Journal 12

Abortion

One topic that I could write about would be the legalization of abortion. It is an enormous debate both in the United States and throughout the world. Every year there is a huge pro-life march in Washington D.C., and there are many more marches, debates, and protests throughout the year. People have a wide range of opinions over the issue. Some people are vehemently against abortion, while others support it. However, a large number of people also feel that it is acceptable only in some situations, such as in cases of rape. Abortions undoubtedly carry certain moral problems with them. Opponents of abortion point out that even in the early stages, the fetus takes the form of a human and has many significant characteristics that represent a human. They often equate it to murder. Others argue that until birth it should not be considered a human life. The issue goes far deeper than simply an argument of right or wrong or what defines a human life, however. Many people cite the radical drop in crime rates following the legalization of abortion as the reason that it should remain legal. This is a very controversial topic with plenty of opinions and resources available on the topic for me to use in writing a paper.

“The US Should not Overturn Roe vs. Wade”

“The US Should Overturn Roe vs. Wade”

Drinking Age

Another topic that I could write about for the research paper would be the drinking age. This issue is widely discussed in the United States both because of the prevalence of alcoholism and the dangerous effects of alcohol. I could argue that the drinking age should be reduced to 18. The most common argument for this idea is that people can go to war and die at the age of 18, but are not legally allowed to consume alcohol. I could also address many other significant issues such as the drinking ages in other countries and the prevalence of alcoholism in those countries compared to the United States.

“The Drinking Age Should be Lowered”

Original

Proponents for abstinence only sex-education often find their views rooted in religious beliefs and the traditional idea that sex should be saved for marriage. The most prevalent argument for abstinence-only programs is that the only one hundred percent effective way of preventing pregnancy or the spread of STDs is abstinence. Although this statement is true, it is a very unrealistic way of approaching the situation because “70 percent of U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once” (Abstinence Sex Education Does Not Reduce Teen Sexual Activity). It is almost impossible to make a strong argument that not educating teens about ways to engage in safe sex is a good idea considering the fact that the abstinence message is disregarded by nearly half of all teens before they reach 18 and many more as they get older. The Heritage Foundation, a very conservative organization, endorsed by Rush Limbaugh, claims that their studies show abstinence education gets teens to postpone sex (Teen Sex). Despite the fact that the delay of sexual activity is a desired outcome, the significance of this argument is almost completely negated when the majority of these teens will eventually partake in sexual activity without information that could be beneficial to them.

Revision

The most prevalent argument for abstinence-only programs is that the only one hundred percent effective way of preventing pregnancy or the spread of STDs is abstinence. Although this statement is true, it is a very unrealistic way of approaching the situation because “70 percent of U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once” (Abstinence Sex Education Does Not Reduce Teen Sexual Activity). These statistics make it almost impossible to make an argument that not teaching students about how protect themselves during sex is a wise decision. Another popular argument for abstinence – only education is that it gets teens to postpone their first sexual experience. The significance of this argument is almost completely negated when the majority of these teens will eventually partake in sexual activity without information that could be beneficial to them.

Journal 10

Abstinence Sex Education Does Not Reduce Teen Sexual Activity

In this article, Arthur Caplan discusses the issue of abstinence sex education versus comprehensive sex education. He discusses how large of a controversy this is by discussing the wide variety of opinions about what should be taught and the many differences in state laws about the topic. Caplan presents his reasons for believing that abstinence sex education fails to reduce teen sexual activity. He is very firm in his opinion and is very critical of this type of education. In his article he draws from numerous studies, polls, and statistics to generate support for the points that he is making. First, he presents information that shows that the majority of teens are not staying celibate until marriage and makes the argument that, therefore, we need to educate students about how they prevent teen pregnancies and the spread of disease because most teens will have sex even if they have had an abstinence sex course. He also presents studies in many states that have seen these programs fail to make any improvement in teen sexual activity. Finally, Caplan discusses the fact that many parents say that that they want their children taught abstinence sex education, but will often change their tune when the children graduate high school and in many cases did not wait until marriage themselves.

I like a lot of the points that Caplan makes in his article and I like that he was not making the point that sex before marriage is acceptable, instead he focused on his belief that it is something that is going to occur. He presents his belief that abstinence sex education fails to prepare students for this fact, and fails to even have an impact on the number of teens who will remain celibate until marriage. I think that he does present a convincing argument. His use of statistics really supported his argument. However, I did feel that he made some assertions that had only a little support. I think that in these cases he relied too much on relaying his opinion instead of presenting support for his beliefs. Overall, though, his argument was convincing and he did present good support for his points, especially when you consider that there are few ways to quantify success or failure of these types of programs except through polls.

I think that this article can be very helpful in my paper because it presents ample valuable information that I can use to support my ideas. It has reliable statistics that demonstrate the failure of many of these programs. One useful piece of information that I could cite is that “70 percent of teens have engaged in oral sex by the time they reach 18, and more than 45 percent have had intercourse at least once.” I think that this statistic is useful because it shows that teens are going to engage in sexual activity and it makes much more sense to educate them on the safest way to do that rather than attempting to prevent something that is widely going to occur anyway.

Arthur Caplan, "Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Defies Common Sense: Education Policy Spreads Ignorance, Sends Confusing Message to Teens," MSNBC.com, October 13, 2005. © 2008 MSNBC Interactive. Republished with permission of MSNBC.com, conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

Sunday's lights-out body count shows NFL needs to change

This article discusses the controversy over headshots in the NFL and their effect on concussions. The NFL has started dealing out significantly stricter penalties to players who hit defenseless players in the head. Many current and former players have been adamantly contesting the new punishments. They argue that, “you don’t aim. You just react.” They believe that it is unfair for them to be penalized for most of these hits, but this articles supports the strong penalties. I think that these penalties are extremely unfair. Defensive players are doing anything they can to prevent the offense from advancing the ball and are very rarely attempting to injure the defenseless players. Many of the hits that were penalized in the week that this article focuses on were cheap and deserved to be penalized, but many of the hits were not. These players can’t change the way they’ve played since they were little kids and incidental head contact is simply a part of the game.

McDonald's must pay Brazilian manager $17.5K for weight gain

This article talks about an employee of McDonald’s won a lawsuit against his employer for $17,500. He sued McDonald’s because in his time working there he gained 65 pounds. He said that he felt forced to sample the food each day to ensure that it was good quality. He also used free employee lunches in his lawsuit. I think that it is ridiculous that he was able to win the lawsuit. Although he may have felt forced to test the food, he was not directly forced to test the food. The free employee lunches should not have played any role in his lawsuit because it was his decision to eat the free lunches. He could have simply brought himself a much healthier lunch, and McDonald’s has healthier options on its menu. His decision to sample the food was a sacrifice he chose to make to help him do his job better. It was not a necessity of his job, and therefore McDonald’s should not be held responsible.

Near-record 236 bodies found at Mexico-Ariz. border in year

This article discusses the large increases in the number of deaths of immigrants trying to cross the border to the USA in recent years. The article blames the increase on border patrol improving its techniques for preventing immigrants from crossing. Because the border patrol has become more effective, immigrants have to take much more difficult routes to the US. I think that it is not right for this many immigrants to be dying, but I also do not think that they should be crossing the border illegally. However, I do not blame the immigrants for this problem. I think that it needs to become easier for them to cross the border, at least on daily work visas. They deserve the right to find work here in the US.

Journal 8: Coca-Cola Can Vs. Pepsi Can

The red coca-cola can has been a common sight for many people for years. Many people are easily able to associate this red can with the taste of the soda. The image of the can is so pressed into my mind, that simply picturing the can reminds me of the feel of a cold, aluminum can in my hand. The cursive, white Coca-Cola logo has been a staple of the company since its beginnings bottling soda, and is very well imbedded in the minds of most Americans. The word classic appears in a very plain font, which serves to underline the traditional nature of Coca-Cola, while the white, wavy line under the logo helps to remind people of the smooth nature of the soda.

The blue Pepsi can has stood opposite to the Coca-Cola can for years. Although the Coca-Cola can has used a long history to make the logo appealing, the Pepsi can uses the color blue to appeal to many people because the color blue often reminds people of water. The Pepsi logo has undergone many more changes through its history, but the current red white and blue circle next to the word Pepsi has become very easily associated with the taste of Pepsi. The circle serves as the key symbol that people associate with Pepsi. The curved nature of the white line in the middle of the circle helps to associate with the smooth taste of the drink.

Evaluation

I will be evaluating the BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, system of selection for NCAA football. The system merits evaluation because it has been the center of center of controversy, especially in recent years, with non-BCS teams, such as Boise State, gaining national prominence. The system has had numerous problems since in began in the early 1900’s.

I will evaluate the BCS based on its fairness, ability to insight competition, popularity with the coaches and players, fan popularity, and ability earn profits for the NCAA and teams.

The fairness of the system is probably the most talked about issue when it comes to the BCS. The system is supposed to be a way of including all of the teams in the NCAA in the fight for a national champion while giving teams who have been eliminated from championship contention something to play for. In theory the system would be fair because it includes all of the teams in the NCAA, but in practice, it is not quite so fair. Teams’ positions in the standings are greatly impacted by their strength of schedule, or the quality of the teams they play. Because of this fact, teams who come from weaker leagues, such as Boise State, are hurt because they do not have the opportunity to play tough teams every week. They can finish the season without a loss and not get an opportunity to play in the national championship because their strength of schedule is not good enough.

The BCS system does a good job of breeding competition throughout the season, but does not bring about the end season excitement of the NCAA basketball tournament. In the current system every game matters because a single loss can oust a team from title contention. However, the system fails to bring about the competition at the end of the season because teams’ fates are determined by their past performance and people’s opinions instead of the performance at the end of the season.

Although some people in the NCAA oppose the BCS system, the majority of players and coaches actually like the system. The argument that these groups often cite is that in the current system numerous teams end this season with a bowl win, while a playoff system would end with just one winner. The most common opposition to the system within the NCAA is from teams that end up not getting a birth in a bowl game that they feel the deserve. In Boise State’s case, they finished the season without a loss numerous times, but they missed a spot in the national championship game to a team with one loss.

The BCS system is largely unpopular with fans. Most fans want to see a playoff system because it would create a lot more excitement at the end of season and allow for more upsets. One of the most popular sporting events is the NCAA basketball tournament, which many people believe shows the merit of a tournament system.

The BCS system is very effective in earning profits, but not for all of the teams. The vast majority of the profits go to the major conferences. Other smaller, non-BCS conferences lose a lot of profit to the major conferences. This occurrence makes the disparity between the conferences even greater because it allows teams in the major conferences to spend much more money on facilities and recruiting.

Journal 6: Outline

1. Opening Scene:

a. Story about standing up, putting on hat, and singing “Deck the Halls”

b. Every starts asking what he was doing and making fun of him

c. Doesn’t stop and just makes faces at people

2. Illustrative Quote

a. “I mean I don’t really care if people think it’s weird. Ya know?”

3. Nut Graph

a. Bob is a very interesting person who does a lot of funny things.

b. I will use some quotes from other people about him to show how interested people are in the strange things he does.

c. He’s also a very nice person who would do anything to help someone else out, which is something that would be a little more difficult to recognize.

4. Background

a. Met Bob in High School and decided to room together

b. He grew up in Chalfont, PA and went to St. Jude School

c. Include some story from past if can get one (I don’t have any good one as of right now but plan to talk to him about it)

5. Supporting Information

a. Describe what he does one day just sitting in the dorm room

b. Focus on strange things to demonstrate why this is an interesting topic

c. Quote things that he says

6. Supporting Information

a. Describe one day when he is studying in room with friends

i. Very focused and work very hard

ii. No notice of what is going on around them

b. This anecdote shows both strange characteristics and how helpful he can be because, after about an hour, he didn’t need to study anymore but continues studying to help friends out.

7. Supporting Information

a. Story about giving up bed for friend who couldn’t get home that night because she was left alone by her friends

b. Walked her all the way back to West Halls early the next morning

c. Got very mad at his friend for leaving her alone at night

d. Focus primarily on being nice to others rather than strange things he does

8. Conclusion

a. Use quotes from other people to show both why he is interesting but also how caring he can be.

b. I want to make both aspects of his personality clear.

Journal 5: Profile

My dorm room is a small room. On either side of the entrance are two desks, mirrors, and closets. Behind each of the two desks are two unmade beds with navy blue comforters. Between the two beds sits a 17-inch flat screen TV on top of a microwave, which itself sits on top of a TV. The microwave and refrigerator are connected by screws and are a common site in dorm rooms at Penn State. On the front of our refrigerator are numerous strange phrases. One sentence reads, “I workout with consent”, while another reads, “I respect sleep.” These sentences are formed by numerous magnets which have words written on them, which have been pushed together by my roommate.

I look over to the left and there is my roommate, Bob. He sits there hunched over his computer for the better part of many weeknights. His computer game is pulled up on the screen. All I can see from my seat is the outline of what looks like the outline of a small town. He has on a loose, long-sleeved, white t-shirt. At the wrists the shirt is too loose and the bottoms of the sleeves droop when he holds his hands up to reveal his boney wrists. His poorly shaped beard looks like awkwardly formed facial hair instead of a beard intentionally shaped in that way. Occasionally, he yells something at the Phillies game, which is on the TV.

“He’s just, well, he’s just Bob. That’s really the only way to describe it.” – Conor McGonigle. Conor has been a good friend of Bob for several years. He also roomed with Bob in the summer session here at Penn State and knows him very well.

“I mean I don’t really care if people think it’s weird. Ya know?” – Bob. Bob said this after I was making fun of him for his this crazy hat that he has. It is made of frizzy strands made to look a little like a wig. Half of the strands are blue and the other half are white for Penn State colors.

“He does a lot of goofy stuff, but he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.” – Nate Kurylo. Nate is another friend of Bob’s from high school. I like this quote because it underlines one of the main points that I want to portray in my paper; it doesn’t really matter how odd some of the stuff he does seems because he’s really a cool and nice guy.

One thing that I found interesting on Bob’s Facebook is that he likes “that kid got mad over an A- when you just got a D.” This says a lot about Bob’s laid back approach to a lot of things because although he does well in school, he never really gets too worked up about it. Another interesting fact that I found on his Facebook is that Bob’s AIM address is soccerbert21. I found this interesting because I have never really heard him use the name Bert. Another fact that I found from his mom is that he hates the name Robert. A final fact that I learned from his mom is that he is extremely close with his family.

One area that I found that I want to investigate is the reason that Bob hates the name Robert, and where the name Bert came from. Another area that I think that I want to look into more would be talking to more members of his family because I think that they might have some useful information that I did not expect.

Journal 4

In the broadcast “#1 Party” school, the reporters do clearly define the issue in a way that will make sense to the listener. Starting out with the sounds of one night in downtown State College was a great way of showing the listener the issue that the report covered. One reason that this issue needed to be investigated immediately was that Penn State had just been named the #1 party school by Princeton review. The reporters used the prologue to show the listeners why this was a pressing issue. Later in the report, many of the biggest problems associated with underage drinking on Penn State’s campus were discussed. The reporters talked about deaths that resulted from drinking, many of the crimes that students commit while out drinking, and the fact that the school has not done enough to combat underage drinking. One group who is greatly affected by this issue is those who are living in State College. The report covers in great depth the things that those who live close to campus have to deal with during the night hours on weekends and some weekdays. I have very mixed feelings about this issue. On one side I think it is unfair for people to have to deal with a lot of the things that happen to them and their houses as a result of living near the campus, but on the other hand I think they had to know what they were getting themselves into by moving into that area. It would be just foolish to think that you could move in right near a college campus and not have to deal with a lot of problems from the students. Anyone who wants to find out about the party scene at a school simply has to do a little research, and before you buy a home you should definitely do a lot of research about the area.

One person who is quoted is one of the reporter’s friend, Sarah, who lives in downtown State College. Her quotations and stories are used to show the many ways that people living in the area are affected by the drinking and partying. They also quote a delivery boy named Alex Moore who represents the problems for him trying to do his job that are created by the partying. Students, police officers, school officials, and local business owners are all quoted to help show how each group is affected by and involved in the drinking scene at Penn State. The reporters draw the conclusion that partying at Penn State is a problem because of the dangers associated with it and the effect that it has on others in the area.

I like a lot of the ideas discussed in this report. The reporters do a good job of covering the issue and talking to all of the people affected by and involved in it. I would have liked the report to address the fact that people living and working in the area chose that location with the knowledge that they would be near a college campus. I really liked that the report addressed what the school is doing to combat underage drinking and partying at Penn State. Quoting Graham Spanier worked very well. I also really liked that they were able to get interviews with students who had been drinking and were out causing problems. Having a colleague who lived in State College made a lot of the most important contributions to this piece possible.

Journal 3

3. From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or the process? Do you agree in regard to your own first drafts? Explain.

From what Lamott has to say, writing a first draft is more about the process. She discusses specific steps of her own process. I like how she shares specific examples of how she moves through this process because I go through a lot of the same steps as I go through my own writing process. The first draft never really becomes a product. Even a finished first draft is still just a step in the writing process. One thing that Lamott says that I can really identify with is that most writers don’t just sit down and start writing with ease. I can definitely relate to her initial panic and frustration when she first tries to begin to write. When I get writing assignments for school, I almost always think that I am screwed when I first start to write. I always feel like I am in trouble because I have no idea where I am going to go with my writing. I like that she focuses on the fact that the first draft really does not matter because no one else will see it. I can definitely identify with the way her first draft comes out. At first things that I write make almost no sense, are poorly organized, and often seem to be about five different topics instead of one main topic. Just like Lamott, I always end up cutting large portions of my first draft almost immediately. I can also relate to her first attempt to put words onto the page not working out. This part of her process is something that I also often struggle with. Many times, I will plan on starting a writing assignment well before it is due, but I often end up with nothing written after the first time I sit down to write. I usually sit down to write and then will type then delete the first sentence over and over again before deciding to give up. I often walk away to do something else. Lamott talks about how she makes phone calls or gets something to eat when she gets stuck. I usually do something very similar. Often I will get up and go running or get something to eat. When I return to write, I, like Lamott, begin to put a lot of ideas down onto the page. Many of the entire paragraphs I will later decide to cut out completely. When I read my first draft, I regularly think, “I don’t know why I thought that was at all relevant” because a lot of the things that I wrote had nothing to do with the topic of my paper. I think that writing down things that I will actually later cut out is constructive because it allows me to pick the best examples and ideas. I really like a lot of the ideas that Lamott presents in this piece because I can easily relate to a lot of the things she says. When I was writing my rough draft for my personnel narrative, I followed a process very similar to the one that she discusses.

Journal 2

In "My Addicted Son" by David Sheff, Sheff does an excellent job of using many elements of a memoir to relay to his readers his feelings and to create similar feelings in his readers. This type of story appeals to all different types of people. I’m sure that it is especially relevant and meaningful to people who have dealt with a family member who has struggled with drugs, but it is a topic that can touch almost anyone. Even before his introduction Sheff uses his title as an opportunity to make it clear to the readers what the article is about. Often I think that more creative titles would be more interesting, but I think that a simple, direct title was definitely a good way to go for this article because it put the readers in the right mindset before beginning to read. I like how Sheff uses a specific story to grab the readers' attention and give the readers a sense of the story that will follow. Telling a short story that was not at the beginning of his son's problems allowed Sheff to introduce his readers to the recurring theme of relapse that would be throughout the story. Sheff does a good job of recounting the events of his son’s struggles with drugs. He uses a lot of description and specific examples and instances to recount his experiences. I think that Sheff’s use of dialogue is his best tool in creating the feeling that he wants in his reader. These dialogues are a great insight into what was going on with his son, Nick. Many of them reveal Nick distancing himself from his father and the rest of his family. I hope to use dialogues in my own personal narrative. At times, Sheff also uses them to display Nick’s unwillingness to try to get help and clean himself up. In my own Sheff also goes into great detail about the emotions that he was feeling. I thought that one of the most powerful parts of the article was when Sheff talks about blaming himself and all of the things that he wishes he had done differently that could have changed the direction that Nick’s life took. I thought that the most moving part of the article is where Sheff includes an excerpt from a journal that Nick kept at one of the rehab facilities that he spent time at. In this excerpt, Nick talks about not knowing how his life fell apart. Hearing something directly from Nick about the frustration and difficulty of the situation was especially touching to me. Finally, I like how Sheff ends the article in a very positive and promising way. Instead of focusing on his worries about another relapse he focuses on the positive things that are occurring in Nick’s life.