Yesterday morning I don't know if anyone was listening to Kost 103.5, but they were putting new songs from Lionel Richie's new album called Tuskegee. It's funny that he mention's that the reason he names the album Tuskegee is that it takes him back to his childhood and how he wants to show that he was able to triumph. I didn't get to hear the entire conversation, but if it had not been part of our learning history in class, I won't have had no clue what he was talking about. As soon as the title was mention "Tuskegee", my head started recollecting the readings and how it involved the runners and what the University stood for. Last night I was also watching CSI and it so happens that the evidence that they are collecting deals with testosterones. The hair that was being examined had xy and xx chromosomes. It showed that the person had androgynous chromosome system. It was a female daughter who had both sex hormones. This is almost like my panel information on sex testing on female athletes. In her case she could be raised as a girl or be raised as a boy. The parents decided they wanted a girl, but she had boy interests. It was the death of her dad that made her go through the surgery and alter her reproduction to a man. He became a killer always leaving female evidence and for that reason there was never enough evidence to support he was the killer. Now it makes more sense when I was watching the investigators how they found it difficult to pin point why there was high levels of testosterone in a female hair. They thought probably she was taking male hormones, steroids, and they mentions she must be an athlete or in to excessive exercising. I guess that might have been a reason why sex testing became important, because they had the style of a girl, with the strength of a man. Sometimes I watch stuff with out realizing that it all has a history and curiously it had to do with what I have learned in class.  Geannie Tomas kin388i wed 4-6:45

Before this semester, I don't think gender inequality in sports was something I thought about. I mean, call me naive but, I think the system is set up so that women and girls do not pay attention to those things. All through grade school and high school, the only thing most females thought about was playing. I don't even think most female athletes paid attention to the fact that the Title IX pamphlet we got at the beginning of each season read our rights. Yea, we hear Title IX but I'm sure that very few understood that Title IX essentially gives females permission to compete in athletics. It took me to take a Women In Sports class to get a grasp of the oppression that women faced before laws like Title IX were put in place. I didn't even know that women were not allowed to interact in a competitive manner in certain areas for so long. I'm sure I'm not alone and it reveals that institutional changes should be made in order for girls and women to be more knowledgeable about the past, which would ultimately allow them to appreciate the opportunity more. Our female predecessors did brave things like stand in front of someone in the bare skin with Title IX written on their bodies in black marker in order to get some sort of equality and I thank them.

-Champagne J.
Kin338I

Head Scratcher

For those who are familiar with professional basketball it is safe to assume that you all are aware of a certain Los Angeles Clipper who is a frequent guest on Sports Center’s top 10; and he would go by the name of Blake Griffin. When we watch the Clippers we are graced with Blake Griffin’s athleticism. He is a: freak, monster, and beast. All these terms are viewed and meant as compliments, but what would happen if we were to call Balyor’s Brittney Griner a beast, or freak? How would that be seen or interpreted? Are there different terms that we are supposed to use because she is a female? And if so, what are they? Ms Griner you are the most hyped female basketball player since Lisa Leslie, Candace parker didn’t get this much recognition for her dunk during her Tennessee days. You are now part of an elite group of only 7 women who have dunked in an NCAA game. If you decide to peruse a pro career and dunk in the WNBA you will be only the 3^rd behind Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker… So what term of endearment to use when describing you?  You will now be called Mega Beast. Here is to you Griner, I mean Mega Beast.

David Rehm

Kin338i Sec.2

Pat Summit!!

As I am following the Women's NCAA Basketball tournament it has made me pay more attention than ever to the amazing and most winningest coach of Tennessee's women's team, Pat Summitt and I came across this article: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/27/149472833/season-ends-for-legendary-coach-pat-summitt.  Her and her Lady Vol's just lost to the amazingly talented Baylor team yesterday, which could have put Summitt into her 19th final four.  She has been coaching for 38 seasons now, and after this game everyone is trying to figure out what is in Summitt's future, and if she will retire or return for her 39th season as head coach.  This woman is a huge role model and big influence for all women wanting to be a coach.  She persevered through so much, and even was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's and fought through it this past year.  Regardless what she chooses to do, I hope she is truly honored for her work.  She is an amazing coach and is better than pretty much every coach even the male coaches.  I hope she inspires many more women to want to be coaches and help them to realize how great they can be.  As I did research for my panel position paper I came across a couple articles that talked about how its impossible for women coaches to have long careers because of marriage and children, but Pat Summitt went against the odds and had a long and very successful career as the head coach of a women's basketball team!  I hope everyone will remember her not only as a coach but as a WOMAN!!!!

Tiffany Brickey
KIN 338I Wed 4-6:45pm

Linsanity

Jeremy Lin was born in America and is of Taiwanese descent. In his early years of basketball, he received no athletic scholarships and went undrafted into the NBA. Despite this rocky start, he is now the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. As you most likely have heard, the fervor of his fans has been given the title "Linsanity." Linsanity did not only begin recently, but is a carry over of the extreme fandom when he played for the Golden State Warriors. Many Asian Americans cheered him on and caused a great amount of pressure for Lin. It has been noted that Lin played better in games on the road where he did not have the pressure from his adoring fans who expected a great deal out of him. Even now, Lin continues to feel the pressure from Asian American fans across the country. While these fans may merely be proud of a fellow Asian American's success, it seems that Jeremy Lin feels the pressure to perform and succeed in being what might be called a "race hero." This leaves us with the question, does Jeremy Lin want to be a race hero, or is he like Althea Gibson, who wanted to be recognized for her athletic abilities?

Sarah Garcia

M,W 4-6:45

Women Playing the Craziest Sport

Women should be able to serve in combat roles. Women have been serving honorably in both Iraq and Afghanistan for the past 10 years. As of January 2011 110 women had been killed in Iraq and 24 have lost their lives in the Afghan campaign. Women make up about 14% of the armed services. Of the roughly 2.2 million troops that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan more than 255,000 have been women.  Women have only been allowed to serve in support units not direct combat units. This has caused glass ceiling effect for women in the military. Combat units make up approximately 10% of Marine Corps and Army occupational specialties; therefore not letting them participate in these fields creates an obstruction to promotions and advancement. The military has made many great strides in the past year letting lesbian and gays serve open in the military and for the first time letting Navy women serve on submarines. By not letting women serve in combat roles it casts a shadow on the sacrifices so many women have made for the country. A woman who is well disciplined, smart and physically fit would do great in an infantry unit. The military needs to let women compete on the greatest sports team.( the grunts)
Richard Bitting, Kin 338I Women in Sport

Effects of Title IX on Women's lives

       As i was doing research for my panel paper, I came across an article entitled "As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividends" by Tara Parker - Pope. In the article it explores the effects of Title IX in the lives of girls through research. Statistics show that having girls be more active in sports can help increase the quality of their future. ".. changes set in motion by Title IX  explained about 20 percent of the increase in women’s education and about 40 percent of the rise in employment for 25-to-34-year-old women". (Pope, 2010). According to research, sports help people do better in life. In my opinion it is definitly better to have Title IX, so that we can give more opportunities for girls to do sports. It is amazing how sports can change or better the life of an idividual. It was also stated in the article that due to Title IX and the increase in girls playing sports, the obesity risk for women 20 to 25 years later has declined. I find it amazing that an increase in participation in sports can have so much impact in the live of girls everywhere.  Eventhough this is definitly good news, there is still work to be done because statistics show that there is still a low number of active female athletes. I believe that because we are armed with this information we should keep going and fight for equality, especially if invovlement in sports can increase the quality of life of an individual for the future.

Parker-Pope, T. (2010, Febuary 15). As Girls Become Women, Sports Pay Dividend. Retrieved from New York Times: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/15/as-girls-become-women-sports-pay-dividends/

Kat Talento
KIN338I