Hunter Haas-Conclusion

After completing this class I feel that I can look back and say that I truly have a better idea of many topics, and am better for it. I feel that this class really makes you challenge the way you think by presenting new topics that are traditionally not discussed. What really seems to strike me is the lack of awareness with many of these issues such as transgender in sport or various observations on gender and sport. These are all topics that have strong impacts on our field and I feel that until this class I was never really presented with the task of looking at these topics or trying to discuss the way they operate. I can definitely say that because of this class I am more knowledgeable about certain topics such as gay athletes in sport, as well as the history and roles of male/females in sport. One of my favorite parts about this class was the existence of discussion. I feel that the best learning method was the fact that everyone has the ability to speak on certain topics and this really helps open up your mind.

I think the ability to look at something in multiple perspectives is the most useful skill I have derived from this class. While the knowledge learned is important, if we cannot look at these findings with an open mind and try to critically think about their impacts, the facts are useless. I feel that with the ability to consider all sides of an argument I will be able to better assess ideas and situations in my future career, thanks to this course. 

-HH

John Ruppert Conclusion

After completing this class as well as doing blogs and comments this class has really opened my eyes to a different aspect of sport.  Before taking this class one could say I was very closed minded and a traditionalist when it came to sport.  For example, I would never consider having a female NFL player or a female NBA player or ever thought it would even bring discussion.  Also I never realized how much discrimination certain athletes received based on their sexuality such as gays and lesbians.  I can also say I was very naïve to important events such as Title IX and how Title IX actually works compared to how little informed I was.  Not only through being taught in class from Dr. Spencer or Kara about specific events but I also was informed and given several different viewpoints about specific events.  

Although it seemed as if our class did not do much discussion I think when we did have class discussion it was very meaning full.  I think the topics I enjoyed most that we covered in class would be the sections on Title IV as well as Gay athletes in sport because these were the two areas in which I had no true knowledge in.  I thought it was very important to be fully informed on topics such as these that are becoming very important in our world today.  After learning everything so far this semester I really would like to see in the next 3 to 5 years a gay male athlete step forward.  I think this would be a huge stepping stone for the sports world and I am very curious to see how the world would react to it.  In closing I think this was a very good class overall and took away more information than I normally do in other classes.

Wesley Hall - Conclusion

This class and this blog really opened up my eyes to to topics I had never studied or considered before. It made me a more sensitive an open minded person. I learned a lot from Dr. Spencer and Kara but I also learned from my fellow classmates. I enjoyed getting their insights on these sensitive issues. I enjoyed being able to post my opinions and having a voice as well as being able to voice my opinion against others in good clean arguments. These topics really made me think critically and sensitively. I found most of the articles and topics to be interesting and I usually had something to say about them. My favorite topic of the semester was when we discussed the professionals that the professionals would pay to see. I think that was a very interesting story and that they should do that again to get a more updated version. It gives insights into the personalities of our favorite sports stars and who they like and respect among the sports world. I think it would be interesting to see who would be near the top now that the players have grown older and new players have stepped in and become superstars.  

Conclusion - Aaron Snyder

In this class, I learned to look at things a little bit differently in sports. The whole masculinity and femininity lectures are something that stuck with me for the entire semester. No matter how much we discussed as many different topics as we did, I think people are too sensitive about everything. People try to be so politically correct with everything it just gets in the way of how they really feel. One of my favorite topics over the semester was the Serena and Venus Williams not wanting to return to Indian Wells because of what happened to them there a dozen years ago. I still can’t believe Serena stuck firm with that even though she gave up her number one ranking in the world very shortly after getting it back. I think it’s time for Indian Wells people to apologize and get the Williams sister back there. This is my fourth year in college and my second semester here, but this has been my favorite class at Bowling Green so far. I really like how we got express how we feel and we were encouraged to speak in class. I don’t think I could another class this semester that was just all power points and lectures like my Marketing class that takes place before this one. This also has been my first blog type thing I’ve ever did and it was good seeing other people’s opinions on topics that I also blogged about. It was good seeing comments on my blogs although I think the comments were too agreeable and not enough argumentative. Overall, I really enjoyed this class.

Conclusion- Dan Pesato

Over the course of the semester I have taken in a great deal of information. I didn't know what exactly to expect coming into the course, but I am truly glad that I was able to take it. I learned so much about Title IX and women in sport. This course opened my eyes to how much women were not respected in sport for so long, and even how much they are not respected in sport today. There was never a class where I didn't learn something new, which really makes this class great. This is definitely one of my favorite courses that I have taken since coming to BG, and I have already recommended it to many people. It isn't a course filled with the same things you learn about during each required sport management course, which is another positive.

Many of the topics that we learned about in class were extremely interesting. Women in sport, Title IX, and even the recent talks of gay rights and professional athletes coming out. Each of these were great topics to go over and class, and I truly hope that women no longer have to deal with the typical stereotypes about them not being able to hold their own in sport. I also hope that professional athletes that are gay realize that it is okay to come out. These are all things that could happen in the next few years, and it would be interesting to be able to see that occur after taking this course.

Conclusion-Tyler Kieffer

Over the course of the semester I have learned many things in this class and how they impact the sports world as a whole. One major topic that we talked in class stood out to me and that was how masculinity and femininity affect not only the sports world but the general world. The one reading about Sidney Crosby was interesting for me because we as a society do not recognize hockey as much as other sports. This article looks at how Canada views their heroes and what they aspire them to be. Many Canadians view Crosby as someone that epitomizes masculinity, while here in the United States we see him as someone who whines and complains during games. That difference is interesting to view, and that can show us the difference between Canada and the United States in terms of masculinity. By doing blogs for this class we can not only see what our opinion is about topic but we can see everyone else’s. You can see how each person views a topic and what their reasoning is about it. Sometimes you may see a point of view that you may or may not have thought of before but now it may be something you agree with. I can take away from this class how to write about certain topics that I have never thought about before. In the future there may be sensitive topics or topics that have never been thought of before and someone needs to write and give opinions about it. This has given myself practice in this and I can take this experience into the future.

Conclusion: Logan Walker

I learned a lot of things in this class that I never thought I would end up learning. Most of the topics are things that I have thought about before, but I never took the initiative to do further research. The first thing I learned was how women are looked down upon in sport. I am just as guilty as other males who do not find women sports as intriguing. As the class went on I began to pay more attention to women sports and often found myself watching women sports on television. Another topic that I enjoyed learning about was Title IX. I had always been one of those guys who would question Title IX and wonder why men sports were being cut for female sports that were less popular. My mindset on this idea changed while taking this class. I now truly believe in having equal opportunity in sport for both males and females. Females take just as much pride in their respective sports as males do. There are some unbelievable female athletes out there in all sports and it is time that they get the respect that they deserve. Another topic that I enjoyed learning about was gay males in sport. It was intriguing to see different professional athlete's takes on the issue. I had never really thought about this issue, but learning about it in class made me think about how I would handle a gay male athlete on my team. I would say that these three topics or ideas were the most intriguing to me in this class. I liked how the class was based on discussions. I love debating different sports topics.
I had never kept a blog before I took this class. I found it very helpful in keeping up with various issues and also getting to see other people's views on issues. I think that the blog is a great tool to use when it is a part of a class that has a lot of discussion. It is a great way to get to communicate with classmates on issues outside of class. I believe that it also keeps the class engaged in the different topics that we go over and this makes for better in class discussion. By keeping a blog in this class it has made me want to get an official blog to stay up to date on issues about sport and even other issues in the world today.
I think that the main thing that I will take with me and use in the future is that I will look at males and females more equally when it comes to sport and everything else in life. When it comes to sports it is so easy to downplay a women's role in sport. I do not think that women need to always be compared to men. Men and women are obviously different and instead of comparing the two we just need to enjoy the great athletes we have the opportunity to see compete. Whether they be male or female, I learned from this class that I need to treat male and female sports equally. I will also share this opinion of mine with friends in the future as the topic comes up.