HALLOWEEN

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VALENTINE`S DAY

Valentine's Day is celebrated on 14th February, the feast day of St. Valentine. It is a traditional celebration in which lovers, partners and married couples express their love and affection for each other. In some countries it is known asThe Day of Lovers or The Day of Love and Friendship.

Saint Valentine

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HALLOWEEN

Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of its original title "All Hallows' Evening") also known as All Hallows' Eve is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. Most scholars believe that All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain.Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain.

Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

How did Halloween come about in Spain?

Halloween is more popular in the north of Spain due to ancestral links with celtic ancestors who arrived in this region around 3,000 years ago. Despite mixing with the indigenous Iberian culture, a great interest came about in holidays and celebrations imported from the Celtic world.

How do they celebrate Halloween in Spain?

Although Halloween is still a relatively new phenomenon in Spain, the Spanish people go all out for celebrating it to the maximum as with any kind of fancy dress festival. You will see many more people dressed up in outrageous costumes and parading the streets in larger groups than you would ever see in England. It is more popular in the north of Spain and celebrated much more in larger cities where you are bound to be invited to a costume party or see posters advertising them everywhere. Most shops and cafes have baskets of treats outside for trick or treaters.

Along Galicia’s northern coast it is traditional to carve pumpkins, light bonfires and consume “quemadas” fire water infused with herbs – claimed to be an ancient drink originating from the Celtic people a symbolic act to burn off bad luck and the negative energy associated with Halloween.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

Activities for halloween

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DONNA SUMMER DEAD: Queen Of Disco Dies At 63

Donna Summer died Thursday morning after a battle with lung cancer.

Lovingly named the "Queen of Disco," the 63-year-old was in Florida at the time of her death, according to TMZ. Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, the 5-time Grammy award winner rose to fame in the '70s with hits like "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and "Love to Love You Baby."

Find more details:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/donna-summer-dead-queen-of-disco-dies_n_1524410.html

EASTER

Easter has been called a moveable feast because it doesn't fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. 

Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week. Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the

greatest joy. The date of Easter changes each year, and several other Christian festivals fix their dates by reference to Easter. Churches are filled with flowers, and there are special hymns and songs. But not all Easter customs are Christian; some, such as the Easter Bunny, are pagan in origin.

The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term "hebdomada alba", or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as "esostarum" in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. 

In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter Bunny

The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity's most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. 

According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit's Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

Easter Eggs

Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus' emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least the 13th century. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. 

Easter Candy

Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus' resurrection. 

BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom.

American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States.


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WHITNEY HOUSTON.IN MEMORIAM

Whitney Houston died this afternoon. She was 48.

Our sources tell us a member of Whitney's entourage found her in her 4th-floor room at the Beverly Hilton hotel ... and called hotel security -- who then dialed 911. When paramedics arrived Houston was found unresponsive. 

We're told police arrived to the scene within minutes and fire was already there on an unrelated call. According to our sources, paramedics performed CPR but it did not work and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM. 

Our sources say there were no obvious signs of foul play, but BH PD detectives have begun a full investigation. We're told she was ID'ed by family and friends. L.A. County Coroner Ed Winter told our photog at 7:09 PM that it is too early in the investigation to tell what happened.

The singer famously battled drug addiction for years. Houston was seen out in Hollywood Thursday night for a Grammy party ... and she did not look well. She even briefly took the mic and performed a song while she was there -- what would become her last performance. Houston won two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards during her record-breaking career. Her album "Whitney" was the first female album to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold 200 million albums worldwide.

Houston had one child, Bobbi Kristina, with husband Bobby Brown. Houston and Brown were married from 1992-2007.

AMERICAN SUPERHEROES

Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon.Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1938, the character first appeared in Action Comics #1 (June 1938) and subsequently appeared in various radio serials, television programs, films, newspaper strips, and video games. With the success of his adventures, Superman helped to create the superhero genre and establish its primacy within the American comic book. The character's appearance is distinctive and iconic: a blue, red and yellow costume, complete with cape, with a stylized "S" shield on his chest.This shield is now typically used across media to symbolize the character.

The original story of Superman relates that he was born Kal-El on the planet Krypton, before being rocketed to Earth as an infant by his scientist father Jor-El, moments before Krypton's destruction. Discovered and adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife, the child is raised as Clark Kent and imbued with a strong moral compass. Very early he started to display superhuman abilities, which upon reaching maturity he resolved to use for the benefit of humanity.

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appearedin Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). Lee and Ditko conceived of the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and as a teenager, having to deal with the normal struggles of adolescence in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter.

Spider-Man's creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his own invention which he called "web-shooters", and react to danger quickly with his "spider-sense", enabling him to combat his foes.

Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes. As Marvel's flagship character and company mascot, he has appeared in many forms of media, including several animated and live-action television shows, syndicated newspaper comic strips, and a series of films.

Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939).Originally referred to as "the Bat-Man" and still referred to at times as "the Batman", he is additionally known as the "Caped Crusader", the "Dark Knight", and the "World's Greatest Detective," among other titles.

In the original version of the story and the vast majority of retellings, Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, an American millionaire (later billionaire) playboy, industrialist, and philanthropist. Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on crime, an oath tempered with the greater ideal of justice. Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime.

Batman operates in the fictional American Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his crime-fighting partner, Robin, his butler Alfred Pennyworth, the police commissioner Jim Gordon, and occasionally the heroine Batgirl. He fights an assortment of villains such as the Joker, Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, martial arts skills, an indomitable will, fear, and intimidation in his continuous war on crime.




Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941), and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. Over the years, an estimated 210 million copies of "Captain America" comic books have been sold in a total of 75 countries. For nearly all of the character's publication history, Captain America was the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a frail young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort. Captain America wears a costume that bears an American flag motif, and is armed with an indestructible shield that can be thrown as a weapon.


Captain America was Timely Comics' most popular character during the wartime period. After the war ended, the character's popularity waned and he disappeared by the 1950s aside from an ill-fated revival in 1953. Captain America was reintroduced during the Silver Age of comics when he was revived from suspended animation by the superhero team the Avengers in The Avengers #4 (March 1964). Since then, Captain America has often led the team, as well as starring in his own series.

Captain America was the first Marvel Comics character adapted into another medium with the release of the 1944 movie serial Captain America. Since then, the character has been featured in several other films and television series, including Captain America: The First Avenger, released on July 22, 2011.



Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941). TheWonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.

Wonder Woman is a Princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and was created by Marston, an American, as a "distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men. 

Known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira, her powers include superhuman strength, flight, super-speed, super-stamina, and super-agility. She is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in the art of tactical warfare. She also possesses an animal-like cunning and a natural rapport with animals, which has in the past been presented as an actual ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. She uses her Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and, in some stories, an invisible airplane.

In addition to the comics, the character has appeared in other media; most notably, the 1975–1979 Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter, as well as animated series such as the Super Friends and Justice League. Although a number of attempts have been made to adapt the character to live-action film, none have yet emerged



Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel.Kane, a frequent movie goer, also mentioned that Jean Harlow was a model for the design.


The original and most widely known Catwoman, Selina Kyle, first appears in Batman #1 (Spring 1940) in which she is known as The Cat. She is a sometimes-adversary of Batman, known for having a complex love-hate (often romantic) relationship with him. In her first appearance, she was a whip-carrying burglar with a taste for high-stake thefts. For many years Catwoman thrived, but from September 1954 to November 1966 she took an extended hiatus due to the newly developing Comics Code Authority in 1954. These issues involved the rules regarding the development and portrayal of female characters that were in violation with the Comic Code.

Since the 1990s, Catwoman has been featured in an eponymous series that cast her as an antihero rather than a supervillain. The character has been one of Batman's most enduring love interests.

A popular figure, Catwoman has been featured in most media adaptations related to Batman. Actresses Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, and Eartha Kitt introduced her to a large audience on the 1960s Batman television series and the 1966 Batman motion picture. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed the character in 1992's Batman Returns. Halle Berry starred in a stand-alone Catwoman film in 2004, which was a box-office flop, only loosely based on the Batman character. Anne Hathaway will portray Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan's upcoming Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises.


The Avengers is a team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 (Sept. 1963), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist / co-plotter Jack Kirby, following the trend of super-hero teams after the success of DC Comics with the Justice League.

Labeled "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", the Avengers originally consisted of Iron Man (Tony Stark), Ant-Man (Dr. Hank Pym), Wasp (Janet Van Dyne),Thor, and the Hulk (at a time when the Hulk was more intelligent). The original Captain America was discovered by the team in issue #4, trapped in ice, and he joined the group when they revived him. The team, famous for its battle cry of "Avengers Assemble!", has featured humans,mutants, robots, gods, aliens, supernatural beings, and even former villains. An animated television series, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, premiered on October 20, 2010.

Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics.First appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28 (February/March 1960), the League originally appeared with a line-up that included Superman, Batman,Wonder Woman, Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. However, the team roster has been rotated throughout the years with characters such as Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, Plastic Man, Red Tornado, other Green Lanterns, and dozens of others. The team received its own comic book title in October 1960, when the first issue was published.

The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962).
The Hulk is cast as the emotional and impulsive alter ego of the withdrawn and reserved physicist Dr. Bruce Banner. The Hulk appears shortly after Banner is accidentally exposed to the blast of a test detonation of a gamma bomb (referred to as a "G-bomb") he invented. Subsequently, Banner will involuntarily transform into the Hulk, depicted as a giant, raging, humanoid monster, leading to extreme complications in Banner's life. Lee said the Hulk's creation was inspired by a combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. 

Although the Hulk's coloration has varied throughout the character's publication history, the most consistent shade is green. As the Hulk, Banner is capable of significant feats of strength, which increases in direct proportion to the character's anger. As the character himself puts it, "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets!" Strong emotions such as anger, terror and grief are also triggers for forcing Banner's transformation into the Hulk. A common storyline is the pursuit of both Banner and the Hulk by the U.S. armed forces, because of all the destruction that he causes. 

The character has since been depicted in various other media, most notably by Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk in the live action television series, five made-for-television movies, and an animated series; through the use of CGI in Hulk (2003) and The Incredible Hulk (2008), as well as in three animated series and various video games.

AMERICAN MEAL SYSTEM

Generally speaking, American people have three big meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, if we add the between meal snacks, as most Americans do, we will see that they eat five or six times a day.
 
Breakfast.
Many American adults begin the day just with a toast, jelly and coffee, whereas children have cereals and milk. This kind of breakfast is inadequate for people who eat small and early lunches. Nutritionists say that the first meal of the day should be substantial because it will help us study and work much better.

 
 Coffee break.
The typical American, who works from nine to five, usually eats breakfast around 7:00 or 7:30, and by 10:30, he has ten or fifteen minutes off the job to have coffee and a doughnut or a sweet roll.

 

 Lunch.

A few American people can go home at lunchtime, which is from noon until one o'clock or from one until two. Most American school-kids and workers have lunch in the canteen of their schools, factories, offices... If there is not a canteen they have to go to a restaurant. Some people bring their lunch from home: a sandwich and a piece of fruit. A sandwich consists of two pieces of bread and something in between. This can be ham, cheese, peanut butter, sliced chicken or turkey, tuna salad, roast beef, lettuce, tomato... or anything you like.

In canteen or restaurant Americans may have hot sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pizza... served with salad and French fries. With lunch, children usually drink orange juice, milk or soda. Adults prefer coffee, tea, or perhaps beer.

 


Mid-afternoon snacks.
After school or work, a lot of people have a cake or some cookies and something to drink, which can be milk-shake, coffee or tea.

 


Dinner.
In the U.S.A., the important meal of the day is dinner. All over the world, eating is an important part of family life and social activity. In many homes dinner time, not only on weekends but also during the week, is the only opportunity for a family to be together and speak about their day's experiences. Dinner time is also an occasion for inviting friends or for celebrating any party. When the weather is fine, Americans prefer to have a B.B.Q. (barbecue) in their gardens. Dinner very often includes several courses: soup, salad, an entree (meat, poultry or fish, served with vegetable, potatoes or rice) and dessert, which is generally sweet (cake, pie, ice-cream...) Americans hardly ever have fruit or cheese for dessert.
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Late-evening snack.

As dinner is usually served early in the evening, in most houses, Americans often have milk, cookies or fruit before bedtime.

 






On weekends and holidays, the meal timetable changes completely. People get up too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. So they have brunch. This is served between 11:00 and 12:00. You must have a big brunch, as the next meal will be dinner. Brunch includes French fries, sausages, bacon, toast, pancakes or French toast with caramel syrup, accompanied by coffee.

WELCOME TO THE USA

The United States of North America is a young country. Its written history is only a few hundred years old. It is sometimes, in fact, called the "New World". Over the last four hundred years millions of people have come to start a new life in this "New World".

Americans are not afraid of new ideas. They built the first skyscrapers and they put the first man on the moon. They like to be modern. They like exciting, modem cities, new houses, and new cars. At the same time, Americans love old things. They like to visit historic houses and museums. They build old pioneer towns and remember the days of the "Wild West". Americans are interested in old traditions, but they are good at making new traditions too. 

The people of the United States are a mixture of many different nationalities. In one city you can find people whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents came form China, Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and every European country. These different people brought to their new land a wonderful mixture of customs and traditions. The Germans brought Christmas trees. The Irish brought St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The Scots brought Hallowe'en. Americans still celebrate the festivals of the Old World. Sometimes, in fact, the old celebrations are more important in the U.S. than in the countries they came from. American children have more fun at Hallowe'en than Scottish children do in Scotland.

American Government

The federal system

The American Constitution divides power between the federal govern­ment and the governments of the indi­vidual states. Each state has its own laws and system of government. The federal government deals with national issues such as economic and foreign policy.

There are three branches of federal government: the executive branch (which is led by the President); the legislative branch (Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives); and the judicial branch (the Su­preme Court and other federal courts). Laws are made by Congress, but the President can veto a law, and the Supreme Court can say that it is unconstitutional.

Elections

Each state is allowed to elect two senators to the Senate, and a number of representatives to the House of Representatives (the exact number depends on the size of its population). Elections for representatives are held every two years; one third of the senators are also elected every two years. The President is elected directly by the people, and presidential elections are held every four years. 

American Weather

The Americans have much more exciting weather than the British. If you're looking for "inter­esting weather" the USA is the place to go. In the mid-West there are tor­nadoes or whirl­winds (or "twist­ers" as the Yanks insist on calling them) following Spring and Summer storms. These occur be­cause warm air coming up from the Gulf of Mexico comes up against the Rockies (or something like that). The East Coast (i.e. Florida and the Carolinas) doesn't miss out on the fun – there they get hurricanes in late Summer. In the Northeast the winter cold can reach -30°C

Finally, in San Francisco they very suc­cessfully organize smog . The Americans very democratically organize these things to disprove the idea that all natural disasters happen in the Third World.

Of course,  US weather will have changed in ten years time because of the Green House Effect, El Niño or  the hole in the Ozone Layer.

American festivals and traditions

There are new American festivals and traditions as well as the old ones. Only Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July. Rodeos and high school homecomings only happen in the U.S. 

• Fourth thursday of November. Thanksgiving. In 1621 William Bradford, the Governor of Massachusetts, decided to have a thanks­giving dinner for all the people. He wanted to thank God for many things. It was a difficult year, but the people still had food to eat. He wanted a way to share this good fortune with the American Indians who helped them. That meal lasted three days. Today the traditional Thanksgiving meal is similar to the first. Usually there is turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving is a special day for families to get together.

• Last Monday of May. Memorial Day.This special day is for people to remember those who died in wars. Many people remember their dead friends and relatives on this day too.

• Fourth of July. Independence Day.On this day in 1776, the United States declared her independence from England. It was the beginning of a new nation. On the Fourth of July families and friends celebrate, and every town and city has parades, games, and sports with prizes. There are picnics and barbecues, and in the evening there are big firework displays. 

Rodeos

In the nineteenth century thousands of cowboys worked on big ranches in the west. Often they spent weeks away from the ranch house, "rounding up" cattle and taking them to the markets or railway yards. At the end of a round-up they held competitions to see who was best at roping a cow, riding a wild horse or bull, or shooting. These competitions were called rodeos. Rodeos became more popular toward the end of the century. They are still popular today —there are around five hundred rodeos each year in the U.S. Modern rodeos have brass bands, singing cowboys, and clowns. The largest rodeo is Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming, and it lasts for one week.

High school homecomings

"Homecoming" is held every fall by many high schools and colleges, especially in small towns. It is a week-long celebration for all the former graduates and present students of that particular high school or college. On the first night there may be a school show with funny plays and music. Then the homecoming queen is crowned. She is chosen by the students of the school. Over the next few days the homecoming queen rides in the parade and opens the sports event —usually a football game. There are parties, dances, and dinners for the old and new students and their friends and parents.  

Sports in the United States is an important part of American culture. The four most popular team sports are ones that developed in North America: American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. The major leagues of these sports, the National Football League (NFL), the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) enjoy massive media exposure and are considered the preeminent competitions in their respective sports in the world. 

Each of these leagues besides  the NFL have teams that play in Canada, and all four among    the most lucrative sports leagues in the world. Soccer  (association football) is less popular as a spectator sport in the United States than it is in many other countries, though it has wide amateur participation, particularly among youths.

Professional teams in all major sports operate as franchises within a league. All major sports leagues use the same type of schedule with a playoff tournament after the regular season ends. In addition Professional teams in all major sports operate as franchises within a league. All major sports leagues use the same type of schedule with a playoff tournament after the regular season ends. In addition to the major league-level organizations, several sports also have professional minor leagues.

Sports are particularly associated with education in the United States, with most high schools and universities having organized sports. College sports competitions play an important role in the American sporting culture. In many cases college athletics are more popular than professional sports, with the major sanctioning body being the NCAA.