Many People Face Hardships...

Reports help guide people by giving them information on a specific topic. Reports highlight event, research on people, places and even things. Such as the Homeless on Campus report states the affects of being poor staying in the major city of New York. It was a sad reading hearing about physical abuse the father showed around the house. Sleeping on benches living in EAU (Emergency Assistance Unit) homes is not sustainable to live in especially for those also seeking an education. Many people are poor and homeless more than many or you could imagine. Some try to make themselves better by getting an education and there are some who seem to just deal with the issue. I couldn't even imagine how it feels being on trains eight hours a day, having friends watch my kids and on top of that going to college. It is tough someday raising myself without my parents. But as I have been in college I have come to realize that mom and dad have little say on the things you do while on your own. It is your job to wake yourself up go to classes and complete all assignments. Reading and hearing about traumatic life changing events make me blessed to have the things I have. Watching people hold signs on the side of the road is not the life one shall live, but are forced to because of many different reasons. As I prepare to write my report on homeless and the economy of Detroit I will try to get into the lives and imagine what they go through each and every day.

Detroit not doing so WELL!!!

With tens of thousands of workers in Michigan losing jobs in manufacturing since 2000, many displaced workers either have not found work or have gotten jobs with a substantial decline in pay. With job cuts left and right, job stability in the motor city seems impossible. With the closings of eight plants in 2007, more than half of employees lost their jobs. In 1960, the Flint, Michigan, manufacturing center reported that one in ten Flint residents lived in poverty, but more recent reports show figures now one in four. The median household income adjusted due to inflation has declined by a shocking ten percent since 2000. In October 2009, the city’s homelessness prevention assistance program received applications from 50,000 - 60,000 residents for the available 3,400 packages of up to $3,000 to cover utility bills and fees associated with keeping their homes or to move into a new one.
With records showing that people can’t survive or provide a living for themselves and families, residents from the area have packed their families up and abandoned their homes to seek a better opportunity. Recent reports taken by Forbes magazine ranked Detroit second behind Las Vegas, with the most abandoned homes and businesses with around sixty to eighty thousand deserted. The home prices have fallen drastically, but there is just another issue with people buying the homes. Residential property tax rates in Detroit are the seventh highest in the country. In the country Detroit’s taxes are 76% higher than any other city equal to its population.
Nevertheless, with the economic crisis in the city many more concerns face Detroit such as the school systems city wide. Detroit’s school system is facing a financial crisis. The school systems are operating with a $400 million dollar deficit in the $1.1 billion annual budget. The system received a D+ from the National Council on Teacher Quality in the group's 2008 annual report. About 68% of the students that attend Detroit Public Schools graduate with a high school diploma.

TN Tech Host Championships!!

While many students of Tennessee Tech went home for the weekend of Dec. 3, 4, 5 some exciting action took place. They missed the action of high school football that took place right on campus on the Overall Field home to the Golden Eagles football team. Many of the states qualify high school teams played of the title of being State Champs. Many fans from the team brought out the grills, firing away the hotdogs and hamburgers as they prepared to watch their teams face off. It was a great turnout and much support for all the teams that played. The stands were packed with spirited fans wearing their team’s colors.
I went out to watch the games and just the atmosphere was one that everyone who played football dreamed about. Many players were excited to play on a college football field under the lights and most fun playing on television. Looking at most of the player’s eyes you just saw amazement playing in front of, in most cases more people than ever. While the games were played many of them went right down to the wire which made the celebration of the winning team just that more exciting. There were no cupcake games as I must say the teams were very much so evenly matched.
Being from Georgia it was different watching Tennessee football. The size of the players was the biggest surprise. The linemen were smaller than what I was accustomed to seeing and playing against when I was in high school, but overall a great weekend.

The Newfound Golden Eagles

Tennessee Technological University finishes the 2009 football season off on a good note.
The Golden Eagles established themselves as a team to be wrecking with in the 2010 season. After the 2008 season the Golden Eagle football team went into the offseason with a full head of steam after finishing 3-9 and another losing season something that haunted the school since the 2004 season. The mindset just had to be adjusted and players had to regain confidence in not only themselves but for their fellow teammates that had to go to battle alongside them. The Eagles put in countless hours. Blood, sweat, and tears redefined the team having the mindset they would accomplish many of the goals they put before them, an Ohio-Valley-Conference championship, the Sergeant York Trophy and a winning season. Fall camp began and preparation started, everyone knew the expectations. The hard work they put out in during the offseason made the feel in the locker room so much better from the enthusiasm and attitude amongst the players.
It was a good offseason with improvement in key spot that the Golden Eagles were able to have success this year. With Tech being a young team many sophomore and freshmen stepped up and played big. With young players coming back from the previous year it was no question that anything less than 3 wins was a complete failure. The determination of the senior to start a new tradition for Tech football enabled every younger player to feel as they were worth something big to this team. From the freshmen not being treated like freshman and the
sophomore being treated like seniors, everyone felt they had a key role to the success of the team. Sprits were high as the last whistle went off as they are ready to suit up for the next year and go at it again with much more enthusiasm and attitude.
The end of the season turned out to be a success with Tech accomplished many of the goals they set forth before the season. Winning the Sergeant York trophy giving to the team has the winnings record of the OVC teams in Tennessee, having an undefeated home record, and having a winning season. The first since 2004.

Your Opinion Matters!!!

Evaluations and opinions are key to letting the ones interested in an adventure know what to look out for or expect. Evaluations help and also damage ones reputation. For instance a movie might get a great review. That review more than likely will draw more of the audience and people to come view for themselves. No one wants to go anywhere where others seem to dislike it is almost looked at as a waste of time. A bad review does nothing but damage the outcome of the future whether it be a restaurant, movie or school. We review and evaluate things everyday whether we know it or not. Details in the evaluation are key also just saying aw i didn't like it is not an evaluation. Great details allow the prospect to visualize and imagine as if the were there. Evaluations keep the ones that deserve the praise on top and the ones that aren't worthy on the bottom pushing the less competitive out of the running.

Johnny Depp: Unlikely Superstar

Growing and giving time and be patient. It's all true it Johnny Depp's career. Johnny someone who came out in the eighties made less money in a decade than he did in His Pirates of the Caribbean. Troughout the reading it makes you go "wow". Where had he been in the years before. From being no one to someone. But with all of the fame the author still talks about how humble he is. This story show that through all the fame the family is still the number one job. It shows to no that he knows the hard work it took to get there but he won't forget what he had to overcome to get there.

Cookie Master

The cookie master. The Cookie master surprised me a bit. I thought early in my readings this was hard to follow and understand. The voice the voice of the author kept me reading on. The way the author presented the story show that Donald Lau was trying to improve the company which he worked hard for. He spent trips in the subway getting ideas and jotting them down on a pad. He couldn't do it alone due to readers block so he felt bring in a new person would give him some ideas. I realized how great Lau was when he brought in someone new to the company. Because no one who has been doing great alone wants someone else to be apart of it, but he allowed another mind to help.