Reflection: Eminent Person Introduction

Reading everybody’s introductory blog posts was a surreal process. I learned so much. From the journey of Bruce Lee to America, all the way to the fashion journey of Tavi Gevinson. All the information I read was very engaging, and I hope to learn more about every eminent person. I especially enjoyed the post made by Justin Comeau written about Bruce Lee. I felt a connection with Bruce’s journey and felt inspired by his bold accomplishments. I wish to incorporate some of Bruce Lee’s talents of determination and wisdom into my life. Details about his martial art form of Jeet Kune Do, and his acting career keeps me engaged in his story. I wish to learn more about his life, and I hope to see Justin’s presentation. Turning to my blog, I was thankful for all the comments left by my group members. They offered plenty of informative feedback that I will incorporate in my next assignment. Julianne’s response informing me that I should make a deeper connection with Harvey Russell stuck with me. Plus, the comment left by Xylia gave me an external perspective about my writing style and how it was a bit too wordy. Without either of these comments, I would not have been able to see the errors in my writing, giving me the ability to change them and become a stronger student. I am glad we are doing the eminent person project and I hope to discover more about the gifted people in our world.

Eminent Person Introduction

 

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose, so play that way.

– Harvey Russell

Harvey Nual “Rusty” Russell is my eminent person because he was one of the most exceptional men in history. Not because he created the lightbulb or traveled to space, but because he managed to do the right thing no matter what. To begin with, Harvey served in the military during WWI. His notable contributions were during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. The month was September of 1918, and Harvey served as a medic to his platoon. The opposing belligerents were the Germans. Amid the battle, a canister holding mustard gas exploded beside Rusty. It burned his lungs, hindered his vision, and critically injured him. However, he managed to treat his fellow soldiers despite this. I admire his ability to care for others in times of adversity; it’s a quality I wish to emulate from him. After being injured, Harvey then woke up in a hospital with what seemed to be permanent blindness for six months. Nothing changed until he pledged to God he would dedicate the rest of his life to helping children. His sight returned, partially, but Harvey did not leave unscathed. He now possessed a sense of PTSD from the traumatic events in battle. Through it all, he managed to remain strong and learn from his experiences. Proceeding his service in the military, Harvey pursued his passions for sports; something both Harvey and I share. At the same time, it is difficult to compare myself to Harvey because of the different time he lived in. Returning to his story, Harvey played at Howard Payne University as the captain of both the basketball and football teams from 1919 to 1921. He then used his athletic knowledge to become an excellent coach for university teams. Following these events, Rusty was offered multiple coaching jobs for prestigious high schools. Alternatively, Harvey chose a coaching occupation at the Fort Worth Masonic Home and School in 1927. This school was not like the other Class A schools of this time. It was home to about one hundred and sixty orphans. In addition, the Masonic Home football team only had twelve players to play both offense and defense. Putting that into scale, teams usually have around fifty players with individualized roles to play. Together, Harvey and his band of orphans faced many challenges like dealing with the abusive staff at the school, terrible injuries, and finding a way to play against considerably larger teams. Even so, Harvey’s leadership and the effort put in by every individual player got them to the Class A state finals in 1932. He beat them with a strategy called the “spread offense“. The plan was to have the quarterback in a shotgun position, a spread-out line of horizontal defense, and three to five receivers. This was better for the small players of Fort Worth to use against the bigger opposing teams because it exploited the enemy’s weaknesses. Even now in modern-day football, you can observe this technique in action all the time. It will go down as one of Harvey’s most important contributions. Harvey’s judgment, perseverance, and leadership qualities attract me to his story. These qualities exemplify the goals I have set for myself in TALONS. It is my desire, to achieve such abilities during my time in this program. Harvey should be remembered for pursuing opportunities, not for the betterment of himself, but the betterment of others. In this way, he also stands out from the different people in his profession. He deserves acknowledgment for his military bravery, athletic contributions, and leadership skills. If you were to take something away from this, I wholeheartedly suggest using Harvey Russell as an inspiration to do the right thing. 

 

For the next step of my research, my goal is to uncover the effect that Harvey Russell had on his companions and peers. Seeing what influence he made as a mentor.

Digital Footprint Assignment

1. How might your digital footprint affect your future opportunities? Give at least two examples.

Everything we post online is permanent and can be accessed decades in the future. Although, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If I keep an appropriate online footprint, my future employers might hire me instead of someone else with an inappropriate digital footprint. It’s only when I deviate from good behavior online that I should worry about my online life affecting my real life. Especially if I got into the world of politics where the media and other politicians research everything about backgrounds; including online comments.

2. Describe at least three strategies that you can use to keep your digital footprint appropriate and safe.

By keeping the acronym THINK in my mind, the digital footprint I leave behind should remain appropriate and welcoming to all. I can also keep my online profile in check by treating others how I want to be treated and by remembering that everything I post online is permanent. With all three of these statements with me, I shouldn’t have to worry about any receipts coming back to affect me in the future.

3. If you could go back in time, is there anything that you would do differently online? Think of what advice you would pass on to your younger self or other students.

I would tell my past self that the internet is a dangerous yet brilliant tool for learning. Using it with the proper intentions in mind can make the difference between excelling as a person, or tumbling down a steep hill of regret and dread. I wish I could have explored more of the internet’s vast knowledge as a kid to learn how our world works on a scientific and mathematical scale.

Training Post

You are now going to create your very first post. In a separate tab or browser window, go to your Dashboard on the left and go to  Posts -> Add New.

1) Title – Create a title for your blog post. Your title will be: Digital Footprint Assignment

2) Body – This is where you place your content of the post – text, videos, pictures, etc. Follow the instructions on the Digital Footprint Assignment page to see what questions you need to answer here.

3) Tool Bar – In your toolbar you can “Add Media” and “Add Documents” into your posts, this is the best way to create visual representations. You can also change fonts, hyperlink, etc.

4) Publish – Here is where you control what items are public and private. You can also control when they are published to your website.

5) Categories – Here is where you choose where you want your post to go. This is your digital binder with all of your subjects. Make sure to categorize each post with the relevant subject. E.g. Categories -> English

6) Tags –  Here is where you tag posts with one or two of the most readily applicable Core Competencies. These tags can help you find things quicker on your blog and help you stay organised. E.g. Tag -> creativethinking

7) Publish – When you are done, simply “Publish” it. If it has been edited, press “Republish” to update with the latest version of the content.