Extra Credit

The idea that the educated male is disappearing in today’s society is well supported in the article, “The Crisis of the Disappearing Educated Male” written by Janice Shaw Crouse. Crouse talks about how active boys are at a disadvantage because so many schools are cutting funding for recess and physical education. These active boys have no outlet for their energy, so it then becomes a problem in the classroom. This is continuing on into college because of the Title IX being put into effect. Title IX is the equal education act. It states that both men and women will have equal opportunities for education. This has caused many universities to cut their men’s sport teams, over 400 teams according to the article, in order to fund more women’s teams. In my home state of Maryland the sports programs are suffering. The University of Maryland is planning to cut eight of their sports teams in July. Unfortunately for the young men who are attending or planning to attend the University of Maryland five of those eight teams are men’s teams. Although one of the reasons for cutting these teams is the university’s financial situation I believe there are other options. Intermural sports are an inexpensive option that could be made available to the students (especially the males) affected by these teams being cut. A lot of young men attend college with the hopes of playing on a sports team, if there is no sports team to play on then they may just quit.

 Additionally, in my short time as a college student I have already seen the amount of men attending their classes decrease. The attitude of being “too cool” to study or go to class is very prevalent among young men in college. I know many of the young men I know here at West Virginia University hold being viewed as manly and cool as more important than studying and getting good grades. I believe that there is a solution to this problem. The role models that many young men have today are professional athletes, and many of these men did not go to or did not finish college. If professional sports leagues made it a requirement for their athletes to graduate college with a certain GPA I believe that the young men who idolize these men would try to do the same. Also, if these professional athletes promoted getting a college education and showed it as being manly and cool many young men might begin to agree. This does not only apply to professional athletes, but any public male figure who could influence the attitudes young men have towards college.

Works Cited:

 1.) Crouse, Janice Shaw. "The Crisis of the Disappearing Educated Male." American Thinker. The American Thinker, 28 May 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/the_crisis_of_the_disappearing.html>.

2.) Stevens, Patrick. "Maryland Could Cut 8 Sports in July - Washington Times." The Washington Times. The Washington Times, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/14/maryland-could-cut-8-sports-in-july/?page=all>.

Blog #10

The laws against drinking and driving in Maryland are too strict. Drivers should be given a second chance before they face the many consequences associated with drinking and driving. It should not be until the second time a person is caught drinking and driving that they face serious consequences, because then they have established a pattern of drinking and driving. Many people who are caught drinking and driving have legitimate excuses for doing so and it may be their first time ever driving after drinking. Also, in a lot of situations the driver really has only had two or three drinks and is still capable of operating a vehicle. According to DrivingLaws.org, in Maryland the law states that if a person has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or above then it is illegal for them to operate a vehicle. Maryland also has a zero tolerance policy for drivers under the age of 21. If a driver under the age of 21 is found to have a .02 percent BAC or above their license could be suspended or revoked. It is very hard for drivers to know how many drinks it will take them to reach the .08 BAC limit. Physical characteristics that are unique to every driver, such as weight, sex, the number of drinks consumed over a given time, if the person has eaten, all play into the BAC formula (“Maryland”). Therefore, every person’s limit is different. The first Driving Under the Influence (DUI) infraction can hold up to one year of jail time, two years if you are transporting a minor. Your licence may be suspended for at least six months and you can be charged a fine of $1000 to $2000 (“Maryland”). All of these consequences could just be for having a drink or two at dinner.

"Maryland Drunk Driving Fines and Penalties." DUI Laws. Drunk Driving. Teen Laws. Cell Phone Law. Lawyers. | Drivinglaws.org. ExpertHub.com, 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://dui.drivinglaws.org/maryland.php>.

Blog #9

The article we read in class gives examples of why Facebook and other forms of social media and technology are changing the way we interact with people. It states that the lines between public and private information are being blurred. Before you meet someone all you have to do is look at their Facebook to learn most of their secrets. The article ends with a cliff hanger, if we already share secrets so publicly over the internet what is next? The second is very similar in that way that it begins with an amusing example of a woman's privacy being invaded through the internet. She leaves her dog's poop on a subway in South Korea and the next day her whole life story is made public on a popular website. The article describes this behavior as aggressive. Stating that if the internet had been around during World War II than people could have used to it to find Jews and their families and than post their information publicly on the internet. Or the KKK could have posted a list of black people who needed to be lynched. These are both extreme examples of how the internet needs to be patrolled. However, both articles argue that something needs to be done about the freedom of the internet because if it is not, not only is people's privacy at risk, but also their safety.

blog #8

Annie Lamott’s essay “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life” had some very helpful advice when it came to writing. However, there was an excessive amount of sarcasm that did not really add anything to the paper. The first part of the essay about short assignments gave great advice to just take the assignment one step at a time and just focus on one important section. Unfortunately, that advice is lost in the other six or seven paragraphs of unnecessary backstory. Lamott appears to be writing to a specific audience, writers. The whole first paragraph is unsuccessful in explaining the fear and anxiety that goes with writing a short assignment. The metaphors she uses are creepy and confusing. Then Lamott goes on to repeat the idea of procrastination. First she lists her fears and problems, then she goes on to set goals for herself to improve her life and finally she finishes with a to-do list. She then repeats this whole idea by using the metaphor of a dog playing with a chew toy. Lamott then uses three different stories to make the same point. First she cites E. L. Doctorow comparing writing to driving a car at night with headlights. Then she uses the story of her dad giving her brother advice to “Just take it bird by bird,” while completing his research project, and then she references the movie Stripes. All of these examples are just reiterating that in order to write a short assignment you need to take it step by step, calm down, and focus. Lamott’s advice on shitty first drafts is very helpful. I constantly write horrible first drafts so that I can get all of my ideas down on paper and I am glad she confirmed that this is a helpful practice. However, again Lamott used too much sarcasm that it was not funny. Lamott makes a joke about hating a writer who writes perfect first drafts, and it somewhat funny, but then in the next paragraph she makes the same joke. Lamott’s advice on finding someone to read your drafts is also great advice, but making the joke of getting rejected and having to see your therapist, twice, is too much. I also was completely lost when she mentioned her friend Patty who died. She quoted Patty saying, “Annie? I really don’t think you have the time,” referring to the fit of a dress. I did not understand how she related this to not having the time to deal with people who are too judgmental. Over all I thought Lamott had some great advice, but the way she presented it made it difficult to take her seriously. She was targeting a specific audience and I could not relate to a lot of her jokes and confessions. I think she was trying just a little too hard.

Citation: Lamott, Annie. “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.” Works in Progress. Hayden-McNeil Publishing. Plymouth, MI.  2012. Print

Blog #6

The version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Rage Against The Machine has an upbeat tone to it. The artist is trying to make it sound like what Tom Joad is doing is revolutionary and it should inspire people. The music is faster and a lot louder than Bruce Springsteen's version. There are also a lot of parts of the song that are only instrumental. However, the lyrics are sung almost like a speech. It sounds like he is pumping up a crowd so that they will want to start a revolution and revolt against the government. The artist sounds like he is targeting an audience that is proud of what Tom Joad did and want to be like him. This artist's audience  probably has some problems with the law and authority figures in general. Bruce Springsteen's version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is much more melancholy. The music is much more quiet and slow. There are violins playing in the end which are usually associated with sadness. The violins are also playing without the artist singing. When the artist is singing he sounds sad like he is reminiscing about something that was really hard to deal with. He sounds like he is targeting an audience that has a lot of sympathy for what Tom Joad had to go through.

Blog #5

1.)         Could you give me some background on how you became president of the panhellenic council?

2.)               What are your responsibilities as president?

3.)               How long are you allowed to be president for? (As in only for one year? One recruitment season? Or for longer?)

4.)              If you were not president during the spring 2011 formal recruitment who was?

5.)              Did you hold a position during the last recruitment? If so what were your responsibilities?

6.)              How did your experience compare to this year’s recruitment from last year’s?

7.)              What was the system for dropping sorority houses last year?

8.)              How did it compare to the new computerized system this year?

9.)              I heard that the system has always been computerized, but in previous years Rho Gammas had to input girls answers in the computer themselves. Why the change?

10.)          Do you think having the girls put there own answers in is a better system? Why or why not?

11.)          Do you think the new system offered more privacy for the girls?

12.)          Were the more problems reported this year with the new computer system than with the system used last year?

13.)          I know of one girl who reported being dropped from a house that she was not supposed to be dropped from and then had to miss their philanthropy night. Did that happen last year as well?

14.)     Were there any other situations similar to that one that happened this year? Were there more this year or last?

15.)          How long did it take for girls to drop houses last year compared to this year?

16.)           How did the number of girls participating in recruitment this year compare to last year?

17.)          How did the number of girls who dropped recruitment altogether compare with this year to last year?

18.)          Do you have any advice for girls who are considering going through recruitment in the Spring or next Fall?

19.)          Do you have any advice for the next panhellenic president?

20.)     Over all, in a few sentences could you explain how your experience with last year's recruitment compared to this year's?     

Blog #4

I have decided to write my feature article on the 2011 formal sorority recruitment week. I have emailed the Panhellenic President, Ms. Courtney Hooper, to set up an interview time for later in the week. This article would be ideal in an issue of Cosmopolitan or Seventeen (Magazines). My article would be perfect for either of these publications because it deals with an issue that is relevant to their target audience. A good part of my article will be the interview with Ms. Hooper, since that is where most of my research will be from. Most of the interview articles in those magazines are set up with a formal article leading up to an informal question and answer sequence. However, because I have other information besides the interview I am not sure if I will set my article up that way. These publications target girls mostly in their teenage years and early twenties so the tone is typically informal, but the articles still follow the rules of a news article. Because the readers of both Seventeen and Cosmo are typically younger females I would try to keep them interested with a shocking angle to my story. Instead of being a story just about the sorority recruitment I will try to focus on some of the scandals, but I will also show how the Panhellenic council resolved all of those issues quickly. The readers of these publications would most likely be interested in photos of the recruitment week or statistics on how many girls participated, dropped out, and how many are in each sorority. 

Blog #3

Roberts advises this student to improve their essay on college football by avoiding the obvious arguments. He says this will help them avoid writing the same paper as every other student. According to Roberts the student should instead go for the unique, and therefore harder to prove, arguments. This impresses the professor and keeps them interested. Roberts also argues that the student should also try to use more specific examples instead of general statements. General statements are unlikely to persuade the reader to agree with an argument. However, if the student uses a specific story to prove what they are saying it is more likely to convince their audience to agree with them. Additionally, Roberts advises the student should get rid of obvious padding. Just because there is a specific word count the student should not turn four words into forty with out adding any new information. Roberts states that just because students are younger and less experienced does not mean they should demean themselves by writing "in my opinion," or other similar phrases. They should instead simply state their opinion in an authoritative way. Roberts also says the student should avoid phrases that are cliché. He says they are acceptable on occasion, but too many can cause the essay to loose its meaning. Also word choice is important. Roberts reminds the student that fancy words are not always better and the flow of the essay is the most important thing. 

Specifically in the student's essay on college football I would suggest that they use Roberts' advice regarding the use of more specific examples instead of general statements. The student uses very vague ideas and does not give any support. Instead of arguing that college football is bad because a "high school star was offered a convertible if he would play football for a certain college," the student should have put some more research in and found a specific example. 

Blog #2

Stephanie's Playlist

Take Me Back To Beach Week

1.) Wiz Khalifa "No Sleep"

                    -...we pretty much blasted this song every morning that whole week. 

2.) Zac Brown Band "Knee Deep"

                    -"...the only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair."

3.) Kenny Chesney "Summertime"

                    -"School's out and the nights roll in..."

My Lovely Boyfriend

1.) Tim McGraw "My Best Friend"

                    -...well this is our song

2.) Kenny Chesney "All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan"

                    -"Well, if you're thinkin' bout getting me a present this year 

                       Let me put a bug in your cute little ear 

                       How 'bout two tickets to a tropical shore

                      Where we don't have to wear these winter clothes anymore..." 

3.) Lee Brice "She Ain't Right"

                    -His song to me...

Great Friends, Great Times

1.) Kenny Chesney "Out Last Night"

                    -"We went out last night

                       Like we swore we wouldn't do

                      Drank too much beer last night 

                      A lot more than we wanted to..."

2.) Katy Perry "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

                    -"It's a blacked out blur But I'm pretty sure it ruled..."

3.) Dierks Bently "Am I the Only One"

                    -No I'm not.

We Will Probably Never Grow Up

1.) Montgomery Gentry "While You're Still Young"

                    -"Blowin' out Spring break with your not right friends

                       Wake up on the beach with new ink on your skin

                       Do something scary and dumb while you're still young"

2.) Kenny Chesney "Young"

                    -"We were brave, we were crazy, we were mostly young."

3.) Kenny Chesney "Beer in Mexico"

                    -"Maybe I'll settle down, get married 

                      Or stay single and stay free

                      Which road I travel is still a mystery to me

                      So I'll just sit right here, have another beer in Mexico..."

Blog #1

One very effective use of genre in Hayley Kidd's essay, titled "Swimming to Heaven," was the use of an obituary. Kidd builds up to the fact that something is wrong with Jarrod, but she does not come out and say it directly. The beginning of her essay explains that she thought Jarrod was perfect and in her ten-year-old eyes he had everything. However, she alludes to the fact something is wrong with Jarrod because of her word choice, saying that on the outside Jarrod seemed perfect. All of this foreshadows Jarrod’s suicide, however her use of his obituary makes the news even more dramatic than it already is. If Kidd had simply used a traditional linear storytelling approach and just said Jarrod died of a drug overdose it would not have had as much of an emotional impact. An obituary is a very recognizable form of writing and there are a lot of emotions attached to it. Using an obituary evoked those emotions where as just writing that Jarrod died most likely would not have.

An additional genre I would have advised Kidd to use would be dialogue between Jarrod's sister Jessica and herself. Kidd said Jessica was her babysitter and was also Jarrod's twin. These relationships are very significant and should have been addressed more. I would have advised that she add this genre after the funeral.  Kidd mentions how calm Jessica seemed at the funeral when she went up to give her condolences but she does not elaborate any further. There was a gap in time from the funeral to her swimming and I think more of an explanation could have been added there. This would add more depth to Jarrod’s suicide since most likely, and as Kidd admits, the details for her are a little hazy. Jessica’s perspective would have given the audience a clearer picture of what happened that day.