Diversity Scholarly Article

Title: "The black-white test score gap: why it persists and what can be done"
Authors: Christopher Jencks , Meredith Phillips
Web Address: http://www.questia.com/googleSchlar.qst;jsessionid=LvCwWY8
6Lhn6LXrl2dWkNjQ1CpH20L3PSQT8hDpsdhyryh6YWLJ!
-1711127296!1699119870?docId=5001330463

The article that I have chosen is about the "race gap" in test scores in schools across the country and how much diversity among test scores there is between white children and other races. The article goes into some in-depth research to find out what may be the cause of such diversity in the test scores and in the end the researchers blame some combination of black poverty, racial segregation, and inadequate funding of black schools from the past as the key reasons for the lower African-American test scores. The other races were more difficult to research so the researches mainly stuck with explaining the diversity of test scores among white and black children. One thing they found was that the typical American black still scores below 75 percent of American whites on almost every standardized test, but this "race gap" is starting to narrow.

This article is covering the topic of diversity in test scores mainly between white and black children. The authors are also trying to make their point in the article that we all need to do something to narrow the "race gap" even further. The authors are, in fact, targeting all of us because of how many people this affects and if test scores start improving our country will be a better place. This article is very important because it brings up something that has gone fairly unnoticed in our country.

In my opinion, I don't notice this "race gap" as much at our school, but it might be still there. I have no room to argue though because I can't look at everyone's grades. However, we should still do something in our country about this. If the test scores for everyone just happen to get better it might make for a more successful country in the future. Schools need to start narrowing this gap however they can, but more importantly, they need to start as early as they can in people's lives to stop the problem before it happens.

Song Analysis - Crazy Train

Song: Crazy Train
Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
Genre: Heavy Metal
Time period/year of release: 1980

Song Lyrics
All aboard
Crazy, but that's how it goes
Millions of people living as foes
Maybe it's not too late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate
Mental wounds not healing
Driving me insane
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I've listened to preachers
I've listened to fools
I've watched all the dropouts
Who make their own rules
One person conditioned to rule and control
The media sells it and you live the role

Mental wounds still screaming
Who's the one to blame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train

I know that things are going wrong for me
You gotta listen to my words
Yeah

Heirs of a cold war
That's what we've become
Inheriting troubles I'm mentally numb
Crazy, I just cannot bear
I'm living with something that just isn't fair

Mental wounds not healing
Who and what's to blame
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train
I'm going off the rails on a crazy train


What is the issue being addressed by the song?
The growing presence of hate in the world among people at the time of the Cold War.

What is the song artist’s point of view or opinion?
He believes that everyone needs to learn how to love in a world gone mad.



What are contextual factors surrounding the writing of this song? (Were there any major social events taking place around the time of the song’s writing? Examples: war, oppression, economic crisis, social liberty success or struggle.)
The Cold War was taking place during this time period which had a large influence on every part of this song. The war was not just a threat to peoples' safety but it was affecting other aspects of their life as well. Many were fighting against each other in their own nation because of their views on the war and many people were being driven mad. The economy was not doing as well either and all of the other problems were just adding to peoples' stress levels. Ozzy wrote this song to convince others that we could get through these tough times if we just learned to love eachother.

What is the issue?
This whole song is about the Cold War and how it is messing up many peoples' lives. When Ozzy says "millions of people living as foes," he is talking about the millions of people who are being affect in Russia, the United States, and other countries. There was always the scare of a nuclear attack on both sides of the war which really messed with peoples' heads as well.


Who is affected?
Millions of people were affected by the Cold War in Russia and the United States alone. Also, if things kept escalating between Russia and the United States, the world would have likely "gone off the rails on a crazy train" like Ozzy says in the song. If nuclear weapons were used, the whole world would have been brought into this war.

Identify the varying perspectives of the public towards the issue. (Who is supportive, opposing, what are their views and arguments)
The majority of people during this time period were against the war and what it was doing to their nation. They argued that the war would just lead to more and more deaths. Those who were against this war believed that "Crazy Train" was a great song that really spoke to them. They believed that everyone just needed to "learn how to love and forget how to hate" like Ozzy says. Those who were in favor of the war were usually those who had a strong disliking for Russia (The Soviet Union back then). They wanted to put an end to their ways (communism).

What is the severity of the issue? (How many people affected, how much damage, etc.)
Not much damage was done, thankfully, and pretty much everyone remained unharmed throughout the war. It could have been much more severe if nuclear weapons were used by both sides of the war.

What is the significance of the issue? (What’s the big deal?)
It affected many people because of the threat of nuclear attacks. The war took an emotional toll on many people back then.

Is this a moral, political, economic, ethical issue?
It was pretty much all of these, but mainly it had to do with ethics and politics because the government was is control, and thankfully they made the ethical decision to not begin a nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

Is there any one in control of the issue, or who has strong influence over the issue?
The government had most of the control over this issue, but many artists like Ozzy influenced the way people across the nation viewed the issue.

What has been done or is being done to address the issue?
Many songs were written about the Cold War, such as this one, and many people spoke out against the government. Many tried to convince others that the war was wrong and had been going on for too long. The Cold War lasted much too long for many people.

Is the issue being resolved or becoming more controversial?
It has been resolved, but many questions are still left unanswered about the war and the government's role in it.

Hate-Crimes / Diversity Post

Website: http://www.examiner.com/x-7520-Chicago-Crime-Examiner~y2009m11d29-FBI-stats-show-race-the-top-motivator-for-hate-crime-in-the-USgt
Title: "FBI stats show race the top motivator for hate crimes in the U.S"
Date Published: Novermber 29, 2009

This article is basically a summary of all of the hate-crimes that occurred in the United States in the year 2008. It gives many statistics and even a graph that shows who the main targets for hate-crimes really were. According to this article there were 9,691 reported hate-crimes in 2008. Out of those, 4,943 were because of race, 1,732 were because of religion, 1,706 were because of sexual orientation, 1,226 were because of ethnicity, and 85 were because of disability. This article did not only show that the top motivator for hate crimes in the U.S was race, but it also talked about how most hate-crimes go unreported or unnoticed which is leading to many other problems with our society. The article even breaks down the statistics further, into such categories as which race was being targeted or what their specific religion was.

The results from this collection of data is very astonishing and is big news because it affects people all over our nation. Many people are subject to hate-crimes that even go unreported which is very scary and is creating many unsafe environments for people of all ages. Hate-crimes affect many people everyday and they should not go unreported or unnoticed or else many may think it's okay to commit a hate-crime because it will go unnoticed or unreported. This article certainly shows how big of an impact hate-crimes have on the lives of many.

In my opinion, something needs to be done so that all hate-crimes are reported and treated differently than regular crimes. If the criminal is committing crimes just because of someone's race, ethnicity, etc, then they must be punished appropriately. Hate-crimes are very serious and it is scary to know that most hate-crimes go unnoticed. More action needs to be taken by the government and citizens alike to make our country a safe place for all. Something needs to be done to lower these already outrageous statistics.

Fort Hood Shootings

1. What are your thoughts, feelings, etc, as you read these articles?
This was certainly a tragic event that has probably flipped many families' lives upside-down. Sadly, this probably happens all too often in the military, but this just happened to be on a larger scale. About 43 people were injured or killed during this incident which is just awful to think about. I really feel for the families of the fallen soldiers because recently have experience a loved one passing away. This event was certainly horrible, but once again it probably happens more often than we really know.

2. What role do you think terrorism played in this massacre, if any? Why? Do you think that there was an terrorist organization behind the shooting?
I don't believe terrorism played a role in the massacre at all. Major Hasan, the killer, was dealing with a lot of things at once such as being shipped off overseas, listening to stories of was because he was a psychologist who helped other soldiers, and even dealing with some racism and negative comments about his religion. After not being able to handle of this anymore he probably just snapped.

3. What role did racism or religious persecution play in this incident? Why?
It played a huge role because many people were discriminating against Major Hasan because of his race and religion which in turn caused him to just lose control and snap. He didn't have a right to do that, but still the persecution and discrimination shouldn't have happened in the first place. As for religion playing a role in the killer's own desire to kill people, I'm not sure if it was a main cause or any cause at all.

4. Do you think a lot of Muslim Americans have the same feelings as this man? Why or why not?
Possibly so, but I don't know too much about the way they feel. I'm sure that many are tired of the racial discrimination and negative comments about their race or religion, but not many are crazy enough to kill people because of it. Many just take the jokes or negative comments and move on, not caring about what others have to say. They just do their job. This was a fairly rare incident, but I'm still sure that soldiers killing other soldiers from their own side happens more often than we think.

5. What do you think the military could have done to prevent this from happening? Why do you believe this? Were there signs that this man had the potential to do something like this? What were they?
The military should have had him psychologically examined in order to prevent such behavior. Also, racial and religious persecution should be frowned upon and punishments may need to be required so it doesn't happen in the military. Without punishments, people will still go on with their old ways. This man clearly had something wrong with him in the head because of how some of his blogs had evidence that he thought badly about the way the US was doing things and how outrageous some of his comments were. People should have taken notice of his bizarre behavior sooner.

6. Talk about the leadership of Kimberly Munley (the woman who stopped the shooter). What did she do? How would you have reacted in the same situation?
Munley was the one who took the gunman down. I'm not sure many people have the bravery and courage to put themselves on the line at a time like this and save countless other lives, but thankfully she was there during this time and took charge by engaging in a short-range firefight that ended with her and the gunman being injured. She probably saved many other lives that day which is something we can all be thankful for. It's good to know that there are leaders like this in our military.

7. What does this incident say about race relations in America? Specifically with Arab-Americans and Muslims? Is there a reason that Muslims and people from the Arab world feel a certain way about America?
The articles say that there are still major disagreements and conflicts between the Arab/Muslim world and America. The Arabs and Muslims in America also get several negative comments about the war just because their religion or race. This incident certainly didn't help these relations. It may have invoked more conflict among the two constantly fighting sides which is very sad. Muslims and Arab people have negative views about America just because of the war and everything, but also because they have several negative comments directed at them that create hostility.

Leadership Qualities

The first part is one paragraph summary of the article. Make sure that you read the article, then write your summary in your own words. Do Not copy word for word. Copying word for word from the source means an instant “F”. This is called plagiarism and is illegal. Read it and summarize it in your own words. Keep the summary simple and as possible, but include all the important information like: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Write it in essay form in a paragraph. (5 points)
The second part will cover the impact of the article
1. What aspect of leadership does it cover?
1. What does the author say about leadership? What kind of audience is the author trying to reach.
2. Who is it going to affect? How is it going to affect a large population of the world and possibly you?
4. What is it that makes this an important article about leadership? (5 points)
II. The 3rd part of the project is your opinion of what was told in the article or new broadcast. Take a stand and say what you really think about the event and its implications. You may say whatever you believe here, but make sure that you support your opinion with a good supporting argument with facts, quotes, and research from the article. Make sure that you spend some time on this section as it a major portion of the assignments grade. (10 points)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title of Article: "Leadership Skills? Follow the Leaders"
Web Address: http://www.leadershiparticles.net/Article/Leadership-Skills--Follow-the-Leaders/14177

This is an article written by Max Vogt and is about how leaders of large businesses and companies often times abuse their powers which has a negative impact on their workers' output and productivity. He writes about how leaders need to have integrity in the workplace so that workers will feel more comfortable and get more work done. This article was written this year and explains how many companies and businesses today have leaders that abuse their power which in turn creates an uncomfortable workplace for the workers down low in the ranks of the company. Leaders of big companies often times don't set great working conditions for the workers and often times don't play by the rules. The sad truth is that many companies do this.

This article is mainly about integrity and how successful companies or businesses need to have leaders with good character and integrity. The author is trying to reach workers from all size companies and the leaders of them as well. He mainly speaks about how much more successful companies would be if the leaders didn't abuse their powers. If companies were more productive they would make more money, and in turn the leaders of the companies would also be benefited as well. This article could affect many big businesses and change the way we look at how a good business starts with a leader that has good character and integrity. The writer certainly wrote a very important article on leadership because of how many people this could affect in the working world.

I wholeheartedly agree with the author on this topic. A good leader creates a good supporting team, or in this case a good supporting company. From my experience on various sports teams, the leader also helps the team and keeps it together just like the leader of a company would. A better leader would create a better workplace and better conditions, and in turn this would create better productivity which would lead to more money being made. Leaders need to quit abusing their power because they will not only benefit their workers, but themselves as well if they start having better character and integrity.

Headbutting Football Player

1. What are your thoughts about this case? How did the video make you feel or think? Should the athlete be charged criminally for this act? Why/Why not?

2. When competing in contact sports, should you have the same rights and protections as you would as an ordinary citizen regarding assault or should there be an expectation of violence? Why/Why not?

3. From each stakeholder perspective I want you to answer the following:
Here are the stakeholders: both players, each players parent, police (or state), teammates of both players, the coach, the athletic director and principal. FROM EACH OF THESE PERSPECTIVES I WANT YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS SO YOU SHOULD HAVE 9 different stakeholder perspectives!!

How would this make you feel?
What would you want done about this situation?
What would you do about this situation?

1. This is ridiculous. I believe that the player should be charged criminally. It is the same as if he started a fight on the football field. He had no reason to do what he did, and what makes it worse is that he ripped the other kid's helmet off of his head before headbutting him! I'm sure the other kid had some medical costs for the injury as well which is just ridiculous. If this happened off of the football field he would definitely be charged.

2. People should have the same rights on the football field. They obviously will get hit and stuff like that, but when someone goes out of the way to physically assault someone when it's not necessary, action should be taken to punish the player. This would be a case by case basis sort of thing though. When someone physically assaults someone when the play is over or their actions will not affect the play, it is completely wrong and people should be punished for such actions.

3. Headbutting Player - I would feel I was at fault a little bit and shouldn't have done what I did, but I would be very upset if I got criminally charged. I would be fine with getting suspended from a few games or the season, but not getting criminally charged. I would apologize to the other team and player but then I would go about with the rest of my life.

Victim - I would be very furious with the other player's actions. I would want criminal charges to be pressed for sure. What he did was wrong. I'd forgive him if he apologized, but I would still be very upset with him. After a hit like like I'd probably sit out of practice for awhile and wait to get fully healed.

Headbutting Parents - I would be very disappointed with my child. I wouldn't want criminal charges to be pressed but I would severely punish my child. What he did was absolutely awful. I would just want my child to know that what he did was wrong.

Victim's Parents - I would feel that criminal charges were necessary. If the other kid didn't apologize I would be furious. I want everyone to know that this is wrong so I would maybe think about pressing charges.

Police - I'm astonished that a kid would go to such lengths to injure another player. I would have spoken with the kid, his parents, and his school about the incident and then press charges if more outrageous behavior ensued.

Teammates of headbutter - I would think my teammate was crazy. I would not want him to be criminally charged, but he should be punished. I would speak to him about this and make sure that he knows he was wrongful in his actions.

Teammates of Victim - I would be furious. I would want him to be criminally charged so that he knows what he did was wrong. Or, he should at least get suspended from a few games. I would talk with the victim and make sure he is okay.

Coaches - I would be very furious. I would want to suspend him for the rest of the season or at least several games so he knows that what he did was wrong. I would also tell the player that he needs to apologize right away for his actions.

AD or Principal of Headbutting Kid - I would be so upset that a kid from my school did such wrong. First I would speak with his parents, then him, then the other school. I believe that he should be suspended from the team for his actions and I think I would make sure that he apologizes to the victim.

Educational Leadership Article Summary

Web Address: http://12.4.125.3/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_198402_sergiovanni.pdf
Title of Article: Leadership and Excellence in Schooling by Thomas J. Sergiovanni

This article written by Thomas J. Sergiovanni is about the authors experience in researching what leadership qualities are necessary for an "excellent" school. He speaks of how there are many schools he has visited that are good or have "competent students", but the few select few that are "excellent" schools are that way because of the leadership qualities the staff, teachers, and students have. The author has been researching the effects of leadership in schools for several years and states that the schools which have staff, teachers, and students that possess good leadership characteristics have astonishingly better test scores. After conducting research for many years he has also concluded that the correlation between these strong leadership traits and the high test scores is amazingly high. His research was fairly opinionated, as it is hard to determine if a school might have strong leaders, but his research does point to a strong relationship between high test scores and strong leaders.

The author of this article, and researcher of this investigation looked for many leaderships characteristics such as determination, the correct amount of force or discipline, trustworthiness, school spirit, focus, intelligence, but mainly the school's desire to instill the thought in the students' heads that they, as leaders, need to pass on their skills and teach others to be leaders themselves. The author preaches all of his findings to not only students, but parents and teachers as well because they can also help unlock the students' talents and gifts. This article has the potential to affect many schools around the world because of his strong evidence for the argument that strong leadership skills in schools is the key to high test scores and successful students. Many schools will eventually get the hint that they need to preach leadership to their students. This article is very important because if we want our next generations to be successful on earth, we need to let them know how important leadership will be towards their success in the future.

I completely agree with the author. Some schools are good because they have a few really gifted students, but in order for the entire school to bring up more successful students, people will have to take a stand and tell the students how important education is. People will have to basically lead others and teach them about the importance of education in life. In turn, these leaders can teach their followers to become leaders themselves and get the message spread across to everyone. Leadership is a very important and key aspect to attaining success. Education is also very important so combining the two would be very beneficial to many...

MSI Weekly Article Summary

Title of Article: Police look for suspect in 'zombie' assault
Source of Article: http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20091025/NEWS01/91025001/1079/

A man at a Pancheros in Iowa City on October 25, at about 2 in the morning, physically assaulted another who was purchasing food. The criminal walked up to the victim, claimed he was a zombie, then began to attack him repeatedly. After the victim pulled out his cell phone the criminal fled the scene out the back door of the restaurant. The victim's nose was broken and he had several bruises around his face when the police showed up at around 2 o'clock am. The assailant has not been found but police are still searching for him. The so called "zombie" that was attacked was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for treatment.

This story is news because it is such an odd story. When was the last time you heard of someone getting assaulted because another thought they were a zombie? After this event's occurrence, people in the area were alerted of this attack and were told to be on the lookout for a male with short brown hair, about 20 years old, between six feet and six feet two inches tall, and weighing between 200 and 230 pounds. If this suspect continues his violent and obscure crimes, many people in the area could be affected. The world will likely not be affected as a whole, but the area around Iowa City will be. This is an important, yet odd event because it shows that crime can strike at any hour, no matter how unlikely the situation, and that people need to be prepared.

In my opinion, this was either a sick joke, or the suspect was on drugs or was very drunk. Crime can strike at any hour, no matter how strange and unlikely the situation, so people need to know that when in an even semi-dangerous town like Iowa City they need to be prepared. This story just shows another example of how strange some peoples' behavior can be with drugs or alcohol and that when dealing with them, anything can happen.

4th Post

1.Write about the following: In your recent reading, what has your author/main character said that has stood out to you. Something they did or said, A quote, an experience they had that you had a reaction to?

2. Talk about someone you know who either lives by the characteristics or traits your author talks about or lives like the subject of your book. Someone who you believe does what the author says to do/or lives by.

3. Is it important for us to study leadership? Is it important for us to look at what others say or do as inspiration or as an example of how to live or lead? Why or why not?

One quote that sticks out to me in my recent reading is "Whatever talent an individual possesses, character helps that person use his or her ability to serve the team" - John Wooden. This is very true because one person doesn't make a team but they can use their abilities along with the other players' abilities to help lead their team to victory.

Our whole basketball team lives by this quote because they are all very unselfish and use their abilities to not just help themselves have success, but the whole team. This is why our basketball team is so successful - because our players have character and are team players.

It is important for us to be studying leadership because we can learn from others and apply what we've learned to our lives. We can benefit many other people by being good leaders and make the world a better place.

My Name is Bergy, and This is My 3rd Post

1. Reactions to the latest pages you have read. What have you found interesting so far? What do you agree/disagree with?

2. What leadership traits has the subject of your book shown? Or what leadership traits has your author talked about being important? Use specific examples from the book including page number.

3. Talk about a specific quote or passage that has stood out to you so far. What is it? Why do you feel it is important?

4. Give me an example of a time that you had to make an ethical decision. What was the situation? Who (no names necessary) was involved? What was the ethical dilemma? Ultimately what did you decide to do and why?

My most recent pages that I have read in my book deal with something called the "Pyramid of Success" which John Wooden created when he was the head basketball coach at UCLA. It is a series of blocks or chunks that make up the pyramid, each having a different quality that is needed to have success. Also, it was interesting to note that John Wooden talked about how the pyramid became less stable when even one block was taken away from the pyramid. I completely agree with Wooden because if one trait or characteristic of a good leader is missing, it rubs off on the other parts that are key to success. (pg. 86)

This pyramid can also be related to leadership. A good leader needs all of the qualities listed in the pyramid to be successful. Traits that are listen in the Pyramid of Success include - Industriousness, Friendship, Loyalty, Cooperation, Enthusiasm, Ambition, Self-Control, Alertness, Initiative, Intentness, Sincerity, Adaptability, Condition, Skill, Team Spirit, Honesty, Resourcefulness, Poise, Confidence, Integrity, Fight, Competitive Greatness, Reliability, Faith, and Patience. John Wooden believed that all of these qualities were essential to a great leader and he tried to follow the Pyramid of Success throughout his career as a head coach and a person (pg. 88-90).

One quote that sticks out to me on pg. 98 is a quote from John Wooden about believing in others and giving them a chance - "Before casually discounting the potential of any individual or team, give them a chance to succeed - give them your sincere belief and full support". This quote not only applies to sports in general, but to the real world as well. In sports it is important that you don't doubt that someone can improve and become great because if you give them your support it will keep their confidence and help them out. In life the same thing is true; it is important to give people chances because without a chance in life that person will not be able to reach their full potential.

One time where I had to make an ethical decision was when I was with a group of friends hanging out, an older student in college came to the house we were at with alcohol and was smoking cigars. Some of the younger kids at the house wanted to try the cigars, but others were completely against this kid being there in the first place. I left the house with some of the others and convinced some people that this was wrong. I decided that I did not want to partake in any of the activities and also told the girl whose house we were at that she should probably tell the kid to go home. She eventually kicked the kid out of the house and joined up with us later. It wasn't exactly what the cool kids these days would do, but I'm not a kid who likes to drink or do other illegal things so I decided that I shouldn't be seen with this other kid.

2nd Reaction Post

1. Your reactions to what you have read so far since last time you posted. Have any of your thoughts about the book changed? What has stood out so far? What do you agree/disagree with?

2. Have your views of what you thought leadership was changed in any way so far? If so How?

3. Can you relate a time when you were put in a leadership position. What was it? How do you feel you did in this position? Is there anything you regret? What would you do differently?

4. Following up from the question above, citing particular quotes or passages from the book, write about something you can use that the author said or did when you are put in leadership role now or in the future.

After reading about 25 more pages of my book "My Personal Best", my reactions and thoughts about the book have stayed pretty much the same. John Wooden continues to show strong leadership skills even in situations where defeat and a loss looks to be the only outcome. He shows lots of character and humbleness in the part of my book he read. The part that sticks out the most is that on one of John Wooden's teams he had a black player and that player couldn't eat with the rest of the team at the normal restaurants where the white players could eat. John thought this was unfair so he made the whole team eat only where the black player could which I thought was pretty cool. It taught the white players about discrimination and gave them a taste of what African-Americans go through and deal with everyday. I completely agree with his decision and thought he showed good leadership skills, character, and humbleness.

My views of leadership have stayed primarily the same throughout my reading of this book. In the part I have recently read I have started to understand a little bit more how character and humbleness come in to play with leadership. In the book John Wooden talks about how if you become to cocky it can result in bad performance during your next game. He knows that you need to stay humble, yet persevere and have a winning attitude at the same time. Wooden talks about how he has seen many great players and coaches let winning get to their head which makes them too overly confident and makes their performance level drop.

One time where I was put in a leadership position was in golf last year where I was selected as a team captain. I had to make sure that our team was staying focused and practicing as hard as possible each day. We didn't stay as focused late into the season which is why our post-season success wasn't as good as the previous years in our program. I did a good job early in the season keeping our team focused, but later in the year I started to slip up which caused our team to not be as determined to go to state. We ended up not making it to state by a few strokes. I learned my lesson and now know how important it is to stay focused and stay committed throughout the year. Also, I learned that even when you are playing well, things can quickly change so you need to stay humble throughout the year. Next year I will make sure that we stay focused on our goals and not get to cocky.

One quote I will remember for our golf season next year is one by John Wooden - "You lose, you feel bad - sometimes very bad. But a much worse feeling is knowing you haven't done everything you possibly could have done to prepare and compete". Next season in golf I will try my hardest to make sure we stay focused and practice everyday, as hard as possible so that we will be prepared.

Reactions to book Pt. 1

***Remember to post on your blog according to the guidelines below as well:

-Reactions to what you read. (What jumped out at you, what did you agree with, disagree with?)

-Real world connections or personal experiences with something you read

-Quotes that will stay with you and why

So far, the thing that jumps out at me the most from my reading is that John Wooden, who is probably the most successful basketball coach in the history of NCAA Men's Basketball, is very humble and continues to show his humbleness throughout his career. He won 12 national championships in twelve years (seven occurring in a row), had an 88 game winning streak, had 38 consecutive wins in NCAA March Madness tournaments, had 4 perfect seasons, and had a lifetime winning percentage of 80%, yet he didn't brag about his success. John Wooden always stayed humble and knew that everyone had flaws. He knew there was always a chance to get better on the basketball court, and become a better person in life. Wooden tries to teach the reader that no matter how successful you are, you need to stay humble. This really relates to the real world because we all can get a big head sometimes and become cocky. He shows us how staying humble and striving to do better even in life can benefit us greatly. I know from experience that we often times quit trying after having success, but he explains to the reader that it is the wrong thing to do and that you need to accept that even though you are successful, you are not perfect and can still better yourself.

Quotes that will stay with me from my readings so far are "Don't try to be better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be" (Joshua Wooden), "Try your hardest. Make the effort. Do your best" (Joshua Wooden), and "No player is bigger or better than the team". All of these quotes not only relate to basketball but the real world in general, such as jobs or leadership positions you might hold. All of the quotes in this book are very memorable, but these stick out the most so far.

1st Post!!!

Hi people.