May 30
1. Arian Foster
2. Lesean McCoy
3. Ray Rice
4. Chris Johnson
5. Ryan Mathews
6. Adrian Peterson
7. Ahmahd Bradshaw
8. Marice Jones-Drew
9. Matt Forte
10. Jamal Charles
11. Michael Turner
12. Trent Richardson
13. Marshawyn Lynch
14. Reggie Bush
15. Darren McFagen
16. Fred Jackson
17. Frank the Tank
18. Demarco Muray
19. Steven Jackson
20. Issac Redman
May 30th
1. Arron Rodgers
2. Tom Brady
3. Mathew Staffod
4. Drew Brees
5. Cam Newton
6. Peyton Manning
7. Ben Rothlesburger
8. Eli Manning
9. Michael Vick
10. Philip Rivers
11. Matt Shaub
12. Matt Ryan
13. Josh Freeman
14. Joe Flacco
15. Robert Griffen III
16. Andy Dalton
17. Carson Palmer
18. Andrew Luck
19. Jay Cutler
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick
—-are the movers and shakers really people that initiate change just because it was the way they were born? Are they the only ones that can do this? or can a common man make a change if he has the right motivation?
—-common kindness
SOU Students Against Tobacco Free Campus Project
After checking out the writing prompts for the final WTL, I eagerly began pondered what change I could forge. Should I assist the ailing education system in America, or create a solution involving tort reform? Even better I could use my savvy to free Tibet! I eventually stopped entertaining my vanity long enough to consider how realistic these ideas were. Is one 19 year old capable of initiating any significant change? After some initial discouragement, I came to the realization that not only is it possible but has been done before! While the issue handled wasn’t of extraordinary importance, it demonstrated what can happen when people unite under the right circumstances.
Early winter term SOU was presented with a plan to ban smoking on campus, the ban being implemented as soon as Fall. The smoker community meet this with outrage, growing tired of feeling like second class citizens. Sorrow ensued as the majority griped endlessly but still would not act. The future looked bleak but an opportunity would soon present itself. As luck would have it a poll opened up for students to voice their opinion. One of my more vocal friends promptly recruited two others (myself included) in order to capitalize on this occurrence. If we could somehow rally our apathetic minority, then maybe we stood a chance. Already behind in votes, we rapidly opened a public facebook group in order to reach potential supporters. The site clearly, but passionately laid out our position arguing for personal freedom and demanding a fair compromise. Our numbers swelled rapidly, consisting of not only smokers but also sympathetic non-smokers. The poll saw a massive increase in votes, catching the attention of an equality senator from ASSOU. She proceeded to inform us the project has been denied in order to search for a more reasonable compromise. We had won.
Promoting cigarettes may not be the change Gladwell had in mind, but that isn’t really what I’m trying to convey. The point is to show how change is more feasible than people commonly believe. If three college kids can rally people to such a cause, one can only imagine the possibilities for future campaigns. More drastic change will require sacrifice and above all for people to get involved. Gladwell has taught me how one action can make all the difference. Even a lone rider traveling from town to town can incite a revolution. It all can start with one person.
((((possibly show link????))))
—MR
—MR
1) Philip II was the king of Macedonia.
2) After Alexander the great’s death in 323 B.C. his empire was split into three kingdoms known as the three successor states; The Ptolemaic dynasty, Selucid dynasty and the kingdom of Macedonia.
3) SPQR is translated into Senatus Populusque Romanus or The Senate and People of Rome.
4) The early Roman republic fought three wars, known as the Punic wars, with The Empire of Carthage.
5) The Carthaginian general Hannibal is most famous for using the scorpion formation during battle.
6) The Roman republic ended in 27 BC when Augustus Caesar became the first Roman emperor.
7) Julius Caesar was assassinated March 15th 44 AD by a mob of senators upset over Caesar being declared dictator for life.
8) In 70 AD the Roman army proceeded to sack and destroy the holy temple in Jerusalem after an attempted revolt.
9) ——-
10) After allegedly starting a great fire in Rome (64 AD) Nero proceeded to blame Christian believers, horribly persecuting them especially in the Gladiator arena.
11) The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 AD.
12) The Eastern Roman Empire’s capital was located on north eastern Greece in the city of Constantinople.
13) The byzantine empire lasted nearly a thousand years after the end of the west finally falling in 1453 AD.
14) The official religion of the Byzantine empire was Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
15) Emperor Justinian I also Justinian “the great,” was commonly refereed to as the emperor who never sleeps and is recognized as one of Rome’s greatest rulers during late antiquity.
16) Emperor Justinian has been made famous for his law code the Corpus Juris Civilis “the Body of civil law.”
17) The firs prophet of Islam was Muhammad who was born in the Sacred city of Mecca.
18)——
19)——
20) The five pillars of Islam are as follows:
1) Shahadah
2) Salat: Prayer
3) Zakat: Alms
4) Sawm of Ramadan: Fasting
5) Haji: Pilgrimage to Mecca
—MR (future piece)
—MR
Not including the 2 months I forced myself to stop, I have been a smoker for about a year now. Over this year I have become all to familiar with smoker social cues and the psychology behind our choice. While Gladwell hit the nail on the head in many areas he did miss the mark on some key areas. Any of the facts presented could have come straight from the yellow toothed mouth of a smoker. Only is was not told from the full perspective of a smoker.
For starters their are numerous sub-categories of smokers, from the hardcore to the social. The Hardcore was perfectly described in the chapter, being characterized as extroverted and even perfect “salesmen” (Gladwell, p.230). He failed to mention however the characteristics of the people who follow hardcore smokers lead. Social smokers use cigarettes as a social crutch in order to get in with smoking circles. Smoking a cigarette instantly initiates one into a camaraderie that all smokers share. Being the minority makes us bond together in defiance, sometimes even going so far as to shun none smokers. The truth is hardcore smokers do have a predisposed personality to smoke. Some smokers would argue it is just getting your moneys worth out of life.
“Youth is wasted on the young,” this common saying is mostly uttered by anyone over the age of 29. Well most of the extroverted smokers in the world would counter with “life is wasted on people.” The natural tendencies smokers have to go out and attain as many thrills as possible is their way of taking full advantage of the little youth they have left. It may be a futile attempt but smokers entire personality is based off of the attempt to get everything we can out of life. I do plan to stop after I get my life together a little more, but I’ll alway remember a popular saying among Ashland smokers. “Smokers never quit, they only take breaks,” it’s gonna be a long road getting old.
Gladwell, M. (2000) The tipping point: How little things can make a big difference.
New York, NY: Hachette Book Group.
