Moral Myopia vs. Moral Muteness

The sport industry has become a huge part of the entertainment industry because it is filled with drama and scandals. There have been many controversies that have rocked the sport industry like the OJ Simpson murder trial, Tiger Wood’s many affairs, and the Michael Vick dog fighting ring. From the outside it appears that the industry handles these situations with moral myopia because everyone frowns upon the actions of these athletes. In reality everyone wants their team to win and seems to be extremely forgiving causing moral muteness. For example, Michael Vick led a dog fighting ring, failed a drug test while on bail, and served 21 months in jail. After his release he signed with the Eagles and is making millions. Did we forget what he did or just forgive him because we want to see him play? It infuriates me that he can kill hundreds of animals for fun and then we are going to support his behavior by allowing him back in the league. I understand that everyone deserves a second chance but when does it cross the line?

What is a Wingman?

Are your good looks, charm, and outgoing personality not helping you land the guy or girl of your dreams? Do you constantly find yourself as the third wheel at the end of the night? Then maybe your love life needs a wingman. I have seen many successful people who needed a wingman. Scotty Pippen to your Michael Jordan, Robin to Batman, Kenan and Kel, and Goose to your Maverick.  Even some of the most successful people in history have always thrived with a sidekick by their side. A wingman is important to successfully initiating a relationship with the person of your dreams. Wingmanlaws.com explains that this concept dates back to WWI when pilots found that attacking in formations provided more support than attacking a target on their own.  Over the next decade, the concept of the wingman has been translated into social terms.  The most famous duo that helped coin the term wingman is from the 1986 blockbuster hit, Top Gun. The charaters Maverick and Goose played by Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards were not only wingmans in the airspace, but also in social situations.  Hence, coining the term “wingman” and allowed it to evolve into the social phenomenon it is today.  In one scene, located in a bar, Maverick tries to seduce a woman by singing her, “ You’ve lost that lovin feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. Goose, in true wingman fashion, was right by his side singing along with him.  A true wingman understands that two is better then one when it comes to alehouse serenades. When choosing a wingman one must understand the mission at hand and always lets you get first dibs but will still chat it up with the potential interested friends.The best wingman will take one for the team so you can live the dream.

Spilling The Beans

I was in Starbucks line the other day standing next to a man in hospital scrubs. The line was long so I started to dissect him. He was probably 6 ft tall, no wedding ring, on the younger side and pretty good looking. That is what I thought until he ordered a Vanilla Latte and a donut. I couldn't help but judge him by his order. I began to wonder, can you judge someone by their coffee order? This summer I interned in a corporate office setting. Every morning I would get a cup of coffee and put 2 sugar packets and creamer in my cup. I was pinned as an intern just by what I drank. The people who I sat around drank their coffee black and I aspired to do so to fit in. Black coffee signifies that you're an experienced coffee drinker as well as experienced in the work field. I tried so hard to drink black coffee but I don't think I will be able to drink it in the near future. Maybe when the work world steals my soul I will drink it. But until then I will ordered my Pumpkin Spice Latte ( in a mug of course) and breakfast burrito and hoped to be judged as festive and fun!

" What is diversity?" - Ron Burgundy

Whenever I tell someone I interned at ESPN and I aspire to work there, their response is “ you’re going to be the next Erin Andrews?” I first took it as a compliment because Erin Andrews is beautiful, articulate, and well known in the sports industry. Erin became more popular when a stalker put a camera in her hotel room and videotaped her getting ready naked and leaked in on the internet. She was labeled as a slut and accused of knowing that it was happening to become famous. This was an invasion of her privacy and you can still find pictures of her naked on the internet.  She has also been given the name “the sideline siren”.

The more I thought about it the more it concerned me. People associate Erin Andrews with sports because she is pretty instead of being known for her talents as a reporter and knowledge of the sports industry. I have wondered if this is a bad thing or if it is a step in the right direction for women in the sports industry. There are many other reporters that work for ESPN, CBS, and Fox Sports that aren’t as recognized. Is it because they aren’t as pretty as Erin or because they don’t do a good of a job? If a man was to say that he wanted to work at ESPN the first question someone would ask him was, “ what do you want to do?” instead of “do you want to be on camera?” I want to make a statement that there is a place for women in the sports industry that is not just in front of the camera. 

School Is For Fools

I have taken some amazing college courses and some pretty awful ones. As a student in The New College I have the freedom to create my own major and shape my curriculum. I work closely with my advisor and pick out classes that are the most interesting to me and that pertain to my major. The New College understands that each student is unique, and that students are capable of accepting much of the responsibility for their own learning. Although I have the freedom to select my own core courses, I still had to take the University's required classes like history and science. Those were my least favorite classes because I didn't want to be there, my other classmates didn't want to be, and the teachers never seemed to want to be there either. If none of us are enjoying it or taking anything out of it and learning, why are we all wasting our time and money? I am a firm believer that you will try and do better if you care about what you are learning. I have an appreciation for other departments on campus but I believe that students would receive a better and more personalized degree without required courses.

When I Grow Up

 
If money was not a factor in what I would do for a living I would probably be a history tour guide. I am the biggest history nerd. This summer I interned in Connecticut and was surrounded by tons of historical places. Every weekend I would take a train to a different city and explore. My favorite city was Salem, Massachusetts because it was the city that the witch trials took place. I was able to see the House of Seven Gables, houses that inspired the Parker Brothers board games such as Monopoly and CLue, and went on a witch ghost tour ( with a real wicken) . I am from Orlando, Florida and I don't like to be "touristy" because I am bombarded with tourists everywhere I go, but I went into every gift shop and bought every souvenir. I think it would be fun to dress up like a character and take other history nerds on tours... well for a little bit.

Gangsta Paradise

Do you ever listen to music and think you know the lyrics-- or you make up your own words? When I later find out  what the lyrics are actually saying I am usually surprised. I was listening to some rap music and some of the lyrics are about shooting people and sex.  Like other genres, musicians in rap and hip-hop have to fulfill certain requirements to been seen as genuine and credible. For example in 50 Cents song “ Wanksta”, he raps “You said you a gangster but you never pop nuttin', We said you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'”. If they were rapping about their life on the street selling drugs, shooting people, and having sex with many women you would expect them to be rapping about their reality not fiction. These qualifications are not usually legal, but consumers associate rap artists with this lifestyle. If these artists are really writing about their life on the streets, is this considered a creative piece of work? In every genre there is an expected image that musicians are supposed to uphold. Rap has transformed and grown to the dislike of many fans.