imedia: One-armed basketball player earns scholarship

Bing Video: One-armed basketball player earns scholarship

Having to think of a video that interested me and that I could successfully discuss, my mind, naturally, went back a week to the time when I was sitting in a orthodontist office, reading a sports illustrated. Looking through the various articles, one of them caught my eye. "Kevin Laue gets Manhattan scholarship" reading the title nothing didn't seem too special but after reading the article, I realized that he received a division one scholarship with only one arm. Frankly, I think getting a division I scholarship is already hard enough but with one arm? My mind began to wonder, "How could he shoot?", "Doesn't he have a hard time catching passes?". I was amazed that someone with that much of a physical disability was able to preform with elite basketball players. However, many of my questions of "How could he pull this off?" A lot of these questions were answered by something mentioned in the video and in the article, his work ethic. What an athlete may lack in athleticism or skill, can be made up by the willingness to work hard and always give a hundred percent. For Kevin, he knows that if he wants to accomplish his goals that, because of his physical disability, must constantly be outworking his opponents. It is also important to set goals if you're passionate about something. Kevin, as he explained in the video, has set manageable goals for himself that provides motivation for him and that he strives to achieve. Goals are important in general, not only in sports, because they give you something to work for and when achieved, give you a sense of accomplishment like nothing else.
Perhaps this video could answer another question of mine, why are sports important? What is the point of them, do they really matter? These were some questions that were brought up at a friends house by his mother and at the time, my friend's father and I were unable to give a storng answer. This lead me to think, why does it matter if the Bear's are winning or not? What's the significance of the Cubs winning the World Series. Who cares who wins the NBA playoffs? Actually, why do sports matter at all? After viewing this video I realize the answer, it's about recognizing the accomplishments of the players and athletes that put so much of there time and talent to achieve their goals. When watching sports on TV, we have to remember that those athletes are humans just like us, with wants, needs, dreams, and goals. Sports, though just games, are a place were many inspirational stories materialize and where athletes of many years achieve their goals for something they love doing, and it is important that we recognize this.
Reading this story, I was inspired and happy to see that despite a physical disability, this basketball player was able to achieve so much. It reminds me, and hopefully many others, to always try your best, and never quit when you have a dream. It also sends the message that just because you're disadvantaged, maybe severally or not as severally as Kevin, that it can't stop you from reaching your goals.

Connection:King Lear Technicolor Dream Coat

After tirelessly thinking of things to connect, I finally thought of something that I continue learn about on a weekly basis through my family, mass, and through my social studies textbook, Christianity. Searching for a story that I could relate to the situation of Edmund, Edgar, and Gloucester, I came across one of my favorite stories which is also a musical, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In both King Lear and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, there is a situation where sons are competing for their father’s love. In King Lear, Edmund, the illegitimate son, is jealous of Edgar because he is more loved by his father and is going to receive his property. Because of his jealousy, Edmund devises a plan to eradicate Edgar and leave him to be the sole inheritance of his father’s love and fortune. Though there are 11 jealous brothers instead of one, the situation is nearly identical in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Joseph is the favored son that receives more than his share of his father’s affection and gifts. After receiving a wonderful coat, the brothers jealousy reaches an all time high. They decide, like Edmund did, that life would be better for them if he was eliminated and create a plan to oust Joseph from the family. After the brothers deceive their father and sell their brother off as a slave, they begin to receive the attention that they desired.
After Edgar and Joseph leave their families, they are forced to live their lives as a slave and a beggar. In King Lear, Edgar has to live as a beggar because he is wanted by the kingdom for false accusations. Living as a beggar and disguising his identity, Edgar comes it contact with a powerful and troubled king, King Lear. As a beggar, Edgar helps Lear through his troubles and becomes acquainted with the king. Similarly in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Joseph works as a slave for a great yet troubled pharaoh. As a slave, Joseph conducts favors for the pharaoh in the form of interpreting dreams. Pharaoh was grateful for having Joseph that he decided to promote him to governor. Over time, both Joseph and King Lear meet their families by happenstance and are asked a favor from them. With King Lear, Edgar sees Gloucester has lost his eyes and is asked to be his guide to Dover. In Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, the family asks Joseph for grain and food because they are starving. Later both families realize the identities of their brother/son and ask forgiveness from him.
Understanding this connection is important because it helps be realize the relation and pattern of event that have taken place within Edgar’s family. Seeing this connection, one might think that Shakespeare himself was a devout Christian (which I doubt). These stories, characters, and character relations are truly more alike than different. Overall, I believe that these stories have identical characters and follow a pattern of events that make both an interesting literature piece and bible story.

Dialectics: Religion and Hatred

When one thinks of religion, one might think of worship, praise, togetherness, but never of hate. After looking deep into the similarities between these two topics, I have undiscovered that they are more alike than different.
Starting with their origins, religion originated a little after the creation of humans. At that point in time, religion served the purpose of explaining why the world is the way it is and any thing else that they couldn't figure out. Along with the creation of religion and humanity, hate also brewed among the human population as well. Hatred comes in many different forms and many different reasons. Some examples of hate include jealousy, hate of differences, hate of personality, hate of ideas, and hate of image.
Not until the emergence of multiple global religions did hatred and religion begin to combine. For example, with the emergence of Christianity, authorities began to hate the image and ideas of Jesus Christ. People as well began to dislike those who converted and the converted began to resent those who didn’t. Because religion is such an important and strong idea in the life of a human, it brings about strong emotions, such as hate. As time continues, the situation doesn’t change, and though Christianity supports “Love one another”, Christians all over continue to hate and challenge those who refuse to convert.
Like Christianity, Judaism also begins to serve as a reason to hate one another. Since their existence, Jews have received oppression where ever they have lived. Whether they have lived in Russia, Nazi Germany, or Europe they have received hatred and oppression because of their beliefs, image, and most importantly, their differences. In some situations, like during the Middle ages, Jews were expelled and persecuted. The hate and oppression didn’t change until the 19th and 20th centuries, where the intensity of the hate increased. During this time, Jews were being killed by the masses just because of the religion they followed. The long history of oppression has caused the Jews today to strive for a country of their own. Trying to obtain this country has led them into a long-lasting war with Palestine. Jews, today, now hate the other side because of their nationality and what they stand for. Likewise, Palestine and many of the other Middle East countries now hate the Jews for taking their land and oppressing their people. It’s amazing to think that religion, such a wonderful and important thing in most peoples lives, started this world of hate that exists today in the Middle East.
The situation is also identical with the religion of Islam. Islamic people are isolated from non-Islamic people. The distance between them and because their religion labels the people that don't worship Islam as "sinners" causes Muslims to dislike or hate the people that don't worship Islam. Today, Muslims have an enormous amount of hate against the American non-Muslim population and because of their hate, they have started a war against America.
Understanding that hate often comes from religion makes religion seem less productive and peaceful than it is. Religion, though by itself it’s a harmless idea, creates differences of beliefs, views, and customs between people. These differences turn to hate when people judge each other based on their religious views. Overall, recognizing that religion creates differences that lead to hatred between people is important and shows that religion, despite its benefits, might have a negative effect on the Human population.