Today

I like today. You know sometimes you wake up and just know it's going to be a rough day. While the day is just getting started, it has been great so far. I got to sleep in (which is ALWAYS a plus) and I just got out of my LAST bio lab class for a while and it's a great feeling. Finding out that my grade in that class is awesome just amplifies that feeling. Finals are approaching and I'm trying my best not to stress out about them. So far it's working and I'm really proud of myself.

My bathroom in my dorm is always disgusting. With 4 girls constantly in and out of it, it never stays clean. But today, maintenance knocked on our door and said they were coming to clean the bathroom. It looks, and smells, amazing (if that's possible) now, and I'm thankful for that.

Today is also a good day because Im going to Olive Garden tonight. Doesn't sound special, but as a college student on a strict budget, I'm definitely looking forward to it! I'm going for my bestfriend's birthday dinner, so it should be fun... and yummy! After dinner, I'm going to bake cookies and brownies, which I LOVE to do! The only downfall to me baking is that I tend to eat a lot of them in the process. The only thing that could make this day go from great to perfect is finding time to go to the gym.


TODAY IS A GREAT DAY

Food Is Taking Over My Life

     Im slowly figuring out that I have a phobia of being hungry. It's a miracle Im not triple my weight right now. It really bothers me that I have no self control over my eating habits. Sometimes I care, and then sometimes I think that life is too short to not just eat what you want to when you want to. It really is a daily struggle. Now that Im in college and the freshman 15 haunts me everyday, I am a lot more conscious about it. I also feel sorry for the people that are actually struggling with weight issues much more severe than mine. I realize how hard it is for me to just lose a few pounds, and I couldnt imagine the stress accompanied with having to lose any more than that. And what's even worse, is that stress is linked to overeating and weight gain, making it even harder to reach your goal weight.
     What really pisses me off though is how expensive healthy food is in comparison to fatty, greasy, unhealthy junk food as we call it. As a broke college student, there is no wonder freshman 15 is a serious problem. If healthy food was made cheaper for everyone, I guarantee you more people would eat it. Price is another excuse we use not to eat healthy, but sometimes its not even an excuse, it really is just too expensive to live the healthy lifestyle. I will never understand why nutritional foods are more expensive than the foods we are told over and over again not to eat. So frustrating. In the meantime, I'm going to the gym!

Closing Time

     My first semester of college is finally coming to an end. I didnt think the transition was that tough, at least the way people portrayed it to be. Still though, I am glad it is almost over. Im one semester closer to graduating and that is excting to me. Im ready for Christmas break already and a new set of classes (not that I dont like yours). Like always, the end of the semester brings a lot of tests and a lot of stress... which I dont like. I did way better in all of my classes than I thought I would, but Im ready for my finals to be over. With one semester down (almost), I am closer to being able to move into a apartment and have my own bathroom, which is probably what I miss that most. This shouldnt be a surprise coming from a girl.
     In just a few months, Im surprised that I figured out and declared a major so soon. I hated telling people I was exploratory because it seemed like I was just going to college just to go and wasnt working toward anything in particular. Now that I have declared my major as Exercise Science, I feel like im here for a reason. Im also happy that I figured out a career path that Im interested in after graduate school, even though its going to be a looooooong, tough ride. Im just hoping I dont change my mind again so Im not in school any longer than I have to be. I am glad I joined the Pre-Dental Society to help me gain more information about the field I want to go into, or better yet, to make sure its what I want to do.

Thanksgiving Sports Story

     So I cut my Thanksgiving break with my family short in order to make it back to Tallahassee in time to attend my very first FSU vs. UF game. Was it worth it? The score wouldnt say so, but Im still glad I went. I've always wanted to attend a rivalry game, and because it was free there was NO way I would pass up the opportunity. The game was a ton of fun, regardless of our losing score. 37-26 is a score I can live with. Being in the stands for this game was crazy. I saw multiple fights due to gaytor fans making and scene in the middle of the student section! The bottles and popcorn that got thrown at their heads was well deserved. When EJ was hurt it was amazing how the entire stadium starting chanting his name.
     My family is divided so its always an interesting game day at my house. All of my immediate family are Seminole fans but my sister dares to be different and cheer for the gators. She agrees that the gators didnt play well this year, but of course she is still proud of the score with the Noles. I always remind her  that a bad a day as a Seminole is still better than a good day as a Gaytor!!!!
>>>---♥--GO NOLES--♥---->

Thanksgiving

     Thanksgiving this year turned out really well. My family is very dysfunctional and holidays seem to push us all over the edge. Fighting usually breaks out, and it really dampers the traditional "holiday mood." It was the first year that my sisters couldnt make it for Thanksgiving, which was weird, but everything else was close to perfect. Im thankful that I was able to go home for the holiday and see my family! We had 17 people over at my house, so you can imagine how much food there was! The picture below is only ONE table of our feast!

Having REAL home-cooked food was AMAZING, and Im already looking forward to Christmas dinner. It was also my neice's first Thanksgiving, and she loved it. She ate more stuffing than I did! My Thanksgiving night ended with some friends, playing card games, and then I started my 10-hour Black Friday shopping excursion at midnight! P.S. Im still eating Thanksgiving leftovers in my dorm that my sweet mother packed me :)
    Reuniting with all of my friends from high school was also a nice touch to my Thanksgiving break! Our entire posse, minus a few, were able to make it to PCB for the holiday and we all got together like we did before college. This Thanksgiving was definitely the best one yet!

Opposition to Adbuster

The ad im opposing is about the addidas shackle shoes that were taken off the shelves due to rioters. They are linked to a pair of hand-cuffs, with the phrase "What's the Difference?" across the photo. One view is that the media and consumers are taking this shoe design out of proportion and the design did not purposely relate to slavery.

I oppose this view. For starters, I think that the designer definitely knew what this design would spark. Slavery is a sensitive issue, and the designer should have known that incorporating shackles on these shoes would hit home for some and offend many others. Some symbols will always bring back memories from the past, and there is a line that should not be crossed. Certain symbols can not be used to mean or portray other messages, like handcuffs for example. The designer could pretend to not know what he was getting into, or he could say he didn't mean the handcuffs to be a symbol of slavery; however, I do not believe this. Because slavery is real, using these shackles in the shoe design is a sign of disrespect, especially to those with ancestors that were in slavery. In a professional market, this design is very UNprofessional and I'm glad they were discontinued.

Politics in Sports

     In my adbuster, I can include how international teams promote patriotic pride. The games inspire citizens to have a sense of pride for their country that they would not otherwise have. It allows a country to put aside their differences and come together and support one uniform sport. Sports also allow different countries to remain allies and maintain good-standing relationships among the countries and the athletes.
     Even areas of very diverse racial and ethnic groups come together to support a local team and spark conversation about the team's performance, feeling pride for their city or their country, despite the major differences between their groups that keep them segregated otherwise. If sports were not in play, such groups would have no incentive to communicate.
     I could also touch on how government regulation in sports is used to protect our athletes. This relates to my adbuster because the Statue of Liberty is a very symbolic figure that we take very good care of.
   

Jerry Sandusky Scandal

     Jerry Sandusky, former assistant football coach under Joe Paterno for Pennsylvania State now sits among death row inmates as he was found guilty on "45 of 48 counts of molesting 10 boys in a 15-year period," and was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison. Although he retired before the scandal leaked, Sandusky created a non-profit organization called The Second Mile, where he served the underprivileged youth. He continued working with these children after his retirement in 1999, and this is said to be where he met his molestation victims.
     Joe Paterno, Penn State head coach, was fired and died of cancer shortly after. The University President, Graham B. Spanier, was also dismissed. Apparently, they were both alerted of at least one of Sandusky's incidents and failed to take the necessary steps against him. He claims he mentioned it to athletic director, Tim Curley, who failed to report the incident and was also arrested and charged. 
     Many of the victims spoke out against Sandusky during his trial, admitting that Sandusky has violated them, made sexual advancements both in the shower on Penn State campus, and in Sandusky's home. He was also accused of writing them "creepy letters," which Sandusky says were just to keep up with them. Sandusky's lawyer, Joseph Amendola, repeatedly questioned the victims, and asked if anyone had witnessed the "uncomfortable situations with Sandusky in the shower." Several witnesses said yes and shared their story. Why were these incidents not reported and brought to attention then?

     Jerry Sandusky's wife, Dorothy Sandusky, when asked if she had "ever seen inappropriate contact between her husband and the many young boys," said that the only thing she recalls in one of the boys being overly affectionate with her husband (yeah right!!).

“They can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a monster, but they can’t take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged, disgusting acts. My wife has been my only sex partner and that was after marriage.”

“I didn’t say he would put them to bed,” Mrs. Sandusky said firmly. “He would go down and tell them good night.”

Adbuster Photos

I am thinking of putting the football or some other figure that reflects sports into the hand of the statue of liberty in place of the torch. The Statue of Liberty is such a known symbol just as sports is today. 

Adbuster

     For my adbuster I'm not sure what visual to use yet but I would like for it to involve the stereotype that many athletes are not educated or poorly educated. They are often portrayed as getting scholarships simply for their athletic abilities rather than there academic accomplishments. Some say it doesn't matter, and some say its not fair. I would like to analyze both sides of this argument.
     Another idea I have is to have the Statue of Liberty holding up a football or a professional player to symbolize the huge impact sports play in our lives each and every day. Sports are often put on a pedestal putting sports in a position of high adoration, much like the Statue of Liberty. People wish to see the Statue in person much like people wish to watch sports in person.
     Just as the torch in her hand lights up the world, sports are often of means of enlightenment and escape from a dark reality. To many Americans, the statue represents freedom and the American Dream. Sports also have this effect on people. Becoming part of a team and making a career out of sports in often a dream come true to athletes and they feel very blessed and satisfied to have the opportunity.  I could also talk about how sports across cultures and even countries bring people together, just at it represents the United States and France as allies. Sports bring people of different races, genders, and sexuality together, building strong coalitions between Americans and other countries, just as France and the United States did.

Father's Day at Dick's

     Recently I watched a commercial advertising Dick's Sporting Goods. The commercial directors used Father's Day as the theme of this advertisement, and I think they did a superb job. They effectively showed to role of a committed father and showed just how huge the role of father is in a child's life. The commercial ran in chronological order, showing the Father's son at birth, and then at several other stages until his senior year in high school. I enjoyed how the father in this commercial was portrayed, and I think he filled the "traditional" father role very well. He was present in his son's life along his entire football journey, and a heart wrenching hug at the end ensured that he was very proud of his son an his accomplishments on the field. I think the commercial could have included more of Dick's Sporting Goods because I had no idea what the commercial was for until the very end when they included the logo. However, it was still a very satisfying commercial.

Explosion Exercise

     It's Monday morning, and my blaring alarm clock has been off for 30 minutes now. Luckily the sun was shining through my cheap blinds. I scrambled out of bed just to find all my work clothes in the hamper. Maybe a good breakfast will make up for this crappy morning. I scurried to the fridge to find nothing of my interest. Frustrated, I left my house with unbrushed hair and dirty clothes and went on my way to work, hoping to make it on time. Instead, I sat bumper to bumper on the road. I didn’t even have breakfast to occupy me during this slow ride. Finally it cleared up. I sped up, still optimistic that my boss wouldn’t be too angry. I was almost there and some jerk flew by me cutting me off. I swerved into oncoming traffic and my heart was racing, but I made it out alive. Arriving at work, late of course, I sprinted to my desk only to find the dreaded note from my boss. I went to her office as she requested, and stood there panting like a dog as she handed me an envelope and said thank you for my services. I had no energy to cry or even react. I immediately left and returned to my car to go home. The drive home was much quicker, giving me no time to think about what just happened. It wasn't until I didn’t have to set my alarm for the next morning that I realized that I am now unemployed. 

Clueless

     Clueless is an older movie but definitely one of my favorites. My sister introduced me to this movie many years ago, and I've shared it with many of my friends since then. The setting of this movie is your typical high school setting, containing the jocs, the popular kids, the emo kids, the nerds, etc. Cher is the main character and is your stereotypical Barbie, living in a HUGE house with her very successful father who is a lawyer. She is very materialistic and would rather have a new pair of shoes and be popular than get good grades. She is spoiled and knows how to manipulate people in order to get her way. Tai is a new girl that shows up at Beverly Hills High School. She is VERY different from Cher and her bestfriend Dionne. She has more of a grungy artistic look, and its not caught up with the superficial life like Cher and Dionne. With the help of her friend Dionne, Cher gives Tai a makeover to help her "fit in".. According to their standards I guess you would say. Cher continues to be very manipulative, and tries to pursuade Tai into liking one of the "popular" guys, Elton, over her skateboarder crush, Travis. Tai has a near death experience in the mall, when some guys hang her over the railing on the second floor. This story got around school faster than you would think, and Tai ends up surpassing the popularity of Cher. I bet you can guess her reaction to this. She is not happy, and goes shopping to clear her head. A series of events go wrong for Cher after this, making you feel bad for her. However, in the end, her and her crush, Josh, express their feelings for each other. At the end of the movie, Cher catches the bouquet at a friend's wedding, foreshadowing that she will be the next to get married.

    This movie expresses the typical problems and dramas that many high school students go through. Trying to fit in and be popular is a goal for most people. This movie runs though the tough times many students experience, and shows that Cher's life isn't as perfect as it seems on the outside. It also shows the new girl growing in popularity, which is hard to do. I think it is interesting how the roles reverse in this movie, but nonetheless, both Cher and Tai end up being happy in the end. It shows that life is so unpredictable and many things can be thrown your way that you would never expect, but that doesn't mean you wont end up successful and happy.

Soul Surfer

     Soul Surfer is an inspiring movie based on a true story of a girl named Bethany Hamilton. Living in Hawaii, it was no coincidence that she picked up the sport of surfing at a very young age. At the age of thirteen; however, her life changed when her entire left arm was taken by a 14-foot tiger shark on Kauai's North Shore. She lost over half of her blood, but somehow managed to survive the accident after many surgeries and avoiding infection. This tragedy didn't stop her though. She was determined to surf again. Her parents were a nervous wreck with her decision to get back in the water, and it caused small arguments between them. Bethany started losing hope and was aggravated at her parents. Her parents came to realize that surfing was what she loved, and that they should continue to support her. With continuous dedication and effort, Bethany Hamilton soon became a professional surfer, and did it all with one arm. Her story is inspirational to all ages. She had to go through the trials and tribulations of re-learning how to perform daily-life activities, such as driving and changing clothes. Bethany is so motivational to me because she kept pursuing her goal, when many other people would have quit and used it as an excuse. Even cutting a sandwich became troublesome for her, along with many other simple things you would never think of being a challenge. This movie, like most others, has a happy ending. She didn't win first place in the competition like you would initially expect, but she did place, and she was satisfied. She didn't have to win to feel successful and happy. She was able to surf again, and that is what she loved. The fact that she could push up her body weight on a moving surfboard using only one arm is amazing, and being able to stay up and balance through the waves was even more incredible. Even though you expect happy endings from most movies, they keep drawing you back and you keep watching them. I am not a huge movie man, but the fact Bethany Hamilton really exists and that this tragedy actually happened to her keeps pulling me in. Also, I feel this movie is not a "chick flick" and that guys would enjoy watching it as well and also feel inspired and motivated by the perseverance of this young soul surfer.

Trigger Your Thoughts

In the small town of Panama City Beach, Florida, dance is not a big part of the beach culture that resides there. It is often forgotten, but its easy to be forgotten when when the performance only happens once a year. For the dancers; however, it is part of our life. I spent countless hours at the dance studio my last year there, and I never wanted to be anywhere else. While a break over the summer is nice, I wish my dance studio wasn't seasonal. In the summer months, I often find myself running through the choreography of old dances... at least what I remember of them. My desire to dance over the summer leaves me choreographing meaningless routines in my living room. My parents always know when Ive been dancing because all the living room furniture is pushed to the perimeter of the room. I hope for the best that I don't break anything. Hearing songs often triggers my memory and love for dance, and I find myself mentioning to my fellow dancers how fun it would be to dance to that specific song. 

I burn inside hoping the song choices for the upcoming dance year will satisfy me. The songs chosen are often songs i've never heard of. Some I wouldn't even consider songs, but rather just a combination of different sounds, creating some sort of meaningful instrumental in the end. While my teacher often picks song choices that I would never dream of or even consider dancing to, the end product always turns out amazing. My first thoughts are usually, "How do you even dance to this?" She always finds a way and has some crazy idea in mind. I guess thats why she's the teacher and i'm not. The songs I would choose for myself are often more upbeat, faster, and relate more to the jazz and hip-hop style of dance. This makes sense though that those songs would trigger my desire to dance because hip-hop and jazz are most definitely my favorite styles. The songs usually chosen for me in Modern; however, are more interpretive. They end up telling more of a story. I always end up loving it, but I can never picture myself dancing to these songs in the beginning of this 9 month story-telling process. 

Create a Culture

Rodney Jones, in his poem "The End of Practice," reveals his craving to be in power over others. Unfortunately, he immediately confirms that this dream did not become reality. Jones is struck with the "male dream" curse, the feeling males get that they must possess some degree of authority over others. While this is common among males, the reality of this happening in Jones' life has diminished. As his dream of becoming a power source progressed, he "marked with shortening breath the dwindling likelihood of [his] flight." He says that if he does "not rise above the field," or accomplish this goal, he would be eaten. His self-esteem and ego would be crushed and he would "burn alive for peace" within himself for the remainder of his life.

Klosterman's "33" is a critical description of the 1980's rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Apparently, blacks favor the Lakers while whites favor the Celtics. Klosterman very quickly expresses that this rivalry represents everything, as it symbolizes all other rivalries we encounter in life, including religion, politics, and race. He claims that "we are all unconsciously racist," and that the argument between the whites and blacks will become a metaphor for all of America. To better understand this rivalry, which he says is more about black and white philosophies rather than simply black and white people, he claims you must study NBA playoff games from twenty years ago. Today's professional basketball games are not sufficient because the players are "nothing more than good basketball players."Klosterman admits they are "mechanically awesome, but they don't represent anything beyond themselves." They run through the motions and plays like they are taught and programmed to do, but they don't whole-heartedly perform their abilities and love for the sport.

This writing very quickly describes how sport and community can create a culture: a Democratic culture vs. a Republican culture, a white vs. a black culture. At a young age, we are indirectly taught the common stereotypes of different races and the general views of each political party. For example, blacks are better athletes and Republicans want less government involvement. The Celtics started with three white people, while the Lakers never had a white player who mattered. This clearly set a racial difference between the two rival teams, and Jones was the only kid at his basketball camp that rooted for the Celtics. "If you liked the Celtics, it meant you like your dad's team. And this is when I came to understand that I was actually rooting for the Republican party." His support of the Celtics became something much more. Much deeper, he represented the Republican culture. The Celtics fans in this community now relate in other ways aside from their love of the Celtics team. It is safe to assume that most of the Celtics fans are Republicans, appreciating K.C. Jones' (Celtics coach) republican approach to coaching his team. He did not believe in a strong central government, much like Republicans, and continued his belief, or disbelief, in his coaching method. Because of this, the Celtic players mostly coached themselves. Conversely, Pat Riley (Lakers coach), was viewed as a tyrant and controlled the whole game. "There were no state's rights within the locker room of the Fabulous Forum," much like the limited state's rights favored by the Democratic party. Because of this, the combination of sport and community eventually starts defining a culture. The team you like is a way to describe your own self-identity, your political affiliation, and other views you might have. The way we identify ourselves starts becoming more relevant to our culture. For example, Klosterman says "I am not a white person.. I am a Celtic Person. Thats my identity." We become so involved in the sports we love and our community, we begin identifying ourselves as a part of it without even knowing, much like Klosterman did. "I am a Seminole" would be an example relevant to me.

Stereotypes are engrave into our minds at a young age, and while they are often true to some degree, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were raised with paradoxical pathologies. They are contradictory to the normal views we have towards white and blacks. The black Johnson's middle-class upbringing was a "traditional white experience,"while the white Bird's "impoverished, screwed up childhood was more stereotypically black." These variations of the norm prove that other factors contribute to our identity, and that our culture only defines part of who we are. Interesting enough, sports can define us at a certain point in our life, but as we age and gain more knowledge and experience, sports may not be a defining factor of our culture. Perhaps a spouse and children may interfere and change what defines us as a person.

In the poem, the combination of sport and community also creates a culture. The men, women, and children of a community come together at sporting events and this habitual support system eventually comes to define a culture. We often base our goals, ideals, morals, etc on what is accepted by our culture. Men (and women) have a defining culture among them... we all tend to crave that power and authority over others. Jones explains this "man dream" vividly, and all of his efforts to reach his goal. Jones describes the different ways people react to failure (Jerry Reeder is vermillion, Charles Sandlin is dark green, Richard Foot dapples).  The things we determine as acceptable behaviors are greatly influenced by our culture. While we all might be fighting to reach one goal, the fashion is which we do so is greatly different from person to person. Its amazing how a community can come together and form a culture, that in turn, affects our beliefs and actions for the rest of our lives.

Dear Tiffany

Tiffany Maher,

Why am I so obsessed with you!? I never watch TV.. until this year. And why? Because of you! Creepy right? Well I'm so sorry, but it's true. Ever since I found out you made it to Vegas on So You Think You Can Dance, I've practically been stalking you. I watch the new episodes every Wednesday like some sort or crazy ritual, and if I miss it one week, I spend hours YouTubing your name! I even make sure I find the video that includes the judges reactions and feedback so I can decide whether to be pleased or pissed at them. I've even looked up your audition video that got you on the show!

I've even met your boyfriend! He taught my hip-hop class at Tremaine! Tremaine is where I first heard your name, and not even a year later I'm following you on Twitter, Instagram, and we are Facebook friends! Thanks for adding me by the way :) I love that your specialty dance style is Jazz, because that is my favorite! You cant be too upset that I totally stalk your life, because I also vote for you like 100 times every Wednesday night! And now you're in the Top 6!

GO T-Maher (read: Mar) the Star!!

Participants Vs. Spectators

I really enjoyed reading about the importance of separating the two acts of participating and spectating a sport. At first, I didn’t understand but the tackle football example made what they were saying completely obvious. Football is geared toward the participation of younger players; however, the ages of those who watch football covers a much larger range. Football really is just a popular spectator sport in the United States.  I also agree that watching sports and participating in sports go hand in hand. The majority of those who watch sports have played a sport during their lifetime. I still see the importance in studying the participation in, and watching of, sports separately.

With dance, I would say I dance for the intrinsic rewards, “such as fun and fitness.” While I would LOVE the extrinsic rewards of money and fame, I hate competitive dance. I don’t think it is fair to judge dance, or better yet, I don’t think there is a fair way to judge dance, beyond the basic realization of a really poor routine vs. a clearly talented group.

“Many college students who have grown up playing sports find themselves shut out of sport opportunities simply due to the competition.” This is completely true, but luckily larger universities like FSU offer several other on-campus intramural teams they can join to continue the sport of their choice.

It is crazy to think that a sport you joined for fun at five years old could turn into work… a full time, high-demanding job. At five, the sport is often seasonal and consisted of little or no training. As athletes get older, the sport requires year-round practicing and training to get to the professional level.

This reading brought up a point that I had never thought of before. Designating elite athletes at a young age can be problematic and cause difficulties because people develop at different rates. Kids who hit their growth spurt earlier than others might have an advantage in basketball over the shorter kids. The actual skill, or lack thereof, of the taller player might be masked by his height.

With high-performance sports, more rules and boundaries are set on how the game is played and what equipment/clothing is permitted. On a little league team, the players might use a variety of bats in a baseball game, but strict rules are applied to which bats are acceptable and allowed for high-performance athletes. With the high level of competition in these sports and the large amounts of money invested in their success, these rules are necessary to keep the competition focused on who has more skill or talent, and less on who has the best or most expensive bat, for example.

Sports and the dedication we put toward them are influenced by our families, friends, and the community we live in, as well as by our own thoughts, emotions, and aspirations. This is nothing new though.  Almost everything we do or believe in is influenced by the people and things around us, like religion and our political affiliation for example. As we get older, we rely less on our family to make our decisions, and more on our friends. While we want to do what makes us happy, we often make sure our friends “approve” before we head in to something fully committed.

I am surprised that tennis is played more in New York than in Florida. I feel like there are tennis courts around every corner in Florida! Even small hotels are equipped with tennis courts.

The availability of a sport is also a determining factor in whether or not you will participate in that specific sport. For example, I just recently learned what lacrosse was. Lacrosse is not offered where I am from, and I watch very little sports to learn about it elsewhere.

You would think you could resort to sports to get away from all the discrimination, but it still exists with sports. Sports such as skiing, equestrian, and gymnastics that are not offered at school can be hard for people from lower-class families to join. Joining a sport can be very expensive, especially when your school or community does not sponsor it. This is unfortunate because, while you might not succeed or enjoy the school-sponsored sports of football, basketball, and wrestling, you may really enjoy skiing or riding horses.

It is amazing to see the tremendous effect that the media has on almost everything in this world, including sports. Technology has grown so rapidly in recent years allowing people to still be spectators of a sport in the comfort of their own living room... which I must say, is quite nice.  Even if a game is at an inconvenient time for you, the Internet allows you to watch the game at a later time, or simply just look up the score. The online or radio versions of sports allow you to keep up with your favorite sports and teams without the dreaded expense of buying tickets. This luxury eliminates the exclusion of lower-class families who cannot afford tickets for their family. It also allows the game to be viewed by a larger audience of all races all over the world. This brings the American sports to other countries, and often attracts huge sponsorship dollars… which is always a plus.

Why has in-person attendance increased over the years?

There is definitely technique behind successful advertising. A company must appeal to the audiences that will give the most of what they want, whether it is viewers, money, or media attention. Before, most sports were played by males, so it would not be effective to have female models in their advertisements. Now, you would push females participants away if you didn't appeal to, and include, females in your advertisement process. 

At the end of this reading it mentioned that you must use models that look like the audience you are trying to attract. If this is so, why do weight loss commercials always display the skinniest people in their commercials. I feel like this discourages people who actually do need to lose weight, and in fact, turns them away rather that attracts them. 

Prior to reading this chapter, I did not realize how much sports are actually categorized by economic status, much like everything else in the world is. Sad, but true. I understand the importance of spending large sums of money for high-performance sports, but I think more money should be invested in recreational sports to keep people of all ages, races, and genders more physically active without going out of their budget.

Memory

     Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio is a very concise poem but is still very vivid and detailed. From this poem I concluded that the author, a spectator, dreaded going home after attending these high school football games. I found that he was able to escape from his not so pleasant reality. This poem failed to mention any sense of competition among the team, but rather they were just playing for the simple joy of the game. Im sure there was competition; however, that aspect of the game was much more important to Klosterman than it was to Wright, according to his memory. Wright had an interesting way of describing the people by relating them to animals (the women cluck and their sons gallop).
     Three-Man Weave was drastically longer than the poem but was still very descriptive. Too descriptive in my opinion. However, in this essay, the author interacted with the reader a lot more than the poem... adding in many rhetorical questions and dialogue with his interviewee, Barry Webster. Besides that this was a different sport all together, Chuck Klosterman also had a totally different way of expressing his memory of this "forgotten" basketball game. He was appalled that a three-man team beat the Iron Five.
     There is a universality within these sports and the cultures they include. For example, in Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio, Wright mentions Polacks and Negroes, both completely different races. This shows that the sport can be understood among many, constituting the varieties of people in society today. Klosterman also mentions details in his memory that both whites and blacks participated in the basketball game.
     Nostalgia and memory is very important in both of these writings. The memories they recall often tell us which parts are more important to the writer, or which parts left the biggest impact on them. The importance of memory on sports as a whole are also very important. Sports, no matter which one, require a lot that has to be memorized and remembered in order to succeed, whether its different plays in football, or the choreography and timing to all of my dances. Memory is also important in our love of sports; however, what we remember will vary from person to person, because everyone enjoys sports for their own reason. These pieces made me question myself on why I really liked to dance? Hm...
     I would say that these retellings define a community more than a culture. In the poem, the author mentions the different kinds of people sitting in the stands beside him. While all of those people may have different cultures, they all live in the same community and they are all coming together to watch the same high school football game.
     I noticed that both writers described one game. Not just one game, but one specific game. Can my essay cover a longer period of time.. like several events and how they progressed?
     My experiences seem very different compared to both of these pieces; however, I related more to the poem. The football game seemed like his escape from reality. I relate to this with dance. With dance, I can express any emotion I want to without saying a single word. I also like how the poem failed to mention any real aspect of competition. I also relate to this because I hate competitive dance. I really just enjoy watching, or better yet, performing in a good show. Dance is a universal language. It doesnt discriminate against race, gender, or sexuality.
     I really liked how the essay included dialogue, which I might consider using in my essay as well. Both writers have extremely different writing styles, and I feel that I will end up using a combination of both of them if possible. It was helpful reading these to see two VERY different ways of expressing a vivid memory of a sport.




   

Dare to Dance

     My mom put me in dance at the age of three in the footsteps of my older sister. Dance was just a hobby for me at that point... just something I did after school. Nothing serious. I was only allowed to take two classes a year.

     As I got older, I noticed that my attitude toward dance became more serious. Staying up late watching hours of YouTube videos made me realize my love for dance. Unfortunately, my love for dance is much greater than the talent I actually have. Oh well.
     I looked forward to the recital at the end of the dance year more and more each year. But at the end of the night, I was upset that I was only in two dances. I had to sit backstage alone while the other dancers got to keep performing. The thrill of being on stage with 1000+ people watching you became more and more exciting, and I wanted to be more a part of the show. I begged my mom to let me take more classes. She said no. Of course I was mad but I knew it was expensive.. at least that's what she told me. 

     I couldn't take it anymore. My skill level was at a standstill for years because of the limited classes I was taking. I could see the talent of all my fellow dancers growing extensively from year to year because they were taking several classes each week. 

     I went from taking two classes each year, to three, to five, and then my last year I found myself in twelve dances for the recital. Im sad that I had to wait until my last years of dance to really start building my talent.