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Basketball Statistician Help Wanted

     Athletic Department is looking for students to help assist staff during the Fall 2016, Winter 2016-17 and Spring 2017 semesters. Students in this position will be keeping live statistics during basketball games. Students must meet all of the following requirements:

 •Good computer skills

 •Available evenings and weekends

 •Knowing basketball rules and statistics

 Students interested in working for the Athletic Department should contact the Athletic Coordinator at their respective(各自的) campuses.

 •TP/SS Athletic Coordinator, Michael Simone, 240-567-1308

 •Rockville Athletic Coordinator, Jorge Zuniga, 240-567-7589

 •Springfield Athletic Coordinator, Gary Miller, 240-567-2273

 •Germantown Athletic Coordinator, Gauri Chavan, 240-567-6915

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves — the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn't be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

    Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.

    Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

    One of the most important ways to learn and master the English language is to read, read, and read. It is said that a good reader is also a good writer and a good speaker. However, in today's world, reading is something that most children dislike doing.

    There are simply so many distractions (分心的事物) that books, magazines, and newspapers are often ignored and they are in favor of video games and movies. And while video games and movies also play a role in helping the child learn the English language, they still can't quite compare to reading.

    And as a result, kids are learning less and less. Take a look at an elementary level text book. You'll notice that the books for elementary students are filled with pictures and colors. Those pictures and colors in the elementary level text books aren't there just for the sake (缘由) of design. Colors and pictures make us more engaged in the act of learning grammar. They catch our attention and help us retain (保留) more of what we read. This is especially true for little children who enjoy fun English.

    Children are quite easily distracted. When you ask them to sit down and read quietly, their minds will often wander and it won't take long before you find them doodling (涂鸦) and not doing what you told them to do. But if a book is colourful enough to catch a kid's attention, then you'll have a better chance at getting the kid to sit down long enough to learn English.

    The same principle holds true for interactivity (互动). Like colors and pictures, interactive reading materials like English songs for kids also get the child engaged in what he or she is learning. Interactive reading materials get the child to focus since using them is almost like playing.

    A company in San Francisco, California, has found a way to turn used plastic bottles into women's shoes.

    Every day, millions of Americans drink water and other liquids from plastic bottles. More than 60 million of them are thrown away each day. Many of the plastic bottles end up in landfills or are burned with other waste products.

    A San Francisco start-up company called Rothy's, however, turns this plastic waste into environmentally friendly shoes. Roth Martin is the company's co-founder. He explains how they turn plastic into soft material for women's feet. They take the plastic, clean it, and break it down into small pieces. Then they press them through a device that makes soft fibers. Those fibers are then combined together. This is done by a 3D machine. It is designed to reduce waste while making the shoes. The knitted stuff and the inner part of the shoe are then attached to the shoe's outer part, called the sole. This outer sole is also made from environmentally friendly material: responsibly sourced no-carbon rubber.

    Rothy's shoes are sold online. They are flat shoes, with either a rounded or pointed toe. They come in different colors and designs. They cost either $ 125 or $ 145 per pair, depending on the design. After American actress Gwyneth Paltrow discovered them last year, the demand for the shoes grew. Martin says there is no shortage of material to fill that demand. "We're not going to run out of water bottles any time soon. So we have a limitless supply of material, and I think that is a good sign for our future." When the environmentally friendly shoes wear out, customers can return them at no cost to a company that uses the recycled material to make other products.

    For now, the shoes are only available to be shipped in the United States. However, the company says it will add international shipping in the near future.

    Your teenage best friend could be good for your long-term mental health, according to a new study published in the journal Child Development According to the findings, teenagers aged 15 to 16 who had a close friendship rather than a larger group of friends they were less close to had a greater sense of self-worth by the time they were 25 years old. Those people with a very close best friend were also less likely to experience depression and social anxiety, the study found.

    "Close friendship strength in mid-adolescence predicted relative increases in self-worth and decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms by early adulthood, "the authors, led by Rachel K, Narr, a postdoctoral student focused on clinical psychology at the University of Virginia, wrote.

    A past research has suggested that adolescent friendships are important. Friendships during the teenage years predict academic success and improved mental health. But the new research further explores the type of friendships teenagers have. "My hunch(预感)was that close friendships compared to broader friendship groups and popularity may not function the same way," Narr told Quartz. "Being successful in one is not the same as being successful in the other."

    Many study participants did not continue to have a close relationship with their high-school best friend, leading the researchers to wonder what exactly was responsible for the mental health benefits. They suspected that the skills and ability to build such a friendship may be more important than the friendship itself.

    And as the researchers point out, those skills are not necessarily brought to bear in the world of social media. "As technology makes it increasingly easy to build a social network of shallow friends, focusing time and attention on developing close connections with a few individuals should be a priority," study co-author Joseph Allen said in a statement.

The United States you may not know

The United States is the only superpower in the world, and it is far more advanced than any other country. However, we can't simply owe its 1 and prosperity to its lucky escape from the destruction of the two world wars. What other nations should 2 is the American spirit and its social system. 

The most obvious features of the American spirit are 3 and pragmatism (务实思想). Nearly 70% of the important inventions have been made in the US since the first industrial revolution. Since the US occupies such an important position in science and technology, naturally it has become the first superpower in the world. 

Americans are always 4 with what they have achieved, and they have an appetite for adventure over the love of 5 . European countries have been pursuing a reformist policy of "high tax and high welfare" since the 1960s, while only the US 6 the policy of "high risk and high return". 7 , the US has become the leader of the third industrial revolution (in technology of information, materials and biology). 

High salary is not the only 8 that the talents from other countries find in the United States. Some characteristics of American society should not be 9 . Family backgrounds and great wisdom in building connections and playing up to the boss, to which great importance is attached in other countries, are not so important to 10 development in the US. Most people are on the same starting line, and whether one can succeed or not depends on his own ability and hard work.

However, the American character is full of paradoxes (矛盾). The American people are both extremely romantic and pragmatic. The American is a(n) 11 people, but in every field there are workaholics. The Americans are open-minded but they are very conservative on certain matters. Since China's reform and opening-up to the outside world, many media in Western countries have greatly 12 their attitudes towards China. However, the American media are singing the same old tune against China as they were in the Cold War period. The Americans 13 freedom, but their government is very fond of interfering in other countries' internal affairs. What's most puzzling is that the Americans 14 authority, but they highly respect the laws and regulations of the society. Therefore, in such a nation that values personal liberty, the society can still be kept in good order and operate with high 15 . Is it odd? No one can provide a satisfactory answer.