assignment 14

there is no such thing as aiming too high...

i feel i have grown in many ways this semester.  in the beginning, my goal had to do with juvenile justice and ways to better their programs.  after awhile, i learned that no dream is too big and i should aim high.  before, i thought my dream of becoming a professional fighter was up in the air and kind of stupid.  after awhile, i started to realize that it wasnt stupid, and it wasnt too far out there.  i could reach it, only if i wanted to and worked hard.  i learned that if i really wanted something out of life, that im the only person who can hold me back from reaching my dreams.

3 things i like best:

i liked the group work because it gave me a chance to meet new people.

i liked the some of the reading material, bell hooks in particular.

i REALLY liked that there were no exams.

3 things i liked least:

i felt it was a lot of reading to do and some of it was irrelevant to the class overall.

i did not like the time sheets (when we had them)

some of the assignments seemed too much

3 things to improve:

better reading material more relevant to leadership

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assignment 13

the step i choose to complete this week was starting my final research papaer for soc. of religion.  the final paper has to be at least 8 pages long and is due by the last class of the semester, april 29th.  i did most of my research but i am waiting for one book.  i had the library order a book from the warehouse and they told me it will be in by wednesday.  i started a rough draft but plan to really get most of it done by friday.

for my weekly business meeting, i had to do it by myself.  my friends all suck when it comes to school work and none of them wanted to take this serious enough to help out.  so after work on sunday, i sat down, looked over the past week and planned ahead for this week.  i wish i could have done more of my paper.  i should have went to the library earlier to check out the book but i am a procrastinator.  the library didnt have the book right away so i had to have them order it from the warehouse, so that was my only problem thus far.  as soon as i get the book, ill be able to really get things going.  my paper is the only major thing i have to get done and i would like to have it done by saturday.  i work tonight and friday morning.  i have a basketball game thursday night.  so i plan on working on the paper sometime during the day on wednesday and thursday afternoons and then most of saturday.

my sunday night planning meeting was pretty similar to my weekly business meeting since i was by myself for both.  when i look back on the previous week, i know i started my research for my paper and started a rough draft.  now i know i need to get the rest of my materials, which is just the book im waiting on at the library.  after i browse the book and pick out some material, itll be easier for me to write my little heart out.  eight pages should go by quickly once i have all of my sources organized.  not having my sources organized is my main concern and problem as of right now.  i have a whole book of information and dont have the time to read it all.  i need to try to find ways to link the book to the rest of my sources.  i think a good way to solve this problem is to just skim every chapter and look for key words or phrases that look similar to things in my other sources.  im hoping i can be done by saturday afternoon, sunday night by the latest.  the papers due by the following wednesday, as long as im done by then ill be happy.

assignment 11

this past saturday, i went to my gym for the first time in a few weeks.  everyone seemed was very excited to see me and wondered where i've been.  i told them how it was hard to come train everyday with all of the work given at school.  so after training, i pulled coach aside and had a talk with him.  i was telling him how i only have a few more weeks left in school and then ill be back almost everyday to continue training.  i also asked him if he though i would be ready to have either an ametuer or pro fight by the end of this summer.  when i asked, it seemed like his face lit up and he was silent.  i didnt know what he was thinking so i was confused and silent.  then he told me that we would take one quick detour before i have a fight.  he would sign me up for a grappling tournament which is a jui-jitsu tournament.  jui-jitsu is a fighting style that we use in mixed martial arts (mma) and is a neccessity to be a successful fighter.  he said the purpose of me entering this tournament is to see how i react to sparring with other fighters that i dont know.  when you train with the same people, you tend to learn their style and can almost predict what theyre going to do next.  so first i need to get my weight back down to 175 lbs. and start running more to get my cardio back up.  the tournament is sometime in june so i have plenty of time to prepare.  if i do well enough...pro fight here i come!!!

assignment 8

my first interview was with my cousins boyfriend, who is also a chicago police officer. i emailed her the questions and asked her to have him write a response, since i didnt have his email address;

me:
the path that you took towards success (to become a cop)

moments where you may have felt discouraged or unsupported and how you overcame the challenges

nick:
the path i took as going to school was getting an associate degree in criminal justice, and the reason i became a cop was more of an influnce bc living in a bad neighborhood(18th st) and i guess seeing all the gang bangers scared of the police made me want to become a cop plus the police in the neighbor hood were always nice to me. i was always supported but i guess i felt discouraged when i first started working on the street and was shot at but i overcame that by realizing that its part of the job and im working in a bad neighborhood by choice.


my second interview was with my mma coach. his name is roberto ramirez and has been doing mma for over 15 years and has been a coach for almost four. i asked his the same questions that i asked nick. this is what he told me:

well even though i never made it to the top of the top, i did have some success. i mean, i won some fights and lost a few fights. but thats life. some people wouldnt see that as successful, but i do. ive been doing this (mma) for almost 20 years and have never had any major injuries and can still spell my name. so in my eyes, thats successful....as far as how i got here, dedication. you have to be dedicated to train, dedicated to the lifestyle, and ready for anything. i started off learning jeetkunedo in about '92 and then started brazillion jui-jitsu in about '94. i became an instructor in jeetkunedo in '99 and eventually started the chicago fight team later on that year.

assignment 7

-for my first interview, i asked my cousin, venus rodriquez, who is a chicago police officer:

what were some of the main stpes you had to take to become a cop?

well, first, to become a cop in chicago, you have to have at least 60 hours of college or an associates degree. then of course, you apply, take a physical test. if you pass that, you go in for a pysch test and a polygraph. if you make it pass those, you start the academy which you do all of your training.

did you feel discouraged or unsupported during any of this, and how did you overcome this?

well mario (her father) hated the idea at first but that was just cause he didnt want me to get hurt but after some time he opened up to it. my mom was always indifferent but she knew thats what i wanted so she was supportive. during the academy, i remember having a tough time with some of the excercises but i just stuck to it and continuted to work even outside of the academy at home.

what would you reccommend i do now to prepare myself for a future in becoming a cop?

well you have your associates already so you have that taken care of. im sure youre already in shape for the physical test but just be ready for that too. a lot of people go into it without training before hand and end up failing something stupid, so be 100% sure youre ready. as far as the physch and polygraph, just be honest with yourself and be as truthful as possible. i dont think youll have any problems with these at all


-my second interview is with a professional mma fighter, louis taylor, who i train with:


what were some of the main steps you took to make fighting a profession?

the first thing you have to have is dedication. this is a tough sport to be in and in order to make a living off of this, you have to be dedicated. the rest is train, train, train. you can never be overly prepared for a fight. you can never train too much, there is always room for improvement in this sport. also, you have to be able to accept a loss and be able to learn from that to better yourself, even though i havent loss yet. hahaha (he makes bad jokes). everyone starts off small, i only made maybe $400 for winning my first fight and you just have to be patient until your break comes.

did you feel discouraged or unsupported at any time, and how did you overcome this?

well i wrestled all through high school and college so i was always involved with physical sports. so my mom was always supportive with everything. she took it as just another step up from what ive been doing. as far as being discouraged, theres been times when i feel like this isnt gunna take me anywhere in life, but this is what i love doing and i wouldnt rather be doing anything else. who wouldnt love getting paid to kick @$$.

what can i do now to prepare myself for a future in this sport?

like i said earlier, train, train, train. you can never train enough or too much. cardio, strength, flexibility. you can always improve yourself cause one day youre gunna run into someone whos faster than you, stronger, who can go that last round, and you have to be ready.

assignment 6

flow chart

goal: become a professional mma fighter

this goal will have 3 projects: 1) train 2) network myself 3) gain experience

1)train:

• learn different fighting styles that would better my abilities as a fighter (jui-jitsu, muay thai, wrestling, judo, etc)
• build muscle with weight training
• improve my cardio
• eat healthy

2) network myself

• find sponsors to help promote myself
• build a fan base
• make easy money by wearing their logos
• find a gym that will help me find events to fight in

3) gain experience

• fight in local events
• figure out my strengths and weaknesses and build on them
• work my way up to bigger and better venue

map your network

police officer- venus rodriquez (phone=773-788-9712)

professional skateboarder- rob dyrdek (www.myspace.com/robdyrdek)

actor- couldnt find one :(

marine- leo miles (phone=773-208-0081)

ufc fighter- couldnt find one :(

assignment 4

my personality type:

ENFJ
Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real concern for how others think and feel. Usually dislike being alone. They see everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at managing people issues, and leading group discussions. Interested in serving others, and probably place the needs of others over their own needs.

well i feel that ths describes me perfectly. even when reading the longer, detailed description, i couldnt find anything that was too far off. i always had numerous groups of friends from different cirlces and always got along with anyone. the only time i really like to be alone is when i need to concentrate hard for homework and readings, or when im just flat out exhausted. my mother has always said that i was born to be a leader and knew that ever since i was younger. at work, my managers come to me for advice and i am just a part-time employee. the other day, me and my girlfriend were talking, just having random conversation, and she me mentioned to me that i need to worry about myself more. she said that i always worry about my friends needs before my own. it wasnt a bad thing, but i just need to worry about myself more often and not spend so much time trying to be mr. fix-it. i found this personality test to be very accurate to what i see myself.

what is my touchstone?

dream: create some sort of program to help incarcerated juveniles

touchstone: help troubled kids change their ways

role model: creaters of d.a.r.e. and the g.r.e.a.t. programs

target: have my program given to kids in schools thorughout the nation.

after the reading, i realized there are easier ways to reach my overall target. one way to help, is to set little targets along the way. first, i will finish school, then become a police officer. while im a cop, i will work my way into the juvenile section and get to know the system. eventually, i will know how to propose a new program for kids and know the information needed to create my own.