Can I Keep My Jersey? by Paul Shirley follows along the highs and lows of Paul Shirley’s career in the NBA. Though I haven’t quite finished this book yet, I plan to, which is kind of a big deal for me. When I first sat down to read this book, (yesterday) I figured that I would just skim through the pages and try to understand what was happening. However, after relating to the very first sentence in the book, I continued to read every word. This book surprisingly piqued my interest. I found that Paul Shirley is quite a jokester and even makes fun of himself and his failures, which is something that I often do as well. 

This book is essentially made up of a journal that Shirley kept throughout his professional basketball career. Starting with an introduction to tell how he got to where he was at and then breaking up the book into 3 sections, outlining his 3 years of playing in the NBA. 

Though I was far far away from playing in the WNBA I can somewhat relate to Shirley’s experiences, and I believe that any person who has ever had a passion for the game of basketball, or any sport, could. I played basketball for 7 and a half years until my time was cut short during my senior year of high school. As a kid, I always thought I would be playing basketball in college until I was in a car accident that changed the way my life went.

In this book, Shirley has so many ups and downs. This book shows how difficult it is to play in the NBA and how a great player can’t always compete when the teams are only looking for phenomenal players. Shirley admits in this book multiple times that a white man from a small town in Kansas is not always attractive to teams. 

Shirley starts his first year with the Atlanta Hawks. Though, he doesn’t make it to post-season play, only pre-season training camp, before he was kicked off the team, with nothing to show for it. Not even his jersey. He continues his first year hopping between the NBA and the CBA (Continental Basketball Association). The CBA is not at all where Shirley wants to be, as it is the minor league that nobody pays attention to, and the teams are located in the most boring cities in the US, according to Shirley. Within his first year, Shirley also takes a trip to both Greece and Spain, playing for international teams. Which he says is better than the CBA, but it’s still not the NBA, where he ultimately wants to be. 

At the end of year 1, Shirley suffers an injury that forces him to rest both his body and his brain. However, year 2 starts with another chance at the NBA, as he is invited to the New Orleans Hornets training camp. 

This book is written by Shirley from a first-person perspective. Throughout his entire journey, Shirley had been on 11 teams and played in 5 different countries. This all happened in the span of 4 years. 

To my surprise, I have enjoyed reading this story, because of the constant turn of events. I realized that just skimming through this book wasn’t even really an option, because I would miss an important detail. Another thing that kept me entertained while reading this book was all of the smart-ass remarks made by Shirley himself. He doesn’t have much of a filter, which I can relate to. He often makes fun of himself, other players, or just random people he meets along the way. This book both gave me information about NBA basketball, as well as made me grin along the way.

FORE! Someone yells at me, and I crouch down on the ground. A golf ball thunks against the window, right above my head. That was a close call.

I’ve experienced quite a few close calls while working here. I think about them often as I’m driving around in this golf cart, listening to the bottles banging around in the back. Boss man always tells us not to drive so fast because we’ll hit a bump and shatter those bottles of liquor. But we don’t care. I’ve broken my fair share of bottles he doesn’t need to know about.

A couple summers ago, some drunk man slammed the beer cart door so hard it almost snapped my finger off. A shattered bone later, and all I did was slap a band-aid on it and continue making my rounds on the course.

I wouldn’t say I’m normally a reckless driver, but when I’m on the clock, you can bet I’m going to make my rounds as fast as I possibly can. Because the faster you are, the more money you make. That money is the only thing that keeps me sticking around this place, because there are many reasons to quit.

Our entire staff is made up of college-aged girls, while most of our customers are 30-60 year-old men. Not a day at work goes by that we are not begged to take a shot with them. Once you take one with them, they never stop asking, and arguing when you turn them down. One day I told a man: “No thanks, I’ve had enough today.” and the response I got was not shocking to me but would probably concern many others. He said: “No you haven’t, you’re not naked yet.”

Then there are league nights. League nights are usually fun, as you make a lot of money and take a lot of shots. However, one league night I found myself bringing out another round to some men, and chatting with them, when I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. A man had come up behind me and untied the knot in the back of my shirt.

These are the kinds of things that many women have to deal with in our society. Many people have said: “stop flirting with them” or “wear a less revealing shirt” or “it’s your own fault, just work somewhere else.”

After doing some research, I found many different stories about women online who have experienced cat-calling and sexual harassment. A woman named Molly said: “Whenever I run outside, I put my phone and my driver’s license in my pocket. My phone so that if something happens, I could call someone. My license, so that if something bad happens, they could identify my body and let my family know.”

Another woman, Coren, stated: “A man grabbed my arm. I screamed because I was scared about what he might do. Luckily, it was outside a busy station at rush hour, so another man intervened and told the offender to back off.

Though these are stories from people I do not personally know, they are still concerning, as these things are happening all over the world, even at our own University. Not too long ago Campus Safety and Security sent out an email about an assault on campus. The email read: “The male approached a female student and grabbed her wrist. The student was able to break the hold and run back into the building”.

Though all of the stories mentioned here were just close calls, that is not always the case. My job has given me more awareness. Not everyone on the course acts this way, most don’t. Just as most people in the world are not out to hurt you. Though you can never be too safe.

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/a36188246/being-a-female-runner/

The movie Dog directed by Reid Carolin and Channing Tatum tells the story of Army Ranger Briggs and a dog named Lulu as they take a trip of their lives to get to a funeral on time. Briggs and Lulu were both put on this trip against their will, and very obviously did not get along. 

I found the tension between the two very humorous. I enjoyed this movie because it kept me entertained. There were a lot of moments in the movie when I said “oh no” because I could sense that something bad was going to happen. Not only was the movie humorous but it was also heartwarming as it followed along the life stories of both Briggs and Lulu. 

The directors Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin are no strangers to each other. They have worked together on many movies together in the past. They are best known for the movies Magic Mike and White House Down. All of these movies became very successful.

Dog is based on a story by Carolin and Brett Rodriguez. Channing Tatum stars as Briggs, an Army Ranger who is tasked with bringing the military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral.

 Briggs had recently been deemed unfit for service and suffers with PTSD and a brain injury which causes migraines and potential seizures. Briggs is ordered to escort Lulu to the funeral because nobody else wants to deal with Lulu’s violent behavior. 

The drive starts off as a disaster when Lulu breaks out of her cage and destroys the interior of Brigg’s truck. He claims he has no other option but to give Lulu sedatives so that she sleeps. Briggs often neglected Lulu on the trip and this made her quite agitated. 

The rest of the trip is quite jam-packed with adventure as Lulu sniffs out a weed farm and almost gets Briggs killed. After making friends with the farmer and his wife they go back on their journey. The pair pretends to be a blind man and seeing eye dog for a free hotel room. However, they get caught when Lulu sees a Middle Eastern man and attacks him, putting Briggs in jail. 

After being released Briggs decides to visit his own family, but after being turned away he decides to bring Lulu to see her brother, another dog that was adopted by an Army Ranger. During this visit Briggs learns how to bond with Lulu and makes a deeper connection with her.

Coincidentally Briggs’s car breaks down on their last stretch to get to the funeral. After staying the night in an abandoned barn, the two are forced to hitch hike and walk the rest of the way, making it to the funeral just in time.

This was a very entertaining movie and I really enjoyed it. Though towards the end I feel as though there were times that the obvious thing happened. It seemed as though everything that could go wrong did. However, I would recommend this movie to others because it is both a comedic and heartwarming story. I believe that many people would enjoy this movie just like I did.

The library is typically a quiet place, especially on the second floor. There isn’t a lot going on, just people sitting together in groups, or people sitting by themself. People walk through, say hi to each other, but beyond that it is pretty quiet.

That is until two girls decide to sit upstairs by the whiteboard. Immediately their voices are evident before they even sit down. They are talking about a class they must have just had and they did not seem happy. One of the girls says:

“Do you think she knows nobody was listening to her?” 

“No, literally I couldn’t tell you one word that came out of her mouth in the past hour.”

They both let out a small laugh as they sit down. 

The two girls were shortly joined by another and the conversation shifted to the past weekend. One of the girls had taken a trip to Minnesota to a concert. 

You never know what conversation you may overhear when you eavesdrop, and you never know who may be listening to you as you talk. These girls probably had no idea that others in the lower level could hear their conversation.

Is the freshman fifteen a real thing, or just a myth? They often say that the transition from home-cooked meals to college life, choosing your own meals can affect your weight drastically. 

A student who would like to stay anonymous stated: “I gained so much weight my freshman year, and I believe that it was because I was no longer told when and what I should eat. In High School we had a set time where we would all eat lunch as a class, and we were given a certain portion amount. However, now that I am in college I eat when it is convenient for me, and I eat whatever I want; whether that is an actual meal at the cafe or a quick stop at Mcdonalds.”

Senior Kennedy Mason experienced quite the opposite of the freshman fifteen. She said: “I actually lost weight my freshman year of college.” There are both sides of the spectrum when it comes to healthy eating in college. Some people struggle to eat enough food when they are not being told when and what to eat, while others eat more than they should. 

The nurse on campus, Judi Neswick, had some helpful tips for those who struggle with healthy eating on campus. “Healthier options to consider are lean proteins such as chicken and turkey.  Vegetables, fruits, and the salad bar are always available.  Don’t forget foods containing calcium for strong bones!  Try to avoid late night snacking or meals. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.  Water will help you feel full and eat less.  Get regular exercise and plenty of sleep.”

She also stated: “One of the biggest things I will encourage, if eating at dining services, is to pay attention to the nutrition labels.  On the university dining services, you can get nutrition information for all the food served to help plan the amount of calories you may want to consider consuming at a meal.” 

Nicholas Gunn, the General Manager of on-campus dining also mentioned the nutrition labels offered along with the food. On top of this he noted: “We have our district Dietitian come to campus at least once a year and sit in the dining room for students to visit with.” This is something that students who struggle with their eating habits can take advantage of. 

When asked why students often migrate towards unhealthy options in the cafeteria, Gunn said: “I think that there is a comfort level with unhealthy foods that people relate to feeling good. But what is really going on is that they feel full because of all the carbs they just ate and the body is turning those carbs into sugar and storing it up for later.” 

Our bodies like the way we feel after we eat carbs and it releases a type of dopamine in us that makes us feel satisfied. Fatty foods and carbs not only make us feel full faster, but they also give a sense of happiness. 

Gunn put it in great words when he said: “The habits you form now, in terms of eating, will stay with you for the rest of your life. Just because you see it doesn’t mean you need it all on your plate at once. You can always come back for more later. Eat your plate, sit for a few minutes and let your stomach talk to your brian before you make your next meal or snack decision.”