Debating the Safety of Ephedra
Steve Bechler was living the life that many people only dream of; he was playing professional baseball. In 1998, the Oregon native was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft. His major league debut was made last September in three relief appearances. His debut was a little rough, leaving a huge margin for improvement. He went into this year's Spring Training Camp expecting to play on the Orioles' AAA farm team in Ottawa, Canada for this season. The spring training proved to be torturous for Bechler, not allowing him to survive.
Bechler had been overweight all his life. The 6'2" 239 lb. pitcher even had a history of heat strokes while he was in high school. Like many overweight people, Steve wanted to shed some pounds. He decided to take Xenadrine, a weight loss supplement containing ephedrine, since it would also help give him energy. Bechler hadn't been using Xenadrine for very long when he went into spring training; therefore, it hadn't done much for his weight problem. Conditioning proved to be too much for the heavy, right-handed pitcher when he collapsed while running through drills. Some doctors think it may have been from the heat. The temperature was 81 degrees with 74% humidity that day. He was very pale in the face and had to lean against the wall to remain standing. It was evident to his teammates that something had gone terribly wrong, but he was only about 60% of the way through conditioning. The trainers put him on a cart and took him to the clubhouse while calling the paramedics. The paramedics took him to Northridge Medical Center where he spent the night in an intensive care unit. His wife, who he had been married to for just one year, spent the night by his bed after flying to Florida upon the news of her husband. She watched him die at 10:10 the next morning after his temperature soared to 108 degrees; she was carrying their first child ("Pitcher May...").
According to an autopsy performed on Bechler's body, he died from multiple organ failure and heat stroke. He was an overweight athlete pushing himself through a hot humid practice, which were conditions he had never been used to, he was also on an ephedrine based product when he died. The FDA automatically assumed that because he was taking Xenadrine that it was the company's fault he died.
... for the Cardinals but wasn’t offered the amount of money that he wanted. The next year the Yankees offered him more money and he jumped at the opportunity. When Yogi was eighteen he joined the Navy to fight in World War 2. (Yogi Berra)
Roger Clemens started his dominance of baseball in 1981 at San Jacinto junior college. That year he compiled a 9-2 record and was drafted by the New York Mets. He chose not to sign with the Mets and instead continued his college career at the University of Texas. There he again showed signs of brilliance. In two seasons at Texas he compiled a 25-7 record, was a two-time All-American, and led his team to a College World Series title. Again, Major League Baseball came calling and this time Clemens would answer.
Robinson began playing baseball professionally after being discharged from the army. He started playing in the Negro Leagues, because at this time the sport was segregated and African Ame...
...as handled by his courage were the first few years he was signed on to the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the interview between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, Dodgers president, said to Robinson:
"I guess not going No. 1 wouldn't have totally destroyed me, but there's prestige going No. 1, and I'm certainly happy to be No. 1.” Said Hamilton after being drafted number one overall on June 2, 1999 in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft (My Josh!). Things would soon become more daunting for the young 18 year old. After a Spring Training game in 2000 Hamilton and his parents were involved in an automobile accident. His parents departed for Raleigh soon after to recover, yet Hamilton was left alone to rehab on his own. “I'd been the Devil Rays' No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, supposedly a five-tool prospect. I was a big, strong man, and I was supposed to be able to handle my problems myself” (Tim Keown). Imagine having to stay away from the one thing that brings you enjoyment for an extended amount o...
In the text, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, author Diane Ravitch explores her ideological shift on school reform and the empirical evidence that caused this shift. Once a proponent and contributor of testing, accountability, choice, and market reforms, Ravitch’s support began to diminish as she realized that these current reforms were not viable options. She came to realize that the new school reforms focused entirely on structural and managerial adjustments and that no focus was given to actual learning.
Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the sentiments of the authors and their insight into standardized examination. The articles provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that standardized tests are not effective at measuring a teacher’s competency because they do not take into account the school environment and its effect on the students.
Henry Louis Gehrig was born June 19, 1903 in New York. His parents, who were immigrants from Germany, often felt the struggles of providing for their only surviving son. Gehrig’s mother worked tirelessly to make sure her son had a better life in America. She encouraged him to attend college, and in 1921 Gehrig began his college career at Columbia where he received a football scholarship. Gehrig was spotted by the New York Giants baseball manager, John McGraw, the summer before he started school at Columbia. McGraw persuaded Gehrig to play professional baseball in a summer league under a different name even though it was illegal at the time. Gehrig was eventually discovered to be playing in the summer league after partaking in numerous games. As a result, he was unable to be a part of any college sports his freshman year (RVWfoundation, 2011).
...ach problems after eating and dizziness as well. If he was attempting to kill himself, why would he then complain about his sickness? He was a smart enough man to know that they would be happening.
walks and he would foul off pitch after pitch. Because of his many foul tips, he became
Worthen, Blaine R., and Vicki Spandel. "Putting the Standardized Testing Debate in Perspective." Educational Leadership Feb. 1991: 65-69. ASCD. 1 Dec. 2013
Education is the foundation of American society. It empowers the youth of America to become the successful leaders this country needs for the future. Education has been one of America’s top priorities since 1965, when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed. Now, education is controlled by the No Child Left Behind Act, which was launched in January 8, 2002. This act was passed with intentions from the government to provide Americans with a more superior education system. However, The No Child Left Behind Act carried many flaws which were left unseen to a vast majority of the public. This act limited American students by not allowing them to demonstrate their full academic potentials while proceeding in school. While the act was still fairly fresh, there was already evidence to prove that it had already gotten off to a bad beginning. For the crucial math and science courses, statistics showed minimal improvements which had begun around the time period in which the No Child Left Behind Act was passed. The act was also supported by a number of educators who voiced themselves by testifying against having the right to teach at their own free will. Teachers across America claimed that because of this new act, they felt a constant heaviness upon their shoulders from the state government to “Teach the test.”
The issue of standardized testing has been a highly debated issue in the United States for many years and shows no sign of being resolved any time soon. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 was an effort to standardize and improve our education system, but 13 years later it is still in shambles. While many people agree there is a need for some sort of measure for quality education, there is much disagreement about the effectiveness of standardized tests. Some even say federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have gone too far in using test scores to evaluate teachers (Gordon 2013). Unfavorable results from these tests seem to generate more punitive consequences for the teachers and schools than help for the students. The words “high-stakes” are used often in numerous sources to describe the current testing system and refer to decisions that will make a significant impact on both students and teachers. These decisions include repeating a grade or not receiving a diploma for the student and possible loss of a job for the teacher. Standardized testing is an ineffective and expensive way to measure student achievement.
Hills, J. (1991). Issues in research on instructional supervision: A contribution to the discussion. Journal Of Curriculum & Supervision, 7(1), 1-12.
Waite, D. (1995). Rethinking Instructional Supervision: Notes on Its Language and Culture. New Prospects Series: 1.