I'm a Lucky Guy

I thought I would blog about something other than Junior Theme for a change. It was just yesterday afternoon in Orland Park, IL when I realized how lucky I am. I was in Orland Park for baseball game against Sandburg High School. They were ranked 8th in the state and we were 17th. We ended up slaughtering them 12-1 in 5 innings. It wasn't the game that made me feel lucky, but it was during the national anthem when it struck me. I was lined up on the 1st base lie with my team listening to the song we call our national anthem and I looked down the line of my teammates and saw a bunch of lucky guys playing the sport they love. The best part of it all is that we are able to play for New Trier, the program with them most wins in the state of Illinois. I am so lucky to live in the community I do, have the friends I have, and the opportunities I am given in this school. It all came to me at that moment when I finally realized there are a bunch of people who don't have a percent of what I have and they still live their lives to the fullest. It really shocked me to think about teenagers in third world countries and even in Illinois who live under the poverty line and still live each day. I am going to continue to think about what privileges I am given and also, if I am having a bad day I can just tell myself it's not so bad and stop feeling sorry for myself. 

Junior Theme, Over and Over again

It's another day in the library and again working on the big JT. My junior theme is starting to get its wheels turning. I have around 7 sources so far and I am starting think about my body paragraphs. I still have some reading to do in my book Forty Million Dollars Slaves. I first read the chapter that directly correlates to MLB. Now I am reading about black players in the NFL and NBA. this book is very interesting; it discusses the early creation and integration of black athletes in these other sports. I have to continue to read my book and other articles about my topic. I will continue to update the status of my Junior Theme.

Stay class North Shore.

What 09' Brings Us: April Edition

Another month, another preview. I only have two more months until school is over. This month should be a great month for many reasons besides temperatures rising. I know I am a little late on this edition but a few days never hurt anyone. I am going to focus on the GM issue, MLB starts up, and of course Junior Theme. The current debacle with GM is very interesting to me. With Obama firing the president of GM and hiring another man is kind of crazy. Even though I am an Obama fan, I wasn't sure about this decision because it made him seem like he had too much power. I want to see how this new guy does in his first month as a Pres. of GM. My next topic is the MLB. The time for too high of expectations, rain-outs, and hopes for greatness. Just two games in to the regular season and we've already seen uncharacteristic offense and pitching from certain teams. As for the Cubs, we have seen solid pitching but no the dominant line-up we North Siders were hoping for. Kosuke Fukudome is terrible. I wasn't expecting anything else. Last year he had a solid start offensively and now he just can't hit. Like i said before, we can't form too many opinions because we are only two games into the year. Last but definitely not least, the JUNIOR THEME. On April 2nd I was handed a sheet of paper that explained my Junior Theme. Former students of New Trier have all gone through this rigorous process. If you read my previous post then you know all about my topic. I am excited for this because I get to write about baseball, which I am passionate about. It is only a month long so It is not like my whole year is down the tubes. I have to buckle down and get work done. I have to leave you all now and start working on that. Hope you all have a good April and a great 09'.
Stay classy North Shore.

Where'd You Go?

As a sports enthusiast, I wanted to do my Junior Theme on a sports relevant topic. That was the easy part. The harder part was figuring out which sport I wanted to write about. The first topic I wanted to investigate the 1980 Winter Olympics, specifically the hockey team. Miracle is my favorite movie and I wanted to learn more about that improbable gold medal for the hockey team. Once Doc OC denied me from that topic I moved to Baseball. I immediately switched to the serious decline in black American ball players. I am currently studying this topic and I have read numerous articles, Forty Million Dollar Slaves, and have listened to a NPR podcast. In all of these forms of media, they have all said that the decline of these black baseball players is from economic standpoint. It has been noticed that less and less black athletes are playing baseball past the age of 12. These athletes are ending their baseball careers because many of these boys are from lower class areas and money is an issue. With money being an issue, college is always a tough monetary hit. Scholarships are always wanted by these athletes, but baseball is very strict on giving out scholarships. Unlike football and basketball which dish out scholarships to kids like Bill Gates does to charities. Inner city kids have noticed that and masses of them have dropped baseball and focused on basketball or football. Another reason for this decline is the availability of fields in comparison to basketball. for basketball all you need is a hoop and a ball, unlike baseball where you need a bat, multiple balls, at least 9 guys and the hardest to get, a field. These two reason have been very influencial in the decline of black Americans in the MLB.
More information on the way...