College tuition

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

By Frederick Halle

Knowing that buying a luxury car would cost approximately 75 thousand dollars, people would only buy it if their income was high enough, so why would you pay 42 thousand dollars a year to go to a private college/prep school, when your income does not allow you to pay so much?

Look at things this way. A parent making a certain amount of money is more likely to pay a higher price for their child’s education per year than buying a car or any other material products. Isn’t the human being exceptional?

You are probably asking yourself where I’m going with this. The main point of this is that you end up paying more than you actually were supposed to pay. Why isn’t every expense included in your tuition? The ones that aren’t included are called indirect cost, which is books, supplies and travel, as well as personal expenses such as a cell phone or food.

I’ll give you an example. A young man has been accepted to college x and he gets the y award. Therefore, he has to pay a total of $20,000. It includes his room and board, supplies and books. Some parents would pay that really easily but in this case, the parents have to make a huge sacrifice, which is to have a bank loan or an increase in their house mortgage. We all agree that this is an extreme situation. So imagine being this parent that did everything they could to pay that much money. In this case, where you’re limited in your expenses, you need to make sure that you count how much you will spend on the indirect cost. If you have to take a plane, for example, it could represent another grant.

Money is your education.

This is not only for an average incomes family; it’s also for a well off financial family. It is never pleasant to reach down your pocket and put more money on the table when you did have that plan in your budget.

Wherever you go or whatever you do, there is always more expense than the announced ones.

In average, other than the school fees, you might want to add between a grant to five grants. You understand that the 5 grants are if you have to take the plane many times over the year.

Knowing that many families make huge sacrifices, it would be great if all expense could be included in the school fees so that you wouldn’t have to spend one more dollar but it is just not an option.

Unfortunately, colleges can’t do that because some kids don’t live on campus, kids don’t have meal plans, and some kids don’t do laundry at school and not everyone needs the same amount of personal items.

Instead of buying a luxury car, you decided to pay for your children’s education, but once they’re done with school, you might want to buy this luxury car that you have been dreaming of all your life so you might want to make sure you don’t get screwed paying more than what you thought. 

Washing Away The Problems

By Brittany Moorehead

Jon Symons attemps doing laundry in the current crowded room.

   At National Sports Academy, a preparatory school located in Lake Placid, New York, there is a continual issue related to the laundry situation at the school. Being a second year student-athlete at NSA, I have heard multiple complaints from numerous individuals about the laundry program here.

   One complaint that has been made clear is that the laundry room is too small for the growing student body. The room is 12 by 8.5 feet, or 102 square feet, which is plenty of size to fit the two washers, two dryers and the folding table. However, fitting people in there seems to be nearly impossible.

   Since all the students are very busy during the week, they seem to do their laundry on the same days. Due to this coincidence, some students are not able to wash their clothes on their “non busy,” days but rather in the middle of the week. There can be anywhere from one to five people in this tiny room either washing, drying, folding, or gathering their clean clothes. Whether there are two people or five people in the room, getting in each others’ way is inevitable. Everyone is either bumping elbows or smacking one another with dryer doors.

   Another common complaint concerning the laundry room is that it is located in a bad spot. The girls have to travel down two flights of stairs, while the boys living in main building have to travel down three flights of stairs. The boys living in Mountain House are forced to carry their laundry outside and down the street to main building and then down a flight of stairs. This may seem like a minor complaint, but many student-athletes value convenience due to their busy and rigorous schedules. When doing two loads of laundry a week, it is time consuming to travel back and forth to check on and change your laundry.

   A great solution to both of these issues would be to put a washer and a dryer on both the boys and the girls’ floors. Also, a washer and a dryer would be installed in Mountain House for the hockey boys. This of course would cost the school some money but it’s definitely an affordable option. With the increasing number of students attending the NSA, finding money to buy more washers and dryers shouldn’t be too difficult.

   Along with the addition of these washers and dryers, there should be a quarter dispensing machine on the first floor so everyone has access to it. This quarter machine would ensure that each student has quarters to do his laundry rather than searching every pocket in hopes of discovering some.

    As a result of school and training, students’ clothes accumulate very quickly in their hampers. Making this minor adjustment will allow students to wash their clothes on a consistent basis and without having to cart their baskets too far from their room. This is a change that I believe every member of the NSA community would be enthused about.

exeter room mayhem

            Academic common space or social common space: that is the question. There is no academic common area at this school unless you consider the Exeter room a common academic space. Even then, it is usually loud and full of people so it’s hard to concentrate on what you are trying to accomplish. Since the Exeter Room seems to have multiple functions, we should to figure out how to use the Exeter room more effectively.

            Currently, the Exeter room is a quality social space because the windows and all of the computers allow for entertainment when in a big group. A lot of people congregate there; or they meet in the dining hall near the television and ping-pong table.  There is no good social common space at this school that is specifically meant for social space either.            

            A good social space consists of one or more televisions, games like ping-pong or pool, some couches and chairs, and open space. A social common space is supposed to provide relief from academics and athletics while stimulating conversation and group activity; moreover it allows for a temporary cure for boredom.

            There are a few solutions to this problem. First of all, we have made an addition to the school that none of the students are exactly sure how that space will be used and how it will function. It would be a good idea to convert that into a social common space. Second, another solution would be to clear another room for social space.

            A good academic space consists of books, computers, and tables where students can work. It also has to be well lit and quiet. Usually we call these spaces libraries. Libraries offer all the services above. Libraries also offer help finding books. The Exeter room has the books, computers, tables, and it is well lit. The only problem that it has is that it is very loud. People that are trying to work often have to wear headphones to drown out the other people in the room.

            A sensible solution to the noise in the Exeter room would be to make it a silent work area. However, that presents another problem. Where would people go if they wanted to hang out somewhere besides the dining hall? In their rooms? The problem with people’s rooms is, although a lot of people hang out in their rooms, they cannot converse with people of the opposite sex.

            No solution is perfect and every solution has its consequences. We need to find a good balance between academic space and social space in the Exeter room. Maybe have it a silent room during school hours.  Some how we need a social space, and we need an academic common space.

Editorial by Zach Stein

The NSA Mission Statement is:  “National Sports Academy is dedicated to providing academic and athletic programs that meet the individual needs of committed student-athletes as they prepare themselves for national and international winter athletic competition, college, and life.”

 If NSA expanded/improved their facilities, then more student athletes would be more attracted to come there.  Currently, there are many facilities that students use to their full advantage.  These facilities include class rooms, dorms, the hockey rinks, and Whiteface Mountain.  Consider the advantages of NSA:  class size, the dorm rooms and the facilities offered by the greater Lake Placid region. 

The average size class room is 5 students per class at NSA, which is a huge attraction to prospective students.  This is an advantage for young students who wish to pursue their education to the next level.  They accept individual challenges, and seek individual attention from teachers when necessary.

Here at NSA, dorm rooms are much nicer than college dorms, and other prep school.  Students have an individual bathroom, a couple roommates, and can bring anything they want, but have to follow all school rules.  The rooms are usually bigger than most schools, giving the students more space to feel  more at home.

Students have more freedom at NSA than most prep schools, and that’s why National Sports Academy is unique in their own certain way.  Ice hockey players and figure skaters get to experience what it feels like to step on the 1980 Olympic hockey rink, the 32, and the USA rink.  Also there is an outdoor rink called the box, which is right outside campus.  Alpine Skiers, Nordic Skiers, Snowboarding/Free ride, and Luge enjoy spending their time at Whiteface Mountain.

                However, despite these attributes I have listed above, NSA could do more to be attractive to other student-athletes.

NSA is possibly expanding the hockey team into two teams.  In order to do this, dorms would need to be expanded along with the cafeteria.  The school would not have enough room for another team.    NSA would need to purchase property of another house or two for the following year, so students could all fit.

 Athletes that come to NSA expect to meet their goals academically and physically.  The gym at the hockey rink is always locked, or a teacher has to be present.  The school should offer a program to show students how to use the weights, and sign a contract that the school is not responsible if they get hurt.  Therefore, students could work out on their own time, and the school wouldn’t be held liable for injuries.  If the school suggested this program and allowed students to go to the gym on their free time, they would use this opportunity to be competitive.  They wouldn’t need a teacher or facilitator to watch over them.  Also students would excel in their sport, and make NSA stand out that much more. 

Finally, there is a storage room for hockey bags near the classrooms.  Hockey bags have the worst stench, and it’s very hard to get rid of this odor.  If they could make a storage room outside of the school, or have their own locker rooms at the rink, then more classes could be taught at NSA, and you wouldn’t have that smell in the basement.  This would also attract more student athletes who want  the opportunity to go to this school. 

The simple truth is that more student athletes would be more attracted to the school if the facilities were updated.  If facilities were expanded and improved, National s ports Academy would stand out that much more.  Its NSA’s mission to educate student athletes, make them compete, prepared for college, and life.  By improving facilities, they would accomplish their mission to a higher satisfaction.

Editorial: NSA's Best Hire

NSA’s Best Hire:

Why Beatty Schlueter is a Great Asset

By Kathryn Dawson

 

          

 

National Sports Academy has made numerous recent improvements, but the most valuable has been the addition of Beatty Schlueter as the alpine women’s head coach. While NSA’s women’s JI-II alpine team is small - just seven skiers, only four that board in school - the new position will be profitable because it will attract new recruits. Schlueter is more than just an asset to NSA’s profile; she is strengthening the women’s program so the athletes and their results will speak for the school.

 

Beatty Schlueter (right) with athletes (left to right) Veronica Gaspar, Aylin Woodward, Kathryn Dawson and Annie King at a training camp in Saas Fee, Switzerland.

             

            Some students may object to NSA hiring another alpine coach, since there are currently six alpine coaches for 28 athletes and five hockey coaches for 54 athletes. Their objection indicates that NSA must rethink the dispersal of their coaches, both between and within sports.   Nonetheless, creating Schlueter’s position was a necessity because despite two coaches for five JIII athletes, the women’s alpine team lacked a coach before this year.

 

 Schlueter teaching an art class on the color wheel 

(making Christmas cookies)

NSA has traditionally countered the growing expense of coaches and faculty members by asking employees to perform multiple jobs. Schlueter doubles as an art teacher, a class which didn’t exist before; Denja Rand facilitates the “winter-term” program that attracts new athletes; and Dave Wenn acts as Head of School. The cost of hiring a disproportionately large alpine staff is offset by the other contributions that they make.

Due to its disorganized women’s program and apathetic recruiting, NSA hasn’t attracted many female racers; only one new woman, Catherine Wilcock, joined the JI-II team this year. Furthermore, two racers, Catherine Masson and Amee Pierson, left the team when they graduated last year and two more, Aylin Woodward and Giorgia Nagle, graduated but remain affiliated with the school because of the coaching that is now available to them. Even including Woodward and Nagle, who don’t live or study at NSA, the women’s team has barely been able to maintain its numbers.

Having Schlueter will appeal to potential students, not only because she exists but also because she excels at organization, communication and inspiration. Unlike previous years, the women have access to their coach throughout the day, since Schlueter has an office at NSA. Within her first week of school, Schlueter had made a distinct women’s agenda and contacted the entire team via text with schedule updates. Women were no longer left wondering where exactly their program fit in with the men’s program.

By taking care of the details and fostering communication, Schlueter is in tune with the team’s needs and she improves their ability to focus by assuming responsibility for the minutiae of planning. Hopefully Schlueter’s expertise, with the women’s hard work, will produce strong results this year and create an impressive reputation for NSA’s women’s alpine team. 

Athletic Result: Boys Hockey

Zach Stein on the forecheck.

Boys' Hockey Competes at EJHL Showcase

Zach Stein

This weekend we went to Marlborough Mass to play in the EJ showcase at the New England Sports Center. Even though we went 0-3, we had a pretty good turnout due to the fact the level was so much higher than we are used too. We bonded more as a team, and started playing better breaking some parts in our slump.

We headed on the road Thursday around 1:00 for a four and half/five hour drive. The drive was really long, and the buses were very crowded. We had fun on the bus talking about high school conversations. We arrived at the Holiday Express around 6:30 and had dinner reservations at 7:00 at Applebee’s. The dinner was not good at all. I had a Riblet basket with honey barbecue sauce on it, fries, and water. Fucas and I split Buffalo wings as an appetizer, which was the only good part of my meal. The Riblet basket was very petite, and had a lot of the bones. We went to bed at 11:00 because we had two games in the morning. We woke up at 7:00 and ate breakfast as a team. I had a bacon egg and cheese on a bagel. The breakfast was pretty good, but we had a tough game against the Junior Flyers. The final score was 4-0, but they scored a couple of week goals.

I felt we played much better as a team, than the Northwood game. We were really moving our feet out there, passing the puck, and hitting bodies. Unfortunately we did not put the puck in the net, and we made a couple mistakes that were capitalized in the Flyers favor. My mom ended up coming to the game and wanted to take me out for lunch after. We went to get a quick bite to eat at a sushi bar, and had to be back for 3:30 because we had a team brunch at 4:00. We ended up going to subway down the street. It looked like the workers were mad that out whole team was in there, and they had to serve us. The subway was so small that we all didn’t fit in the store. After subway we went back to the hotel and hung out for a little. We left for the rink around 5:30 because our game was at seven. We did some dynamic stretches as a team to warm up for the big game against the Junior Springfield Pics. We knew they were good, and we were going to have to work extra hard to keep the score down. Our forward were really moving out there, but our goaltenders were having an off game. The score resulted in a 9-1 loss, but haze broke our little scoring slump with a goal. My mom and dad both went to this game and saw me after for ten minutes. I knew they were coming to final game Saturday, and I could see them after. It was nice to see them even though it has only been a week. We had curfew at 11:00 again. It was Saturday morning and we woke up at 9:30 to get something to eat. For today’s breakfast I had a bagel with cream cheese, and some toast. After breakfast I went up to my room, and watched TV and layed down. Around 3:00 we warmed up outside the hotel room. We ran, stretched, and got the blood flowing. After, we went to a restaurant for lunch. I wasn’t that hungry, but got a balsamic chicken wrap. It was very good, and filling. Our game was at 7:00, and we were playing a good empire team. My brother, mom, dad, and uncle were coming to watch me play and I was already sore from the previous games. Our team was playing really good in the beginning but fell apart. The final score was 8-2, and our coach was a little upset with the way we played. He said we are going to have a tough week at practice. I went to Olive garden with my family after the game. It was nice to go out as a family and enjoy a fantastic meal.

In conclusion, we had our ups and downs this weekend, but I feel like were tending to break our slump. We are doing certain things right as a team and getting better at some areas. It’s like Coach said we need the whole package not just some areas. Next weekend we play in cape cod, and hopefully it’s a better turn out.

Whiteface Opening and NSA Winter Term Program

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