Towson University is both similar to and different than every other university in the United States. With a student population reaching 20,000 and an alumni reaching back to my great aunt who graduated in 1953, this university and campus has developed a close relationship with many individuals. While merely a space to those who do not get swept up and involved with the Tiger culture, it has become a place in the hearts of most whom have ever been educated here. Just like anyone who has grown up or in or moved to Baltimore and supports the Orioles, those who have attended Towson University support their Tigers. Towson has created an organic community and many who attend support the athletics that represent their local identities. Just like every adult who is an alumnus looks back on their college years with pride and respect for their alma mater, Towson University is no exception to cultural experiences and social worlds.
I feel that Towson has done a great job to promote themselves as a diverse community with a dedicated athletics programs, supported by an uproarious and enthusiastic student body. Whether for this reason or not, Towson has significantly increased their student enrollment in the past 5 years, so whatever it is seems to have worked. This university has managed to hide the fact from an incoming applicant that the majority of students who go here are shallow, arrogant, and egotistical. I suppose I had a bad experience my first three years here. I think that the community in which Towson is located, a wealthy suburb of Baltimore City, has come to be representative of the type of people that attend Towson University. Nonetheless, as a system that works off of money and can only make their institution better with more money, they only solution is to upgrade, expand, and increase the size of the campus and student body in general, no matter what type of people the make up the population. While the diversity of the campus is a little more apparent than a black woman who can pick herself out of the crowd from a photo taken by a blimp at a Red Sox game (White), I bet if one could measure the intellectual depth by a picture of Towson University, the diversity would be quite indistinguishable.

If there was a place where politics and sports did not meet, the world would probably be a better place. Sports are involved in our everyday political, social, economical, racial, or ethnic lives. Defining one s place is dependent on some or all of these issues.

Growing up in the south caused me to realize the place of my belonging. I was from a different culture in my area. The only way there would be people of my same culture would be if they were working for the casino or construction due to a temporary alien work permit. Many of the politicians campaigning would often come over to our house to have a conversation about how it was important for my family to vote, and that the reason was because it would represent our culture. Since we were about the only Spanish citizens that were allowed to vote in that area, whose voice would we actually be representing. My idea was that I was considered the same as everyone else, or so that should be the ideal thought. The south is the south, and while some may believe that they can change with politics an area that has its own thoughts and concrete ideology, politics is one thing that needs to stay away.

Sports are a major part of the south. In our area, it is more important to watch the local team play another national ranked team than the visitation of the president. Virginia, Texas, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are all football or basketball recruiting areas, and they all belong to what once was the Confederate South. In the south, there are no major varieties of sports. The major sports played are football, basketball, baseball, softball, and track. All other sports are either performed privately or exclusively. Tennis, soccer, golf, and lacrosse are extremely exclusive sports in the south. Many politicians or upper class social members can be seen performing these sports on a private level or exclusively competitive manner.

Upon moving to Maryland, many people who first met me believed I might have been slightly racist, uneducated, or uncivilized at the most. This was noticeable when mentioning being born in New Orleans, but growing up in Mississippi. Being born in an area known as chocolate city� by some and raised near the home of Jefferson Davis, first confederate president of the south, led to many wrong speculations about me. People often note Mississippi as not being a literate state because of significantly low test scores, or others view them as those who, drink bourbon and eat boiled peanuts and finger sandwiches from sterling-silver platters and serving dishes arranged by caterers and frantic moms on elaborate tabletops. They partake in front of flat-screen TVs with DirecTV, underneath chandeliers and amongst intricate candelabras and ornate flower arrangements� (Duerson para 10). When interviewing Eli Manning, quarterback for the Ole Miss football team, he stated that his tent consisted of nothing too ritualistic; nothing as fancy as some of the others get,� noting that the common ideology placed on those of Oxford, Mississippi are not all the same (Duerson para 18).

Never were there any racial problems concerning me in the south because I fit in with all races. Many have a hard time attempting to figure out what my ethnicity is. In an ideal place, not everyone is the same, and we are all unique individuals. We are sometimes defined by our surrounding which maybe include political views, economy background, and social standing, but to what extent we allow these surroundings to influence oneself is what defines who we are and where our place lies.

A space can be defined as a lot of things. To one person, space might actually be a room, a physical space, where someone can go, relax, and have no worries. Another type of space could be an open field outside where someone is free to roam around with no cares and not having to worry about others judging or discriminating him/her based on gender, race, or class. The space that I identify with on a daily basis is Towson University. The campus of Towson carries a lot of meanings for me. One of the places that I will miss most once I graduate is Residence Tower, which I lived my first two years of college. Res Tower as Towson students known it as was my home for my freshman and sophomore years at Towson. I lived, slept, studied, hung out with friends, partied, etc. My roommates and floormates were my family away from home. I lived on the 13th floor, which is the top floor of Res Tower in room 1316. The 13th floor of Res Tower holds some of the best memories I will cherish from my undergraduate college experience. From staying up late hanging out with friends, getting ready to go downtown, watching movies, playing hide and go seek while my RA with out of town, and other various activities is what made the 13th floor unforgettable.

Now that I have moved out of the dorms, and into my own apartment, I have a different space that I have identified with the past two years of Towson. The space that I identify on a daily basis now is the 5th floor of Smith Hall, the Chemistry Department. I call it my home away from home�. After becoming an upper classman and an officer of the chemistry club, I constantly can be found on the 5th floor of Smith attending class/lab/meetings, hanging out with friends, doing homework, etc.

The majority of the students at Towson University are Caucasian females from the upper-middle and upper classes. The most evident space on campus that demonstrates this statement is the Patuxent. The Patuxent is place on campus where students, mostly sorority and fraternity students, gather to eat during the week. If you are a Towson student, it s basically one of the best places to eat on campus. My friends and I normally eat here every Monday between class and lab because the food is actually edible, and the chairs are pretty comfortable. Science majors in general are the minority group when eating in the Patuxent. All of the sororities and fraternities eat here proudly wearing their letters. The majority of the students in sororities and fraternities are from Caucasian from the upper class. These students are able to afford designer clothes, expensive cars, etc. Have you ever noticed how many students drive to school in a BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, etc.?

Another space that is well defined by football, drinking, fancy clothes, etc is The Grove at the University of Mississippi. The Grove is a place on campus where lavish tail-gating parties are held before, during, and after University of Mississippi s home football games. William L. Hamilton describes the type of party that is held at the Grove:

Ole Miss s stadium accommodates 60,580 people, and devotees of the Grove argue that the Grove accommodates more. It is ever kind of party you can describe, at once: cocktail party, dinner party, tailgate
picnic party, fraternity and sorority rush, family reunion, political handgrab, gala and networking party-hearty- what might have inspired Willie Morris, one of Mississippi s favorite sons, to declare Mississippi not a state, but a club. (2006, pg. 1)



The University of Mississippi has led a long road of racism and discrimination towards African Americans. The university did not become integrated until 1962. David G. Sansing, a professor emeritus at the university, states that though there were few black families partying in the Grove on Saturday, black players dominate the Rebels football team� (Hamilton, 2006, pg. 2). This statement is very contradictory in itself because the majority of the Rebels football team is black whereas very few black families actually attend the festivities in the Grove. There is still racial tension that exists at the University of Mississippi. If the majority of the players on the football team were white, their families would be attending the party in the Grove in a heartbeat. The majority of the people that attend the festivities at the Grove are Caucasian from the upper middle and upper classes of Mississippi. Adam Duerson describes the behavior of the people at the Grove:

Yes, they drink bourbon and eat boiled peanuts and finger sandwiches from sterling-silver platters and serving dishes arranged my caterers and frantic moms on elaborate tabletops. They partake in front of flat screen TVs with DirecTV, underneath chandeliers and amongst intricate candelabras and ornate flower arrangements. And when football calls, they pay people like Andre, at the Rebel Rousers tent, to stand guard. (2004, pg. 1)

i agree with gstrat, the diversity on campus isnt what it claims to be, but i noticed it getting a little better. you had many valid points in your post.

Politics shape everything in our lives. As much as I would like to fight the idea, it is true and there is nothing we can do about it. With the media covering every story imaginable, some people believe that there is less political control of what is being seen. However, if you really think about it, there is almost always a political bias one way or another no matter what we see. Each channel, whether it is FOX, ABC, or NBC is known for being predominantly conservative or liberal. Even things seen on youtube have political meaning behind them that someone wants you to see. Now, it has become part of our culture to see nothing but bad news and killings on the news. Most up lifting stories and positive messages have been pushed to the back or not seen at all because it just does not increase ratings. Much like what was said in Playing their Part: Red Sox Nation 2007 and the Public Performance of Whiteness, In other words there are citizens of Red Sox Nation that reject the negativity that the utterance of the community brings to mind, but they have been pushed to the back and silenced in favor of their ridiculous brethren�. There are good messages to be said, people just do not want to hear them.
Politics in sports have mixed even in the lower levels that I have participated in. It is the reason I used to write 9/11 on my ankle brace as a freshmen basketball player. It is the reason I have a support the troops� bumper sticker on my truck. Not only was it showing support, it became the cool thing to do� to show your patriotism.
The interesting thing about the Towson Experience� is that on our school s website, we have almost as many pictures on the minority here, then the majority. It is not impossible to see a class being taught outside on a nice day, though it was not until this year that I actually had class outside. However, on the school s website, there is of course a picture of class being taught on the beach� outside of Linthicum Hall. It is easy to see that Towson s marketing tools of attracting a more diverse student population is working because I have noticed a lot more minorities since I first arrived in the fall of 2005. Between the website, brochures, and posters you see almost every nationality being represented as if it were the most diverse campus on Earth. Towson is another school using politics to garner more profit.

This passion and pride for sports and our country comes from an agenda set out by institutions and people who want us to experience certain events in a particular fashion. There is tons of money spent on promoting nationalism and pride in our nation as well as our sports teams. From television to t-shirts, from billboards to entire buildings, this propaganda for sports and nationalism can be found everywhere.
For this argument I would like to focus on the professional sports teams of Baltimore and the spatial experience I have had being a fan of these teams. Let s start out with the Ravens. Now I know that not everyone can afford to
go to Ravens football games, however, that certainly doesn t stop someone from being a fan. This is not football season but the Ravens logo and purple and black colors can be seen all around Baltimore. We love our football team! It can be seen on hats, shirts, bumper stickers, in newspapers, in sports bars, etc. If you are walking in downtown Baltimore, it is tough to go five minutes without seeing some sort of Baltimore Ravens apparel or logo somewhere. When you go to a game it is even more outstanding. The elaborate Ravens Walk and tailgate area, the outstanding videos on the Smartvision screen, or the over-the-top entrance of the players on to the field is packed with spirit.
The pride for a football team did not come without a large price paid for by Ravens sponsors and owners. The government has spared no expense in this either. Many political leaders come to sporting events to show that they are part of the people� or to demonstrate their political power, having money to get the sky box seats. Furthermore, every sporting event is the perfect place to promote political nationalism. Before every game the Star-Spangled Banner is sung with honor guards presenting their colors and officer and soldiers saluting the flag as it waves in the wind. That picture which has been painted in all of our heads, whether we have been to a game or not always stands out, seventy-thousand fans, perhaps rooting for different teams, are standing as one for their country.
the seductive place of mediated sport, as an element of the cultural terrain, an affective economy for the mobilization of the organization and discipline of daily life, in the service of particular political agendas (Falcous 2005).� This idea gives a different insight into the agendas of those practices mentioned above. That is certainly something to think about as we attend sporting events and games, especially with the summer Olympics coming up.

Politics is greatly intertwined with modern day popular sports. Anyone arguing the contrary has a tough position to stand behind because it is everywhere in our faces. My personal experience with sports has been directly related to my race, socio-economic status, and nationality. I played America s favorite pastime, baseball, then moved on to golf, and tennis. These two sports are directly related to the people I am associated and due to my economic standing growing up, in that I could afford the expensive clubs and green fees. My interaction with gold if especially magnified with my age. I am in the professional world, and it is not uncommon to write off golf outings with friends, as long as business is discussed. The professional world is tied into a lot of sports that people don t think about, on multiple occasions I have met clients for racquetball, tennis, golf, fishing, and even just the act of going to sporting events. This is how one spatial area of my life has been affected by the popular norm in relation with sports. We as a business receive countless Orioles, Ravens, Capitals, and Wizard tickets from clients. The reality of these sporting interactions is not friendliness, but rather bribery. The spatial world of corporate America has become a breeding ground for sporting interaction with the underlying tone being greed.

When trying to discuss the topic of how my everyday spatial experiences is being affected by my individual identity markers. I can not help but to think that those markers that encompass my being affect me everyday. I mean the feelings that I have, the activities that I enjoy, and even the thoughts that I have are influenced by the people or entities, which encompass my space. The fact that I am a young middle class white American male, all play factors in who I am and what places I feel I belong. Now I also believe that these things that surround our space are very much our own, and that everyone else has their own experiences that shape theirs.
Growing in a middle class neighborhood with other middle class kids we played many different sports, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey. The sport that I ended up falling in love with was the game of ice hockey. I loved the sport since I was a child, and I was always a huge fan of the home team the Washington Capitals. Hockey community in Maryland is a relatively small community compared to some of the other sports. Hockey is game played by athletes that almost 10 times out of 10 look like me, especially in the U.S. It s an upper middle class white male sport. White males play it, and predominately white males watch it. Growing up within this group was not difficult for someone like myself, but I could not imagine what others who are of different ethnicities would have to do, to feel like the belong.
The Capitals were forging there way through the playoffs this week, and I was kind of thinking how this organization, along with other sports organizations, affects their fan base. The Caps used to play their games out in Landover before they built the Verizon center in D.C., in order to make the team feel a little more apart of the city. The new arena is kind of a shrine to the D.C sports teams that play out of it. You can see Caps and wizards photos all around the stadium, retired jerseys hanging in the rafters, along with banners of accomplishments. The Caps, along with the media, were promoting the team as a Cinderella style story, a team that was in last place at the half way point of the season, and made history by making the playoffs. The team launched a program to rock the red� during home playoff games, in support the team. Now I have been going to Caps games for 20 plus years now, and I have never seen them get this kind of support for a first round playoff game. Being at the game the other night, the stadium was packed, everyone was wearing there Caps tees/jerseys. The organization probably made millions in just merchandise sales alone with this program. Looking around the stadium, you could tell that majority of the people that were there, were upper to middle class white males and their families. Now this did not seem to far off from what Ryan King-White said about the Red-Sox s nation when he stated that the community is fairly mono-ethnic� (2007, p.1).
For me, I believe that this stems from several issues that we have been discussing in class so far, especially class and race. Ultimately, people in general will fill there space with those people that look, think, and understand the issues that have shaped their lives.

I agree with DaVinci012 when he states that sport acts as a distraction from national woes. I also think that sport does a lot for unity in times of national crisis. After 9/11, sport teams put American flags on their uniforms. People watched sports as a distraction from what was going on, but the flag showed that it was still on people's minds. It was almost as if people were being distracted and grieving together at the same time.

I don t think it is a surprise to anybody that sports and politics work together. Anybody whose ever been or even seen a sporting event on TV has witness has politics use sports as stage to display their power and advertisement. For the most part how do you think sporting events even get the money and support to create events like the Olympics or The World Cup. The ways sporting events are presented to us are due to the politics behind it. With the Olympics you never saw or heard any negative thoughts or comments about the USA teams in the media even though every other country probably had something to say we never got to experience it. It was presented to us in that way by politics.

When it comes to my experience with my spatial environment I must say the experience for the most part is way different then the way it was mediated to me. Before I transferred to Towson University from my local community college, Towson claim to have a diverse campus and really care about the students with programs like TU cares�, to promote enrollment. Not to say that my time here in Towson has been bad, but the claims the university made are not so true. The school doesn t seem to be that diverse when I walk around campus. Seems for the most part all the girls wear the same thing and you always find groups wearing the same sorority or fraternity shirts. As far as the TU cares, just earlier this semester I had problems with the billing on my tuition and in result I lost all my classes right before the semester started. Instead of allowing me retrieve my old schedule and allow me to enroll in those classes and had to go teacher to teacher to see if I can still enroll in their classes. The school never really made an attempt to help me. Non the less a place like Towson does become home and even though the perception that is claim is not the same as the experience had, its doesn t change the fact that it still becomes instilled in you. The same way people from other states might view the city of Baltimore in a negative perspective but that wouldn t be the same opinion many locals will say. Of course Baltimore is not perfect but it becomes home and you learn to love it.. This is how I view my time here at Towson University. Everybody knows that claims done by any institution or establishment are just advertise plots to create interest and money. Though I believe everybody fines their own niche in their spatial environment and learn to adapt. After seeing many flyers about sports clubs and events here in Towson I decided to join and now it has truly improved my experience at the university.

i agree with A bennett that the Towson experience is an attempt to make money by getting you to enroll, or pay to attend events and that sports and politics will always go hand and hand whether you agree or disagree, you just have to deal with the results

This blog is unlike any we as a class have written so far because now we are not dealing with a group of people, but now we are dealing with other aspects that make up our sporting experiences. By learning about stadiums and certain locations of sports teams, I was able to take a closer look at how and why I root for the teams I do, and I was also able to look at how those teams and other sports have been mediated to me.
The first thing to look at is what things are mediated to me as a sports fan. To go back to the same example that I always use, it is worth looking at the Kansas City Chiefs since they are my favorite team. Growing up in Maryland, I was only offered a very limited and local view of the Chiefs. What is meant by local view is that I would only catch glimpses of Chiefs games when they played a local team or made huge sports news. Yet, as I grow older my view of the Chiefs has been able to expand immensely due to a) me making more money and b) the rise in popularity of the internet and sports blog sites. Now, while some of the items that I read may be mediated and directed by local media, I am still able to read articles written by Kansas City writers that are written in a different perspective and offer alternative views.
Experiencing the Chiefs in person was a whole new experience for me as well. Until I was 21 years old, I was only able to experience Arrowhead Stadium through what I read, saw on television, or heard from other people. Yet after going to a game in Kansas City, I now have this natural feeling with the stadium and I have my own opinions that were formed not through others but by me actually being at the stadium and experiencing it.
From a personal standpoint, I believe that Towson tries to achieve this as well with their whole Tigertown� atmosphere. It is almost as if Towson chooses to force the Towson experience� on people rather than letting individuals gather their own personal experiences. After reading the article from Bernstein, it seems that Towson is using the same strategy used by Boston when Bernstein said that they, gained and exercised a lot of clout in dictating changes to their surroundings, and can often start or stop projects, and make politicians jump on command� (Bernstein). Having lived in the Towson area for over three years now, this has become very apparent to me as Towson is constantly trying to expand their empire� and turn more and more of the area into a Tigertown�.
So while at first this seemed like it would be one of the rather mundane classes that we have had in the semester, I can now see the importance of actually taking time to look at how an area and experience shape our opinions on sports. The key is to obtain personal knowledge of a team or area and to cut out the mediated opinion that we are force fed but that is not always an option. The best way to truly make an opinion on a team or city, is to get out there and explore it for what it truly is.

Do sport and politics mix? Politics and sport mix when the United States finds it to our benefit!! In my life personally sport and politics have never made a direct connection except from news broadcasts and knowledge acquired while at Towson University. Every sporting event I can think of has incorporated politics. We always have a flag on site, a flag tells who we are politically! Are we going to have a flag at the Olympics in China? Yes! If Bush wants to keep sport and politics separate then ban all flags from the premises! Also, ban all of the clothing and merchandise that will be sold. It all has political ties! The truth is that several thousand protesters are against what China stands for and Bush is saying lets not mix politics and sport�! Well guess what, Nike is going to be on the feet of the Olympians and that is part of the protest, human rights and wages of their citizens!!! Politics and sport meet at every level. From the shoes on our feet to the golf game going on down the street! Bush must feel Americans are ignorant and not able to connect the dots. I am so happy that these protestors are standing up for what is right!!!! I hope that someone is protesting that rocket they are shooting into the air as well! Controlling the weather in this way is so unnatural and shows little concern for our environment and life! Another thing that proves sport and politics connect is the fact that all divisions of U.S military have a nationally publicized sport!!! Why? No matter if you are involved in a sport or not we as Americans understand that sport and politics connect. Bush is the ignorant one for not thinking before he speaks and for assuming we don t think either! One more negative item to list in the history books!! I can t name one positive thing he has done for this country!

In response to Travis Hubbard--You talked about the politics of little league where the boy didnt deserve to make it, but his father was in a position of power. When I was younger, I never understood when people lacking skill would make it and I would hear "its politics". As I got older, I witnessed the same situations repeatedly. It sucks that some people get to by-pass the hard stuff just because they have a parent in an important position.

in reference to ladytigerswim616: I also grew up in a similar town as you. I did not swim but i did play other sports like it. It is interesting to see how so many thing about different towns in possibily different states can be so similar. As i mentioned in my writing this week, now looking back on my childhood experience I believe I lived in the bubble and by going away to college I was finally able to break away.

As much as people do not want to admit, politics and sport go hand in hand. Many people do not realize that politics have so much to do with sport. Our personal lives as well are affected by politics one way or another. Everything in your life such as your ethnicity, class, age, gender, sexuality, and nationality, deal with the space and place in your sporting experience. The community that I grew up in was middle to upper class town. This place where I spent all my childhood shaped my cultural experience in the space I called home. My home town was a comfortable setting for my family and I. Both my sister and I participated in the same sports as everyone else that was around me. The sports that I participated in were softball, basketball, soccer, and dance. To play these sports, which were so competitive, because of the parents and politics that went on in my town, it all depended on who you were and what you did. I would compare my community to a high school. There were many sectioned groups of friends and you only were able to partake in certain sports if you were friends with the coach or the coach s friends. Also, the racial makeup of my town was mostly white. I compare it to what Ryan White-King said about the Red Sox nation, White is a race too�, it was very clear that we both had a similar conception regarding the ethnic makeup of those that cheer on the Red Sox they are overwhelmingly WHITE� (White-King, 1). Now, in college, I look back to my sporting experience as a child and realized I lived in a bubble. By leaving Marlboro, New Jersey, and coming to Towson University for college, I found that there is so much more to life than living in a community with mostly people of the same ethnicity, background, and socio-economic status.
Since attending Towson University, I can honestly say that I have lived my Towson Experience.� While I was in high school, Towson was a school I did not hear much about. I would walk the halls and see a few people sporting the black and gold sweatshirts they must have purchased visiting the school. I knew only one person who came to this school before me. The Towson Experience� that was promoted online never got my attention. The way I found out about this school and decided to attend was because of word of mouth, which is probably the best marketing tool. I guess that being an out of state student it is hard to reach us through advertisements and brochures. Since the school has grown in size over the years, Towson has made a better name for them. However, once I attended Towson my freshman year the Towson Experience� has changed me as a person. I branched out and met so many people of different ethnicities, people with different interests than I have, and people from other countries. Towson and the community as a whole is such a different place than I grew up in and I am thankful I was able to have this college experience and would not change it for the world.

IN response to Mesx111 she says "In regards to Towson I believe their brochures and online experience make it out to look like all people of all races socialize with each other and everyone feels comfortable with each group. As a former member of a Panhellenic sorority on campus I have never felt welcomed by any of the black sororities or fraternities on campus. Our groups have never done anything together in my three years as a member. " I have a hard time understanding this because I do see that there is definitely a separation, but I have attended many of their events and felt perfectly welcome. While the groups as a whole might not do anything together, I do feel as if they can and hopefully will one day. It is already starting with homecoming and Greek Week.

Thinking about my own personal experiences with natural space when it comes to sports and my everyday life, it's really hard to think about whether or not it's been effected by some outside factor. I have never thought about it before, but now looking back I can see how some aspects of my life have been effected.

I am from the smallest high school in my county and it is predominately white. I was comfortable in my town and high school. Everyone knew everyone their families. I never once walked into a place of business or my high school stadium for Friday night football games and felt out of place of uncomfortable. However, when I think back anytime my dance team would travel to a competition at another school especially large very diverse schools I would along with the other members of my team feel very out of place. I always felt like people were staring and judging like why are these girls on our turf.

It is funny that I am reading about the Red Sox, when we learned in class about the virtual fan. I will say that about me and the Red Sox. I am from Maryland , born and raised. But I was raised watching the Red Sox, I spent my summers in New England at camps and my best friend lives in Boston. I have been to one Red Sox game at Fenway, but I have to watch them any chance I can get. I know that there is so much more behind this team when it comes to race and their fans and from what I have experienced it is so true. This past year when I was in Boston the night they won the World Series, I was at a bar across from Fenway. The evening was crazy. But thinking back every person I saw was White. There was no diversity in the crowd. After class last week, I called my best friend and asked him how many of his Black friends are Red Sox fans. He responded, none of them without even a hesitation. I asked him why and he said I took one of my friends to a game with me and he said he had never felt more out of place in his life. In White's article he states "at the 2007 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association conference in Boston a black woman revealingly joked that when she attended games at Fenway Park (the Red Sox home field) if a photo was taken from the blimp you could point out exactly where I was sitting� (field notes 2007)." This seems to be a common theme I am seeing with a team I grew up loving and it is hard for me to understand because I guess I technically fit the mold of a "typical Red Sox fan."

There is also a lot dealing with space, when it comes to Towson University. Coming in as a freshman, living on campus my first two years, being involved in numerous groups including Greek Life. I never felt as if I didn't belong. I can go or attend any event on campus and feel right at home. I can understand though how some people wouldn't quite get the Towson Experience. Especially if they transferred or commute. They wouldn't have had all four years to make this their home, and I learned a lot of people wh have been here four years find it hard to except new people and people tend to back off. During Panhellenic Recruitment it is very rare that we get commuters going through.

I have worked at sporting events for MASN and it became extremely clear at Shawan Downs last year that the fans of the sport were preppy, white people. If I had been any kind of minority I would have felt very out of place. Simply because I looked like these people I fit in. I believe a lot of situations are similar to this in our society today, especially with regards to sports.
I have also been to many New Jersey Devil games because my family has had season tickets since I was in third grade. As any sports fan knows there aren t too many black players in the NHL. I can remember one specific game when the Devils were playing the Calgary Flames and the little girl sitting behind me whispers to her dad, Look there s the black one,� in reference to Jarome Iginla. As a fan I know there aren t a lot of minorities in the sport mainly because a lot of players are and have always been from Canada and the black population isn t incredibly high. I don t believe though that Jarome Iginla feels like he stands out or feels awkward on the ice, because hell, he s an amazing player.
There have been many times throughout my sports career that I have felt awkward in certain spatial experiences. First off I ran track and that sport is usually but not always, dominated by the black population. I have been to many meets at schools throughout New Jersey when I stood out unbelievably and have been made to feel that way. I have also stated for my high schools basketball team and similarly we traveled to many schools across the state and have sat in gyms where I was one of the only white females. These situations have not only made me feel awkward but the people around me felt weird that I was there. An example from the reading would be, A few days later, this contention was reasserted when during the response to my presentation on Boston-based films Fever Pitch (2005) and Good Will Hunting (1997) at the 2007 Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association conference in Boston a black woman revealingly joked that when she attended games at Fenway Park (the Red Sox home field) if a photo was taken from the blimp you could point out exactly where I was sitting� (field notes 2007).� (King-White, 2007, p. 1)
In regards to Towson I believe their brochures and online experience make it out to look like all people of all races socialize with each other and everyone feels comfortable with each group. As a former member of a Panhellenic sorority on campus I have never felt welcomed by any of the black sororities or fraternities on campus. Our groups have never done anything together in my three years as a member.

Sports and politics are two topics that should never be brought together, but unfortunately always seem to clash. The Olympics are supposed to be a showcase of the world's greatest athletes yet they are often overshadowed by world issues and to see the supreme nation. A great example of this would be the 1980 Winter Olympics. The story line of the entire Olympics was if the Americans could beat the Soviets in their respective events in the mist of the Cold War. The two nations would compete in everything to better the other nation. Though this brought out the best in both their athletes and technological advancements, and made everlasting memories such as the 1980 Men's Olympic Hockey team's victory over the dominant Soviet team, do you ever hear about the other headlines? How about the separation of a gold and silver medal by 0.01 seconds between a Swedish cross-country skier and a skier from Finland? Or, that Lichtenstein became the smallest country to produce a gold medal winner by receiving three medals? No matter the difference, politics overshadowed great athletic achievements.

How about the decreasing amount of African Americans in professional baseball? Baseball has traditionally been a "white" sport and that can been seen all over the country. Even though they try to appeal to minorities, it just doesn't happen because of the norms fixed within todays minority youth. Red Sox Nation is a great example of this. As Ryan White states, "Interstingly, the collision of the aforementioned racial struggles of the city have historically been magnified within this community. In an effort to combat this image the team has taken measures to enact change in its citizenship ." (White 2007) How are they doing this by hosting NASCAR days, another "white" sport and making a "true member" of Red Sox Nation purchase specific merchandise and travel arrangements that most minorities just cant afford? They are just making things even less racially diverse.

Honestly I am having a little trouble trying to figure out how to respond to this question. I mean I have learned over time that politics play a major role in every aspect of daily life for most people. That's why it was never a shock to me to hear about politics in sports. If anyone were to just look at how important sports are to our society, then there shouldn't be any surprise. Sports is one of the most widely represented forms of business in the United States as well as the world. Sports is used to bring many different people from various backgrounds together, as well as bring in huge profits. Even when I first was introduced to sports in elementary school I noticed how certain players were shown favoritism over others just because of certain circumstances outside of sports. It only got worse as I went through junior high and high school. But it really started to click for me when I got to college and was introduced to the "Towson Experience." I talked to and was friends with several players for various Towson teams, and all of them have said the same thing about politics being displayed. Some were upset because of playing time. They felt that they displayed better skills than some of the starters, and for some they had valid arguments. The only problem their concerns went on "deaf" ears. Others were looked over for scholarship offers even though they performed better than others, just because they were seniors or had a bond with the coaches. I used to let that bother me but then I realized that nothing would probably ever change.
I think due to the way society is, politics will always be involved in every aspect. So I really can't understand why people are getting so surprised about what's going on with the Olympics. The Olympics deals with many different countries as well as the United States, so obviously there may be some friction from time to time. I think it's just something that we will just have to deal with. That's just my opinion.

In response to Jackie:
Isn't it sad that sports are no longer based on how much talent one person has? I see it especially in the younger leagues, which is even worse, I think, then having it happen at a more competitive level. A child is like a sponge, soaking up everything he or she sees or hears. When children are shown a negative correlation between talent and playing time, they learn the exact opposite from what they should be learning.

Throughout our history, distinguishing boundaries between sports and politics has been a difficult task. Even today, finding one without the other is a rare occasion. In contemporary American culture, sports often surround the idea of nationalism. We play on national teams, we wear American flags on our uniforms, and we sing our national anthem before competitions. Politically speaking, sports can represent a society, including its ideals, values and beliefs as a whole. Because the obsession with sports is such an American phenomenon, politicians see it as beneficial to associate themselves with sports or athletics.

Personally, I have found that politics has had quite an impact on my sporting experience. One example that stays clear in my mind is Title IX. This law was put in place to allow equal opportunity in sports as it pertains to gender. This political movement has allowed women more chances in not only sports, but other common activities such as band, cheerleading and clubs.

This is where the lines between gender, age, race, sexuality, and politics blur.

As discussed in previous posts, all these have had an effect on my sporting experience. I think the most prominent has been my environment; where I grew up, the people I surrounded myself with, etc. This brings up a similar point. In the abstract of Playing their Part: Red Sox Nation 2007 and the Public Performance of Whiteness� (King-White, 07), the idea of a culture being shaped by sports, is discussed. The suggestion that an entire way of life can be created by loyalty to a sports team can be tied back to what I was talking about earlier. The people who grew up in Boston were pre-determined Red Sox fans. This is similar to my situation with lacrosse. It was almost positive that I would start playing lacrosse at a young age, and continue throughout middle school, high school and then college.

I agree with ladytigerswim616
"Your ethnicity, race, and ultimately your class determine what we, as individuals, come to label as our place ". Without a doubt those are the major influences of what you are privileged to experience. Some or more fortunate than others, whereas others are just purely talented enough to get to that "elite" level.

I agree with Jackie812 in that politics have a major influence on sports, especially when it comes to fundraisers, people you know, and playing time. I also agree that what gender and race you are has an impact on what sports you are more likely to take part in. I also agree that you social status has a major impact on sports you follow and play because of how expensive equipment and field or ice time is for different sports.

I feel that sport is influenced by politics and society. There have been many teams that I have played on where the best players didn t play because of the politics�. I know that when I was 13, there was a kid who made the summer league baseball all-star team when he didn t even deserve to try-out for the team. The kid only made the team because his father was the commissioner of the youth baseball league, and the coach of the all-star team didn t want to make him mad. This situation went as far as, that the commissioner s son was the starting pitcher our championship game at the end of he season tournament, again because the coach did not want to upset the kid s dad because he was the commissioner. I know that all sports at almost every level have fundraisers in order to raise money to help pay for some of the expenses of that particular sport. However in college (baseball) during the fall before cuts were even made all of the players trying out for the team had to sell twenty, $25 raffle tickets, and if a player didn t sell all of his tickets in the allotted time period then he had to pay for them out of his own pocket. I thought this was insane because 25 people who had to sell the raffle tickets were not even going to make the final roster for the team.
Growing up I would have to say that my favorite sport was baseball, and I feel that this decision had to mainly due with my middle class status, and my gender. When I was younger my peers were my biggest influence on what sports I was going to play that season, and when I was younger most of my friends were males who played baseball so I guess that they kind of got me into the sport. Maybe if I had more female friends than male then I would have played a different sport. I feel that my middle class status was the main thing that allowed me to play baseball for the last 16 years. When I was younger baseball equipment was not too expensive, because no one cared what brand your glove was or how new your bat was. As I got older I started to see how politics and society influence people on what brands of equipment that they should purchase. In high school you could always tell who the rich kids were because they had a new top of the line glove and bat every year, which in today s market is about $250 dollars for the glove and over $300 for the bat. Being from a middle class background I only got a new glove if my old one was so bad that my dad could not fix it, and in all four years of high school I only got a new bat one year and that was because it was last years model and it was on the clearance rack. Don t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with getting cheaper equipment, but most of my friends got a new high-dollar bat every year so I just used theirs. My high school baseball team was all white and there were no other player of different races or ethnicities, and this was mainly due to the fact that I was raised in a middle-upper class small rural farming community. My town is kind of segregated like the Boston Red Sox fans who attend the game, most of these fans are white, educated males that live in Massachusetts� (King-White, 2007). My town was like this in that the minority groups mainly lived in one neighborhood and the middle class white people live in other parts of town.

Ah yes, Sports and politics. Two totally different animals, but seems as if they re the same species. They re intertwined in a big mix of opinion, religion, superstition, pride and moral divide.
It is very interesting how the timing of the Olympic protests correlates with the 2008 Presidential election. By stating that, it is hard not to see that two historically driven machines (sports and politics) not get mixed together in a huge blend of controversy and political divide. I guess I would view sport as an attribute� of politics. No, I do not and will not view sport as an equal to politics, but only another façade that can be a major player in the political game. Reason being I state this is because sport is not the driving force of our country. Nor will it ever be the driving force of this country. Sport is definitely a huge part of our culture and heritage, but in no way I believe that sports will influence politics enough to change the well being of out country as a whole. Will sports solve our economic crisis? No. Will it end the terrorists around the globe and the war in Iraq? No. Will it fix our social security system? Doubt it? But Sports definitely serve as an awesome distraction from those major national woes that plague us and will plague many generations of our family to come.
Sports has been a great hobby all my life and I have witnessed it definitely take a front seat in some political stages. From our national anthems during the opening of the Olympics, professional sporting matches, or professional athletes taking on a political role in some way, sports getting dirty with politics will always reach out to many followers as it did I. I can only wonder how these calls and requests to boycott the 2008 Summer Olympics will unfold. Such good timing don t you think? I guess the question I ask myself is, if the 2008 Summer Olympics in China were not taking place, and it was a year prior to the games, would this China-Tibet political issue be as center stage as it is now? Could it be that the summer Olympics are a catalyst for this debacle to be appearing on the cover page of the newspaper and as well as the front page of the sporting section? I believe so. But I won t believe that the summer Olympics will be the primary reason should China make a decision of withdrawing pressure from Tibet. Only true Political power can really make that happen. But the Olympics can definitely be the main stage they can start the process of doing so. I don t think that George Bush skipping the Olympics or being there will make a huge impact on the outcome of the China-Tibet crisis. He is at the end of his rope and whichever path he chooses will be a headliner for about a week or so, then just die out. The real individuals that probably will have more of an impact on the issue will be the presidential hopefuls, since one of them will be in the driver s seat of our country. But perhaps good ole Bush can pull something off and make everyone happy. Doubt it, but there s always hoping. But all in all, I just hope that sports can bring a big enough influence to just put this to rest and let the world enjoy the games.

In response to msookdeo,

Really good points you make about Towson about how they are really good at advertising. I agree that they are doing a good job in increasing the diversity of the campus. And that the teachers are more diverse from there various backgrounds.

Looking at the different spatial experiences I encounter on a daily basis the Towson experience� is what affects me greatest. The Towson experience� is a manufactured experience that is sold to students through the use of various advertising campaigns. The fact that I am a Towson student, the experience� is something decided to buy. When I was first looking at schools, I was sold on going to Maryland just for the name, but chose Towson and the surrounding area for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons for my decision was that Towson offers small class sizes which leads to one on one contact with professors. I thought that actually being treated like a person that has a face with a name was important. Rather than just being an ID number like at many larger universities. Additionally at, Towson the classes are actually taught by the professors, while at large universities there are discussion groups that consists of student assistant s teaching. The number one reason that I wanted to go to College Park was for the sporting atmosphere, but I realized that was a dumb reason to choose a school. Therefore, I choose Towson because it has competitive sports and professional teams which are important to me in such a small radius. With all the surrounding sports and sporting communities it is great opportunity for a possible internship in my major (exercise science). Lastly, I think the best thing that Towson experience� offered to me is just that the surrounding community is better (less crime) compared to College Park. Anyone from Maryland knows that Prince Georges County does not have the best track record for crime. Lets be honest the Towson experience� is nothing different than any other college attempts to do in order to increase enrollment. They attempt to cater to the widest range of people in order to make more and more money. Just look at our campus, which includes Starbucks and Chick-fil-A.
The spatial experiences an individual experiences are mostly affected by their social class. When looking at colleges, coming from a middle-high social class background there were schools that were viable options and some that weren t. Towson is a middle class school; it is not the cheapest but also not the most expensive. Spatial experiences change depending on class background based on which schools we go to. Class background affects where people choose to live which changes an individual s spatial experiences. Growing up in a small suburb of Frederick that was a middle- high class area it greatly impacted the sports I played and what was offered. In the town, there were many high class sporting venues (golf course, ice rink) and middle class (football, baseball, and so on) but not any lower class sports except for the school wrestling team. But once you go into the worse� more downtown parts of Frederick the everyday sporting experience changes. The boxing gyms were located here, while the hockey and golf venues were in a lower populated, higher class area. In my hometown, social class didn t stop with the separation of sport but also with ethnicity. As Frederick grew, it lead to more diversity in my hometown. The separation of ethnicities was very noticeable in the town. The more ethnic development consisted of old run down homes. This area where most the African Americans and Hispanics lived was often referred to as the ghetto� part of town. The ghetto� thought became prevalent because the development included government subsidized homes. Our towns sporting venues were located in the more prosperous part of town. While in the ghetto� there was a basketball courts that didn t even have nets on the rims. I know a lot of my friends would purposely go into the development just because there normal spatial experience was so different. A lot of my friends would agree that what the feel when they go into this area is comparable to someone who couldn't have been more of an outsider if I had arrived sporting Winnie the Pooh pajamas� (Duerson, 4th paragraph, 2004) at the Grove of Ole Miss. Realize that a persons spatial experiences depend on a variety of factors including education and race.

I have to agree with karagoodwin25 about the Towson Experience. It will be different for everyone and depending on how much money your family has you might not be able to live on campus or near campus. Myself being a commuter I am not involved in anything outside of the classroom.

I definitely believe that sports are influenced by politics. It is easy to see through the examples we discussed in class, but it is also evident in my own experiences. I have learned that playing time on a team is not always based on how well you play the game. There have been many times where I have seen playing time influenced by how much time you put in off the field. My brother s golf team is a perfect example. The team is constantly doing costly fundraisers and asking the players and their parents for money to put toward the team. After four years of being on the team, my brother is learning that the more money he raises, and the more charity golf outings he attends, the more playing time he gets. It seems as though money acts as power on the team. This is also true of parent input on the team. There is one father who puts many hours of his own time into organizing fundraisers and special trips for the team. As anticipated, his son is picked to play in every match of the season. I see this form of attaining power off the field a form of politics. It is not always about how well you play the game, but how much money you can raise to attain a higher position.
There are specific aspects of who I am that have influenced my experience with my favorite sport- field hockey. First, and foremost, my gender is what led me to play this sport. In the fall, the sport options for girls in middle school were soccer or field hockey. I did not really enjoy soccer, so I picked up field hockey because it was my only other option. If I were a boy, I never would have had the option to play because it was against the rules of the game. In addition, my middle class status has allowed me to participate in this sport. Field hockey equipment is expensive. A good quality field hockey stick starts at about seventy-five dollars. Because I came from a middle-class family, I was able to afford the equipment and other costs of the game. Living in a suburb as opposed to a city also made this sport available to me. Many urban and lower class schools do not offer field hockey. Likewise, field hockey is a sport predominantly played by Whites. My ethnicity has allowed me to fit right in with the other players of the game. Taking a closer look at Boston Red Sox fans, the majority are white, educated males that live in Massachusetts (King-White, 2007). There is a certain type of person that makes up the Red Sox Nation, and it is not easy to find people that deviate (King-White, 2007). I found that this is exactly how my field hockey experience was. The majority of the girls were white from middle class families.
Outside of the sports world, I have had a great deal of experience with a community that is comprised of people with the same identity markers. I work for an off campus student housing complex that is managed by American Campus Communities. The first line of our mission statement states that we strive to be the premier provider of student housing products and services in the nation.� We provide students with luxurious fully furnished apartments, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour computer lab, tanning beds, game room, heated pool, and campus shuttle. These services provide a unique living experience unlike any other in the Towson area. Part of our mission statement is to offer an experience, not an apartment. Where you live has an important role in shaping your college experience, and we provide services to enhance it. The 615 residents that live there are developing a college experience together. With this experience comes a high cost of living. As a result, our residents are typically white, middle to upper class college students. It is rare to see residents on the property that differ from this description. Even though the residents do not consciously think of it, they are surrounded by very similar people that are having very similar experiences.
Overall, it is easy to see how our individual identity markers shape our lives through the activities we participate in, sports we play, and teams we root for.

I agree with ewilson about Towson creating an environment that influences students. You wnat to be apart of something when you first enter college because you don't know anybody and you feel alone. Then you come into your own when you have been here for awhile and it becomes more about getting your degree.

My entire life I have been raised in a middle class, predominantly white area. The recreation league my siblings and friends played sports for was also mainly middle to middle-upper class, and mainly white. There were a few kids of other ethnic backgrounds, but rarely of African-American descent. We were the age of the mini van moms and the working coaches. Many of us attended the same schools in the area, and a few attended private schools near by. Although there were a few exceptions to the norm crowd of people that I grew up around, generally, those that weren t regularly around or were new to the area or league were easily spotted. Adam Duerson described this exact situation when he stated if an outsider would have come into one of our places it would have been noticeable�. For the most part, the people in the area are pretty accepting and open to others. There were a few kids that would quietly show their discontent, and at the young age, you could easily blame the parents for the behavior.
Growing up I always had to pitch in around the house, and have worked in some way since I was about 14. I didn t get a brand new car like a few people I knew when I got my license. I didn t get to use my parents credit cards. However, I m appreciative. I feel that I m more grateful for what I have than my friends that were just given everything. I have work ethic and responsibilities, and I feel that that s going to help me in the long run. I am lucky to have grown up comfortably and without many restraints. My family has always gone on family vacations, had wonderful holidays together, and participated in sports and activities. Our country seems to have forgotten about the working people sometimes. How do some people do nothing, inherit millions of dollars, and it just burns holes in their pockets? So many people put in hard labor and many hours to just make it through. It s a shame but that s what it s coming to these days.
Towson advertises all over the area about the diversity and experience of attending school here. There is a wide variety of ethnicities and personalities among students, athletes and staff. TU Cares advertises the help and assistance whenever needed on campus. I must say through personal experience, I don t agree with all the claims made in that category. Although there is not much help at times, the Towson experience is a pretty realistic claim. Of course, its all made in the attempt to make money by getting you to enroll, or pay to attend events.
The inclusion of politics in sports certainly has its ups and downs, but is there regardless. Whether or not you like it, it will always have an effect on the events, advertising, and results of the games you attend or watch.

I agree with jgreffen8503 in that is difficult to get involved in campus activities if you are a commuter and are employed. I am not a commuter, I lived on campus for two years and now live less than ten miles away in Cockeysville, but I work full-time in Pikesville. I find it very difficult to participate in any campus activities while still maintaining high grades and working full-time. I joined the club lacrosse team my freshman year, and attempted to play during my sophomore year, but I eventually had to quit the team because I had absolutely no spare time attend practice and games. Now that I am a senior, I feel like I have really missed out on the Towson experience; I have yet to attend even one Tigerfest. I remind myself that in place of the Towson experience I have gained a lot of pertinent work experience and acquired the most knowledge possible from my classes.

Class, age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, and politics affects our everyday lives all the time whether we know ir or not. Our experiences have been shaped by these identity markers. Things like work, school, the areas where we live, activites we participate in, and sporting experiences all integrate how we love. Universities are making a huge effort in promoting diversity in its students and cultural experiences, Towson University is no exception. Towson University is trying tomake its students as diverse as its majors. In my opinion, it is doing a good job. Towson has appealed to many different students based upon on their ethnicity, nationality, and sexuality. They have several clubs to be involved in as well as starting up your own if you do not find one you want to join. Freshmen entering Towson are encouraged to find a club to join or get involved in to make the college experience all the more fullfilling. As you click on the website and go into Discover Towson, it brings up several international students featuring a student from Kenya. It focuses on how Towson is having faculty and staff looking beyond the needs of students to make TU a better learning experience.
I was involved in a leadership committee that met once every month with the President and Vice President of student affairs and all the different leaders from every organization we offer here at Towson. The goal was to make campus life a better one for existing students as well as incoming freshmen. We organized activities, entertainment, rallies, involvement fairs for new as well as existing students. We were the voices of Towson that created activities that promoted Towson life to make it more appealing to be here and to get other students to want to apply here. It was a debate every month about what activities were deamed appropriate for students and what would make Towson more appealing than other colleges. We were always looking at how Towson University could be the best it could be. It is such a large campus and growing even more being the second largest in the state of Maryland at this time. We want all students to be comfortable here no matter what nationality, ethnicity, age, class, gender, or sexuality you are. Organizations and clubs that are offered include academic and professional, cultural, Greek, honor and recognition, media and publications, recreations and sports, religious, service, and special interest. All to make every student a part of something while going to school. This creates a special bond between students of the same interest as well as others that you may encounter in Towson activities. But the biggest outcome and goal of any company or organization is to make money. Building new structures and remodeling old buildings promotes a brand new environment making it appealing to students and faculty everywhere. All in all this is the largest way to make money by getting as many culturally diverse students to come to Towson University.

I would have to disagree with derelyct21 when they say that standing in line to vote republican is a waste of time in Maryland. I think that it is important to for everyone to vote. What if every republican thought that way, then there would never be a republican in office. However, I can understand reasons why he would not want to stand in line to cast a republican vote in a democratic state.

The mixing of politics and sport goes way back, all the way back to the 1936 Olympic Games. That year the games were held in Germany where Hitler had recently come to power. Hitler flooded the games with Nazi propaganda, mixing politics and sports. Since then there has been much mixing of politics and sport whether people openly admit it or not, it s there.
My sporting experience has been shaped by my gender, race and class especially my love for the Boston Red Sox. In my family loving the Red Sox is a generational thing. My love for the Red Sox was pasted on to me threw my father; his love for the Red Sox was passed onto him from his father. When I became a Red Sox fan I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Ryan King-White s article states Among the 2002 findings: 61 percent of the fans surveyed were male, 95 percent were white, 64 percent came from Massachusetts, and a whopping 78 percent of those identified as heads of households were college graduates (Shaughnessy 2006, 8)� (pg. 1). When I read this I thought wow� this is because my dad and grandpa fit into 3 out of the 4 categories mentioned. They are not from Massachusetts but otherwise they meet the requirements. I m sure when my grandpa began to follow the Red Sox it was because it was the closest team to where he lived. However, it is interesting that he still fits into the categories. So in essence my race and class, which was passed onto me threw my dad, helped shaped the sports team that I have come to love. My gender doesn t directly fit the standards but my dads does and since my love for them was passed to me threw him I was would say that it indirectly affects me.
Towson tries to lure new students with the slogan the Towson experience�. However, everyone s experience at Towson is different. Towson administration tries to make places of advertisement i.e. brochures and the Towson website, ethnically and racially diverse so that minorities feel that they will not be in the minority at Towson. Being a white female I am in the majority at Towson, since the campus is comprised of 60% females and 40% males. Although there are many difference races and ethnicities at Towson based on my 3 year experience here, when I look around my classrooms I often see other races but primarily I am in class with other students who are also white. Whether you can afford to get an apartment close to campus or you have to live at home or further away from campus effects your experience at Towson and is also an indicator of social class. Lower and some middle class students can not afford to rent an apartment close to campus forcing them to commute. Being a commuter student you are less likely to be involved in campus organizations or attend events sponsored by Towson. I was fortunate to be able to get an apartment close to campus thus being able to be an active member in Greek life at Towson, which has definitely enhanced my Towson experience.

This is not the first time in history the United States has considered boycotting the Olympic Games. It was also suggested during the 1936 Olympic Games after Adolf Hitler banned Jewish people from joining the German team. The President of the American Olympic Committee at the time was Avery Brundage, a former Olympic athlete who competed in the 1912 games. Brundage, a covert bigot against Jews himself, was ironically, the person chosen to travel to Nazi Germany to check out the conditions for Jews there. Brundage returned to the states and declared the conditions in Germany for Jews satisfactory and the suggestion to boycott was dismissed. Today, we are not so ignorant or naïve for we are aware of the situation between China and the way they take advantage of the country of Tibet. In an effort to keep peace with China so as not to disrupt the flow of our own economy, George Bush has made one of the most idiotic and blatantly false statements. This time, the excuse the United States is using for deciding not to boycott the Olympic Games is, according to Bush, that sports and politics should not mix. Apparently, Bush needs a refresher course in American history because there have been several occasions where sport and politics have blended. Take the 1960 s and 1970 s and the relationship between the United States and the USSR. Instead of bombing one another, each country sent athletes to compete in the Olympic Games and the countries brawled via sport rather than bloodshed.
From the initiation of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, Olympic power has equaled national prowess. If a nations Olympic team is a strong competitor during The Games, then the nation the team is representing is also considered to be strong and powerful. The Olympics are an international event where politics will inevitably always have a powerful presence. Even sports on a lesser scale than the Olympics involve politics. For example, the accusations of Roger Clemens and the involvement of the Supreme Court with his interrogation. Or, the passing of Title nine in 1972 that declared no person based on sex will be discriminated against in interscholastic sports including scholarships, equipment and uniforms, and the number of sport options available to each sex.
The place Boston has evolved into is hypocritical in many ways. First, Boston was the first to desegregate in basketball, and one of the first to legalize interracial marriages. Also, the Red Sox team attempts to draw a more diverse crowd by instituting minority specific days,� yet the team was bought with money acquired from the success of a rice plantation and an overwhelming majority of Red Sox fans and the city of Boston s population is white (King-White 2008). Also, the Red Sox recently joined forces with NASCAR, another equally, if not more, predominantly white participated sport. The Red Sox are seemingly trying to make an effort to diversify their fan base, but in reality, this diversification does not seem to be a huge priority because they are making business decisions that directly contrast any of their announced efforts to appeal to minorities. Boston was once a place considered to be very forward-thinking with issues concerned with race. Today, the city attempts to foster such a reputation while simultaneously, the city and the Red Sox organization are actually growing more and more segregated.

In response to jgreffen8503 's writing, I can really relate with what you were saying because I also have to work a lot to be able to afford college. It's cool that you are a part of a tight community, because that will help you for your future. Well, overall-great writing, I liked how I could relate to a lot of the things you talked about.

I must admit that I do not follow politics even though it may affect my life. The reason for this is because I do not see what the point is of worrying about something if you cannot have an effect on it. For example, I am a Conservative, and do consider myself proud to be an American, but for me, standing in line to vote Republican in Maryland is simply a waste of time. I feel like President Bush has done a good job, even though people enjoy bad mouthing him everyday. I think it is funny how so many people say he is an idiot, but at the same time people think that he is so shrewd because he knew that the September 11th attacks were coming. Hypocrites?
This time of year I definitely have an interesting sport experience because it primarily consists of watching the major league baseball game center on the internet. I spend so much time following this because fantasy baseball is my biggest hobby, and I am always figuring out how to make my team better or get live stats. I also go to the gym during the week and play pick up basketball because they are both enjoyable, and keep me in good shape. Since I am majoring in Physical Education, I try to take time to understand and play many different sports considering that in a few years I will have to teach those same sports to my students. I actually watched professional soccer for forty-five minutes straight which I considered a major accomplishment, considering I had never given it more than five minutes before I changed the channel. I feel that as I have gotten older, my sport experience has gone from consumer to producer, because before I would pay money for tickets to go to an Orioles game where I would spend more money, but now even though teachers and fantasy baseball winners do not make a lot of money, the presence and popularity of sport in our society will mostly be a large part of why I will do what I do. This quote from the Bernstein article explains about the ideas major league baseball owners have to make more money, like they really need it: "After careful calculation, the new owners have decided that they can make Fenway Park profitable if. If they add 3600 more seats. If they expand concessions even more-so than they ve already done by co-opting Yawkey Way and other sources of revenue. And if the neighborhood around them becomes a more popular destination and thus a more profitable place to be" (1).
I will say that I do not agree that being a white male in this society gives you that much privilege over someone else if you are of the middle or working class. I really do feel that colleges and universities are pushing for diversity, but I have no problem with it. The first two years here I must say that I did live the great "Towson Experience." The last two years here have been decent, but not great, because I go home every weekend to New Jersey to work, therefore I do not have the opportunity to go out on weekends in Maryland.

I agree with Mike VonLange....I would like to think that it is up to you to make your situation better, but in reality, society can definitely break you.. There is no guarantee that anything is "made" for you, and even getting a degree does't guarantee anything but eligibility to work.

in refference to jgreffen8503 he makes good points about the activites, commuters and the limited on campus housing that towson offers

I like to think that my life is not affected by politics. In reality I know this is not true. Politics affects everything from our race, ethnicity and even social class. Because of the political system each person is born with a label. Being an Asian American and growing up in a middle class family I guess you could say I am restricted to certain things. I live in a middle class area, I play middle class sports and my middle class family sent me to a middle class college. You could call coming from a middle class family my natural "space". My family expects me uphold certain responsibilities because of our social standing. Because of my race, ethnicity, gender and social class I am bound to stick with middle class sports such as soccer, rock climbing, jogging, boxing and weight lifting. Boxing is considered a "working class" sport but I only box to keep my body in shape. I do not use my body as an "instrument" for profit. And mainly those are the only sports that are available to me and they are the only ones that I can afford to buy equipment for. According to the article by Adam Duerson if "an outsider would have come into one of our places it would have been noticeable". I was thinking about that for a little bit and I believe he is correct for example the gym that I go to for a normal non student member it cost $110 mostly every single member acts, dresses and talks a certain way, if an "outsider" were to come in with a free guest pass say someone from a working class background in a heartbeat you would be able to tell who that person is because they dress differently, talked differently even their behavior would stand out than the rest. What amazed me the most is if you are in the parking lot of my gym you can tell who is a member, student member and an "outsider" because of the cars that are there.
Towson University wants to reach out to as many students as possible from any social class, any ethnicity, and any race to make Towson a diverse and competitive University. Listening to the radio driving to class I always hear Towson University advertisements to come apply and take tours of the campus. Even when I am at local Towson area restaurants there are Towson Tiger flags hanging inside and outside of the restaurant to show support to the school sports programs. Towson utilizes the media, community and even students to attract prospective and diverse students. Towson uses brochures, commercials, festivals, website and the school size to make sure every person has a successful experience with the Towson experience. Walking around campus I think Towson has done a good job with making the school diverse from the students to the teachers, each teacher is from a different background, they have different experiences and either are or have been professionals in their field that they are teaching. Towson can accommodate any students' interests from their wide verity's activities and programs that the school offers. Each student has an opportunity to interact with other students of different race, ethnicity, gender, class and age through various events, dining halls and clubs that Towson offers.

I have always thought in life that people have different images of themselves and others around them. I think in Ryan White s article how he refers to the Red Sox nation as towards there organization and fans want their image to be, and the ways that cultural citizenship in Red Sox Nation is actually practiced� (White 2007) can actually be referred to how we live our everyday lives. I think one of the things that this strongly can be referred to is our social class. Everyone has the dream when they are going through high school and even college that some day they will be making six figures a year. Heck, a lot of kids that even finish college expect employers to be knocking down the door. The things that follow this our the lives that we all want of being able to be upper class and live where ever and drive whatever you want. However, the harsh reality of the whole things is that not all of us are going to have that happen to them. I have slowly began to learn that just because you have a college degree does not mean you are going to make a lot of money, in reality the only thing that degree does is get you in the door and the rest is left up to you. The reason that I say this is because I come from a working class family and most of my friends are from a working class family and as much as we would all have loved to have been able to say at once that we are upper middle class or even upper class the harsh reality of it is that we were all middle class or even lower for some. The problem was some of those people would not face the facts and that is where problems always come into hand. People that think they are upper class and are not and end up spending a lot of money usually end up in a very bad financial position and that ends up costing them in the future. When I look back on how I grew up we were always very fortunate to have certain things and we never took them for granted. Now just like every other kid in the world I wanted everything and begged for it at one time also, but the older I got the more I realized that we are what we are. Since my family was a working class we were limited to what we could and while other kids were getting brand new things as they got older and in particular cars that were being bought for them as they got their licenses I shared a car with my mom and had to work all through high school and save up to buy my own car. It was a great learning experience even when at times I would become jealous of other kids getting these nice new cars that their parents were buying them and also not having them have to worry about making payments. Unfortunately that is reality, but that is the way it is. I think overall working class families have been forgotten about by the United States. I think America has forgotten about the little guy and that is becoming a major problem. The guys I work with always joke that the harder you work the less you make and that is how we feel as construction workers. We always build for these people that make all of this money and spend most of there day at home just relaxing. Now I m not saying everyone does that, but to me it just blows my mind that we work 6 sometimes 7 days a week and will never even see a fraction of the amount of money they have. However, that is society and unfortunately that is how it is built up. We settle for this because we love what we do and that is why people like us usually do not mind how much we make. Society is what makes and breaks us because if the housing market is bad, which it is right now then we slow down and that is a very good possibility. The other things is that just because you have a college degree does not guarantee you a job because once your out there society controls you and you might want to become upper class, but at some point you have to face the fact that you might be working class.

I d like you to think about how your sporting, or an everyday spatial experience has been e/affected by your class/age/gender/sexuality/ethnicity/nationality in conjunction with the way that it has been mediated to you. For instance you could speak about how Towson promotes the Towson experience� online, or in their brochures, and if this is reflected in your everyday life. You could do the same with almost any space that you encounter on a daily, or sporting experience.

Instead of analyzing politics and the political arena, I would rather look at the creation of social environments and experiences. For example, I am a transfer here at Towson, having previously spent two years in Texas at TCU. When I first started at TCU a few years ago, I completely bought into the experience of being a Horned Frog (don t ask .talk about weird mascots!!) I was an athletic trainer for the football team, who were Division I Mountain West Conference Champions and a big deal within the school and community the team was a part of a seriously manufactured experience!! The walls in the meeting rooms where the team watched film were papered with the school logo .everything was purple and white as trainers, we were decked out in purple and white .there was a frog statue in the center of campus that everyone touched (similar to what we saw in class) team members were revered by the community, and were often the center of interviews after practice and autograph signing sessions...the surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth community wholeheartedly supported the Frogs, whether they had a child there or not. This being my first college experience, I was not conscious of the fact that the university made an effort to present TCU in this way it just was TCU. I went to TCU for the athletic training program, and didn t really fit into the prescribed mold of what a TCU girl� looks like. Girls wore dresses, heels and pearls to class, and guys dressed up as well. Greek life was an inseparable part of the college community, everyone was open and friendly and TCU just exuded class and upper-class society, similar to the article about what was simply socially expected (minus the overt racism!) at Ole Miss (Duerson). I went to the school being from a small town in the country of Maryland, which was surrounded by farmers and farming, and wasn t really what you would call preppy.� However, by the end of my time at TCU, I noticed that I had started dressing better for class, and would make an effort to fit into the mold of the supposed TCU student that TCU manufactured.
By the time I made it to Towson, I was really conscious of the fact that the whole college experience is purposefully manufactured to create allegiances and a sense of community within the college. Since I am not new to the college experience anymore, for me, Towson became less about the atmosphere, and more about getting a degree, and thus, I was able to notice more about the atmosphere by being an outsider looking in. Everything is