1 . College Podcast (播客) Challenge Open for Entries

The College Podcast Challenge is back for its third year, in the fall. Entries will open on Sept. 1, 2023 and close at the end of the year on Dec. 31, 2023 to give students the entire fall academic term. And, as with last year’s, the college con test will award a $5,000 grand prize scholarship and $500 prizes to finalists.

One big change this year: the college con test will be open to students of all ages doing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, as well as those who are set to graduate in 2023. College podcasters can enter your own work, without going through your school or professor, as long as you’re 18 years or older.

For the college con test this year, our basic guidelines remain pretty much the same: students can create a podcast about any topic they wish to explore. Some themes we’ve seen over and over include questions on identity and how young people fit in. Your podcast can also be in many different formats: an interview, narrative (叙述的) story or even investigative reporting. You can do it by yourself or with your entire class.

One important rule to keep in mind is that the maximum length of your podcast is eight minutes, and longer entries will be disqualified.

For more tips, advice and the latest updates on this year’s contest, make sure to sign up for our newsletter. We can’t wait to hear your stories!

There was a young basketball player named Spencer. He was tall and thin, just like a basketball player should be. At the age of 11, he had already developed impressive skills on the court. Spencer was known for his shooting and his ability to dribble (运球) the ball.

Spencer took basketball very seriously. He always made sure his jersey (球衣) was clean and his shoes were clean. He believed that looking good on the court would help him perform better. But sometimes, his obsession (痴迷) with perfection would get in the way of his game.

One day, Spencer’s team was in the championship game. They were leading by three points, and it was up to Spencer to secure the victory. As he stepped onto the court, he felt the pressure. He knew that every shot counted, and he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. But as the game progressed, Spencer’s focus started to waver. He began to notice small things that bothered him, like a scuff (磨痕) on his shoe or a loose thread on his jersey. These started to affect his performance. His shots were off target, and he couldn’t seem to make a basket.

Coach Dan, who had been watching Spencer closely, called a timeout. He walked up to Spencer and put his hands on Spencer’s shoulders. “I know what’s wrong,” Coach Dan said, “you’re letting these little things get to you. Remember, basketball is about focus and determination, not about having a perfect uniform.”

With those words, Coach Dan pulled down Spencer’s sock. “This will remind you to stay focused on the game, “he said. Spencer felt a mix of embarrassment and gratitude. He realised that Coach Dan was right. He had been so caught up in his appearance that he had forgotten what really mattered-playing basketball with passion and joy.

5 . It was a cool early morning of the winter season. I was excited to start my morning walk. Every day I promised myself that I would start ‘ walking exercise ’ but it never happened. I saw so many people were engaged in this amazing habit but I could never push myself. So that day I was determined to take the golden opportunity!

I got everything ready， my shoes, socks, hand glove, and jacket, etc from the previous night. I didn’t know why 1 felt as if I were going to do some expedition (探险)! I was ready and started walking on the lonely road. The outside temperature seemed to be below 18 degrees. But I enjoyed the fresh air. Probably that day I was the only one who was walking on the road at that time. I think I was too early but anyhow I loved it!

After a few yards were covered, I felt delighted! Huge banyan trees (菩提树) were on both the roadsides. It was so calm and quiet all around except randomly the chirping (鸟鸣) sound of the little birds was repeated in the air. On one side of the road, a small pond was there. Since it was my first walking exercise, I thought to take a little rest just near the bank of the river and then continue. The sun was moving closer to the horizon scattering colors to the sky.

As the sky started shining brightly with beautiful yellow and red light like every day before the sunrise, I left that place and ended my journey furthermore. I thought to myself that the next day I would increase my exercise a little more. I turned and leisurely walked down towards my home.

6 . Kite surfing is a sport that takes place on the surface of the water, on top of boards that are similar in design to wakeboards (尾波滑水板), with the surfer pulled by a kite. The popularity of kite surfing has grown, although it is rather difficult to master. Kite surfing uses the same equipment as kite boarding, but is generally given more to riding on top of waves, rather than on smaller lakes or other calm bodies of water.

Early experiments in kite transportation took place through the 19th century, and at the dawn of the 20th century Samuel Cody crossed the English Channel using kites and a small boat. Kite surfing itself, however, wasn’t really born until the late 1970s. Beginning in that decade, more people became involved in using kites for personal transport and sport. Kite technology itself advanced enormously during the 1970s, with kites becoming much more controllable.

The early kite surfing was rather accidental, but innovators continued to develop the technology to make it easier to control and safer. By the late 1990s, kite surfing was becoming popular off the coast of Maui, France and throughout the world. In 1997, a special kite system was built specifically for kite surfing, which helped kite surfing into the mainstream.

Because of the high speeds and the dangers, it is generally recommended that would-be kite surfers take at least a few basic classes to learn the fundamentals. The main attraction of kite surfing is the potential for amazing tricks. The kite allows the surfer to experience enormous jumps, flying through the air for large distances before hitting the water in a controlled fashion. Like skateboarding, kite surfing makes use of a number of board grabs, with complex tricks possible due to the long period of time the surfer can remain in the air.