Blogpost 5

Put Me In Coach

In poems by Hague and Gildner and the short story by Hueges, we see the effects of authority on another person. Specifically, in "Directions for Resisting the SAT" we see a speaker trying to break free from authority by not following the guidelines for the SAT. In "First Practice" by Gildner, we see the dominant influence and powerful motivation a coach possesses over his team. "Thank You, Ma'am" by Hughes demonstrates the effectiveness that a good role model and authority figure can have on a troubled individual. 

Richard Hague's poem "Directions for Resisting the SAT" encourages the reader to break free from traditional methods and to think differently about the world. The speaker says, "Desire  to live whole, like an oyster or a snail, and follow no directions. Listen to no one." This is encouraging the readers to make their own decisions in life, and to not just follow the crowd or what is 'normal'. We have to make decisions and decipher what we truly want out of life and how to obtain that ourselves. A wise saying I once heard, "Only the weak and the dumb follow the rules". While I do believe that rules exist fundamentally to ensure safety and liberty, but at times rules entrap us and prevent persons to live outside the box which could help to further progress this country. This poem speaks to breaking free from traditional authority to gain control over the decisions in your life by suggesting we boycott the SAT. 

"First Practice" by Gary Gildner demonstrates the dominant influence and powerful motivation a sports coach can have over their team. This coach speaks with such intensity and imagery that it moves the reader and the team to get determined. No fear, no excuses, just results. This practice, the first practice, the coach is invoking perseverance and courage to continue down the journey, in this case is the sports season. A coach is the one responsible for the success of the team and a key aspect of most sports teams is to channel anger and your emotions to your performance. This coach in the poem is instilling fear in his team in order for the team to channel their emotions on the field and led the team to success. 

Langston Hughes' short story, "Thank You, Ma'am" we see the effect of authority in the behavioral change of Roger by the acts carried out by Mrs. Jones. Roger, a underprivileged child, unsuccessfully attempts to steal Mrs. Jones's purse. She originally thought to phone the police, but instead she takes him into her home to freshen him up. Mrs. Jones allowed Roger to wash up and she fed him whilst she talked to him, telling him more about her story. Mrs. Jones showed compassion even after he was caught for a wrongdoing. By this act of kindness and compassion, Roger learns from an authority figure values and by the end of their visit, he was asking her if she needed help with the groceries. Through this behavioral switch in a brief amount of time, Hughes' demonstrates that morally sound figures can have great effects on their 'students'.
I have witnessed the effects of authority figures at Tunbridge Public Charter School during my volunteer hours. I was working in my first-grade classroom when we started a unit on nutrition. We learned about the importance of eating your fruits and vegetables and how much better our bodies feel after eating a balanced meal versus a bag of chips for lunch. Unfortunately, some of the kids in my classroom are financially disadvantage so many of them can not afford proper nutrition. One of the children came up to me and told me that his mom can only afford buying bulk sized Cheetos bags to disperse amongst their large family and that his stipend lunch was his source for a meal of nutritional value. However, until this unit of nutrition, he did not know it was bad for him. He thought that it was awesome that he got to eat Cheetos for breakfast and dinner! Proper education and authority figures make a difference in the upbringing of the world's youth and can make profound impacts on their lives.

Blog

Alex Castro

EN 101

 

                                                                           You Talking About Practice!?!

 

                In Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT”, in Gary Gildner’s “First practice”, and Langston Hughes’s, “Thank You, Ma’am” all these readings have a common underlying theme.  This theme is actually one of my favorite themes for a book, movie, etc., and it is to be the best you can be.  You have heard a million people say that you can only do as good as your best.  “Directions for Resisting the SAT” focuses on being the best you can be and not letting a test or a person tell you to be different.  Hague stresses the need to ignore the results of the SAT as an indication of your potential.  “First Practice” focuses on the getting better aspect.  In sports, an athlete works on his or her game and improves his or her game in practice.    In “Thank You, Ma’am,” a woman tries to set a young boy on a better path.  This short story is about helping others to be the best they can be.  Being yourself, getting help from others and practice are the keys to success in a person’s life.   

In Richard’s Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” Hague urges the readers to be in control of their own lives.  Hague believes that people put too much importance on the results of the SAT.  From the first line he sets the tone, “Do not believe in October or in May or in any Saturday morning with pencils.”  Generally the most popular months to take SATs is October and May and they are taken on Saturday mornings.  So, Hague is telling the reader to stop worrying so much about a single test.  One’s life should not be controlled by a test taken in high school.  The theme I see in Hague’s poem is for a person to be themselves.  A person should do or be whoever they want to be regardless of a score on a test.  A person will be successful if they follow their passion and love instead of the path marked out by a national exam.  The best way to get a good result is to look inward.  Recognize all the great things about you and forget about anything anyone else has to say.  Hague emphasizes this way of life when he writes, “Desire to live whole”.  Be you, be the best you can be and everything will be just fine.

In Gary Gildner’s “First Practice,” Gildner writes about the hard work and effort.  The title of the poem has “practice” in it, which for any kind of person, is the key to improvement.  For me, practice is just as important as a game or match or, in academic terms, a test.  In any sport, the only way for a player to get better is to practice every day on different skills.  They must go to the gym and build their body up so they can be stronger.  Every time they step on the court they want to play at their best and the only way your best gets better is through practice.  Gildner expresses this theme through sports.  I remember coaches of mine saying things very similar to what the coach says in Gildner’s poem.  For example, Clifford Hill says, “I take that to mean you are hungry men who hate to lose as much as I do.”  Many coaches of mine have described this hunger to succeed.  This hunger drives us to push harder, work longer and strive farther.  The same lies true in school.  If a student wants to get a better grade they need to practice or in other words, study.  Though, Gildner uses sports in his poem, the message can be applied to any person or team.  Lack of effort leads to a lack of success but practice constantly and rake in the benefits.

In Langston Hughes’s “Thank you, Ma’am,” Hughes focuses on the generosity of a woman trying to help a young boy.  This short story takes some unexpected turns in the beginning.  First a little boy tries to steal a purse from a women walking on the street.  When he grabs the purse he falls and finds himself trapped in the grasp of the women.  The woman then takes the fourteen or fifteen year old back to her house.  There she washes off his face and gives him a nice meal.  Not exactly what one would expect the women to do to the boy after he tried to steal from her.  Langston Hughes shows the reader that a simple act of kindness can go a long way.  Also, the woman in the story is trying to put the young boy on the right path so he can be the best he can be.  Instead of hitting him and then letting him go, she treats him well and disciples him to behave better.  We see a person trying to make another person better.  Instead of practicing for herself, the woman is helping those in need.  Sometimes, to be a better person, one needs a coach, a friend, or a random woman, to help steer him or her in the right direction. 

Reflecting on these themes in mediation was probably the easiest and most gratifying reflection so far.  I went back through all the coaches I have had in my life.  I thought about the lessons they taught me and the impact they had on my development as an athlete and a person.  The most influential were probably my tennis coach and my soccer coach.  Both coaches pushed me beyond my limits and challenged me to be a better player than I was the day before.  They taught me to be grateful for my ability and my teammates but to not take anything for granted.  These lessons had a profound impact on me and yet they are so easily forgotten in chaotic daily life.  So, thinking about these topics again brought back the great memories I had with old coaches and teammates plus pushed me to make even better memories for the future.  I also unfortunately thought about getting trapped in a half-nelson by a woman.  This was not as pleasant.

Service Analysis 5

Ms. Veronica Isabelle Mooney Wasno

I think some of the most important aspects of service are being original, being dedicated, and being giving. I think too many people follow the rules, and I believe Richard Hague would agree with me. By that I mean that too many people just do what they are told to do, which is fine, but when I’m doing service I don’t think that’s best. It’s best to think of new and innovative ways to make the service made and to benefit the people I am serving. Also dedication is key. Service isn’t First Practice, but it can be rigorous and it does require commitment and even sometimes teamwork. We cannot all me Mrs. Jones, but we can try to be as understanding and giving as her. Everyone deserves a second chance. I think all three stories have important values displayed in them that can be related to my service at any time, but especially at Mother Seton.

While at Mother Seton we do not have many guidelines; we are simply told to help the kids with their homework. And seeing as all the kids are different it makes sense. My girl, Kennedi, is quite bright, but she does have one big setback: she hates school and would much rather be out in the world. This seems common for most any kid, and I myself can relate even to this day, but still I have to find a way to motivate her to do her work. In Directions for Resisting the SAT Hague points out that one should not worry about all the rules and answers in the SAT, but rather, should make their own markings in the world. The poem is definitely about being original and if I twist it a bit I can relate it to the original ways I try to help Kennedi with her work. I relate her math homework to things she likes (shopping). I help her write sentences about her life with her vocabulary words, rather than something completely made up. And with history I remind her that one day she could be in these books. I feel as though being original and putting a spin on service benefits everyone involved. It helps me get the job done quicker and it helps her learn.

In First Practice the coach is a tad intense, but the important thing about him is that he has experience, dedication, and expectations for his players. He is assumingly a good coach. That is the kind of service-person I aspire to be. Maybe not as hard ass and fear instilling, but I would like to have those three qualities. I have some experience, but not as much as I would like. However, I do have dedication, and I think that my work at Mother Seton reflects that. I will soon be going 2, maybe even 3 times a week to work with the kids. I do not plan to falter with that commitment and I plan to continue it on next semester and hopefully my next years here at Loyola. The kids at Mother Seton need support and consistency and that’s what I plan on giving them. I also expect hard work from my kids. I expect them to try to stay on task and to be real with me. My work at Mother Seton is nowhere near as intense as First Practice, but I think that the values represented in the poem relate.

Mrs. Jones was an extremely kind woman and a sort of role model for me as I do my service. I should treat these kids as I would like to be treated (and I like to think I do!). Mrs. Jones admitted herself that she had once done things she was not proud of, and relating that back to my service, I was once (and still am) a kid that does not always want to do my work. And I do not always understand my work right away. It is my job to not treat Kennedi like she is dumb, but to teach her and to help her along. I should take her under my wing and help her as much as I can, even outside of the school realm. I should be a perhaps more kind Mrs. Jones to her.

My service is not the harder service I could be doing, but that does not make it less significant. It still asks a lot from me and I still have to work hard. I have to be original, I have to dedicate my time, and I have to mentor these kids, Kennedi especially. Actually, I do not even have to, but I want to. I think all these poems show good examples of what those qualities look like.

event analysis 5

Julia Kontos

Outside Influences

            The poems “Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague, “First Practice” by Gary Gildner and the short story “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes all portray the influence one can have over others. Hague’s poem depicts an authoritative speaker trying to inflict his beliefs onto readers. “First Practice” is about a coach using his words to motivate his team. Hughes’ short story has a strong female character that helps shape a young boy from being a thief to respectable. When I went to Zen Meditation this week after reading these three pieces and after having conflicts with my boss, I felt overwhelmed at the control that she has over me. Zen Meditation allowed me to reflect on authority and influential figures, and eventually allowed me to clear my mind from all of my external stresses. “Directions for Resisting the SAT”, “First Practice”, and “Thank You, M’am” show the power that authority figures have over younger people.

            “Directions for Resisting the SAT” conveys a strongly opinionated speaker that is trying to motivate readers to go against social norms. The speaker is directly talking about boycotting the SAT, which is a test that almost all high school students take. It is a scary thought to go against a test that determines the lives of students and the paths that they take. The speaker is encouraging readers to ignore outside influences and follow their hearts and the paths that they want to take in life. The speaker in “Directions for Resisting the SAT” is against following the same pre-determined path that a large percentage of America follows, and is also against listening to other people, especially those of authority. Authority figures can easily persuade high school students to take the SAT and do other things that that student may not want to do. This poem encourages readers to follow their passion, not directions from above.

             “First Practice” by Gary Gildner shows how much of an effect an authority figure, like a coach, has over his team. The coach is intense with his team, yet the speaker does not depict any fear from the boys. The speaker focuses on the speech that the coach gives to motivate them for their game. The fact that none of the team left when the coach said that they could leave shows that none of the boys on the team were afraid. This poem shows the power that a speech has on its audience.

            “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes depicts a maternal figure that helps a young boy become respectable and responsible. The young boy attempts to steal Mrs. Jones’ purse, and instead of running, she yells at him and takes him home with her. Mrs. Jones spends time with the young boy, who does not have a mother figure to look up to, and it is clear that the boy is grateful and wants to stay. Mrs. Jones has the ability to change the young boy’s life and turn it around after only being with him for a few hours time. The fact that this boy’s behavior changed so drastically within such a short period of time shows the effect that an authority figure has over younger people.

            When I went to Zen Meditation this week, I was eager to have the opportunity to clear my mind from the stress I felt from my boss. After fighting over scheduling conflicts and still being forced to work despite not having enough time to get all of my work done, I craved the opportunity to escape from my mind. I spent the first half of meditation reflecting on the situation between my boss and I. I realized that she is a respectable figure that I not only have to listen to, but also should. Our miscommunication escalated because she was trying to help out the tutees that needed a tutor. Instead of being selfish, I realized that I should try to benefit my tutees as much as possible. Coming to this conclusion allowed me to relax enough to focus on meditation, which further reduced my stress.

            To conclude, figures of authority have great influences on those that are younger than them. These influences can be positive or negative – whether the create stress, or reduce stress, the influences are great nonetheless.

            

Event 5

Briana Roberts

Professor Ellis

10/31/13

Take Charge

The poems “Directions for Resisting SAT” by Richard Hague, “First Practice” by Gary Gildner, and short story “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes all have the theme of perseverance in common. This theme relates to the event "Diversity from a distance: can outsiders make a difference?" by Catherine Savell. This talk was about how the students of Loyola can get involved in helping the people of Haiti.

In the poem “Directions for Resisting SAT” by Richard Hague, the speaker encourages young teens to not stress so hard about the SAT’s. He explained how we should not base our success in life or live solely to do good on the SAT’s. The speaker wanted the readers to know that this test should not define who we are. We need to take charge of our own lives and not let life pass us by, live in this moment because we are only given this opportunity once.

In the poem “First Practice” by Gary Gildner, the speaker describes his experience at the first practice for a seemingly upcoming war. The speaker gave the reader a glance at what life was like training for battle. He mention Clifford Hill’s, who might have been his sergeant, opinion on how to get by during this process. Hill “was a man who believed dogs ate dogs”, he believed only the physically fit and strong-will individual could survive this war. Hill also hints at his male superiority way of thinking when he said girls should leave now. One can interpret this has Hill saying females are the dogs who get eaten (killed) by males in battle because they are not strong nor resilient enough to endure the hardships of war.

Short story “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, is about a young boy named Roger who tries and fails to steal from an older lady named Mrs. Jones. Roger does not have the family or support system to guide into making the right choices. Mrs. Jones stops Roger before he is able to take her purse. She brings him back to her house because he looks hungry and dirty. Mrs. Jones doesn’t report him to the police or even reprimands him for his behavior. She let him wash up, fed him, and even told him a little bit about herself.

The talk on diversity, the poems, and short story all have the theme of perseverance. During the talk Madame Savell said something that perfectly describes how this events relates to the readings. She said even if a project is extremely difficult, you will have to deal with it because success will come about if you don’t give up. The speaker in “Directions for Resisting the SAT” invites his readers to see pass what the standardize test does to our life and tells us that we can and will succeed in life. The “First Practice” and the diversity talk relate by only strong willed people can endure each event. In the poem, a weak person could not survive the hardships of war because it was a dog eat dog world. While the talk wasn’t as vicious as the poem, the project still called for individuals with a strong desire to give back and those in need. The project needed people who are able to easily adapt to a different environment and culture. To get out of their comfort zone. The short story relates to the talk because the non-judgmental views. In “Thank You Ma’am”, when one reads about a young boy trying to steal from an older woman, the reader would probably think the boy is an impolite deviant while the woman is a helpless person. However this is not the case when both Roger and Mrs. Jones are written in a different light. Roger is actually a polite boy, asking Mrs. Jones if she needs help while Mrs. Jones does not need any help to take care of her-self. The Haiti relief project at first may seem like a daunting task, but once get there and help the children who are desperately in need and create an unforgettable bond, the project becomes more fun.

The readings for this week combined with the talk on Diversity installed lessons one can keep in the back of their mind as a guide. With Determination and hope one can accomplish what they put their mind to. Even if it was just a short happenstance as in “Thank you, Ma’am”, a long encounter through basic training in “First Practice”, or brief words of encouragement in “Directions on Resisting the SAT”. One cannot simply give up and choose to succumb to the expectations of society.

Blog #5

Matthew Smith

October 30th, 2013

Show Me The Way

            Everyone needs someone they look up to, someone to guide and assist them through not only the good times, but also the bad.  This need is even more prevalent in the early stages of childhood, where being taught right from wrong can shape the kind of person we grow up to be.  In the literary works “Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague, “First Practice” by Gary Gildner, and “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, the authors all give advice and guidance to those who need it.  Hague’s poem is a satirical attempt to downplay what most high school students consider the test that will determine their future.  Additionally “First Practice” tells the story of a new, hardcore athletic coach taking over his new team.  Finally, in his short story Langston Hughes shows us that everyone deserves simple acts of kindness, and a chance to turn their lives around.  These themes of guidance and leadership are really the essence of what it means to perform community service. 

            At first read “Directions for Resisting the SAT” may seem as if it is telling kids to simply not take, or just not study for the SAT.  This however would not be great advice to follow, and isn’t what the message of the poem is.  Instead, Hague is making sure that people realize, while the SAT is important, it is not the most important thing in someone’s life.  So much pressure is put on students to do well this test it can drive one crazy, when instead they should be focused on the rest of their life.  Hague gives us a couple pieces of advice in this poem, first he tells us to “Desire to live whole.”  By this he is telling us to not just focus on one thing, but to instead be an overall good person and live an all around fulfilling life.  This is very similar to the Jesuit ideal of teaching all aspects of education, which we learn about all the time here at Loyola.  Secondly, we are told to “Make your marks on everything”, which has some connection to the SAT through use of the word marks, but goes much deeper.  If some people worked as hard in life as they do on focusing on their SAT scores, they could be much more successful.  It is by working our best at everything we do that we are able to leave our mark on it. 

            “First Practice” gives us a different sort of advice, this time from the point of view of a sports coach.  It often happens that different people in our lives help to shape us in different ways; teachers help us academically while coaches tend to help us in leadership and teamwork.  While we can only assume these kids are on some sort of school sports team, the coach immediately refers to them as “men” not children or boys.  “Men who hate to lose as much as I do,” he tells them, using his military background to inspire his team.  Coaches often have a way of keeping order in young men; through the strict discipline they implement everyday in practice.  It is discipline like this that guides kids to make the right choice in every aspect of life.  This is why it is important to have several people and sources of guidance, because there are so many aspects to life that one person simply cant teach them all. 

            Finally, Langston Hughes tells the story of a remarkable woman in “Thank You, M’am”.  Most people who catch a young man stealing their belongings would report them to the police; Mrs. Luella however does just about the exact opposite.  She can clearly see that this young man is troubled, as he has no one at home to feed him or tell him to wash up.  Without any sort of authority figure, someone to look up to, all this young man can think of to do is steal what he needs.  Instead of getting him in trouble, Luella does something far more proactive by taking him home, letting him wash up, feeding him, and actually giving him the money he tried to steal.  She shows him compassion, and becomes the figure in his life he never had but so desperately needed.  Right and wrong is not always obvious to everyone, and the best way to teach people the difference is to show them.  While discipline has its place, people learn better from those whom they feel like and respect them.  By acting in a way no one expected, it really helps to show the moral that anyone can do something to help a person in need.    

            All this relates perfectly to what it means to do community service, especially for children.  While I hope most of the kids have someone in their lives they look to for advice, some may not.  Either way though I try to be that someone who can offer these kids guidance, as you can never have enough people to seek advice from.  Every day I hope each kid learns a simple lesson from the work we do with them, such as following directions, learning to play with others, and basic values of teamwork.  It is my job to reinforce these simple ideas with them, just as Mrs. Luella did, that they will hopefully remember for years to come.  Friday was obstacle course day, in which we built an amazing course any young child would love to run and jump through.  Guidance was very important in this exercise, as the kids had never done this activity before and needed to learn each step.  The best part was that their teacher got to stay and help, which is not normal, and along with Mr. Schaffer the three of us all had our own advice and inputs we were able to teach.   While it may not seem like much, my gym teachers are some of the teachers I remember the most.  Enjoyment is key in learning, and since gym is one of the most enjoyable classes for young kids I believe you can connect and teach in an entirely different way.  It’s these small acts of kindness and guidance, like telling a young man to wash his face, that can impact people the most.  

Evebt Analysis 5

Alex Jordan

October 30, 2013

EN 101.16

Event Analysis

Right to be an Individual

            St. Francis de Sales once said “Be who you are and be that well”. That was a theme that occurred in Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting SAT’s”, Gary Gildner’s “First Practice” and Langston Hughes’s “Thank you Ma’am”. Each writer spoke to the fact that each person has the right to be an individual; that each person has different wants but yet has the right to reach those wants. We are in a world where being an individual and having a style/personal motto can be like no others but yet you are still accepted.

            Richard Hague’s main theme in “Directions for Resisting SAT’s” was to be an individual. He wants the reader to have a sense of pride and to not allow anyone to hold you back. He speaks about how you are stuck in a classroom on the weekend, taking a test that essentially will decide your future. He is giving the reader something to take hold of and give them the power to not allow one test to define who we are. Richard Hague does not want society to be confined by something that does not necessarily allow a person to express who they actually are.

            Gary Gildner’s “First Practice” is all about people expressing themselves. He speaks about how the “man with the short cigar took us under the grade school”. It explains how and old style teacher allowed kids to express their frustration towards another person. Although this is not necessarily a good thing, I do think it is important for people to express how they feel. Society should not deem how your express yourself. The ability to express you freely is a very important factor in today’s society. “The man with the short cigar” allowed these kids to express how they truly feel and not stopping them from it. He does not want these kids to have to bottle up their emotions.

            Langston Hughes’ “Thank you Ma’am”, it starts off with a young boy trying to steal and older woman’s purse but is not able to get away before being caught. The woman snatched him up asks him why did it and later takes the boy back for supper. The boy’s answer for trying to steal her purse was simply because he wanted some “blue suede shoes”. Not only does the boy show his individualism by wanting “blue suede shoes” but the older woman shows her individualism by not reacting in the way most people would react if someone tried to rob them. She reacted in a way most people would not, she went against social norms to be angry and to try to have the young boy arrested. She also took the young boy back for supper, got him cleaned up and gave him dessert as well. The young boy’s attitude is seen doing a complete 180 degree turn when he asks the lady if she needed help with any groceries and they he would help her if she did. At the very end of the story the lady gives the boy the money for the shoes he wanted and sent him on his way.

            I recently attended a reading by author Robert Olen Butler. One reading he did that spoke to me was one about his mother, who was sick with dementia, asked about help at night time. He told us that at the time he was unsure what was meant by that until he asked a staff member the night time routine for her. He said they checked her diaper every two hours, night and day. This was not allowing her to get the best night’s sleep possible and it gave her a rash from the constant changing. When confronted staff members answered with “It has always been the routine and I am simply following the rules”. But these were people who were following the norm and not ever thinking if this was good or not. They were not willing to stand up and be an individual and say that what was taking place was not good for his mother.

            All three of these works spoke to me in different ways but had one overall theme, individualism. One gave me the message of I must not confine to social norms and to do what made me happy whether it was accepted or not. Another one said to express my true feelings, not to be fake but rather be true. And the last said to not necessarily do what is accepted and what is expected but to do what is right. To not let the idea of other people’s reactions bring me down.

Event Analysis #5

Elizabeth Milonas

Dr. Ellis

Understanding Literature 101.16

29 October 2013

Achieving Success

Gary Gildner’s “First Practice,” Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” Langston Hughes, “Thank You, M’am,” and Professor Catherine Savell’s information event on “Rendezvous: Haiti” all portray the common message of taking control of your life and being successful in what you wish to accomplish. Furthermore, these works of literature also stress the importance of giving others guidance, while also (personally) taking assistance from others, which adds to your success. Specifically, Gildner’s poem portrays a coach who pushes his team beyond measure because he clearly thinks they have what it takes to succeed. Hague’s poem explains how to complete tasks, in this case explicitly the SAT, on your own terms to show your success and accomplishment. Hughes’ tells the account of a boy who tries to steal a woman’s handbag from the street and instead of taking him to the police, she shows him the “correct path.” She takes him and guides him to live his life better so that he can be more accomplished. Professor Savell’s presentation on “Rendezvous: Haiti” showed what we can provide to the Haitian youth and help them obtain benefits that otherwise would not even be possible and therefore aid their success.

In “First Practice,” by Gary Gildner, the speaker explains how a new coach holds the first sports practice and comes off very tough and intimidating. Furthermore there is evidence that he truly believes in his team because if not, he would not push them as much as he does. He sees they have a lot of potential and wants to make them a great team. The coach says, “if we are to win/ that title I want to see how,” which clearly reflects his attitude toward his team. This theme coincides with the additional works of literature and event because it stresses the importance of completing tasks with the quest of accomplishing it well. Furthermore there is the extra component of obtaining guidance from others to help you succeed.

Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT” explains the importance of putting your own touches on everything you do, and adding originality, to demonstrate your accomplishments. The speaker continuously says to throw out the social norm and set your own precedent: “Make your marks on everything.” Hague’s viewpoint is to take your own goals and aspirations into control and complete things from your own point of view.

In Langston Hughes’s “Thank You M’am” success is achieved through help and guidance from one to another. When the Roger tries to steal Mrs. Jones’s purse, she thinks not of calling the cops and sending him to jail, but instead takes him into her home and has him wash his face, and sit and eat with her. She tells him about herself and even manages to call him son. She shows him compassion and kindness because she understands that he is not a bad kid, but just had a difficult life and turned to crime unfortunately. There is evidence of Mrs. Jones’s quest to help Roger by placing him on the path to accomplishment and success. She went out of her way and corrected the problem that was placed into her hands, instead of leaving it up to the authorities.

Professor Catherine Savell’s presentation on “Rendezvous: Haiti” also reflects the concept that accomplishment and success can be achieved and more so with the guidance of others. Professor Savell explained that volunteers are sent to Haiti to help underprivileged youth. These 96 youth live in a camp with one another and are virtually the only kin they have. They eat, sleep, and learn together in the hope that they are kept out of the slums and are put on a righteous path. It was interesting to hear from Professor Savell and the impact that we, Loyola students, can contribute to the program. The path of success can be achieved and you, personally, can help other through this transition.

Overall, all three works of literature and Professor Savell’s information session on “Rendezvous: Haiti” all portray the common message of achieving success and accomplishing your goals. Furthermore, the addition of aiding others adds to the objective of doing your best and striving for your ambitions.