One Shining Moment

We all are striving towards a goal. Whatever that goal may be, we strive every day until we get to that goal. The result or achievement towards which effort is directed, that is the first definition of a goal that popped up when I looked for it. Sometimes we set everyday goals such as not falling asleep in class or even sometimes it is something as simple as going to every class. But when you achieve something that you have put years into, it is hard to put that end feeling into words.
Last year everybody that was close to the men’s basketball team here at UMBC knew that we had very good team. We had a couple of transfers that were only eligible for a year and people wanted to see if we could gel in one year to bring a championship to UMBC. A championship would mean an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. I have watched the NCAA tournament since I can remember and being a part of it, getting to play on CBS would be incredible. Our coaches and captains made sure that making the NCAA tournament was the ultimate goal at the end of the season before anything. That focus and determination is what made accomplishing that goal even more unbelievable. We were the first basketball team to win a championship here to go to the NCAA tournament, but more importantly we all came together and accomplished a life long goal.

Marc's Sporting Goods Store?

When I was younger I only really wanted to be one of two things, and that was a super hero or basketball player. Now that I’m older I know only one of those two jobs actually exist, and the chances of getting to the NBA are slim to none. Over the years though I have been intrigued by the thought of owning my own sporting goods store and hopefully it can become a franchise one day, similar to Modell’s only better. I have always played sports and my mom convinced me at a young age that owning your own business is the way to go, that is why this is what I am striving for. My parents were the ones that instilled the American Dream in me. That is that the sky is the limit as long as you work for it. Word Count: 142

The Best and Worst Times

It took me a while and I had to go all the way back to my elementary school years, but I actually recollected a positive memory in school. I was in fifth grade and my teacher was Ms. Spunn, and she made that year memorable forever. Maybe it was the lack of work we did or maybe it was the fact that she made learning entertaining that made this year memorable to me. Before and after I was done with this class I’ve had problems finding another class like this. She made reading, writing and any other learning activity fun. I never truly enjoyed learning as much as I did this year.
The negative experiences I’ve had in school would definitely be failing classes. This has happened on more than one occasion between middle school and high school. I don’t have any excuses as to why it happened nor am I blaming my teachers, even though I might’ve initially. Failing classes because I was too lazy to do my work or just getting into trouble was very embarrassing. After the fact, I use to feel embarrassed and disappointed in myself for letting this happen. Failing classes were by far the worst experiences I’ve had in school.

This I Believe...Life Lesson Through Tragedy

My senior year in high school I had one goal in mind, to get an athletic scholarship. I had always played basketball for my school team and could not imagine not playing for my college team. My high school coach told me that the further my team went into the state playoffs the more college coaches would be interested in me. Therefore, losing in my league’s championship by three points broke my heart because that was not far at all. At this point I was not too confident in my future and did not think things could get any worse from here on out.
The Easter before my senior year one of my closest aunts had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The survival rate of this cancer is incredibly low but my aunt was an upbeat person and never seemed to be too worried. My aunt had been going to chemotherapy during my senior year and it seemed to be going very well. Her body showed no signs of breaking down and it almost made our family forget about her condition a little bit. Then within a week of my team losing in the championship, her condition worsened and her doctor was suggesting that moving her to a hospice would be the best thing to do. Witnessing one of my closest aunts struggling for her life made me realize that I should not let basketball control my life and be thankful that I was healthy enough to play a sport.
After her passing I tried to not let a loss in a basketball game dictate my every move anymore. I will always remember her as a woman that was always laughing and more importantly a strong person but the last few days of her life will always stick with me. A couple of weeks after her passing I got a couple of offers that I liked to play college basketball. I got a chance to pursue my dream, but the passing of my aunt taught me the importance of life itself and that nothing is promised. I wish she could have seen where I am today but I'm thankful for the lessons that she taught me.

The NOSEY Generation

Words: 85

After much thought the only appropriate name that I could come with for my generation is the nosey generation. In this day and age there is constant texting and internet use which allows people to stay in contact for twenty four hours a day seven days a week. The paparazzi simply follow around celebrities from artists to politicians to find out what they are doing. These celebrities get scrutinized more for their private lives than the substance of the material they are supposed to produce.

Just Admit It

It might be cliché, but Nike has grown to be a part of me. Nike has become a culture, a way of life for many people. There are people that collect Nike sneakers like they owe it to them. Since they were founded Nike has gotten the biggest athletes in there respective sports. The athlete that took Nike to another level however was Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan and Nike have a mutual relationship in which they made each other icons over time.
Every pair of sneaker that I own is Nike, all my socks are Nike, and even my sandals are Nike. Growing up playing basketball I idolized Michael Jordan’s every move. If he did something I wanted to imitate it as fast as possible. This is an example of a company capitalizing off of a marketable person and making that person more mainstream. Michael Jordan was a huge star once he made it into the NBA, but all the Nike commercials helped propel him onto another level. He eventually got his own sneaker line that is a branch off of Nike, which is incredibly successful on its own . I, along with many people that I know, consider Nike to be the elite sports apparel. It is not only the most successful sneaker company but also the most popular. It makes me wonder if my borderline obsession with Nike are subconscious decisions or if I really like there sneakers. When searching for the signature line for sportswear Nike will almost always be the answer, but the way they make there products has been an issue in recent years.
Nike sneakers can be seen everywhere you go from the mall to church. I personally think they always have the most unique design but find a way to put it onto a classic sneaker. In recent years questions about how Nike manufactures there products has been a major issue. Nike products were being produced in sweatshops across the world. This is a major issue because of the minimal wages that they offer to their workers. Nike is the largest sneaker company in the world and there workers deserve much more than harsh conditions and little to nothing pay. Now wearing Nike’s can represent a lot more than just having a nice pair of new shiny sneakers. The sneakers that many people own are being made by someone under dreadful conditions in another country. 402 words

Definitely a Media...Addict!

Media controls my every move. Last year Professor King had our American Studies class go without media for twenty four hours, and I almost went crazy. Media gives me a way to keep in touch with what goes on back home, among other things. I consistently check up on my high school basketball team and all the other teams in New York. The news media is also a means for me to keep up with the entertainment business. I love hip hop so I like to have inside knowledge of what is going on with my favorite artists. My relationship with the media was probably formed simply from growing up in this generation, which focuses on how Barack Obama greets his wife instead of his political views.

I rarely use the media for the educational purposes that I should though. I should be more in tune with what is going on in the world, as well as this country. I have to make a more conscious effort to read national newspapers or watch the news. Especially with the presidential election only a couple months away.

What America Means to ME

My name is Marcos Tamares and I was born on February 3rd in Queens, New York. I’ve played basketball my whole life and my senior year in high school I accepted an athletic scholarship to play here at UMBC. I declared myself as political science major very early, which turned out to be a big mistake. I didn’t know as much about the major as I thought, so right now I am in the process of finding a new major.
My parents and most of my family are from the Dominican Republic. Witnessing the conditions from where my family came from and where some of my family still lives makes me appreciate America that much more. America truly means the land of opportunity to me. My family came to this country with nothing and made the most of their chances to progress. This country has unparalleled opportunities to excel.