Growing Up as an All-American Kid :: Personal Narrative Football Sports Essays

Growing Up as an All-American Kid Growing up is not an easy thing to do. You have no idea what is going on with your body, your emotions change at the drop of a hat, and you sometimes wonder what the point of life is. However, what you do know is that Mercer is planning a party after the game Friday night and you need to be there. This is the way I seem to remember high school when I think about it for a brief second. However, when I sit down and actually give it some thought, I realize that there is so much more about those years I have forgotten about--all of the little things that happened to everyone everyday and those major events that seemed to change my life. Everything that went into making us All-American kids. Growing up in a small mid-western town was exactly like a lot of people imagine it to be. The years kept passing by, but it seemed like nothing ever changed. We went to school, played sports, chased girls, worked on our friend’s father’s farms, and talked about how we couldn’t wait until we graduated so that we could finally move out. Even though we were growing up in a typical town and living typical high school lives, it seemed like so much more. No one cared about anything except what they were going to do that night and there wasn’t a thing anyone could do about it. We were young and alive. I think my football coach referred to it as, â€Å"Being full of piss and vinegar.† Maybe we were, and we might have bitched and moaned, but deep down inside I think we loved every minute of it. From proms and parties, secret crushes and that first kiss, to shooting pool and playing video games, there was always something going on. For me it was as simple as sitting on my best friend’s roof smoking a cigar in the middle of winter, or as difficult as hugging one of my best female friend’s on my front porch while she cried because she was seventeen years old and had just had an abortion. No one knew what was going to happen next, and I think that was part of what made life seem so invigo rating.

The Synthesis of Knowledge :: Mind Mental Knowing Knowledge Essays

The Synthesis of Knowledge "Society values mental labor more highly than manual labor." This is a claim that Ruth Hubbard makes in her essay "Science, Facts, and Feminism." This claim suggests that those who are the thinkers, the innovators, the inventors, and the great minds are highly valued by society; however, those who are the doers, the laborers, the hand-crafters, and the workers are not valued as greatly. Hubbard implies that society regards mental labor as more important than manual labor because it requires more specifically human qualities. Knowledge making is one of these specifically human qualities. Mental laborers and manual laborers are distinguished by this knowledge making process. For Hubbard’s claim to have meaning, there are assumptions that must underpin the claim. First, society must value labor. Labor must be something usable in society. A distinction between manual labor and mental labor must exist. A line must be drawn as to what makes mental labor mental and manual labor manual. There exists a specifically human quality, like knowledge making, which classifies the mental and manual laborers. Labor must exist in society to place value upon it. One also must assume that the more knowledge making ability one has, the more successful one can potentially be. These assumptions must be accounted for, for the claim to have any validity. This claim, to me, explains what can be said about the value of knowledge making and experience. Knowledge making is valued greatly by society and society values those who posses this knowledge making ability. Knowledge comes from personal experience and these experiences make that person more intelligent. One makes a decision, and then one learns from the consequences of that decision resulting in more apprehension. An example of building knowledge making is when a small child touches a hot pan on the stove and gets burnt. This child’s knowledge making has increased and the child knows to never touch a pan on the stove without proper protection. Book knowledge is another important element. This type of knowledge can be defined from what results in a college degree, a doctorate, or just a secondary degree of education. One must have base comprehension of empirical insight. Mental laborers have this intuitive synthesis of knowledge where manual laborers do not posses as much. An example of this book knowledge is taking a course in trigonometry and how it affects future comprehension. With trigonometry learned, mathematical calculus can be more easily learned.

From a Chinese Perspective

Contemporary Art in China unravels as a budding butterfly out of its cocoon. Years of militant ruling and the imposition of state-centered concepts made contemporary art mundane and stagnant. At the onset of globalization, modern artists from China found more room to wiggle as they begin to showcase their talents in a more matured Chinese setting. Unable to resist the pressures of globalization, Chinese modern art has slowly opened up to the challenge set by global competitors as it hones its craft into the local and international scene with a distinctive Chinese mark. This new found freedom has resulted in emboldening Chinese artists to meld different mediums and points of view into their artwork, creating a time capsule that pays homage to the past and elucidates the future. Most of the world renowned Chinese artists such as Zhang Xiaogang, Zhang Huan, Ai Weiwei and Liu Xiaodong have made themselves visible because of their unique perspectives about Chinese life and I do not think that their creative impact would have been grand if it did not involve a disturbing quality, especially a distorted one. The function of these artists was not merely to beautify the tedious surroundings of modern China but to diversify its angle on Chinese culture, unfettered from the shackles of its restrictive past. In this respect, I believe that the responsibility of the contemporary artist lies in creating ripples within their immediate environment. I also deem that contemporary artists also have the opportunity to make use of modern tools in order to produce an artwork that is relevant in today’s society of technological advancement and multiculturalism. I have had the prospect of visiting the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai recently wherein the current theme was â€Å"Couples in Contemporary Art†. It featured the artworks of 15 coupled artists in celebration of their varied outlook on gender and power relations between sexes. The artworks exhibited the use of different materials and mediums such as acrylic on canvas, watercolor on marble, bronze and stainless steel sculptures, ceramic and mineral color on silk among other things. I was specifically entranced by the works of the couple Chen Xioadan and Yang Jianping as they used bones and Silica gel for their artworks. It was the first time I had ever seen an exhibition wherein couples were involved so it was very interesting to see the polarities in their viewpoints. Another art showcase that I am very fond of is the selected paintings of Zhang Xiaogang in Charles Saatchi’s gallery. Although I have not been to London, I have seen some of his paintings online and in magazines and I believe his artworks depict our cultural past in its barest form. His paintings merge Asian and European techniques through his use of surrealism and portrait like images of the Chinese family. These artworks incorporate the aesthetics of traditional Chinese charcoal drawings, which give off hues of grey, black and white. A likeness to old photo studio shots, it illustrates the continuous link of the past to the present. The paintings demonstrate a timeless appeal that places emphasis on genealogical roots as each character is a mirror image of another, distinguished only by certain features or marks. The occasional interruption of such marks and colors indicate a focal viewpoint that Zhang had intended for the observer to ponder. The dream-like distortions of Zhang’s paintings signify a complex psychological dimension of Chinese culture in the past, as can be observed in the way the body parts were portrayed such as characters with big heads and eyes and small arms. These suggest narrative readings about personality and a claustrophobic sense of self as images distort the cultured past. Learning about Zhang’s artworks being patronized by people all over the world made me realize how China has matured in order to allow artists like Zhang to represent the country in the world of art. If it were not for globalization, many creative talents from China would still be bottled up in a trend of conformity. Outside influences has greatly affected the crafting of contemporary art in China, which has placed Chinese artists at par with their foreign counterparts. This is why I believe that being exposed to an environment where diversity of culture is encouraged and established among daily interactions could bolster the creative identity of an artist. Constructing art and interpreting its parameters establishes a concrete notion of the abstract realm. As an artist seeking approval from his or her peers, I regard that such activities that expand one’s knowledge would also be culturally beneficial since I would be able to acculturate myself to the modern ways of western thinking and at the same time, impart my Chinese heritage to the fellow artists that I come into contact with. I trust that the network of people that will cross my path would also be able to contribute in strengthening cordial relations between the Chinese and the Americans. I believe that change is important for the growth of an individual artist as that is how creative identity is isolated and constructed. It would be interesting to see and learn from the different viewpoints and techniques of other artists, as well as the opportunity to handle challenges found in a multicultural setting. Such experiences will surely create an impression on my worldview as a Chinese and as a budding artist.

Descartes’ Discourse on the Method Essay

None of the proposed philosophical theories is exact, not even a combination of two or more theories (Sayre, 2011). However, Descartes has unique way of metaphysical argument concerning existence of God. Descartes’ Discourse on the Method (Part IV) ends surprisingly with a claim of God’s existence, which can be deduced from the interrelationship between mind, soul and our existence. Descartes began the fourth section by discussing about himself. The reading up to the point where he gives credit to a supreme being, God, could only suggest that Descartes was discussing about his philosophical thought about his being as a man. However, the discourse twist came when he inferred, â€Å"something indeed having every perfection of which I could have any idea, that is—to explain myself in one word—by God† (Bennett, 2007, p. 16). After this inference, the discourse changed to one that discussed the existence of God. It was at this point that it became clear that the ending would be more of God’s existence rather than a conclusion of Descartes as a human being. The change of discourse from exploration of self to a proof of God’s existence through personal evaluation was indeed an ingenious thought. Most of the times we try to prove existence of God or lack thereof by evaluating what are outside us. However, Descartes made a self-evaluation on intrinsic values of himself as a human being. By deconstructing his strengths and limitations, he was able to realize a fair conclusion about the existence of a supreme being, which we refer to as God. Therefore, the ending was different but offered a concise conclusion on God’s existence despite starting on a different discourse. References Bennett, J. (2007). Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting one’s Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/pdf/descdisc.pdf Sayre, H. (2011). The Humanities Culture, Continuity, and Change: New York: Pearson College Div.

Analysing Strategic Management and Leadership

Analysing Strategic Management and Leadership This unit is all about strategic management and leadership. This assignment will cover the link between strategic management and leadership style in organisation in different situations. Strategic management and leadership is an ability to anticipate the future requirement that is for an organisation to be proactive in maintaining flexibility, motivation and empower the people to create the strategic change for the growth of organisation. Strategic management is all about shaping strategies and taking important decision for the organisation to survive and to get success in the face of competitive challenges and from other pressures from within and outside organisation. 1.1: Link between Management and Leadership Both word strategic management and leadership are often used interchangeably, although these words actually describe two different concepts. The main aim of management is to maximize the output of organisation through administrative implementation. His functions include; org anizing, planning, directing and controlling. While according to John Kotter (1996)† leadership is the set of practises that create the organisation in first place or adapt them to significantly changing circumstances. Strategic management is a vital area for any organization. It helps to improve an organisational performance and productivity. It is the responsibility of the strategic manger to design strategies for the future needs of the organisation. Designing and setting the plan is the job of strategic managers or we can say strategic management but to bring this plan and design into practice is the job the leadership. Leadership qualities are required to achieve those goals and targets which are set by the strategic management. ‘Central to strategic success is aligning the right leaders with the right skills in the right places at the right times to achieve desired competitive results’ (William J. Rothwell 1999) To run an organisation successfully and get th e goals and objectives of the firm both qualities of a manager and leaders are needed. A manager needs leadership qualities to be effective be and successful in taking initiative while leader needs some management capabilities to run the organisation. It is the job of the strategic manager to decide what they need to do and what they need to avoid to achieve objective in longer term. They make the policies internally and externally to achieve their goals. 1.2: Impact of management and leadership styles on strategic decisions. Management and leadership style play pivotal role on strategic decisions. They make decision according to the expectation of the organisation and their decision always have the support of the team. It is the style of the management and leader which keeps organization moving. Different styles have different type of impact on strategic decision and organisation. For example if we look at the democratic style of management and leadership, in this style management always consult and discuss with their team which makes them feel more responsible and motivates them to work hard. It is the job of strategic manager to decide and make critical decision regarding the future of the organisation. It is the wisdom of the management and leadership that drives the organisation forward. It is their vision which has always great impact on the organisation. Their style of management and leadership plays vital role on the decision making and on the future of the organisation. They should have the style which changes according to the situation, sometime they are very much cooperative and give everybody chance to express but if situation demands them to be more authoritarian they have the style approach and power to change them.

Final Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Final Exam - Essay Example Angela’s Ashes and The Glass Castle are typical examples of memoir. A good memoir must contain a catchy title, a good introduction, plot, a complication to be resolved, striking details, and a major theme. Wang Ping’s (War book) had a particularly impression on me. The book is about forbidden books. Ping tells about his memoir on reading forbidden books with a girl he met one morning. On their first encounter, as Ping reads Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, tears linger in his eyes. Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, must have had contained emotional content to drive both Ping and the girl into tears; this fascinates me. A proposal is a problem-solving task where the writer helps reader understands about a give issue. The effects and causes of a give problem are outlined and suggestions on viable solutions discussed. There are four types of proposals namely, internal, external, grant, and solicited. An internal proposal involves problems facing a give organizat ion or company and solutions to tackle these issues. External proposal involve providing solutions to problem affecting another organization. Grants are same as internal or external proposals only that they are used by nonprofit organizations for obtaining funding. Solicited proposals originate from request of proposals. A proposal contains the introduction where the problem to be solved in introduced. After the introduction, we have the body where the problem is analyzed and a plan on how to solve the problem detailed. Benefits of the solution given are then outlined and a conclusion drawn. An argument, based on Johnson-Sheehan and Paine is defined as a pattern where both sides of a controversial issue are explored and explained in fair fashion. Same sex marriage, gun control, death penalty, or assisted suicide can provide fertile grounds for arguments. Three aspects are fundamental in any argument. First, there must be a statement to be argued about; this is where the writer will advance her thesis statement. The next aspect is exploring the issue and convincing the reader on their point of view while reputing the views of their opponents. Below is an argument on same sex marriage. Marriage has been defined as the basic unit of a family. There are many discussions on marriage, transgendered persons, moral issues, and on whether same sex marriage is right or wrong. Personally, I believe on the tenets of freedom, equality and justice. That said, I think that same sex marriage is not only wrong, it undermines the family unit of father, mother and children. Those who advocate for same sex marriage typically do not have the idea of an ideal society in mind. Though anyone should love whoever they like, when it come to marriage marrying a person of your own sex is plain wrong. The basis of marriage is to continue a person lineage and thus survival of human kind. If a good portion of the population marries people of their own sexes, chances are that after an extende d period, the human race will be extinct. Some, may argue that they could adapt or procurer artificial insemination. Well both of these techniques are unnatural and often quite expensive and may not be viable for everyone. Also, when God created man, he intended him to get married to a woman. By marrying a person of their own, a person commits sin. This is virtually the case for almost all major religions. That said, I think that clergymen conducting same sex marriages are misleading their congregation. Same sex

Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased Essay

Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased - Essay Example In the modern world it is quite observant that teenagers consume more alcohol compared to an adult. There are strict laws in place regarding consumption of alcohol before attaining a minimum age still most of the college students have made consumption of alcohol a new trend in the society. Many people argue in favor of consumption of alcohol after attaining a certain age but the dangerous effects of alcohol consumption is significant. Alcohol consumption is highly dangerous for teenagers as well as adults because consumption of alcohol increases the flow of blood from the heart to other parts of the body (Johnston 5). Due to increase in blood circulation the pulse rate goes high and people become more exited compared to normal state. The high circulation in blood also results in extraction of other body hormones resulting in abnormal secretion of hormone. Excessive drinking results in high blood pressure and it can be dangerous for a person’s health if blood pressure always remains at a high state. High blood pressure can cause several neurological diseases. Due to high flow of blood in the brain and other parts of body the brain starts behaving abnormally. This abnormality reflects in a person’s behavioral characteristics. If a person consumes more alcohol he/she starts losing out control of anger. Adults who consume alcohol on a regular basis should remember that alcohol can cause serious health p roblems if consumed at a large scale. Teenagers attaining age 16 or above mostly have a tendency to consume alcohol with friends in unsafe places. Alcohol has many disastrous effects starting from stomach infection to kidney and liver failure. Alcohol is available in different compositions in market today. They are some medicinal effects of alcohol especially in case of heart problems. Since alcohol has a tendency to increase the flow of blood hence it can be used for proper blood circulations at times. However doctors strictly mention that