Dipping Deep into their Pockets for the Cause

Despite making it on the front cover of magazines for adopting several foreign children (Brangelina), cheating on their supermodel spouse (Tiger Woods), or stepping out of a limo wearing a dress and no panties (Lady GaGa), these celebrities gave big to help the relief effort in Haiti, where more than 200,000 people lost their lives after a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010.



Big names in music and entertainment united at a fund-raising telethon in aid of Haiti. Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Wyclef Jean, The Edge and Jay-Z led the “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon.

According to MTV News, on Jan. 25, 2010 singer Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti, and CNN’s television personality Anderson Cooper co-hosted George Clooney’s MTV telethon. While Clooney was in Los Angeles, Jean in New York, and Cooper live in Haiti, donations went to Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, and UNICEF. The two-hour telethon aired on major networks and many other channels, raising over $57 million, and counting.

At the telethon, Clooney spoke to the audience and said, “At the core of every religion is the belief that we take care of one another. The Haitian people need our help. They need to know they are not alone."



According to Brian Hiatt, Rock&Roll Daily reporter, Jay-Z, Rihanna, The Edge, and Bono performed a new Haiti benefit single produced by Swizz Beats called “Stranded.” Swizz Beats told Rolling Stone that “the idea of the song is ‘we’re not gonna leave you stranded’ and that’s what the chorus is.” The song is now the number one single on iTunes.

In addition, sports stars are also lining up to lend a hand. According to Tim Saunders, reporter at Look To The Stars, at the Australian Open, tennis star Roger Federer organized a tennis event that had an entry fee of a minimum donation of $10. The event featured stars such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur.

National Basketball Association owners and athletes made a combined donation of $1 million to the UNICEF relief effort. According to NBA News, Philadelphia 76ers center and Haiti native Samuel Dalembert made an announcement to the audience at their last home game that he will match donations made by the fans that evening.

It’s easy to judge and make false statements about the celebrity culture when we hear about how much money they make but we never read about the work they do outside of their luxurious lifestyles. After Haiti was hit hard, celebrities dipped deep into their pockets for the cause and opened their arms to a wide spread of donation organizations. From supermodels, actors and actresses, to athletes and singers, celebrities all over Hollywood are lining up to lend a hand.

At a glance
What: Haiti donations
Here’s a breakdown of the biggest celebrity donations so far:
Tiger Woods: $3 Million to Wyclef Jean’s Haiti relief organization
Gisele Bundchen: $1.5 Million to the Red Cross
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: $1 Million to Doctors Without Borders
George Clooney: $1 Million to Partners in Health
Oprah Winfrey: $1 Million to the Red Cross
Sandra Bullock: $1 Million to Doctors Without Borders
Lance Armstrong: $250,000 to the Livestrong Foundation
Madonna: $250,000 to Partners in Health
Places to make donations: Doctors Without Borders, Livestrong Foundation, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF

Follow the lead of these celebrities and make a donation today.


Singles on the CD include:
1 - Send Me An Angel (Alicia Keys)
2 - A Message 2010 (Coldplay)
3 - We Shall Overcome (Bruce Springsteen)
4 - Time to Love / Bridge Over Troubled Water (Stevie Wonder)
5 - I’ll Stand by You (Shakira with The Roots)
6 - Motherless Child (John Legend)
7 - Hard Times Come Again No More (Mary J. Blige with The Roots)
8 - Breathless (Taylor Swift)
9 - Lift Me Up (Christina Aguilera)
10 - Driven to Tears (Sting)
11 - Halo (Beyoncé)
12 - Lean on Me (with Keith Urban & Kid Rock (Sheryl Crow with Keith Urban & Kid Rock)
13 - Like a Prayer (Madonna)
14 - Hallelujah (Justin Timberlake with Charlie Sexton)
15 - Let It Be (Jennifer Hudson with The Roots)
16 - Many Rivers to Cross (Emeline Michel)
17 - Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) (Jay-Z with Rihanna, Bono & The Edge)
18 - Alone and Forsaken (Neil Young with Dave Mathews)
19 - Rivers of Babylon / Yele (Medley) (Wyclef Jean
20 - Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) (Jay-Z with Rihanna, Bono & The Edge)

Stephen King's "On Writing"

I enjoyed reading Stephen King's "On Writing" because I learned a lot about the different techniques to writing a good novel and/or story. I found it interesting and helpful how King used many metaphors to explain these techniques, such as his idea of the "Tool Box." The "Tool Box" was the most helpful piece of advice King gave throughout the book. He explained it as a box filled with logic to help keep the tools of writing simple.

My favorite quote from King is "In truth, I've found that any day's routine interruptions and distractions don't much hurt a work in progress and may actually help it in some ways. It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster's shell that makes the pearl, not pearl-making seminars with other oysters." I found this interesting and helpful because i struggle to write and do homework in general when there is a lot of noise. But i took his advice into consideration and have been doing homework where there are interruptions and distractions. I came to the conclusion that it does help me brainstorm more but it takes me a little bit longer to complete. I guess that's where the saying "quality not quantity" comes into play.

All Star Weekend

At a glance
What: NBA All-Star Game 2010
Who: NBA and WNBA
Where: Dallas, Texas
When: Feb. 14, 2010

Come the second weekend of every February, my schedule revolves around the greatest pickup game in the world. This year on Valentine's Day my one true love came through for me, the NBA All-Star Game.

The best in the East and the West ball out and show off their impressive athletic ability to a crowd of roaring fans. What made this year more entertaining than any other year was the addition to the team rosters of the under-exposed talent in the WNBA.


Magic Johnson and Becky Hammon during the NBA All-Star Game weekend at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 14, 2010.

The Women's National Basketball Association is finally receiving the attention and respect they deserve. For years, the WNBA disappeared because of insufficient profits due to the lack of fan support. This last year was their re-emergence to sports entertainment.

It was good to see female athletes step on the court glowing with confidence in front 108,713 fans, the all-time attendance record for an NBA All-Star Game. What didn’t make me so happy was to hear one of the live commentators say “she should grab those pompoms and stand on the sideline,” directed towards Nicole Powell of the Sacramento Monarchs, as she missed her first shot during the Shooting Star Competition.

Even though the ladies didn't receive much support from the commentators, some NBA players gave great support. Dirk Nowitzki told reporter Brian Martin, “I told Becky she’s the point guard and she just has to lead us off and she did a great job.”

This year only four WBNA players were invited to the NBA All-Star Game to compete in the Shooting Star Competition, Becky Hammon, Marie Ferdinand-Harris, Nicole Powell, and Angel McCoughtry. Although making progress from the previous years, It would still be nice to see more female athletes participate and be involved in other challenges and competitions during the All-Star Weekend.



The WNBA has their own weekend of, what I would call, mini fame. Every July, their regular season is put on hold to celebrate the WNBA All-Star Game. Like the NBA, the game is held during a weekend-long event featuring players from the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Is it just be me, or why haven't we heard or seen much of this All-Star Weekend before?

The lack of public support the WNBA experiences has to blame for this. But the question is, why?

One reason comes to mind, entertainment. From Lebron James throwing up baby powder in front of the stadium before every game to the alley-oop slam dunks, the NBA knows how to put on a show. The upbeat energy of the NBA can hype up their fans and provide them for not only an athletic competition but also an entertaining performance.

In 1984, 100 fans saw the first dunk in a woman's college basketball game. Since then, there are very few women dunking episodes. But it has been done. So now it’s time for these ladies to step up their game and show the fans what their athletic abilities are made of. It's time to see more female faces participating in the NBA All Star Weekend and it's time to get the recognition they all work hard for and deserve.

The Ed Dickson Profile

At a glance:
Who: Ed Dickson, the former University of Oregon tight end
What: Living the dream
Where: NFL Scouting Combine and Draft
2009 NCAA Stats:
School: Oregon
Receptions: 42
Yards: 551
Touchdowns: 6
Overall Draft Rank: 61
Position Draft Rank: 5



Standing 6 feet 4 inches and weighing in at a solid 244 pounds, Ed Dickson is about to live every college athlete’s dream of going pro. In preparation for the NFL Combine, Dickson is currently living and training in Los Angeles, Calif. where he eats, sleeps, and breathes football.

Every February in Indianapolis, Ind., over 300 of the very best college football players are invited to perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers and scouts at the NFL Scouting Combine. Over a period of four days, these athletes experience an intense job interview that is the vital steps to achieving their dream career of playing in the NFL.

The tight end from Long Beach, Calif. took the first step to pursue his football career by receiving an athletic scholarship at University of Oregon. But football isn’t where his impressive athletic talent started. While attending Bellflower High School in California, Dickson utilized his skills on the basketball court all four years and received the All-American Athlete Award his senior year in 2005.

What changed his direction to football? “I loved basketball, but because of my size and speed I saw more options with a future in football. Plus, I love the physical contact in football” said Dickson.

His quick feet and skills he developed on the basketball court is what set him apart from any other tight end.

Redshirting his freshman year in 2005, Dickson earned Scout Teams offensive-player-of-the-week on 5 different occasions.

In 2006, his natural athletic talent allowed him to be shifted to the defensive line where he was the second-leading tackler and had his career-best three stops in the season opening game against Stanford. In the last four games of the 2006 season Dickson was shifted back to the offensive line where he played wide receiver.

In 2007, Dickson continued to standout as he received more yards than any other programs tight ends in the past 3 years.

During the 2008 season, Dickson became physically and mentally stronger at the game and was second team All-Pac-10.

Entering his last season as a Duck in 2009, Dickson was on the John Mackey Award Watch List as the nation’s top tight end.



Football wasn’t the only important thing in his life. “I came to Oregon to play football, but I came to college to get an education and graduate” said Dickson.

After graduating last spring with a degree in Family and Human Services, Dickson received an invitation to the Senior Bowl and is now working hard to pursue a tight end position on an NFL team.

“I lived the best 5 years of my life while playing college football. Now to be given the opportunity to continue doing it as my career still seems surreal” said Dickson.

Along with preparing for the Combine and NFL draft, come a lot of decisions. When asked how he went about picking his agent, Dickson commented “What they have to offer all looks the same on paper. I wanted someone who could provide me with options but at the same time who was doing it out of the good of their heart. I chose Jeff Sperbeck to represent me because when we met, we just hung out, played pool, and got to know each other. It was like we had been friends for years and were just catching up on old times.”

Staying at a hotel as he awaits for the Combine, Dickson is currently living in Los Angeles, Calif. where he follows a strict day-by-day training schedule.

“I wake up, follow a detailed meal plan, go to training, interviews, and sleep” said Dickson.

With the little time he finds to himself, being back in L.A. gives him the opportunity to spend time with family.

Dickson commented, “Being close to my family has always been my number one priority. I grew up being raised by my mom and two sisters, without them I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”

The "Tool Box"

Stephen King writes a creative and practical metaphor regarding a tool box his Uncle Oren once owned. But King didn't just write about your ordinary tool box. His tool box entailed much more than just a screw driver and a hammer. This tool box was filled with logic and kept the tools of writing simple. According to King, the most important tools of writing were experience, grammar, vocabulary, and elements of style. The first and most important level of the tool box contained vocabulary and grammar. King explained that the more vocabulary you can "pick up," the better off you are (114). King also points out that good writers often break grammar rules, but they have to be able to recognize the rules they broke in order to communicate effectively. The second level of the tool box contains elements of style and the third level is magic. This relates to feature writing because King's metaphor to the tool box is helpful to any writer.

This Weeks Commentary

For this weeks commentary I read Erik Bender's blog post on LBCC's men and women's basketball team, "It's going to be a long season." I really enjoyed the article because for one, i love basketball, and for two, it gives us insight on both teams. Most sports articles are a specific team and their opponent. Erik's article gives a sense of what to look out for this season with both teams. He did a good job introducing both teams and providing statements from both of the coaches to support his article. I really liked how he highlighted the season opening weekend and then the NWAACC tournament. I also like this article because it relates to my feature story on the Lady Roadrunners and their injury list.

Profile

University of Oregon tight-end, Ed Dickson is battling out with the best of the best in order to pursue his dream career in the NFL.
Questions I'm going to ask include:
Do you have a strict daily/weekly training schedule?
What does that daily/weekly training schedule entail?
Where are you training?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your life now?
How are you maintaining your focus to the combine?