There is a disconnect from reality. This is clear when listening to athletic director Gene DeFilippo, who says things like, “I’m really excited about the future of Boston College football,” and “[Frank Spaziani] is the best coach that we’ve had in the 15 years that we’ve been here,” and “our future here is very, very bright.” Anyone who has witnessed the Eagles’ rapid decline can attest otherwise: Boston College’s future with the program and athletic department as currently constituted is strikingly bleak; Spaziani may be the only coach DeFilippo has seen in each of his 15 years with the university, and he may be the best defensive coordinator B.C. has had since Tom O’Brien remade the program, but no, to call him the “best coach” since 1997 ignores our own two eyes and those helpful items called facts, which state otherwise. The reality of this situation is that everything that was done has been undone, everything that was achieved has been forgotten, and Boston College football as it was is no longer Boston College football as it is. Excited about the future? Please.

Conference
Atlantic Coast, Atlantic

Location
Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Nickname
Eagles

Returning starters
tk (tk offense, tk defense)

Last year’s ranking
No. 62

2011 record
(4-8, 3-5)

Last years
re-ranking
No. 90

2012 schedule

• Sept. 1
  Miami (Fla.)
• Sept. 8
  Maine
• Sept. 15
  at Northwestern
• Sept. 29
  Clemson
• Oct. 6
  at Army
• Oct. 13
  at Florida St.
• Oct. 20
  at Georgia Tech
• Oct. 27
  Maryland
• Nov. 3
  at Wake Forest
• Nov. 10
  Notre Dame
• Nov. 17
  Virginia Tech
• Nov. 24
  at N.C. State

Last years prediction

There’s Kuechly, who is terrific, as well as a handful of blossoming underclassmen dotting the defensive line and the secondary. So what’s the problem? My biggest worry is with the face of the program: I’m not sure if Spaziani is up to the challenge of leading B.C. back to the forefront of the Atlantic division. A second worry: this schedule. The Eagles must start at least 4-1 if they plan on keeping this bowl streak alive, as the slate from Clemson on is extremely difficult. I think B.C. can do just that, but I don’t think this is much better than a .500 team.

2011 recap

In a nutshell For a good portion of last fall, it seemed as if Massachusetts would be the only team Boston College would beat all season. The Eagles did unseat the Minutemen, 45-17, but the win was sandwiched on either side by three losses. The first three were undeniably embarrassing Northwestern, U.C.F. by 27 points and Duke and probably came at the wrong time: B.C. needed a shot of confidence, and opening with three straight losses cut the season right down in its tracks. That the Eagles closed with three wins in five games does absolutely nothing to alter the fact that last fall was an outrageous disgrace for a program riding a run of 12 consecutive bowl berths. Also disgraceful: this offense. The Eagles gained less than 300 yards of offense in half of their games; failed to score 20 points against 9 of their 11 F.B.S. opponents; threw for more than 200 yards only twice, and not once after Sept. 17; and turned the ball over two or more times in six games. And before following the national script that says that this defense was again strong, consider this: Boston College finished eighth in the A.C.C. in total defense, 11th in pass defense and sixth in run defense. Just a bad, bad team.

High point The final three weeks of the season. The Eagles beat N.C. State, 14-10, on Nov. 12. A week later, the Eagles hung fairly tight with Notre Dame but lost, 16-14 the score looks a little better thanks to a late, meaningless B.C. touchdown. In the season finale, the Eagles topped Miami (Fla.), 24-17. The win was only B.C.’s fifth all-time against the Hurricanes, against 23 losses, and the second on the road. I think you can remember the first.

Low point Choose any loss. It doesn’t matter. While the year had yet to fully run off the rails, my vote in a tie goes to U.C.F. and Duke. The Knights, who trounced the Eagles by 27 points, won four games on the year. Duke is Duke, and B.C. shouldn’t lose to Duke.

Tidbit Boston College has failed to score more than 28 points in any game against F.B.S. competition over the last two seasons. Prior to 2010, B.C. had not gone a full season without scoring 29 or more points against at least one F.B.S. foe since 1966, when the team failed to score more than 26 points in each of its 10 games. You could say the streak dated back to only 1979 only 1979 seeing that the Eagles’ high-water mark that fall, a 29-point showing, came against Holy Cross. But at the time, the Crusaders were a Division I program; Holy Cross wouldn’t move down a level until 1982.

Tidbit (Atlantic division edition) The Eagles’ poor season pushed them behind Clemson for the best A.C.C. record among Atlantic division teams since 2005. B.C. went 30-18 mark in A.C.C. play from 2005-10; Clemson was 28-20. But after going 6-2 the league doesn’t count the A.C.C. title game towards the overall conference record while B.C. went 3-5, the Tigers were able to surpass the Eagles: Clemson is now 34-22 over the last seven years in the A.C.C. while B.C. is 33-23.

Former players in the N.F.L.

20 LB Alex Albright (Dallas), DE Ron Brace (New England), OT Anthony Castonzo (Indianapolis), OT Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar (St. Louis), LB Rob Francois (Green Bay), DT Antonio Garay (San Diego), QB Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee), LB Mark Herzlich (New York Giants), LB Mathias Kiwanuka (New York Giants), C Dan Koppen (New England), LB Mark Kuechly (Carolina), FB James McCluskey (Oakland), TE Ryan Purvis (New York Giants), NT B.J. Raji (Green Bay), QB Matt Ryan (Atlanta), DE Darrik Scafe (San Diego), OG Chris Snee (New York Giants), C Matt Tennant (New Orleans), OT Jeremy Trueblood (Tampa Bay).

Arbitrary top five list

F.B.S. head coaches with a -z in their last name
1. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona.
2. Gene Chizik, Auburn.
3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa.
4. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern.
5. Hugh Freeze, Mississippi.

Coaching

Frank Spaziani (Penn State ’69), 19-19 after three seasons at Boston College’s full-time head coach. He must be commended for the job he did in his first season. The Eagles didn’t miss a beat despite the late change in the coaching staff and several off-field distractions, and won at least eight games for the ninth straight season. But the last two seasons have been disastrous, particularly in terms of the issues with Spaziani’s in-game and staff decisions, and the bloom is off this rose. Is he dedicated to this university? Yes, and that does separate him from each of his two predecessors. Has he shown any ability to lead B.C. into the A.C.C. title conversation? No, and that completely separates him from each of his two predecessors. While Spaziani had no head coach experience prior to his being hired in early 2009, he bought more than 30 years’ experience as an assistant on the F.B.S. level. The most significant period of his career has taken place at Boston College. His tenure with the Eagles began with a stretch as the team’s running backs coach from 1997 to 1998, when he was part of Tom O’Brien’s original staff. After that two-year stint – seasons in which B.C. combined to go 8-14 – Spaziani was promoted to defensive coordinator. Boston College reached bowl play in each of the following 11 seasons, only twice winning fewer than eight games and twice reaching double-digit wins. In addition to his extensive resume with the Eagles, Spaziani spent a combined 17 years as an assistant under George Welsh, first at Navy (1975-81), then Virginia (1982-91). Spaziani had likely achieved enough with the Eagles to deserve the head coaching job in 2007, which instead went to Jeff Jagodzinski. Two years later, he became the safest choice for the job. His ties to DeFillipo have cemented Spaziani’s job security, but he has done nothing to deserve the amount of confidence the university has in his ability to turn this thing around.

Players to watch

Once again, B.C. will have a new offensive coordinator. This makes four in two years, including two that served in the position last fall: Kevin Rogers was hired to replace Gary Tranquill, but health issues – or some issues – forced him to step aside in September; he was replaced by tight ends coach Dave Brock, who left the program over the winter. The new coordinator, Doug Martin, has been around the block, at East Carolina, Kent State and New Mexico State, and is likely the best hire B.C. could make under the circumstances – not many coaches would enlist under a head coach with questionable job security.

But Martin wanted back in, and in B.C. found a partner more than willing to give him the opportunity. His offense will greatly resemble the system run in Chestnut Hill by Steve Logan, Martin’s coaching mentor and, from 2007-8, the Eagles’ coordinator. This system will tend towards the pass but remain committed to the running game, perhaps lending some balance and explosiveness to an offense lacking in either category – particularly the latter – over the last three years.

The first beneficiary of Martin’s arrival is junior quarterback Chase Rettig. Of all the skill players present over the last two seasons, Rettig’s development has been the most stunted by the musical chairs at coordinator. He seemed to be gaining a degree of comfort late in his freshman season, when he started the last seven games of the year, but exhibited little progress last fall. As a sophomore, Rettig completed less than 50 percent of his attempts five times, threw at least one interception in six straight A.C.C. games and cracked the 200-yard mark only twice, against Northwestern and Duke.

Rettig needs to improve. In Martin, he has a coach capable of taking him to the next level. The ability is there, one would think, even if Rettig’s hot streaks have been buried under cold spell after cold spell. Based on the information on hand – what we’ve seen from Rettig and his former coaches – the question isn’t so much about the quarterback but the coaching; seeing that Martin is an upgrade over the triumvirate of Tranquill, Rogers and Brock, it stands to reason that Rettig will have the finest season of his career in 2012. One reason to pull back on the expectations: this is Rettig’s third system is as many years – four if we count high school – so there will be a learning curve.

B.C. knows which three receivers it’ll target in the passing game. By extension, the rest of the A.C.C. is also aware that when Rettig does drop back to pass, it’s highly probable that any attempted pass is going in the direction of senior Colin Larmond (34 receptions for 568 yards) or juniors Bobby Swigert (44 for 462) and Alex Amidon (20 for 220). The point: B.C. could afford to spread the ball around. The Eagles will in this offense, but outside of the top three, there is not much in the way of proven reliability. It’s time for at least one of several unproductive receivers to step into a larger role; doing so would help this passing game reach its full potential.

Johnathan Coleman, a junior with picture-perfect size – a bit of a rarity on this receiver corps – will be given every opportunity to break into the rotation. Likewise with redshirt freshman Brian Miller, who could also be used in a hybrid receiver-tight end role. Sophomore Spiffy Evans, who made some impact in the return game last fall, could also take on an increased role. Unfortunately, until B.C. adds depth it’s hard to see Martin’s offense running at full capacity – in the passing game, at least. The top three are fine targets, as is senior tight end Chris Pantale (21 catches for 236 yards), but they’re not striking fear into A.C.C. defensive backs. B.C. won’t move the ball via the big play – for the most part – so the offense needs to go six or seven deep at receiver and tight end. Coleman, Miller and others need to step up their games.

This year’s line, like last year’s group, is not the star-studded line of the program’s recent past. In addition, B.C. will undergo a transition on two fronts: with a new line coach, Jim Bollman, and in this new system, which will slightly tweak the Eagles’ blocking scheme. The good news is that after a tough start to last season, this line began rounding into form during A.C.C. play. In addition, the Eagles return four of last fall’s five starters and six linemen with adequate experience altogether. The line will be better. Will it be good enough?

Another question: Emmett Cleary or John Wetzel at left tackle? New summer, same question. The duo battled for the blind side spot a year ago, with Wetzel earning the starting role and Cleary starting at right tackle. The pair may shift spots as seniors, if the spring was any indication – Cleary was on the left, Wetzel on the right. The lone full-time starter who must be replaced is center Mark Spinney, though B.C. also lost swing guard Nathan Richman, who started two games as a senior. B.C. could either start sophomore Andy Gallik at center – he made three starts there last fall – or move right guard Ian White inside, though the latter option would leave the Eagles very thin at right guard. Sophomore Bobby Vardaro is back at left guard, so keeping White at guard and Gallik in the lineup likely gives B.C. its best starting five.

A few notes on this defense. Even with Luke Kuechly hitting everything that moved, last year’s group finished in the bottom half of the A.C.C. in run defense, pass defense, yards allowed per play, forced turnovers, tackles for loss, sacks – finishing last in the F.B.S. – third down defense and red zone defense. Last year’s defense landed a pass thanks to its reputation, the play of one sublime linebacker and the overall incompetence B.C. flashed on the offensive side of the ball. Last year’s defense was not good, whether you base that statement on objective comparison to the rest of the A.C.C. or against the program’s recent past of stinginess.

How does B.C. retool without Kuechly? Put another way, how does B.C. replace the greatest defensive player in school history? You don’t, and B.C. can’t. All the Eagles and defensive coordinator Bill McGovern can do is pass the baton to the next in line and hope that the defense, as a team, can replace Kuechly’s lost production. No one defender will fill his shoes; as a team, however, B.C. can lose a player of his caliber and still make a slight improvement on defense. Can the Eagles move back into the upper echelon of the A.C.C., let alone the top slice of the F.B.S.? No, I wouldn’t think so. But the defense could improve to the point where it makes things slightly more difficult for the opposition, which was rarely the case a year ago.

Kuechly’s replacement will be sophomore Sean Duggan (39 tackles), a three-game starter on the weak side as a rookie. He made those starts in place of junior Kevin Pierre-Louis (74 tackles), the team’s leading returning tackler. Pierre-Louis is one defender who must do more in 2012: beyond the tackles, Kuechly was also a major disrupter on third down and in coverage. Pierre-Louis, who has all-A.C.C. potential, and strong side linebacker Steele Devitto (72 tackles, 3.5 for loss), a returning starter, will flank Duggan. B.C. knows what Pierre-Louis and Devitto will bring to the table. McGovern and Spaziani also know what Duggan will bring to the table: 100 tackles, some nice athleticism, room for growth.

But… B.C. knows that there’s no Kuechly rising up through the ranks. This isn’t surprising. Nonetheless, replacing Kuechly won’t be as easy as replacing Montel Harris, which I’ll touch on below. It goes beyond numbers: it’s about losing your rock, your flag-bearing middle linebacker, your star and your leader, and even if Duggan has an all-conference sophomore season, there’s no ignoring the fact that B.C. will be without a linebacker – a player, perhaps – unparalleled in the program’s history.

Let’s step out of that negativity and focus on one major positive: Kaleb Ramsey is back at defensive tackle. Probably. Ramsey landed a hardship waiver from the N.C.A.A. that will allow him to play in 2012, but he was still limited during the spring following last September’s foot injury. If he’s healthy – and committed to giving 100 percent, or somewhere close to 100 percent – Ramsey can be an all-conference pick. If he’s healthy, B.C. can team Ramsey with senior Dillon Quinn (21 tackles) and promising sophomore Dominic Appiah (36 tackles, 6.5 for loss) to make up a strong interior of the line.

Ramsey’s play will be key. Strong interior play won’t only help keep the Eagles’ linebackers clean – a huge bonus with Duggan stepping into the lineup – but some added push along the middle of the line will help overall end play, which is a question mark heading into the summer. In addition to Kuechly, B.C. also lost end Max Holloway, the team’s most productive down lineman, a year early; unlike Kuechly, Holloway went undrafted. With junior Kasim Edebali (27 tackles) back on one side, the Eagles can turn to one of two sophomores, Brian Mihalik and Mehdi Abdesmad, in Holloway’s old spot. Mihalik and Abdesmad are more promising, but both could have used another year of seasoning.

It got ugly in the secondary last fall. B.C. held only five teams under 220 yards passing and none under 179 yards – and only Maryland, Massachusetts and Miami (Fla.) encountered much in the way of resistance. It’s almost hard to believe, but it’s true: Even with Kuechly gone, the secondary is this defense’s biggest concern. What B.C. needs is a slew of sophomores to play beyond their years, as the Eagles are poised to enter September with only one non-sophomore on the two-deep.

Cornerback is a major concern: there’s potential here, but nothing close to a sure thing. The group’s best is Al Louis-Jean (15 tackles), who flashed potential as a freshman but remains far from a finished product. Likewise with C.J. Jones and Manny Asprilla, two more sophomores thrust into substantial roles ahead of schedule a season ago. Without Donnie Fletcher steadily holding down the opposite side, one of the latter pair – or James McCaffrey, or Ameer Richardson, or Zach Wolfe – must take a huge step forward. The news isn’t much better at safety, though B.C. does return some starting experience in Jim Noel (30 tackles) – the lone senior in the mix – and Sean Sylvia. One surprising addition into the competition at free safety is sophomore Josh Keyes, a converted linebacker.

This isn’t your older brother’s defense. This isn’t your older brother’s defense even if you two are only separated by two years, or if he’s your twin, and you took two years off to backpack through Europe and find yourself before enrolling as a freshman. Vintage B.C. defenses – those that occurred under Spaziani’s watch, by and large – resembled brick walls: not overly flexible, not overly dynamic, but steadfast and true. This defense is a plastic bag: it may stop something, but usually by accident.

Position battle(s) to watch

Running back Spaziani’s decision to dismiss Montel Harris doesn’t greatly impact the Eagles’ bottom line, even if Harris was the most prolific rusher in program history. The offense might be better off turning the ball over to three or four younger backs less impacted by injuries, as was Harris – he missed all but two games of last season after suffering a knee injury against Wake Forest, and reaggravated that same knee in February, keeping him out of spring ball. For B.C., Harris’ dismissal is less tangible than that: It’s more about the symbol of losing one of best players in program history. His departure marked another dark day for the program; the dark days have been rapidly accumulating over the last three years.

No one back is going to step in replicate Harris’ production. But the three top backs can certainly combine for 1,700 yards, especially if the group includes a healthy junior Andre Williams (517 yards, 4 touchdowns). Considered to be Harris’ heir apparent as a freshman, Williams was one of several players limited by injuries during fall camp. If healthy, Williams will team with junior Rolandan Finch (705 yards) and sophomore Tahj Kimble (156 yards) to form the top threesome at the position. Finch can play, as well as carry the load: he had at least 18 carries in five A.C.C. games, including 39 carries for 243 yards in the win over Maryland. Despite Finch’s solid finish to last fall, I’d be surprised if B.C. does hand the running game over to one back – even if this has been the program’s preference over the last few years.

Game(s) to watch

The Eagles must beat Miami (Fla.) and Maryland at home. Conference wins won’t come easy for B.C., so the fact that both of these fellow rebuilding teams travel to Chestnut Hill make them must-win games if the Eagles plan of returning to bowl play. In terms of games that could derail the season, think the Hurricanes, Northwestern and Army. A 2-3 mark after the first Saturday of October could quickly turn into 2-5, which would could then thrust this team into a tailspin.

Season breakdown & prediction

In a nutshell It’s been a steep slide down for Boston College: once an A.C.C. contender, then a pretender, now an afterthought. And make no mistake: B.C. is no more an A.C.C. title contender than is Duke, and like the Blue Devils, will need to turn over an entirely new leaf to reverse the losing and negative culture that has pervaded the program over the last two or three seasons. Everything has fallen apart. The offense lacks any punch. The defense has turned porous. The program lacks any sense of urgency. Consistency, once the bedrock of this program, for better or worse, has left the building. For more than a decade, you’d scramble for reasons why B.C. wouldn’t win at least eight games – you’d rack your brain thinking of reasons why the Eagles couldn’t maintain their pace. Today, you can’t think of one good reason why this team will do anything more than take another step back after last season’s step back, which followed a step back in 2010, which followed a step back in 2009. B.C. has another new offensive coordinator, even if I think Martin is the best one Spaziani has hired yet; lacks play-making skill players; has some issues along the offensive line, which is new; can’t get to the quarterback; has severe concerns in the secondary; and lost the finest defensive player in school history. There are serious issues here, but they pale in comparison to the issues plaguing the program as a whole. B.C. went stale a year ago; now the current leadership is well past its expiration date. It’s decision time for B.C., which can no longer plug along and pretend it’s not raining. It’s time for the university to make some changes.

Dream season Martin is the answer for this offense. The Eagles score 30 or more points seven times, each resulting in victory, and the defense improves to the point where B.C. can win two games where the offense fails to show up. B.C. wins nine games for the first time since 2008.

Nightmare season The loss to Miami doesn’t hurt as bad as the loss to Maine; the latter signals that B.C. has hit rock bottom, if the program isn’t there already. The Eagles rebound to beat Army and Maryland, but that’s it.

In case you were wondering

Where do Boston College fans congregate? There are two big recruiting sites, Eagle Insider and Eagle Action. You should also check out BC Interruption and Eagle in Atlanta, the two best Boston College blogs. And you can add Around the Res to the mix.

Boston Colleges all-name nominee WR Spiffy Evans.

Word Count

Through 24 teams 80,583.

Up Next

Who is No. 100? The mayor of the city housing tomorrow’s university has served seven terms in the position, not to mention 22 years in the state’s national guard.

Friday, June 17

UWPD officers responded to a report of fraud after a UW employee was contacted by a Bank of America representative to verify a check from her account being cashed, which she said she did not authorize. The check had been cashed June 10 in West Seattle and deposited into another Bank of America account. The money was withdrawn from the account in which it was deposited before the bank was able to freeze the account. The Bank of America Fraud Unit began an internal investigation and asked the woman to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission. She will not be liable for the loss, and her account was closed.

Sunday, June 19

UWPD officers responded to a report of fourth-degree assault at approximately 3:05 p.m. at the UW Medical Center frontage road. A woman was visiting a patient at the hospital when she was approached by the female assaulter, who then insulted her and hit her in the face with a car door. The assaulter fled by car and hasn’t been located by police. The woman who was attacked declined medical attention.

Thursday, June 23

UWPD officers responded to a report of burglary after a woman claimed items were missing from her office. She told the officers her wallet and cellphone were taken from her private office in the Magnuson Health Sciences Building. She said she left her office for approximately two minutes at about 1:30 p.m. and returned to find her cellphone missing from her desktop where she left it. She also found that her wallet was missing from her purse, which was in a file cabinet behind her desk. She said she closed the door to her office but had not locked it. The police have no suspects.

The vote was unanimous.

Total spending is set to be $434 million for 2012-12, down $2 million from the current budget.

Teachers agreed to accept a half-year delay in their promised raises, and employees at the district headquarters will endure 10 furlough days, cutting their pay about 5 percent. Dozens of central office workers will be laid off, and planned textbook and technology updates won’t happen.

But, while neighboring Beaverton continues to look at cutting more than 300 jobs from its schools, Portland Superintendent Carole Smith was able to withdraw her plan to cut 110 teachers for the fall.

Drawing on another set of donations from outside charities and government agencies brokered by a volunteer group, Smith also found a way to preserve a three-day Outdoor School program for next year’s sixth-graders.

“I am so grateful,” said school board member Bobbie Regan, thanking the teachers union, central office employees and principals who have gone without raises for five year and Mayor Sam Adams and the City Council. She also thanked Portland voters who approved a local option property tax increase last May to help pay for teachers.

“It truly is a shared sacrifice to protect our kids,” Regan said.

She and board member Ruth Adkins noted that students and schools still will feel a pinch next year, because some federally funded teaching jobs still will be cut, principals and vice principals will be away three days on unpaid furloughs and staff training, technology resources and curriculum support will be cut.

Smith also said there won’t be enough money to reverse the board’s recent decision to close Humboldt School and the Harriet Tubman Young Woman’s Academy, both because they had too few students to justify hiring enough teachers to offer a full program.

“I know I am disappointing a lot of people in this room who have put their heart and soul into ‘Is there a way we can do it?’…There is not,” Smith said.

Board members Pam Knowles and Greg Belisle said urged champions of Portland schools to join with their counterparts around the state to aggressively lobby the 2013 Legislature to put a higher priority on funding schools.

“I want us to remain upset, as we are tonight, so we can take this fight where it belongs, with is to our state legislature,” Regan agreed. “To all these cuts, at some point we just have to say, ‘Hell no.’”

Many parents and teachers testified emotionally against the board’s decision to cut about 2 1/2 of 7 1/2 specialized PE teachers who help special education students gain motor skills and participate in regular PE classes.

–

Students, teachers and parents gathered on Friday in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland to protest funding cuts to Portland and other Oregon school districts. Teachers, administrators and the City Council partnered to blunt the worst of the cuts.

MONDAY

District 14-8A semifinals at St. Thomas University: Goleman vs. Miami Springs, 4; Reagan vs. Coral Gables, 7

District 15-4A semifinals at La Ley Sports Complex: Ransom Everglades vs. La Salle, 4; TERRA vs. Doral, 4

District 16-3A quarterfinal at Westminster Christian: Palmer Trinity vs. Somerset, 4

District 14-2A semifinal at Moore Park: Horeb Christian vs. Champagnat Catholic, 4

TUESDAY

District 13-8A semifinals at Alex Fernandez Field: Hialeah Gardens vs. American, 4; Krop vs. Hialeah, 7

District 15-8A quarterfinals: Braddock at Sunset, 3:30; South Miami at Southwest, 7

District 16-8A semifinals at Killian: Palmetto vs. Southridge, 1; Killian vs. South Dade, 4

District 16-6A semifinals at Westland Gardens Park: Belen vs. Westland Hialeah, 4; Hialeah-Miami Lakes vs. Mater Academy, 7

District 14-4A semifinal at Monsignor Pace: Jackson vs. Archbishop Carroll, 7

District 16-4A semifinals at Tavernier Coral Shores: Gulliver vs. Key West, 4; Coral Shores vs. St. Brendan, 7

District 15-3A semifinal: Dade Christian at Miami Country Day, 4

District 16-3A semifinals at Westminster Christian: Florida Christian vs Marathon, 1; Westminster Christian vs. Palmer Trinity-Somerset Charter winner, 4

District 15-2A semifinals at Miami Christian: Princeton Christian vs. Westwood Christian, noon; Brito vs. Miami Christian, 3

District 16-2A semifinal at Colonial Christian: Redland Christian vs. Island Christian, 4

WEDNESDAY

District 15-8A semifinals: South Miami-Southwest winner at Ferguson, 3:30; Braddock-Sunset winner at Columbus, 6:30

District 16-6A final at Westland Gardens Park: Belen-Westland Hialeah winner vs. Hialeah-Miami Lakes-Mater Academy winner, 7

District 15-4A final at La Ley Sports Complex: Ransom Everglades-La Salle winner vs. TERRA-Doral winner, 7

District 14-2A final at Moore Park: Horeb Christian-Champagnat Catholic winner vs. Mater East, 7

THURSDAY

District 13-8A final at Alex Fernandez Field: American-Hialeah Gardens winner vs. Hialeah-Krop winner, 7

District 14-8A final at St. Thomas University: Goleman-Miami Springs winner vs. Coral Gables-Reagan winner, 7

District 16-8A final at Killian: Southridge-Palmetto winner vs. Killian-South Dade winner, 4

District 14-4A final: Jackson-Archbishop Carroll winner at Monsignor Pace, 7

District 15-3A final at Miami Country Day: Mater Lakes-Curley winner vs. Dade Christian-Miami Country Day winner, 7

District 16-3A final at Westminster Christian: 4

District 15-2A final at Miami Christian: Princeton Christian-Westwood Christian winner vs. Brito-Miami Christian winner, 3:30

FRIDAY

District 15-8A final at Braddock: 3:30

District 16-2A final: Redland Christian-Island Christian winner at Colonial Christian, 4

We continue our week-long focus on Picturing Algeria here.

Pierre Bourdieu: It is perfectly natural to link the content of my research and my photos. One of the things that interested me most in Algeria, for example, is what I called the “economy of poverty” or the “economy of slums.” Normally, the slums were perceived (not only by racist, but also by naive observers) as something dirty, ugly, disorderly, thrown together, etc., whereas, in truth, it is a place for a very complex life, for a real economy with an inherent logic, where you see a great deal of resourcefulness, an economy that at least offers a lot of people a minimum with which to survive and, above all, for social survival—i.e., to escape the shame for a self-respecting man of doing nothing and contributing nothing to his family’s livelihood. I took a lot of photos on this subject, photos of all the hawkers and street vendors, and I was really amazed at the resourcefulness and energy in these unusual buildings, that were reminiscent of shop windows or a shop; or this motley collection of displays on the ground (which also interested me from an aesthetic point of view, as it was a very baroque scene); the pharmacists I interviewed, who were selling almost all sources of traditional magic, whose names I wrote down, aphrodisiacs, etc.

There were also very picturesque butcher’s shops (those three big, triangular wooden stands with cuts of meat hanging on them)—a typical subject for a photographer in search of picturesque, exotic scenes. I myself always had hypotheses about the organization of space on my mind: There is a layout plan of the village with a certain structure, a structure of a house; and I also discovered that the distribution of graves in the cemetery corresponded roughly to the layout of the village based on clans. And I wondered, “Will I find the same structure in the markets?” That reminds me of a photo I took in a cemetery: a Cassoulet tin filled with water on an anonymous grave. On the seventh day after someone has died, you have to bring water to their grave in order to capture the female soul; in this case it was a Cassoulet tin that had previously contained a taboo product: pork.

Franz: Schultheis: Before we finish, I would like to ask you a personal question: In your opinion, what role does your experience in Algeria play in the context of social self-analysis, which you outlined in your last course at the Collège de France?

P.B. Yvette Delsaut wrote a text about me in which she very rightly says that Algeria is what allowed me to accept myself. With the same perspective of understanding of the ethnologist with which I regarded Algeria, I could also view myself, the people from my home, my parents, my father’s and my mother’s pronunciation, reappropriating it all in a totally undramatic manner—for this is one of the greatest problems of uprooted intellectuals when all that remains to them is the choice between populism and, on the contrary, shame induced by class racism. I encountered these people, who are very much akin to the Kabylians and with whom I spent my youth, from the perspective of understanding that is mandatory for ethnology, defining it as a discipline. Photography, that I first began doing in Algeria and then in Béarn, definitely contributed a great deal to this conversion of my perspective that required a genuine change of my senses—which is no exaggeration. Photography, you see, is a manifestation of the distance of the observer, who collects his data and is always aware that he is collecting data (which is not always easy in such familiar situations as balls), but at the same time photography also assumes the complete proximity of the familiar, of attention, and a sensitivity with regard to even the least perceptible of details, details that the observer can only understand and interpret thanks to his familiarity (and do we not say that someone who behaves well is “attentive”?), a sensitivity for the infinitely small detail of an act that even the most attentive of ethnologists generally fails to notice. But photography is equally interwoven with the relationship that I have had to my subject at any particular time, and not for a moment did I forget that my subject is people, human beings whom I have encountered from a perspective that—at the risk of sounding ridiculous—I would refer to as caring, often touched.

After being cut, Harris had signed with the Indianapolis Colts but was cut once again a few weeks afterwards. After being cut the second time the San Diego Chargers signed him and had been the back-up/starter for the DE position for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season. Harris’s production hasen’t improved a great deal since being cut by the Bears but it has improved to the point where signing him would be a great choice for the Bears. The Bears currently only have three DTs: Paea, Melton, and Toeaina.  Adding a veteran DT would bring in a lot including depth. Overall, signing Harris would be a smart move by the Bears and would also bring a familiar face back into the locker room.

These simple pleasures of the game can have a cascading effect on their life and personality. For example playing on tp metal climbing frames helps improve strength and endurance, which is necessary to sharpen their minds and makes them smart. Not only that, exploration of the world outside the four walls is very important to get rid of inhibitions and shyness. If your child is an introvert, the introduction of outdoor games can help him get out of the shell. There are many other benefits that will make a difference in the life of your child and your life too.
What toys to choose?

There is a wide range of toys such as trampolines, houses, sandboxes, scooters, trikes, swings for children, water slides, climbing games, sea saw, picnic table, winter toys, and much more. Buying a toy, do not forget to think about batteries, replacement trampoline parts and other small details.

Outdoor toys are easy to install and can be moved quickly. They are made of weatherproof materials of good quality. They are durable and will last for years. Toys can be made of different colors to attract and retain the attention of your child. You can put these toys with add-ons and maintain the high level of interest of your child. These toys are safer and better. There is no risk of roughness, sharp corners or sharp objects that can injure your child.

The study tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years showed that students who raised their standardized test scores not only enjoyed higher college matriculation rates and increased adult earnings, but they also had  lower teenage-pregnancy rates.  On average, having a high value-added teacher for one year in grades 4-8 was shown to raise a childs lifetime income by $9,000.  “If you leave a low value-added teacher in your school for 10 years, rather than replacing him with an average teacher, you are hypothetically talking about $2.5 million in lost income,” said Professor Friedman, one of the coauthors of the study.

This study, which adds to the already engaged debate about holding teachers accountable for student test scores is likely to influence the metrics by which we measure teacher effectiveness. One camp argues that incorporating metrics to measure teacher effectiveness can only improve the educational outcome of our students.  The other camp maintains that it is impossible to isolate the effect of a single teacher with so many variables involved in student performance (including parental involvement, student intelligence, social factors, extra-curriculars, student motivation, etc.), and we do good teachers a grave disservice by using student test scores to evaluate them.

Nonetheless, many school districts have begun to use value-added metrics to influence decisions on hiring, salary,  and even firing.  It is safe to say that everyone believes that teacher quality is important.  But maybe this study demonstrates just how important, and the long-term impacts that teacher quality can have on students.  Or. one could argue that it demonstrates the long-term impacts that standardized test scores have on students and that teacher quality is just one variable in that equation.  Student achievement is a complex recipe that includes effective teachers.  But it also includes high student motivation, parental involvement, good attendance, homework completion, out-of-school learning experiences, etc.

Whichever side of the debate you lean, as we approach standardized testing season, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, motivation, and confidence they need to perform their best is essential.  And, according to some researchers, their performance could have effects that reverberate long after the tests are graded.

Schoodoodle.com carries a wide selection of educational materials to help teachers and parents prepare students for the big test.  Browse the entire selection of standardized test prep resources and download a free downloadable letter to print and send to parents.

If your child hopes to obtain a private college scholarship, now is the time to apply.

There are two main windows for private scholarships – now and in October and November. The deadline for many current scholarships is at the end of April or in May. Many students, particularly soon-to-be college freshmen wait until the summer, but few scholarships have deadlines during that period.

Today I want to share with you an exciting new tool to find college scholarships. It’s called ScholarPRO.

ScholarPRO works differently from other scholarship search engines. For starters, it’s not really a search engine. It’s more of a matchmaking service.

ScholarPRO will never show you any scholarships that you aren’t eligible to win. That’s a big improvement over other sites that can make you wade through college scholarships that aren’t appropriate. For instance, you might want to major in biology, but the scholarship site gives you leads for awards that require you to live in a particular state or attend a specific university.

As I mentioned in my college blog post over at CBSMoneyWatch yesterday, ScholarPRO also provides a handy home base to complete your scholarship applications:

What I also like about ScholarPRO is that it doesnt sell names or email addresses to third parties and it doesnt accept any ads.

I was so impressed by ScholarPRO that I signed up my nephew Matt over the weekend. The site costs $30 a year and its free for low-income students. Matt, who is a high school senior, had been diligently applying for private scholarships and getting frustrated by his search.

One of my pet peeves is that many families assume that private scholarships is the biggest source of college money, but it isnt.

Only about 7% of college students win private college scholarship and the average award is just $2,500. These scholarships are often just good for one year. A wide variety of groups sponsor private scholarships such as the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, foundations and businesses.

Most students will have better luck finding money from the federal and state governments and the colleges themselves. But looking for private scholarships can be a worthwhile exercise, particularly, if youre financial aid package comes up short.

Florida Christian College says its students have been shut out of the Florida Resident Access Grant program because of a disagreement with the Department of Education about whether the college has a secular purpose. In the lawsuit, filed this month in Tallahassee, the Kissimmee college argues that state officials are violating First Amendment rights and that it is being treated differently from other colleges with religious underpinnings.

The constitution forbids government from penalizing conduct because of its religious purpose,’ the suit says.

The Florida Department of Education said it does not comment on pending litigation.

The long-running program provides grants to Florida residents to help pay tuition at private colleges. Lawmakers set aside nearly $80.8 million for the program during the current fiscal year, with most students receiving grants of $2,149, according to the state budget.

The court challenge stems from part of state law that sets eligibility criteria for the program. Among the criteria is that students attend private colleges with a secular purpose, so long as the receipt of state aid by students at the institution would not have the primary effect of advancing or impeding religion or result in an excessive entanglement between the state and any religious sect.

A different standard applies to colleges that were in the program before 1989, when laws were changed, according to the lawsuit. That includes a wide range of colleges that have religious ties, including Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Florida Christian College has 380 undergraduate students, and the lawsuit estimates 211 are Florida residents who could be eligible for FRAG money. The college’s website makes clear religion is a critical part of its programs. Simply put, our students are trained to think critically about their world, through the lens of a biblical worldview, the website says.

After completing successful seasons, many in the Class of 2013 started to receive letters, offers and plenty of attention for good reason.

But what about those athletes who were injured, played for a team that didn’t offer a chance to showcase their abilities or other reasons they weren’t recognized and promoted?

“That’s what is great about the off season,” said Corey Long of ESPN. “You not only have a spring, where there are 20 days of actual football, and also the 7-on-7 events, which have given the skilled athletes a huge advantage.”

Long also says that linemen and linebackers have a way of getting noticed throughout the spring and summer – attending events that college coaches teach and evaluate. They see a lot at those camps, which have earned many scholarship offers.

When you are dealing with this region, having 100-150 Division 1 athletes each year, there is always going to be a forum, or showcase, that these “under the radar” football prospects will have the chance to prove themselves.

“You would be amazed at how many football players that many fans have never heard about that are big time prospects,” Says South Florida Express 7-on-7 founder Brett Goetz. “We had so many quality athletes in every class at our tryout, we formed two teams. That’s how impressive the talent is.”

While the marquee athletes continue to get noticed, there are others who are now stepping up to the plate and getting that well-deserved attention.

Here are a few local athletes who have helped themselves in the four plus months since the season ended:

Adrian Baker, S, Chaminade-Madonna: This is a prospect who has certainly come out of nowhere after enjoying a solid junior season. With offers from schools such as Florida Boston College, you can see how his stock is rising.

Akeem Jones, QB, Carol City: For the past two years, everyone realized that the Chiefs had something special in this gifted passer. But this off season has uncovered a talent who is starting to get plenty of attention.

Jermaine Grace, LB, Miramar: While many had heard about him from last year’s state championship run, plenty of people found out how good and athletic he is.

Devondre Powell, DB, Jackson: If you watched the Generals play last year, you know that this is a tremendous talent who continues to turn heads in the off season. May turn out to be one of the elite prospects at the position.

Rashard Robinson, DB, Blanche Ely: Perhaps nobody has watched his football career soar more than this 6-3, 185-pounder, who can run and play this game at a high level.

Lance Virgil, OLB, St. Thomas Aquinas: Outside of the Raiders and many of the opponents they lined up against last year, very few people had a clue who this tackling machine was. He is a big time talent who is not done growing.

MUSTANGS TAKE CHARGE

While Cooper City pulled off the amazing district championship last year, and St. Thomas Aquinas finished second – both advancing to the playoffs – there was another team starting to turn things around.

Coach Andrew Rhoden and the Mustangs have set the table with a quality rising senior class that includes Jeremy Benjamin (LB/S, 6-3, 225), Cameron Johnson (LB/S, 6-1, 190), Steven Chica (WR, DB, 5-10, 170), Jabari Graves (RB/FB, 5-10, 190), Junior Talleyband (DB, 6-1, 170), Norman Lindo (FB/LB, 5-10, 210), Curtis Robertson (WR/DB, 6-2, 175), Nehemiah Ali (WR/DB, 5-6, 155), Jhamoy Belle (LB/S, 5-11, 180), James Olkinitsky, (DB/S, 6-0, 165) and Fernando Rodriguez, a, 5-10, 190-pound fullback.

The Mustangs also set the table for the future with rising juniors Damian Richardson (RB/DB, 5-9, 165), Matt Padilla (OL/DL, 6-2, 303), Joel Thompson (OL/DL, 6-5, 260), Alex Vargas, (OL/DL, 6-2, 312), Torris Calloway (Athlete, 6-2, 165) and defensive lineman Isaiah Mortimer (6-2, 260).

The Class of 2015 also shows why this will be a program to watch in 2012 with Kendrea McFadden (S, 6-3, 175), Alex Fowler (WR, 5-11, 160), Samy-Jean Claude (DE, 6-3, 180 and safety Thomas Nelson (5-10, 155).

We are always looking to help promote our area recruits for the current classes of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. All you have to do is send a DVD and information about the athlete to: Larry Blustein, P.O. Box 3181, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009.

To comment, email floridakids1@aol.com. Follow Larry on Twitter at twitter.com/larryblustein

Today Kristen Graham has been tweeting from celebratory events at Stanton and Sheppard elementaries. So let’s make some space to reflect on those positive moments, space that is important even in challenging times.

Thanks to Daniel Victor for this post idea.

UW junior Elizabeth Benitez didn’t want to study abroad to discover a new culture. Instead, she was going abroad to rediscover her own. One main obstacle, however, stood in her way: money.

In recent years, the rising costs in airfare, tuition and housing have left many study-abroad students in debt. In order to account for financial issues, students are forced to use a combination of their own savings and student loans, Global Opportunities Adviser Sara Stubbs said. Stubbs believes that money is a deterrent for many students who want to study abroad.

Stubbs has recently joined the UW Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity to teach students about their options.

“I think [money] is a big concern for students coming from all financial backgrounds, but particularly students who are Pell Grant- and Husky Promise-eligible,” Stubbs said. “Being at the university and paying for the expenses that are associated with all the costs that students face, the additional costs of studying abroad are a concern for those students a lot of times.”

In order to avoid debt, students can find financial relief from the UW to help fund their trips. Stubbs said scholarships offered through the UW International Programs and Exchanges (IPE) office, which awarded 41 scholarships this past fall quarter, are popular among students with financial needs.

The UW offers two scholarships specifically for students going abroad. The Global Opportunities (GO!) Scholarship and the Fritz Undergraduate Scholarship both award between $2,000 and $5,000 to each recipient. Eric Baldwin, the operations and scholarship manager for the UW IPE, said the GO! Scholarship received 419 applicants during the 2010-2011 school year and 429 applicants in 2009-2010.

“Costs like tuition, fees, and living expenses have always been a big issue for students with significant financial need, especially Husky Promise- and Pell Grant-eligible students,” Stubbs said. “The GO! Scholarship is designed to help provide access to study abroad to students with significant financial need.”

Last winter, Benitez was awarded $2,000 for her trip to Ecuador. Without the money she received through the GO! Scholarship, Benitez would have been forced to take out loans to fund her trip.

While the Fritz scholarship requires a minimum 3.0 GPA and is directed toward students in the social sciences, the GO! Scholarship is open to all majors who are Pell Grant- and Husky Promise-eligible.

This was important to recent UW graduate Aparna Lakshman, who found few scholarships open to biology majors studying abroad. Without the GO! Scholarship, she would have been unable to travel abroad for a pre-med study abroad program.

“A lot of scholarships are limited to citizens and to certain majors, and I am not a citizen,” said Lakshman, who emigrated from Oman four years ago. “I had to pay for my trip out of my own pocket, and I definitely couldn’t have gone [without the scholarship]. Basically, I was relying on it.”

Stubbs said the GO! Scholarship, which is funded by the Washington state Legislature, has awarded around $210,000 to students with financial need per year for the past two years. The application process includes an 800-word essay in which students explain why they want to go abroad, along with a 300-word essay to explain adverse factors such as financial limitations.

“We want them to be able to articulate how this experience is going to broaden their worldview,” Stubbs said. “We also want them to be able to articulate more about global citizenship, and that can mean something very different to different students.”

Benitez kept these points in mind when writing her essay for the GO! Scholarship. She spoke about her own worldview and explained how going to Ecuador would help her break the language barrier she’s faced with her own parents, who only speak Spanish.

“I have a lot of difficulty communicating with my parents because of the language barrier, [since] they don’t speak English,” she said. “I speak pretty decent Spanish, but not enough to fully get my point across and say what I really want to say. I kind of halfway say what I mean because I don’t have the vocabulary to say it.”

Laksham, however, took a different route with her essay. With the help of IPE advisors and the UW Writing Center, Laksham wrote about her immigration to America and how that affected her desire to enter the medical field.

Scholarships such as the GO! and the Fritz have opened up opportunities for students such as Laksham and Benitez, which makes Laksham grateful, as she believes that “you shouldn’t allow money to be a boundary.”