PROGRAM GUESTS

Sam Donaldson
first came to the attention of many Americans with his relentless questioning of Presidents Carter and Reagan as ABC's White House correspondent. A 29-year veteran of ABC News, he is one of the pillars of the network's award-winning news team, co-anchor of Prime Time Live, frequent anchor of the ABC Nightly News and permanent fixture on This Week, the Sunday morning political discussion program.

Scott Hamilton
suddenly stopped growing at age two, and his health began to fail. For six years he spent long periods in the hospital, and was treated unsuccessfully by a succession of doctors. One team gave him only six months to live. At age nine, he attempted ice skating for the first time. The strenuous physical activity in the cold atmosphere of the ice rink prompted a miraculous recovery and he began growing again. Scott Hamilton went on to win eight consecutive national and world figure-skating titles, and the gold medal for figure skating in the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo. He has dazzled audiences around the world with his extraordinary speed, back-flips and triple jumps.

James Earl Jones
overcame a debilitating stutter to become an award-winning actor with "the voice of the century." He first rose to fame with his powerful performance as a world heavyweight champion in the play and film The Great White Hope. He has won two Tony Awards for theater, two Grammys for his recording work, and two Emmys for television performances. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Today, millions know him as the voice of CNN, of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, and of Mustafa in The Lion King.

Mario J. Molina, Ph.D.
and Professor Sherwood Rowlands published an article in the science magazine Nature in 1974 in which they first outlined the threat posed to the ozone layer of our atmosphere by the continued use of chlorofluourocarbon (CFC) gases in aerosol cans, air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The ozone layer is essential for protecting living organisms from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. At first, many people were skeptical of Molina and Rowlands's claim, but in 1985 a large hole in the ozone layer was, in fact, found above the South Pole. Increasing rates of skin cancer and cataracts in the southern hemisphere are widely attributed to this loss of atmospheric ozone. An international ban on the use of CFCs is now in force. Professor Molina's contribution to our understanding of this danger was honored by the 1995 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

R. L. Stine
had been writing for Scholastic magazines for 17 years, writing mostly humorous short stories for children, when his editor suggested he try writing a juvenile tale of horror. Scary stories for teenagers led Stine to experiment with spooky tales for even younger readers. The result was the phenomenally popular Goosebumps series for readers age eight to twelve. Goosebumps and the Fear Street series have made R.L. Stine the best-selling author in America. More than a million copies of his books are sold every month.

BACKGROUND

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What sacrifices have the guests made in the name of perseverance?
What rewards have they reaped?
How does responsibility play a role in success?

CAREER CORNER: SCHOOL TO WORK TRANSITION

There are many career opportunities for people with a variety of talents, skills and abilities. But they are not simply handed out on silver platters. Education and, yes, perseverance are required. The American Academy of Achievement has documented the careers of dedicated people who have earned the fruits of perseverance. Browse through the Gallery of Achievement and select one of the biographies that interests you. What educational background and experience did the person have? What road blocks did he or she encounter? What were the rewards? Share your discoveries with your classmates.

If you haven't already done so, check out the Academy's Hall of Perseverance.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED...
According to the Random House dictionary, perseverance means persistence in pursuing something in spite of obstacles or opposition. This neutral definition does not explore the issue of whether perseverance is good or bad, wise or foolhardy. The quotations listed below present various takes on perseverance. Read through them and then answer these questions:

1. Which quotes do you agree with? Why?
2. Which quotes do you disagree with? Why?
3. Briefly research the speakers and their historical moment.
4. Select the quote you feel is the best interpretation of perseverance. Be prepared to defend your choice to your teacher and fellow classmates.

"Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try, try again."
W.E. Hickson, "Try and Try Again"
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." W.C. Fields
"God Almighty hates a quitter." General Samuel Fessenden at the Republican convention, 1896.
"A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry." The Bible, Ecclesiastes 8:15
"What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; th' unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield." Milton, PARADISE LOST, 1
"These are the times that try men's souls." Thomas Paine, THE AMERICAN CRISIS
"The waters wear the stones." Old Testament, Job, XIV, 19
"It is difficulties that show what men are." Epictetus
"You can have anything in this world you want, if you want it badly enough and you're willing to pay the price." Mary Kay Ash
"If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches." Rainer Maria Rilke
"No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." Lord Chesterfield
"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grew." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires." Lao-Tzu
"Sure, winning isn't everything. It's the only thing." Henry ("Red") Sanders, quoted in Sports Illustrated (Often attributed to Vince Lombardi.)
"Work is the grand cure for all the maladies and miseries that ever beset mankind - honest work, which you intend getting done." Thomas Carlyle
"Just do it." Advertising Slogan
F. WORDS TO LIVE BY...
Find a quotation and adopt it as your own personal motto. The quotation could be a line from a poem, play, song, movie, advertising slogan or religious text (i.e. the Bible, the Koran, or the Bhagavad-Gita.) Write it out in calligraphy; make it into a poster for your bedroom. Post it on the refrigerator. Attach it to your email; have it printed on your personalized stationery.
Three possible sources for a personal motto are:
Davidoff, Henry. (1942). THE POCKET BOOK OF QUOTATIONS. New York: Pocket Books.
McWilliams, Peter. (1991) DO IT! LET'S GET OFF OUR BUTS. Los Angeles, CA: Prelude Press.