Reflection 4

Writing my last reflection of the year, I see a lot of things that I have overcome and experienced. I have been challenged this year more than I ever have in my entire life. I learned so much about myself as well academically. This class has played a huge part in this semester and how I approach my studies and confrontations with people.

I have learned such things as "the nine rule." This touches on the fact that you may have to try nine times out of ten before you tell a funny joke or make someone crack a smile. This is also very applicable in life. As a student of life, we may have to try things multiple times before we find a good idea or the right job. This has helped me greatly this semester. I have failed more times this semester than I ever believe I had, I had a hard time. School was the hardest it has ever been and this rule has always stayed in the back of my head to continue trying and to not give up.

This idea of not giving up is one that many people take too lightly. I have learned this semester that you are going to have to fight for what you want, and you will give up certain things in response to reach these goals. For me it was giving up my family to go to TCU, 1500 miles away from home. Though this has been a struggle to be afar, they are still supporting me in my fight to get a degree in a few years.  This has also been brought up in my conversations with Brandon as we both had to give up certain relationships and experiences to come here. Overall, this class has taught me many things about the society and the world that I will forever carry with me on my journey through life.

Conversation 6

A couple of days ago on Wednesday, Brandon and I met for our last official meeting for this course. I told him that this would be the last time we had to meet before the year ended but we could still meet up after summer to catch up on things. He agreed and thought it was a god idea for us to reconnect after summer concluded. 

As we were talking at chick-fil-a, both our minds seemed to be on other things. With finals and summer coming to an end we commented on how we were both burned out. We talked about the mounds of studying we needed to do before this week concluded, much of which I still haven't started... Brandon and I talked a little bit about what work we haven't started but that conversation was drowned out pretty quickly to the exhaustion experienced when thinking about class. 

Brandon's final exams seemed a lot harder than mine. He had one in all of his classes and he was going to be tested on all five days of final exam week, rough. I couldn't imagine that. He also highlighted the fact how hard he has been studying, it seems as if it has been a month in progress, preparing for these exams. This thought made me realize and reflect on my own work ethic. Have I ever prepared for a test a month in advance? No. A week? I don't even know if I can say yes to that question... This made me come to realization about myself that my own problems may be due to how I approach them originally.

Overall, this conversation with Brandon was very short the other day. We didn't feel like we had to stay long, almost like a quick coffee with a friend. Brandon has taught me a lot this year; more than he'll know. He has helped me alter my look on life, society, and myself. He made me realize certain things that I was previously blinded to. This relationship has helped me open my eyes to problems in the world as well as my life and potential solutions. This sense of mentorship is one that I cherish greatly and I believe will continue on through our careers at TCU as Brandon and I attack the business school next year together. 

Conversation 5

On Tuesday Brandon and I met for our fifth conversation. We met at the Bluu this time and just had a casual dinner during the last couple of days before classes were to come to a close. We both seemed kind of worn out and tired. With all the exams during the last week we really were tired of school and looking forward to summer. Brandon still didn’t know when he was going to return home but he anxiously looking forward to it. Once again we were talking about how we missed home and the fact that we didn’t know when we would be returning home made it all the worst. Brandon touched on the fact that him and his girlfriend were going through some troubles and his mother has been very sick recently. We talked about what she has and how tough the hospital visits have been. He described her sickness and how it has really put pressure on his family. Brandon feels bad that he can’t be there to help his mother and his family out but he realizes his responsibilities lay here at TCU. 

Even though I wanted to talk anything else but school and specially Neeley, Brandon had a lot of questions regarding the first year classes for business students. He was eagerly anticipating his chance to start these classes and really get to work on his degree. He asked a lot about the lower division courses such as foundations, BIS, business stats etc. I highlighted how these classes are very difficult and that the teachers are just picky. If you put in the time, you'll do fine was pretty much the gist of my message. Brandon wasn't fazed by the challenge, he looked excited and ready. He also asked me to be a critique of his english. This was very uncomfortable for me. In this specific situation you want to be supportive and helpful rather than critically searching for flaws. Even with these hesitations, I still stated recommendations for him to better his english. One thing I said which is the important I believe is confidence. Since I was a six year spanish student, I have been able to realize how importance personal confidence is when speaking/learning a new language. With this confidence it will move to comfort which will make you feel more complacent when failing which will encourage you to practice. From this I challenged Brandon to try and talk to his Chinese roommates as much as he could in english, and I promised he will see results. Once again he accepted the challenge happily and appreciated the suggestion.

This idea of being up for anything is something I admire in Brandon. He's a champ and really ready to attack college. I'm excited for him and I envy his drive for success. This idea helped me understand that no challenge is too big and patience is necessary to achieve your goals. These ideals are very important for me as I look futuristically towards my major and potential career goals. Overall, this was a very good conversation with Brandon and it was exactly what I needed before a tough finals week.

Conversation 4

Last Thursday, for our fourth conversation, Brandon and I decided to go and eat out. Originally we were indecisive whether we should get something more Americanized or for something more foreign like Chinese. Then we decided to go try Indian but that was quickly changed once we passed Papa Changs Chinese cuisine. This place was a small shack right off Berry St., right near Sonics. This place was sketchy, honestly I don’t trust many Chinese places in general let alone one in a small shack in Texas. Initially, it was uncomfortable but then we ordered and got to just hanging out. Brandon talks about how he has eaten here before and how its not as bad as one would think, I was still skeptical.

We sat down and I ordered the spicy peppered shrimp and he ordered the lemon chicken bowl. He talked about how this cooking kind of reminded him of his home, with something as sweet as a lemon with chicken, in some sort of broth. Brandon talked a lot about cooking from home, sounds pretty good actually. They eat a lot of things we don’t, they seem more adventurous with their food, all the while us Americans like to stick to our red meat and wine. He talked about how they ate a lot of fish and everything seemed fresher at home compared to the BLUU. I had to correct Brandon here a little but saying that the BLUU is not really comparable for anyone here. We had a pretty lengthy conversation about our couple horror stories of the BLUU, none of wish I have a desire to publically share.

In light of Easter coming up, I touched on the fact that I was going to be going home for the weekend, and how I was just tired of school. Brandon expressed his desires to go home also. He misses his family a lot. I do too. It’s weird for me to walk around TCU’s campus and for people to think that California is that far away. Brandon is 6,500 miles away, that’s almost four times further than I. Its crazy to think someone can leave their country, their culture, and their family all for an education in Texas.

That idea was what I took away from the conversation. In order to get an education, there is always a sacrifice. For some of us at TCU we may be lucky enough not experience the financial burden that is put on our loved ones when attending this school. Some of us, like Brandon, have to abandon everything all for the chance for a better future for themselves and their family. We are all lucky. 

Reflection 3: The Moment

The man and the legend, Jim Valvano. Jim Valvano may be known by most for his speech during the ESPY awards in 1993, when he said “don’t give up, don’t ever give up.” This line was in light of his struggle with cancer that permeated all throughout his body. He exclaimed that it was “all over.” But Valvano should not only be remembered for his public fight of cancer, but as a North Carolina State basketball head coach that made it more about sports, he made it about life.

           

In March of 1983, his North Carolina State Wolf Pack team was going into the NCAA tournament as a six seed. Throughout their historic run, running over and beating every opponent, they made it to the National Championship. They are playing the high-flying “Phi Slamma Jama” team from the University of Houston for the 1983 championship. The fact that a six seed made it this far is unbelievable in itself, but how Valvano carried himself and his team throughout their run is what is truly admirable.

As Valvano was continuing this streak, he did not take refuge in his home, aggressively studying tape for the next game, he enjoyed it with the people he loved, the team, his family, and the fans. This what was most important to Valvano. He understood that it wasn’t all about winning, it was truly about the journey. He made it clear for his team to take in what was happening, as it may be the only time you get to experience something like this. You can see this sense of eagerness to enjoy the moment from Jim. He would take interviews with a full smile on his face, then stand up and lead the school in their school hymn screaming into the mic. He was so grateful and loving in every minute of life, and that the exact message he wanted to convey. It wasn’t all about winning the championship, it was about loving what you do. I think that we can all learn a lot from Jim Valvano and the 1983 North Carolina State team. They embodied perseverance, selflessness, and hard work. They showed the world that truly anything was possible.

As the clock wined down on the 1983 national championship, the Wolf Pack were down by one. Derek Wittenberg gets the inbound pass and put up a 30-foot shot, it looked short. But then out of nowhere Lorenzo Charles grabs the ball from the air and dunks it for the win as time expired. North Carolina State did it, they were the best basketball team in the nation. But in typical Valvano fashion, Jim rushes on the court after the win, not celebrating for himself, but searching for someone to hug. You can see as the buzzer goes, Jim’s face turns to pure desperation to be with his team. This is what sports is about. It’s not always about chasing the championship, but it’s about the growth that you experience through that fight to the top with your team.

Jim Valvano is someone I try to emulate. He has a true passion for life and shows love to all the people in it. His ability to take this basketball to the next level shows a type of leadership and mentorship that not many people, let a lone a basketball coach, are able to display. During his 1993 speech at the ESPYs, he talked about how "cancer can take away all my physical abilities. But it cannot touch my mind and it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever." His message will carry on forever. He is a man that will not let things like cancer affect what he lives for or how he lives his life. He didn’t care about the money or his image, he cared about making the game of basketball better and teaching the people who played it pertinent life long lessons. Jim Valvano is a true legend and should never be forgotten.

Laughter 2: SB

In light of our recent spring break, I experienced many excessive laughter scenarios. During my break my, seven friends and I went to Crested Butte, Colorado for seven days. We experienced many times of laughter and happiness both while in our house and on the ski slopes.

For my second laughter situation I am going to focus on a certain conversation with all of my friends when we were talking about the hypothetical situation of a fight. A sticky situation of fight for a male is something that is not only undesirable but can also be nerve wracking especially when the opponent is bigger than yourself. We spoke about what we do if we were to come in contact with someone who is substantially bigger. At first we talked about the generic kicking and punching, but then we moved to more comical moves such as a swift kick to the happy place or a head butt.

As we walk down the main public road to our house, we continue on with the same conversation. Then all of a sudden one of the bigger guys of group, Addison, standing at 6’ 5” and weighing around three hundred pounds steps on some ice and slips. He lands straight on his back with his feet all the way up in the air. This was one of the funniest moments for me because that is probably the fastest I have seen him move in awhile. Lucky for us, we got the whole thing on tape.

The fact that we got the whole fall on tape makes the fall just that more memorable because now we can visit it whenever we wish. But this situation also highlights an example of the superiority theory of comedy; as we were specifically laughing at Addison because it was not happening to us. As we have studied, context also means a lot to comedy. In this situation, it was the most unexpected things that could have happened. What started out as a conversation surrounding fighting switched to complete laughter. The fact that he was so big, I believe, also had something to do with why it was so funny. In American culture, stereotypically, we seem to think that if the person is bigger, it may come off more funny. When looking at the global YouTube searches, “Fat Fails” receives almost twice the searches than that of regular “Fail” videos. It begs the question, why are we attracted to comedy with larger people incorporated in the joke? I believe this can also be an important aspect of the superiority theory. With most people surrounding me at TCU not being overweight, we seem to be laughing because we may not be as large as that specific person, which may make it more comical for us to watch. Overall, this situation that occurred on spring break is one that will forever be embedded in my memory, but it also offers insight into the superiority theory and what makes us truly burst out in laughter.

Conversation 3

Today I met with Brandon again for our third conversation. It’s interesting to see how we have begun to see each other more as friends rather than an assistant in an assignment that we are required to do. The conversations have started to be more casual and connected, as we now know the basic information of each other. We no longer need to ask one another where we are originally from or what year in school we are in. We actually are getting to know one another.

            This time in our conversation, we focused more on our travels and activities during the recently passed Spring Break. Brandon told me that he ended up returning to China because he wanted to see his family and friends. He said it was “nice to be around people again.” I asked him to clarify and he said that at TCU, he feels like it is a ghost town compared to the chaos he experiences on a daily basis. He touched on the fact that it was refreshing to get back to his Chinese roots and seeing some type of normality that doesn’t exist in Fort Worth. But this was not the highlight of his trip by any means. He stated that the most fun part was seeing his girlfriend of nine months. There was the biggest grin on his face, seemed like he really liked the girl. I then made the mistake of asking him when is the next time he will see his significant other. He said he won’t see her for another nine months, which is our next Christmas break... Even with this news that would tear most people in relationships to shreds, he still was optimistic and excited for the next time they see each other (DEDICATION EH?).

I was pretty over that relationship talk as soon as it started so I tried to change the subject quickly. We then started to tap into Brandon’s future plans within the Neeley Business School, as he is hoping to graduate IEP in August with the rest of his classmates, so he may move onto his degree at TCU. I commented saying he should be excited because now he can choose his schedule rather than having it set for him 9am-1pm. I expressed how he could take night classes or even classes that start as early as 8am. He kind of laughed it off and told me that he has always been in night classes in China, and that they are “pretty awful.” Brandon then went on to say he always had night classes in China everyday and they were exhausting. I agreed. They are pretty terrible if you ask me.

The funniest part of the conversation was the very end. After we finished talking about the monotony of school, we had an awkward silence. We kind of just sat there staring at our respective crumbs of the chick-fil-a meals, no words, just silence. What was funny about it was that Brandon broke the silence with a small burst of laughter than flashed the “awkward turtle.” Due to the overall awkwardness of the conversation and what just transpired, it was truly hilarious for both of us.

In conclusion, the conversation went very well and was fun for both of us. We were able to get to know each other more through humor rather than the bland questions we tend to ask when we meet with someone we don’t know well. Overall, it went very well.