Skip to main content

Nationals add Teddy rival to dash

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – The Washington Nationals’ newest racing president may have to drop a few pounds to be competitive.

The team said Saturday that William Howard Taft will join George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt this season for the fourth-inning race by 12-foot mascots at Nationals Park.

Taft became the first president to throw out a ceremonial first pitch, at Washington’s Griffith Stadium on April 14, 1910.

He was also the portliest president at more than 300 pounds and his weight was the subject of much speculation from fans Saturday.

“Known as the ‘Big Chief,’ Bill will no doubt use his mighty stature to strike fear in his racing opponents,” the Nationals said in a team statement.

The real Roosevelt chose Taft to replace him in the Oval Office but the two had a falling out when Taft alienated more liberal members of the Republican Party. Roosevelt ran against Taft in the next election as a third-party candidate, but voters elected Woodrow Wilson instead, according to presidential biographies posted on whitehouse.gov.

This 20th Century giant, he also served as chief justice of the Supreme Court – the only president to serve in both roles, however is ready to take his place in the digital age. Fans will be able to follow him on Twitter at @NatsBigChief27.

After losing more than 500 times since the team began the races in 2006, Teddy won for the first time on the final day of last year’s regular season and then won again during the NL division series against St. Louis.

The new racer was announced during NatsFest at the Washington Convention Center Saturday.

Fan reaction was mixed at the event, but Teddy doesn’t need to worry.

“We’ll still root for Teddy. But we’ll also root for the new guy. I hope they can split some of the wins,” said Chris Van Parris.

Patrick Manley Sr. expected the heavyset president was intended to be a ringer and guarantee that Teddy wouldn’t always lose.

“I thought they were going to present a heavy mascot who would lose every race because of his weight. But that was the skinniest Taft I’ve ever seen. That wasn’t the Taft I was expecting. It looked like Taft on Slim-Fast. Knowing the history, I’m sure there will be quite a rivalry going between Taft and Teddy,” Manley said.

But some suggest that weight will give the 27th president a boost.

“They can put him on a Segway and race him around,” said Tim McAndrew.

Rivalries and weightloss plans aside, the announcement also gave fans the opportunity to test their knowledge of presidential history, or lack there of.

“I was a little surprised that the choice was William Howard Taft. The only thing I knew about him was that he was very fat, and in fact, he once got stuck in the White House bathtub,” said Jason Helmer.

Allison Butler agreed she needs to know more about the newcomer.

“I think we’re all going to need a history lesson about the guy to get the drama going with Teddy. But I have the Teddy Season Ticket Plan, so I’ll root for Teddy,” she said.

WTOP’s Ari Ashe and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote