Dreams and degrees

Adam Tatalovich was on the bench when the Hoosiers took their game to the national championship. He closely watched Mike Davis win his first game as head coach, and he was on the sidelines last Wednesday when the Hoosiers beat Michigan. He's been there for the good times, and he never turns his head from the team during the bad. But Tatalovich has never seen a second of play time. Instead he helps behind the scenes. He edits the game films and exchanges films with other schools. And he loves every second of it.\nTatalovich is a manager for the IU men's basketball team. He is majoring in secondary history education with a minor in exercise science. But his ultimate goal is to work for a team famous for giving birth to a legend that will never fade and to a sneaker that makes people think they jump higher: Michael Jordan and the Bulls. He doesn't really need a degree to accomplish this dream. It's all about networking, and it's all about perseverance. \nLucky for Tatalovich, he has connections. He individually completed the scout tape for the Yugoslavian national team who claimed the world championship after sending the Dream Team and Argentina team home. Tatalovich receives his inspiration from his uncle who passed away from a heart attack when he was coaching his two sons in a basketball game.\n"I think everyone should go to college to get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cab driver," Al McGuire, a famous collegiate coach once said. "Then they would be really educated."\nHow many students at IU will be receiving a degree that has little to do with their dream jobs? And how many seniors have no clue what they're doing with their post "Animal House" college life? \nIt's important to consider the people partially responsible for a 3.6 percent increase in donations: our faithful alumni. It's like the VH1 special, "Where are they now?" How many alumni actually followed their dreams?\nAdrienne Barker had a unique aspiration when she graduated from IU last year. Instead of a briefcase and a business suit, Barker opted for camouflage and army boots. She is now stationed halfway around the world in Kuwait. She couldn't tell me what she is doing specifically because she is required to maintain "operational security." But she has worked her way up the military ladder of success. \nShe is now a leader of a communications platoon. For all you military illiterates like me, this title deems her responsible for the communications network on the battlefield. Barker completed her IU education with a Bachelor of Arts in studio art and a minor in art history. Her military career keeps her too busy to sit down and get out the pastels, but she's certainly doing what she loves on the battlefield.\nPart of college is discovering where you want to go with your life. And if your dream doesn't parallel your "what I want to be when I grow up" childhood obsession, don't freak out. Call someone who cares; no, not your girlfriend, but your advisor. Talk about options. Sometimes it's a matter of enrolling in three courses to obtain another degree. And if you're a senior unhappy with your major, look at the bright side: at least you're getting a degree. Most employers will tell you, it's the degree that gets you the green. But it's the dream that will lead to a lifetime of fulfillment.