1) 10:00 a.m., Saturday morning, Beijing, China.Millions of fans all watching the best athlete in the world kick butt. Pause. I should restate because it’s not just fans watching; the whole world is watching because this single event leads to the record breaking medal count in a single Olympics.USA swimmer Michael Phelps has drawn widespread attention to swimming this 2008 games, sporting six Beijing Olympic gold medals—only one medal behind history.This single race could change that statement.However, fierce competitor and Serbian athlete, Milorad Cavic currently holds the Olympic record for the 100 meter butterfly and previously beat Michael Phelps by .05 seconds in the semifinals.

Complete silence. Michael is on the block in starting position, ready to dive. The buzzer sounds and he jets into the water. Live at the Water Cube 18,000 fans cheer, wave flags, and scream their lungs out, but as everyone focuses in on lanes four and five they notice that Phelps is quite a distance behind Cavic. Pulling a fierce butterfly, both swimmers reach the edge with Cavic still markedly ahead. A lightning quick open turn and fifty meters to go.Phelps is nearly one half stroke behind Cavic but keeping with him. The crowd is tense. The swimmers near the 100 meter finish and Cavic pulls an extra hard stroke resulting in a long reach towards the electric sensor. His hands are basically on the sensor when beside him Phelps flashes an additional stroke smacking his hands down on the sensor simultaneously with Cavic. Everyone freezes in anticipation.Suddenly the scores and times appear: Michael Phelps USA 50:58, Milorad Cavic SRB 50:59. Like a shockwave the deafening sound of the crowd reverberates through the Water Cube. After a brief realization, Michael Phelps slaps the water roaring. The crowd screams louder, the world watching on TV cheers harder, and every swimmer, especially in the United States, gives it up to the unsurpassed Olympian athlete who represents the finest sport in the world: Swimming.

2) Deep inside Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado stands a large ring device called a Stargate. With a loud KWOOSH the Stargate has the power to instantaneously transport you millions of light years across the galaxy to another Stargate on another world. Ten years ago a team of four called SG-1 began to travel to these other worlds in the hopes of finding advanced technology in order to protect Earth from the evil symbiotic Goa’uld, who want to take us humans as hosts.Thus began the story of Stargate SG-1. It wasn’t long after the premiere of Stargate SG-1 that fans of the show became obsessed enough to rival the famous “Trekkies” in dedication. To this world I pay homage.

3) The trappings of a typical high school prom were all there: The strobe lights, the garlands, the crepepineapple centerpieces, and even a tiara for the queen. In fact, my prom tonight had practically everything one might expect on one of a teenage girl’s most important nights. Except boys. My friends and I may actually have helped initiate a new American ritual: The all-girl Muslim prom. It is a spirited response to religious and cultural beliefs that forbid dating, dancing with or touching boys, and appearing without a hijab, the Islamic head scarf. While my Muslim friends and I do most things other teenagers do—shopping for shoes at Macy’s, watching The Matrix Reloaded, or ordering Jumbo Jack burgers and curly fries at Jack in the Box—an essential ingredient of the American prom, boys, is off limits. So we decided to do something about it.