(C.)
Online chat rooms have become a great source of communication. By utilizing a chat room, you can talk with lots of different people at once. The chat room is a good resource to use inside and outside of the classroom. They have allowed me to converse with other members of my biology class to discuss the lectures and labs. A lot of classes around campus have the chat rooms set up privately for only the students registered in that class, making sure that people who do not belong to a particular class do not gain access to the room. Overall, chat rooms are very effective resources.
(D.)
Unfortunately, inn Los Angeles, the use of dogs in the police force has been rejected, and the use of weapons is preferred. During the Watts riots, which took place in L.A., officers employed guns as a means of protection; some looters and perpetrators were killed (Knutson and Revering 64). However, dogs are a much more suitable and effective alternative to weapons as well as to excessive and deadly force. Although suspects have claimed to be badly bitten, these cases are extremely rare compared to the many documented good deeds and rescues involving human lives performed by police canines. It has therefore been concluded by the 6th Circuit Court that, "since deaths are rare in police dog cases, deploying dogs cannot be condemned as deadly force." (Savage para 12).
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Cohesive Devices Exercise
In today’s ever growing society, athletes are becoming more and more spotlighted in the media. @[That is to say that] an increase in the publicity of these athletes means that there are more opportunities to learn about how athletes train to become better. @[Sometimes,] they use steroids to gain a greater edge and get caught by their league. @[Thus,] the message that is sent to young people in today’s society is that it is ok to take steroids as long as you are not caught, and if you are caught the only penalty is some kind of fine or suspension. You rarely, if ever, hear of any side effects that steroids have. In my paper, I will discuss a policy that I have formulated with regard to steroid use. *My policy will be that there is a need to educate people on the effects of steroid use to decrease steroid use. @[Specifically,] People need to be educated on the physical effects that steroids have on the body, the mental effects that steroids have on the body, and the costs that steroids incur on society, especially the sports world. I think that I have a sufficient number of sources that will allow me to write an effective policy. If I find I need more information I can always do more research but I do not think that will be necessary.
I think that this exercise was useful. It made me analyze my writing, how I write, and how I can make changes. I do not usually think about cohesive devices when I write or edit, but now I might use this exercise when I write and edit so that I can make my paper stronger. It was also helpful in making sure everything flows well and making sure that everything is supported.
I think that this exercise was useful. It made me analyze my writing, how I write, and how I can make changes. I do not usually think about cohesive devices when I write or edit, but now I might use this exercise when I write and edit so that I can make my paper stronger. It was also helpful in making sure everything flows well and making sure that everything is supported.
FreeWrite
With only 9 days remaining until the annual Carolina-Clemson football game, there has been a change in the usual pep rally that occurs the friday night before the game. It has been decided to cancely "Tiger Burn," the traditional pep-rally the night before the Clemson game which concluded in a burning of a large engineered tiger. Instead, it has been decided to be renamed "Tiger Tear Down," in which two large tractors will tear down the tiger at the end of the pep rally. This decision to change has created some controversy on campus because it is breaking a very long and old tradition. I think that the decision to cancel the burning part of the pep rally has been done out of respect for those who died in the fires in North Carolina last month, and that it was the right thing to do. With the recent passing of 7 students between the two schools, I think it is only right to cancel something that might have such a negative connotation. I can understand why some might be upset because of tradition, but I think that this is more important. We will have to wait until next year to see if they keep the change to Tiger Tear Down or if it returns to Tiger Burn.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Carolina Reader Chapter 7 Question 5
Often times people talk about supporting the environment, and you hear about new-age technology that will make this possible. In both of their articles, Jamie Lincoln Kitman and Patrick Moore make somewhat surprising arguments about the effectiveness of hybrid vehicles and nuclear energy respectively, one with technology and ideas supposedly supporting the environment and one with technology and ideas hurting the environment. They both present their opinions, opposite of what you would expect based on knowledge that they support the environment.
Jamie Lincoln Kitman’s article entitled “Life In The Green Lane,” discusses the new popularity and technology that is associated with hybrid cars. Kitman argues that people purchase new hybrid cars because they have been led to believe that hybrid cars are better for the environment. He argues, however, that although a car may be a hybrid car, it might not be as good for the environment as a normal gas car. He talks about how hybrid cars receiving positive response from the government, even though they do not really deserve it. Also, when people talk about getting a hybrid, he suggests that they look at the fuel efficiency and miles per gallon that the car gets so they can be informed on what they are buying. He counters people who say hybrids are always better by showing that they are only better during city conditions where the battery engines can work comfortably. Once a hybrid car is driven on the highway, the computer tells the car to use the gas engine, being less efficient than a similarly sized gas car, which costs much less. In addition, he does not agree that hybrid cars should receive special treatment on the highway and in parking spaces because they really are not as beneficial.
Patrick Moore’s article entitled “Going Nuclear: A Green Makes The Case,” discusses the different energy sources and that we should convert our energy sources to nuclear power. He says that globally emissions will be greatly reduced. Also, he discusses how nuclear power would be less expensive than coal-fired electric plants and natural gas plants, more reliable and predictable than wind and solar power plants, therefore leaving it as the only viable substitute for coal. There are counterarguments that are made about nuclear energy, and he disputes these arguments. When people think nuclear energy is too expensive, he talks about how it is one of the least expensive energy sources. People often think that nuclear plants are unsafe because of Chernobyl, however he talks about how that was set up for disaster and failure, and that the incident on Three Mile Island is a good piece of evidence on how a problem at a plant can be easily controlled and contained. It is thought that nuclear waste will be dangerous for long periods of time, buy yet again he states that within 40 years, less than one-thousandth of the radioactivity of used fuel remains, and even this can be reused. When it is thought that nuclear plants are vulnerable for terrorist attacks, he states that they are well protected, and there are other, more penetrable places to attack.
After reading these two articles, I will no longer think that anything relating to supporting the environment will be about technology being good, and I will think that it is necessary to gain all information before making a decision on an issue. I think that these two are very persuasive because of their biography. By knowing that they are all for supporting the environment and maintaining it, they gain credibility and are able to be persuasive when they go against the stereotype and voice their true opinions. They are also persuasive because they back up their arguments with factual information. It is not very common that people in favor of supporting the environment will have these opinions, so when they do, the are very effective.
Jamie Lincoln Kitman’s article entitled “Life In The Green Lane,” discusses the new popularity and technology that is associated with hybrid cars. Kitman argues that people purchase new hybrid cars because they have been led to believe that hybrid cars are better for the environment. He argues, however, that although a car may be a hybrid car, it might not be as good for the environment as a normal gas car. He talks about how hybrid cars receiving positive response from the government, even though they do not really deserve it. Also, when people talk about getting a hybrid, he suggests that they look at the fuel efficiency and miles per gallon that the car gets so they can be informed on what they are buying. He counters people who say hybrids are always better by showing that they are only better during city conditions where the battery engines can work comfortably. Once a hybrid car is driven on the highway, the computer tells the car to use the gas engine, being less efficient than a similarly sized gas car, which costs much less. In addition, he does not agree that hybrid cars should receive special treatment on the highway and in parking spaces because they really are not as beneficial.
Patrick Moore’s article entitled “Going Nuclear: A Green Makes The Case,” discusses the different energy sources and that we should convert our energy sources to nuclear power. He says that globally emissions will be greatly reduced. Also, he discusses how nuclear power would be less expensive than coal-fired electric plants and natural gas plants, more reliable and predictable than wind and solar power plants, therefore leaving it as the only viable substitute for coal. There are counterarguments that are made about nuclear energy, and he disputes these arguments. When people think nuclear energy is too expensive, he talks about how it is one of the least expensive energy sources. People often think that nuclear plants are unsafe because of Chernobyl, however he talks about how that was set up for disaster and failure, and that the incident on Three Mile Island is a good piece of evidence on how a problem at a plant can be easily controlled and contained. It is thought that nuclear waste will be dangerous for long periods of time, buy yet again he states that within 40 years, less than one-thousandth of the radioactivity of used fuel remains, and even this can be reused. When it is thought that nuclear plants are vulnerable for terrorist attacks, he states that they are well protected, and there are other, more penetrable places to attack.
After reading these two articles, I will no longer think that anything relating to supporting the environment will be about technology being good, and I will think that it is necessary to gain all information before making a decision on an issue. I think that these two are very persuasive because of their biography. By knowing that they are all for supporting the environment and maintaining it, they gain credibility and are able to be persuasive when they go against the stereotype and voice their true opinions. They are also persuasive because they back up their arguments with factual information. It is not very common that people in favor of supporting the environment will have these opinions, so when they do, the are very effective.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Carolina Reader Chapter 7 Question 4
In both Jeffrey Kluger's and Richard Lindzen's essay's is there a discussion on global warming, however they differ in how they go about discussing global warming. They both discuss what global warming is and how it occurs, but after that they talk about opposite points of view.
Jeffrey Kluger's article entitled "Be Worried, Be Very Worried," is first a discussion of what is happening in terms of global warming and how it is being caused by humans. He talks about how scientists predicted that global warming was going to happen and that "even most skeptics have concluded...human activity has been causing it." (270) Kluger believes that our production of CO2 and their emissions have been causing many different natural disasters througout the world. He thinks that too much production "does and awful lot of damage." (271) The results of an increase in carbon dioxide is causing "glaciers and ice caps crumbling to slush," and also a rising sea level that could "swallow large parts of coastal Florida and most of Bangladesh." (272) He goes on to mention how feedback loops occur and that are causing soil to "warm and decompose, releasing gases that will turn into methane and CO2. That, in turn, could lead to more warming and permafrost thaw." (273) With an increase in CO2 causing permafrost thaw, a loss of thermoregulation would occur, which would mean we would have warmer ocean water and colder continents inside a hotter globe. He also talks about how global warming causes "the snowpack to melt too early, so that by the time it's needed, it's largely gone." (274) This promotes a problem because not only is the snowpack melting but if it is gone then a habitat for both plants and animals is also gone.
Richard Lindzen's article entitled "Climate of Fear: Global-Warming Alarmists Intimidate Dissenting Scientists Into Science," discusses global warming in a somewhat different approach. I felt when reading his article that he was trying to downplay the importance of global warming. He says that "levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have increased by about 30% ....and CO2 should contribute to future warming...however, what the public fails to grasp is that the claims neither constitute support for alarm nor establish man's responsibility for the small amount of warming that has occurred." (279) He is saying that claims are made but it is people who become alarmed not the scientists. He talks about the "Iris Effect, wherein upper-level cirrus clouds contracted with increased temperature, providing a very strong negative climate feedback sufficient to greatly reduce the response to increasing CO2," (280) and how his finding were discredited, most likely because it goes against global warming.
Overally, I think that Kluger's article is much more effective than Lindzen's. I think that Kluger provides specific evidence of causes and effects in the world with regard to global warming and the increase in carbon dioxide. His article seems more factual and less biased than Lindzen's. I feel that Lindzen's article is more of a whining rant because conducted a study that was decided to be discredited, and therefore his argument is not as effective.
Jeffrey Kluger's article entitled "Be Worried, Be Very Worried," is first a discussion of what is happening in terms of global warming and how it is being caused by humans. He talks about how scientists predicted that global warming was going to happen and that "even most skeptics have concluded...human activity has been causing it." (270) Kluger believes that our production of CO2 and their emissions have been causing many different natural disasters througout the world. He thinks that too much production "does and awful lot of damage." (271) The results of an increase in carbon dioxide is causing "glaciers and ice caps crumbling to slush," and also a rising sea level that could "swallow large parts of coastal Florida and most of Bangladesh." (272) He goes on to mention how feedback loops occur and that are causing soil to "warm and decompose, releasing gases that will turn into methane and CO2. That, in turn, could lead to more warming and permafrost thaw." (273) With an increase in CO2 causing permafrost thaw, a loss of thermoregulation would occur, which would mean we would have warmer ocean water and colder continents inside a hotter globe. He also talks about how global warming causes "the snowpack to melt too early, so that by the time it's needed, it's largely gone." (274) This promotes a problem because not only is the snowpack melting but if it is gone then a habitat for both plants and animals is also gone.
Richard Lindzen's article entitled "Climate of Fear: Global-Warming Alarmists Intimidate Dissenting Scientists Into Science," discusses global warming in a somewhat different approach. I felt when reading his article that he was trying to downplay the importance of global warming. He says that "levels of CO2 in the atmosphere have increased by about 30% ....and CO2 should contribute to future warming...however, what the public fails to grasp is that the claims neither constitute support for alarm nor establish man's responsibility for the small amount of warming that has occurred." (279) He is saying that claims are made but it is people who become alarmed not the scientists. He talks about the "Iris Effect, wherein upper-level cirrus clouds contracted with increased temperature, providing a very strong negative climate feedback sufficient to greatly reduce the response to increasing CO2," (280) and how his finding were discredited, most likely because it goes against global warming.
Overally, I think that Kluger's article is much more effective than Lindzen's. I think that Kluger provides specific evidence of causes and effects in the world with regard to global warming and the increase in carbon dioxide. His article seems more factual and less biased than Lindzen's. I feel that Lindzen's article is more of a whining rant because conducted a study that was decided to be discredited, and therefore his argument is not as effective.
Topic Proposal for Policy Paper
In today’s ever growing society, athletes are becoming more and more spotlighted in the media. The increase in the publicity of these athletes means that there is more opportunities to learn about how athletes train to become better. Sometimes, they use steroids to gain a greater edge and get caught by their league. The message that is sent to young people in today’s society is that it is ok to take steroids as long as you are not caught, and if you are caught the only penalty is some kind of fine or suspension. You rarely, if ever, hear of any side effects that steroids have.
In my paper, I will discuss a policy that I have formulated with regard to steroid use. My policy will be that there is a need to educate people on the effects of steroid use to decrease steroid use. People need to be educated on the physical effects that steroids have on the body, the mental effects that steroids have on the body, and the costs that steroids incur on society, especially the sports world. I think that I have a sufficient number of sources that will allow me to write an effective policy. If I find I need more information I can always do more research but I do not think that will be necessary.
In my paper, I will discuss a policy that I have formulated with regard to steroid use. My policy will be that there is a need to educate people on the effects of steroid use to decrease steroid use. People need to be educated on the physical effects that steroids have on the body, the mental effects that steroids have on the body, and the costs that steroids incur on society, especially the sports world. I think that I have a sufficient number of sources that will allow me to write an effective policy. If I find I need more information I can always do more research but I do not think that will be necessary.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Point IV for Policy Paper
The are three perspectives that I outlined in my paper. First, I discussed the original use and purpose for steroids, and why they were developed, and how their creators never intended for steroids to be used how they are being used today. Second, I talked about positives to steroids about increasing muscle size, getting better at athletics and providing more entertainment in the sports world. Third, I discussed the negative effects that steroids have. I talked about how steroids affect the body physically and mentally. Also, the effects that steroids have on society and doctors in terms of the costs that they cause.
Based on the current state of things, I think that the persepective that is most dominant is the perspective of the negative effects that steroids have. I think this is true because the negatives completley outweigh the positives. They are hurting people, both directly and indirectly. I think that the motivation for this perspective is the increase in use of steroids by people who are unaware of the effects. I think this is because with a lack of knowledge, people are making choices that they will eventually regret.
I think that the perspective that needds to be dominant is the perspective that there are many negative effects of steroids and steroid use. I think this is necessary because people need to be informed on all aspects of steroids. I think that this perspective also needs to be dominant because it will inform those who need to be informed, providing enough information for them to make their own educated decision.
The perspective can be enforced as a policy by making a policy that we need to educate people on the effects of steroid use to decrease steroid use.
Based on the current state of things, I think that the persepective that is most dominant is the perspective of the negative effects that steroids have. I think this is true because the negatives completley outweigh the positives. They are hurting people, both directly and indirectly. I think that the motivation for this perspective is the increase in use of steroids by people who are unaware of the effects. I think this is because with a lack of knowledge, people are making choices that they will eventually regret.
I think that the perspective that needds to be dominant is the perspective that there are many negative effects of steroids and steroid use. I think this is necessary because people need to be informed on all aspects of steroids. I think that this perspective also needs to be dominant because it will inform those who need to be informed, providing enough information for them to make their own educated decision.
The perspective can be enforced as a policy by making a policy that we need to educate people on the effects of steroid use to decrease steroid use.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Campus Issue
In freshman residence halls, there are policies that are currently in place that deal with visitation of the opposite sex. The current policy is no one of the opposite sex may be signed into the dorm after 2am. I feel that there should not be a limitation on when people of the opposite sex may be signed into the dorm. We are considered adults and should therefore be treated like adults. This limitation on when people are allowed to be signed into the dorm seems unnecessary and rediculous.
Playing Devil's Advocate
The University most likely has this policy in place because as first year students we are in a new place with new people who we might not know as well as we think. HAving the ability to sign someone in after 2am might not be in that person's best interest, especially if they had been out that night drinking or partying. They might have been convinced to come back to another's dorm and not really knowing what was going on. This could lead to someone being forced to do something that they would not otherwise do
Playing Devil's Advocate
The University most likely has this policy in place because as first year students we are in a new place with new people who we might not know as well as we think. HAving the ability to sign someone in after 2am might not be in that person's best interest, especially if they had been out that night drinking or partying. They might have been convinced to come back to another's dorm and not really knowing what was going on. This could lead to someone being forced to do something that they would not otherwise do
In Class FreeWrite 2
I think that both Achenbach and Reilly are arguing from the same persepective about the F-Word. Their claim is that the F-Word is becoming overused, and that in today's society, those who are using it do not put much thought into using it. However, they both use different reasons to support their claims. Achenbach talks about the history of the word; how it originated and where, and how it has come into public use only in the last 40 or so years. He talks about the "shock" that comes when people use the F-Word in public and how it is so surprising. He talks about how people use it without really meaning anything by it. Reilly talks about experiences he has had with the F-Word from sporting events, and how it is seen as a normal and not very different word from any other word in the English language. He feels it lacks creativity and that its overuse is becoming boring. I agree with Reilly that sports fans are using it and not really being creative with any kind of cheers / yelling at games.
In Class FreeWrite
A few years ago, in the state of Connecticut, the lawmakers changed the driving laws to prohibit new drivers, under age 18, from having any passengers in their car until they had had their license for 6 months. AT the time, I was just about to get my license and had thought that this was rediculous because it meant if I wanted to go somewhere with friends that we all had to drive ourselves. I was really annoyed with this new law, not thinking that it really made any sense until about 7 months after the law had been passed. A friend of mine had just gotten his license and was at home. One of his friends had come over and it was time for him to go home so he convinced my friend to drive him even though he had just gotten his license. My friend agreed to and they left. Unfortunately, however, on their way, they lost some focus and were not paying attention, and their car was struck by another vehicle. The car spun and eventually crashed into a telephone pole, killing the two of them. After this terrible event, I began to rethink my opinion of this new law. Obviously the lawmakers had looked into research on teendriving and noticed that more people in the car leads to more distractions. I am not saying that this would not have happened a year or two after my friend had gotten his license but he would have had more driving experience and possibly have been able to avoid the other vehicle better.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
SWA #9
Ross Alberghini
English 101, Section 056
November 8, 2007
Short Writing Assignment #9
Obesity In America
The issue of obesity is increasing in today’s society in the United States. In her excerpt from “The Fat Girl’s Guide To Life,” Wendy Shanker talks about the issue of obesity relating to women. She talks about how to accept being fat and how to deal with it. The ethos that is presented in this article is that our society has, for the most part, a fixed attitude about people who are fat, as she says in the article “being fat means you are loserish, lame, disgusting, and hopeless.” (246)
Her target audience is really anyone who happens to be reading the article, not just fat people. I think that she is trying to get the reader to realize what influences their thinking about fat people, and also targeted to fat people because the title of her book will catch their attention. In the beginning of her article, she describes herself as a teenager, fat, and realizing that it was okay to be fat, and that she needed to change her attitude about herself and accept the way she was. Society in general puts value and emphasis on being thin and attractive, almost as if there is a pressure to be thing and beautiful so as to be accepted. There are many influences that affect the way people feel about themselves, such as “the government, the media and celebrities, family and friends, feelings, fashion, and feminism.” (243) Although these influences are present, self-acceptance is more important, and it is necessary that we “start by changing the way we see ourselves.” (244) Instead, we need to use energy to “work on stuff that really mattes to you as an individual,” (245) which will allow you to be more successful. In today’s society, “fat means bad,” (246) and even if that is true it is necessary to be more optimistic and think that “words are just a bunch of letters in a row. The words can stay the same; it’s our attitudes about them that have to change.” (248) Therefore, if we stop associating fat with being bad then being fat will not actually be bad. She is trying to tell the reader that maybe we need to adjust our attitudes and thinking as to how we view and treat fat people rather than trying to make them change.
Eleanor Randolph’s article “The Big Fat American Kid Crisis…and 10 Things We Should Do About It,” contains information and ideas on how to help the rising obesity in young people. She presents her argument in a very matter of fact way. The article starts out with statistics about how many Americans, especially adults, are overweight and obese and that childhood obesity has become a medical crisis. More children are being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, which are typically thought of as being adult diseases. The National Institutes of Health has statistics about the deceasing of the lifespan by 5 years with the younger populations. In addition, obesity is a cost to our health care system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to some facts, she feels that food companies and advertising are largely responsible for these issues.
Randolph believes that we need to take action as a nation to help solve the problem of obesity. She outlines ten different areas that she feels are the places to start in order to solve the problem. Each of her ten ideas emphasizes the problem, and gives information to back it up, and also how to help it. I think that her arguments are very sensible and convincing because they are backed up with data and statistics from reliable sources. I agree with her feeling that we need to start when kids are young to promote healthy eating and exercise. In addition, we need to include educating adults as well so they can set the proper example. A change in advertising and corporate America is necessary to promote healthy eating and fitness, and although it is a big problem to tackle, it needs to start somewhere.
English 101, Section 056
November 8, 2007
Short Writing Assignment #9
Obesity In America
The issue of obesity is increasing in today’s society in the United States. In her excerpt from “The Fat Girl’s Guide To Life,” Wendy Shanker talks about the issue of obesity relating to women. She talks about how to accept being fat and how to deal with it. The ethos that is presented in this article is that our society has, for the most part, a fixed attitude about people who are fat, as she says in the article “being fat means you are loserish, lame, disgusting, and hopeless.” (246)
Her target audience is really anyone who happens to be reading the article, not just fat people. I think that she is trying to get the reader to realize what influences their thinking about fat people, and also targeted to fat people because the title of her book will catch their attention. In the beginning of her article, she describes herself as a teenager, fat, and realizing that it was okay to be fat, and that she needed to change her attitude about herself and accept the way she was. Society in general puts value and emphasis on being thin and attractive, almost as if there is a pressure to be thing and beautiful so as to be accepted. There are many influences that affect the way people feel about themselves, such as “the government, the media and celebrities, family and friends, feelings, fashion, and feminism.” (243) Although these influences are present, self-acceptance is more important, and it is necessary that we “start by changing the way we see ourselves.” (244) Instead, we need to use energy to “work on stuff that really mattes to you as an individual,” (245) which will allow you to be more successful. In today’s society, “fat means bad,” (246) and even if that is true it is necessary to be more optimistic and think that “words are just a bunch of letters in a row. The words can stay the same; it’s our attitudes about them that have to change.” (248) Therefore, if we stop associating fat with being bad then being fat will not actually be bad. She is trying to tell the reader that maybe we need to adjust our attitudes and thinking as to how we view and treat fat people rather than trying to make them change.
Eleanor Randolph’s article “The Big Fat American Kid Crisis…and 10 Things We Should Do About It,” contains information and ideas on how to help the rising obesity in young people. She presents her argument in a very matter of fact way. The article starts out with statistics about how many Americans, especially adults, are overweight and obese and that childhood obesity has become a medical crisis. More children are being diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure, which are typically thought of as being adult diseases. The National Institutes of Health has statistics about the deceasing of the lifespan by 5 years with the younger populations. In addition, obesity is a cost to our health care system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to some facts, she feels that food companies and advertising are largely responsible for these issues.
Randolph believes that we need to take action as a nation to help solve the problem of obesity. She outlines ten different areas that she feels are the places to start in order to solve the problem. Each of her ten ideas emphasizes the problem, and gives information to back it up, and also how to help it. I think that her arguments are very sensible and convincing because they are backed up with data and statistics from reliable sources. I agree with her feeling that we need to start when kids are young to promote healthy eating and exercise. In addition, we need to include educating adults as well so they can set the proper example. A change in advertising and corporate America is necessary to promote healthy eating and fitness, and although it is a big problem to tackle, it needs to start somewhere.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Questions for Peer Review
Does the paper flow correctly, and would you change the order of the positions? I feel like it goes in a good order but let me know if you would change it.
I can get wordy with my sentences at times, so tell me if you think I should change my wording around if it doesn't make sense.
Does my paper have sufficient evidence, or should I be looking for more? I feel like my positions have equal support, but if you feel differently, let me know.
I can get wordy with my sentences at times, so tell me if you think I should change my wording around if it doesn't make sense.
Does my paper have sufficient evidence, or should I be looking for more? I feel like my positions have equal support, but if you feel differently, let me know.
On My Mind
Ever since I went home on fall break this issue has been on my mind. I saw two of my friends from high school who were already talking about transferring to a different school. They were talking about all of the negatives about their schools, not even trying to be positive. They both went to school with negative attitudes, think that it was not going to be fun and that they were going to hate it. One of my other friends did not even give college life a chance, leaving school after the first 9 days to go home and try to find somewhere else to go in the spring. The reason why I feel this is because in today's society, people are continuing to hold negative attitudes about change. They get too comfortable in their own lifestyle and they are not being open-minded. If this attitude continues amongst today's young people, society is doomed. There will be no risk takers, no people trying new things. If people are not being adventurous and trying new thigns, we might miss out on great ideas that people have.
Monday, October 29, 2007
SWA 8 E.A. pg 85-86 Questions 1-5
The Writing Process
The writing process is something that takes time and effort in order to produce a well-developed and successful paper. I would describe my writing as a discovery process. When assigned to write a paper, I begin to write, and then figure out what I want to say as I progress. I do not start writing a paper by making an outline, but rather I just let it develop as I write, and I usually try to make an outline after my paper is finished. I make the outline so that I can see the basic structure of my paper and see if I would make any changes to it. I would try to become more organized to write a paper so that I would be able to focus more and be more ready to write. In addition to that, I might also begin to keep a journal, notebook, or folder of ideas because I often find times where I think of a good idea but forget it because I do not have any source to record it.
There are many advantages to outlining ideas before writing a draft. An outline can often help to bring forth ideas before actually writing a paper. An outline is the basis for a paper, serving as a “skeleton or back bone, providing an internal structure that holds the paper together.” (E.A. 74) Also, the outline allows you to have the ability to write continuously, not having to pause to find more information to write about.
One suggestion for revision is to look at the draft as a whole. By looking at a draft as a whole, I would be able to analyze all of the different parts of my paper to make sure that it was complete. I would make sure I have sufficient information, an effective introduction, and strong transitions, allowing for a good paper. Another suggestion for revision is to ask revision questions to help locate other problems. By asking revision questions, I would be making sure that I have a strong paper that does not contain any holes. Revision questions would make me find the faults in my paper so that they could be corrected before being handed in. A third suggestion for revision is to check for final errors, add or adjust the title, and type or print your paper. By using this suggestion, I would make sure that everything grammatical would be correct, and this would add credibility to my paper. By eliminating grammatical mistakes, papers are taken more seriously.
In an exploratory paper, the author has an issue and identifies multiple positions involving that issue. They summarize the positions and talk about the overall rhetorical situation that involves the issue. Since it talks about multiple sides of an issue, it allows you to write a policy paper because after seeing the many different sides of an issue, you can chose your side and explore supporting information for your issue and contradictory information for the opposing position.
There are some different ways that peer reviews can be conducted. You can group-up and distribute a copy of your paper to your group, and then the group will provide feedback on the paper, sometimes with the teacher as part of the group and other times without. Another form of peer review is to have a round-robin reading session in which students take turns reading their papers and receiving feedback from classmates. and then to provide feedback on the hard copy of the paper. Another form of peer review is to exchange papers with a classmate and review it for the following class, which would allow for more time to review the paper and to provide constructive feedback. Peer review is helpful because having multiple readers of the same paper allows for different insights, thoughts, and perspectives that you would not have otherwise realized. Peer review allows for a more relatable audience to make suggestions rather then having suggestions come solely from a teacher.
The writing process is something that takes time and effort in order to produce a well-developed and successful paper. I would describe my writing as a discovery process. When assigned to write a paper, I begin to write, and then figure out what I want to say as I progress. I do not start writing a paper by making an outline, but rather I just let it develop as I write, and I usually try to make an outline after my paper is finished. I make the outline so that I can see the basic structure of my paper and see if I would make any changes to it. I would try to become more organized to write a paper so that I would be able to focus more and be more ready to write. In addition to that, I might also begin to keep a journal, notebook, or folder of ideas because I often find times where I think of a good idea but forget it because I do not have any source to record it.
There are many advantages to outlining ideas before writing a draft. An outline can often help to bring forth ideas before actually writing a paper. An outline is the basis for a paper, serving as a “skeleton or back bone, providing an internal structure that holds the paper together.” (E.A. 74) Also, the outline allows you to have the ability to write continuously, not having to pause to find more information to write about.
One suggestion for revision is to look at the draft as a whole. By looking at a draft as a whole, I would be able to analyze all of the different parts of my paper to make sure that it was complete. I would make sure I have sufficient information, an effective introduction, and strong transitions, allowing for a good paper. Another suggestion for revision is to ask revision questions to help locate other problems. By asking revision questions, I would be making sure that I have a strong paper that does not contain any holes. Revision questions would make me find the faults in my paper so that they could be corrected before being handed in. A third suggestion for revision is to check for final errors, add or adjust the title, and type or print your paper. By using this suggestion, I would make sure that everything grammatical would be correct, and this would add credibility to my paper. By eliminating grammatical mistakes, papers are taken more seriously.
In an exploratory paper, the author has an issue and identifies multiple positions involving that issue. They summarize the positions and talk about the overall rhetorical situation that involves the issue. Since it talks about multiple sides of an issue, it allows you to write a policy paper because after seeing the many different sides of an issue, you can chose your side and explore supporting information for your issue and contradictory information for the opposing position.
There are some different ways that peer reviews can be conducted. You can group-up and distribute a copy of your paper to your group, and then the group will provide feedback on the paper, sometimes with the teacher as part of the group and other times without. Another form of peer review is to have a round-robin reading session in which students take turns reading their papers and receiving feedback from classmates. and then to provide feedback on the hard copy of the paper. Another form of peer review is to exchange papers with a classmate and review it for the following class, which would allow for more time to review the paper and to provide constructive feedback. Peer review is helpful because having multiple readers of the same paper allows for different insights, thoughts, and perspectives that you would not have otherwise realized. Peer review allows for a more relatable audience to make suggestions rather then having suggestions come solely from a teacher.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Carolina Reader Page 260, Question 4
Both articles discuss the current issue of being overweight, and body image. Currently in today's society, our culture is constructing a bodyily image, whether it is being done direclty or indirectly. Bodily image is being culturally constructed by the growing opportunities to be lazy in today's world. People are exercising less, physically working less, and eating foods that are worse for you now than they have ever been. Even though the current economy is striving becuase of this new image of being overweight, is our health really worth sacrificing just for our current economy? Could there be a "compromise" in which some changes would be made to help health / bodily image even if it were to hurt the economy a bit? This bodily image is being constructed by us and for us. Society is responding to the current desires that people have, and because of that, we are constructing this bodily image. We are desiring, although not necessarily directly, to be lazier people and eat what appeals to us and is convenient to us rather than what might be our best option. This bodily image is also being constructed for us, because the economy is reacting to our wants and needs, and I do not really believe that it would still occur if we did not really want it. When things in society are not favorable, they are often times pushed out, and since this has yet to happen, there is no reason for it to stop. Since this is an idea / desire of the masses, the common people might not be in favor. Large companies are producing products that will sell to the majority of people, leaving the common person out of their thoughts. Those who are not in favor will not regularly be heard because they are just common people, not really a representation of the masses.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Bahrke, Michael S., Charles E. Yesalis Iii, and James E. Wright. "Psychological and
Behavioral Effects of Endogenous Testosterone and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids." Sports Medicine (1996): 367-390.
This report is from Sports Medicine, and it talks about the relationships between natural testosterone and anabolic steroids. It goes into a discussion on the associations that are linked between anabolic steroids and athletes’ moods, behaviors and dependencies. It also discussed the psychological addiction that can be caused when taken in excess. This is not very biased because it comes from a Sports Medicine magazine however it is slightly biased to present information that will prevent anabolic steroid use. It is somewhat dense reading, but it will be useful enough to be worthwhile to read. In my paper I will use this article to talk about the psychological effects of anabolic steroids.
Catlin, Don H., and Thomas H. Murray. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Fair
Competition, and Olympic Sport." Journal of the American Medical Association
276 (1996): 231-237.
In this article that was found in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors go into great detail on the different types of anabolic steroids and drugs that are being used. It talks about the different ways and types of test to detect anabolic steroid use. It talks about different organizations using tests, such as the Olympic Committee. It also talks about the differences in testing between the U.S. and international organizations. It also talks about the process after a positive test has been given, and the differences between over the counter and illegal substances. There is also mention of the necessity of these tests for fair competition. This is fairly objective because two doctors wrote it. I will use this in my paper to show the different types of test that are being conducted for anabolic steroid use, and the procedures for tests before, during and after.
Jost, Kenneth. “Sports and Drugs.” The CQ Researcher. 23 July. 2004: 613-635
This report was found in the CQ Researcher, and it is a detailed look at many different aspects of anabolic steroid use. It talks about the use of anabolic steroids in today’s sports world, and includes information about different policies that are being enforced, as well as specific policies for specific sporting leagues. It also talks about proposals for increased testing, which would help to make sports fairer. Due to the title of this publication, The CQ Researcher, I believe that this information is accurate fairly objective. In my paper, I will use this source to talk about the different policies in sports, and the proposals and procedures for different leagues and organizations on testing.
Leach, Robert E. "Anabolic Steroids - Round 4." The American Journal of Sports
Medicine 21 (1993): 337.
This is an editorial from the American Journal of Sports Medicine, so it might not be something that is widely read. It is a very reputable journal, so the information that is presented is useful. Written by a doctor, I do not think that there are any biases in this editorial, I just think that his intent is to inform people the effects that anabolic steroids is having in the sports world. He talks about college and professional sports and how anabolic steroids are being used. In addition, he talks about how athletes who are using steroids are not only affecting themselves but also those in sports medicine who must help athletes. I think that in my paper I will use this article to show how anabolic steroid use is affecting both athletes those who work in sports medicine.
McKeag, Douglas B., and James L. Moeller, eds. ACSM's Primary
Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins,
2007.
This chapter from the ACSM’s Primary Care Sports Medicine discusses in detail the many different types of steroids that are being used today. There are detailed descriptions of the different types of anabolic steroids, and this article has given me new knowledge about anabolic steroids. It is very objective because it is just talking about the different kinds of steroids, something that cannot be changed into an opinion, but rather is a fact. This chapter is very dense, and might be tough to integrate into my paper, but it is helpful in learning about the different kinds of steroids, something I will use in my paper when giving background information.
Mishra, Raja. "Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Proposition." FDA CONSUMER
The Magazine of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sept 1991: 25-27.
This document was produced by the FDA, and was written as part of a series of health information for teenagers and young adults. An FDA intern wrote it, therefore it is very credible. Since it is from the FDA, it will have negative connotations towards anabolic steroids. The article talks about the reasons why people choose steroids, and it indicates some effects that are not commonly known. It is not extremely biased because it is just trying to get the information known, and then for people to make there own decisions. I will use this article in my paper to show why people choose to use anabolic steroids and some risks involved.
Stevens, Sarah. The Facts About Steroids. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1991.
Sarah Stevens’ book is very informative on many different aspects of steroids, ranging from their history, to their purposes, to their side effects. She talks about the history and how and why they were originally created. Included in her book are both short and long term side effects from taking anabolic steroids. This book is objective, because she is reporting the facts and information that she has. I do not think that there are any biases in this book. The only bias might occur if steroids, either herself or someone close to her, directly affected her. For my paper I will use her historical information of steroids as well as some of her information on side effects.
Sutton, Lindsay, and David Schlundt, comps. Anabolic Steroids: Not Just for Men
Anymore. Psychology Dept., Vanderbilt University. 14 Oct.-Nov. 2007.
This report was written at Vanderbilt University after research on anabolic steroid use had been completed. It is a reputable source because Vanderbilt University is a well-known, and well-respected university in the United States. Sutton and Schlundt lay out an outline that indicates exactly what they plan on talking about in their report. They talk first about a brief history of anabolic steroids, what they are, and what kinds there are. After the first few sections of this report, they go into a one sided discussion about women and the use of anabolic steroids, which makes the second half a little less useful for my paper. Since they only mention women when talking about benefits, positive and negative side effects, why they are taken, and what abuse is, I do not think that I will use more than the first few sections. This is because I do not want to have any type of biased information when writing my paper, however it might be helpful if I decide to talk about the effects on men in contrast to those on women.
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Anabolic Steroid
Abuse. By National Institute On Drug Abuse. Aug. 2006. 14 Oct 2007
This source is a report that was published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This report is very detailed and very informative on different aspects of anabolic steroids. It gives some background information on what anabolic steroids are. This report also talks about why anabolic steroids are used and how they are abused. However, since this is from the Department of Health and Human Services, it is somewhat biased. Instead of directly saying side effects and talking about positive and negative side effects, the report says “health consequences,” which implies only negatives, and no positives. It also talks about different behavioral effects. For my paper, I think I will use the information on how anabolic steroids affect your health.
Bahrke, Michael S., Charles E. Yesalis Iii, and James E. Wright. "Psychological and
Behavioral Effects of Endogenous Testosterone and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids." Sports Medicine (1996): 367-390.
This report is from Sports Medicine, and it talks about the relationships between natural testosterone and anabolic steroids. It goes into a discussion on the associations that are linked between anabolic steroids and athletes’ moods, behaviors and dependencies. It also discussed the psychological addiction that can be caused when taken in excess. This is not very biased because it comes from a Sports Medicine magazine however it is slightly biased to present information that will prevent anabolic steroid use. It is somewhat dense reading, but it will be useful enough to be worthwhile to read. In my paper I will use this article to talk about the psychological effects of anabolic steroids.
Catlin, Don H., and Thomas H. Murray. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Fair
Competition, and Olympic Sport." Journal of the American Medical Association
276 (1996): 231-237.
In this article that was found in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the authors go into great detail on the different types of anabolic steroids and drugs that are being used. It talks about the different ways and types of test to detect anabolic steroid use. It talks about different organizations using tests, such as the Olympic Committee. It also talks about the differences in testing between the U.S. and international organizations. It also talks about the process after a positive test has been given, and the differences between over the counter and illegal substances. There is also mention of the necessity of these tests for fair competition. This is fairly objective because two doctors wrote it. I will use this in my paper to show the different types of test that are being conducted for anabolic steroid use, and the procedures for tests before, during and after.
Jost, Kenneth. “Sports and Drugs.” The CQ Researcher. 23 July. 2004: 613-635
This report was found in the CQ Researcher, and it is a detailed look at many different aspects of anabolic steroid use. It talks about the use of anabolic steroids in today’s sports world, and includes information about different policies that are being enforced, as well as specific policies for specific sporting leagues. It also talks about proposals for increased testing, which would help to make sports fairer. Due to the title of this publication, The CQ Researcher, I believe that this information is accurate fairly objective. In my paper, I will use this source to talk about the different policies in sports, and the proposals and procedures for different leagues and organizations on testing.
Leach, Robert E. "Anabolic Steroids - Round 4." The American Journal of Sports
Medicine 21 (1993): 337.
This is an editorial from the American Journal of Sports Medicine, so it might not be something that is widely read. It is a very reputable journal, so the information that is presented is useful. Written by a doctor, I do not think that there are any biases in this editorial, I just think that his intent is to inform people the effects that anabolic steroids is having in the sports world. He talks about college and professional sports and how anabolic steroids are being used. In addition, he talks about how athletes who are using steroids are not only affecting themselves but also those in sports medicine who must help athletes. I think that in my paper I will use this article to show how anabolic steroid use is affecting both athletes those who work in sports medicine.
McKeag, Douglas B., and James L. Moeller, eds. ACSM's Primary
Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins,
2007.
This chapter from the ACSM’s Primary Care Sports Medicine discusses in detail the many different types of steroids that are being used today. There are detailed descriptions of the different types of anabolic steroids, and this article has given me new knowledge about anabolic steroids. It is very objective because it is just talking about the different kinds of steroids, something that cannot be changed into an opinion, but rather is a fact. This chapter is very dense, and might be tough to integrate into my paper, but it is helpful in learning about the different kinds of steroids, something I will use in my paper when giving background information.
Mishra, Raja. "Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Proposition." FDA CONSUMER
The Magazine of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sept 1991: 25-27.
This document was produced by the FDA, and was written as part of a series of health information for teenagers and young adults. An FDA intern wrote it, therefore it is very credible. Since it is from the FDA, it will have negative connotations towards anabolic steroids. The article talks about the reasons why people choose steroids, and it indicates some effects that are not commonly known. It is not extremely biased because it is just trying to get the information known, and then for people to make there own decisions. I will use this article in my paper to show why people choose to use anabolic steroids and some risks involved.
Stevens, Sarah. The Facts About Steroids. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1991.
Sarah Stevens’ book is very informative on many different aspects of steroids, ranging from their history, to their purposes, to their side effects. She talks about the history and how and why they were originally created. Included in her book are both short and long term side effects from taking anabolic steroids. This book is objective, because she is reporting the facts and information that she has. I do not think that there are any biases in this book. The only bias might occur if steroids, either herself or someone close to her, directly affected her. For my paper I will use her historical information of steroids as well as some of her information on side effects.
Sutton, Lindsay, and David Schlundt, comps. Anabolic Steroids: Not Just for Men
Anymore. Psychology Dept., Vanderbilt University. 14 Oct.-Nov. 2007
This report was written at Vanderbilt University after research on anabolic steroid use had been completed. It is a reputable source because Vanderbilt University is a well-known, and well-respected university in the United States. Sutton and Schlundt lay out an outline that indicates exactly what they plan on talking about in their report. They talk first about a brief history of anabolic steroids, what they are, and what kinds there are. After the first few sections of this report, they go into a one sided discussion about women and the use of anabolic steroids, which makes the second half a little less useful for my paper. Since they only mention women when talking about benefits, positive and negative side effects, why they are taken, and what abuse is, I do not think that I will use more than the first few sections. This is because I do not want to have any type of biased information when writing my paper, however it might be helpful if I decide to talk about the effects on men in contrast to those on women.
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Anabolic Steroid
Abuse. By National Institute On Drug Abuse. Aug. 2006. 14 Oct 2007
This source is a report that was published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This report is very detailed and very informative on different aspects of anabolic steroids. It gives some background information on what anabolic steroids are. This report also talks about why anabolic steroids are used and how they are abused. However, since this is from the Department of Health and Human Services, it is somewhat biased. Instead of directly saying side effects and talking about positive and negative side effects, the report says “health consequences,” which implies only negatives, and no positives. It also talks about different behavioral effects. For my paper, I think I will use the information on how anabolic steroids affect your health.
Monday, October 22, 2007
SWA 7
In today’s society, viewpoints, opinions, and ideas are constantly changing and shifting, especially with college students. Alan Finder’s article, “Matters of Faith Find A New Prominence on Campus,” talks about changes in faith; Richard Just’s article, “Schools of Thought: The Liberal-Conservative Divide on College Campuses,” talks about changes in political affiliations; David Leonhardt’s article, “The College Dropout Boom,” talks about different class associations, all regarding college students.
In times of sorrow and sadness, religion can become more and more important in peoples lives. Alan Finder’s article, “Matters of Faith Find A New Prominence on Campus,” discusses the increased interest in religion and religious organizations throughout college campuses. He states that “there is more interest in religion on campus, both intellectually and spiritually,” (75) and that there are many causes for this increase. Some of this increase, he suggests, comes from different world affairs that have been happening. The terrorist’s attack of September 11 has been a factor in the “influence of religion on world affairs.” (75) There is more in the news and in political discussions about religious rights. In addition to the attack of September 11, the current war in Iraq has “contributed to the interest in religion among students.” (76) The war has made college students question what the war is really all about.
Richard Just’s article, “Schools of Thought: The Liberal-Conservative Divide on College Campuses,” discusses the liberal and conservative groups on and around different colleges and universities across the country. In the current society, changing times in politics, world events such as September 11, and student apathy has made it acceptable to be conservative even though the majority of students define themselves as being liberal. The number of liberal or progressive groups is much greater than the “conservative counterparts,” which “are much fewer in number.” (81) Although there might be fewer conservative group offerings, this allows them to recruit more people, whereas the liberals have too many choices and can not always decide, causing there not to be enough members for a specific group to succeed. Conservatives are beginning to “feel more comfortable than their liberal peers…easier to be conservative at college after September 11.” (83) It is acceptable to be conservative because there are not as many negative stereotypes on campuses about them, mainly because they do not have as much public viewing. The liberals are offering too many choices, which seems to dilute participation, and actually may divide people on how things should run, which creates bitter feelings and a lack of cohesiveness. Also, liberal groups “often end up being dominated by its most extreme voices,” (81) causing a lack of true representation. Being conservative also became more popular after September 11th because it was acceptable to support troops, be patriotic, and be anti-terrorist. Conservative events were often “advertised as a ‘pro-troops’ event rather than a ‘pro-war’ event.’” (84) Being conservative has become more and more acceptable in the recent years.
“The College Dropout Boom,” by David Leonhardt gives an example of a student from a lower income family in rural Virginia who leaves college after one year to stay home, and work in a low-paying job. He never goes back to school, marries a high school sweetheart, and eventually struggles to make ends meet. Leonhardt writes this article to show that lower income young adults are less able to be successful in college because of their backgrounds and role models growing up. Their incentive to stay in college is than middle or upper income families. It has been shown that on campuses who enroll “poorer students, graduation rates are often low,” and that currently there are more students who “come from the top of the nation’s income ladder than they did two decades ago.” (99) When lower income students look at and hear these statistics, they are less and less motivated to attend college. Since the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, more rich students are graduating than poor students. Although there are colleges with diverse students, they all tend to “share and upper-middle class upbringing.” (100) Lower income students do not know as much the importance of a college degree as upper-middle class students do. Those brought up in upper-middle class lifestyles thought that they “simply must graduate from college,” while lower income students such as Andy Blevins “did not know the importance of a degree while growing up.” (100) In addition to lack of information on the importance of a degree, dropout rates are increasing because high schools “do a poor job of preparing teenagers for college.” (101) Also, colleges with lower income students usually have more “limited resources” and a “narrow range of majors.” (101) Costs of tuition are also a deterrent, people do not to “leave others with years of debt,” and college also “seemed like another week of losing money…that might have been made at a job.” (101) Upper-middle class students do not have these worries. Since the upper-middle class “dominates elite universities, high income students get slightly more financial aid than low income students do.” (103-04) This lack of financial aid for lower income students is also a deterrent for college.
In times of sorrow and sadness, religion can become more and more important in peoples lives. Alan Finder’s article, “Matters of Faith Find A New Prominence on Campus,” discusses the increased interest in religion and religious organizations throughout college campuses. He states that “there is more interest in religion on campus, both intellectually and spiritually,” (75) and that there are many causes for this increase. Some of this increase, he suggests, comes from different world affairs that have been happening. The terrorist’s attack of September 11 has been a factor in the “influence of religion on world affairs.” (75) There is more in the news and in political discussions about religious rights. In addition to the attack of September 11, the current war in Iraq has “contributed to the interest in religion among students.” (76) The war has made college students question what the war is really all about.
Richard Just’s article, “Schools of Thought: The Liberal-Conservative Divide on College Campuses,” discusses the liberal and conservative groups on and around different colleges and universities across the country. In the current society, changing times in politics, world events such as September 11, and student apathy has made it acceptable to be conservative even though the majority of students define themselves as being liberal. The number of liberal or progressive groups is much greater than the “conservative counterparts,” which “are much fewer in number.” (81) Although there might be fewer conservative group offerings, this allows them to recruit more people, whereas the liberals have too many choices and can not always decide, causing there not to be enough members for a specific group to succeed. Conservatives are beginning to “feel more comfortable than their liberal peers…easier to be conservative at college after September 11.” (83) It is acceptable to be conservative because there are not as many negative stereotypes on campuses about them, mainly because they do not have as much public viewing. The liberals are offering too many choices, which seems to dilute participation, and actually may divide people on how things should run, which creates bitter feelings and a lack of cohesiveness. Also, liberal groups “often end up being dominated by its most extreme voices,” (81) causing a lack of true representation. Being conservative also became more popular after September 11th because it was acceptable to support troops, be patriotic, and be anti-terrorist. Conservative events were often “advertised as a ‘pro-troops’ event rather than a ‘pro-war’ event.’” (84) Being conservative has become more and more acceptable in the recent years.
“The College Dropout Boom,” by David Leonhardt gives an example of a student from a lower income family in rural Virginia who leaves college after one year to stay home, and work in a low-paying job. He never goes back to school, marries a high school sweetheart, and eventually struggles to make ends meet. Leonhardt writes this article to show that lower income young adults are less able to be successful in college because of their backgrounds and role models growing up. Their incentive to stay in college is than middle or upper income families. It has been shown that on campuses who enroll “poorer students, graduation rates are often low,” and that currently there are more students who “come from the top of the nation’s income ladder than they did two decades ago.” (99) When lower income students look at and hear these statistics, they are less and less motivated to attend college. Since the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, more rich students are graduating than poor students. Although there are colleges with diverse students, they all tend to “share and upper-middle class upbringing.” (100) Lower income students do not know as much the importance of a college degree as upper-middle class students do. Those brought up in upper-middle class lifestyles thought that they “simply must graduate from college,” while lower income students such as Andy Blevins “did not know the importance of a degree while growing up.” (100) In addition to lack of information on the importance of a degree, dropout rates are increasing because high schools “do a poor job of preparing teenagers for college.” (101) Also, colleges with lower income students usually have more “limited resources” and a “narrow range of majors.” (101) Costs of tuition are also a deterrent, people do not to “leave others with years of debt,” and college also “seemed like another week of losing money…that might have been made at a job.” (101) Upper-middle class students do not have these worries. Since the upper-middle class “dominates elite universities, high income students get slightly more financial aid than low income students do.” (103-04) This lack of financial aid for lower income students is also a deterrent for college.
Monday, October 15, 2007
List of Sources from SWA 8
Bahrke, Michael S., Charles E. Yesalis Iii, and James E. Wright. "Psychological and
Behavioral Effects of Endogenous Testosterone and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids." Sports Medicine (1996): 367-390.
Catlin, Don H., and Thomas H. Murray. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Fair
Competition, and Olympic Sport." Journal of the American Medical Association
276 (1996): 231-237.
Jost, Kenneth. “Sports and Drugs.” The CQ Researcher. 23 July. 2004: 613-635
Leach, Robert E. "Anabolic Steroids - Round 4." The American Journal of Sports
Medicine 21 (1993): 337.
McKeag, Douglas B., and James L. Moeller, eds. ACSM's Primary
Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott,
Williams and Wilkins, 2007.
Mishra, Raja. "Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Proposition." FDA CONSUMER
The Magazine of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sept 1991: 25-27.
Stevens, Sarah. The Facts About Steroids. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1991.
Sutton, Lindsay, and David Schlundt, comps. Anabolic Steroids: Not Just for Men
Anymore. Psychology Dept., Vanderbilt University. 14 Oct.-Nov. 2007.
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Anabolic Steroid
Abuse. By National Institute On Drug Abuse. Aug. 2006. 14 Oct 2007
Behavioral Effects of Endogenous Testosterone and Anabolic Androgenic Steroids." Sports Medicine (1996): 367-390.
Catlin, Don H., and Thomas H. Murray. "Performance-Enhancing Drugs, Fair
Competition, and Olympic Sport." Journal of the American Medical Association
276 (1996): 231-237.
Jost, Kenneth. “Sports and Drugs.” The CQ Researcher. 23 July. 2004: 613-635
Leach, Robert E. "Anabolic Steroids - Round 4." The American Journal of Sports
Medicine 21 (1993): 337.
McKeag, Douglas B., and James L. Moeller, eds. ACSM's Primary
Care Sports Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott,
Williams and Wilkins, 2007.
Mishra, Raja. "Steroids and Sports Are a Losing Proposition." FDA CONSUMER
The Magazine of The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Sept 1991: 25-27.
Stevens, Sarah. The Facts About Steroids. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1991.
Sutton, Lindsay, and David Schlundt, comps. Anabolic Steroids: Not Just for Men
Anymore. Psychology Dept., Vanderbilt University. 14 Oct.-Nov. 2007
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Anabolic Steroid
Abuse. By National Institute On Drug Abuse. Aug. 2006. 14 Oct 2007
SWA 8 - Topic Proposal for Exploratory Paper
Growing Steroid Usage
In today’s ever growing society, athletes are becoming more and more spotlighted in the media. Professional sports are becoming more and more popular because of the media, and athletes are always looking to get better at what they do. Athletes are always looking to become stronger and faster, looking for any edge they can get on their opponents. Sometimes hard work is just not enough for these athletes, so in addition to the long hours of working out, they turn to illegal substances to try and gain that edge. Upon seeing the results that these professionals gain from taking steroids, young people often take them, expecting to get the same results and not thinking about the side effects that they may have.
My paper will explore the different types of steroids that are on the market. I will also discuss who uses these steroids, what the side effects, both positive and negative, are, and how different governing bodies are looking to prevent the usage of steroids. Since steroids are fairly accessible, it is often common for young people to take them, so it is important for proper regulations are imposed for safety.
My audience will be anyone who is involved in any kind of sports, because they will most likely have heard of different steroid allegations. Also, it will be geared towards athletes who have at one time or another considered using steroids. With this paper I hope to provide useful knowledge about steroids.
In today’s ever growing society, athletes are becoming more and more spotlighted in the media. Professional sports are becoming more and more popular because of the media, and athletes are always looking to get better at what they do. Athletes are always looking to become stronger and faster, looking for any edge they can get on their opponents. Sometimes hard work is just not enough for these athletes, so in addition to the long hours of working out, they turn to illegal substances to try and gain that edge. Upon seeing the results that these professionals gain from taking steroids, young people often take them, expecting to get the same results and not thinking about the side effects that they may have.
My paper will explore the different types of steroids that are on the market. I will also discuss who uses these steroids, what the side effects, both positive and negative, are, and how different governing bodies are looking to prevent the usage of steroids. Since steroids are fairly accessible, it is often common for young people to take them, so it is important for proper regulations are imposed for safety.
My audience will be anyone who is involved in any kind of sports, because they will most likely have heard of different steroid allegations. Also, it will be geared towards athletes who have at one time or another considered using steroids. With this paper I hope to provide useful knowledge about steroids.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Smoking Bans Brainstorming
effects of smoking
human rights
effects on tobacco industry
nationwide vs statewide
personal businesses / public places
effects on restaurants
health concerns for those who do not smoke
limiting personal choices
protecting younger people
does ban matter if people will just smoke outside of restaurants (causing people to have to walk through it)
national economy
state economy
effects on company's other products
reasons for ban
policies of ban (when enforced, where, etc...)
human rights
effects on tobacco industry
nationwide vs statewide
personal businesses / public places
effects on restaurants
health concerns for those who do not smoke
limiting personal choices
protecting younger people
does ban matter if people will just smoke outside of restaurants (causing people to have to walk through it)
national economy
state economy
effects on company's other products
reasons for ban
policies of ban (when enforced, where, etc...)
Monday, October 8, 2007
Personal Post Secret Card
The post secret card that I created consists of a picture of a very fast-looking car along with a cartoon picture of a police officer writing a ticket. There is text, with the author apologizing for the tickets and also asking to be picked up. With my message, I was trying to show the images associated with speeding; a fast car and a police officer. Since my subject was about speeding ticekts, I felt that these two images were very good representatives. When I showed my classmates my post secret card, they were easily able to undertand the message that I was trying to get across. I think this was because it is fairly straightforward, not really requiring too much interpretation. No one really saw beyong what I was trying to say other than that I might have a problem with authority / my parents, and that is why I drive fast and break the law. There were not any unexpected reactions to my card, I think this is because there is only one real message that could be interpreted from my card.
Monday, October 1, 2007
POST SECRET
The post card that I chose to analyze for this assignment was the one that talks about wanting to join Judaism but can not because of being Asian. The text in this message is the creators desire to be Jewish but because of the social restraints of being Asian, they are unable to convert. I think that the claim of this message is that in today's society it is hard to express true desires and feelings, and social rules are followed because of the fear of being ridiculed. I think this author is an Asian person who is not Jewish but wishes to be. The audience is anyone who feels limited by social normalities. The textual support is the text that says the author likes Judaism but is afraid to convert because of being Asian. The visual component of this post secret is the pictures of two traditionally stereotypical foods, bagels for Jewsih people and white rice for Asian people. Since these two foods are not usually thought of together, it is a reference for the idea that Judaism and Asians are not typically associated, and they are very effective visual aids.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Commercial / Advertisement
The article I chose for this assignment was a Ping Golf Advertisement that came from the back of an issue of GolfWeek Magazine. After looking at this advertisement I have found that it is particulary good. I is very successful and convincing in selling the product to the consumer. They are trying to sell a new line of golf clubs. The graphics of both the advertisement and the golf club are very appealing, making the product desireable. The colors are very eye-grabbing. The audience that tihs advertisement is intended for is anyone who plays golf or who is looking to play golf. The claim is cleary stated / implied, that by choosing this club you will improve your golf skills, allowing you to "play your best." The support for this adertisement is that Ping Golf has a good brand reputation in the golf industry. The evidence is that the club will result in longer, straighter shots. The warrant is that straighter shots will allow you to play better golf.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Response to Carolina Reader Essays
The first article that I chose to read and then respond to from the Carolina Reader was “Gen Y’s Ego Trip Takes a Bad Turn,” by Larry Gordon and Louis Sahagun. (63) The article is a commentary on today’s society, especially about the young people. The authors are unhappy with the way in which society is changing, because it is an extreme difference from what they are accustomed to. The central claim of this article is that today’s society / generation is different from those in the past. These people are more narcissistic and more self interested then previous generations.
The authors give many reasons and evidence as to why this change is occurring in today’s society. They talk about different Internet websites that are causing this idea of narcissism to grow. The warrant is that these websites are allowing “self-regard blossom even more.” (63) They also talk about the increase of self-interest and how the programs that many “elementary schools adopted 20 years ago” (64) are causing these narcissistic attitudes. They are saying that it is the fault of the elementary school programs because of what they taught; everything is about me. The warrant is that teaching everything about me will lead to a narcissistic attitude. Going with the idea that the current generation is much different from previous generations, the authors talk about how “current freshman are much more interested in financial success and less in a ‘meaningful philosophy of life.’” (65) They are saying that it is bad to only be interested in financial success.
There is some mention of the opposing views and how it is necessary, in some cases, for people to “stress confidence and esteem,” (65) for certain circumstances and certain jobs. The authors did not, however, really refute any opposing views. This was more of a one sided article that talked about the issue of narcissism in today’s society.
The second article that I chose to read and then respond to from the Carolina Reader was “My Plan to Save Network Television,” by Charlie Hauck. Charlie Hauck, who is a television writer and producer who wrote the article for the New York Times write the article. The article is about the author’s view on television audiences. He feels that the demographic that should be allowed to watch television is from age 18 to age 49. He claims that older people, over the age of 49, should not be allowed to watch television.
Charlie Hauck gives some fairly good reasons as to why he believes that people over the age of 49 should not be allowed to watch television. He first states that, “Advertisers want to lock in viewers’ buying habits early in life, not struggle with them to change brands in their last few decades.” (332) By locking in their buying habits early in life, they will be more familiarized with the product. He feels that these over-49 people “do not buy interesting products [and]…They detract from the hip environment advertisers seek.” (332) Since they are not going to be buying the products the advertisers do not feel they should be advertising to them. He goes on to state that younger people actually “dispose of it,” (332) referring to their disposable income. Since they are not spending as much on the advertised products, it is not necessary (in the advertisers mind) for them to watch the television.
The author does, however, show opposing views, and refute them. He talks about how people might be mad when he says that older people should not be allowed to watch television. However, he talks about how young people do not complain, “elderly people live in age-restricted retirement communities.” (332) I can somewhat agree with what the author is saying, however it could be stated in a more civilized way.
The authors give many reasons and evidence as to why this change is occurring in today’s society. They talk about different Internet websites that are causing this idea of narcissism to grow. The warrant is that these websites are allowing “self-regard blossom even more.” (63) They also talk about the increase of self-interest and how the programs that many “elementary schools adopted 20 years ago” (64) are causing these narcissistic attitudes. They are saying that it is the fault of the elementary school programs because of what they taught; everything is about me. The warrant is that teaching everything about me will lead to a narcissistic attitude. Going with the idea that the current generation is much different from previous generations, the authors talk about how “current freshman are much more interested in financial success and less in a ‘meaningful philosophy of life.’” (65) They are saying that it is bad to only be interested in financial success.
There is some mention of the opposing views and how it is necessary, in some cases, for people to “stress confidence and esteem,” (65) for certain circumstances and certain jobs. The authors did not, however, really refute any opposing views. This was more of a one sided article that talked about the issue of narcissism in today’s society.
The second article that I chose to read and then respond to from the Carolina Reader was “My Plan to Save Network Television,” by Charlie Hauck. Charlie Hauck, who is a television writer and producer who wrote the article for the New York Times write the article. The article is about the author’s view on television audiences. He feels that the demographic that should be allowed to watch television is from age 18 to age 49. He claims that older people, over the age of 49, should not be allowed to watch television.
Charlie Hauck gives some fairly good reasons as to why he believes that people over the age of 49 should not be allowed to watch television. He first states that, “Advertisers want to lock in viewers’ buying habits early in life, not struggle with them to change brands in their last few decades.” (332) By locking in their buying habits early in life, they will be more familiarized with the product. He feels that these over-49 people “do not buy interesting products [and]…They detract from the hip environment advertisers seek.” (332) Since they are not going to be buying the products the advertisers do not feel they should be advertising to them. He goes on to state that younger people actually “dispose of it,” (332) referring to their disposable income. Since they are not spending as much on the advertised products, it is not necessary (in the advertisers mind) for them to watch the television.
The author does, however, show opposing views, and refute them. He talks about how people might be mad when he says that older people should not be allowed to watch television. However, he talks about how young people do not complain, “elderly people live in age-restricted retirement communities.” (332) I can somewhat agree with what the author is saying, however it could be stated in a more civilized way.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Rhetorical Analysis
The article that I analyzed was "LOOK@ME: Generation Next Is Living Out Loud and Online" by Melissa Ludwig
Cenrtal Claim :
"Bad or good, Generation Next is living out loud and doing it online, before a global audience, in a medium where digital archives may linger for a long, long time." (66)
My Central Claim :
"The increasing availability of, and accessibility to, information on the Internet is beginning to cause more harm than good." (1)
My Revised Claim :
"The author of this article uses a claim of cause in this argument where she talks about the current issue of narcissism in today's young people and that it was developed because of the new technology in today's society, especially the Internet."
My Conclusion :
"There are too many different ways for people to access information that they do not need and maybe should not have." (Topic Sentence)
Cenrtal Claim :
"Bad or good, Generation Next is living out loud and doing it online, before a global audience, in a medium where digital archives may linger for a long, long time." (66)
My Central Claim :
"The increasing availability of, and accessibility to, information on the Internet is beginning to cause more harm than good." (1)
My Revised Claim :
"The author of this article uses a claim of cause in this argument where she talks about the current issue of narcissism in today's young people and that it was developed because of the new technology in today's society, especially the Internet."
My Conclusion :
"There are too many different ways for people to access information that they do not need and maybe should not have." (Topic Sentence)
Monday, September 17, 2007
Prep for Rhetorical Analysis
I chose three different articles to look at before picking one for my rhetorical analysis
"A Desired Epidemic: Obesity and the Food Industry" by Deborah Cohen is an article discussing the problems with obesity in todays society however the article seems to be more of a rant complaining about the marketers almost as if it was whining. It did not seem as if there is enough to make a claim about the text.
"Ugly, The American" by James Poniewozik is an article that discusses the effects of TV on immigration issues. It also lacks enough substance to write any type of rhetorical analysis because it would be too difficult to find a claim and argue it.
"LOOK@ME: Generation Next is Living Out Loud and Online" by Melissa Ludwig talks about the changes that have occurred with the internet and the problems that might arise. The internet has grown larger than could be imagined at the time it was created and it is not necessarily a good thing.
Outline:
Intro - talk about different aspects of TRACE
talk about history of and use trace to identify the different aspects
what the internet is doing in todays societies, who does it hurt and who does it "help"
negative effects
source for people to get attention
source for stalkers and bad things to happen
govt / authority / employers gaining info they arent privalged to
"A Desired Epidemic: Obesity and the Food Industry" by Deborah Cohen is an article discussing the problems with obesity in todays society however the article seems to be more of a rant complaining about the marketers almost as if it was whining. It did not seem as if there is enough to make a claim about the text.
"Ugly, The American" by James Poniewozik is an article that discusses the effects of TV on immigration issues. It also lacks enough substance to write any type of rhetorical analysis because it would be too difficult to find a claim and argue it.
"LOOK@ME: Generation Next is Living Out Loud and Online" by Melissa Ludwig talks about the changes that have occurred with the internet and the problems that might arise. The internet has grown larger than could be imagined at the time it was created and it is not necessarily a good thing.
Outline:
Intro - talk about different aspects of TRACE
talk about history of and use trace to identify the different aspects
what the internet is doing in todays societies, who does it hurt and who does it "help"
negative effects
source for people to get attention
source for stalkers and bad things to happen
govt / authority / employers gaining info they arent privalged to
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
SWA 5
Adam Gopnik’s article “Shootings” is very well written and he shows passion in his writing. He gives his opinion of what happened the day of the Virginia Tech shootings, and then he begins to discuss a personal view that he holds.
Adam Gopnik wrote this article after the Virginia Tech shootings because he was concerned with the accessibility of guns in America and the lack of help for mentally ill people. Gopnik wrote this article in response to the shootings, with the purpose of trying to have new legislation passed making gun laws stricter and also to allow Universities to intervene with mentally ill students. He wants the people to know about these two issues so that they will support new legislation, which would prevent this, if it were to be proposed. He also wants legislators to know that there need to be changes in the government to prevent anyone from owning any kind of gun for whatever reason that they choose. This article can also be viewed as Gopnik trying to tell the parents of the victims that it is not their fault that the shootings occurred but rather it is the fault of our legislature.
After reading this article, I learned that Gopnik is a fairly opinionated person who is not afraid to challenge the government. Gopnik seems very liberal because of his belief in making gun control stricter. The main constraint that influenced Gopnik is that he might have known someone who was directly affected by the shootings. He might have been directly affected by the shootings, or he might have been a victim of a shooting that occurred because gun control laws are too lenient. Since this or any shooting has not directly affected me, I do not really feel a very strong connection to this issue although it is important. I am a fairly conservative person, and gun control is not a very big issue of my concern, I do not feel that I know enough about the subject to have common ground with the author. However, I can understand where Gopnik is coming from because this was a terrible event that should never have happened. After reading his article, I could be easily convinced to support stricter gun control laws. He supports his thoughts with good evidence about gun violence and it is very convincing.
Adam Gopnik wrote this article after the Virginia Tech shootings because he was concerned with the accessibility of guns in America and the lack of help for mentally ill people. Gopnik wrote this article in response to the shootings, with the purpose of trying to have new legislation passed making gun laws stricter and also to allow Universities to intervene with mentally ill students. He wants the people to know about these two issues so that they will support new legislation, which would prevent this, if it were to be proposed. He also wants legislators to know that there need to be changes in the government to prevent anyone from owning any kind of gun for whatever reason that they choose. This article can also be viewed as Gopnik trying to tell the parents of the victims that it is not their fault that the shootings occurred but rather it is the fault of our legislature.
After reading this article, I learned that Gopnik is a fairly opinionated person who is not afraid to challenge the government. Gopnik seems very liberal because of his belief in making gun control stricter. The main constraint that influenced Gopnik is that he might have known someone who was directly affected by the shootings. He might have been directly affected by the shootings, or he might have been a victim of a shooting that occurred because gun control laws are too lenient. Since this or any shooting has not directly affected me, I do not really feel a very strong connection to this issue although it is important. I am a fairly conservative person, and gun control is not a very big issue of my concern, I do not feel that I know enough about the subject to have common ground with the author. However, I can understand where Gopnik is coming from because this was a terrible event that should never have happened. After reading his article, I could be easily convinced to support stricter gun control laws. He supports his thoughts with good evidence about gun violence and it is very convincing.
Monday, September 10, 2007
SWA 4
In today’s electronic society, there are many different ways that people can communicate with each other on a daily basis. Two of these ways are blogging and social networking.
David Friedman’s blog “Ideas” is an Internet blog where he posts his ideas and thoughts about certain issues. In his blog, he makes some kind of comment and then he allows people to respond to what he has said. This allows everyone to see all comments posted by all people and they can also respond to each other. The targeted audience for his general blog is anyone who happens to read it, people whom he knows, and people looking for discussion on a certain idea that he has posted. Since anyone can see what is posted, the audience is not very limited. The author of this blog is David Friedman, an academic economist who teaches at a law school in San Jose, California. His posts are not too controversial, and his most recent about air conditioning is something that he is most likely qualified to discuss. He is most likely writing about an economical issue with air conditioning because he is an academic economist who is concerned about the economy. The main constraints with this specific post about air conditioning is that unless you have air conditioning and are directly affected by its costs then you will not care too much about this topic. Friedman most likely created this post because he had thought about the costs of his air conditioning and decided that there must be some less expensive way to receive an equal amount of cooling.
In contrast to blogging, Facebook is a different kind of online community. With Facebook, there are many different privacy settings that can be adjusted to control who sees what part of your information. You can comment to people on any topic you want and they can comment back to you. There are other features such as “groups” which are somewhat like mini – blogs about specific topics where anyone who is a member of the group can make comments. Groups can be private or by invitation only. The targeted audience is anyone who is your “friend” on Facebook, someone who is allowed to view your profile. You are the author of your profile and therefore you know everything you need to know about yourself. Posts on Facebook are designed for people who do not regularly talk to each other to stay in contact. The only real constraints with Facebook are that you must be “friends” with someone in order to see information about them, therefore, depending on the specific issue of a post, they may agree and they may disagree. Since all of your friends will not always agree with you, there constraints that they might have. Any argument on Facebook is caused because a “friend” disagrees with someone on any specific issue.
When analyzing Blogging and Facebook, there are similarities and differences. They are similar because they allow people to talk to one another over the Internet, to discuss any issue of importance they might want to talk about. They are also open to anyone, depending on privacy settings. They are also very different. Blogging is very limited to posting and then responding to that post. There is not as much of a community sense that there is with Facebook because you control who says what on Facebook. Blogging is more of place to post your personal opinions and thoughts while Facebook is a network to connect friends.
David Friedman’s blog “Ideas” is an Internet blog where he posts his ideas and thoughts about certain issues. In his blog, he makes some kind of comment and then he allows people to respond to what he has said. This allows everyone to see all comments posted by all people and they can also respond to each other. The targeted audience for his general blog is anyone who happens to read it, people whom he knows, and people looking for discussion on a certain idea that he has posted. Since anyone can see what is posted, the audience is not very limited. The author of this blog is David Friedman, an academic economist who teaches at a law school in San Jose, California. His posts are not too controversial, and his most recent about air conditioning is something that he is most likely qualified to discuss. He is most likely writing about an economical issue with air conditioning because he is an academic economist who is concerned about the economy. The main constraints with this specific post about air conditioning is that unless you have air conditioning and are directly affected by its costs then you will not care too much about this topic. Friedman most likely created this post because he had thought about the costs of his air conditioning and decided that there must be some less expensive way to receive an equal amount of cooling.
In contrast to blogging, Facebook is a different kind of online community. With Facebook, there are many different privacy settings that can be adjusted to control who sees what part of your information. You can comment to people on any topic you want and they can comment back to you. There are other features such as “groups” which are somewhat like mini – blogs about specific topics where anyone who is a member of the group can make comments. Groups can be private or by invitation only. The targeted audience is anyone who is your “friend” on Facebook, someone who is allowed to view your profile. You are the author of your profile and therefore you know everything you need to know about yourself. Posts on Facebook are designed for people who do not regularly talk to each other to stay in contact. The only real constraints with Facebook are that you must be “friends” with someone in order to see information about them, therefore, depending on the specific issue of a post, they may agree and they may disagree. Since all of your friends will not always agree with you, there constraints that they might have. Any argument on Facebook is caused because a “friend” disagrees with someone on any specific issue.
When analyzing Blogging and Facebook, there are similarities and differences. They are similar because they allow people to talk to one another over the Internet, to discuss any issue of importance they might want to talk about. They are also open to anyone, depending on privacy settings. They are also very different. Blogging is very limited to posting and then responding to that post. There is not as much of a community sense that there is with Facebook because you control who says what on Facebook. Blogging is more of place to post your personal opinions and thoughts while Facebook is a network to connect friends.
SWA 3
The section of Nancy V. Wood’s “Essentials of Argument” that I have read so far has been very informative on the basics of argument. It shows the different styles of argument as well as different examples that illustrate which styles work best based on the situation. After reading about adversarial and consensual argument styles I thought about what my style was, and I was able to find out more about myself then I had thought.
With my thought complete about what my personal argument style is, I decided that I am a consensual arguer. I don’t really see myself as someone who is closed-minded, confrontational, or aggressive when it comes to argument. When I partake in an argument I am fairly open-minded because I think that finding a compromise is almost always the main goal of any sort of argument or controversial discussion. It is easier for me to imagine myself as either a negotiator writing about plans to resolve a conflict or as someone conducting a discussion and then helping to find a consensus. It seems to be harder to see things as two-sided, having a right and wrong or pro and con because there should not be one set rule that applies to all situations. Every situation is different, which causes there to be grey-area, which allows for many different views on one single area.
After completing the list of style descriptions on page 21 in “Essentials of Argument” the consensual style does indeed describe me best. The majority of my responses where from the consensual style with some adversarial style mixed in. If I were to have my preference, I would argue as a consensual because it seems to be more productive and efficient, and it also seems to be much more civilized. With more thought, I recalled an argument that I had with a friend right before I left for school in August. We both had opposing viewpoints on a certain subject; however after talking about the details we took pieces from both sides and decided that although we at first had different ideas, we were looking for the same goal in the end. After thinking back to this experience I confirmed my thoughts that I am a consensual arguer.
With my thought complete about what my personal argument style is, I decided that I am a consensual arguer. I don’t really see myself as someone who is closed-minded, confrontational, or aggressive when it comes to argument. When I partake in an argument I am fairly open-minded because I think that finding a compromise is almost always the main goal of any sort of argument or controversial discussion. It is easier for me to imagine myself as either a negotiator writing about plans to resolve a conflict or as someone conducting a discussion and then helping to find a consensus. It seems to be harder to see things as two-sided, having a right and wrong or pro and con because there should not be one set rule that applies to all situations. Every situation is different, which causes there to be grey-area, which allows for many different views on one single area.
After completing the list of style descriptions on page 21 in “Essentials of Argument” the consensual style does indeed describe me best. The majority of my responses where from the consensual style with some adversarial style mixed in. If I were to have my preference, I would argue as a consensual because it seems to be more productive and efficient, and it also seems to be much more civilized. With more thought, I recalled an argument that I had with a friend right before I left for school in August. We both had opposing viewpoints on a certain subject; however after talking about the details we took pieces from both sides and decided that although we at first had different ideas, we were looking for the same goal in the end. After thinking back to this experience I confirmed my thoughts that I am a consensual arguer.
SWA 2
Kathleen Parker’s article, “Seeking Balance in an Either-Or World” examines what it is like living in today’s political society. With her opening, she talks about how she never seemed to fit in on the political spectrum. She was either too liberal for one party or too conservative for the other party, which ended up leaving her in the middle as a moderate. She uses the issue of abortion to talk about her personal feelings on a popular political topic. She gives both reasons for and against abortion, citing that she “can not justify government-enforced maternity” however she also comments that there needs to be “tougher education standards.” With these two extremes, it is hard for one to choose what exactly to do, which is why the Independents are the “fastest-growing group of voters across the country,” because it is so tough for most people to pick a side of tough political issues like abortion.
Parker’s thoughts show clearly that she is not opinionated either way on the issue of abortion. I agree with her to an extent. Living and growing up with a mother who is an OB-GYN, I have been exposed information about pregnancy. I strongly believe that the option of abortion should be on a case-by-case basis. That is, I think that a woman should have the opportunity to have an abortion if a child was conceived without consent, such as in a rape case. I think that Parker needs to go into more detail about different options women may have instead of an abortion such as adoption. I do not think that there is either a right or wrong answer for this, and that this is one reason why the Independents are the fastest-growing group of voters. Since there are so many political issues that depend on the situation for a decision, such as abortion, or gun control, I think that people would rather not side with one political party because they might agree with one political viewpoint of a conservative and another political viewpoint of a liberal.
I feel that Parker is correct in her belief that it is tough to be in today’s society and political world without having a definite side, but I think that not having just one side allows for more choices. From one friends experience having an abortion was the right choice, but it doesn’t mean that it is right for everyone. It also is acceptable to have different viewpoints from someone and still be able to get along with them.
Parker’s thoughts show clearly that she is not opinionated either way on the issue of abortion. I agree with her to an extent. Living and growing up with a mother who is an OB-GYN, I have been exposed information about pregnancy. I strongly believe that the option of abortion should be on a case-by-case basis. That is, I think that a woman should have the opportunity to have an abortion if a child was conceived without consent, such as in a rape case. I think that Parker needs to go into more detail about different options women may have instead of an abortion such as adoption. I do not think that there is either a right or wrong answer for this, and that this is one reason why the Independents are the fastest-growing group of voters. Since there are so many political issues that depend on the situation for a decision, such as abortion, or gun control, I think that people would rather not side with one political party because they might agree with one political viewpoint of a conservative and another political viewpoint of a liberal.
I feel that Parker is correct in her belief that it is tough to be in today’s society and political world without having a definite side, but I think that not having just one side allows for more choices. From one friends experience having an abortion was the right choice, but it doesn’t mean that it is right for everyone. It also is acceptable to have different viewpoints from someone and still be able to get along with them.
SWA 1
I feel that there are multiple things about today’s college students that concern journalism professor Michael Skube. I believe that one concern he has with college students is that he feels that they do not read enough for choice and the only reading that they do is required. I think Michael Skube is not satisfied with the education that high school students are receiving. I think Michael Skube feels that because of the lack of choice reading in high school students that they have a less developed vocabulary. With a less developed vocabulary I think he feels that students are at a disadvantage, and at times have trouble understanding important things. I think Michael Skube also feels that current high school students GPAs are not a valid indicator of intelligence. He believes that students are not taking challenging enough classes and therefore they are getting better grades in easier classes. Also because students are able to select which classes they take that they will not take a challenging English class if they do not have to. From my experience in the classroom I feel that his claims are somewhat accurate. I will admit that I do not read as many choice books as I should. Reading more choice books would be a benefit to me, although it is tough to find time in a student’s life right now to sit and read a choice book for fun. I also agree that current students GPAs are not as accurate as they should be because students are not all taking the same classes and because they are all not taking challenging classes. This will cause students, at times, to appear more intelligent then they actually are. Students who take more challenging classes might not have as high of a GPA, which might cause them to appear less intelligent on paper.
Todd Hagstette’s “aggressive reading” might help some of the students described by Michael Skube. If students were to read more actively instead of passively, as he describes, then they would learn more from reading and they would most likely enjoy reading more. This would probably help students because they would read more actively, expand their vocabulary, and give them more confidence to take a challenging class. With more aggressive reading, comprehension of the material would increase, and students would be more involved in discussions about the text. I feel that Todd Hagstette’s “aggressive reading” would inspired students by making them more confident with themselves.
Todd Hagstette’s “aggressive reading” might help some of the students described by Michael Skube. If students were to read more actively instead of passively, as he describes, then they would learn more from reading and they would most likely enjoy reading more. This would probably help students because they would read more actively, expand their vocabulary, and give them more confidence to take a challenging class. With more aggressive reading, comprehension of the material would increase, and students would be more involved in discussions about the text. I feel that Todd Hagstette’s “aggressive reading” would inspired students by making them more confident with themselves.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Response to Jerry Adler's "The War of The Worlds"
Overall, I thought this article was very well written. I liked how Adler showed both sides of the argument and how he talked about what the Republicans referred to the issue as, and how the Democrats referred to the issue. The article is effective in showing both sides because of this difference in terminology. I am somewhat conservative so I usually hear about this issue negatively because I hear about it from democrats who refer to it as a "Climate Crisis." However it was nice to hear about it with a more optimistic connotation.
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