Hi guys!
Currently I am in a class that is requiring me to create and maintain a blog. So for this quarter I will be working on a blog about Ultimate Frisbee. Check it out!
I will back in June! Don't miss me too much.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The crash heard round the world
This year’s Winter Olympics has been the year of wipeouts; in alpine skiing, half pike, short track and figure skating. But it’s not the crashes that get the attention, it’s the determination of the athlete to get back up and finish the race. No one showed that determination better than Canadian’s figure skater Joannie Rachette. Going into the games, Rochette was a medal favorite. But on Sunday, people began to wonder if she took the crash of a lifetime.
On Saturday night, Rochette father, Normand, found his wife Therese unresponsive in their rented Vancouver apartment the night after they flew in to watch their daughter compete in her second Olympics. The Vancouver hospital later pronounced her death was caused by cardiac arrest. Therese was 55. Upon the news of her mother’s death, which Rochette was close to, her participation in Tuesday night’s short program was questionable.
The next day, Rochette stunned the world by getting up and going to her practice session the next day, showing her intention to compete. Last night in the short program, Rochette skated a personal best, which was good enough to place her in third going into the free skate. After her program, the tears followed from the 24 year-old skater. Putting her personal tragedy behind her, Rochette showed the world what it meant to be an Olympic Champion.
On Saturday night, Rochette father, Normand, found his wife Therese unresponsive in their rented Vancouver apartment the night after they flew in to watch their daughter compete in her second Olympics. The Vancouver hospital later pronounced her death was caused by cardiac arrest. Therese was 55. Upon the news of her mother’s death, which Rochette was close to, her participation in Tuesday night’s short program was questionable.
The next day, Rochette stunned the world by getting up and going to her practice session the next day, showing her intention to compete. Last night in the short program, Rochette skated a personal best, which was good enough to place her in third going into the free skate. After her program, the tears followed from the 24 year-old skater. Putting her personal tragedy behind her, Rochette showed the world what it meant to be an Olympic Champion.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The 2010 Olympic Start
The Olympic Games, a competition full of pride. The Olympics’ is a place where dreams come true, but sometimes shattered. This year’s Winter Olympics are held in Vancouver, Canada. But this year, the Olympics have not started off the way the host city has dreamed about.
The problems started early this year. January has been one of the warmest on record for Vancouver. This temperature has hit the host city where it hurts the most, snow. The city has gone to extreme lengths to make sure there is snow on the hills for the snowboarders and skiers. Dump trucks and helicopters have been carting snow up to the games sites, such as Cyprus Hill, for several weeks. The athletes have had to deal with fog and rain throughout the time they have been in the city, which has postponed many of their practice rounds.
The warm weather has also transferred to problems on the ice of the luge track, problem that has turned dangerous on Friday afternoon. During a routine practice run, Georgian luger, Nodar Kumariteshvil was taken the last turn when something went wrong. His body was launched into a metal pole. The young, 21-year-old athlete was killed instantly. Deaths are rare in the Olympics, and Kumariteshvil’s death radiated shock waves throughout the Olympic city and around the world.
The 2010 Winter Olympics has already had many shocking headlines. From one viewer to another, I hope dreams start coming true in Vancouver. Although Kumariteshvill’s death was and is a huge tragedy, I hope it is not the main memory of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The problems started early this year. January has been one of the warmest on record for Vancouver. This temperature has hit the host city where it hurts the most, snow. The city has gone to extreme lengths to make sure there is snow on the hills for the snowboarders and skiers. Dump trucks and helicopters have been carting snow up to the games sites, such as Cyprus Hill, for several weeks. The athletes have had to deal with fog and rain throughout the time they have been in the city, which has postponed many of their practice rounds.
The warm weather has also transferred to problems on the ice of the luge track, problem that has turned dangerous on Friday afternoon. During a routine practice run, Georgian luger, Nodar Kumariteshvil was taken the last turn when something went wrong. His body was launched into a metal pole. The young, 21-year-old athlete was killed instantly. Deaths are rare in the Olympics, and Kumariteshvil’s death radiated shock waves throughout the Olympic city and around the world.
The 2010 Winter Olympics has already had many shocking headlines. From one viewer to another, I hope dreams start coming true in Vancouver. Although Kumariteshvill’s death was and is a huge tragedy, I hope it is not the main memory of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The New Age of Sports
For years the sports world has been shadowed by case after case of athletes using performance enhancing drugs to improve their times and to reach the winning circle. But now, using drugs isn’t sports affiliations’ only problem. Athletes from all around the world are teaming up with scientists to perform technology doping. Technology doping is when athletes get a competitive advantage using sports equipment that is lightweight and stronger which would skim a few points off their times as well as give them a mental boost1. Sports have always been evolving; some changes have been brought about to help bring in a bigger fan base and some changes and inventions have helped the athletes. When basketball was first introduced to the broadcast stations there was no shot clock and lesser teams just held the ball for long periods of times, creating low scoring games. This action created a boring game for its spectators so the NBA introduced the shot clock, which helped create higher scoring games and more enjoyment for the fans2. But introduction of new equipment has also helped the athletes themselves. In swimming the introduction of goggles helped the athletes train for longer hours because of the protection from the chlorine3. But has the equipment in sports gone too far? Many athletes, coaches and fans believe that the new technology is hurting the legitimacy of sports and creating an unfair playing field.
Although it is believed that technology has helped bring sports to the common people and improve the game, the question is how far it should go. Before golf was popular, the balls were made of wet feathers stuffed into a leather pouch; the introduction of gutta percha, the rubbery substance used to make the modern balls, helped bring down the cost of the ball4. Although the United States Golf Association (USGA) limits the dimensions and weights of all balls as well as the overall distance standards4, this does not stop companies from trying to give their consumers a winning edge with their balls. They use different materials as well as different patterns of dimples which are used for aerodynamics that impact the airflow as well as the trajectory. Companies try to convince golfers, pro or amateur, that their balls are the best. Most companies use the spherical shaped dimples, but Callaway is now introducing and marketing a hexagonal shape that they believe better controls the spin of the ball to help get a few more yards onto a drive. In golf, the balls aren’t the only piece of equipment that is raising eyebrows. New development in golf clubs are making people question if technology is ruining the game of golf. The introduction of light-weight metals, such as titanium and carbon composites has helped manufacturers enlarge the club heads in size, but keeping the weight the same4. This, according to The Golf Book4, creates a larger sweet spot for the hitter as well as creating a lower center of gravity and a change in weight distribution that stops major punishment, or complete misdirection of the ball, if the hitter were to have an off-center strike. The new materials also help in creating new shafts. The use of steel and graphite help generate more speed, which is rewarded by giving the ball more distance in a drive. All of these changes have helped golfers with little to no practice, as well as given them more wiggle room on an off day. Before new materials and technology were introduced to the PGA, Bill Glasson averaged a drive of 276 yards (in 1983), but in the 2006 season his record was raised 15% by Bubba Watson with 316 yards4. In PGA tours, 400 yard drives are becoming more and more common. In order to offset those technologic advances, courses are getting longer as well as more difficult. But these consequences come with a price as the courses become more and more expensive to build and maintain and the price of clubs and balls are skyrocketing5. Due to the increasing cost of the sport, common people, who have become hooked on golf from the introduction of cheaper golf balls, are having a harder time relating to the professionals because of the rising concern that the game is becoming more dependent on the type of clubs you can afford as well as access to the top rated clubs in the area.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Water Cube and Michael Phelps were all the talk in the news. But Mark Spitz’s Olympic medal count wasn’t the only record to be broken. In the Water Cube, out of the 32 events in swimming 66 Olympic records were set6. But questions arose about whether it was really the athletes who were breaking the record or if it was their new, high-tech swimsuits. Phelps, who is sponsored by Speedo, wore the LZR for the Olympic Games. Speedo scientifically tested this suit, with help from NASA, for reducing drag and creating a core stabilizer7. The suit is a created from water-repellent polyurethane membrane that has done many things to resist drag. The seams are bonded so that stitching can not create a drag for the swimmer, as well as the zipper being hidden and out of the way. Within four months of the suit’s introduction to the swimming world in 2008, 20 world records were set7. Upon Speedo’s success, many companies raced to duplicate the highly sought out design, companies such as Arena and Jacked. Also in that year, the top ten performances in the 50 free have been set from swimmers wearing the highly advanced drag-resistant, lightweight water-repellent suits from Speedo, Arena and Jaked3. Because of the increasing number of records that were being smashed and the rise in concern of the swimming community, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) had to take action. For the 2009 World Championships, in Rome, FINA set out a list of approved polyeurethane suits could be worn. The requirements stated that the suits had to fulfill requirements of Transitory Regulations: they must have no sleeves and double layers must be stuck together10. But in 2010 new rules will be put into place. FINA director Cornel Marculescu, has stated that the sport of swimming will return to textile-only swimwear, stating that the compression and buoyancy of the polyeurethane suits provide too much of a boost8. Many professional swimmers have expressed concern on the advancement on suits, stating that it is creating an unfair playing field and many wonder how far the sport would be if the suits had not progressed. The new 2010 rules will restrict male swimmers to jammers, waist to knee suits, and females to open-back suits that do not cover shoulders or knees8. This will remove a lot of excess material that swimmers have become use to; the reasoning is that suits are now created and designed to eliminate drag. With the new restrictions swimmers will have to rely on their techniques and coaches advice to work towards eliminating the drag. This new policy will help squash debates on whether it is the swimmer’s suit or their technique, training and hard work that won the race.
In 1968, Michael Johnson became the first male athlete to win both the 200 and 400 meter sprint, and the announcer and racing world took note of his shoes, perhaps putting as much emphasis on the shoes as on the spectacular runs by Johnson. He was wearing specially designed Nike running shoes that were ultra-light weight9. Not long after Johnson’s accomplishment, the shoes became prevalent on the track along with full body suits that were said to reduce wind resistance. The track isn’t the only place in track and field that changing equipment is getting attention. When pole vaulting was introduced, bamboo was used to fling participants over the high bar. By 1963, aluminum, fiberglass and graphite poles were introduced9. The lighter weight of the new poles helped participants run faster to gain more momentum and the new materials absorbed the energy as it bended. When bamboo was in use the record was held steady at 16ft, but now with the new technology the record stands above 20ft.
The governing body of track and Field, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), just recently had a long debate over whether technology was in fact giving athletes an unfair advantage. But this case was slightly different; it had to do with 21 year old double amputee Oscar Pistorius. This South African runner had to have both his legs amputee before he was one year old. To run he uses the J-shaped carbon fiber prosthetics, Cheetah Flex-Foot, that are shaped like blades. The IAAF banned Pistorius from competing against “able-bodied” athletes, after a study showed that the blades give him an unfair advantage. The scientists conducting the study claimed that the blades were longer than deemed necessary and gives the runner the ability to cover more ground, also the user is able to run at the same speed of an able –bodied sprinters but is able to use about 25% less energy expenditure11. Oscar Pistorius brought his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in which the decision in his case against IAAF was overturned12. This decision qualified him to try for the South African’s men Olympic Track and Field team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The decision opens the door to many Paralympics athletes who have been barred from competition on the grounds of having an unfair advantage. Although Oscar did not qualify for the Olympic team, he has brought a new side of debate to the technology doping debate.
The International Tennis Federation was quick to stop the new German “spaghetti racquet” whose standard frame and double strings were fitted with plastic tubes giving the ball more top spin9. As the federation accepted that wooden rackets were out and new lighter metal and graphite rackets were hitting the courts they set out rules. They allowed rackets to be made out of any material and to be any weight, size or shape; the only restrictions were that materials could not alter the flight of the ball and the strings had to be evenly spaced9. By the 1960’s, rackets were being made out of an array of materials; metal frames of steel and aluminum, even titanium graphite shells with plastic foam cores. Companies increased the size of the face, seeing that a 20% increase resulted in a 300% increase in the size of the racket’s sweet spot. The use of lighter materials allowed companies to lengthen the rackets allowing shorter tennis players to have a longer reach without an increase in weight. The greater length also helped players of all sizes have more control9.
With the new technology that companies invest in, prices of their products are skyrocketing. Many professional athletes spend thousands of dollars to get the latest and most advanced products. Not only is the equipment helping them get a competitive edge, it is lowering the connection and ability for the common person to relate and reach their goals of becoming a top athletes. At the 2009 World Swimming Championships every swimmer was wearing a full body suit from either Speedo, Arena or Jacked. No longer do you see pro golfers walking around with beat up golf bags with an array of golf clubs, they’re all shiny and matching. The upswing in prices has created a new gap between those athletes that can afford the new equipment and those who can not. Some believe that this uneven playing field is making the level of competition mudded and obsolete. The same names win over and over, rarely do you hear of an upset or of the underdog winning. It could be because an underdog can no longer get to the high level of playing without spending thousands of dollars on the new state of the art equipment, money that they might not have. The increase in sponsorships has also helped in creating the large cost gap. Speedo, Wilson, Nike and Callaway all scramble to get the top performing and well known professional to back their product. Many times up and coming athletes struggle to keep up with the equipment costs that sponsored athletes are just handed. The increase of sponsorships in professional sports has also cluttered the interviews of many top athletes. Announcers and reporters want to talk more about what brand and equipment an athlete uses then their practice regimen or how they felt about their performance. In fact, Michael Phelps refused to talk to reporters about the suit debate until after the World Championships, feeling that talk about the suits would take away from the individuals performances.
Sports are seen as a way of gaining power, respect and money. It is because of these goals that technology has become so important, as athletes look for any way to better their competition if even by a tenth of a second. Jay Coakley claims in his book, Sport in Society1, that competitive sports today are a product of the Industrial Revolution and the dependence on technology, with the creation of the mass production of consumer goods. Coakley writes about the specialization that has occurred, he talks about how athletes have dedicated themselves to one sport and one sport only, this is helped by not only the sponsors that one can get but also the constant need to break the records. No longer do you see super stars like Babe Didrikson, who excelled in any sport she put her mind to. It is very rare that one sport professional athletes trying other sports, and when they do it is not for competition but to it is being used as a training exercise. The introduction of technology doping across the world of sports is in fact diminishing the legitimacy of sports as records are not only being broken, but smashed year after year, new development after new development.
1. Coakley,Jay. Sport in Society Issues and Controversies.
2. Jay,Kathryn. More Than Just a Game.
3. Barone, Pamela. "'Suit controversy' dominating swimming news, but technology isn't going
away ."
4. The Golf Book. 1 ed.
5. Waddell, Jack. "What Price Golf Technology."
6. Tucker, Ross. "Swimming's credibility crisis: How FINA's blind eye is affecting the purity of
the sport."
7. Sisco, Paul. "Speedy Speedo Swimsuit Source of Olympic Controversy."
8. "Swim suit controversy lingers: records to stay."
9. Imada, Eileen. "Have technological advances in sports such as tennis, golf, and track and field
supplanted the athletic achievements of the participants in those sports?
10. "FINA.org."
11. Levitan, Paul. "Innovation in Sports Technology -- Inevitable or Unfair?."
12. Smith, Jeanette. "Oscar Pistorius: Olympic Amputee ."
Although it is believed that technology has helped bring sports to the common people and improve the game, the question is how far it should go. Before golf was popular, the balls were made of wet feathers stuffed into a leather pouch; the introduction of gutta percha, the rubbery substance used to make the modern balls, helped bring down the cost of the ball4. Although the United States Golf Association (USGA) limits the dimensions and weights of all balls as well as the overall distance standards4, this does not stop companies from trying to give their consumers a winning edge with their balls. They use different materials as well as different patterns of dimples which are used for aerodynamics that impact the airflow as well as the trajectory. Companies try to convince golfers, pro or amateur, that their balls are the best. Most companies use the spherical shaped dimples, but Callaway is now introducing and marketing a hexagonal shape that they believe better controls the spin of the ball to help get a few more yards onto a drive. In golf, the balls aren’t the only piece of equipment that is raising eyebrows. New development in golf clubs are making people question if technology is ruining the game of golf. The introduction of light-weight metals, such as titanium and carbon composites has helped manufacturers enlarge the club heads in size, but keeping the weight the same4. This, according to The Golf Book4, creates a larger sweet spot for the hitter as well as creating a lower center of gravity and a change in weight distribution that stops major punishment, or complete misdirection of the ball, if the hitter were to have an off-center strike. The new materials also help in creating new shafts. The use of steel and graphite help generate more speed, which is rewarded by giving the ball more distance in a drive. All of these changes have helped golfers with little to no practice, as well as given them more wiggle room on an off day. Before new materials and technology were introduced to the PGA, Bill Glasson averaged a drive of 276 yards (in 1983), but in the 2006 season his record was raised 15% by Bubba Watson with 316 yards4. In PGA tours, 400 yard drives are becoming more and more common. In order to offset those technologic advances, courses are getting longer as well as more difficult. But these consequences come with a price as the courses become more and more expensive to build and maintain and the price of clubs and balls are skyrocketing5. Due to the increasing cost of the sport, common people, who have become hooked on golf from the introduction of cheaper golf balls, are having a harder time relating to the professionals because of the rising concern that the game is becoming more dependent on the type of clubs you can afford as well as access to the top rated clubs in the area.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Water Cube and Michael Phelps were all the talk in the news. But Mark Spitz’s Olympic medal count wasn’t the only record to be broken. In the Water Cube, out of the 32 events in swimming 66 Olympic records were set6. But questions arose about whether it was really the athletes who were breaking the record or if it was their new, high-tech swimsuits. Phelps, who is sponsored by Speedo, wore the LZR for the Olympic Games. Speedo scientifically tested this suit, with help from NASA, for reducing drag and creating a core stabilizer7. The suit is a created from water-repellent polyurethane membrane that has done many things to resist drag. The seams are bonded so that stitching can not create a drag for the swimmer, as well as the zipper being hidden and out of the way. Within four months of the suit’s introduction to the swimming world in 2008, 20 world records were set7. Upon Speedo’s success, many companies raced to duplicate the highly sought out design, companies such as Arena and Jacked. Also in that year, the top ten performances in the 50 free have been set from swimmers wearing the highly advanced drag-resistant, lightweight water-repellent suits from Speedo, Arena and Jaked3. Because of the increasing number of records that were being smashed and the rise in concern of the swimming community, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) had to take action. For the 2009 World Championships, in Rome, FINA set out a list of approved polyeurethane suits could be worn. The requirements stated that the suits had to fulfill requirements of Transitory Regulations: they must have no sleeves and double layers must be stuck together10. But in 2010 new rules will be put into place. FINA director Cornel Marculescu, has stated that the sport of swimming will return to textile-only swimwear, stating that the compression and buoyancy of the polyeurethane suits provide too much of a boost8. Many professional swimmers have expressed concern on the advancement on suits, stating that it is creating an unfair playing field and many wonder how far the sport would be if the suits had not progressed. The new 2010 rules will restrict male swimmers to jammers, waist to knee suits, and females to open-back suits that do not cover shoulders or knees8. This will remove a lot of excess material that swimmers have become use to; the reasoning is that suits are now created and designed to eliminate drag. With the new restrictions swimmers will have to rely on their techniques and coaches advice to work towards eliminating the drag. This new policy will help squash debates on whether it is the swimmer’s suit or their technique, training and hard work that won the race.
In 1968, Michael Johnson became the first male athlete to win both the 200 and 400 meter sprint, and the announcer and racing world took note of his shoes, perhaps putting as much emphasis on the shoes as on the spectacular runs by Johnson. He was wearing specially designed Nike running shoes that were ultra-light weight9. Not long after Johnson’s accomplishment, the shoes became prevalent on the track along with full body suits that were said to reduce wind resistance. The track isn’t the only place in track and field that changing equipment is getting attention. When pole vaulting was introduced, bamboo was used to fling participants over the high bar. By 1963, aluminum, fiberglass and graphite poles were introduced9. The lighter weight of the new poles helped participants run faster to gain more momentum and the new materials absorbed the energy as it bended. When bamboo was in use the record was held steady at 16ft, but now with the new technology the record stands above 20ft.
The governing body of track and Field, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), just recently had a long debate over whether technology was in fact giving athletes an unfair advantage. But this case was slightly different; it had to do with 21 year old double amputee Oscar Pistorius. This South African runner had to have both his legs amputee before he was one year old. To run he uses the J-shaped carbon fiber prosthetics, Cheetah Flex-Foot, that are shaped like blades. The IAAF banned Pistorius from competing against “able-bodied” athletes, after a study showed that the blades give him an unfair advantage. The scientists conducting the study claimed that the blades were longer than deemed necessary and gives the runner the ability to cover more ground, also the user is able to run at the same speed of an able –bodied sprinters but is able to use about 25% less energy expenditure11. Oscar Pistorius brought his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in which the decision in his case against IAAF was overturned12. This decision qualified him to try for the South African’s men Olympic Track and Field team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The decision opens the door to many Paralympics athletes who have been barred from competition on the grounds of having an unfair advantage. Although Oscar did not qualify for the Olympic team, he has brought a new side of debate to the technology doping debate.
The International Tennis Federation was quick to stop the new German “spaghetti racquet” whose standard frame and double strings were fitted with plastic tubes giving the ball more top spin9. As the federation accepted that wooden rackets were out and new lighter metal and graphite rackets were hitting the courts they set out rules. They allowed rackets to be made out of any material and to be any weight, size or shape; the only restrictions were that materials could not alter the flight of the ball and the strings had to be evenly spaced9. By the 1960’s, rackets were being made out of an array of materials; metal frames of steel and aluminum, even titanium graphite shells with plastic foam cores. Companies increased the size of the face, seeing that a 20% increase resulted in a 300% increase in the size of the racket’s sweet spot. The use of lighter materials allowed companies to lengthen the rackets allowing shorter tennis players to have a longer reach without an increase in weight. The greater length also helped players of all sizes have more control9.
With the new technology that companies invest in, prices of their products are skyrocketing. Many professional athletes spend thousands of dollars to get the latest and most advanced products. Not only is the equipment helping them get a competitive edge, it is lowering the connection and ability for the common person to relate and reach their goals of becoming a top athletes. At the 2009 World Swimming Championships every swimmer was wearing a full body suit from either Speedo, Arena or Jacked. No longer do you see pro golfers walking around with beat up golf bags with an array of golf clubs, they’re all shiny and matching. The upswing in prices has created a new gap between those athletes that can afford the new equipment and those who can not. Some believe that this uneven playing field is making the level of competition mudded and obsolete. The same names win over and over, rarely do you hear of an upset or of the underdog winning. It could be because an underdog can no longer get to the high level of playing without spending thousands of dollars on the new state of the art equipment, money that they might not have. The increase in sponsorships has also helped in creating the large cost gap. Speedo, Wilson, Nike and Callaway all scramble to get the top performing and well known professional to back their product. Many times up and coming athletes struggle to keep up with the equipment costs that sponsored athletes are just handed. The increase of sponsorships in professional sports has also cluttered the interviews of many top athletes. Announcers and reporters want to talk more about what brand and equipment an athlete uses then their practice regimen or how they felt about their performance. In fact, Michael Phelps refused to talk to reporters about the suit debate until after the World Championships, feeling that talk about the suits would take away from the individuals performances.
Sports are seen as a way of gaining power, respect and money. It is because of these goals that technology has become so important, as athletes look for any way to better their competition if even by a tenth of a second. Jay Coakley claims in his book, Sport in Society1, that competitive sports today are a product of the Industrial Revolution and the dependence on technology, with the creation of the mass production of consumer goods. Coakley writes about the specialization that has occurred, he talks about how athletes have dedicated themselves to one sport and one sport only, this is helped by not only the sponsors that one can get but also the constant need to break the records. No longer do you see super stars like Babe Didrikson, who excelled in any sport she put her mind to. It is very rare that one sport professional athletes trying other sports, and when they do it is not for competition but to it is being used as a training exercise. The introduction of technology doping across the world of sports is in fact diminishing the legitimacy of sports as records are not only being broken, but smashed year after year, new development after new development.
1. Coakley,Jay. Sport in Society Issues and Controversies.
2. Jay,Kathryn. More Than Just a Game.
3. Barone, Pamela. "'Suit controversy' dominating swimming news, but technology isn't going
away ."
4. The Golf Book. 1 ed.
5. Waddell, Jack. "What Price Golf Technology."
6. Tucker, Ross. "Swimming's credibility crisis: How FINA's blind eye is affecting the purity of
the sport."
7. Sisco, Paul. "Speedy Speedo Swimsuit Source of Olympic Controversy."
8. "Swim suit controversy lingers: records to stay."
9. Imada, Eileen. "Have technological advances in sports such as tennis, golf, and track and field
supplanted the athletic achievements of the participants in those sports?
10. "FINA.org."
11. Levitan, Paul. "Innovation in Sports Technology -- Inevitable or Unfair?."
12. Smith, Jeanette. "Oscar Pistorius: Olympic Amputee ."
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Non-material culture is a group’s way of thinking and doing. In other words, non-material culture is a group’s belief, values and the way that individuals of that group see and act in the world. It is the intangibles parts of a groups culture.
Through the first three weeks of sociology I have been able to understand that my catholic upbringing (a non-material culture) has affected the way I act and think as well as having some effect on my material culture. My family was never the strict catholic followers and I went to public school for all 12 years of my early education, my parents still had me attend Sunday school until my confirmation in 8th grade, as well as ushering me to church every Sunday. But as I enter my second year of college and continue to feel a growing independence towards my family I still feel a strong tie to the Catholic Church and the beliefs that they bestowed on me. This has never been stronger felt than over the summer when my father suffered a major heart attack. When I heard the news I was devastated and in a constant shock, my first instant was to change my status on Facebook so that my outside family and close friends would know what was happening. As the weeks went on of my dad being in the ICU I kept constant updates going on Facebook. More often than not did someone write “You and your dad will be in my prayers.” Now I had been told to say my prayers every night, something that I gave up way in second grade. But as I read those comments from old friends from church and family members, all who are strong Catholic believers, I really did feel overwhelming support. I think because of my Catholic culture, even though it might not be as strong as many that I know, those words had a different meaning then when they are spoken to an atheist. I saw this when I was standing with my brother, an atheist, and his friend. His friend claimed that he would be praying for my father, my brothers reaction showed me that he did not feel the same calming feeling that I felt by hearing that sentiment.
As I sat in class listen to the talk of non-material culture I realized that non-material culture in turn has an influence on one’s material culture, or the visual aspects of culture. I have worn a cross around my neck ever since my confirmation. Even though I don’t go to church every weekend now that I’m in school, I never take the necklace off. The necklace symbolizes to everyone that sees it that I am Catholic and I believe in the practices of the Catholic Church. It helps portrays to people my intangible culture.
Through the first three weeks of sociology I have been able to understand that my catholic upbringing (a non-material culture) has affected the way I act and think as well as having some effect on my material culture. My family was never the strict catholic followers and I went to public school for all 12 years of my early education, my parents still had me attend Sunday school until my confirmation in 8th grade, as well as ushering me to church every Sunday. But as I enter my second year of college and continue to feel a growing independence towards my family I still feel a strong tie to the Catholic Church and the beliefs that they bestowed on me. This has never been stronger felt than over the summer when my father suffered a major heart attack. When I heard the news I was devastated and in a constant shock, my first instant was to change my status on Facebook so that my outside family and close friends would know what was happening. As the weeks went on of my dad being in the ICU I kept constant updates going on Facebook. More often than not did someone write “You and your dad will be in my prayers.” Now I had been told to say my prayers every night, something that I gave up way in second grade. But as I read those comments from old friends from church and family members, all who are strong Catholic believers, I really did feel overwhelming support. I think because of my Catholic culture, even though it might not be as strong as many that I know, those words had a different meaning then when they are spoken to an atheist. I saw this when I was standing with my brother, an atheist, and his friend. His friend claimed that he would be praying for my father, my brothers reaction showed me that he did not feel the same calming feeling that I felt by hearing that sentiment.
As I sat in class listen to the talk of non-material culture I realized that non-material culture in turn has an influence on one’s material culture, or the visual aspects of culture. I have worn a cross around my neck ever since my confirmation. Even though I don’t go to church every weekend now that I’m in school, I never take the necklace off. The necklace symbolizes to everyone that sees it that I am Catholic and I believe in the practices of the Catholic Church. It helps portrays to people my intangible culture.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Through a daughter's eyes
Little girls look up to their fathers as an invincible superman. The man with a thousand kisses and a thousand words of wisdom. As a girl grows older they search for their fathers off switch, but no matter how hard they look the advice, criticism and most of all the love shines through. They know he will always be there, from when they fall off their bikes, to the first time behind the wheel, and the dreaded first interrogation of a boyfriend.
As they grow up and move away she knows he will be there to walk her down the aisle to give her away, even though he knows the guy standing at the end will never be good enough for her. And she knows he is just waiting till the time he can share his parenting advice with her little bundles of joy.
But life doesn’t always run that smoothly, sometimes the superhero does fall, and he falls hard. Lying there in a bed with machines beeping, working overtime to keep his ever-giving heart alive. Unaware of the loved one around, needing his comforting arms around them, his reassuring words whispered in their ears. The daughter stands in a corner wishing she could go back in time. Wanting to take back every pity argument, every word she muttered under her breath and every time she wished he could just go away and shut up. To go back to that morning and take a little more time to say goodbye, not to have run from his open arms. She would take it all back just to see her superman back in the air untouchable and annoying as ever.
Everyone claims big girls don’t cry, but as they watch as their invincible superman falls to the ground and becomes a man among man, even the strongest girls can’t stop the tears.
As they grow up and move away she knows he will be there to walk her down the aisle to give her away, even though he knows the guy standing at the end will never be good enough for her. And she knows he is just waiting till the time he can share his parenting advice with her little bundles of joy.
But life doesn’t always run that smoothly, sometimes the superhero does fall, and he falls hard. Lying there in a bed with machines beeping, working overtime to keep his ever-giving heart alive. Unaware of the loved one around, needing his comforting arms around them, his reassuring words whispered in their ears. The daughter stands in a corner wishing she could go back in time. Wanting to take back every pity argument, every word she muttered under her breath and every time she wished he could just go away and shut up. To go back to that morning and take a little more time to say goodbye, not to have run from his open arms. She would take it all back just to see her superman back in the air untouchable and annoying as ever.
Everyone claims big girls don’t cry, but as they watch as their invincible superman falls to the ground and becomes a man among man, even the strongest girls can’t stop the tears.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)