timed writing

Joseph Campbell explains that one’s life is considered a journey or adventure. In every journey, there are different adventures or trials one must go through in order for the journey to become complete. Campbell describes these steps throughout his book and relates them in ways appealing to the reader. Although there are many steps a hero must go through to complete his or her adventure, his departure, initiation, and return are the most important steps.
The departure involves the hero receiving his call of adventure, his refusal of the call, then his eventual departure. The Matrix is a movie we refer to a lot while reading Campbell. In the movie, Neo meets Morpheus, thus receiving his call to adventure. At first, he isn’t sure what is going on, and isn’t sure if he should accept this call. It is very common for a hero to reject or hesitate on answering his call, but sometimes a hero has no choice. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor wakes up and discovers that he is a hideous bug. Thus, beginning a new adventure for him in which he has no choice but to accept the journey. In my memoir, I had no choice but to move to Florida with my family, so in some cases, your call to adventure could be answered for you.
The next major step is the initiation. Along with the initiation comes the road of trials. This is the time where the hero goes through the dark cave or the enchanted forests. He is knocked down, but gets up and learns. It is important for the hero to surpass these trials in order to complete the adventure successfully. For Neo, he had to live a completely different life. He learned how to jump across buildings and dodge bullets, which ultimately helped him in his journey. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s first trial was moving around in the room, then eating, then hiding, and basically all other techniques used for daily survival. Gregor’s initiation consisted of him learning to live a bug’s life and erasing the human version from his memory. In my memoir, I had to grow accustom to my new life in Florida. This included going to a new school, making new friends, and eventually making the basketball team. Every hero must overcome trials and tribulations to in order to move forward in the adventure.
Finally, the return is a sum of everything the hero has learned throughout the journey, and how he or she has applied it to their life and adventure. The hero has been through all of the steps. He has used the secret potions, killed the dragon, and saved the girl and ultimately lives happily ever after. In The Matrix, Neo has come back to life after everyone thought he was dead. He begins to fight off the agents and brings hope back to his adventure. His return includes the absolute understanding of the matrix and the fact that he is the one. In The Metamorphosis, he realizes that in order for his family to move on with their life, he must sacrifice himself for their benefit.

Lesson Plan (Title IX)

Topic- Title 9

Standards- The students understands how participating in physical activity promotes inclusion and an understanding of the abilities and cultural diversity of people

General Goal- To stress the importance of equality among genders

Specific Objectives- Have students vote for team captains

Required Materials- pencil and paper

Lead in- Brief summary of Title IX; history and importance

Step By Step Procedure-
1. Explain to students that today they are going to vote for team captains.

2. They will vote for a football, volleyball, and basketball captain.

3. Next, have students brainstorm a list of characteristics that a captain should have -- for example, leadership, ability to make decisions, being likeable, etc.

4. Tell the students that a boy or a girl could be the captain of any of these sports. Tell the students not to let their neighbors see their vote. They should receive three different slips, where they will write down a team and choose a captain. (football, volleyball,basketball)

5. Take the slips out and tally the votes.

6. Announce the vote, and debrief with the class:

• For each sport: How many votes did boy get? How many did girl get?


• Which gender got the most votes? How many more votes?


• Were there more male captains or women captains
  


• Why do you think we made that choice?


• Who was captain of the basketball team?
  

Closure- Explain that men and women have equal opportunities, especially in sports, based on the Title IX law

Connections to other Subjects- history and social studies

My Letters

I mailed all three of my letters.

Margaret Spelling letter

4200 54th Ave South. St Petersburg, Florida 33711

April 25, 2008

400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20202

Dear Margaret Spelling,

I am a student athlete at Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida. Lately I’ve been researching and exploring the Title IX Act of 1972, and upon my research I found an organization who supports Title IX and its efforts to ensure equality among athletic programs across the country. The mission of the Women’s Sports Foundation is to advance the lives of girls and women through sport and physical activity. In addition to researching Title IX, I’ve decided to become involved by letting the government know that there is more to be done to ensure that all girls have the opportunity to play sports.

I greatly appreciate your efforts in leading the Department of Education to reaffirm the validity of the three-part test for determining equal opportunity in athletics participation, and to begin an education program for schools and colleges and more vigorously enforce the law. I would urge you to place more vigorous enforcement at the top of the priority list for the Office of Civil Rights. It is important to send the message to schools that the OCR is serious about enforcement. If schools realize how serious the issue is, maybe they’ll start to comply with the law.

In the 31 years since Title IX was adopted, the Office of Civil Rights has yet to remove federal funds from any school or college. Beginning the removal process against non-complying schools would demonstrate the government's seriousness about enforcing the law. Further, such action by your office would deter continued lack of progress in the area of gender equity in athletics. As a supporter of this foundation and Title IX, I think an example must be made in order for progress to be made.

Even though women have made tremendous progress in sports, there are still to many schools not in compliance and too many female athletes who miss opportunities to compete. At the high school level, male athletes receive 28.4% more opportunities to play and 26.7% more at the college level. Female athletes receive $133 million less each year in athletic scholarship dollars than their male counterparts, despite the fact that female students comprise 54.7% of our college student population.

I respectfully encourage the Administration to pursue a strong enforcement policy for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and support the continuation of the strong compliance standards that are currently in place. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

I look forward to any response.

Sincerely,

Chris Gray

Senate Letter

4200 54th Ave South. St Petersburg, Florida, 33711

April 24, 2008



Dear (Senate?)

I am a student athlete at Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida. Lately I’ve been researching and exploring the Title IX Act of 1972, and upon my research I found an organization who supports Title IX and its efforts to ensure equality among athletic programs across the country. The Save Title IX Committee is an organization determined to protect Title IX and make sure all programs are in compliance.

Title IX's impact on women's athletic participation is one of the country's greatest success stories. In the past three decades, Title IX has led to a 450 percent increase in the rate of female participation in college sports and a more than 900 percent increase in participation at the high school level.

Despite the participation increase in the college game, a significant drawback to the law's enforcement at the high school level involves the lack of data reporting. The U.S. Department of Education has not required these schools to report athletic opportunity, participation, and funding statistics to any higher authority. As a result, high school female athlete often miss the opportunity to participate in many sports. In fact, while girls comprise 49 percent of the high school population, they receive only 41 percent of all athletic participation opportunities. If colleges are forced to report this type of information, I believe it’s only fair that the same obligations be met throughout high school programs.

On Wednesday, February 7, 2007 Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced the High School Sports Information Collection Act. At the same time, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) in the House introduced a companion bill called the High School Athletics Accountability Act. These important bills will require high schools to report basic information on the number of female and male students in their athletic programs and the expenditures made for their sports teams.

As an athlete and a supporter of the Save Title IX Committee, I urge you to become an original cosponsor of the S.R. 518, the High School Sports Information Collection Act of 2007 and to support it once it has been introduced.

I am looking forward to your response or any questions you have for me.

Sincerely

Chris Gray

E.I.A. Letter

4200 54th Ave South., St Petersburg, Fl 33711

April 24, 2008

1711 Grandin Rd., SW, Roanoke, VA 24015

Dear Equity in Athletics Incorporation,

I am a student athlete at Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida. I recently did a research paper on Title IX, explaining and supporting its cause. I agree that equity among schools and athletes is very important. Equality allows schools to establish and or maintain efficient programs, whether it’s academics or athletics. My research focused on athletic equality and how it provided more opportunities and enabled schools to have better programs. Therefore, I support the Equity in Athletics Incorporation.

I am writing in regards to last June, when your incorporation sued the James Madison University (JMU) Administration to stop the cuts of the 10 athletic teams. I admire incorporations like this who defend such teams or programs that are usually overlooked. After researching Title IX, I am aware of the obligations that must be met in order to comply with the law. I am also aware of the three part test rule. JMU could’ve kept all 10 teams and were in no violation of the law. As an athlete, I know how passionate one can be about a sport and I’m glad to know that there’s a voice, even for the smaller programs, to ensure equality.

I actually know a couple of students who attend JMU and who are athletes. Some of which, were in jeopardy of losing their sport. I can only imagine how thankful some of them must be thanks to your concern. Some people don’t realize the opportunities these sports provide.

According to your mission statement, you want fairness in athletics, period. I support this organization and respect the job it has done to ensure equality throughout our schools and universities. I would like to learn more about your corporation, and your plans to keep things equal throughout athletic programs.

I am looking forward to your response.

Sincerely

Chris Gray

annotated bib

source- http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html

The mission of this foundation is advance the lives of women in sports and physical activities.

annotated bib

source- library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world. The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.

annotated bib

source-http://www.equityinathletics.org/index.htm

EIA is a nonprofit coalition of athletes, coaches, parents, alumni, and fans who want to ensure broad-based and equitable athletic opportunities for all athletes, at all levels of competition.

3 organizations and sources

E.I.A. Inc.: EIA plans to sue JMU for cutting sport
source-http://www.equityinathletics.org/index.htm


Save Title IX Committee: Urge your Senators to become cosponsors of the High School Sports Information Collection Act. S.518
source-Library of Congress


Women's Sports Foundation: become a member... title IX advocacy
source- http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html

5 organizations associated w/title IX

Equity in Athletics Inc. (E.I.A.)
Save Title IX Committee
College Sports City Council
Title IX Blog
Parent, Families, of Lesbians And Gays Organization (PLFAG)

Title IX paper

Chris Gray
A&P Writing
Professor Kat
April 14, 2008

In 1972, a woman named Patsy T. Mink proposed a law that has influenced all athletic programs across the country. It is currently named the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, but is commonly known as Title IX. Title IX states, no person in the United States, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to any discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Under this law, discrimination was prohibited in educational activities, guidance services, athletics, admissions, housing, financial services and health programs. The majority of the focus goes to athletics. Title IX was created to ensure equal athletic opportunities and availability for both genders. This law has greatly benefited women’s athletics.
Before Title IX was passed, women’s sports were considered non existent. Back then, girls made up 1 percent of high school athletics and only made up 2 percent of college athletics. There was no money, locker rooms, or equipment for women in schools. Cheerleading was the only sport women participated in. Title IX has had its greatest impact on high schools and colleges around the country. Female high school athletics participation has increased 847 percent. Women’s collegiate teams are just as competitive and nationally publicized as the men‘s teams. Athletic programs have come a long way since the law, but there are still occurrences where Title IX is violated.
Equal opportunities among athletic programs are measured in three areas: participation numbers, treatment of athletes, and amount of athletic scholarships available. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights require all public schools and universities to meet one of the three test in order to show that they are abiding by Title IX requirements. Every school should have a Title IX Coordinator, who is sometimes also the athletic director. This person is responsible for enforcing and monitoring Title IX requirements. Although most schools are not in compliance with Title IX, no schools have actually lost federal money. In fact, more than 80 percent of schools and universities are not in compliance. Even though women make up 50 percent of the general population in schools, they only receive 39 percent of athletic program activities, which is a violation.
A recent punishment was given on March 30, 2007. South Carolina State Men’s Basketball Coach, Jamal Brown, was fired for violating obligations under Title IX. In 2006, a University of Kansas football player sued the university for not letting him play another year of college football. He took a year off of school after his daughter was born in order to take care of his responsibility. In collegiate sports, when a woman is pregnant and takes a year off for that reason, she is allowed another year of eligibility. The Kansas football player says that the year he took off should not count because of his gender fairness rights of Title IX. The NCAA did not agree and Erik Christianson, director for public and media relations for the NCAA said, “ The pregnancy exception is explicitly written for female students whose physical condition due to pregnancy prevents their participation in intercollegiate athletics, and therefore is not applicable in this case.”
Title IX has recently created controversy, with some groups claiming that it has caused some schools to spend less money on men's sports programs such as wrestling and swimming, or, in some cases, to end some traditional male sports programs all together. In the last decade, 20,000 male sport opportunities have been revoked due to the regulations of Title IX. For example, at Eastern Illinois a women’s crew team was created. There are no high school crew teams throughout the entire state of Illinois. The problem arises when money is used to fund a program that no one in the state seemed to have a general interest in. What if the amount of money spent on these female athletic programs exceed the talent level in which those who participate possess? Another truth is that men’s sports are responsible for the majority of the athletic income. For example, at Syracuse University, the men’s football and basketball team are responsible for 98% of the money funded to the athletic program. Because of Title IX, the school is required to split those figures with the female programs. The National Wrestling Coaches Association filed a lawsuit last year, protesting the significant amount of wrestling programs cut to comply with equality figures stated in Title IX. This, along with many other complaints, caused Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige to establish a commission to review the current Title IX practices and to possibly dilute the strength of this contradictory law. Considering the significance women's sports now hold, Title IX will give women aid they don't need at the expense of men. This has already happened on several college campuses, such as Providence College, which was forced to cut three men's sports programs to allow room in the budget for female programs that have drawn little interest.
Before Title IX was created, there was no such thing as a women’s team. Who would have thought thirty years ago, you could turn on a television and watch a WNBA game? Who thought we would ever see a woman dunk a basketball? This law has enabled women to excel far beyond expectations. Now, with a few violations, athletic programs across the country have benefited and many schools have diversified. Title IX has definitely served its purpose and will continue to do so, as females continue to take advantage of the opportunity provided.

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