Globalization

Globalization is such an interesting topic because it the source of so much controversy. There are several arguments for and against globalization and its almost overwhelming to take in all the different perceptions and form my own opinion on the subject. In "How Soccer Explains the World", globalization is not seen as a great thing. Especially in chapter 4, globalization is almost hated by hooligans such as Alan Garrison. They belief that globalization is what has caused the transformation of the down and dirty Chelsea football club to the uptight, wealthy Chelsea that it has become today. At first thought, globalization means that the world has become more interconnected, which is a good thing in my opinion. Foreign capital can be a revitalizing source of money for a nation or just a local area. At the same time, globalization can drastically change the areas that it affects. In Chelsea, globalization resulted not only in the physical changing of the stadium and surrounding areas, but also in the feeling of degradation for the locals that had supported team years before money changed everything. Traditions and customs that have been set in stone for years have been demolished by globalization in certain parts of the world, and I'm sure that there are many people that hate the idea of change and wish that foreign nations had never interfered in their home. Today, globalization affects all of us each and every day. We buy things everyday that have been produced in some foreign nation and don't think twice about the implications of our actions. This may be because America doesn't have serious roots in anything, but this doesn't change the fact that traditions and patterns are changed (mostly for the worst) when nations interfere in the business of other nations. Then again, how would the world be if every nation had kept to themselves for all this time?

Sports in my Life

At an early age, I took up golf as my favorite sport. I had played basketball, soccer, and baseball, but in the end, golf is what stuck. I have no idea why, at that age, I chose a sport that most people think is extremely boring, but I've been playing ever since. Over the last twelve years, I've come to really enjoy golf, which is why I've played competitively for such a long time. Of course, I've played for the Whitney Young golf team for the past four years, during which we have won three city championships. Through golf, I have been able to travel around the country and meet people from around the world. I've gone to golf academies at Kansas State University and University of Richmond. most recently, I've gone to Disneyworld for a leadership forum (related to golf). I agree with other people about watching golf; watching it on television can be painfully boring sometimes. I really only watch if Tiger is in contention. While golf is my favorite sport to play and compete in, I greatly enjoy watching and casually playing other sports. I consider SportsCenter to be one of my favorite shows because it gives the perfect interview of what's going on in the sports world. I wouldn't say that sports consumes my life at all, but I do like to have sports in my life. Most sports are a lot of fun to watch, and there a certain few that I enjoy playing as well. Still, at the end of the day, golf is still my main connection to sports.

Thankful for a Classmate

I am thankful for just about all of my classmates in our philosophy class. My reason is that we are a diverse group of people, which only adds diverse thoughts a comments to our interesting discussions. Everyone doesn't  jump in all the time, but it's great that we have enough people that think differently in the classroom. Some people add humor to 5th period, and others add a great amount of insight to some of the conversations that we have. Basically, my point is that there is rarely a dull moment in our class because of the amount of interesting people that we have in the room. These students are all interesting in their own way, and this is why it;s a perfect mix for a philosophy class. Some of the topics that we bring up ultimately turn the classroom into a panel of people from different walks of life and of different perspectives. I think that this is the key to what has made and what will continue to make philosophy an interesting class. Another aspect of the students in this class that makes it great is that we seem to build off of one another's comments and don't attack each other for what we believe in (except maybe the cats). Overall, I'm grateful that we have a decent balance of students in the class, ranging from those that say what's on their mind without reservation to those that take in the highlights of the discussion before saying their peace. Again, I believe that this mix of people is a key element of what makes a philosophy class and it wouldn't really be the same without all of the students in this class.

Open Letter to Cormac McCarthy

Dear Mr. McCarthy:

I enjoyed your book. The movie adaptation was disappointing, but I'm sure that's not your fault. The book was very well written and balanced the themes of hope and disappointment perfectly. I noticed the unique style with which you wrote "The Road". The lack of apostrophes and peculiar method of writing dialogues added to the morbid theme of the book and really immersed the reader in the world that you created. Overall, I thought that the structure and style of the book were both great. I didn't enjoy the content of the book quite as much. It was very depressing and gave a very pessimistic view of what direction humanity is headed in. This book made me wonder: Do you think that our world is actually going to become like the world in the your book, or did you simply write this book for entertainment? Either way, you must have some negative feelings about humans in general. What exactly has led to these feelings that you have toward other people and do you think you have contributed to the destruction of the Earth? I'd like to learn more about your outlook on life and about your opinions on what life means. Hopefully, all of your views aren't in line with the themes that are found in "The Road". Continue to write books, but maybe try to write one about the good aspects of humanity. It can't be god to focus too deeply on the negative aspects of anything.

Sincerely,
Zachary Stuart

Defend the Poet (Charles Bukowski)

Charles Bukowski may be so pessimistic in his writing because of past experiences in his life. He doesn't seem like a people person because of his outlook on humanity and, basically, what people deserve. In a sense, Bukowski is simply looking at the things that humans have created and the negative effects these things have created. Even though the writing is very negative, I like the style with which Bukowski writes. The imagery is very strong and the message is sent very clearly. In "Dinosauria, We", the reader gets that the world will begin to consume itself after the apocalypse. There is a clear message that the author is making a connection to how the dinosaurs were wiped off of the earth, and that he believes we are next. The only difference is that humans play more of a part in their own elimination, whereas the dinosaurs were not really at fault for their extinction. As far as poetry goes, this piece is very nicely written and structured perfectly for the morbid theme. It is broken up and abrupt, which is how the author envisions the end of the world. The poem also drags on, which is similar to survival in a post-apocalyptic world, which is reflected in "The Road". Overall, I like this poem because of how effective the imagery is and how thought-provoking the ideas are.

A Direction the Class Needs

I think that most classes would improve greatly if they were more interactive. For all of the different classes in the world, there are millions of possibilities for allowing students to be more involved in the learning process. I definitely find it more difficult to take in information during classes where teachers just talks for fifty minutes straight. Unless the teacher is talking about something that I'm truly interested in, it becomes difficult to stay awake, let alone actually learn something. For topics that aren't interesting to most students, teachers should take measures to make sure that there are interesting ways to convey the lessons to the students. In this class, the discussions that we have keep the class interesting and actually help aid the lessons that we're trying to learn. With a more interactive approach to learning, there will be an increase in tests scores and students would actually  understand the test material. It's important that teachers can realize what kind of activities would stimulate students' minds and help them learn essential lessons. I think that these measures should be implemented in high schools especially because most of our school day consists of being spoken to by teachers for long periods of time, which bores us most of the time. Engaging the students with activities other than busy work would benefit the teachers and students because there would be less disruptions during class and students would be comfortable with the material that they are learning. Hopefully, these strategies can be put into motion soon.

Mother & Son

 Throughout my 18-year life, my Mother has always been there for me, and has proved counteless times that she always will be there for me. Even though I talk back and am not always as respectful as possible, I am grateful for a Mother that would sacrifice eveerything she owns to help me out.  Since elementary school, my Mother has  given her time to help me with homework or projects. When I was younger, I could hardly understand how much my Mother was really giving. Instead of working, she used her time to make sure that I got everything I needed and more. My Mom rarely denies requests that I have for help and if she does, she always makes it up to me. I love the fact that I can always depend on my Mom for anything, whether this means picking me up or helping me put the finishing touches on a project. Along with helping me out physically, my Mother facilitates me mentally. She constantly encourages me not to settle for less than what I am capable of. Along with my Father, she has taught me that mediocrity is unacceptable when I am capable of greatness. For most things I do in life, I apply this mindset and it has worked out quite well over the years. I thank my parents for what they have done for me and attribute my success to them. Even though I won't see them as often as I do now when I'm in college, I plan to continue to learn from my parents because I truly believe that they have my best interests at heart.

How Do I Know What I Know?

The only way that I know what I know is that I've been told that this world and the people in it are my reality. Because there really aren't too many other options than accept this as truth, I have accepted this reality as my own. Through my own experiences, I have learned more and more, which I proves to me that I have the capacity to remember things and learn from them. I think that this is a prime example of me being conscious of my ability of my mind to be aware of my knowledge and the world around me. Despite being able to remember certain experiences and being told that this reality is real,  I don't have first-hand knowledge that would directly lead me to believe that I am conscious of the knowledge that I have and the information that I take in. Everyday, whether it comes from my parents, friends, or school, I process tons of information and little evidence that I am conscious of what my mind is doing. Because I want to believe that I am aware of the information I am learning, I choose to accept the conventional belief that this is our reality, but there is no sure-fire way to tell. I don't think that anyone is actually sure about whether they know or don't know they are fully aware about their existence and their thoughts. Most of us simply accept that we wake up in the same reality everyday and take in information the same way everyday.

Our Meaning

I believe that our meaning on Earth is to develop ourselves intellectually and make the best use possible of the resources we have been given. I think that we are meant to figure out how to live in the most efficient way and make the world a better place for each generation to come, if possible. As of right now, it seems that we (at least in American society) continue to drain the resources that we find on this planet, which I'm sure will have negative consequences far down the road. On the other hand, the advances that humans have made in science and technology are amazing when you think about. The fact that we have been able to take minerals ans metals and develop them to the point where I can communicate with a friend on the other side of the planet from a handheld device is absolutely amazing. I think that, from a scientific point of view, humans are bettering themselves and the world each and every day. We are discovering things that will benefit the generations that are around now, and are laying the groundwork for the next generation to advance even further. From an ecological and economic standpoint, we are probably doing more harm than good everyday that we exist on this planet. Unfortunately, the way that things have been set up depend heavily on resources such as oil. A day on Earth without any use oil would probably be the most unproductive day in decades, if not centuries. As far economic issues go for advancement and development, they are relatively short-term issues. In comparison to the large time horizons the environment and technology have, the time that it takes to change economies seems to be much less. Nonetheless, I feel that it is everyone's duty to leave what they have or had better for the next generation of people. This is the only way to promote the efficient use of the Earth and the well-being of the people that inhabit this planet.

God in 2010

In current times, I think that most people see God in a positive light. A small group of people see God as someone who brings pain to people and view Him in a negative light. There is also a group of people that don't believe in God at all. For the most part, however, I feel that God is believed to be a source of good for a majority of people. Some people question if there is a God when disasters such as hurricane Katrina occur. Others believe that God has a grand plan, and things happen (good or bad) in this world so that better things can come along in the long run. I also think that God is widely thought to be a source of good because of the tremendous amount of people that still attend church each and every Sunday. I don't know if a majority or minority of Americans attend church, but I know that many people do. These people are seeking to worship God because they feel that this is the right way to find stability in their lives. Along with going to church comes prayer, which is widely known as the way one can communicate with God and let their troubles be known. While there are people that think prayer is simply talking to yourself, many people strongly believe that God is listening and will find a way (most of the time indirectly) to help them with their problem(s). In conclusion, I believe that God is viewed in more of a positive light than negative or indifferent light in 2010. I feel this way because of firsthand and secondhand knowledge that a lot of people today still pray for God's help on a daily basis and that church is a very important place in many people's lives.

Candide's Punishments, Do They Fit the Crime?

I think that none of the punishments that Candide has received so far actually fit the crime. I have noticed that the punishments get a little bit closer to fitting the crime with each incident, but Candide hasn't really done anything that deserves such harsh treatment. His first "crime" was kissing Cunegonde in the Baron's palace. As a result, Candide was kicked out of the palace and out of the only world that he has ever known. After being kicked out of the palace, Candide was tricked into joining the Bulgarian army. He trained well, but was basically tortured when he attempted to run away. I don't even think he had any bad intentions; he simply didn't know that you can't leave the army whenever you please. Of course, Candide was harshly punished for that. Just for innocently escaping the army, he was beaten to the muscle by the whole regiment of the Bulgarian army (choosing this punishment over being shot in the head). Next, Candide was verbally punished by the Christians in Holland. His crime in this part of the book was ignorance, for he was not completely aware of what he had to say to get approval in the particular town he was in. Fortunately, there was the Anabaptist present, who helped Candide out. Candide's next punishment was being beaten in the act of faith, as well as seeing his mentor hanged. Candide had to suffer this treatment because Pangloss was talking about his opinions (philosophical optimism), and Candide was listening to him. Because of all the pain and suffering Candide has had to endure up to this point, he is starting to move away from the belief that all is for the best in this world, as his mentor taught him. He is starting to learn more about the world around him and how he must act and think in order to stay alive. 

Who is the Modern Gadfly?

I would have to say that Michael Moore matches the description of a modern day gadfly more than anyone else that I can think of. Much like Socrates during his time, Michael Moore persistently attempts to approach our leaders of corporate America and the government in order to make them admit that they've done something wrong or that their beliefs and foundation aren't too stable. I think what truly makes Michael Moore a modern gadfly is the fact that he is presenting his opponents with valid arguments and becomes irritating to the point where he actually becomes an important person in the category of anti-status quo personalities. If Moore was even the slightest less pressing than he is, this nation probably wouldn't really even know who he is. He decided to focus on key issues in America, carefully analyze and understand them, then ask his opponents why they made certain decisions. In all of his films, Michael Moore makes it a point to personally attempt to dig up truth from the  leaders that he believes have made poor decisions that have negatively affected America. Other than producing films, Moore has voiced his opinions on news shows, including Fox News. In 2006, he and Bill O'Reily spoke about 9/11 and former President Bush's actions. I believe that Michael Moore stands behind everything he believes in, and is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to find truth in pivotal issues. In Athens, Socrates approached leaders and questioned their beliefs and ideology. I feel that no one today has done this more than Michael Moore.

The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living?

I agree with Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living. At some point in your life, you must look back on what you've done so far and evaluate whether you like what you've done or don't. At that moment, you can make a change in your habits in order to become more productive or meet a goal that you have. I don't think that it's possible to set goals if you don't examine your life and see where it's headed. There would be no way to know if you want to go to college, or if want to start a business in downtown Chicago. Self-evaluation is an essential tool that allows one to realize what they want the most and them to figure out how to achieve whatever that may be. While there may be little consequence to going through the motions of life without much thought about future plans, countless opportunities are missed if you don't think about possibilities for yourself and how you have excel in whatever it is you do. I believe that most major decisions are made through self-evaluation because at the end of the day, you have to make a decision that will make you happy, regardless of what others may think of that decision. Without examining your life, it would be extremely easy for somebody to steer you in the wrong direction and you sway your beliefs. Most people form their beliefs by looking at themselves and the world around them. They take in what they hear from parents, friends, and the media and try to relate it to their life. Without the careful examination of your life, it becomes very difficult to understand how anything that happens in the world could relate to you.

My Eulogy

Zachary Stuart was a hard-working, responsible young man who loved to play golf and spend time with his friends and family. He liked to give back to others, whether this meant tutoring a fellow student or lending money to someone in need. Volunteering was a large part of how Zach gave back to the community. As a member of NHS, he volunteered at events around Chicago and places such as the Greater Food Depository of Chicago. Also, as a member of the First Tee of Greater Chicago, he helped young people learn the game of golf and all that it has to offer. Besides being a full time high school student, Zachary was also a member of the Whitney Young golf team. Since the age of six, he played the game and developed his golfing skills. Golf had a great impact on Zach's personality because it taught him honesty, respect, and perseverance, and he always tried to apply values such as these on and off the golf course. As a student, Zach always gave his best effort to maintain a good grade point average and understand what his teachers taught him. He strongly believed that the work he put in as a young man would greatly benefit him later on, which is why challenged himself and worked hard throughout his educational career. He had plans to study mechanical engineering at Stanford University, and then go on to get a MBA from the Wharton School of Business. After finishing his education, Zachary planned to start his own engineering firm and work with cutting-edge technology.