Reflection: Its Over

It has been sixteen long brutal weeks in English 104 for me personally. I hate typing and writing papers. As the weeks went on I got used to reading the short articles and doing all of the assignments. I saw myself as a writer continue to get better each week. Sometimes I was completely lost and wanted to drop the class but I chose to continue on.

By reading all of the different genre of writing like Le Guin and Orwell change me as a writer. The way Le Guin writes is so unique and different it’s not your typically article on a blog website. I used to assume that the audience would understand my point of view. After reading so much of Le Guin, I learn how to let my idea go on papers and let it flow. So my audience can now understand what I am trying to say. In my encounters it shows how my writing has change drastically. It was still difficult for me to reach the audience in my article 1. The encounter was easier because I can pick what I wanted to write about but my article 1. I couldn’t meet the expectations of the audience for my article 1. I got confused with all of the different writing assignments like the encounters and journals. Eventually I got the hang of it and did way better on article 2.

The drafts and peer editing in class was extremely helpful. I got a chance to see how other view my and what changes I need to make before I turned in my final draft. I had tons of drafts because of grammar errors and adding on to my paper. For my Article 1 and final project I re did so much of the paper that if I didn’t practice this I probably would’ve failed. By posting all of my papers online I didn’t want to look like a fool, so I would go to the reading center before I post something. I would have multiple drafts so I can get it look over by my roommate and others. It was a strategy for me before I would post my work onto word press. Having complete strangers reading my paper is scary because they might think I’m weird or disagree with my topic. Most of my comments were positive feedback and many enjoy my writing. I was surprise because I figure I wasn’t a good writer at all.

I continue to struggle as a writer but I have come a long way since sixteen weeks ago. My grammar in my writing is terrible and I had a hard time to typing a paper. I overcame these issues by going to the reading center and asking my peers to look at my paper. I would have positive and negative reactions. I notice improvement on my ideas and how to set up my paper.  I would brain storm some ideas and then write it down. My strengths as a writer is the way I start off a paper but I always end up losing my thoughts.  In my encounters, article 1, and article 2 all has amazing introduces. I try to utilize that to continue on writing my paper but so how it doesn’t work out. In my other class like sociology and theater it works perfectly because I really don’t need to think outside of the box. In English it was totally different but I did a pretty good job overall.

Artifact 2: Look What I Found

While looking for sources for my proposal and the final project I turn to the web.
First, I went to Google and type in sports. The first site to pop up
is ESPN:The Worldwide Leader In Sports so I click it.  My eye were
drawn to the scoreboard with the MLB( Major League Baseball) scores
of every game played. Above the scoreboard is pop -ups of the
baseball games then the time teams play. To the right side of the
page I see the top headlines of sports under that is chase bank ads.
To the left is top stories of sports and all of the football games
schedule for Sunday. I  double click and watch  sportscenter’s
video of the top ten plays of the week. At the very bottom its more
sports like golf, tennis, boxing and etc.

So I went deeper into the
website and click on theNFL: Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
inside. It had a article saying how the Bear’s offensive line has to
be great in order for them to win. For the Packers the article
basically said they will win. I click on more things like the NBA
(National Basketball Assiocation). The NBA  top stories was that its
still a lockout. Forty-three pre-season games has been canceled and
the NBA season is at risk. I watch a couple highlights from a
baseball  game and realize the ads for ESPN radio and television.
Soon after that I figure out what the ethos for the audience is.

The site’s visual elements help users that never been on ESPN ‘s website find what they
are looking for on the main page or you can use the search bar . If I
only was looking for UFC fights I could type it in the search bar
within seconds.  They are helping users and the audience by making
everything right in front of you and easy . ESPN’s site cleverly made
the main page of the website including all of the sports a person
would want. The website has a my ESPN where you can create and
customize your favorite teams. Also, the website promotes ESPN the
radio and television. The site’s visual elements are design for the
audience that loves sports 24/7. The site has a radio show and a TV
show for the audience. I made this conclusion by all the information
they give for other ways I can be connect to ESPN. I can watch it on
ESPN or listen to there radio station. Overall, ESPN is making sports
lovers and others lives easy with the website.

Artifact 1: American Athlete

Five, four, three, two, one and he scores. Jaylin Thompson does it again with the buzzer
beater. As I witness this at his last high school game. For the state
champion title, he has carried his team for the past couple of years
and they have finally reached their goal. It’s truly amazing but
what’s in whole for the 6’2” and 185 small forward senior. He
averaged 24.2 points, 9.5 boards, and 1.1 assists this year. He is
extremely quick and can get anywhere that he wants to go on the
court. Also, he has power in the paint like a center. NCAA basketball
is most definitely in his future. He has offers from University of
Connecticut, Duke, North Carolina, and many more colleges.

Thompson was born and raised in the mean streets of Chicago, IL. He has been signing autographs ever since he was in the 8^th grade.  The media and others have been begging him on where he will be attending next
year. Now the wait is over because today is signing day. All of the
elite high school players will announce what school they choose. I
arrive at Washington High School earlier because I figure I wasn’t
the only person interested in the story. There are videos, cameras,
reporters, and kids everywhere to hear where he will be going next
year. There are three hats on the table where he is sitting at.
Kentucky, Duke, and Kansas are the schools he will be choosing from.
It was extremely loud and as soon as he set down it got quite. Out of
nowhere he picks up a University of Connecticut hat and puts it on.
The crowd goes wild and reports are asking him tons of questions.

I notice that sports are a huge part of American culture. This kid is known as a elite
athlete and is already getting interview and fame. I connected this
narrative story to the young athletes in today’s America. The media
attention and how everyone wants a piece of the next big thing in
sports. Overall, sports are of American culture. The teen sensation
eventually becomes a superstar and turns out to be professional
basketball player. The cycle of how a kid becomes a part of the
American dream.

Team USA

While watching television I notice that sports are everywhere. I was watching ESPN then start flipping the channel. I stop at the NFL network to see the top ten plays of Sunday games. After that I change it to the news at the end they were talking about NBA lockout after that a Gatorade commercial came on. At that moment, I thought to myself and realize sports are a huge part of my life. I came to the conclusion that sports are a part of American culture. Sports in the United States are an important part of American culture. Football, basketball, baseball, and hockey are some of the most popular sports in America. So for my final prompt project, I decided to do my topic on sports in American culture. This topic interests me because I grew up playing basketball, baseball, football, and wanting to become a professional athlete. I meet an numerous amount of friends and learn so many life lessons while playing sports. I truly love watching or playing sports till this day. My objective on this research paper is to inform readers on how much sports influence Americans and the general public.  I just want to explain how sports are a part of our society and how Americans involve sports related activities in their everyday life. It gives young athletes a chance get a education, teaches teamwork, and promoted health.   Also, its entertaining and you can learn life lessons while doing any type sport. Olympic sport teams unifies the country and provides a source of state and national pride. Athletes that are superstars creates national heroes and public figures like Muhammad Ali and Babe Ruth.

Most likely sports are associated with education. Middle schools and high schools has sports team like basketball and football but are adding more lacross.Playing sports at a young age teaches kids how together along with others and teamwork. Sports teaches kids time mangerment and get them in shape. There are to many Americans that are obenisty or overweigth. Sports gets the young ones to work hard and gives them something to look forward to. Growing up playing sport you will learn life like lessons that come along with it and start to create goals of your own. Many communties colleges and universities has organized sports teams that willing to give scholarships. Today in the United States, many collegiate sports are in high demand. Its so popular on around the country that its on a national scale, in many cases competing with professional championships on prime broadcast and print coverage.  For instaince, NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) football bowl games like the Allstate BCS National Championship Game and basketball touraments like March Madness which many american tune in to watch there favorite team or sport.

The Olypmics unifies the country and brings americans together showing thier national pride. When Americans see that red, white, and blue it just gets them going. Cheer and roars for the special individual that is respenting the counrty.Some of the memerable Olympic games are in men basketball, ice hockey, men swimming, and speed skating . The 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team also know as the Dream Team. The Dream Team were the first time NBA players such as Larry Bird and Micheal Jordan join to play for USA. In the 1980s it was the Cold War between United States and the Soviet Union at the time American were down and out. Unitl a miracle on ice happen the USA beat the USSR. When the United States men Olympic hockey won the gold medal it lifted the country as one. In 2008, at the Beijing  Olympics Micheal Phelps made history as an American swimmer winning sixteen Olympic medals. In 2004, at Athens he won six gold and two bronze medals.Then in 2008, he won eigth gold medals. He as broke many records and became one the most successful athlete in the Olympic Games. In 2006 at Turin, Italy, Shani Davis an African American speedskater became the first black  athlete to win a gold medal in Olympic Winter Games. Davis has set eight world record over his career and is adding on.The Olympic games shows nationalism for any country and the athletes are like warriors fighting for the gold to bring back home. Inside the United States there more then just one team for each sport. Its many different sporting teams in the different leagues because sports are considered to be America’s favorite pastime. For each state and city there are at least one team for each sport to represents them. The team represents different lifestyles all over the United States. Different people of race, religion, and values can come together through sports.

Fans love to support their home teams because they represent pride. The cubs that hasn’t won a World Series Champion in over a hundred years yet still has fans all over the USA. The home teams of a sport resents the community and the people. The home team logos, colors, jerseys, and other gear are worn  by their fans with pride. This pride brings Americans together through rivalry, competition, and athletic events.

Sports for Americans show national pride and in American sports the superstars are look as national heroes. Adults want to be them and kids look up to them as Gods. The leader or captain of a sports team are most likely to be the heroes that the American crowd can related to. These heroes became house hold names such as boxer Mike Tyson and soccer player David Beckham. These guys are  someone that inspires you and displays courage. They put their team on their back and win games to made it to the playoffs. Names like Micheal Jordan, Walter Payton, and Wayne Gretzky are legends in there sports because they won champions with carrying their team.

Sport superstars became familiar faces and their personal lives became our news. Like the O. J. Simpson murder case, Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, and Tiger Wood’s affair. The most popular athletes are like celebrities and the media can’t get enough of them. The media goes crazy for athletes to do something outrages and stupid so it can be all over the news. Most of the athletes lives the American dream some what. The rags to riches story of a young talented kid in a sport gets older. Their future in sports can get them an education and potentially become a professional athlete.

For Christmas many Americans and sport fans across the country will have a amazing and extra special holiday. Thanks to the end of the NBA (National Basketball Association) lockout has end and on December 25,2011 the Chicago Bulls will play the Los Angeles Lakers. Life was totally different for the fans that love the NBA but also for Americans that don’t because it was on every news channel and radio station. Many people notice things were different without the NBA. Now image the United States  without sports. In America life for American would be very different. There wouldn’t be a pastime, and no way to  pride for our country.

Check out the moive I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2wqsx8bW8Y&feature=youtube_gdata

American Athlete

Five, four, three, two, one and he scores. Jaylin Thompson does it again with the buzzer
beater. As I witness this at his last high school game. For the state
champion title, he has carried his team for the past couple of years
and they have finally reached their goal. It’s truly amazing but
what’s in whole for the 6’2” and 185 small forward senior. He
averaged 24.2 points, 9.5 boards, and 1.1 assists this year. He is
extremely quick and can get anywhere that he wants to go on the
court. Also, he has power in the paint like a center. NCAA basketball
is most definitely in his future. He has offers from University of
Connecticut, Duke, North Carolina, and many more colleges.

Thompson was born and raised in the mean streets of Chicago, IL. He has been signing autographs ever since he was in the 8^th grade.  The media and others have been begging him on where he will be attending next
year. Now the wait is over because today is signing day. All of the
elite high school players will announce what school they choose. I
arrive at Washington High School earlier because I figure I wasn’t
the only person interested in the story. There are videos, cameras,
reporters, and kids everywhere to hear where he will be going next
year. There are three hats on the table where he is sitting at.
Kentucky, Duke, and Kansas are the schools he will be choosing from.
It was extremely loud and as soon as he set down it got quite. Out of
nowhere he picks up a University of Connecticut hat and puts it on.
The crowd goes wild and reports are asking him tons of questions.

I notice that sports are a huge part of American culture. This kid is known as a elite
athlete and is already getting interview and fame. I connected this
narrative story to the young athletes in today’s America. The media
attention and how everyone wants a piece of the next big thing in
sports. Overall, sports are of American culture. The teen sensation
eventually becomes a superstar and turns out to be professional
basketball player. The cycle of how a kid becomes a part of the
American dream.

Rewrite:How I See It

Since I was a little
kid ,I always hated school, waking up at the crack dawn and being
bored as hell. My favorite subjects were lunch, gym, and recess
because that’s when I actually enjoyed school.  As I got older my
parents explained to me how important college was. After, reading “A
Different Education: Compost and Community, Not Literacy” by Ari
LeVaux, I sat back and started to reflect on my life and thought
about what would I be without education. Can you see the world
without education? I can’t, the world wouldn’t be as advance as it is
and I would be just wasting my life but not trying to better myself.
Knowledge is the key to success in life and in order to gain
knowledge you would need an education.  I am fighting for extending
mine mind and reaching out to get a education of any kind. I will be
pointing out some arguments from “A Different Education: Compost
and Community, Not Literacy” by Ari LeVaux.

I didn’t take school seriously or believe in learning all I can. As I got older, I
began to value education as the most important thing you can get in
the world. Without having an education you can’t do much because you
need a high school diploma at least. A lot of my friends from high
school didn’t attend college and decided to go into the work force.
Working at an McDonald’s all my life isn’t a American Dream to me. I
believe that we should go after a higher education to perusing a
better life. Education and knowledge has changed the world. I can
reach my goals of becoming successful by continuing to attending
school. Being successful is achieving a higher goal like attaining
wealth and positions. LeVaux believes in street smarts rather than
book smarts. His view on education is learning a skill as an
alternative of reading a text or studying for test. Instead, the
students at Blair Grocery learn life skills, their students learn how
to planted vegetables like sprouts, harvested okra and figs, and
screened potting soil.  Many teens don’t get involve with things such
as gardening learning a skill like this and helping the community is
awesome. Blair Grocery doesn’t have any credibility. “The school is
not accredited, and many of its students can’t read. Learning to read
is not mandatory, says the school’s founder, Nat Turner.” I
disagree with people who view this as an education or so called
school. The text states that the school is not accredited so what’s
the point of this education if you can’t get a diploma.  The school
doesn’t have any credibility so you can’t venture off to another
farmland. Something that is even more outrageous is that you don’t
need to read in order to attend this school. I feel like you can’t
better yourself at Blair Grocery. It’s like being in one grade your
entire life.  It also says that the students can’t even read. While
reading this reminds me of this quote my grandfather use to say,

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime.” I feel like teaching teen how to
plant their own food is valuable but this skill how get them far in
life. You can feed yourself and your community but what happen if
another hurricane comes. You won’t be able to farm or have any source
of income. Farming crops can also get dry or the food can get  ruin
by other animals. Without learning how to read and write you won’t
be able to get ahead in life. Students wouldn’t be able get a regular
job, attend college, or read simple things. You think to yourself,
“Is education that important?” Now think to your self can I
survive with an education? In certain parts of the country you can’t
plant crops all year round. Students will need to know how to fill
out a job application.

Blair Grocery is holding students back from
the real world. Everywhere I look its a sign or instructions on how
to do something. By getting a higher education will give you access
to more types of work and access to a higher paying job. The more
education a person has the more opportunity one can have.  I attend
Northern Illinois University to seek a higher education and hoping to
learn something new every day. At Blair Grocery you couldn’t expand
on your knowledge. You can say that you can learn more than going to
a traditional versus going to Blair Grocery.  Education allows a
person to function better with the changes of the world. Today’s
economy isn’t going to hired someone without some type of education
or diploma.

 

Team America

While watching television I notice that sports are everywhere. I was watching ESPN then start flipping the channel. I stop at the NFL network to see the top ten plays of Sunday games. After that I change it to the news at the end they were talking about NBA lockout after that a Gatorade commercial came on. At that moment, I thought to myself and realize sports are a huge part of my life. I came to the conclusion that sports are a part of American culture. So for my final prompt project, I decided to do my topic on sports in American culture. This topic interests me because I grew up playing basketball, baseball, football, and wanting to become a professional athlete. I meet a numerous amount of friends and learn so many life lessons while playing sports. I truly love watching or playing sports till this day. My objective on this research paper is to inform readers on how much sports influence Americans and the general public. I just want to explain how sports are a part of our society and how it is.

To help me get my point across I have search for sources. I came across a couple articles about American culture and sports on the web. I rented a book, Sport In America Culture by Joyce Duncan that explains how sports are a part of our culture. Duncan also talks about athletes as symbolic heroes, leaders, and sports changing American life. One of the articles I found called Today’s American sports culture is out of bounds by Bill Gallo isn’t happy with sports in American culture. Gallo isn’t a fan with how sports athletes are look as icons or role models. The next article I discover Sport and Visions of the “American Century” by Mark Dyreson. Dyreson explains how sports play a significant role in 1899 when Theodore Roosevelt was president. This last article I just came across is name Sports Crazy by Mike Tharp and Josh Chetwynd . This fascinating article talks about how crazy American fans are and the influence sports have. With having these sources and adding on more I believe I will have a better chance of reaching the readers.

The ethos of my research paper is basically sources I have search and found with my opinions. The sources my journal articles used were from Sports Crazy, Today’s American sports culture is out of bounds , Sport and Visions of the “American Century” , and Sports in American Culture.

How I See It

 

How I See It

            Since a little kid I always hated school,waking up at the crack dawn and being bored as hell. My favorite subject was lunch, gym, and recess because thats when I actually enjoy school.  My parents always wanted me to go to college. My mother graduated from Robert Morris College and my father went to a trade school. For the past couple of weeks I have been reading some interesting essays from  several  unique authors. One day I sat back and start to reflect on my life and thought what would I be without education or how would the world work.  Can you see the world without education? I couldn’t even imagine because education has done so much since . The world wouldn’t be as advance as it is and I would be just wasting my life but not trying to better myself. Knowledge is the key and in order to gain knowledge you would need a education.  I am fighting for extending your mind and reaching out to get a education of any kind. I will be pointing out some arguments from “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address” by Ursula K. Le Guin.

 

I can’t even lie I didn’t take school seriously or believe in learning all I can. As I got older I value education as the most important thing you can get  in the world. Without having a education were can you go now in days. Not to far because you need a high school diploma at least . A lot of my friends from high school didn’t attend college and decided to go into the work force. Working at a McDonald’s all my life isn’t a American Dream to me . I believe that we should go after a higher education to pursing a better life. Education has got us this far and if we continue to go on we can created a world full of smart individuals. You think to yourself is education that important? Now think to yourself can I survive with a education? I attend Northern Illinois University to seek a higher education and hoping to learn everything possible. “Thinking about what I should say to you made me think about what we learn in college; and what we unlearn in college; and then how we learn to unlearn what we learned in college and relearn what we unlearned in college, and so on”(Le Guin pg1).  I agree with Le Giun hundred percent. I learn so much in my life that I  unlearn it and learn it again. Some things you won’t forget like colors, the alphabetic, and  how to tie you shoe.  Some of the college courses like history and math we learn but we have to relearn again. Le Guin was talking about the power of language which she calls  father tongue the social power.  Once I hear of the word social I think of  my space,  face book, cell phones, emails, and  all the different ways I communicate. Thanks to education we all can have that social power thought out the social network . Education gives the world tons way of communication with each others.

With gaining Knowledge you achieve a lot in the world. Another interesting quote “It is a language always on the verge of silence and often on the verge of song. It is the language stories are told in. It is the language spoken by all children and most women, and so I call it the mother tongue, for we learn it from our mothers and speak it to our kids”(Le Guin pg2). At first I didn’t understand what Le Guin was talking about. What was mother tongue? It was the opposite of father tongue it was the typical way we speak everyday. On the other hand father tongue is the way I learn how to write and speak the proper english. Father tongue doesn’t have any emotions or expressions. Everyday most people use mother tongue over father tongue because of the qualities of it.

What I am trying to say is that you can’t just be happy with having mother tongue and father tongue you should want to expand on your knowledge. You can say that you can learn more things without education but would it be valuable for your future. The world wouldn’t be the same without education and that why I am in college. I want to get further in my education so I can change the society and contribute to my community. By showing kids that knowledge is the key to your dreams. My grandfather would always say, “ Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Now I understand that quote was about you helping other with your knowledge of things.

Work Cited:Le Guin, Ursula K. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address.” Web.

Look What I Found!

While looking for sources for my proposal and the final project I turn to the web.
First, I went to Google and type in sports. The first site to pop up
is ESPN:The Worldwide Leader In Sports so I click it.  My eye were
drawn to the scoreboard with the MLB( Major League Baseball) scores
of every game played. Above the scoreboard is pop -ups of the
baseball games then the time teams play. To the right side of the
page I see the top headlines of sports under that is chase bank ads.
To the left is top stories of sports and all of the football games
schedule for Sunday. I  double click and watch  sportscenter’s
video of the top ten plays of the week. At the very bottom its more
sports like golf, tennis, boxing and etc.

So I went deeper into the
website and click on theNFL: Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
inside. It had a article saying how the Bear’s offensive line has to
be great in order for them to win. For the Packers the article
basically said they will win. I click on more things like the NBA
(National Basketball Assiocation). The NBA  top stories was that its
still a lockout. Forty-three pre-season games has been canceled and
the NBA season is at risk. I watch a couple highlights from a
baseball  game and realize the ads for ESPN radio and television.
Soon after that I figure out what the ethos for the audience is.

The site’s visual elements help users that never been on ESPN ‘s website find what they
are looking for on the main page or you can use the search bar . If I
only was looking for UFC fights I could type it in the search bar
within seconds.  They are helping users and the audience by making
everything right in front of you and easy . ESPN’s site cleverly made
the main page of the website including all of the sports a person
would want. The website has a my ESPN where you can create and
customize your favorite teams. Also, the website promotes ESPN the
radio and television. The site’s visual elements are design for the
audience that loves sports 24/7. The site has a radio show and a TV
show for the audience. I made this conclusion by all the information
they give for other ways I can be connect to ESPN. I can watch it on
ESPN or listen to there radio station. Overall, ESPN is making sports
lovers and others lives easy with the website.

Moving On

One of my colleagues says, “Good morning boss” as I walk through the door. I enter my office and start up the computer. I was shock as I read an email from a college friend. I start to reminisce about all the great times I had in that small populated cornfield town. Some days would be boring and just awful and then other days would be parties and excitement. Now twenty-nine going on thirty, I can’t believe how time flies. I haven’t been in Illinois since I moved five years ago. I never knew how much I love college.