The Greatest Of All Time: Scientists

Which scientists do Purchase College students think are the greatest of all time?

#1 Albert Einstein

1879 – 1955

“A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.”

Einstein was a German physicist best known for his theory of relativity and the equation E = mc2. He published over 300 scientific works and over 150 non-scientific works. Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, In 1999 Time magazine named him the “Person of the Century”.

#2 Charles Darwin

1809 – 1882

“I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.”

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and biologist who proved that all species have evolved over time from common ancestors through a process called natural selection. Darwin published his theory of evolution with evidence in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. These days his theory is being challenged by creationists who believe that the world was created in seven days. 

#3 Marie Curie

1867 – 1934

“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.”

Madam Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist and a pioneer in the field of radioactivity. She is the only person awarded the Nobel Prize in two different sciences, and she was the first female professor at the University of Paris who also founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw.Her achievements include  a theory of radioactivity, a techniques for isolating radioactive isotopes, and the discovery of two new elements, radium and polonium.

The Greatest Of All Time: Female Vocalist

Who are the Greatest Of All Time female vocalists? I interviewed a group of friends at a party one night and it was easy to see the top three.

#1 Whitney Houston

“The greatest singer of all time.  She is incomparable.”

“Her unique voice and singing style makes her the best singer of all time.”

“The best. The Voice. Pure talent.”

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#2 Beyonce Knowles

“Her voice is flawless. She is the greatest mainstream singer in the world.”

“Beyonce is the world’s greatest singer and performer. She has the strongest, warmest voice.”

“Nobody sings and performs like Beyonce.”

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#3 Adele

“This woman has amazing chops. She is one of the greatest singers of all time.”

“Her voice is so pure. One of the few singers who creates real music.”

“Her voice is unique and powerful.”

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The Greatest Of All Time: Films

Without a doubt, my college friends nomination for the GOAT – greatest of all time –  film is The Shawshank Redemption starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. He meets Red (Freeman) and through this friendship Andy finds ways to live in prison, showing that while the body can be in jail the spirit can never be truly imprisoned.  Though it wasn’t well received when it opened in 1994 this movie has been wildly successful in DVD sales, cable and has been included in most best picture lists.

#2 GOAT film is Happy Gilmore. I have spent many evenings laughing with my friends while watching this goofy sports comedy film starring Adam Sandler. Gilmore is a hockey player with a great snapshot but is bad at skating. He learns he has a great talent for golf so he goes on a tour to make money to save his grandmothers house.  Here are some funny scenes from this film.

#3 GOAT film chosen by my Purchase College friends is Animal House with John Belushi. This film made in 1978 about fraternity life has been the gold standard of college flicks for years. Its plot is about a group of frat members who challenge the dean of their college.

What is your greatest of all time film?

The Greatest Of All Time: Football Coaches

A football coach is the leader of a team, the teacher of young men. Coaching is also an art. Forget about the spitting and stomping …. Never judge a book by its cover. For this blogpost I didn’t ask my fellow Purchase College students who they thought was the best football coach of all time because it was hard to find football fans at Purchase. Instead, I went to my high school and spoke to members of the New Rochelle High School football team to ask them about who they thought were the greatest of all time football coaches. Below is the list of the top three coaches they selected.

#1 Vince Lombardi

Favorite quote: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”

Vince Lombardi only coached the Packers for seven years, but he made his mark by winning three straight league championships and five overall. Few people better exemplify the notion of victory and determination.

#2 Bear Bryant

Favorite quote: “Losing doesn’t make me want to quit. It makes me want to fight that much harder.”

Bear Bryant was head coach at Maryland (1945), Kentucky (1946-53) and Texas A&M (1954-57). But it was Bryant’s 25-years at Alabama that crafted his legacy. While there, his team won six national championships, 13 conference championships and 232 wins.

#3 Don Shula

Favorite quote: “Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck”

Don Shula was only NFL coach to ever be associated with the term “perfect” with a record 347 wins.  He was named Sportsman of the Year in 1993, went to six Super Bowls and won two, and completed the league’s only perfect season in 1971.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOTBALL COACH?

The Greatest Of All Time: Spring Break Vacation Spots

Spring break is around the corner so I asked some of my friends where are The Greatest Of All Time spring break spots. Here are a few of the popular destinations they mentioned. I did some research on each one and came up with personal reviews. You can link through the red links for more information. Watch the YouTube videos for more ideas.

Which spring break destination do you like best?

CANCUN

It’s expensive to fly to Cancun, but once you get there the peso buys you a lot of food and drink. Unfortunately, it’s Mexico, where weird and dangerous things have been happening. (Think dead bodies rolling up on beaches.) A few of my buddies are expecting to have a wild time there in a few weeks. Despite the risks I wish I could join them!

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BAHAMAS

I went to the Bahamas for spring break when I was a senior in high school.  It was like everyone would expect – one big long party. Transportation was slow and expensive so it was hard to navigate around the island.  In fact, everything was expensive. There weren’t any bargains because everything was priced for tourists. In retrospect I would not let my high school son or daughter go their for spring break in high school.

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PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico offers an upscale sophisticated nightlife. The bars and nightclubs cater to the 21+ crowd so this is more appropriate for graduating college seniors going on their spring break. Transportation around San Juan is relatively inexpensive and easy, so there are no problems traveling to the different clubs around town.

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SOUTH BEACH

South Beach is very trendy entertainment destination with a very active club and bar scene. Gaining entry into one of these clubs, however, could be very challenging. Overall, South Beach can be very expensive for a college student.

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The Greatest of All Time: Rappers

I asked a few college students their opinions about the GOAT rappers. This is a controversial subject. Nobody agrees on one Greatest of All Time rapper. This is not a statistically accurate report, but it seems that four rappers came up in almost everyone’s conversations.

Here are a few quotes from Purchase students about the four GOAT rappers, followed by a sample of their music.

Jay Z

“Jay Z’s flow is like no other. He is the most talented rapper in the game.”

“Jay Z is the king of hip hop and music. Only the Beatles are ahead of him.”

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Nas

“Nas is a great story teller, he tells things with meaning.”

“It’s his lyrics that are great. He raps it like it is and not just to rhyme.”

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Lil

Lil Wayne

“Lil Wayne’s voice is different than the other rappers. He uses metaphors and similes in the lyrics.”

“He gets into too much trouble. Why?”

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Kanye West

“Kanye is the greatest rapper and overal musician who has cross-over appeal.”

“He brought soul back to hip hop. He’s the best producer in hip hop music.”

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Who is your favorite rapper? Leave your comment below!

The Greatest Of All Time: Michael Jordan

There are many people who have achieved the status of Greatest Of All Time (GOATS). Examples that come to mind are Albert Einstein for science, Beethoven for music and Picasso for art. In the athletic arena Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time basketball player and all-around athlete.

NBA.com calls Jordan, “A phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire.”

Here is a funny interview with Jordan when he was 23 years old on the David Letterman show. There’s a lot of discussion about his many lucrative endorsements, including NIke, Wilson and McDonalds.  He talks about becoming a PGA golf player in 9 years. Instead, he turned to baseball! It’s only 7 minutes long and it’s real entertaining. Watch it here:

Fast Facts About Michael Jordan

Won 6 NBA championships

Named MVP of NBA 5 times

Appeared on cover of Sports Illustrated 49 times

10-time MBA scoring leader

Named Athlete of the Century by ESPN in 1999

Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009

Became majority owner of Charlotte Bobcats in 2010

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME BASKETBALL PLAYER? Share your opinions below.