Vivian Zhong Visits Section 36!

Photo: Lindsay King Portraits

Section 36 has another visitor! Vivian Zhong is passionate about finding less invasive cancer treatments, a talented pianist, and the current Miss Michigan. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Vivian Zhong visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Michigan crown?

I celebrated winning the Miss Michigan title by taking a trip up north! I love Michigan summers and was able to make a trip to Mackinac Island and Traverse City, which are two of my favorite places in the summer. I am a huge fan of the outdoors so I loved taking in the nice weather and amazing views! After that trip, which was only a few days, I came back home to begin my duties as Miss Michigan and work on upcoming plans for my Social Impact Initiative.

Is there a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Michigan?

One of my specific goals as Miss Michigan is to advocate for childhood cancer research. Only 4% of the NIH's annual budget goes towards pediatric cancer research. Children are our future and they deserve more than just 4%. I am currently in the works of meeting with a Congresswoman from Michigan to discuss the potential to work together to advocate for more funding. I hope the legacy I leave is one of hope and kindness. 

What part of the Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I am not nervous about any parts of the competition! Participating in this organization has allowed me to grow into a confident woman. I am more excited than anything to meet all of the amazing women and to represent my state. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Golden Warriors: Fight Like a Kid”?

I am an incoming first year medical student, and I have always loved working with children. One of my friends passed away just before her 21st birthday due to complications from her chemotherapy and radiation treatments that she had undergone as a child for her Leukemia. I honor her by advocating for more non-invasive treatment options so that children who beat cancer don't have complications later in their lives. Because of this, I chose to work as a pediatric medical assistant during the pandemic and saw firsthand the struggles many children face while in the hospital. My career ambitions and my passions led me to choosing childhood cancer as my Social Impact Initiative, and I am so excited to help serve these children in every capacity possible.

As a talented pianist, what is your favorite part about performing on stage?

I have been playing the piano since the age of 3, so it has always been a passion of mine. As part of my Social Impact Initiative, I perform children's songs for hospitals as part of their music therapy program. My absolute favorite part of playing piano is being able to share my passion with others, especially on stage. 

If you could be a Disney Character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

I would choose to be Mulan! As an Asian-American, I am very proud of my heritage. I love how she was the first Disney princess who fought for herself and her family. 

I actually dress up as the character Mulan and visit hospitals and pediatric cancer patients with a local non-profit called Crowns Against Cancer. I love being able to bring some joy to these children during such a tough time.

What book have you recently enjoyed reading?

My favorite book at the moment is "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi. It is such an inspiring memoir of a late neurosurgery resident. It gives me a lot to think about when it comes to living life to its fullest and taking in every opportunity presented to me.

If you had an extra ticket to see the Red Sox play the Tigers, who would you take with you? Why?

I would bring my mom. My mom and I are the best of friends, and she is by far my biggest supporter. We love traveling and going to sports games together, so I would definitely bring my mom. 

Is there a feature or activity during a game at Comerica Park that you’d especially like to experience?

As an avid baseball fan, I would absolutely love to throw the first pitch at a Tigers game! I have been to many games with my family and love the atmosphere of the games. I may not be the most accurate pitcher, but it would be such an amazing experience to stand on that mound as Miss Michigan.

---

That would be quite an experience! 

As always, I want to thank Vivian for visiting with us, and for sending along the picture to go with the interview.

As Vivian continues her time as Miss Michigan, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram and Facebook account. You can also check out the Miss Michigan website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

 
I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Vivian, and good luck!

2021 Topps Series 1 Blaster!

Another box I can't remember where it came from. Not sure if it's from the card vendor story, or not? But, where it came from isn't nearly as important as the fact that it's here now and ready to be talked about.

Let's get to it!

Once again, here's the box so you'll know it when you see it.

And the packs. I'll be sure to save the coupons so I can use them the next time I see some cards in Target. Oh. Right.

Cards of Pedro are always welcomed. Even one of these weird manufactured patch type things. Pretty uninspired if you ask me. 

A nice card of JD Martinez watching the ball. At least I think that's JD Martinez. I don't have my magnifying glass with me, so I can't be sure what the name on the card is.

See, Topps? This is how you make a readable name font. Even all chromed up I know who this is. Even though he's not a Sox player.

I've said, if you're making a set of cards about a pandemic season, I like the idea of calling attention to it, instead of hiding it. Cards like this really seal the historical aspect of the set.

As do cards like this one.

I do NOT need any more cards in packs of this guy. Ever. Really.

This guy? Get me as many of his cards as possible. What a star he is turning out to be!

Speaking of stars, and readable fonts. Not sure why Topps needs to do inserts featuring so many past designs. One per set would seem to be enough.

Great shot of EdRo. The stare is wonderfully captured.

Ouch.

Nothing spectacular in the box, but a. nice collection of Sox and other stars. That's about the best I usually hope for.

How did your box go?

Ayriss Torres Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Ayriss Torres is passionate about closing wage gaps, a talented dancer, and the current Miss Idaho. I was excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. 

So, let's see what happens when Ayriss Torres visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Idaho crown? 

My family and I went to dinner where they surprised me with a crown bracelet and the Steakhouse staff wrote me a big 'Congratulations' in sprinkles on my dessert! 

Do you have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish during your time as Miss Idaho?

I'm looking forward to visiting the smaller communities in Idaho, specifically in the Southeast area where I'm from. I'm excited to travel around the state and provide financial/wealth management education to every Idahoan I can in the hopes of closing our state's racial, gender, and generational wealth gaps!

What part of the Miss America competition are you most nervous about? I'm not a very nervous person, definitely more excited! 

I'm thrilled to be competing at the 100th Anniversary competition with some very amazing women-including the 3 other women who are also active military members like myself! 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “The Equity Project”? 

I currently work as a loan officer, and over the past year, I have noticed how little money and finance is talked about or taught in Idaho. Lessons like saving, lending, and investing are not taught in schools, making it harder for our hard working communities to grow out of poverty. Also, with a large Hispanic population in Idaho, they are very underserved and underrepresented in the wealth industry, making it even harder for them to gain the financial help they need when it comes to purchasing vehicles, homes, and breaking generational wealth gaps. I wanted to create an organization that didn't just talk about the Equity of one group of people, but one that could help further the equality of every struggling community; and wage gaps are one of the easiest things to address and change. 

As a talented dancer, what is your favorite part about performing on stage? 

Showing my personality and having fun with my dancing! 

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why? 

Probably Buzz Lightyear so I could go on secret missions in uncharted space! 

You currently serve as a Civil Affairs Specialist with the US Army. What is that experience like? 

My job is very similar to the Peace Corps but for the Army, and I absolutely love the job! I went on my first service mission in 2015 to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to help rebuild a school and soup kitchen after hurricane Odile, and I have dedicated my life to service since!

If you had an extra ticket to see a Boise Hawks baseball game, who would you take with you? Why? 

I would take my dad because he is a HUGE baseball fan- he currently lives in St. Louis, MO and loves going to watch the Cardinals!

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience? 

I've always wanted to catch a pop fly! 

---

I'd like to do that too! 

As always, I want to thank Ayriss for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Ayriss continues her time as Miss Idaho, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram and Facebook account. You can also check out the Miss Idaho website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

 
I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Ayriss, and good luck!

1975 Topps Page by Page: Page 65 (577-585)

I'm sure that you all remember that I finally completed my 1975 Topps set.

Now that it's done I thought it would be fun to look through the set and talk about it. Going page by page seemed like a good way to go about it. Hopefully you find it interesting to read what I have to say.

How about we continue with page 65?

Red Sox Cards on the Page  

0. Once again, a shutout.

Cards that make the 1975 Topps set cool 

Players from the 1975 World Series are cool. Chaney barely qualifies for that. Cards of Hall of Famers are cool. Young HOFers are cooler, but nothing uncool about a Frank Robinson. Well, except for the crease going down the side of the card.

My favorite card on the page 

It would be hard to compete with the Robinson on a good page, and this is not a good page. While I enjoy the consecutive cards of players wearing coats under their uniforms, the best card is the one of the all-time great. Even in the slightly less familiar uniform. A fantastic card.

What would your answers to those last two categories be?

Whitney Williams Visits Section 36!

Photo: West Wind Photography

Section 36 has another visitor! Whitney Williams is passionate about the arts, a talented twirler, and the current Miss Arkansas. I was thrilled that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. I'm especially excited that she's the first visitor to Section 36 from the state of Arkansas!

So, let's see what happens when Whitney Williams visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Arkansas crown?

I was so happy that immediately following being named the new Miss Arkansas that my family and friends were allowed on stage for pictures and hugs. I was still in shock, but to know that I had made them proud and they could celebrate with me was so nice! 

What did you learn about yourself during the Miss Arkansas competition that will help you at Miss America?

Any amount of growth is a wonderful thing. I learned that I am resilient during Miss Arkansas week in so many was and that I have developed into a very mentally tough person that can handle pressure. This will be a very good quality to possess when performing for millions at Miss America.

What part of the Miss America competition are you most nervous about?

I am surprisingly not nervous about any portion of the competition. I know that if I prepare ahead of time that I can enjoy the competition with my friends and will have a wonderful time representing the best state. 

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Heart for the Arts”?

When I was seven years old I was diagnosed with dyslexia and was heavily bullied by my friends and also an educator. I had given up on myself and my education and no amount of outside learning help was working. Then I was introduced to the arts and my life changed forever. I could express myself and emotions without having to use words and could channel my hurt into positive works of art. 

As a talented baton twirler, what is your favorite part about performing?

I was ten years old when I started my baton twirling career which is almost six years after everyone else typically does. For the first several years I was playing catch up to the young women my own age in twirling. I learned how to push myself to new levels that I didn’t believe were possible and I continue to enjoy the challenging aspect of learning new tricks or twirling under extreme pressure.

If you could be a Disney character for a week, who would you choose? Why?

Belle! Especially from the live action version because I love love love Emma Watson. Belle is strong, brave, and beautiful.

You’re majoring in speech language pathology. What do you see yourself doing in that field?

When I was adopted from Little Rock Arkansas my family was so excited and ready to welcome me into their family. However, I had a condition called dysphagia, which is a swallowing disorder and I was unable to join my family in my new home. With the help of SLPs I was able to get the nutrients I needed and go home with my loving family. I plan to specialize in dysphagia and in the future to open my own practice while incorporating art therapy. 

If you had an extra ticket to see an Arkansas Travelers baseball game, who would you take with you? Why?

I have enjoyed watching the Arkansas Travelers for the duration of my time in Fayetteville! My dad is my best friend and we both enjoy watching baseball together. It would be so much fun to enjoy the game with my father. 

Is there a feature or activity during a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience?

I think it would be amazing to receive a signed baseball from one of the players and experience what it is like in the dugout! 

---

That does sound like fun! 

As always, I want to thank Whitney for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to go with the interview.

As Whitney continues her time as Miss Arkansas, I encourage you to follow her title's Instagram and Facebook account. You can also check out the Miss Arkansas website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on! 

 
I also want to wish her the best of luck when she competes for the Miss America crown this winter. It would be fantastic to have another section 36 visitor wear that crown!

Thanks again Whitney, and good luck!

2020 Topps Chrome Update Blaster!

Another box that I picked up at some point when I found them. When I stumble upon blaster, I grab a few and open them up when the mood hits. Hopefully you still care about these cards...if you ever did.

Let's check it out!

As always, here's the box.

And here are the packs. Four cards per pack still amazes me. You're done with the cards before the cast off wrapper hits the table.

This would have been an exciting pull if I opened this last October. Is it still a good pull?

A Numbers Game insert of Ryne Sandberg. And, look...there's his number. While I don't mind an occasional retired player, I'd prefer there be a decent reason other than "here's his number"

I seem to get this card a lot. And, there's a reason for his inclusion. We're celebrating past all-star games in this set since 2020 didn't have a game itself. Perfect reason to include Ortiz.

Always nice to get a card with writing on it! No idea who this guy is. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good pull.

Another Red Sox! While I'll always enjoy adding a Devers, I'm curious about the set. The Decade's Next...what exactly? Definitely a "mail it in" set with no real theme and no real design.

Nice card of Red Sox bullpen ace Josh Taylor.

Another card that would have been great to pull last October. Still enjoy grabbing one now.

So, there's the box. Some hot rookies, an auto, and a couple Red Sox. I'd say it was a success.

How did your box go?

Lily Gayle Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Lily Gayle is passionate about mental health, a talented pianist, and the current Miss Southeastern Louisiana University. I was so excited that she was willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more!

So, let's see what happens when Lily Gayle visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Southeastern crown?
Well, whenever I won I was STARVING (because I hadn't eaten in hours and honestly...too nervous to eat) so I was able to go to a local taco restaurant and eat some amazing street tacos. We talked about everything that happened that evening and just sat there in disbelief that I actually was able to succeed with earning my goal that night. Needless to say, victory is sweet, but tacos at 10:30 at night are sweeter!

You recently finished in the top ten at the Miss Louisiana competition. What was that experience like? 
Yes I did! It's pretty spectacular that making the top ten even happened for me. That was my third ever competition ever and I had just been crowned in January so being in that select few really solidified it for me that God has a purpose in my life and that I was on that state competing during finals for a reason. Before Finals on saturday, I was going through some personal issues such as being afraid of not even being called and I was torn between wanting to make top ten and not having to compete again and I was holding onto that feeling that I would be called no matter what because in every competition I've ever been in I've always placed. Not only in scholarship competitions, but writing, journalism and broadcast competitions as well, so I don't know what it's like to not place. That being said, I knew that I had to do some major soul searching. I went into a little stairwell near my dressing room and I put on my playlist on shuffle and the song "Who am I" by Casting Crowns came on. If  you've never heard that song before, the overview is basically a prayer telling God that He is everything and that all I am is just a vapor in the wind that we know as time. We are here only for a moment and that moment shouldn't be spent worrying about what title or position I may earn next, but it should be spent in gratitude and awe because God is the one who made me who I am and no title or place could ever take that away from me. I prayed to make Top Ten and if I didn't I prayed that I would have peace. When Top Ten was being called, I was totally at peace, my heart wasn't pounding, my hands weren't sweating. I was alright with being who I was at that moment. THEN MY NAME WAS CALLED. I knew at that moment that God had me. He heard me and knew that my heart was in the right place. It was an experience like no other because I had surrendered all to God and He really rewarded me for putting Him first. 

You’re a journalism major, with a sports concentration. What do you see yourself doing in that field? 
Well I am sports reporter as of right now, with a minor in administrative supervision in business. So I am capable of working in any athletic field. At this time, I am also an athletic marketing intern and graphic designer so I build a lot of recruitment graphics and help our creative team with photos, creating videos and setting up photoshoots. What I would like to do is work as a freelance sports reporter for an FCS conference like the Southland, I love the atmosphere of these schools and it's just the right size. But my dream would be a mixture between the late Carley Mccord and Emily Dixon at LSU: where I get the inside scoop on my particular team that I work for and when I don't work with that team, I travel with a sports station and report on live broadcasts at the games that I would be assigned.

How did you select your social impact initiative, “Lifter’s Project: Worth Your Heartbeat”? 
So back in high school I suffered from anxiety, anorexia and situational depression. I was the oldest of four children and a very type A personality and perfectionist. I would get anxious about "what if I didn't make a good enough grade, will people hate me?" "What if I'm too much of a nerd?" I was a very awkward person growing up and I began binge eating. This all began after coming off the missionary field with my family back in 2012 after being gone for the entirety of my childhood, so getting back as a thirteen year old girl with no idea how a first world country worked, what the girls were like and moving into high school, I became very depressed. Then I began hating myself for being this way so I began to self mutilate and starve myself. All the weight I had gained from eating American food was gone within 6-9 months and every bone in my body you could basically see. I also attempted suicide three times within that time span. It only began to get better whenever I kicked in my mirror (that was warped, but I didn't know at the time so it had been giving me distorted images of myself to make me look bigger than I was). I told myself I would get better. I did get better, until I relapsed in the winter of December of 2017, I had a mental breakdown and one minute I was crying in the bathroom and the next my legs were so injured that I still have the scars to this day. I use my backstory to teach others how important it is to understand why recovery is so important and why relapse isn't a mistake. I created my SII to help people through their recovery and relapse because there are so many of us who are trying to get better but don't have the support or the resources to do so. I also help friends and loved ones cope and understand what it's like to live with a mental disorder because they need to understand too so that the person who is going through these disorders feel loved, accepted and understood. During this time I also created the "Three Ls": Listen, Learn and Love. So that people know to listen: let the other person speak on why they're feeling this way, don't put in your two cents until they are finished and they ask for advice. Learn: research the reasons for the disorders, ways to help and find resources for that person. Lastly, love: that person may be crying all the time, quiet, irritable and angry, but they aren't angry at you, they need you to love them. So love them unconditionally because in the end, love conquers all things.

As a talented pianist, what do you enjoy most about performing on stage? 

Oh my goodness! I am flattered! Well, I just love the fact thatnot many people know that I am self taught. I've been self teaching myself since I was a teenager. I can shred some keys and people think that I just played a classical piece and I say: " Nope, I just am goofing off and having some fun!" Whenever I competed at Miss Louisiana, that was the first time I had ever done my talent live, for Miss Southeastern we had to record talent so that was a pretty cool experience and I was very comfortable with being on stage, it was an amazing feeling and being able to play the outro that I wrote for that song was an epic feeling and I can't wait to do that again!

What is your personal fitness routine? 
So I am a powerlifter which basically means I lift heavy things VERY slowly! I workout 5 times a week with two days being leg focused, two days being upper body focused and one day more cardio and body weight focused. I've been doing this particular routine for about a year and half now with running on our football field in the afternoons in the fall. Wednesdays are usually my overload days on leg and just this past wednesday I was able to hit a personal record of 145 for two on back squat which is pretty crazy because that's twenty five pounds above my body weight!

If you could be a Disney Character for a week, who would you choose? Why? 

It's funny you ask that because I am actually three Disney characters!  I worked with Once Upon a Time Parties in Baton Rouge as Cinderella, Rapunzel and Elsa! But my favorite one is Rapunzel, I love her personality and optimistic attitude. She is so spunky and full of life and I relate a lot to her because she had to break away from her past to become her true self and I had to do that in a sense as well. 

If you had an extra ticket to a Astros-Rays baseball game, who would you take with you? Why? 
If I had one ticket to bring someone with me, I'd probably bring my best friend. He experienced all of my competitions with me, so being able to bring him with me to a professional baseball game and enjoy that first time experience with him too would be something for my scrapbook. 

Is there a feature or activity at a baseball game that you’d especially like to experience? 

Honestly? I'd love to actually sit and enjoy a baseball game with a hot dog with extra cheese and a Dr. Pepper. Being in broadcast, I've worked countless baseball games on campus, but I'd love to just sit and enjoy it with some good food and cheer for my team. 

---

That’s definitely the best way to enjoy a game!

As always, I want to thank Lily for visiting with us, and for sending along the wonderful pictures to go with the interview.

As Lily continues her time as Miss Southeastern Louisiana University, I encourage you to check out her official Instagram account and her website. They're great ways to keep track of everything she has going on!

Thanks again Lily, and good luck!