When you think of a football player, what images come to your mind?

Some people think football does NOT require a whole lot of smarts--that football players are big, slow, "dumb jocks" who would rather hit someone hard than hit the books. They think that because they have a lot of brawn, they don't have much of a brain.

I want to introduce you to a local athlete who is NOT your normal football player. His name is Marquel Carter, and he is the quarterback for the Culver City High School football team. Last season, he scored 30 touchdowns in just 12 games, but what makes him stand out in a crowd is the head inside the helmet:

*He won a sports essay contest at his school last year (topic: "I have a dream. . .")

*He has tried fencing, snorkeling, lacrosse and taiko drumming.

*When he had to choose a second language to study in high school, he figured he could always learn Spanish (since he lives in LA, where there is a large hispanic population), so he chose Japanese instead, a much harder language to master. In fact, he wants to learn more than 7 languages in his lifetime, so he can speak more than Kobe Bryant!

*He is considering going to Harvard or Stanford.

*Finally, in case you thought he was a one-sport wonder, he also plays for his school's basketball team, and runs 3 events for the track team.

No wonder his coach calls him "A remarkable young man. . . a breath of fresh air."

Why am I telling you all this? Because people will try to label you because of your gender, race, skin color, size, ethnicity or religion. They will tell you that you CAN'T do certain things because of who you are. But don't believe them! Marquel lives that way. So should you!

You've probably heard alot about the "swine flu" lately, but since it DOESN'T come from pigs, pig farmers prefer we call it "H1N1." So, let's talk about the flu with the numbers and letters--H1N1.

There are many kinds of flu, and each year a new version circulates around. What makes this one so dangerous is it's strength, and POTENTIAL to morph into a new virus in the middle of the season. When that happens, the flu shot you got would be no good. It's kind of like when a new version of software comes out and the old one you have no longer works.

So, this is a good time to remind ourselves of the basic ways to reduce your risk of getting this NASTY bug:

1. Wash your hands regularly, at recess, lunch, after PE, and whenever you touch objects that are shared in the classroom. Our hands touch MANY things, and when we then touch our face (the place flu viruses love to enter), we are vulnerable to the virus. So, wash your hands! How long should you wash? Scrub HARD and sing the "Happy Birthday" song slowly. Seriously. . .

2. Get rest. Your body can defend itself better when it is rested. If you are tired, you are more likely to get sick.

3. Eat and drink well. Just like rest, a good diet keeps your immune system strong.

The H1N1 is here, so protect yourself! Happy, healthy living to you all!