T
6
August 2016
OLYMPICS - RIO 2016 & OPINION
The Stentorian I NCSSM
Success in Sports:
What Makes an Olympian?
By JULIA WANG
With the Olympic Games
raging, we all wonder: what
make these athletes so good?
From rising star Simone
Biles to five-time Olympic
champion Michael Phelps, all
participants are pursuing their
dreams on the global level.
As a cross country runner,
I have witnessed outstanding
athletes from around the
state push themselves to their
limits. Are these athletes
naturally better than us, or do
they work harder? Running
five kilometers at less a pace
of less than six miles per
minute requires a great deal
of endurance and stamina. All
workouts, even the easy ones,
contribute to increased speed
and endurance at races, but
one must train the correct way
both physically and mentally
to achieve these results. For
training, quality matters more
than quantity.
According to Daniel F.
Chambliss’ article “The
Mundanity of Excellence,”
hard-core athletes differ from
others based on three qualities:
technique, discipline, and
attitude. These are ingredients
for success in any field,
whether it be academics or
music.
Technique is practicing
the right way, discipline is
being consistent, and attitude
is maintaining passion.
Oftentimes, with a responsible
coach and a supportive team,
the first two aspects are
simple to obtain. However,
humans tend to lose passion
for repetitive aetivities. Those
whd continue to push on with
intrinsic motivation are the
ones we see on TV.
Here at NCSSM, I believe
that we all have the tenacity
and zeal to pursue our dreams
and persevere. As long as we
uphold the motto “work hard,
play hard,” we can balance
successful careers with happy
lifestyles. Most of us are
involved in multiple activities,
ranging from band to sports to
Science Olympiad. Practically
everyone has given up one or
more activities, such as piano
and dance, in my case.
Giving up one or two
activities is not the end. Quality
beats quantity. Once you give
up on one endeavor, you have
more time and energy to spend
on things that matter. As a
rising junior, I do not know
what the quantitative limit of
programs an individual can
take part in is, but I have heard
many students participate in a
variety of activities. Choose
what interests you the most,
and try to stick with it.
In his blog on PrepScholar,
Fred Zhang states, “You
should aim to develop one
area that you’re super strong
in.” This area is called the “big
spike.” Colleges, and people
in general, admire individuals
who excel in one particular
area. Of course, the more
things you excel in, the better,
but you should focus on one to
make it your specialty.
Every Olympic athlete has
identified their “big spike.”
They have woven their way
NEWS.XINHUANET.COM: XINHUA/CHENG MIN
Gymnast Nastia Liukin performs on the floor during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
up to the international level
of competition. Next we ask,
what happens afterward? Take
retired Olympic gymnast who
won gold in the 2008 Women’s
Gymnastics All-Around Finals
Nastia Liukin, for example.
“Life off the beam,” says
Liukin, “has been great.
School has been a huge
accomplishment, another
milestone. I’m moving on with
my life but am still so involved
in gymnastics. It’s my first
love. When one door slams
shut, another opens. Because
I didn’t make the team, I
started working with NBC. I
got to go to London and I’ll
be commentating in Rio...
I’ve had so many transitions.
One of those was after the
Olympics when I won. What
do I do now?”
One day, our competitions
and careers will end. We either
need to keep doing what we
love or find new hobbies.
Follow Liukin’s example and
do what matters most at each
stage in life.
To wrap up, I end with a
quote by Nike: “Life is a sport.
Make it count.”
Athletes move up in their ranks
through qualitative jumps: noticeable
changes in their techniques,
discipline, and attitude.
DANIEL CHAMBLISS
On the Appropriation of Immigrant Foods
By REN ZHANG
“Ewwww ... what is that?”
My heart sank as 1 heard those
words echo in my head.
It was 10 years ago and
my first day. of American el
ementary school. My mom had
packed me my favorite food,
xiaolongbao, small and bite-
sized steamed buns filled with
meat and vegetables. Chinese
food was the only thing that I
had ever really known up until
that point - my parents could
not afford to take me out to
Western style restaurants at the
time - but I loved every bit of
my mother’s cooking.
After that day, though, I be
gan to think that perhaps Chi
nese food was just as “smelly
and disgusting” as my class
mates told me daily. Seven-
year-olds are ruthless, after all.
I remember eventually begging
my mom to pack me “white
people food,” consisting most
ly of the Capri Suns, peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches,
and Goldfish crackers that my
classmates would bring, so that
I could fit in.
Almost a decade later, in
this age of “fusion cuisines”
and sixty-second long cooking
videos shared on Facebook,
I’ve started to notice that “eth
nic food” has become quite
the trend, especially thanks to
companies such as Taco Bell
and Panda Express. I would
hear things like “Wow, you’re
Chinese? That must mean
you get to have Chinese food
everyday. Wow, you’re so
lucky!” By now, I have gotten
over the shame I had for my
culture when I was young, but
whenever I see one of my peers
post a picture of “this new food
they had discovered” during
their recent trip to New York
City on Instagram, I can’t help
but feel a bit of pain as I think
back to my grade school years.
My food, once considered
“nauseating and probably
consisting of dog meat” had
caused me so much shame and
embarrassment in the past, but
it is now one of America’s new
est food trends. Why wasn’t
my food accepted until white
people started eating it? Where
was this when seven-year-old
COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG: JUNHAOl
Xiaolongbao, “small and bite-sized steamed buns filled with meat and vegetables. ”
me was throwing out my lunch
everyday so he wouldn’t get
bullied?
It seems that eating immi
grant foods such as my own
has a become a new way for
people to feel cultured. The
fetishization and appropriation
of foods from other cultures
needs to end. I’m sick of hear
ing my fellow classmates gush
over how much they love bub
ble tea and Pocky but watch
them give me disgusted looks
when I suggest that they try
preserved duck egg and stinky
tofu.
Chinese food is more than
this. Chinese food is my moth
er taking an entire afternoon to
painstakingly wrap dumplings
one by one for dinner that night.
Chinese food is the pleasant
aroma of garlic and ginger fill
ing the house as I come home
from school. Chinese food is
the sound of laughter in air as
my family gathers around the
hot pot in the cold of winter.
Chinese food is a beautiful and
fundamental part of my cul
ture, not some cherry-picked
and bastardized fad.