’s own fault. That is just like saying that it is the car’s fault that road accidents happen, or it is the knife’s fault that your hand got cut while cutting the vegetables. I will give the same reason if anyone says it’s too addictive. As I said earlier, it even warns you to stay aware. You certainly can’t play the blame game with this game.

All of this is what makes me argue that this game, namely Pokémon Go should not be banned. You go out, get fresh air and sunlight, play with friends and get to know about places you don’t even know. Don’t you think that is a great advancement in game technology and doesn’t deserve to be banned?

Importance of Sports By Kavin Shanmugam

Importance of Sports

  By Kavin Shanmugam

Do you think sports should be given equal priority as studies? If you think NOT, then I think you are wrong in the current Indian context. Sports should be given equal priority as studies in India, in order for the people who excel in sports to succeed in life and to make the nation proud in sporting events.Me and a lot of my school going friends strongly believe that sports should be given equal priority as studies as it improves physical and mental health of students and will eventually make the nation proud.

We all know that good amount of physical activity improves health. WHO recommends at least one hour of physical activity for growing children as helps in developing muscles and bones. It also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight. In today’s schedule, with long commutes school going children hardly get time to play at home. In schools like Inventure, where sports are given some importance we have only 40 minutes of PE per day. This amounts to 5/45 periods a week. This falls short of WHO recommendation by 20 minutes. And PE is the first thing to be cut on any special occasion. In many other schools, there are far less number of hours of PE. The following table shows data about schools nearby.

School	No of Hours of PE/week
Greenwood High	2 PE, 1 Yoga
DPS East	1 PE, 1 Yoga
NPS	1 PE

But more hours of sports is considered a distraction by many people. This can be managed by putting a schedule for play and sticking to it.  Talented students who would like to take up sports as a career can be given exception in attendance.

It is proven that sports also helps in brain development by expanding memory and increasing focus. It requires repetition and practice to master a shot in tennis or a drive in cricket, thus expanding memory.  Over and above, we have to admit that team sports help improve team work. Carl Lewis said “The best kids are going to become the best, but the best thing about it is that you are going to learn in playing is about winning and loosing and team work. Teammates and arguments are going to influence positively for the test of your life”. Remember that team work is the most important life skill, best learned through team sports.

In today’s world, many children don’t know how deal with failures. Winning and losing is a daily part of sports and kids get used to it. Michael Jordan said “I’vemissed more than 9000 shots in my career, I have lost almost 300 game winning shots, 26 times I missed the winning shots, and that is why I succeed”. This shows that, no matter how much he failed, he wanted to do better.

India’s track record in Olympics is very bad. Don’t we remember the statement Pierce Morgan made, “Country with 1.2 billion people wildly celebrates with two loosing medals, How embarrassing is that!” Why did this happen? One reason is the lack of importance given to sports by Indian Politicians and parents. Indian parents wants their kids to study and become doctors or engineers. And politicians do not build enough facilities. If this continues, we will stay at the same Olympics rank or move lower.

Some people say that the money required to make facilities is a lot.  India’s GDP rank is 3. If Jamaica, with far lower GDP can make facilities for sports, we can make more facilities. That is why they have players like Usain Bolt.  We just need to give sports the right importance and attention to get ahead.

By now, I hope you are convinced that sports should be given equal priority in the current context.  Otherwise we will be facing a worse medal tally in Olympics and would be left with lots of unfit citizens.

Capital Punishment – An Essay Joe Alapat

                      Capital Punishment – An Essay

              Capital Punishment is when someone is sentenced to death for a crime they have committed. Though in most countries Capital Punishment is banned, in India, it is actually legal. The following is a quote I agree with :

 “As if one crime of such nature, done by a single man, acting individually, can be expiated by a similar crime done by all men”.

This means, by killing someone by means of capital punishment, even though it has been decided by a group of men in a jury, will not make the crime already committed disappear. My first point is this, that crime committed has already been done. Killing the person responsible does not change anything.

               Secondly, revenge should not be the aim of punishment. It should be reformation. Let me tell you a true story to prove my point. There was a man called Remi George in Kerala. He had a habit of using drugs with his friends. To buy the drugs they used to steal money. Once he and his friends robbed and killed an old couple who looked on him as their son. They were caught by the police and put in jail. They were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. During his time in jail, he was reformed. After fourteen years, when he came out of prison, he was a changed man. Now he runs an orphanage for prisoners’ children in Bangalore. He is saving so many children from drugs and going on the wrong path. He is now a role model to many.

               People do argue that capital punishment will act as a deterrent to other criminals. But it does not seem to have worked that way at all. The lowest crime rates are seen in countries like Cyprus, Denmark and Iceland. Denmark has a murder rate of 0.1 per hundred thousand. India has a rate of murder at 2.81 per hundred thousand. Yet in Denmark, Cyprus and Iceland as well as all European countries, Capital Punishment is banned. So if capital punishment really does lower crime rates, why is it that India still has a higher crime rate than these countries? In Iceland, there are only around 200 prisoners in the whole country! This shows that capital punishment does not bring about any benefits at all.

               Most criminals come from broken families. So we have to understand first the social issues that make someone a criminal and address that to bring the crime rate down.

             I will now conclude my essay on capital punishment. I hope I have made you think about why capital punishment is wrong. It is a cruel act that does not give a person a second chance. It is time this law is abolished in India. Let me leave you with another quote by the famous French philosopher, Albert Camus :

“Capital Punishment is the most premeditated of murders”.