True Enough

After reading the first 25 pages of True Enough, written by Farhad Manjoo, I find the book to be pretty interesting. One of the first arguments presented to the reader was a political based argument, and I instantly felt as though I was going to struggle reading this book. When I usually listen or read about political arguments I find that I become bored very easily. However, I did find the argument presented in the first chapter to be extremely interesting. I particularly enjoyed reading about the idea that reality is no longer a common fact. Everybody can have a different perception of what is real, and that perception is most often shaped by one's beliefs.
After thinking about the chapter I had read I felt as though I now have a reason for why I do not enjoy political arguments. It is not that I don't think they are beneficial, but if each person has a different perception of what is real it is difficult for these arguments to hold a meaningful purpose. It seems as though people are no longer interested in finding the facts, but they are more interested in making them fit into their own beliefs and ideals.

Bullet Proof Football Helmets

Just a few short weeks ago a common occurrence took place when Eagles quarterback, Micheal Vick, suffered from a concussion. The fact that football players will receive concussions when they play is not a new idea, but the amount of awareness in the area is new. For example, Vick was forced to undergo several impact based test and balance testing before he was allowed to participate in the game the following week. This has become the norm not only in professional sports, but high school and college as well. It is now a rarity that players return to action while still recovering from concussion symptoms.
Another amazing component to to Vick's quick return is the role technology is playing in helping improve player safety. Concussions are such a serious issue now that Vick was fitted for a helmet which would include Kevlar. Kevlar is a bullet proof material often used in making helmets for the military, however, concussion safety has become such a growing concern that it is becoming more visible in sports. In fact, several hockey players who have suffered from multiple concussions are said to have Kevlar  in their helmets. Whether the Kevlar helps reduce the number of concussion athletes obtain in sports is not the most important thing here. What is important is that there continues to be a growing awareness and concern for player safety.

1984: A Survival Story

The novel 1984, written by George Orwell, should undoubtedly be read more than once in order to fully understand the meaning of the story. Being a first time reader I find it difficult for myself to determine the true purpose of the novel. However, after evaluating the stories main characters, Winston and Julia, the best way I can explain the purpose of the novel is by considering it a survival story. By living in a society that is under the watch of “Big Brother” at all times Winston and Julia must force themselves to fit in with the rest of the party members. On the other hand they also have a desire to find a meaningful purpose in life which in many ways can be considered a contradiction to the survive at all cost mentality they have throughout the early part of the novel. The way each of these characters think and act throughout the novel changes dramatically, but all their actions ultimately stem from the idea of survival.

            Early in the novel the definition of survival is clear: Do not get vaporized. Winston and all other party members including Julia must accept everything about the party. This includes accepting the constant lies they are told about history and war as well as avoiding any personal pleasures such as sex. Whether a party member believes in what they are told to do really is not an issue because they must fit in if they want to survive. The idea of conforming in order to fit in is best stated by Julia when she says “I always carry one end of the banner in processions. I always look cheerful and I never shirk anything.  Always yell with the crowd, that’s what I say. It’s the only way to be safe.” (p. 124)As the reader later finds out, nothing makes Julia more happy than revolting against the party, but in order to do so she must also be able to fit in a survive. Like Julia everybody fears being vaporized, as a result carefully follows the rules of the party. It is the clearest example of what it takes to survive, but things ultimately become more complicated when characters such as Winston and Julia question the meaning of life.

            Every human has the desire to find meaning in their life. In the novel 1984 the party attempts to eliminate any such desires. However, about midway through the novel it seems as though Winston and Julia decide that in order to survive these desires must be fulfilled. Although this idea may seem to contradict the idea of following every party rule in order to avoid being vaporized it is still a method of personal survival. For Winston life is not worth living if he does not find a purpose for it. He decides that his purpose in life is to revolt against the party, and in many ways it takes over his life. For example, the description of Winston’s health explains how his rebellion is helping him survive. The passage says “seven times they met during the month of June. Winston had dropped the habit of drinking gin at all hours. He seemed to have lost the need for it… The process of life had ceased to be intolerable.” (p. 153)With this passage it seems as though Winston found a way to manage both methods of survival and not only stay alive, but also maintain value in life.

            Although Winston’s need to find meaning in life ultimately backfires I believe he could not live without fulfilling those personal desires. In my mind Winston would have given up.  The novel 1984 is not simply a story of how to survive, but also a story of finding a reason to survive. Without having a purpose to live people lose their desire to survive.

Protecting Athletes

Recently the awareness of injuries in sports has become a major topic of discussion. With professional, collegiate, and even high school teams increasing their awareness towards injuries it is important to realize some of the positive changes that have taken place. One of the largest areas of concern in related to this topic is head injuries. Over the past few years concussion awareness has become a larger topic of discussion and we are now seeing the results of those discussions.

Just a couple months ago ESPN reported that the Ivy League implemented several rule changes in order to protect their athletes. The Ivy League’s goal in implementing these rules was to not only limit the number of concussions its football players suffer, but also to limit the over number of blows to the head.

The changes implemented by the Ivy League are not so subtle. For example, the NCAA allows for football teams to participate in full contact practice for up to 5 times a week.  The new Ivy League rule states that the teams involved in the league can only hold full contact practices twice a week. This will undoubtedly change the way coaches game plan throughout the week. More emphasis will likely be placed on film and technique as opposed to the old school way of lining up against each other and banging heads every practice.  What is interesting to see is that coaches seem to have had somewhat of a positive reaction to the rule changes. Although Steve Spurrier does not coach in the Ivy League he gives his opinion when he says “To me, it doesn't make any sense to get your own players hurt in practice. It doesn't make any sense at all. It is somewhat refreshing to hear this publicly from a coach. They idea of them supporting change will allow for an easy transition as the game continues to change.

Another major rule change will take place after each game is played. Similar to the NFL the Ivy League will be reviewing any helmet to helmet hits that might occur during a game. Punishments for these types of hits could include possible suspensions depending on the severity of the hit.

With the rule changes that were implemented it is clear that the Ivy League is serious about limiting the number of serious head injuries in sports. They are forcing coaches and programs to adapt for the greater safety of players, which seems to be the path many major contact sports are taking. There is no doubt that similar rules will continue to arise not only in football, but also in other major contact sports. The safety of athletes is and should be becoming the main concern in sports.

Star Athletes

As a sports ambassador I would like to focus on star athletes and their role in sports. Many times star athletes are treated different whether it be good or bad. For example, some star athletes are put under a microscope when it comes to a media standpoint. Some star athletes are also said to receive different officiating when they play. Other star athletes are paid significantly more money due to the marketability rather than their performance. These are all topics I would like to potentially discuss in this blog.

For my first topic of discussion I would like to speak about Mick Vick and his reemerged status as a star quarterback in the NFL. This topic is always heavily debated, and I would simply like to add my opinion. Personally, I am happy to see Vick doing well. After being in prison for about 2 full years he has once again emerged as a star on the field. In fact, Vick has recently signed a 100 million dollar contract to play for the Philadelphia Eagles for the next 6 years. To add to that he has also regained a few of his larger endorsements such as Nike. However, this is not why I am impressed with Vick. I am a firm believer that everybody deserves a second chance, and I believe Vick is making the best of his. He is not only speaking out against the abuse of animals, but he has changed his entire image. However, there are people who continue to state that Vick is a monster. To me I believe that is a bit extreme. Yes, what he did was terrible, but from what we can see he has changed. That is all I can ask of him. Personally, I believe star athletes deserve the same rights as normal people. He has served his punishment, and now he is making the most out of his opportunity.

Response to After Class, Skimpy Equality

After reading this article I found myself thinking about my own personal experiences. Although I have just arrived as a freshman on a college campus I believe this article was also relevant to my high school experience. Similar to the article, in my experiences the men tend to be the host of the larger parties, however, I always found that women controlled the general theme of the party often times setting the tone by the way they dressed. Nobody told the girls to dress a certain way, but they usually still showed up wearing “slutty” clothing. That is what I find the most interesting about this article. Although the men from the fraternity are wrong for saying the women must dress a particular way in order to attend the party women still attended the party in slutty clothing. So who is to blame? I believe it is the women. If women feel as though attending such parties is detrimental to women’s equality then they should simply not attend them. Personally I feel as though men desire women more than women desire men. For that reason I agree with Jared Griffin in that women hold the power not the men. As I stated before, if women find it to be wrong or disgusting in anyway they should really blame themselves before they look to destroy such men’s fraternities. If they do so men would quickly give them the respect they say they are looking for.

Mountains Beyond Mountains Question Response

It would be extremely difficult to say that any normal individual can replicate the extraordinary things Doctor Paul Farmer did. Although “normal people” have indeed contributed to society in extraordinary ways throughout history I find that Paul Farmer is different in that he made doing great things for the less fortunate his life mission. His dedication and determination in achieving his goal is simply something I cannot call normal. For example, I find that normal people set goals that are often easier to achieve. Realistically Paul Farmer cannot cure all of the less fortunate of their diseases, but it certainly does not stop him from attempting to do so. A passage found in Mountains Beyond Mountains that displays Farmer’s abnormal dedication comes early in the story when Farmer says “I can’t sleep. There’s always somebody not getting treatment. I can’t stand that.” (p. 24) This passage makes Farmer seem as though he is a saint which certainly would not be considered normal. For the most part, normal people tend to do great things when the results can benefit them in some way. Instead Farmer sacrifices his own health for the health of less fortunate individuals. Another example of Farmer’s dedication is his relationship with women and his family. He basically neglects any form of affection he may desire and focuses on the goal he has set. Any normal individual would have to fill these needs for love and affection in some way.

After hearing Tracy Kidder speak about Farmer I find Farmer to be even more extraordinary than I previously believed. The most interesting thing that the author from Mountains Beyond Mountains said was that he could not find a single person that disliked Farmer. Although he said that he found people that disagreed with him he also said everybody he spoke to respected him. For any normal individual there will always be people that dislike that person. It is the way life works. Humans are not meant to like everybody, but Farmer has through his work found a way for everybody to respect him and what he does.