For many high school students, the college process is heavily dependent on athletic recruitment. Athletic recruitment is strictly regulated by the NCAA, and for football and basketball players specifically, there are other guidelines that must be followed in order to adhere to NCAA requirements.

NCAA regulations for football and basketball do not allow non-profit sponsorship for athletes for a number of reasons. One being that wealthy individuals who would provide this funding would likely want to assign specific players to their alma mater. Schools with wealthy and willing alumni would clearly have an unfair advantage, and in addition, this practice would not be fair to the entire pool of prospective college athletes.

This information is not easily accessible on the NCAA website, but with help from Athletic Resource, college athletes are able to access, understand, and comply with all NCAA restrictions. Athletic Resource, as its name implies, is a resource for any high school athlete who would like to play his/her sport in college. Here are some frequently asked questions that provide information about Athletic Resource.

Q: What do college recruiting services do?
A: College recruiting services provide the opportunity to connect students with colleges in order to obtain potential scholarships, so parents may not have to pay full tuition.

Q: What does Athletic Resource do that others don’t?
A: Athletic Resource verifies information (transcript, GPA, etc.) for every student compared to all others who don’t.

Q: What does Athletic Resource do for the money value?
A: Athletic Resource calls colleges directly and works with athletes one-on-one to create a profile to get athletes into their desired college to play their sport.

Athletic Resource provides a unique service to high school athletes who would like to play a sport in college, and if you would like to learn more about Athletic Resource’s mission or the recruitment process, please click on the logo below.

If you have ever have ever upgraded your phone, one of the main issues that you worry about is whether you can transfer your contacts, pictures, music, and other data to your new phone.

Cell phone stores like Verizon or AT&T all carry UME devices, which are small machines that are used to transfer data from one device to another.

You may have to connect your car with another car using jumper cables, and let the other car run for 15 minutes before you try starting your car.

No, I don’t mean the vegetable, I mean the sport.

When I tell people that I play squash for Middlebury College, most people nod their heads in polite recognition, but the blank looks in their eyes reveal their unfamiliarity with the sport.

Although squash may not be as prominent as classic American sports like football or baseball, it has roots in as early as 12th century France. What began as a form of entertainment with balls slapped against the walls has evolved into a global sport that has captured the interest of both young and old.  

Squash is a racket sport that is played in a four-walled indoor court. The front wall has 2 parallel, horizontal lines: a service line close to the middle of the wall and another line above the “tin.” The “tin” is a half-meter metal area above ground area that, if struck by the ball, is considered out. The “tin” is analogous to a net in tennis in that the ball must always be hit above this area. There is a service line on the ground that halves the court, another line creating 2 bottom quarters of the court, and a service box in each quarter. In addition, you must wear special, non-marking shoes to play and wear goggles for safety protection.

A squash ball is made out of rubber and must be “warmed up” before you start playing. If you a hold a squash ball before playing, it will be cold and will not bounce. So before beginning to play or practice, you have to hit the ball several times for the ball to heat up.

In a singles match between two players, a match is comprised of best of 5 games, so you must win 3 to take the match. Each game is played until one player reaches 11 points, and the scoring system is called “point-a-rally,” which means that you can win on any player’s serve. Either you or your opponent begins the game by serving, and if you win that rally, you continue to serve, alternating sides with each point. Your foot must be in the service box, and the serve must be above the service line and land in the opposite quarter. Each point begins with a serve and then progresses by alternating shots between each player. 

Lastly, there are special calls in squash: lets and strokes. Lets and strokes are called after you a hit a shot, but your opponent is unable to retrieve the shot because you are obstructing his/her path to the ball. The difference between a let and stroke is difficult to describe without a demonstration, but when a let is given, the point is replayed, but if a stroke is given, the point goes to your opponent. For example, a let is given if you a hit a shot, but accidentally get in the way of your opponent. A stroke is given if you hit a shot, and it comes straight back at you so that your opponent does not even have a chance to return the ball. The differences between lets and strokes are very nuanced, so it takes experience to know which call to make.

Squash is played at the professional, collegiate, and high school level, but for collegiate and high school, it is more prominent on the East coast, and the New England area in particular. Squash is slowing gaining more prominence as people become more attracted to the exciting, fast pace of the game as well as the great workout.

If you ever have the chance to learn or watch the game, go for it!

This is the bare minimum needed to understand the sport, but if you want to read or watch some squash, check it out here:
Read more
Watch squash!

Written by Amanda Chen, 
Marketing Consultant at Inkwhy
Middlebury College Class of 2014

The Pumpkin Plan Video Contest is a contest sponsored by Mike Michalowicz, the author of The Pumpkin Plan, set to release on July 5. 

Mike Michalowicz is known for his wildly successful entrepreneurial endeavors; he has built three multi-million dollar companies to date, and is presently the owner of a behavioral e-marketing firm, Obsidian Launch. He is a firm proponent of entrepreneurship and innovation, and in 2008, published The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, which according to BusinessWeek is a “must read entrepreneur’s cult classic.” In addition to running his business and publishing books, Michalowicz is a segment host for MSNBC’s Your Business, a small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and an expert business coach for Entrepreneur Magazine.

The Pumpkin Plan Video Contest is a contest for entrepreneurs everywhere to compete for a number of invaluable prizes. The grand prize is the "Inner Circle Dinner", where the winner will have dinner with not only Mike himself but also his inner circle, which is comprised of his business coach, investment partner, sponsor, marketing agency, ghostwriter, TV agent, literary agent, and a surprise guest. This is a priceless opportunity for any entrepreneur to learn and connect with some of the most successful, experienced people in the entrepreneurial world. The prize for the runner-up winners is a one-on-one consultation with Michalowicz, which is incredibly useful for anyone looking to either create a business or advance a current one.

Each contestant is required to submit a video revealing his/her inner critic, and winners are chosen based on the following criteria:
-       Facebook likes
-       Twitter tweets
-       Youtube views
-       Decision by Mike and his “inner circle”

InkWhy’s very own Janice Dru submitted a video revealing her personal inner critic! Support Janice's submission and like, tweet, and view Janice’s video by clicking the link below:
Janice's Inner Critic

Without a doubt, Google is widely regarded as one of the most innovative, profitable, and successful businesses. If you are an active Internet user, you most likely use a variety of Google created products on a daily basis from Gmail to Google Maps to Google Documents. So as a Google frequenter, do you ever wonder how and where Google generated its whopping $37.9 billion dollar revenue in 2011? The answer to that question comes down to one word: advertisement.

Google employs a Pay Per Click (PPC) Internet advertising model that directs users to websites, where advertisers pay Google whenever an ad is clicked.

This infographic by WordStream, linked below, provides a clear breakdown of Google’s 2011 revenue. So the next time you are browsing on Google Search, think about how each one of your clicks translates to a boost in Google’s profits.

Google Earnings 2011 by WordStream