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.