Marquis Dickerson Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric Jan. 22, 2014 September 14, 2012 September 14, 2012.

In a world that is completely dominated by technological advances, I had seen few of them in the impoverished Arkansas Delta. In my house there were televisions, a desktop, and a cell phone for each of the three members in the household. However, we were missing something that seems quite elementary to the majority of the country: Wi-Fi. While Wi-Fi was available in the town portion of my county, my house resided about ten minutes away from civilization. Visiting family members in Texas allowed me to realize my grave loss. That eye opening trip ignited a fire that burns constantly in me: to never slip into mediocrity. I have a hunger to succeed. From my point of view, rising above mediocrity creates a great number of options, not just for athletes and musicians, but also for professionals. Excellence creates opportunities for all, from engineers to street sweepers to homemakers. However, all of these paths require proficiency in the use of technology. For me, the problem is this low-tech bubble that Ive been called home: how do I get out? Growing up fatherless I often turned to men from television or media for role models. In this instance I relied on the great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who once said, Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. I have incorporated Coach Woodens thinking into much of what I have done. His words reached a starving teenager and taught me that the path to success is paved with humility. Eventually, my diligent work to achieve my goals left me with several options on the table. All the while, the only option that really made any sense to me was athletics. Looking for a way to combine my love for sports with my deep competitiveness, I decided that

playing football at the next level was going to be absolutely vital. The next step to take was playing at the collegiate level. As time and my game progressed, my love for sports became more than a passion; I also began to excel on the gridiron. Receiving letters from the likes of Penn State, Missouri, and Notre Dame was the turning point: I realized my goals were within reach. After a great junior year, I was invited to attend the U.S. Army All-American Combine. A pretty good showing there blessed me with my first offer, from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where my childhood idol Dennis Winston extended the scholarship offer to me. This honor made me willing to work through the offseason to live up to the Internet-hype over my upcoming senior season. Being named the top Defensive Tackle in Arkansas for the class of 2013 by ArkansasVarsity.com was a huge honor, but it made me realize that all eyes were on me. Unfortunately, the season began in horrid fashion for my team, although coaches attending games were pleased with the level of my play. This brings me to September 14, 2012. The game that day pitted my squad, the Marianna Trojans, against our archrivals, the Forrest City Mustangs. What was almost larger than the game was the fact that the two greatest and most dominant forces on high school defensive lines in the state of Arkansas were going head to head: the firm prospect Marquis Dickerson against fast-rising, Arkansas-Razorback commited Tevin Beanum. As very close friends, Tevin and I completely hyped each other up for this giant game at the tail end of our high school careers. In the smooth first quarter I was the clear winner of the matchup, after compiling a stat sheet of six tackles, two forced fumbles, and a blocked extra point (along with a blind side collision from Tevin that I bucked up and absorbed with relative ease). The second quarter began a little differently. All of a sudden, rain began to pour faster than you could imagine; it felt as if I were being shot by tons of little water bullets. This of course tampered with the field of play, which was a thickly manicured natural grass surface. With mud and water everywhere, I led my team onto the field to begin

the second quarter of play. I quickly felt several blows to my legs from what appeared to be a helmet. Then, exactly three minutes into the quarter, I felt another blow as Im engaged, and suddenly, while my leg is planted into the ground, the only noise I heard was a pop from my ankle to my calf. This pop sent me out for the next two quarters and eventually ruined my chances of having a healthy senior year. After the game, which we lost 57-0, I listened to my coach rant on and on, finally saying See, big boy, were about to see how tough you are. What that meant for me was, although your ankle is no good at the moment, you must NOT miss practice or any football related times, even if you were just trying to heal. Fast forward through an achy season, and there I was: a solid prospect trying to get out of the poorest county in the nation in order to accomplish the goals I had set before me. This is where my competitive nature kicked in. I hate losing, including in the classroom. By my senior year, I was second in my class and held the highest ACT score with a 31. Luckily enough, in one of my deepest slumps, Notre Dame came into play, although it was late in the game. I eventually accepted an offer to come and achieve my goals at the university. (Insert Quote from Jan.23) Coming here, I was shocked by how technologically advanced every piece of equipment was. Every aspect of life at the University, from watching film to learning plays, has been turned over to the new generation of technology. Every practice, game, and opposing teams game are filmed and accessible to each member of personnel through an issued iPad, which enables everyone to push their game forward while on the go. How could a kid from Marianna, Arkansas, attend such a prestigious university, having access to technology that isnt even available in the place that hed called home for the better part of 17 years? With each passing day there are fewer obstacles stopping me from achieving the goals that I set growing up. Becoming screen-literate has permitted me to push these goals to newer and braver heights.