Portfolios Cover Letter

I have changed in many ways as a writer this year. Before this class I had always thought I was a good writer, and my strengths were my use of grammar and I would go into detail about the subject, but I had problems with keeping my papers organized and I didn’t do any type drafts or notes before writing my final draft. I would write a paper, double check it for punctuation, then pass it in without revision. I’ve started to make annotations on reading assignments and when I write I make multiple rough drafts and outlines to help organize my ideas. Before this class, the only time I had written about myself was my college essay, other than that I had never done a writing assignment on myself until I did the memoir. It was uncomfortable and was weird for me to be writing about something in my life, but I made changes for my final draft and believe I did a good job on it. My text wrestling assignment “The case against high school sports, and how it negatively impacts academics,” was a paper I was very conflicted on, and made me take a step back and look at things from another point of view. Lastly my argumentative essay was my favorite assignment to write because it allowed me to talk about passion of mine (baseball) and I learned things I didn’t know about the MLB before I did the assignment. From this class, I have developed into a more focused, organized, and engaged writer.

For my memoir, I decided to tell the story of my time playing baseball in high school. It was a difficult time in my life, and at a low moment, the reassurance I got from my team and coach was an uplifting moment for me and helped me gain confidence. I would always be down on myself until I was part of that team. The friends I’ve made from my team are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met. Once I made my paper more organized it was easy to write it out as I just talked about how I felt. It felt odd writing about my personal life and posting it, but once I started writing it, things just came naturally and it didn’t feel odd anymore.  The assignments allowed me to be comfortable writing about myself, and allowed me to write in a style I have little experience with.

For my text wrestling assignment “The case against high school sports, and how it negatively impacts academics,” was the assignment that made me change most as a writer. It made me take a step back and look at things from multiple viewpoints, from which I made notes and annotations on the article. I made outlines and multiple drafts to make sure I was organized and was making a fair yet compelling point from the article. From looking at things from a different perspective, it even made me change my stance on the issue, from siding with school athletics, to siding on the side against school athletics.

My persuasive essay “The steroid era saved baseball, and deserves its recognition,” was my favorite assignment. It allowed me to research something I was passionate about and I did a lot of research. I used articles from online, and used data from them to make a strong argument as to why the players deserve their recognition. I organized my argument based off of three factors as to why they deserve their due credit and I delivered them in a strong concise argument. Despite it being a highly sensitive subject, especially to athletes and sports writers who believe they shouldn’t be allowed into the hall of fame, this essay provides a strong case as to why they should get their credit.

In this class, I’ve changed a lot as a writer. I put more effort into assignments, and take more time and be more focused about my work. I’m more organized and I write rough drafts and more notes. A major thing that helped me change with this class, was the fact that we, the students were allowed to choose our own theme for the semester, and that allowed me to write about things I’m interested and passionate about. Having that choice made me more intrigued and made me want to learn and be a better writer. This class changed me as a writer, and helped improve my focus, organization and my overall writing ability and style. I had always wanted to write about sports someday, and I had always wondered if I would enjoy doing it as a job, and this class assured me that I would, and provided me with help that will allow me to do so.

The Steroid era saved baseball, and it’s recognition

The steroid era of baseball, which lasted 1995 till 2003, saved the league from its own mess that it created. Major League Baseball would be no where near where they are today if it weren’t for players such as Mark Mcgwire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. These legends helped save the game of baseball and haven’t been inducted into the hall of fame, the reason why: Steroids. Former and modern day players, managers, executives and writers will say that these legends, along with countless others, ruined the game of baseball by cheating and taking steroids. Though it was legal during the time, it gave a advantage to hitters who took them, as more and more homeruns were getting hit by the year. “In 1994, only 5 players hit 40 home runs, and in the 1996 season 17 hit that many” (Koslosky). Saying that those that took steroids shouldn’t be in the hall of fame as it provides unfair advantage isn’t a strong case as many other players took substances in the league that weren’t steroids, especially hard drugs. There was even a case in the 70’s when multiple players from the Pittsburgh pirates team testified and admitted to buying and doing drugs from dealers, most of which worked in some capacity at the fields. These players deserve to be recognized for what they’ve done for the game, and deserve the same recognition as the other greats

Baseball went on a strike that hurt the league badly in 1994. Not just for who were witnessing a truly historical 1994 season come to an abrupt end when a new contract couldn’t be made between the teams and players. The next season, ticket prices, attendance and viewership of baseball had all started going down hill. Over the next few seasons however, when guys like Sammy Sosa and mark Mcgwire, and Barry bonds were making names for themselves’ did baseball make a comeback. It was almost as if that for every ball they hit out of the park, groups of fans would return with it. Ticket prices nearly doubled, attendance was way up, as well as viewership. Not only was this a great time for the fans, but an even better time for team owners. Team values sky rocketed, and they were able to make more money than they ever had been on merchandise and tickets. Without the steroid era, the mlb would never have been able regain its economic, social, and cultural prowess it once had.

Steroids, although a harmful substance that shouldn’t be abused, is not the worse thing an MLB player has done. Drugs have been a problem in the league for decades, going back decades. Most infamously were the cocaine cases of 1970, in which multiple Pittsburgh pirates players admitted to buying and using cocaine and other drugs from dealers that would often work for the team in some capacity. Even as recently as 2016, a promising young star Jose Fernandez and tragically involved in a boating accident in which him and his friends, all high on cocaine, died. To say cocaine doesn’t provide an advantage is not true, as its proven to greatly increase mental awareness, energy, and hypersensitivity. Also, cocaine is just one of the many substances that has stained baseball throughout history. To say that players who took steroids don’t deserve to be in the hall of fame because they had an unfair advantage is completely hypocritical because is proven to give a clear advantage provided from cocaine.

Barry bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and many other athletes deserve to have their names in Cooperstown. The impact these players made to the league is unquestionable economically and culturally is undeniable. They help made the league relevant and changed how the game was played. America’s favourite past time had been falling of but they a got a breath of fresh air from these players. It’s time for the pettiness to be put aside, and acknowledge these players for the icons they are.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Cocaine.” NIDA, July 2018, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine.

Koslosky, John-Erik. “How the Steroid Era Saved Baseball — The Motley Fool.” Google Search, Google, 14 Jan. 2014, 10:34 A.M., www.google.com/amp/s/www.fool.com/amp/investing/general/2014/01. /14/we-cant-ignore-the-steroid-era-it-just-might-have.aspx

Baseball, Thank You (Portfolio essay #1

Sports have always been an escape for me whether it was with troubles with my family or troubles in school I always knew I could do like a basketball or baseball to help alleviate the pain and stress of everyday life. I started watching and playing sports at the same I learned how to walk. I grew up with baseball, it has been a steady in presence in my life, and still is. I even still have my old Derek Jeter jersey that I used to wear all the time when I was a kid. My life, like everyone else’s, has had many ups and downs to it, but throughout my life, sports have been there for me at the darkest times. Sports, baseball specifically, has been the one constant factor that never changed and it kept a sense of balance in my life in the toughest times. It helped me through my parents divorce, fights with friends and family, and whatever hardships came with life. Whenever I would take the pitchers mound or get ready to do a set, I would forget about everything. The stress of school, the confusion and anger of a parents divorce, anything that could’ve been possibly upsetting me at the time I just forgot. Wether it was the next pitch I threw or the next set I did, I’d take a deep breath and I would tell myself in my head “just take it one after the other”, and that’s the way I live my life now, one task after the other. It helped me organize my life, improve my school work, and improve my health. Baseball especially had helped me in ways that are irreplaceable. It’s helped me through my toughest times, helped me make some of my closest friends that I would’ve never met without sports in my life, and become a better version of myself, one that I can I say I am comfortable and proud of.

The first time sports really acted as an safe haven for me from every day life, was when I was seven and my parents were going through a divorce. Times were very tough and even though at times I felt like I had nobody to talk to, playing baseball was there and helped take my mind off of the pain of the real world and it provided me with a place to be myself, alleviate my anger, and give my mind a break. It helped again when in high school my relationship with my father just ceased existing. It was a difficult time for me. High school was daunting enough for me already, coming from a small school and not knowing anybody did not help either. I was not a good student at first, had only a few friends, and had to deal with the same senseless drama too many kids have to deal with in high school. But with baseball and weightlifting though, it helped me make friends and do better on and off the field, and I don’t know where I would be today without both of those things in my life. It made me felt that I belonged somewhere, a part of something that I had felt I never been a part of before. Day by day things with my family improved, but without baseball and lifting during this time, I do not know how I could have coped with everything. They allowed me to escape from the madness of everyday life.

My senior year I remember specifically out of all four years of my high school career. It felt like the world was slowly pilling things on top of me and there was nothing there that could help. I was frustrated with myself, school and nearly everything. I decided to put my frustration into good use and used it as motivation for baseball, so that for once finally, I could good about something that I did. I worked hard in the offseason before the season and it was my most successful season. One of the best things to happen to me during the season had nothing to do with the actual sport, but actually the friends I made on the team. I had made great friendships that without baseball, I would’ve never met them. My hard work in the offseason has carried over, and although there are bumps along this long road we call life, I can confidently say that because of sports and specifically baseball, I have become more organized, healthier and happy, and it’s a big part of the reason why I’m happy as who I am today.

The Case Against High School Sports, and how it Impacts Academics (Portfolio essay #2)

In this article, Amanda Ripley delivers a fair and strong argument on why high schools should get rid of sports and the benefits of doing so. She argues that schools should focus funding on teachers, supplies, and new equipment. A school district, Singleton, the author states improved their acamdeics greatly once getting rid of sports from their curriculum. Although a controversial topic, Ripley delivers a fair and strong argument as to why sports should consider getting rid of high school sports.

This article reaches out to people who believe the school system in America is good and fair, not the underfunded and unfair reality of American schools. With America falling in academic scores, getting rid of sports might hurt at first, but work out in the long run. The Ripley says “I can rattle off the many benefits of high-school sports: exercise, lessons in sportsmanship and perseverance, school spirit, and just plain fun,” (Ripley) but throughout the article, she makes an argument that there is “too much emphasis on sports.” (Ripley) She states that in other countries around the world, high schools focus more on academic success, unlike some schools in America, “Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere else.”(Ripley) To make an argument, she did her own study with foreign exchange students and found “in cooperation with an international exchange organization called AFS, nine out of 10 foreign students who had lived in the U.S. said that kids here cared more about sports than their peers back home did.”(Ripley). The author also found that more high school students played then took advanced placement exams like the SAT and ACT. The author then goes on to say that they believe one reason for sports becoming a large part of American school culture is that white Anglosaxon males were responsible for it “The ruling elite feared that all this schooling would make Anglo-Saxon boys soft and weak, in contrast to their brawny, newly immigrated peers.” (Ripley)
The author goes on to mention one specific school district in America, Singleton. They cancelled their sports programs and focused on a more academic focused school. The average of students passing classes was 80% greatly improving from the 50% the year prior. Students and some teachers left the school, but those who stayed said it was a lot easier doing a club sport and focusing on school compared to how it was before.

Another reason to cut high school sports Ripley argues is that its to expensive and the money could be put to better use. It costs more for a school to have a sports team then it does for them to have a class. All the budgets and funds going to high school sports is profound, unimaginable even. To maintain a field for the year would most likely cost a school above ten thousand dollars, at the least. Academics should get the most funding in schools but sadly that’s not the case, as “schools will spend more money on athletics than they will on academics” (Niedospial) For example the high school I went to made multiple big decisions while I went there. They turned the old library into a full art room with new equipment and supplies, allowing the art program at the school to continue, rather than expanding the weight room for athletics. Another decision I agree with them was building new and essential science labs which will help and allow some students for years learn and expirement in school. When it comes to school academics come first always, and that’s why I agree with Ripley.

Ripley, Amanda. “The Case Against High-School Sports.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Feb. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/
the-case-against-high-school-sports/309447/.

Niedospial, Laurel. “If Schools Want to Succeed, Get Rid of Competitive Sports Programs.” POPSUGAR Tech, 28 Aug. 2017, www.popsugar.com/moms/Why-High-Schools-Should-Get-Rid-Sports-43894372.

The Steroid Era, and it’s recognition (Portfolio #3)

The steroid era of baseball, which lasted 1995 till 2003, saved the league from its own mess that it created. Major League Baseball would be no where near where they are today if it weren’t for players such as Mark Mcgwire, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. These legends helped save the game of baseball and haven’t been inducted into the hall of fame, the reason why: Steroids. Former and modern day players, managers, executives and writers will say that these legends, along with countless others, ruined the game of baseball by cheating and taking steroids. Though it was legal during the time, it gave a advantage to hitters who took them, as more and more homeruns were getting hit by the year. “In 1994, only 5 players hit 40 home runs, and in the 1996 season 17 hit that many” (Koslosky). Saying that those that took steroids shouldn’t be in the hall of fame as it provides unfair advantage isn’t a strong case as many other players took substances in the league that weren’t steroids, especially hard drugs. There was even a case in the 70’s when multiple players from the Pittsburgh pirates team testified and admitted to buying and doing drugs from dealers, most of which worked in some capacity at the fields. These players deserve to be recognized for what they’ve done for the game, and deserve the same recognition as the other greats

Baseball went on a strike that hurt the league badly in 1994. Not just for who were witnessing a truly historical 1994 season come to an abrupt end when a new contract couldn’t be made between the teams and players. The next season, ticket prices, attendance and viewership of baseball had all started going down hill. Over the next few seasons however, when guys like Sammy Sosa and mark Mcgwire, and Barry bonds were making names for themselves’ did baseball make a comeback. It was almost as if that for every ball they hit out of the park, groups of fans would return with it. Ticket prices nearly doubled, attendance was way up, as well as viewership. Not only was this a great time for the fans, but an even better time for team owners. Team values sky rocketed, and they were able to make more money than they ever had been on merchandise and tickets. Without the steroid era, the mlb would never have been able regain its economic, social, and cultural prowess it once had.

Steroids, although a harmful substance that shouldn’t be abused, is not the worse thing an MLB player has done. Drugs have been a problem in the league for decades, going back decades. Most infamously were the cocaine cases of 1970, in which multiple Pittsburgh pirates players admitted to buying and using cocaine and other drugs from dealers that would often work for the team in some capacity. Even as recently as 2016, a promising young star Jose Fernandez and tragically involved in a boating accident in which him and his friends, all high on cocaine, died. To say cocaine doesn’t provide an advantage is not true, as its proven to greatly increase mental awareness, energy, and hypersensitivity. Also, cocaine is just one of the many substances that has stained baseball throughout history. To say that players who took steroids don’t deserve to be in the hall of fame because they had an unfair advantage is completely hypocritical because is proven to give a clear advantage provided from cocaine.

Barry bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and many other athletes deserve to have their names in Cooperstown. The impact these players made to the league is unquestionable economically and culturally is undeniable. They help made the league relevant and changed how the game was played. America’s favourite past time had been falling of but they a got a breath of fresh air from these players. It’s time for the pettiness to be put aside, and acknowledge these players for the icons they are.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Cocaine.” NIDA, July 2018, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine.

Koslosky, John-Erik. “How the Steroid Era Saved Baseball — The Motley Fool.” Google Search, Google, 14 Jan. 2014, 10:34 A.M., www.google.com/amp/s/www.fool.com/amp/investing/general/2014/01. /14/we-cant-ignore-the-steroid-era-it-just-might-have.aspx

The gym, a place perseverance

 

The gym is a place of hope and perseverance. People of all races, genders, and appearances go to gyms, judgement free and go to better themselves. It’s a place of training the mind and body. People come for numerous reasons, to lose weight, to help blow off steam, or to feel better about themselves.

Towards the end of the year at the gym, there seems to be fewer people there by the week. Wether it is for personal, work or physical reasons, the last few months of the year always to be the time people seem to stop going to the gym. Those who still go and haven’t given up represent what a gym is supposed to be; a place where someone goes to work on their physical and mental toughness, a place of perseverance and hope. People find excuses wether it’s out of self doubt and or the intimidation of the gym. People let their self-doubt get to themselves, and they think that they will never achieve their goals so they find excuses to give up or just quit. But those who stay are saying that they believe in themselves and want to work hard to achieve a goal.

South coast is a very diverse gym, as groups of all races, ages and physiques go to exercise. There’s a group of middle aged woman that come in 4 days a week and they do hour long intense training programs. These woman may not seem at first, but they out of everyone I’ve seen at the gym, they work out the hardest. There’s also the high school and college student groups that come after school, around 2:30. Groups of kids, usually teams from local schools such as bishop Stang and Dartmouth high come and socialize and work off a stressful day of school. There’s the stereotypical groups of people that are at every gym, the buff people that lift absurd amounts of weight, the runners who seem to be able run forever without taking a break, and even a Zumba class that’s offered by the gym. Despite all these differences, the people are kind to each other, some even friends. It’s become habit for many of them to talk to the person who’s working at the front desk or someone they see already there. People will spot for others who are lifting heavy weights or give tips to someone who may need or ask for it. The environment brings out the best in people.

Going to the gym helps lift a toll on both the body on mind. Lifting weights, running, yoga, are all forms of exercise that people do at the gym to improve themselves. Though it’s difficult to keep going to the gym due to life’s many unavoidable obstacles, the gym helps people’s mental health greatly. It’s scientifically proven that exercise not only helps people get healthier and prevent disease, but it helps with stress and depression. “Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. About five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects” (Otto, Smitts). Some of the people at the gym said reasons they went were to train for college sports, getting in better shape, and for relieving stress from a long work day. The people believe in themselves, and believe they can work hard to improve themselves, which is exactly what the gym is, a place of hope where with perseverance and faith, one can improve themselves to a person they want to be.

 

“Exercise for Stress and Anxiety.” Anxiety and    Depression Association of America,
ADAA, adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-   anxiety/exercise-stress-and- anxiety.

Peer review #2

You did a good job summarizing the article, but you didsn’t write a response. On the text wrestling page on the blog, in the details of this essay on the bottom there’s a multiple ways of responding. For me since I did the same article it made me reflect because I had though sports were always good for schools, which I was proved wrong. Lastly I would recommend you read it over carefully and fix a few grammatical mistakes. You need to make a conclusion as well, other than that though your summary was well done.

Peer review (A Big Day)

This memoir is well written and I can really tell how the author cares for the sport.  The author should have given more detail about the first and last game, and at the least the last game.  He gives a good image of the second game, talking about the penalty kicks and the nerves he was feeling.  He mentions that he thought his team better but never provided an example and if he did, I think the author could have provided evidence as to why he believes his team was better Thanatos the other team.  Other than that and a few minor writing mistakes, the author provides a clear picture of a soccer tournament he played in when he was younger and truly shows how important the sport was to him.

reading journal 4

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/what-the-hell-happened-to-darius-miles

In this article, former NBA star Darius Miles talks about his crazy life, from the beginning of his rough upbringing in east St. Louis, his time in the nba during which he dealt with death and mental issues, to his downfall and recovery.  The author and his editor tell of times where they were in East St. Louis and the dangers he faced in the streets, both as an adult and child.  He talks about interactions with nba legends like Shawn Kemp, Alonzo Mounrning and more.  In the end he tells of his issues with deooression and addiction and his best friend helped him move to Florida where he is healthy and sober.  The author gives a very real and honest account of his life, talking about his lowest points in life suffering depression and addiction.  Although the author does use vulgar language and slang, the images and overall story of his life were fascinating and that’s why I would give it a star rating of 8.5 out of 10.

The case against high-school sports, and how it negatively impacts academics.

In this article, Amanda Ripley delivers a fair and strong argument on why high schools should get rid of sports and the benefits of doing so.  She argues that schools should focus funding on teachers, supplies, and new equipment.  A school district, Singleton, the author states improved their acamdeics greatly once getting rid of sports from their curriculum.  Although a controversial topic, Ripley delivers a fair and strong argument as to why sports should consider getting rid of high school sports.

This article reaches out to people who believe the school system in America is good and fair, not the underfunded and unfair reality of American schools. With America falling in academic scores, getting rid of sports might hurt at first, but work out in the long run. The Ripley says “I can rattle off the many benefits of high-school sports: exercise, lessons in sportsmanship and perseverance, school spirit, and just plain fun,” (Ripley) but throughout the article, she makes an argument that there is “too much emphasis on sports.” (Ripley) She states that in other countries around the world, high schools focus more on academic success, unlike some schools in America, “Sports are embedded in American schools in a way they are not almost anywhere else.”(Ripley) To make an argument, she did her own study with foreign exchange students and found “in cooperation with an international exchange organization called AFS, nine out of 10 foreign students who had lived in the U.S. said that kids here cared more about sports than their peers back home did.”(Ripley). The author also found that more high school students played then took advanced placement exams like the SAT and ACT. The author then goes on to say that they believe one reason for sports becoming a large part of American school culture is that white Anglosaxon males were responsible for it “The ruling elite feared that all this schooling would make Anglo-Saxon boys soft and weak, in contrast to their brawny, newly immigrated peers.” (Ripley)
The author goes on to mention one specific school district in America, Singleton. They cancelled their sports programs and focused on a more academic focused school. The average of students passing classes was 80% greatly improving from the 50% the year prior. Students and some teachers left the school, but those who stayed said it was a lot easier doing a club sport and focusing on school compared to how it was before.

Another reason to cut high school sports Ripley argues is that its to expensive and the money could be put to better use. It costs more for a school to have a sports team then it does for them to have a class. All the budgets and funds going to high school sports is profound, unimaginable even. To maintain a field for the year would most likely cost a school above ten thousand dollars, at the least. Academics should get the most funding in schools but sadly that’s not the case, as  “schools will spend more money on athletics than they will on academics” (Niedospial)  For example the high school I went to made multiple big decisions while I went there.  They turned the old library into a full art room with new equipment and supplies, allowing the art program at the school to continue, rather than expanding the weight room for athletics.  Another decision I agree with them was building new and essential science labs which will help and allow some students for years learn and expirement in school.  When it comes to school academics come first always, and that’s why I agree with Ripley.

Ripley, Amanda. “The Case Against High-School Sports.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 19 Feb. 2014, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/
the-case-against-high-school-sports/309447/.

 

Niedospial, Laurel. “If Schools Want to Succeed, Get Rid of Competitive Sports Programs.” POPSUGAR       Tech, 28 Aug. 2017, www.popsugar.com/moms/Why-High-Schools-Should-Get-Rid-Sports-43894372.