Kids were tackling each other mercilessly, taking each other out and screaming with elation as they had finally done it, they had won. The pile was growing and growing as more kids reached the pitcher’s mound, celebrating with their teammates.
And at the bottom of the pile was a 63 year old man with a prosthetic hip.
As a new youth baseball season is about to begin in Nashua, NH, Duane Erickson is about to begin his 26th season helping out the youth community.
A local business owner, Erickson has been involved in the community for most of his life, though he wasn’t even born in New England. Part of a struggling farming family in Illinois, Erickson worked to make ends meet for his family and maintain his elite grades in high school, all the while becoming a budding local baseball star.
With all of these elements combined, Erickson earned a scholarship to play at Arizona, where he played for 4 years against the likes of Reggie Jackson. What he takes from it though isn’t the plays he made or the line drives that he hit, but rather the meaningful lessons that he learned in such an environment.
“To play on such a high level was one thing,” Erickson said, “but to learn what I did through the process was quite another.”
Erickson has devoted himself to the youth of Nashua not to just teach them how to field a ground ball, but rather to want to field the ground ball, to want to put in the effort required to do it.
“It’s one thing to teach a young player how to hit, but it’s another thing to have the player desire to learn how to hit, to get into the meat and potatoes of it and to put in the time and effort to accomplish it. If you do this, you begin to see them not only change as a ballplayer, but as a person too.”
Erickson recently struggled for his life, spending a significant stay in the hospital after internal hemorrhaging forced him to the emergency room. This, he says, helped him realize that, perhaps, his time may be running short and that it is his responsibility to help kids any way he can.
“Coming out of it, I just realized that maybe God was saying, ‘Don’t let up, you’ve got some time. Use it.’ From then on, I felt it’s been kind of my duty to help out. I feel that’s a responsibility for everyone, to help when there’s an opportunity.”
Erickson works mainly behind the scenes and fails to garner the credit he deserves, all the while refusing to take any sort of monetary profit from it.
“I’ll tell ya why I don’t take the money. What if a kid doesn’t have any money to give? Does it make him any less deserving to play ball? Does it make him any less deserving to learn? No.
“If you’re doing the right thing, I think, then money shouldn’t matter on either end. It’s hard to say something like this while businesses, including mine, are going through the struggles that they are, but the reward for me, knowing that when my time is done I will have helped even just one kid, that’ll be enough.”
Monday, March 30, 2009
Steve Damish
Overall, I think that, going forward, the biggest thing any of us can do is to just keep trying new and fresh ideas to help keep the newspaper remain as unique as it has been for years. And I think as a journalist student, now is the time to try and get these things going. As for my personal commitment, its hard to say. In these classes I can try and do new things so that when I get out of school I could bring something different to the table and help keep these newspapers going. However, its hard to ascertain whether I truly believe I will be in the industry going forward. Despite Mr. Damish's comments, which I did find to be quite valid, its still hard to have that as a career mindset going forward. However, I would say what Mr. Damish has done for me is that journalism still remains an option going forward, despite everyone's best attempt to tell me otherwise. I don't know what I would like to do going forward, but to hear him talk the way he did helps me keep a firm mindset that journalism will be there if I want it to be.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reading Blog Week 7
Monday:
There were 2 stories in particular that I enjoyed in today’s paper. First there was the front page story of Mexican drug cartel violence pushing its way into America. Scary stuff. It’s not only that it’s spilling into the United States, but that it is such a big problem that it has been forced to spill into the United States. Though I think it’s a little ignorant to ask it to stop completely, I hope it does get curbed considerably. Also, there was a nice story hidden in the paper about the Pope visiting Africa and what it meant for the people there. For people that have extremely difficult lives, it’s nice to see that things like this are being done to help out.
Tuesday:
There were definitely some interesting things in today’s paper. For one, there was an article about how those AIG ceo’s were giving back that bonus money. Really, I’m proud of them for doing it. They didn’t have to, but they felt it was right, which is good. Perhaps it was because everyone was outraged, but still, it’s nice to see it. Also, there was truly troubling story on the front page, one about a young girl being strip-searched, seemingly needlessly. It is pretty gross and disturbing to think that this has happened in a public school and that it would even be considered. Hopefully it get’s the court ruling that it needs.
Wednesday:
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s paper, especially two stories on the front page that caught my attention. First there was the story about a New York school changing the grading system from A’s and B’s to a 1,2,3,4 system, something that I find a little odd. Instead of getting a D or an F, kids now get a 1, something that is classified as ‘not meeting New York State’s academic standards’. I’d kind of be insulted by that. I’d rather get a D knowing I tried than being told I just don’t meet standards with a 1. Also, I found the article about our next international challenge perhaps being in Mexico. If things continue to escalate as they have been, it would be quite an interesting development. I would be very interested to see where this one goes.
Thursday:
There really wasn’t a ton in today’s paper that really interested me too much. Not that it was bad, but I just am kind of sick of the same thread of stories being printed every, every day. However, there was an interesting little article about a bill that would repeal the death sentence in New Hampshire. It was passed, but people also say that it will be vetoed by the Governor. This interested me quite a bit. First, I didn’t even realize we had a death penalty or that someone had recently been sentenced. Also, it was interesting to me to see that it would be vetoed regardless of what the state senate voted for. Interesting stuff.
There were 2 stories in particular that I enjoyed in today’s paper. First there was the front page story of Mexican drug cartel violence pushing its way into America. Scary stuff. It’s not only that it’s spilling into the United States, but that it is such a big problem that it has been forced to spill into the United States. Though I think it’s a little ignorant to ask it to stop completely, I hope it does get curbed considerably. Also, there was a nice story hidden in the paper about the Pope visiting Africa and what it meant for the people there. For people that have extremely difficult lives, it’s nice to see that things like this are being done to help out.
Tuesday:
There were definitely some interesting things in today’s paper. For one, there was an article about how those AIG ceo’s were giving back that bonus money. Really, I’m proud of them for doing it. They didn’t have to, but they felt it was right, which is good. Perhaps it was because everyone was outraged, but still, it’s nice to see it. Also, there was truly troubling story on the front page, one about a young girl being strip-searched, seemingly needlessly. It is pretty gross and disturbing to think that this has happened in a public school and that it would even be considered. Hopefully it get’s the court ruling that it needs.
Wednesday:
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s paper, especially two stories on the front page that caught my attention. First there was the story about a New York school changing the grading system from A’s and B’s to a 1,2,3,4 system, something that I find a little odd. Instead of getting a D or an F, kids now get a 1, something that is classified as ‘not meeting New York State’s academic standards’. I’d kind of be insulted by that. I’d rather get a D knowing I tried than being told I just don’t meet standards with a 1. Also, I found the article about our next international challenge perhaps being in Mexico. If things continue to escalate as they have been, it would be quite an interesting development. I would be very interested to see where this one goes.
Thursday:
There really wasn’t a ton in today’s paper that really interested me too much. Not that it was bad, but I just am kind of sick of the same thread of stories being printed every, every day. However, there was an interesting little article about a bill that would repeal the death sentence in New Hampshire. It was passed, but people also say that it will be vetoed by the Governor. This interested me quite a bit. First, I didn’t even realize we had a death penalty or that someone had recently been sentenced. Also, it was interesting to me to see that it would be vetoed regardless of what the state senate voted for. Interesting stuff.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Week 6 Reading Blog
Monday
Today’s New York Times I think lacked a bit of the stories that I wanted to read. There was a fairly interesting one about how changing Barack Obama’s campaign bandwagon into things like new education policies and medicare and such. It really was fairly interesting, but nothing too earth-shattering. There was a particularly deadly international section today, including an avalanche that killed some people. Lovely. Where’s the fun stuff?
Tuesday
I didn’t mind today’s paper, a little less on the budget stuff, which was a nice change of pace. There was a particularly interesting article I saw, one that had a new portrait of William Shakespeare. The pictures of him before were, to say the least, unflattering in their view of the author. However, this one, one that is said to be of Shakepeare’s time and one that just came out, offers one that makes him look a bit better. It just looks a lot better and it was interesting to read about.
Wednesday
For once, the front page of the paper didn’t have something about Obama’s plan for the stimulus package! How awesome it is. However, I did find an interesting article saying some banks want to give back their money, feeling bad they took it. Thank you very very much banks. There are a lot of other people who may need it a little more than you. I do appreciate that they have a conscious and they feel it necessary to only take what they think is fair. Very respectable.
Thursday
There was a very interesting article today in the NY Times, about how the newspaper business is beginning to legitimately fail in some cities, leading for them to be pared down to a one paper town or sometimes a no paper town. It really is kind of weird to be seeing this. You always, always think of big city newspapers and how much they mean to the rest of the country and now they are beginning to fall. It’d be weird not to get the Boston Globe on a Sunday at my house in Nashua, and I don’t really want to see it happen.
Today’s New York Times I think lacked a bit of the stories that I wanted to read. There was a fairly interesting one about how changing Barack Obama’s campaign bandwagon into things like new education policies and medicare and such. It really was fairly interesting, but nothing too earth-shattering. There was a particularly deadly international section today, including an avalanche that killed some people. Lovely. Where’s the fun stuff?
Tuesday
I didn’t mind today’s paper, a little less on the budget stuff, which was a nice change of pace. There was a particularly interesting article I saw, one that had a new portrait of William Shakespeare. The pictures of him before were, to say the least, unflattering in their view of the author. However, this one, one that is said to be of Shakepeare’s time and one that just came out, offers one that makes him look a bit better. It just looks a lot better and it was interesting to read about.
Wednesday
For once, the front page of the paper didn’t have something about Obama’s plan for the stimulus package! How awesome it is. However, I did find an interesting article saying some banks want to give back their money, feeling bad they took it. Thank you very very much banks. There are a lot of other people who may need it a little more than you. I do appreciate that they have a conscious and they feel it necessary to only take what they think is fair. Very respectable.
Thursday
There was a very interesting article today in the NY Times, about how the newspaper business is beginning to legitimately fail in some cities, leading for them to be pared down to a one paper town or sometimes a no paper town. It really is kind of weird to be seeing this. You always, always think of big city newspapers and how much they mean to the rest of the country and now they are beginning to fall. It’d be weird not to get the Boston Globe on a Sunday at my house in Nashua, and I don’t really want to see it happen.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Meeting Story
Soon, Portsmouth students who have disciplinary problems with the school may find themselves in a student’s worst nightmare: school on Saturday.
The Portsmouth School Board met on Monday to discuss the idea and it was debated heavily.
“In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to,” Lisa Gallagher, a senior and one of five Portsmouth High School students who attended, said. “But I don’t like this idea.”
“Maybe if [the students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up,” Bob Farley of 64 Elm St. said.
School Board member Tim Steele made the initial motion to approve the new policy to require students who have disciplinary problems during the week to return to school for a Saturday morning session.
“I know this isn’t good news for the parents,” Steele said, “but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.”
The board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7.
Steele said the proposal was made in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions, which is when a student is held under the supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom, with no opportunity to make up the class work for the day. Steele said the new program would mean that the student would miss no class time.
Steele said the sessions would happen from 8 a.m. to noon many times throughout the school year and would require $3,000 to fund for faculty.
“I work six days a week – including Saturday morning – and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday,” Peggy Bacon, a Portsmouth parent, said. “Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need the change?”
Steele said that amongst the disciplinary problems at school, smoking on the campus was the biggest problem the school as encountered.
“I just want to keep students from smoking in the high school bathrooms,” Steele said.
Other items discussed on the agenda were efforts to increase the education budget and a report detailing a 25 percent decrease in the rental of school rooms and buildings since last year and how to rectify that.
The Portsmouth School Board met on Monday to discuss the idea and it was debated heavily.
“In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to,” Lisa Gallagher, a senior and one of five Portsmouth High School students who attended, said. “But I don’t like this idea.”
“Maybe if [the students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up,” Bob Farley of 64 Elm St. said.
School Board member Tim Steele made the initial motion to approve the new policy to require students who have disciplinary problems during the week to return to school for a Saturday morning session.
“I know this isn’t good news for the parents,” Steele said, “but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.”
The board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7.
Steele said the proposal was made in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions, which is when a student is held under the supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom, with no opportunity to make up the class work for the day. Steele said the new program would mean that the student would miss no class time.
Steele said the sessions would happen from 8 a.m. to noon many times throughout the school year and would require $3,000 to fund for faculty.
“I work six days a week – including Saturday morning – and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday,” Peggy Bacon, a Portsmouth parent, said. “Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need the change?”
Steele said that amongst the disciplinary problems at school, smoking on the campus was the biggest problem the school as encountered.
“I just want to keep students from smoking in the high school bathrooms,” Steele said.
Other items discussed on the agenda were efforts to increase the education budget and a report detailing a 25 percent decrease in the rental of school rooms and buildings since last year and how to rectify that.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Week 5 Reading Blog
Monday:
There was quite a few things that piqued my interest in this issue of the NY Times. Really though, most interesting to me was how some of the state schools in New York were getting a lot more students than they thought they initially would and they are having to put the kids into forced triples and such. A lot of state schools are getting more applicants than ever before, but they aren’t going to accept more than they can hold, despite looming budget cuts, which I think is commendable. However, for a school like UNH which is one of the most expensive state schools in the country, I’m curious as to what we’re doing.
Tuesday
Really, I’m kind of sick of all the economy stuff. Come on! I get it’s extremely important and it holds the balance of really the world, but I’m getting kind of annoyed with it. It’s really on me, but seriously, how much can someone take of this before they lose it? Though, I do like how every one of these big companies isn’t getting off easy. One of the headlines, “Two Fallen Mortgage Giants Are Unlikely to be restored”. Thank you. I know people are losing jobs and stuff, but how many poor people lost their homes and lives with these mortgage companies? Keep it up.
Wednesday
Really, there was only one story I could focus on today. “So You’re Dead? Don’t Expect That to Stop the Debt Collector”. Really??? Give these poor people a break! It says they are calling to recoup something like $300. Let’s be serious here, I get that times are hard, but are your times harder than these people? It really saddened me to see this, especially how they aren’t legally bound to repay it, but they’ve been duped into thinking they have to. Really, quite disgusting.
Thursday
Yeesh, today I’m kind of at a loss. So much doom and gloom in the paper. Come on; give us a story where a little girl saved a city by baking cookies. That’s what I want sometimes. Not always have the stimulus plan is working or how more companies or families are losing their jobs and houses and the like. I get that it leads a newspaper, but I do hope that sometime soon I see something a little bit happier.
There was quite a few things that piqued my interest in this issue of the NY Times. Really though, most interesting to me was how some of the state schools in New York were getting a lot more students than they thought they initially would and they are having to put the kids into forced triples and such. A lot of state schools are getting more applicants than ever before, but they aren’t going to accept more than they can hold, despite looming budget cuts, which I think is commendable. However, for a school like UNH which is one of the most expensive state schools in the country, I’m curious as to what we’re doing.
Tuesday
Really, I’m kind of sick of all the economy stuff. Come on! I get it’s extremely important and it holds the balance of really the world, but I’m getting kind of annoyed with it. It’s really on me, but seriously, how much can someone take of this before they lose it? Though, I do like how every one of these big companies isn’t getting off easy. One of the headlines, “Two Fallen Mortgage Giants Are Unlikely to be restored”. Thank you. I know people are losing jobs and stuff, but how many poor people lost their homes and lives with these mortgage companies? Keep it up.
Wednesday
Really, there was only one story I could focus on today. “So You’re Dead? Don’t Expect That to Stop the Debt Collector”. Really??? Give these poor people a break! It says they are calling to recoup something like $300. Let’s be serious here, I get that times are hard, but are your times harder than these people? It really saddened me to see this, especially how they aren’t legally bound to repay it, but they’ve been duped into thinking they have to. Really, quite disgusting.
Thursday
Yeesh, today I’m kind of at a loss. So much doom and gloom in the paper. Come on; give us a story where a little girl saved a city by baking cookies. That’s what I want sometimes. Not always have the stimulus plan is working or how more companies or families are losing their jobs and houses and the like. I get that it leads a newspaper, but I do hope that sometime soon I see something a little bit happier.
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