More Than Just Football Stars- Part 3 of 3

Agree or disagree, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy are religious speakers to the public. Yes, one can argue that using their elevated football positions to give insight on a way of religion is wrong; however, it is working! Both young men have reasons behind what they are doing and why they want to do it. Tebow not only has faith in the scriptures that he writes on his eye blacks during a game, but uses the Bible verses to reach out to the public. Tebow’s bible verses have been a hotly searched item and Google search engine was there to prove it (AC Sports). Colt McCoy’s post-game interview, where he stated that “he always gives God the glory and never questions why things happen,” has view searches reaching over 500,000. Not everyone is going to be pleased with decisions made by people in this world, but through the freedom of speech and rights that we have in our country, these men are using their power to speak out to society. Both Tebow and McCoy have the right to publicly share their views; this is extremely important to them.
Whether it is broadcasting a Bible verse on the eye blacks during a football game to thousands of fans, or being active in religious movements in society, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy are two men who are greater than just football stars. Their intentions are to make a difference in the world by using their sport to spread the word of God even further. Tebow’s trips to the Philippines, missionary acts and religious speeches give him far more glory than a touchdown in a game. McCoy’s internet videos and religious movements are what he uses to let others know that God is good. Does everyone agree with these young men’s views? The answer is simply, no. Is everyone willing to accept that these men dream of doing in society? The answer is still, no. However, the star players from both football teams stand out in a way unlike anyone has ever seen in society and both have the courage to try and spread their religious principles. Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy are more than just outstanding football players.


Work Cited:
Colleen Raezler, Initials. (2010, January 08). News busters. Retrieved from http://newsbusters.org/blogs/colleen-raezler/2010/01/08/texas-colt-mccoy-i-always-give-god-glory
Josh Wiley, JW. (2010, January 01). Ac associated content- tim tebow bible verses, game by game. Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2546065/tim_tebow_bible_verses_game_by_game.html?cat=14
New Orleans Net LLC, Initials. (2009). Nola.com. Retrieved from http://www.nola.com/sugarbowl/index.ssf/2009/12/tim_tebow_uses_eye_black_to_co.html
Rob Hart, RH. (2010, January 01). Ac Associated Content- 21 Tim Tebow wears Ephesians 2:8-10 on his eye black; Retrieved from
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2546383/tim_tebow_wears_ephesians_2810_on_his_pg2.html?cat=14
Youtube- Tim Tebow. (2008, December). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUc_JO7A6OU

More Than Just Football Stars- Part 2 of 3

Tim Tebow has much more to him than football. Born in the Philippines and a son to missionary parents, he has spent his whole life making regular trips back and forth to the Asian country to speak the enlightening word of his Christian religion. He believes that religion is what really matters. Tebow states: “So many times in today’s society, many athletes and people with pedestals don’t take advantage of it and that has always been my dream and my goal, more so than football is to be that great example and to be that role model for kids.” (YouTube) Tebow’s dream is to reach out and be known for his views all while taking advantage of his football position. As much as for his unique football talents, what else society knows Tim Tebow for is the markings of Bible verses on the eye black he wears for games. Headlines state that there is a relationship between Tebow’s signature football skills and his distinctive ways of tying religion into his game. "I was just putting on my eye black and I realized that if I put a Bible verse on it, somebody might actually get something out of it. It just gained more and more momentum and steam, more and more people have recognized it, and now it’s just got a life of its own." (nola.com) Although he uses his football perks to spread the religious culture and his intentions are good, some people see his acts in society as negative and creating conflict.
“Keep your game and religion separate.” Some fans argue against the freedom of Tim Tebow’s broadcasting. Fans’ personal opinions were posted in response that players should respect those who may have a different point of view. While some view his method of ‘reaching out’ to be effective, others argue that mixing the game with religion is taking advantage of his position and cheap (AC sports). Although the intended acts are out of pure goodness, Tebow somehow is creating great conflict in society about what is the correct way to show religious views. “There are sadly far too many instances in big time college sports where athletes demonstrate counterproductive and even illegal behavior, so spreading what he believes is the word to as many people as he can is hardly a negative act.” (AC Sports) The argument here stands unanswered. The intentions Tebow has are indeed to use his advantage as a football player to reach out, and the same goes for Colt McCoy.
University of Texas’ star quarterback, McCoy also has many noticeable skills that set him far apart from the rest of the players. Not only did he set the bar high and hold outstanding touchdown records, Colt McCoy wants to also spread his religious concern to society. McCoy, an unashamed man who claims God and give him glory, also speaks his religious views to society in the same ways as Tim Tebow. McCoy grew up in a religious household and took on the importance of spreading his religious beliefs to others.
In 2009, McCoy took part in the I Am Second religious movement, a ministry that is based on the principle of keeping Jesus and Christianity the center of one’s life. This campaign shows how he wants to be recognized as more than a football player. McCoy’s intentions are to keep reminding people that God still loves them even when mistakes are made. "I want people to know that having a personal relationship with Christ is probably the biggest decision that any of us will make. It goes deeper than going to church, than just acting like a Christian.” (News Busters) McCoy stands directly in the spotlight and understands the risks that can be taken when speaking out in society. His pure intent is to reach out; however, much like Tebow’s problem, people in society also have conflicts when it comes to accepting his views and the way he broadcasts it to the public.

More Than Just Football Stars- Part 1 of 3

The University of Florida Gator’s Tim Tebow and University of Texas’ Colt McCoy have much in common. When these two names scroll across the CNN headlines, the first thing that comes to a college football fan’s mind is obviously football. Yes, these two men are both admired quarterbacks of championship teams. Yes, they are both well-known players that carry each college team strongly on the score board, and yes, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy probably compare themselves when it comes down to the statistics of the game. But what Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy have more in common than their love for football is the devoted passion for their religion. With concerns that fans and viewers may see their football hobby as a way of celebrating life, the two football stars wrap their lives and football game around the loving word of their religion, in hopes to reach out and change society in a way that no one has ever seen before.
So, what is religion? Do certain believers stand out more than others? A religious culture is a whole way of life. The values of religion are questioned by some, but believed by many. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe and regularly identified by the practitioner’s prayer, ritual, and meditation. When it comes to spreading the word of religion, it may not be that easy to reach out to the ones who are religiously uneducated, but in the eyes of the college quarterback stars Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy, spreading the word of their devout beliefs is quite simple and effective. Both men are concerned that fans and spectators see them as just football jocks instead of recognizing them for their spiritual convictions. They wish to reach out for others, make it known that they stand for Christianity and spread their religious word.
Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy work in ways that most people have never seen before. Tebow catches the attention of many fans with his written bible scriptures on his eye blacks during football games, while McCoy stands in the presence of many to speak the word of God and let others know that he is second.

Titanic and Segregation

The movie Titanic, staring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose, was released on December 19, 1997. Fictionally written, the movie was based off of true events of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The movie begins with a mere flashback of the ship’s underwater wreckage as a crew searches for a necklace, called the “Heart of the Ocean” that was once aboard the ship. Explorers did not find the diamond-set necklace; however, they found a sketch of a nude woman wearing the necklace that dated back to April 14, 1912, which was the same night the Titanic sank due to hitting an iceberg. Rose, now being 100 years old, contacted the crew and informed them that she was the one in the drawing. Rose recalls her memories while aboard the Titanic and takes the team of underwater explorers through her journey.
Rose, her mother, and her fiancé boarded the Titanic. Appearing as upper-class, Rose and her mother actually suffered financial troubles. Her mother stressed the importance of the wedding in order to gain back financial ground. Rose abhorred the thought of marriage to her fiancé, Cal, and attempted suicide by jumping from the front of the ship. Before she leaped, an artist aboard the ship named Jack interfered with her suicidal intentions. Cal blamed Jack for raping Rose even when she proceeded to explain that he saved her life. She began to ignore Cal and soon fell in love with Jack, even though he was considered socially beneath her. Rose and Jack developed an intimate relationship as they skipped to and fro repeatedly from the first-class deck to the third-class deck, from her world to his.
The secret love relationship between Rose and Jack deepened and Cal prohibited Rose from ever seeing Jack again. Rose rebelled against Cal’s wishes and snuck to see Jack at the bow of the ship. Rose opened up to Jack as she wished him to sketch her wearing Cal’s engagement present, the Heart of the Ocean necklace. After they escaped together, Rose made plans to leave with Jack once the ship had docked. During this, both of them witnessed the ships collision with an iceberg and decided to warn Rose’s mother and Cal. Jack was stopped by some of Cal’s friends and was handcuffed to a pipe in the lower deck. Meanwhile, the ship’s puncture from the iceberg caused severe flooding and the boat began to sink. Rose ran away from her family as they were anxiously waiting to get on a lifeboat and flee to safety. She treaded through water to the lower cabin to find Jack and freed him with an ax. Rose and Jack returned to the boat deck and found all of the safety boats were reserved for only first-class passengers. Cal tried to pull Rose to safety but she realized that she could not leave jack behind. All of the lifeboats were taken, which left the third-class on the ship to die. As the ship sank and they were washed into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean, Jack told Rose she will live a long, happy life and slowly froze to death. She unhappily accepted their fate as she was rescued to safety. Rose completed her story to the crew men and dropped the Heart of the Ocean necklace into the depth of the ocean. Thinking about Jack, Rose died in her sleep.
Spread among seven decks, the passengers aboard the Titanic were separated according to their class. The most affluent passengers aboard were on the upper levels and the people of lower status were below them in the lowest vicinity of the ship. The film perfectly describes the role of class segregation by showing the differences between the first and third class. Rose, evidently enough, was aboard as a first-class passenger and was treated like a queen as she was on the upper levels of the ship. Jack, as a third-class traveler, was grateful he was even aboard this ship, although he experienced no special treatment during his stay.
The first-class had luxurious amenities which included eating in elegant dining-rooms, designated smoking-rooms, and upscale lounges. The designer clothing and opulent jewels set them apart from others. The upper-class had ideal luxury only because of their social ranking in society. Third-class passengers were secluded on only the lower decks of the ship and were prohibited from any access to the upper cabins. They dressed in clothing that mimicked their everyday lifestyles. The lower class was segregated simply because they were not considered worthy of special attention. The distinctions were extremely evident when determining who was from which social class.
The film created many different stereotypes of the social classes aboard the ship. The lighting throughout the film labeled the contrast of living conditions between the two. The first-class tenants were always shown in a cold light with having very flat emotions that portrayed one to be stuck-up. The third-class lodgers were shown in warm tones and dim lighting, always dancing around and singing. The two distinct atmospheres set the mood of this movie and shows the issue of class segregation.
The movie showed that the wealthy were empowered over the poor, lower classes. This empowerment was continually supported through actions of ship’s staff; they, too, were in awe of their riches. As the ship was sinking, the lower class was locked away from accessing the upper deck in order to seek safety. They simply had no ranking or pull when it came to saving their own lives.
The passionate relationship between Rose and Jack broke the class segregation boundaries. They loved each other unconditionally regardless of their individual status ranking. The separation between each social class was very apparent because of the differences in lifestyles. I believe that the upper-class lived in extreme privileged circumstances, bordering on snobbery. They treated those of the lower working class like animals, not worthy of notice or association. The conditions illustrated throughout the movie were not limited to those aboard the Titanic. There were the very wealthy and the extreme poor (many times were immigrants) in everyday life. During this era, segregation was generally accepted and enforced. Nowadays, even though there are the wealthy and the poor, rules of segregation have lessened and the population no longer insists on class distinctions.

Gender Coding- Sociological Images

“The human body has always been central to sociology because sociology is about the organization of collections of human bodies into forms of social life” (ReferenceAnswer.com). When studying the boundary between the biological and social aspects in the formation of human identity, we run across the controversy that scientists identify as a nature/nurture debate. While browsing through the generalized tabs, I came across three very interesting articles that all related to the broad topic of gender coding. All three articles were indeed different, but touch on the ideas of gender socialization. Without the public realizing concepts like these, patters demonstrate discrimination which we currently have in our society. Only when we pay close attention can we see that many magazine articles, television commercials, and billboards depict this concept. Individuals accept these stereotypes of men and women and in turn, convey and continue to broadcast them back into society.
The first article I came across that made me think that gender coding would be an interesting topic was an ad for various online degree programs. This was a basic ad that would normally pop up in the annoying side windows when you visit websites such as Facebook or Myspace. While viewing the advertisement, which is supposed to persuade someone to begin a degree, you can see that the advertisement is a gendered depiction of certain occupations. One can assume from this ad that all caring and nurturing professions are for women and all other business-like occupations are coded for men; implying that females have qualities of a care taker and males represent potency.
The second example I found that related closely to the “gendering of online degree programs” was a short video clip from a local news channel in the state of Texas. This was explaining how a young boy was going to be suspended from school because of his long hair. The news coverage states that the school’s dress code is clear: boy’s hair must be above the earlobes and above the collar. The school’s dress code is designed to keep the classroom free from distractions. This becomes more of an issue when the parents refuse to cut their child’s hair because they believe that their son’s hair is not distracting or standing in the way of his or any other student’s learning abilities. The fathers says, “It’s not like his hair is dyed bright green,” implying that his son is normal and has done nothing wrong. The school district is now allowing the child to attend but he will remain segregated from other children until he cuts his hair. This controversy is not about enforcing a rule, it is a gendered code. Girls are not required to have hair above the collar, because longer hair is not considered distracting. Long hair on girls is considered ‘normal,’ so why would it not be appropriate for a boy to have his desired hairstyle?
The third article I found that had an evident example of gender coding was a simple advertisement hanging inside of a mall. The ad read; “Stream sports while your wife buys you slacks.” Two distinct assumptions can be drawn about this ad: gendering marital roles and the allegation that the wife is doing all the shopping (chores) while the husband sits back, relaxes, and watches his sports channel. This ad is implying that the wife does the household necessities while the man is not responsible for what he considers a ‘female duty’.
Gender differences often are shown in public advertisements simply because a female portrays a motherly figure such as nurturing babies, undergoing childbirth, and processing biological changes that are most of the time unseen in men. These images can be seen sociologically but that does not make them morally right. People create these advertisements based on their individual perceptions and understanding between the different stereotypical roles of men and women.
Personally, in society I have seen examples that resemble sociological images such as gender coding. Discriminating between men and women may not be that evident, but it is actually very active within our society, as shown in earlier examples. Additional examples seen in society was a set of gendered job-related toys, which were found in a local Toys-R-Us aisle. The individual medical sets include toys that resemble tools used by doctors and nurses. Both kits contain basically the same tools; however, the electric doctor set includes a large photo of a boy on the front of the box, and the electric nurse set contains a large photo of a girl. Seeing that the “girl’s” nurse set includes pink and purple toys implies that the boy would not play with toys of these “girly, pink” colors. This doctor set includes toys of dark blues, reds and yellows. Understanding that the doctor set is ideally made for boys and the nurse set is designed for girls show that jobs such as these are gendered. These toys show that the boy has a greater power as the doctor and the girl is the subordinate. Doctors obviously have a higher rank in a hospital and nurses have a lower status.
Another example I ran across was a local commercial for the acne medication, Proactiv. I saw the commercial and decided to log onto the website. I found it interesting that the Proactiv homepage showed no trace of any male figures. The page shows “Before and after” results of a woman, women who sell the product and even a woman celebrity spotlight who uses the product. It is not until you click on other celebrity spotlights that a male comes into play, and even then, five out of seven highlighted celebrities are women. The same thing occurred when I browsed on through the site. I clicked on the tab, “Real Success Stories” and it was no shocker that only three out of the total 66 ‘Real Stories’ were men; only three! When seeing advertisements like Proactiv, it is easy to overlook something as simple as gender. This product is addressing that women care more about their physical appearance than men do. Also, women are more likely to purchase this item because of the advertising techniques.
Lastly, a sociological image that I find more on the humorous side is the “Slim-N-Lift” girdle. This was on an infomercial that was advertising a quick weight loss fix and a slimmer profile. This ever-so-promising product says it is possible to quickly drop one, two, or three sizes instantly! Generally, women wear girdles, yes; however, nothing on the advertisement says it is for women. If I am not mistaken, men, too, have larger figures that are not always as appealing to look at either! I found this article to be specifically pointing to women because they do not even list any sizes that would fit a man’s figure. This product is implying that many women are overweight and are frantically finding new ways to get a ‘quick slim-down.’ Women supposedly portray beauty and this is just another product to help the stereotype right along!
To this day, advertisements project stereotypical identities: girls are more domestic and interested in appearance while boys are more violent and active. The media presents many overwhelming messages to the public that stereotype the roles of men and women. Men, women, and children watch television, walk through the malls, and read papers with sociological images that go ingrained subconsciously into our minds!


Mike Hepworth,(2009). Referencing answers. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/sociology

Sociological images. (2010). Retrieved from http://contexts.org/socimages/

The Global Issue of World Hunger and Malnutrition

An ugly knot can be twisted into someone’s stomach when the words “world hunger” or “starvation” are brought up. I believe most of us have seen the photos of starving children and have a slight idea about malnutrition and hunger problems that occur in other countries such as Ethiopia, Africa, and Sedan. “Sponsor a child today, for just twenty-five cents a day...” We hear local commercials like this on the television in American almost daily. Children’s hunger is not just something we hear on the late night talk shows, it is real life! These are actual, starving children that need the basic necessity of life to maintain something as simple as hair growth: food!
What is starvation? It is a severe reduction in vitamin and nutrient intake that can lead to organ damage and eventually death. Starvation is the most extreme form of malnutrition. Malnutrition is a causative factor in more than one third of all deaths in children around the world. Child starvation is not necessarily the main cause of death; it actually is the health related risks from undernourishment that cause a death about every five seconds. Children who are deprived of food suffer from health problems such as underdevelopment, stunted growth, and lifelong learning disabilities. Statistics cause us to stop dead in our tracks when we realize the incredible amount of children who are suffering.
Although the United States has a slight hunger problem, other countries are the predominant focus with staggering numbers of starving and malnourished children. Approximately 200 million children from around the world, under the age of five, suffer from severe health problems that relate back to starvation. According to KYMN, every day almost 18,000 children die from hunger-related causes, meaning every five seconds, or 12 children per minute, die due to hunger. KYMN also stated that statistics show 923 million people worldwide were undernourished in 2007; this included 907 million who reside in developing countries. Now, in 2010, we can only estimate that the numbers have increased. So, what can we do to help this? Can we ever find a cure to put an end to world hunger? Shockingly enough, this question does not look like it is going to be solved anytime soon. With Europe and America combined, the equivalent amount of money spent annually on pet food would solve world hunger. This amounts to $13 billion dollars a year. Without realizing it, people spend more money on their pets than saving the starving children around the world (KYMN)! So yes, it is possible to solve this horrendous problem, but sadly enough, the likelihood of this truly happening is slim.
Government control of food distribution is just as much a problem as hunger conditions. Political conflicts, within the country and with other countries, are the primary causes of hunger. People starve to death when virtually no goods are available for their consumption. In some countries, governments control everything that comes in and out of the boarders, so when food is brought in for citizens, it is the government that controls where the food reaches. In North Korea, for example, millions of people are faced with starvation because of the government’s unwillingness to give up on failed economic policies. The same situation happened in Sedan; millions were threatened with starvation because of an ongoing military conflict that limited the country’s ability to produce goods and because the government restricted the flow of emergency relief. Along with political problems that countries like these face, the demand for food will also continue to rise.
“Tariffs and taxes on imported food are essentially killer taxes, helping to price food out of the stomachs of their peoples” (Telegraph). Increases in productivity are actually the key to increasing yields and lowering prices. Tariffs, placed on imported machinery to these countries where food is produced, mean that poor country productivity is being ruthlessly obstructed. In order for the world hunger problem to truly be solved, governments of developing countries need to cut taxes and tariffs, and to get out of the way (Telegraph).
Hunger problems within developing countries exist in different ways other than by just starvation and deprivation. Countries who battle the consequences of hunger are trying to grab the attention of others in order to reach help. Although the chances of solving this devastating problem of world hunger are slim, the probability of reaching that goal may one day be resolved.

http://kymnradio.net/2009/11/30/update-world-hunger-issues-al-freeland-feed-starving-children/
http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/global-health-200-million-starving-children/
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/alexsingleton/4019011/Big_government_causes_starvation/