A500.4.3.RB_WhiteTyronn

Are the Ballet Slippers Adorable

     The video of Dr. Sheena Iyengar was very informative on our differences of culture and how that relates to our lives and how we interaction with one another.  Because of my involvement in sports, I have had an opportunity to travel to parts of the world and experience firsthand some of the cultural differences we have with other parts of the world.  I remember while traveling around the world, making different stops to play with different interaction teams, I noticed that there were few to no choices for each culture I experienced.  Financially, there were not poor, middle class, and wealthy.  There were those that had money and those that did not.  In terms of buying goods for one self, there were very little choices to choose from, very little variations in companies that were different but sold the same goods.  For example if I wanted lotion, there would only be one type of lotion.  There was no lotion for sensitive skin, dry skin, and oily skin.  There was just lotion. 

     Being 21-22 years of age and having the opportunity to experience these differences, I noticed right away all of the luxuries that we have in the United States were luxuries that I have taken for granted for a long as I can remember.  Simple choosing shampoo in the store, there are rows and rows and rows of shampoo, all different shapes and colored bottle as well as the actual shampoo itself.  While in other parts of the world, there are only one or a few types of shampoo to choose from.

     This made me realize that the opportunities we have I the United States, the options and choices that are afforded to us have a major impact on our culture.  The culture in the United States is and has always been about choice.  Were as in other countries and cultures, the choices can be dictated or limited.

     I recall going on a cruise with my family and on the first night at dinner, we had options for dessert.  There were only two options but they were options.  One option was a chocolate dessert in which I had never tried but wanted to try it.  I was in an experimental spirit given that I was on a cruise.  I did not like the chocolate dish and changed it for the fruit plate.  The waitress thought that I did not like chocolate as a whole, but I tried to explain to her that I did like chocolate, just not the way my chocolate dish was prepared.  For the rest of my cruise, the waitress asked me every day “why did I not like chocolate.  My family and I got some laughs out of it but it made me realize how profound the smallest things can be a big deal in different cultures were choices may not be as profound. 

     I agree with Dr. Sheena Iyengar in that we all have a responsibility to open ourselves up to an array of opportunities that choices give us.  I mentioned in a previous lesson that good leaders will allow people in their organization to have choices which will foster creativity and success.

Tyronn White

A500.3.4.RB_WhiteTyronn

                                                                                                                         Tyronn White

Hunt Library

     When I was in college as a teenager, before I went back to finish after my basketball career ended, the internet, although in its early phase was information that I did not rely on that much, because at the time, there was so much information being pumped into the web, it was difficult to figure out was information was reliable and what information was not reliable.  With the early stages of the internet, the information we have now is nowhere close to what we have presently on the web.   Books and researching books in the library was still a key factor in research or using for information for a research paper or a project.  If students wanted updated information about a topic, research paper or project, newspaper and magazine articles were the way to go to obtain current information.

    

  Today with the boom of the internet, there is virtually no information one can’t get their hands on if you have any knowledge of how to use the computer.  Students today have virtually no barriers as to the information available to them.  Students may research historic information as well as current events.  Magazines and newspaper article are all on line as well. 

   

  Social media has been booming over these past several years.  Facebook, Twitter to name a few are millennials' source of news and don’t use any other outlets for their new updates and information. As we are in the age of technology and instant access, younger people and older people are busier now days and want everything microwavable for their fast pace lifestyle.

   

  Media outlets are a source of information now and are more powerful than ever.  They use virtually all of the technology based social media sites to home in the narrative and the messages they want to get across to the public.  It gives the general public to have a voice and an opinion on our social issues today.  This is a powerful tool for instant information and gratification for their opportunities to have discussions over social media networks about a disaster or an event in society dealing with political issues sports, tragedies in society. 

   

  Unless our authors can create books more frequently about what is going on in today’s society, and are able to write openly about some of our social issues, political issues and disasters in the world, there is no way that books will be able to compete with the internet in the future.  Things a moving too fast for our author’s to create interesting literature to keep up with the events of today.

   

       In regards to the Hunt Library, I have noticed a shift in technology in recent years.  Libraries are now becoming more technological advance in how the obtain content for their customers.  Because of the online technology, the Hunt Library lends itself to an online data base that allows customers to search for content located at The Hunt Library and also any libraries connected to their online network in the area.  The ability to order and reserve media content and books is a nice feature that has been implement recently the last few years.  If the technology continues to grow and improve, the public library industry can be a major competitor in how we obtain the newest content and information to compete with our fast growing pace of digital media.

    https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8744218869108620073#editor/target=post;postID=9195196422475059004;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postnamehttps://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8744218869108620073#editor/target=post;postID=9195196422475059004;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname

A500.2.3.RB_WhiteTyronn

Tell your Story

(Standards in Life)

     I believe that in order to steer a life in a particular direction, on must incorporate standards and beliefs as a foundation to live by, especially in times of uncertainty.  These standards in life are what you believe in and for the most part are unchanging.  I come from humble beginnings.  I was raised in a single parent home, not much money, struggling to make ends meet.  Although my mother did not graduate high school and could not help me with my daily school assignments, she valued education and understood the opportunity it brings.  So from the beginning, my mother always pushed me to do well with my academics and graduate high school.  I remembered that even in my young teenage years, I knew I wanted to be successful.  I remember that I wanted to live a better life as an adult that my mother did and if I had children, I wanted a better life for them as well.  There was no blueprint for me to follow for success because there was no one around for be to imitate and observe what success looked like.  

     I was a basketball player in high school.  I remember having been invited to play basketball on a travel team and spent the night at a teammates home the night prior to traveling to the game.  My teammate's family was a hard working educated family that lived in a nice home that was well maintained.  I knew from the outside looking in that this family was not materialistic, but valued everything that they had earned.  This was an opportunity for me to see what success looked like first hand.  That night at the dinner table, I told the family that they had a nice home and when I became an adult, I wanted to experience some of the same successes they have enjoyed.  My teammate's father explained to me that they were by any means rich but they worked hard a cherished all of their accomplishments and valued family.  That night at their home was a great experience and changed my life forever, giving me an opportunity to develop some concepts to allow me to move forward in my life and work towards being successful.

     At this present time in my life, I am still working towards continued success but I also want to be an awesome husband, father and friend.  I want to be a productive citizen in society always being curious to learn new things and grow socially, spiritually, economically and keeping my mind open to changes in our society and adapting to them while still maintaining my core principals in life.  I would like to continue to grow professionally and have an impact on the students and co-workers I come in contact with.  I am striving to be a living role model for my children, while also pushing them to levels above where my wife and I were in various points in our development in life.  I want our children to be better prepared for the future and position themselves to be strong leaders in their communities and in the workforce.

     Right now, while our children are young, my wife and I are balancing our own needs and wants as well as making sure our children have all of the resources they need from us to give them the best chance for success.  

     I would say that I have developed three different personalities in my lifetime to adapt to the three stations in my life.  About every 5 years, I have had to recharge my thinking based on my experience so far , each time, editing my philosophies to fit my aspirations and the station in my life to be successful while not giving up my core principals.  

     I am almost certain that after my experience with The Master's In Leadership program, that my philosophies will change drastically with the knowledge obtained over the next couple of years.