No Looking Back

Research Paper

I have decided to write my research paper on the financial aspect of Major League Baseball. There is a wide salary margin among both leagues and I plan to explore whether or not a team's payroll afftects that team's success or failure. In addition, I am going to go in depth and explore solutions to the salary descrepencies and whether or not they would have any success in the now "industry" of baseball. I will also use the history of baseball to suport my theory of how the moral of baseball has changed through out the last century and the roll money has played in that.
The biggest problem I am having is keeping my emotions out of this paper. For a long time I have had an ideolistic view of baseball and I have strong beliefs about the "heart" of baseball. I believe that money is corrupting baseball and that is no longer a sport but an industry. So i'm going to get it all out now:
I know that baseball is not a life or death situation and that some people will not care about my paper in the least. But it does matter to alot of people. It matters to the 6 year old girl whos father brings her to her first baseball game. The girl who will grow up and watch her team get crushed season after season. The girl who will watch her childhood hero get traded to a team who offered him more money. It matters to her and millions of other people who have an emotional connection to America's Pastime. Where is team loyalty? How many millions is enough? When does it stop being a sport and become a buisness? ah okay feeling a little better.
Which brings me to the So What?! Why should people care about baseball salaries? Mannix remided me of this as I was walking out the door the other day. Payroll salary problems are not exclusive to baseball. What about major corperations vs local businesses, sounds a little like the Rays vs the Phillies to me. My So What?! is going to involve me taking the payroll concept and taking out of the contexts of baseball and applying it to the real world and to situations that affect all people.

Nguyen's Essay

I’m not saying that I can specifically identify with Nguyen’s student life because mine was incredibly different. I would never even think to write about my schooling because it’s just so typical. I grew up white in a white community in a white public school. I practically lived in a bubble and, obviously, I have never had a problem with being shy. However, there were certain passages that caught my eye. The way they were phrased reminded me of how I felt the same way. “…made me think about college and freedom, and thus made all the years in between disappointing and annoying”(463). Growing up college was never a matter of “if” or “when”, it was always where. Hearing the stories of college from both my parents and living with the freedom they gave me growing up made me very anxious to go off on my own. Ever since I was little I would dream about what it would be like to live in the dorms (or domes as I used to call it). It was a little unusual for a child to want to live on their own, but I’ve always been that way. Anything between now and then has been a little disappointing. As if they didn’t live up to the visions in my head. Now, I know that’s not what she meant when she was thinking about college and freedom, but on some level I think that everyone can identify with her feelings. That was one thing she did well in her essay. She conveyed her feelings in a way that everyone could identify with. She also condensed her essay to include just enough information and facts to give you a good picture of her life and where she is coming from.

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

During my junior year of high school I read The Catcher in the Rye for a term paper. Now, usually I don't read anything for school on principal, I would buy the book but then use sparknotes. But for some serendipitous reason, I actually read the book. I fell in love with the character, I fell in love with the genre. It made me question my identity and confirmed my love of reading.

Winter of that year, I went to go sit in my secret corner of Barnes and Nobel where there is really good people watching. I sipped hot chocolate and watched everyone christmas shop around the crowded square. There were christmas lights everywhere and the snow was lightly falling. It was a pretty perfect day. As I was browsing through the young adult section I came across a book titiled Looking for Alaska. I've always had a wierd thing for Alaska (don't ask) so I was intrigued from the start. The summary on the back of the book compared the main character to Holden Caulfield and without hesitation I bought the book. I read it in 3 days and my view on life completely changed.

I love this book so much that i'm almost protective over it. Its funny and deep and true. It speaks honestly and exposes the perils of human nature. (It was also the winner of the Printz in 2006, awarded by the ALA)

a short introduction

Hey everyone!
If you haven't guessed, my name is Olivia and I'm a freshman here at HSU.
I was born in Southern California but have lived most of my life in the Midwest. I spent some time in Wisconsin and, most recently, O-H-I-O! (it's a Buckeye thing). In Ohio I attended an all girls catholic high school. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, I made great friends there and I didn't have to spend time getting ready in the morning (or shower for that matter).
let's see... I love napping and reading. I am a die hard Cleveland Indians fan and breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Oh! and one of my favorite books is called Looking for Alaska by John Green. It's very Holden Caulfield-esque if you like that kind of thing.
My dad lives in Palm Springs and wanted me to go to a Cal State school because he was feeling a little cheap. But, as it turns out, I fell in love with Humboldt and there is truely no other place I would rather be. Actually thats probably not true, but you get the point: I'm very happy:)
and I love my roommate, Koop, who is frantically looking for her key card right now HAHA
well until next time...
I bid you adeu (whatever that means)