• Did you watch American Idol Gives Back last night? It's always nice to see people use their respective platforms to do good things for those who need it most. Obviously, American Idol will be able to raise millions and millions of dollars for important causes around the world, but the overall impact is the result of the cumulative generosity of all those who made donations. While watching the program/performances last night, I couldn't help but think about some of the excellent service our student-athletes do to give back to their respective communities.

• For example, on Saturday, student-athletes from Texas A&M-Commerce took an active role in cleaning up Ivory Moore Park and the surrounding area. The annual event in Commerce serves to improve the appearance, facilities and safety of the community.

• Or what about the "Womanless Beauty Pageant" the Mount Olive Student-Athlete Advisory Committee hosts to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation. I've seen some of the pictures from this event, and while they're not pretty, the activity raises important funds for a wonderful organization.

• We often discuss some of the community service initiatives our student-athletes participate in here on the Double-A Zone and we will continue to do that. While the individual initiatives may not have the wallop of an American Idol special, they all make tremendous contributions to extremely worthy causes and our student-athletes should be lauded for that type of effort.

• I haven't had a chance to mention this yet, but last week I saw a story about 70-year-old Alfred Williams, who recently enrolled in a first-grade class in Kansas City. Alfred has gone his entire life without knowing how to read and has decided to go back to school. Can you imagine the impact Alfred's presence will have on his 6-year-old classmates? This story truly illustrates the value and importance of education.

• Former UC San Diego water polo player Julie Ertel is hoping to qualify for the Olympics this summer - in a second event. After earning a silver medal in water polo with the U.S. team in 2000, Ertel took up triathlons and is now one of the world's best.

• Kevin Durant leads the Seattle SuperSonics in scoring this season, even though he would be just a sophomore if he were still at Texas. But how about this quote from the standout rookie: "One of the best feelings I had last year was turning a paper in and getting it back and seeing that I got a 95...I think getting a degree is very important. My family thinks so. And I don't want to tell people that I went to school just because I had to. I want to get it done and it's a dream that I've always wanted to accomplish." Despite his millions, Durant plans on taking two courses each summer until he gets his degree. Seattle teammate and former Georgetown standout Jeff Green also plans on heading back to school.