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THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIALS/LETTERS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012

ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Publisher

Founded in 1851 ADOLPH S. OCHS Publisher 1896-1935 ORVIL E. DRYFOODS Publisher 1961-1963 ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER Publisher 1963-1992

The News Sections

JILL ABRAMSON, Executive Editor DEAN BAQUET, Managing Editor JOHN M. GEDDES, Managing Editor TOM BODKIN, Deputy Managing Editor WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT, Deputy Manging Editor

The Business Management

Assistant Managing Editors

RICHARD L. BERKE SUSAN CHIRA GLENN KRAMON

MICHELE McNALLY JIM ROBERTS

SCOTT H. HEEKIN-CANEDY, President, General Manager DENISE F. WARREN, Senior V.P., Cheif Advertising Officer, General Manager, NYTimes.com YASMIN NAMINI, Senior V.P., Marketing and Circulation, General Manager, Reader Applications ALEXIS BURYK, Senior V.P. Advertising ROLAND A. CAPUTO, Senior V.P., Cheif Financial Officer THOMAS K. CARLEY, Senior V.P., Planning TERRY L. HAYES, Senior V.P., Operations and Laber MICHAEL VALENTINES, V.P., Human Resources

The New York Times Company

ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Chairman, Cheif Executive Officer MICHAEL GOLDEN, Vice Chairman JAMES M. FOLLO, Chief Financial Officer R. ANTHONY BENTEN, Senior V.P. ROBERT H. CHRISTIE, Senior V.P. MARC FRONS, Senior V.P., Cheif Information Officer TODD C. McCARTHY, Senior V.P. KENNETH A. RICHIERI, Senior V.P. LAURENA L. EMHOFF, V.P., Treasurer DIANE BRAYTON, Secretary

The Opinion Pages

ANDREW ROSENTHAL, Editorial Page Editor CARLA ANNE ROBBINS, Deputy Editorial Page Editor TRISH HALL, Deptuy Editorial Page Editor

Citizens Vote Blindly

Uninformed citizens shouldnt participate in voting.
The buzz of election time is in the air as Tweets are tweeted and endless comments on the political race are posted on Facebook. The problem is: how many of those people on your friends list actually know what they are talking about? How many, who vote, actually know what they are voting for? Because I believe in finding out what Im signing up for before the ink hits the dotted line, I will not be voting in this election. Many people encourage others to vote but it is my strong belief that a citizen should not vote without fairly thorough knowledge of each candidates views and plans. They should be required to demonstrate proof of their knowledge on the candidates as well as how the government functions. I have encountered numerous voters who participated in the 2008 election and voted for Obama. They said their reasons were in regards to wanting someone to steer the country out of debt and make public reforms. He did indeed create a new healthcare plan but did voters actually go online and do research? Did they see what it was Obama hoped to adjust? It turns out there are more voters that do not research their chosen candidates than those who do. Magazines and newspapers tell citizens the importance of voting but neglect to push research of the candidates. If everyone who was told to vote actually did vote, this country would be in a lot bigger mess than it is now. The importance of being informed is crucial, dependent upon the riddance of voting as a social aspect rather than a citizens duty. With voting enforced as a duty, citizens should be required to take a small, simple quiz prior to Election Day. This quiz would determine who has taken the time to become informed about all the candidates views and plans for America and who has not. Requiring a quiz sounds a bit juvenile but its easy to see that us Americans occasionally need to be coddled in our decisions. I believe, by making voters take the quiz, they will be better able to meet the requirements of voting as a duty rather than a mere social suggestion. When voters are informed, they become more than a tack on someones score card, they become a true influence on the charts. During election year, Americans are told that they should register and be sure to vote. What is neglected to be said is that they should look beyond what is commonly talked about and presented; they should look into who each candidate is and what they hope to accomplish. If every citizen did this, more people would be content with their political choices and better fulfill their duty as a citizen of the United States.

Social Media
TO THE EDITOR: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the OP-ED about Facebook and how it is slowly destroying our society and our social skills, especially. It undeniably affects the way we communicate with one another. This article touched on how it is convenient, and takes less effort to simply log into a website and see what your friends are up to than giving them a call or going over to their house. I agree with the author in the sense that Facebook is a bit too much insight into peoples lives and an invitation for negative habits, such as analyzing and criticizing fellow Facebook-ers. I also think Facebook can be an outlet for jealousy. This article made me wonder where Facebook is taking us and how we can prevent it from consuming our lives and causing us to be inferior communicators. I liked the suggestions of how to better spend our time rather than going on Facebook for hours on end, to actually pay attention to those around us. It makes me wonder if our society is capable of cutting back on social networking and if this phenomenon could possibly get worse. BROOKE FARRIER

How to Survive Zombies

TO THE EDITOR: Thank you for the instructions on how to survive the coming Zday and the following zombie apocalypse. My grandparents survived the Cuban Missile Crisis that you mentioned and their stories allowed me to notice that you did not include some crucial supplies: pen and paper to document your survival experience, books to guide you on how to survive the apocalypse and serve as basic entertainment or a bartering item, and a bicycle so you dont worry about running out of gas while transporting yourself to safety. Before Z-day hits, I believe some effort should be made to familiarize each person with the use of crude weapons like hatchets, throwing knives, and bow and arrows. Guns, as you recommended, run out of bullets. If you learn to turn ordinary objects into effective weapons, it would be one less resource to worry about. NATE RUBIN

Trans cende nt Love

Tilly believes in equal rights and equal love.
Since late July, the other dairy cows and I have been listening to all the fuss about Chick-fil-a. Ive been working for old Dan Cathy for a couple of years and not once has he paid us a visit on the farm. If he wasnt so busy dressing up Billy for advertisements, maybe he would see that every being has the right to love who they love. When Im at work, holding up the Eat More Chikin sign, Im not only thinking about how I do, in fact, know how to spell the word chicken; Im observing the human families that come into the restaurant. The happiest ones tend to be those who ignore others judgments. My girlfriend Nessie and I are both females and couldnt be happier. We go to the milk-pump together and sometimes get the same shift at Chikfil-a. At the end of the day, we go home to our patch of grass and close our eyes for sleep. We take care of each other and share affection. The only difference we, or any of the cows, see in a relationship with same-gender partners is that we need to adopt or go to the sperm bank. There is no reason a same-sex couple should be excluded from caring for a child. My boss has made a public statement against gay-marriage yet shows no quarrel with Billy sharing the same patch of grass with Richard. Theyre both male cows, I dont see why two male humans cant lay down together and share a life. How can Dan expect a connection only between opposite genders? Anyone who spends a lot of time with their same-sex companion would find themselves strongly attached-- sometimes so strong that they are The One. I know I cant imagine a single day without Nessie. I dont think Ill ever quite understand why you humans like to discriminate so much. You should all try and live a day as a cow. Our lives are simple, honest, and happiness-oriented. For the betterment of your species, I purpose a unity. Take a day off and spend time with nature; come visit the pasture. Let us have cows and humans, genders and preferences of all kinds, come together and agree that we all desire happiness. Next time you encounter a discriminator, tell them they cant be with their spouse because there is a new law saying they cannot marry or have relations with a person of opposite gender. By shifting the mindset of those who have opposing thoughts, perhaps we can get everyone on the same page. At least then discriminators would have a twinge of emotion. There is nothing wrong with two of the same gender sharing a life together. Those who discriminate need to open their eyes and see that all mammals have the capacity to love the same or opposite gender. Affection is dependent upon who we surround ourselves with, not upon the judgment of society. Look at me: Im a cow and I love another female cow. How can anyone say such a relationship is unnatural when same-sex relationships have been around since we stopped coupling for mere reproduction? When they can still participate in all the same ways you do, I cant make out why you humans see people in same-sex relationships as outsiders. Me and Nessie do our jobs and come home to our personal life. A partner is an individuals choice. There is a saying we have: To decide what is best for another is to go into go into their part of the pasture.

American Obesity
TO THE EDITOR: I really enjoyed your piece and found most of the supporting information to be appropriate. I find the subject to be quite relevant to society today, knowing that millions of Americans struggle with their weight and their bodys general health. I like that you included not only information on the actual product (food) but on some of the corporations that are responsible for their actual production. The closing sentence was direct yet dramatic; this seemed to fit perfectly with the rest of the article. ALEX PIERCE

Food Labels
TO THE EDITOR: I think that your article provides a very unique perspective of the labeling of genetically modified or conventionally grown foods. I completely agree with the idea that everyone should know what it is, exactly, what they are buying. Though this might make the modified foods more expensive, which is not necessarily a good thing in this economy, it would be worth it for the sole fact that our nation is suffering from an overweight/obesity pandemic. You made an excellent statement by saying that if we take care of our bodies our bodies will take care of us. You should consider labeling more specifically: heart disease and diabetes from eating unhealthily will lover significantly. Because there are numerous disabled individuals in the United States that have their medical needs covered by government programs such as Medicare, billions of dollars must be accounted for to maintain these types of programs. This could save our country from some debt incurred by rising medical costs that our government ends up paying for. GEORGIA TAPIA

Stop Sheltering and Start Protecting Youth

Its better to be safe than give your childs life to chance.
Parents and school boards across the country realize that students are sexually curious by the time they reach high school. Puberty makes way for raging hormones and students are anxious to wiggle into adulthood. Schools have developed abstinence and sexual education classes. Some schools even provide contraceptives to ensure that, whatever decisions their students make, they are safe and are not forced into early parenthood. Of course, this presents the opportunity for much controversy. The community has had many complaints in regards to sexual education and condom accessibilitymoving to ban condom availability from high school students. While the communitys heart may be in it, the banning of these will not dissuade high school students from experimenting with something that is as natural to us as breathing. Keeping condoms in the nurses office and teaching teenagers about the risks is crucial; all public schools should have these options available. Statistics show that teenagers who are educated in sex and know the risks that accompany the act are less likely to get an STD or become a teen parent. Many parents fear that the mere knowledge of sex will push teenagers to become sexually active. The truth is that it often deters students and causes them to wait until they are truly ready for their first experience- I know from my own experience. My school only offered abstinence classes but that alone put me in a positive mind set: you can only have one first time. While I didnt agree with waiting for marriage, I did vow that I would wait until I was ready and in a relationship with the right person. The fact that my school opened up the floor to the topic of sex allowed me to ask questionsquestions that, if they werent answered by educators, I would have tried to find out on my own. Sometimes it is best to find out things first hand; teenagers, who have an adult to talk to about sex, will feel informed and be able to weigh their own decisions. As for condoms, they are essential in a hormone-engulfed environment. The results of not having them available to students are teenage pregnancy and STDs. Sometimes sexual education classes just arent enough to deter students from having unprotected sex. My high school was against the distribution of condoms which led to a high pregnancy rate. Every year more and more girls would come to school with bulging bellies or worse, drop out. By not permitting access to contraceptives, numerous students also fell prey to misplaced trust and got STDs. The community may have the best interest of the students in mind but teenagers will be teenagers; if they want to have sex, theyre going to find ways to do it. High schools should at least provide sexual education courses as a required class for all attending students, regardless of their age. In addition to educating teenagers about sex, it would be beneficial to grant them access to condoms. Im not saying to pass them out and make every student take one; condoms should simply be available at the nurses office for those who have made the decision to be sexually active. I know that, later on in life, teenagers will look back and be thankful that they were, and still are, safe. Lets make sure they have that opportunity; make condoms and sexual education available at all high schools.

Solar Power
TO THE EDIT OR : Th e pa per wri tten b y Brook e Farrior wa s a n especi a l l y en joyable rea d. It wa s v ery f a ctu a l and the ov era l l con ten t f l owed pe rfe ctl y. I l i k ed the sta ti sti cs as w el l a s th e a mou n t of f a cts us e d t hrou ghou t th e pa per; they gave the pi ece a l ogi ca l a ppea l and added credi b i l i ty to Brook e. S he b rou ght u p cu rren t da ta and con cern s th a t most peopl e curre n tl y h a v e rega rdi n g sol a r pow e r. Brook es con cern wi th cu rren t e ne rgy u ses a n d on the i mpor tance of sol a r power a ppea l s to m e. Sh e wa s ju sti f i ed i n h i s s tance on a n a l tern a ti ve sou rce of e nergy si n ce, a s sta ted i n the article, f ossi l f u el s a re sl owl y de ple ti n g. The words i n th e pa per n ea rl y s e e m ed to ju mp of f th e pa ge! Brook e seems v ery stron g i n hi s s tance a n d th a t rea l l y spok e to m e w hen rea di n g h i s pi ece. Hi s w ords a n d stron g sta n ce ma de his pea ce a l l th e more en joy able . ROXANNE GHE ZZI

Teen Pregnancy
TO THE EDITOR: I recently read Shanice Demorins article on teenage pregnancy and, while I totally agree with her points, I feel that perhaps it could have been structured better to help her case. She had several very good points and I completely support her ideas that we as a society must do something in order to curb the staggering trend of teenage pregnancy. I like how she used several examples from pop culture and current television shows. The only criticism that I have with the article is at times it felt disjointed. I felt like there were a lot of ideas, facts and figures being thrown out without a concise flow from one to the other.. However, this does not discredit or devalue the article and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. CALEB THOMAS

ONLINE: MORE LETTERS

Responses to iPhone 5 Detail Leak. Also: How to be more aware of what your children watch on television. nytimes.com/opinion

THE NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2012

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Reality TV, Guilty Pleasure

By Neary Gonzales
When did reality shows become so important in our everyday lives? When did we stop paying attention to the real-life events oft eh world around us? When did we start paying attention to a complete strangers life and the conflicts and struggles they must face? Throughout my life, I have seen the evolution of television, its content, and the effects these have had in our society. It is clear that reality television has taken over. The concept behind reality television is to document real life people in real life situations. This is when the entire concept behind reality television becomes a little tricky; the great majority of reality TV is dedicated to famous, rich people who, in some cases, have done absolutely nothing to deserve their success, money, or the admiration of thousands. Why do we find reality shows so fascinating, entertaining, and addictive? I think the answer is pretty simple; these so-called reality show stars have access to things that we as average people could only dream of. I am not, by any means, saying that regular people do not have access to private planes, expensive cars, or exotic vacations. Im saying that, for people like us, it is a matter of how hard one is willing to work to achieve this kind of success. The excitement of documenting the lives of the rich and famous is that it gives us an inside scoop of what happens behind the mansion walls. Whether the image portrayed on the show is real or not is a completely different story. We, as fans, want to convince ourselves that our idols are humans, just like us: they make mistakes, they cry, they argue, and they have conflicts in their lives out of their control. Not every reality show is about a famous person, there are some that portray the lives of regular people: men who risk their lives every year just to catch some of the most expensive and exotic crabmeat in the market, the life of a physically or mentally challenged person who struggles to make every

KELLY STEINER

Obamacare Is Not The Solution

When it comes to health care, everyone is involved. Our health as a country, and even on a global level, is a priority that must be dealt with. However, handling health care and health insurance seems to be something that people cannot agree upon. Throughout the world, different countries handle the health of their people through different health care systems. A form of coverage that has been spread to over 50 countries worldwide is universal health care. Countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan, Chile, China, and most of Europe have had, or currently have, universal health care. The idea of universal health care that is seen elsewhere in the world has been received in what coverage they would like for themselves. With Obamacare, choices will become more and more limited and insurance premiums and rates will rise. If the government can force us to buy healthcare, who says they wont expand their power and force us to buy something else they deem important. Another act adds new taxes and tax hikes, affecting the poor and rich alike. For the unemployed, if they do not have approved health insurance before a deadline, they will have to pay a tax every year until they have coverage, up to 2.5% of their income. Only those on the 133% poverty line and under can quality for exclusion. For those who make over 250,000, a higher tax will be paid to support Obamacare. This country cannot afford this. Amidst an economic crisis, Americans are struggling with their current economic situations. Adding taxes to the middle and lower class will drive families further into debt. Furthermore, implementing this act will cost around $1.76 trillion onto the nations current $16 trillion debt. A third most controversial act states that employers must provide health care for their employees or they will have to pay a tax to support Obamacare. If everyone is required to have health coverage, insurance companies will raise their rates to cover costs. This raise will cause employers to reconsider the number of employees they must give coverage. They will find it may be cheaper to lay off employees to provide fewer with health coverage, or simply pay the tax. Unemployment will lead to families privately paying for their health insurance, or paying the aforementioned tax. The last act Id like to address states that only a small group of religious institutions chosen are excluded from paying the tax or providing health care coverage with all provision set by the act. Some of the provisions of Obamacare involve providing contraceptives, abortion type drugs, and sterilizations within a health care plan. All employers are required to have health plans that provide these for free, despite what that employer believes religiously. There are employers who have frim beliefs in not using those products. Catholic and Christian run organizations view this requirement as a a violation of their religious freedom. The First Amendment clearly protects the freedom of religion. Though those who made created and enacted Obamacare may have good intentions, there are consequences for every action. Millions may receive better health care than prior to the act or receive health care for the first time, but the provisions of the reform are not the way to go about giving Americans an affordable and effective health care system. There is no doubt that Americas health care system needs a reform. However, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not the answer. Obamacare is shown to be unconstitutional and unaffordable. Though parts of it are already in effect, it needs to be repealed before any further consequences and burned are placed upon the American people. Repeal can only be achieved through the election of political officials who believe in allowing America to find another alternative to our health care problems. In a democratically-run government, a shift in power may provide the hope for an effective, constitutional, and affordable health care plan. The main mandate is in January of 2013.
Kelly is an informed and politically involved student at Florida State University.

The Seminoles Are Coming Back

By Heather Biltoc
For all collegiate football fans, the offseason is team preparation, the season is fan anticipation, and the final bowl game is where you go big or go home, but it is the BCS National Championship Game that both fans and players believe to be an annual dream. From the start of the BCS National Championship era, all Division I college football teams had a new win to accomplish in their season, the title of National Champion, number one team of the season. One would think that becoming number one would have been the goal before hand, but with an official title game created aside from a typical bowl game, the stakes were raised a bit higher for each and every team. Looking at the history of BCS National Championship Games, one can guess what team has the highest chances being in the bowl game, as only thirteen teams have made an appearance, and only 10 have won at least one of those appearances. However, only four teams have won all of their appear-

Obamacare is unaffordable and unconstitutional.

the United States with much controversy. With the idea of solving Americas health care problems, the United States Senate and the Obama Administration drafted and passed a health reform act that is set to give Americans universal health care. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama. The 2700 page law details exactly what universal health care will mean for the United States. One of the most controversial points is that the individual mandate requires that almost all Americans buy health care. Requiring people to purchase something and tax them if they dont is unconstitutional. Many people already receive health coverage from their employers or elect to pay privately for insurance. People have the choice in

Thompson has other teams weary when he steps on the field.

We want to see that our idols are just like us

day look like any other day, the financial and every-day struggles of a family with 19 kids and counting or the process in which toddlers are taught how important it is for a girl to look beautiful, shave their legs, wax their eyebrows and get tanned on a weekly basis-- just to win beauty titles that they are too young to understand. I think this second type of reality show is even worse than those about celebrities or celebrity-wannabes; the creators, producers, and TV networks behind the development of these shows see the featured people as their own private gold mine ready to be exploited when people like us start looking forward to the next episode of their shows. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps one of the reasons for our excitement is that we see reality shows as an opportunity to forget about our problems and make our lives seem more valuable. I understand that this statement sounds a little harsh but I also know that it is inevitably true. I am not saying that the nature of these shows is not entertaining and fun to watch, it just worries me Americans are more worried about what toddler would win the next beauty pageant on Toddlers and Tiaras, or who Kim Kardashian will marry or divorce next on Keeping up with the Kardashians, than the political race taking place in our country or the human rights violations occurring elsewhere in the world. Major news networks like FOX NEWS and CNN have lost credibility throughout the years due to sex scandals, racism, and bribes but this does not necessarily mean the interest to know what is going on in our country, or our world, must be lost as well. Unfortunately, this revolution in TV and new shows coming out every season are achieving just that. The question still remains: Where do we draw the line between quality television and tacky, inappropriate content? We cant anymore. A lot of these TV networks use the First Amendment as an excuse for everything from inappropriate language to situations that involve sex, drugs, and alcohol. Lets face it, no matter how messed-up our society is, sex, drugs, and alcohol are subjects that are inappropriate for kids under twelve. Reality TV has influenced our society so deeply and has taken over our TV networks in such a big way that it is impossible to not be pulled into this phenomenon. People refer to this new type of entertainment as their guilty pleasure because, in part, the people on the shows would contribute absolutely nothing to their lives. As much as viewers criticize the Kardashians or the mothers involved in Toddlers and Tiaras, the shows producers make is just so good and unpredictable that is impossible not to watch every episode on a weekly basis, ready to tweet or post their Facebook comment about their favorite show or the self-proclaimed reality-show personality. Neary is a friendly, hard-working student studying at Florida State University.

Culturally Enclosed Christians

By Caleb Thomas
Christians can be pretty lame. Thats generally the feeling I get when watching TV shows and movies; it transfers into my day to day life as well. Everyone has seen the guy on the corner of the street yelling at the heathen sinners from his megaphone, or the syrupy sweet girl who seems oblivious to the entire world around her. When I see these people, I instinctively want to roll my eyes. Maybe you do the same, or maybe you fill with rage or pity. I am actually a Christina myself; I believe Jesus was and is who he claimed to be, and that is a fact that has radically changed who I am as a person. The truth is, though, most of the time I get uneasy when identifying myself as a Christian. In our society, selfidentifying as a Christian carries a stigma. Depending on the person, the stigma ranges somewhere between that of a Nazi and a Justin Beiber fan. Think about it, how many cool celebrity Christians can you name? Im not the epitome of cool by any means, and I dont think that is something anyone should strive to be. I feel that the reason this stigma exists is because a majority of believers in Christianity have cloistered themselves off from the rest of the world, rendering themselves irrelevant to the world around them. I feel I must make a distinction between two classes of Christian: professing and practicing. According to most polls at least 75 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christian; however, far fewer people practice the Christian faith in any genuine way. Professing Christians many times view their Christianity as something inherited, such as ethnicity. For practicing Christians, Christianity is more than a title its the driving force of their life. Its the practicing Christians whom society views as lame and are the primary cause for the
Caleb is a worldly, involved individual who is a student at Florida State University.

stigma of Christianity. Dont get me wrong, there are many really awesome Christians that are extremely welcoming, loving, and caring. The reason I write, is not to say that these lame Christians are bad people but culturally insignificant. Ive attended just about every denomination of church you can think of, all over the world, so I feel that I can speak from an informed perspective. Ive seen and interacted with believers in a multitude of settings and while each church you go to will definitely have qualities that separate them from the next, one trait continually asserts itself: the tendency to separate from secular culture. This tendency to pull away

from the culture of the non-Christian world often comes accidentally. Its within human nature to want to associate with people of like beliefs and ideals. No matter who you are or what beliefs you hold, I would wager that the vast majority of those you consider yourself closest to view the world fairly similarly to the way you yourself do; its natural. Many devout Christians desire the same and accomplish by attending Church services and Christian functions. This ranges from traditional Sunday morning and Wednesday night services to other distinctly Christian activities like midweek prayer, worship nights, coffee shop bible studies, and community groups where people come together at a home and discuss their lives in relation to the

Gospel. However, not all church functions, when viewed from an outside perspective, would be identifiable as such. Churches often organize bowling trips, beach retreats, and golf tournaments. These Church functions are not bad, but the tendency to pack ones schedule full of these cause Christians to become disconnected with the culture outside of their church group. For some Christians the decision to separate from secular culture is completely deliberate. They view secular society as a constant source of temptation and danger to the believer; their decision is sanctioned by Bible verses like Romans 12:2. When I was fresh out of high school I attended a private Christian College that held this belief. Students were restricted on when they could leave campus and where they went, such as clubs and movie theaters. This may seem extreme but it was done with the intention of keeping the student body an example of the believers, in word...in faith, in purity (1 Tim 4:12). However, what was largely accomplished was the creation of a safe and completely sterile Christian bubble in which the campus and students were trapped unable to interact with the world around them. To these practicing Christians, I would like to say one thing: do not worry yourself with purity while secluding yourself from society. Rather, focus on embracing and showing love to the world around you. Jesus himself said Love the Lord your God with all your heart love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40). By interacting with society as a whole we become culturally relevant. When we interact with the culture of the world, we are able to love and influence those around us more effectively. According to Apostle Paul, you can become all things to all people so you can save some. (1 Cor 9:22)

ances: Alabama, Florida, Auburn, and Tennessee. Fans will always hope that their team is going to make it to the final game, go undefeated, and win the title to go down in sports history. What most fans dont take into consideration is the development a team can have over years of defeat and close-coming to the National Champion title. This is the year, the team that is always a threat in the start of the season but falls of the rankings, makes it known they are back and ready for another three year appearance streak in the BCS. This time instead of going 1-2, they are going 3-0. This is the year of the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State has appeared in the BCS a total of three times, appearing in the seasons 1998- 2000. Although they only won the title in the season of 1999 against Virginia Tech, Florida State remains to be the only ACC University to attend a championship game. Both Miami and Virginia Tech, now in the ACC, were in the Big East conference at their time of attending the National Championship Game. As Florida State has had its up and its down seasons, they still remain a favorite in the minds of ESPN sports reporters and several sports analyst this season. Being seen as possibly the best defense in the nation, led by defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, both defensive ends, Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Tank Carradine, have been setting career high records for sacks and tackles for loss in only the first three games of the 2012 season. Werner leads the ACC in sacks with a total of 6.5 sacks, and ranks 19th in Florida State history with 17.0 career sacks and 26.0 TFLs. Meanwhile,Tank has been rolling over quarterbacks left and right with a career high for sacks and tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks. Sophomore defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan has also made a name for himself with a career-best six tackles. As for Quarterback EJ Manuel, he is on top of his game with a career completion average of 66.6%, putting him in second place all-time on the ACC career completion percentage list. With an offensive line all weighing in over three hundred pounds and topping out at 6-7, Manuel is protected in the pocket, giving him time to scan his options and deliver. Running back Chris Thompson also has offense credit. Rushing 197 yards in a single game against Wake Forest, Thompson has other teams weary when he steps on the field. Hes not letting his back injury hold him back. Although Florida State remains to be the only ranked team to not let an opposing team score a touchdown this season, pressure has been building up for the top ten match up on Saturday, September 22, 2012 against #9 Clemson. With a loss to Clemson in 2011, Florida State has revenge on their minds. If the Seminoles were to lose to Clemson this early in the season, all hopes of Florida State going to the National Championship would be destroyed. But with a track record of the Clemson-Florida State rivalry, Florida State has only lost a total of three times at home since 1970. The odds are in favor of Florida State but it all comes down to the fourth quarter. It is early in the season to be certain as to which teams will be facing off in Miami at the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, but it is obvious that, with a team so on-track and determined as the Florida State Seminoles are, they are bound to go undefeated. Head Coach Jimbo Fisher has his team focused and ready to take down any opposing team, one game at a time. Look forward to seeing the Seminoles take back the title of National Champions.
Heather is a spirited student who expresses Seminole Spirit & studies at Florida State.