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.