Dominican University students are some of the hardest working students I have ever seen. I personally can attest to always being on the go, whether its going to work or school. With that being said, I think every now and then we all need a pop culture pause.
What’s a pop culture pause?
Well, for me, pop culture serves as my getaway from reality. Whenever I am stressed or need a break from work or school, I can always count on pop culture to serve as a momentary distraction. A pop culture pause allows you to escape your own head and see what is going on in the world of celebrities, politics, or sports.
Music specifically is my own personal outlet, and with finals rapidly approaching, I definitely need a pop culture pause. One thing that I am looking forward to are those summer concerts as my own personal pop culture pause.
Two concerts that I am super excited to attend are the Beyonce Formation and Rihanna Anti-World tours. I thought that I would have to choose between the two, but fortunately I’ll be able to attend both.
However, if you aren’t interested in Beyonce or Rihanna, there are other artist who will be visiting the city of Chicago this summer, such as Coldplay and Ellie Goulding. If you are more of a music festival lover, Lollapalooza will be taking place at the end of July. Here you will be able to see and listen to various artist who offer a variety of sounds.
I know I am super excited to get started with concert season especially once finals are over with. Then I’ll be on a never-ending pop culture pause.
I have grown up playing sports my whole life, whether it was basketball, baseball, or football. And I have to say that the games don’t get played without learning a thing or two.
As a kid, sports are good to play because they teach you how to get out of your shell a little bit and step up to something new. Whether that is stepping up to home plate, shooting the last shot, or making the game winning touchdown, communications is always a factor. Think about it. In a game there is always a play call from a leader or a coach; how would the games be if you could not communicate? Would the frustrations be never-ending? Would you know what to do at any moment without asking or being told?
How would the games be if you could not communicate?
Communication influences how you learn. We as human beings examine things around us, and we want to make good impressions, am I right? Making a good impression would be stepping up in a baseball game and calling out the outfield shift from the dugout so that the batter can hear you. Making a good impression would be a coach setting up the winning play for a basketball game. Making a good impression would be calling for the pass in football game. These are all characteristics of leaders. These are skills you can use off the field for the rest of your life.
Leaders tend to make a good impression because they are good at group communication. If you are a leader on the field, how can you not be a leader in other areas of your life? It doesn’t happen. Leaders help build a team, understand everybody on the team, and help everyone on the team understand each other. Team building is when a leader strikes out but then goes to the dugout to tell the next batters up that the curveball dips when it crosses home plate. That makes the team better because now everyone is aware.
Apply this concept in real life. If you work in the corporate world, are you not going to report what the competition is doing back to your company? Of course you are, because it would allow you and your company to get ready for whatever you might need to do to top the competition.
I want to share an example of when I was 16 years old playing high school baseball, and I didn’t know what the signs from the coach were. I completely missed the signs, and the play turned out horrible, ending in a double play. The next time I was at bat, when I didn’t get the sign, I just called for timeout. I figured if I just went over and talked to the coach, then things would be a lot smoother. And they were! He told me something I didn’t know, and I wouldn’t have know if I hadn’t asked.
We don’t have all the answers all the time, and asking questions is the best way to put ourselves out there and learn something new. Do you agree? If you don’t ask questions or communicate with those around you, then you may be overlooked or you may be overlooking something. When you do communicate well, it helps you get one step closer to building a team and developing the skills for the future, maybe even making the world’s ties that much stronger.
People working together to conquer an obstacle.
I am a 23 year-old young man now and communicating on a daily basis helps me become a leader in my own right. What are you curious about and want to communicate? Share your thoughts!
Communication Arts and Sciences 