Embracing Victory:Life Lessons on Competition and Compassion November 28, 2010

The excerpt from the book Embracing Victory: Life Lessons on Competition and Compassion the Arthur Mariah Nelson argued that women should be just as competitive as men and should be treated accordingly. She talked about how women are treated differently if they want to play or be more aggressive when it comes to sports. Nelson talked about a lady name Nancy Kerrigan who became a figure skater because she was told to “do girl things” to satisfy her parents, but all Kerrigan wanted to do was play hockey with her older brothers. Hockey is not a feminine sport so mostly males played that sport and women who did play that sport were frowned upon. Nelson goes on to say that women are judged like they are beauty contestants in competitions. It is all about the way they look, if they smile correctly and how groomed and gracious they are. Nelson talked about Kerrigan’s experience as figure skater. She explained that skaters wear “cosmetics, frozen smiles, and revealing dresses”, but they work out in the weight room and sweat just as much as other athletes and other sports. Although figure skaters do put in hard work in the weight room, it included more dancing routines rather than running or other athletic actions you would see in male dominated sports.  Kerrigan, being a figure skater is supposed to act lady-like, gentle, composed and well mannered. Kerrigan had an incident at a medal ceremony where she displayed un lady-like manners. She was being rude while someone else was being given their medal. Due to these actions, the public questioned whether she was worthy of receiving a medal. She also made sarcastic comments while she was on a surrounded by Disney characters while she was on a tour. Why was it that when Kerrigan spoke out and was rude in public, she was questioned, but when males speak out and carry on during their baseball, basketball, or football games, everyone brushes it off as they are just males? Nelson stated that Kerrigan was disliked by America because she was a female athlete who was not the “perfect vision” of the woman athlete everyone wanted.

 

 

Nelson does a good job of showing how she feels about how women are treated in sports through her words. She is a tad bit sarcastic at times in the excerpt. She uses very good examples supporting how she feels it should be fair game in all sports regardless of gender. Stating facts about the sports are being televised and who’s playing and watching what is a key detail in her argument. She wasn’t bias because she gave her opinion about how women are supposed to act when it comes to playing and participating in sports. She used figure skating as an example because it is said that women are supposed to be gentle and feminine creatures and figure skating is portrayed as a womanly sport. She supported the opposing side by saying that women put in just as much effort sweat and time if not more than any serious manly sport. Like Nelson I agree with what she is saying. It is quite evident that women in today society are looked down upon when they show their more aggressive and competitive side. In any sport you want to win so you have to have drive to go for what you desire. I can say the Nelson and I agree on the fact that women should be treated equally. As Nelson says “Men can’t tumble from a princess palace because we don’t expect them to be princesses in the first place, only athletes.” I couldn’t agree with her more but this saying should also apply to the female athletes. Every female is not feminine and petite therefore not all women can have a successful career as an ice skater. I think that Nelson would agree with me when I say that some women can play sports better than the men who play them. The thought that women should not play physical sports is overwhelming and hopefully that thought will change someday.

English November 28, 2010

My favorite class my freshmen year at UNC Pembroke is my English class. My teacher MS.C made it very exciting from day one! She told the class about herself and how this class would operate. Her first words were something like if you do the work and turn everything in on time you will like this class if you don’t do the work and turn it in on time your gonna have some problems. English 104 is about the study and practice of basic elements of writing, preparing the students for the next level of writing using scenario’s form sports. We will be using the little brown book in this course. In this course you will need to turn in five projects to pass, two of the projects are worth 150 points the third is for 350 points, reading response is worth 250 points and participation is worth 100 points. In this course you are allowed to miss six day. Late papers are accepted but ten points will be taken off each day it is late. We can contact the instructor through blackboard. When submitting assignments you can copy and paste them to the correct location. The grading scale being use in this course is a simplified point system. Two things you can do in this course to achieve the grade you want is put your best effort forward and turn in all assignments on time. Although this class might seem like hard work it wasn’t because Ms.C was always there to help and listen when you needed her. Unlike some students, I like teachers that make you think being in Ms.C English class we learned a lot about being a critical think. She was always telling us that we used our critical thinking skills all the time outside of class. Looking back she was right.

Multicultural Leadership Conference at UNCC November 28, 2010

The Multicultural Leadership Conference at UNC Charlotte was awesome!!!! I learned some new things that I can apply to my life and career. I met my first transgender person that was open to talking about their life. I’ve learned certain words or phrases are offensives to some. The Multicultural Conference opened my eyes even more to what it diversity means. It is always good to be open to new and different things. During the conference I learned more about how to handle disagreements between people. We can all agree to disagree. Meaning that everyone has their own opinion and not everyone will see eye to eye about every situation, but it is ok because we are all different people coming from different walks of life with different views. The Multicultural Leadership Conference was a great and I would love to do it again! I saw old friends and I met new friends. I met some people who I can network with in the future to possibly hosts a conference at UNC Pembroke. The name multicultural Leadership Conference fits well because there where people from all sorts of cultures at the conference bringing in a diversity of people which is good for socializing and networking. Meeting new people is always a good thing so that you and the person you’re talking can become better individual. The conference taught how being well-rounded is always good and it is always important to listen closely to what others have to say and to also value their opinion. I would love to go to more conferences like the one at UNC Charlotte because there’s always something new to talk about and something to learn from.

Thanks-Giving November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving time is all about being around your love ones. But I often think about the less fortunate that are homeless or do not know where there family is. Times like Thanksgiving and Christmas really touch me because all I can ever do is think about others and how they are doing. To put my heart at ease I usually go and volunteer at homeless shelters or at a soup kitchen just to give back to my community and to make others feel special. I love spending time with the less fortunate because they often  open your eyes up to so many other things in life that you never took into consideration. Most of the people who I have come in contact with have been very happy and optimistic about life even though they might not have everything they have themselves and me showing them love. It’s awesome to see the look on a homeless person face when you tell them that you love them and that there not alone even though you might not be with them all the time your still thinking about them hoping that they are safe. I am thankful for all the wonderful people I have in my life. I’m also thankful that I can give to others. I volunteer because I want to give back but I find that I often come out of the situation with more than I started with. Once I have finish volunteering I have more friends and love then I started with and I have a better perspective on life. Thanksgiving to me is all about being thankful for what you have and what you can give to someone else.

Sports…. November 22, 2010

What is a sport? Sports are anything that deals with competition in today’s culture. A sport can be football or a hotdog eating contest. Two totally different things but they’re both considered sports in society just because there’s a winner and a looser at the end of the day. I like that our culture is like that. It leaves almost everything open so there’s something for the less athletic people and the less intelligent. Most athletes are thought to be stupid relying on their muscles, but this is just a stereotype. It also gives the brains of culture some importance. Spelling bees are now broadcast on television. This gives contestants in the contest some since of fame. Winning a science fair is equally important as football playoffs. Winning a science fair is a great achievement so is football playoffs. They both took dedication and hard work.

I grew up watching football and basketball. I was a typical daddy’s girl. Every time there was a game on my dad and I were right there watching it. My Favorite football team is the Pittsburgh Stealers. My favorite basketball team is the Lakers. I only like those teams because I thought that I had to because they were my dad’s favorite teams. Growing up, athletes were cool. They had everything a little kid wanted, cars, clothes, friends and money. We all told the same story. When I become famous I’ll buy my family a new house and car. They’ll be set for life when I become famous. Most athletes play sports because they love they it, but as they move on to higher standards it becomes more about money. They tend to loose love for the game. As I grew older people started asking why do you want to be an athlete? What makes an athlete cool? Cool is getting anything you want no matter what. My answer, they have it all. I’m just trying to get a piece of their pie. It’s not all about money I was told, you don’t know what those people had to do to get to the position they’re in now. Having all that fame comes with consequences. You’ll have to be away from your family and friends and you’ll always be in the public eye. I then came to the assumptions I’m not going to be a famous athlete. I wouldn’t like the public always being in my business and being away from my family. I would say that in high school I start paying more attention to sports that I liked. In doing so I notice things I didn’t like about sports and athletes. Some were put on a pedestal because they were considered as some of the best athletes in high school football. Others had it hard because they were not as good as others. The better athletes got more playing time in the games and often got by on very poor grades. At my old high school seniors got the most playing time, this is typical because coaches want the seniors to get scholarships for college. The unfairness comes in when you have lower classmen getting more playing time then the some seniors. All seniors should get the same time so that college coaches can see each players potential.

Being away from your family must be scary and the constant paparazzi in your business has to get annoying. We’re all human, people do make mistakes. Being famous makes you more vulnerable to what people think and say about you. Every time you do something someone somewhere is watching. Take Michael Vick for example he is a famous football player that got caught dog fighting. This is something that he has been doing for years before he became famous. His dog fighting was broadcasted all over. He had very severe consequences, most of all his endorsements got cancelled and he got kicked out of the NFL for a while. If he was just a regular person no one would even care about him dog fighting.  His name has been put through the dirt just because of this one incident. I wonder why people still talk about him. We’re all humans that make mistakes. Can we as a society forgive and forget? Some speculate that it depends on your race. Depending on how fair your skin is you will be pardoned from your punishment. Why is that? I’m not sure this problem dates farther back then I can explain. Ben Roethlisbertger was charged for raping a girl in a night club. His consequence was sitting out four games. I thinking rapping someone is way more serious then dog fighting. Why did Michael Vick get a harsher punishment then Ben Roethlisbertger? It shouldn’t matter what your race is. Wrong is wrong and right is right legally. We all know the difference between the two. All consequences should be equal. Being an athlete has its pros and its cons for sure. Athletic sports are vital in today’s society. I think that we should start putting interest in other thing such as education, reading, writing and trying to better the world, like giving back to your community. That might help with all the problems that we’re having with athletes thinking they can do what they please. Even though Michael Vick paid his dues Ben Rorthlisbertger did not. He’s among others that you haven’t heard about.

Pumpkin Carving time November 18, 2010

When I think about pumpkin carving I think about Halloween, candy and dressing up in costumes. All of these things are when you’re a little kid unlike pumpkin carving. You can continue to do pumpkin carving until your old and gray. I have went to a few pumpkin patches and pumpkin competitions they are awesome!!! It is neat to see how much work people put into growing pumpkins. I was told it takes a lot of time and dedication. Pumpkin growing is often very complicated because you can’t  control how the pumpkin will grow or when, some pumpkins take a long time to sprout unlike others that take the fast road. Once you have picked a pumpkin the next step is to figure out what design you want your pumpkin to have. For beginners you should pick an easy pattern. After you have chosen your pattern you must cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin and dispose of the guts. One thing that I have found that is cool to do is take the seeds and dry them out making your own pumpkin seeds which are delicious! The next step after toy have emptied the pumpkin out is to wash and the let the pumpkin dry. I use a little bit of bleach and water this extends the life of the pumpkin. Once it is dry I normally draw my pattern on to the pumpkin before I began to start carving. After the pattern is drawn you can start carving! You should take your time using a steady hand making sure you do not mess up or hurt you or anyone else. Safety is always important! After about an hour and a half you should have successfully carved your on pumpkin! I always like to spice mines up using glitter and other things to make it look pretty. The final step is glossing it with a little bit of vaseline and putting a small white candle in the middle!

Personal Brand(10) November 18, 2010

I have learned that my personal brand is very important. When looking for a job the interviewer can and will goggle you or ask others what they know about you before they even get to meet you. This can be a good thing if you leave good impressions on others and on the internet. I have heard situations where a person gets the job just because they were look upon as a respectable person by their counter parts.  I have also encountered situations where a person doesn’t get the job because they had left a bad impression on someone. Sometimes it’s not about what you know but who you know. Who you know and how you impacted that person’s life will get you a long way. Most people that consider there selves know it alls leave bad impressions on others just because they fell they have more knowledge then others. When you’re looking for a job you shouldn’t make the employer feel as if they are not as smart as you. I will continue to leave outstanding impressions on others, volunteer when time permits and helping in my community. I will continue with twitter and facebook to control my story and what others think and say about me. As for blogging I’m not sure if I will continue with it as frequently as I do now. I will always question if being in social media is a good thing because it leaves you vulnerable to the ridicule of others. The social media has its up’s and down’s but it is all about how you deal with them.

Empowerd for Success (8) November 15, 2010

Freshmen seminar was all about your brand and communication. “You control what is said about you.”- Mike Servey. In freshmen seminar my class was told this all the time. I learned to watch what I was saying on twitter and facebook. I learned that someone could goggle my name and the most recent things I had posted would pop up. This is very important because an employer could do the exact same thing and find something that would hinder me from getting a job. Knowing this has empowered me to be very careful about what I do and what I say not only on the internet but in class and outside of class because you never know who is listening. I’m starting to become more aware of my surrounding. I have applied to become a resident assistant at UNCP. This is a job where you are known by lots of people some being in a high powered spot at UNCP. Getting this job would be awesome, but it comes with some stipulations. I must always carry myself in the right manner, never slipping up. That can sometimes be hard being a young college student, but it can be done. Freshmen seminar has empowered me to get involved with my community and more with my school. That is one of the reasons why I applied for the resident assistant position. I have also been thinking about auditioning for a play here at school. I plan to do more volunteering here around campus and also in the community. Freshmen seminar pushed me to do new and exciting thing. Staying on this track will open up my eyes to new things all of which are positive. Thanks to freshmen seminar I am empowered for success!

Leadership Development(9) November 11, 2010

Coming into college I didn’t have a leadership plan. I just thought I’m going to go get a good education and meet some awesome people along the way. Being in Leadership LLC has made me think more in depth about my leadership role at UNCP. I often find myself leading without even knowing. I like leading sometimes. I say sometimes because leading comes with responsibility, responsibilities that I’m not sure I’m ready for. So my leadership development is starting slowly. I want to make sure that I get all the necessary requirements so that when I do become a leader, I can fulfill the role completely. One of the first step I took to become a leader is singing up for Leadership LLC. My second major step is applying to become a resident assistant. Hopefully by the time I am finished with college my resume will be long and accomplished. It will list the completion of LLC, resident assistant, tutoring, volunteering and an internship or two. In bettering myself and my leadership development skills, I need to plan my own community service project. I need to do a better job of applying my time to different task equally. Once I find how to manage my time correctly a lot of things will fall into place. Time management is a key factor when it comes to college and being active. You must know how to work and play at the same time. I have found out that working and playing at the same time is not the most efficient way for me to spend my time. Now I spend most of my time working to catch up on things that I missed in the past. I’m also in the process of creating an actual outline for my leadership development. Once this is done my leadership plan will be complete and I will be working toward completing the task in my plan.

Facebook or Twitter?? November 11, 2010

Which one is better? Facebook or Twitter? They are both social networks for people to communicate on. Where does the difference come in at? When I asked a group of my peer one said… ”I like facebook better because it simpler and you can write more than 140 words on facebook”-Sasha Josephs. I agree with Sasha. I believe that even though both are public social networks facebook has more options when it comes to privacy. On facebook you can chat a person and the conversation is just between the two people in conversation. On twitter you can chat but it is publicly posted for everyone to see. Sean D. Martinez “They’re both the same thing, just sharing your life in short messages.” They are both social networks for you to share you life and what interest you. When I asked Chanel Langley which on she liked better, she said “twitter” because she likes the fact that you can say what you want in an abbreviated fashion. Heres where the difference between the two come in to play. Twitter is for short thoughts. Facebook is for thoughts that are more than a 140 characters. I personally don’t like twitter because everything is too abbreviated. When I get on twitter to see what people have to say it is almost like a guessing game to understand what some have to say. People do abbreviate on facebook but if you don’t understand you just comment and ask what the person is trying to say. You can’t comment on twitter. I was told that twitter was for people to follow each other… I’m still not exactly sure what that means. Follow someone? What is the purpose for this? Never the less there is an equal amount of people who like them both for both social networks to thriving!