Sunday, August 22, 2010

College English, 102



Perhaps the most important lesson imparted by Tolson
is the difference between our perceived enemies
and our legitimate challenges. Tolson trains the
Wiley Debate team to repeat a series of questions.
“Who is the judge? The judge is God because he
decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.”
“Who is my opponent? He doesn’t exist. He’s just a
mere dissenting voice against the truth that I must
speak.”
The Great Debaters demonstrates the importance of
training your mind for battle. Young people need
resolve in the face of opposition. They must learn to
keep cool under pressure, even when wrongly or
falsely accused.

What battles take place in your mind?
When have you been tempted to lose your cool?
How might you “find, take back and keep your righteous
mind”?

20 comments:

  1. The battle I have in my mind is over finding a job wondering if I would every find a job in this community.
    I am tempted to lose my cool when I am annoyed and bothered over and over for nothing by annoying people.
    I keep my mind righteous by not letting anything stress me out. I just let things pass and if it doesn’t involve me I don’t put myself in the middle of anything.

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  2. Well my bottles is coming to school in bus that takes almost two hour to reach here in the city.I only get tempted to loose my cool only when am drunk, that is when i loose all my patience. to keep my righteous mind i take a deep breath and count to ten slowly and close my eyes so i could get back calm.

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  3. My most recent battle is trying now to miss any of my classes to go hang out with friends. To accomplish this i try to hide from them from time to time. The only time i really ever loose my cool is when the people i really call my friends try to screw me over other that that i'm mostly calm.

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  4. My battle take place in my mind is when travelling from city campus back to belmopan campus just for that English class. It's from 2pm to 3:15pm. It was very tired travelling back and forth. When i loose my cool is when I been called several time over and over for doing things over and over. To keep my righteous mind, I keep my mind a gap. So I can clam myself.

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  6. That two hours really is a hard time to pass over it. Hope you get over it soon. I think most people is out of patience when they're drunk. Agree. Wow, that deep breath, count to ten slowly and close eyes really work out. Sometime, I did give a try on that kind of way.

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  7. Folks, the discussion lacks details and substance- Review

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  8. lol yeah Mr. Tucker these people are straying away from the real topic.

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  9. The fact that this movie is based on a true story gives it merit and credibility. It depicts very graphically the struggles African Americans went through in order to be recognized as valid contenders for a college debate team. And also Although it shows a redeeming ending, the graphic violence throughout much of the movie might be depressing, even for some adults. There was also some sensuality in the movie, and i would recommend this film for many more UB students and students country wide, mainly elder teens.

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  10. 1.in evrybody minds the battle of winning and loosing takes place going against an opponent, the adrenilin runs trough our minds also with fair.

    2.when you reach a point that the opponents information is more detail than yours also in a state of mind thinking that your answer is incorrect.

    3.i will take back my mind when i get the audience and judges attention to the fullest taking over the floor with accurate information pertaining the subject.


    3.

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  11. The Great Debaters

    In the movie the students debating team were motivated in every debate by a chant that they learned from the lecturer:

    Who is the judge? The judge is God.

    Why is he God? Because he decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.

    Who is your opponent?
    He does not exist.

    Why does he not exist?
    Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak.

    This kept them going to the very end even when they thought that they wouldn't make it.

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  12. The battle of being victorious all the time with a strong and positive mindset up against facing reality of losing and bring to shame a low self esteem. I’ve been tempted to lose my cool in traffic when other drivers try to cut me off or dot other ridiculous manoeuvres that may endanger my life.I might find, take back and keep your righteousness by turning my life back to God and be steered in the right direction.

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  13. well i havent seen much of this movie but from wheat ive seen it pretty interesting because it shows history and how smart young blaxks could come from nothing to be the greatest at what they do.

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  15. The battle that takes place in my mine is when I have a lot of work to do and the time doesn’t permits, but the fact that keeps me going is a strong mind like Mr. Talson and his debaters. I am tempted to lose my cool when people accuse me wrongfully. The way I find my self back to my righteous mind is by taking a deep breathe and remember who I am .A strong black woman who never forgets who she is and were she come from .

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  16. Everyday we face conflicts in our lives whether in be mentally or physically. The conflict i have in my mind is the fact that i have not found my purpose in life. I feel like i am moving aimlessly in life without a purpose or niche. This is one conflict that i deal with everyday of my life. in life we will always face opposition and conflicts, it is how we deal with them that counts. I lose my cool when i am wrongfully accused or if someone thinks their better than me. In truth, i have not found my mind yet, i hope i find it, along with my purpose.

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  17. The battles that take place in my mind are those of the crimes in Belize, I really bogus to say “Be afraid of the living instead of the dead” but yes you really have to take it into consideration. Every day is like putting your life at risk you don’t know what will be the outcome at the end of the day. Anyone could be robbed, killed, or kidnap. It really scares me to think that someday I could be a potential victim of these crimes. A battle that I think everyone would like to know is how the future will be, will times be more difficult, if society will change, or will the environment be a safe and secure or dangerous one. I have been tempted to lose my cool every time I have to wait long. I hate waiting on people I like them to be waiting on me, I’m impatient. I also have been tempted to lose my close when there are provoking stupid arrogant people who try everything to break you down and hurt your feeling. The most tempting situation that makes me lose my cool is when people who don’t even know your family talks bad about them that just messed up. Also when men disrespect young girls or woman, I really don’t understand how they could be like that I know for a fact everyone come from a woman I don’t why they have to mistreat other women. For me to take back and keep my righteous mind I try to think about the outcome before I do something, I also try to ignore people who don’t deserve your attention because most of the time that all they want a little attention. I always say if I follow up with their nonsense I’ll be no different from them. I also find it amusing when people talk about me I feel that I’m important, because they don’t have nothing else to do that they talk about me and instead of getting mad I laugh it off. I always take my parents advice it takes two fool to make a quarrel. To keep in my righteous mind I mellow down by listening to some music.

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  18. Many different battles occurs in our mind. Having a strong mind and dedicated to what were trying to achieve in any battle that approaches us keeps our sense of a challenge steady.there are times we may just want to bring it all out and loose our cool, but being exasperated makes us no better than the person who makes you feel that way. resolving the issue and thinking of a better and calmer way to be victorious plays a big role.it all comes down to getting back your rightous mind one must understand that every single thing is done because they are reasons that aquires it. be yourself as soon as the task is done. it was just merely a task.

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  19. The Battle the that take place in mind pertaining to the movie the Great Debaters is between good and evil basically it is fighting for what you believe in although the odds may not be in your favor.
    I have been tempted to lose my cool when I'm telling what is right and they are trying to tell me I'm wrong. That is when i lose my cool.In this movie it could be seen that various people lose their cool when they are under pressure. For Example Forest Whitaker, when he was questioning his son about his whereabouts and he didn't want to answer him. Forest slapped the boy.
    The way how one could "find, take back and keep your righteous mind," is never let anyone think that they can control you with their weak mental tactics. Always be in control of the situation, even if you might be wrong state you point and let it be heard. At the sight that your opponent see your weak position that you are in they will take advantage of it. Be in Control.

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  20. PRIMILEE said-The battles that take place in my mind is that i hope that the day will come when i could at least see my two kids grow pup and become a men because the way how things are happening right now people are dieing like if GUN SHOT is a disease.
    the only time i have been tempted to loos my cool is when some one accuses me wrongfully and don't give me a chance to explain situation.
    I keep my mind righteous by asking God each day before i step out to guide me through out the day since my job is being a cashier and i attend to students EVERY day so i keep it righteously before i step out my home.

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