Backboards & Blackboards

This is one of the novels I read by Patricia and Peter Alder. It focuses on athletes mental state during their recruiting process and college seasons. A quote that really jumps out at me is, "You could get B's and C's by just showing up (to high school). I never really had to try or to study. I would go to practice, eat, and go out. I never even wrote a research paper until senior year, and when I got to college it was all research papers"(Adler 35). Some athletes were not prepared during high school and these colleges didn't really care. As long as these athletes won games for their programs, then they would find classes that these athletes would succeed in. Another athlete was disappointed, "How could I get into this shit? They got me takin' nutrition, mental retardation, square dancing and camp counseling. I thought I was goin' learn something here. It's a bunch O' bullshit" (Adler 134). Kids were thrown into classes that the school knew they would not have any academic problems with which is unfortunate.

The Blindside

This movie is about Michael Orr's journey through high school and the recruiting process. He is taken in by a very wealthy family after basically being thrown out on the street because he ate too much! The Tuohy family were all Ole Miss fans, Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy both were alumni of Ole Miss. Once Michael started to learn how to play offensive tackle, his perfect body (about 6'4 300 lbs) and great personality were the reasons why he was one of the most highly recruited players in his class. The movie is very touching as Michael overcomes many adversities; raising his gpa, making new friends, and choosing a college. I can relate to Michael because choosing a school can cause a lot of pressure, especially for student athletes. Unfortunately for Michael, when he chose Ole Miss, NCAA officials automatically assumed the Tuohy's love for Ole Miss influenced him to pick that school over Tennessee. Tennessee, a school in which the Tuohy's despised was actually one of Michael's top choices. While being tutored, Miss Sue (Michael's tutor) told him some stories that really directed Orr away from Tennessee. Michael was brought to the NCAA where he had to defend himself and eventually one his case. This movie showed how the NCAA is really trying to minimize violations and other influences for college decisions. College is for that applicant only, not someone who wants to live vicariously through the student athlete, and the NCAA is doing its best to enforce that.

Blog 4

I am in an ebullient mood for baseball season. Although it is my last high school season, it seems as if it will be the most fun! We could receive remuneration (many wins being our reward) for all of the hard work we have put in over the last three and a half years. I guess you could desribe our team as one with zest because of our liveliness and energetic personalities. We will be known for our defense and pitching, but I am confident in our offense as well this year. We are comprised of many seniors but some underclassmen with vivacious personalities will definitely give us a lot of funny memories this year. March 5th is just a Friday away from our journey to hopefully a successful season!

Blog 3

The college process has been extremely long and chock filled of visits. So far I have been to 5 different states checking out schools. I have had so many conversations with college coaches that every conversation now is colloquial. I am no longer nervous on interviews, but hopefully it will be over soon! When I went to Eckerd College I was amazed! I was laconic at first because there was so much to take in, but boy, you can't really beat St. Petersburg, Florida. The coach cajoled me, and actually amazed me by saying, "I feel like I am trying to sell a car here". I really liked this coach because I feel like he would help me in times of need, and he really knew his stuff when it came to baseball. Rhodes College in Memphis was also beautiful. The coach informed me that players were wary of some areas in Memphis though. As nice of a city it is, it is also dangerous in some areas. Every school I have visited, I was pleased with, but so far Eckerd is my number one school.

Text to World

In 1984, the protagonist, Winston lives in a world where "big brother" is watching. In other words, this government is controlling everything that the people do. This government is not overt, or democratic, but the one party in charge does everything in its power to make everyone the same. This situation has been seen in all parts of the world. For example, the Soviet Union was a communist country in Eastern Europe. Just like in 1984 there were people who tried to revolt, but ultimately this communist country was terminated. These countries look down upon revolt and castigate any rebels, just like Winston was. Communism has been a popular theory for a long time, but there will always be people who think freely, and revolts will be common.

Text to Life

1984 really opened my eyes to what a totalitarian government would be like in some cases. It has exposed my malcontent for anything less than democracy. Its sickening how a totalitarian government can make their ideas credulous when they are really no good. People need to realize that they deserve freedom. Winston hated Oceania and decided to join a rebellious group, called the Brotherhood. I guess this book has made me think how grateful I am to live here, and freedom is something that cannot be appraised. It is one of the greatest ideas known to man. It is tough to live in a place where the government can commit perfidy and easily get away with it. Although our government is not perfect, I can trust that they will do their best to protect my family and I in times of danger.

Vocab #2

Last week I was listening to the radio, only to hear my favorite song, but I forgot they get censored. So as it was playing I'd sing along and then it would only be me singing as they bleeped out the curse words. As I was driving I accidently drove past a bus that had its lights on. A cop pulled me over and told me what I had done. I told him it was my first time ever getting pulled over, and it was a stupid mistake. I think he felt bad for me and decided to waive the potential charges. From that point on I abrogated my careless driving, and now every time I step into the car, I am extremely alert, always paying attention. This will allow me to stay safe obviously, but ticket free too. For New Years I went to Atlanta, and it was the first time I flew by myself. My mom said if I had any questions, to ask! If I was at all confused I needed to ask someone about my gate. So when I went to the airport I was aware of the heirarchy that worked for Delta, and if there were specific questions when I got to Atlanta, I knew who to ask. Fortunately I didn't have any problems and I really had a great time there. Atlanta is a very nice city, but just as all cities have there were some homeless people in tawdry clothing. Me and my friends went to the Varsity which is a famous fastfood place and also saw a great NBA basketball game.