You are not alone in wishing for classes more related to your major! I really loved your CD, especially "Medical Meltdown," which touches on a very sensitive issues. You show great empathy for your subject matter.

My Ideal University

I've decided to choose a day of my school week that includes attending my biology 125 lecture and lab. The lecture's time slot is 7:30am-8:45am and then my lab is later that day from 4:30pm-7:10pm. With that, my first curriculum change comes to mind. I would rather have my lecture begin at 12noon... that is when I am most awake after getting a good night's sleep and waking up with time to get dressed for the day and eat some breakfast. When my day begins with being rushed or feeling overly exhausted, to me, it is just the start of a bad day.

When it comes to lecture style courses, they can go either way. I've found that in my bio class I am constantly on my toes and paying attention because I actually care about the class and it is required for my major (if I'm not falling asleep due to such an early time slot). On the other hand, it pains me to know that I am paying thousands of dollars to attend a psych lecture later that day just so I can facebook/email the whole time. That class does absolutely nothing for me and it doesn't interest me career wise at all. I say that students should not have to take "money-eating" gen. eds. if they know they are not interested in the subject in terms of career goals!

Touching on the subject of projects and assignments, lighten the workload period. Elimate busy work (students downright hate it). With projects, always give students the option to work with a group. If I could, I would do everything independently...I've been saying that since elementary school!

I would also love to see more hands-on interactions in classrooms. That is one thing that I love about my bio lab. I always say that the lab saves my grade in that class because it makes me get it. It's almost a 3 hour class and there's actually time for the teacher to give constructive notes, answer personal questions, do hands-on activities (dissections, experiments, etc.), and even motivate an individual if they really need it (I've almost cried several times because of that class). With that being said, computer technology isn't necessarily on my list of likes, and I feel that a lot of students learn better when they are physically doing a task and have more personal interactions. However, blackboard and email are great for networking purposes.

Therefore, faculty should hear us out! As students, we love sleep, time to let material absorb into our minds, options and opportunities, and chances to prove our unique strengths.

Is Jesus a Joke?

1. After reading the articles and reviewing the visual examples of the tee-shirts, I cannon really pin-point one opinion on this issue. I, being Catholic, would not typically wear a shirt like this not because it offends me, but because it is not really my style. I consider myself relatively spiritual and at the same time I believe that people should be able to express their faith however they choose. I can understand why some might see these designs as parodies (for example, if one is significantly traditional in their religious practices) but at the same time I do not really understand why it is being blown up into such a controversial issue. To me, religion is a freedom, and no one person should tell another how to express it.

2. A quote used by Paul Mitchell refuting his argument was, “in the end, Christianity is not a brand”. It does not really make sense because at the beginning of the article he was discussing how he was trying to make a statement of his religious beliefs through choosing the perfect shirt to wear to a rock band.

3. If the shirts only contained the text and not the pictorials, it actually would change my view on them. It would make me take the shirt more seriously because the pictures of Jesus are kind of modernized or in a sense made to appeal to a kind of youth-culture which I can see how that would offend more traditional religious members. With only words, the message is simple and more straight-forward, eliminating the illusion that Jesus, this almighty force of God, is being turned into a “homie” or “friend”.

4. Interpreting the tee-shirt on the left, I feel that it is more a bold statement due to the black and white colors, the thorny halo on Jesus’ head, and his more seldom facial expression. I think this shirt appeals to pathos in a more serious way. It makes Jesus out to look more like a real person and corresponds to the Jesus that is imagined by people when he is carrying the cross or being hung on the cross. Again, it convinces me to take the shirt and message more seriously and view it in a more respectable manner. The tee-shirt on the right however really makes Jesus out to be a goofy cartoon figure. His attire is very urban and his facial expression is not pious at all. The colors might be evidence that the shirt was made for fashion statement purposes than religious message purposes. I feel like it would appeal to an audience who does not see religion in a traditional way or to someone who has a more comical, open-minded personality.

C.D. Creation

C.D Title: Popular Outcast

C.D. Cover Description: The cover will be black, white, and grayscale so listeners can relate internal issues discussed in the songs to the feeling of lifelessness and colorlessness. It will give off a more serious, dark tone. Also, the picture itself would be of an attractive teen walking down an abandoned street to relay the feeling of being alone and to relate back to the C.D title of “outcast”. The complete title, “Popular Outcast”, means that a lot more people experience these kinds of hardships than one might think, thus one can appear put together or “popular”, yet feel like an outcast. Also, the word “popular” can be taken into perspective as there is an abundance of people who feel like outcasts.

Song Title #1: “It’s not me, It’s you”
Genre: Heavy Metal
Explanation: This song explores the hardships of verbal and emotional abuse that children experience from abusive parents. It will include the severity of these types of abuse and their long-lasting effects on children. Emotions such as low self-esteem, anger, and depression will explode in forms of twisted rage in the song. Frustrations will be touched on as well.

Song Title #2: “Work Hard, Play Harder”
Genre: Rap
Explanation: The demand of sport perfection from athletes of all ages and genders. This is what this song will elaborate on. Rap, being the chosen genre, is an example of one motivational technique that many athletes listen to during workouts or to get “pumped up” before a game. This song will discuss the dangers of steroids, physical health, and over exhausting athletes’ bodies. Where is the line drawn between playing for the love of the game and playing to win?

Song Title #3: “Body of a Goddess”
Genre: Alternative
Explanation: This song travels bravely into the hushed topic of how advertisements, television shows, and magazines determine what is considered beautiful in society today. When eating healthy and exercise is not enough, lyrics will take listeners into a world of a desire to be “beautiful”, what that means, and how it is accomplished, sometimes in disturbing ways. A numb, slow feeling will be portrayed through the genre of the song to illustrate what people go through to get that superhuman body everyone is expecting.

Song Title #4: “Medical Meltdown”
Genre: Country
Explanation: This song will describe the difficulties widowers and families go through while a loved one is in the hospital or has passed away. The song acknowledges how hard it is to try to focus on important obligations like financial ones, when a loved one’s fate is pulling at the strings of a family member’s heart. From the burden of hospital bills to the struggle of coping with bad news, a saddening feel will be evident in the song. Families are already emotionally destroyed during times like these, and the worry of financial demands just piles on.

Song Title #5: “Rock Bottom and Burdens”
Genre: Hard Rock
Explanation: This song will touch on the stresses of young adults and the pressures they experience throughout their progressive years of college. Being under the influence of stress and demand, this rock and roll tempo will illustrate the reality of such fast paced lifestyles and fatal results this age group sometimes experiences. Issues of depression, suicide, alcoholism, and the “need to please” will all be discussed.

Lyrics of "Rock Bottom and Burdens":
Wake up in the morning
No time to relax
So much to think about and do
I feel I’m fading fast

I can’t quite put together
How I’m spreading out so thin
My mind is spinning ‘round
And my world is crumbling

(Chorus)
But study hard and make the grade
Be the best and don’t be late
I’m up I’m down, I’m wrong I’m right
Four in the morning, can’t sleep at night.
Some things are better left unsaid
Put on a smile and do it again
Raise your glass, lay low with me
Numb body with fatal remedy

Wake up in the morning
No time to relax
Life’s slipping through my fingers
I feel I’m fading fast

Superhuman

1. I found the steroid video to be quite interesting. It is rare to see news casts about the topic showing that steroids actually don’t have an effect on some people in a negative way. However, the clip failed to show some kind of population study of the effects on people as a whole. It just focused in on a couple healthy men who had no health issues related to their steroid use. In turn, a weak argument could be that steroids have no negative effects on people. It is too generalized and obviously this type of substance use differs for individuals. After watching the testimonies of the two men though, I do agree that steroids could be used responsibly. Both men clearly knew what they were doing, one being a body builder for decades and another being an editor of body magazine.

2. First of all, I feel that teens in high school are too young to be toying with steroids. I don’t think that the age group is mature enough or educated enough on the topic to be injecting such substances into their bodies. With that I feel that it is necessary to randomly test high school aged students, not only for the sake of cheating in sports but for the protection of youth. However, I feel that the standards should be different for grown men, especially those who participate in body building. I feel like steroids are part of body building, even if that might sound inappropriate. What I mean is that having/making a bigger body is the nature of the sport, almost making the use of steroids an exception to the rule. For all other professional sports and high school sports though, I don’t think that the use of the drug should be allowed. It’s unfair for participants with natural talents to have to go up against ones who are consuming superhuman drugs.

3. In a way I feel that Hoberman’s statement is kind of true. With the high demands of physical talent in professional and even high school sports, I can see how being bigger, stronger, and faster puts a lot of pressure on athletes today. However, I also feel that it is an issue that can be turned around. If steroid tests are enforced and regulations are followed through then I don’t see this “double standard” being as big of a problem as it is. If certain age groups are banned from them, then no one will feel any kind of pressure to consume steroids. The only motivation they will have is to naturally work harder and become better on their own, which is the way it should be.

To Drink or Not to Drink...

Georgetown University is putting their foot down and is becoming extremely strict with dealing with university party life. The rules and regulations are completely ridiculous. Even though drinking is illegal for people under twentyone, how can a university expect students to change their ways of socializing? Dan Castrigano, a student, says, "you can't just change the culture of a college campus" (qtd. in Kinzie). One of his roommates, Pat DePoy even started a facebook petition against the madness, accumulating almost 2,000 signatures (Kinzie). I couldn't agree more with these students. Their social aspect of college is being deminished and the liveliness of campus is vanishing.



After it was decided that enough was enough, Georgetown University has decided to put their foot down and regulate any party activity on campus. Parties have definitely been roaring out of control and trickling into the backyards of neighbors, leaving them annoyed (Kinzie). Solberg, a police commandar, states that "We have tried a variety of different tactics..." (qtd. in Kinzie). Basically, students are still getting obliterated and the school just chose to crack down. Lawful actions are definitely what's best for the university right now. Students' lives could possibly be at stake, and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Paraphrasing Practice

Lester says that the use of quotations in students' research papers are used too much. He also feels that when writing research papers, one should limit the amount of translation they insert into their work.

Portfolio #2: Thesis Statement

The dangers of social, environmental, and academic stress is a crucial issue and students’ academic loads should be lessened for the safety of the collegiate community.

GI Joes and Body Image?

1. The first article in the Envision text argues that plastic male action figures display an ideal masculine body figure for our culture today. It uses visual examples showing how GI Joe’s and Luke Skywalker’s bodies have changed throughout the years, thus putting physical pressures on boys and men to have such masculine bodies. Pope, the author, also brings up the point of how body disorders do exist in men and not just in women. More specifically, dysmorphic disorder, a disorder including the obsessions of having large muscle mass, could possibly be a result from the bulkiness of such well-known action figures.
The second article, written by Folstad, argues that it is ridiculous that people try to support the idea that buff action figures is a cause of people’s bad self-esteem. He simply states that they are just toys and there is a reason people stop playing with them at a certain age. They are objects of imagination and fun and should not be taken so seriously.

2. The first article’s tone comes off more professional and precise while the second article’s tone is more angry and sarcastic. I feel that both approaches are effective, but I also feel that the audience is different for each. The first article’s tone would appeal to scholars and professionals perhaps or even overly concerned parents. However, the second article would appeal more to the average person who allows their children to play with Barbie dolls and GI Joes. An example from Pope’s argument would be that he mentioned dsymorphic, which is a medical condition, thus appealing to professionals. On the contrary, Folstad states, “ They are toys. We all know that”. I feel that when he says “we”, he is referencing the average citizen/parent.

3. I mainly agree more with Folstad’s article. Growing up I liked to play with Barbie dolls and I can’t say that they have affected the way I feel about my body. I feel that I was too young to care about body image, and, as Folstad commented, I stopped playing with them in elementary school. I don’t necessarily know anyone who has had body image issues due to a toy as well. Also, my parents were never too overprotective about what toys I played with. In other words, I don’t think they were concerned that a Barbie doll would affect my body image. Like most parents, I think their main concern was me being exposed to toys, movies, or books that were not age appropriate.

I'm Not Hungry

1. Pro-ana and pro-mia websites have created a scary community of undercover, distressed females who blog about their practices of anorexia and bulimia. After viewing the sites and blogs, the conversation appears extremely disturbing to an outsider like me, but completely normal in their world. One girl stated how she never craves anything, but was craving salt, so that was her choice of “food” to consume for that day. Another girl had her “GWs”, or goal weights, listed by date as a list of inspiration as well. It is upsetting and uneasy to see these people not only going along with their eating disorder, but consciously making an effort to be pro-active about it. These sites are unhealthy and should be abolished. The physical health of society is being compromised as well as mental and emotional health. Easy access to such explicit bodily corruption is unsafe and twisted.

2. After reading and analyzing the pro-ana and pro-mia websites, I found that they act as a therapy for lost, confused females. Women who feel uncomfortable in their own skin and dislike themselves run to these sites for support that a person can not find anywhere else. The conversation and motivational interactions between the site’s participants appears as a sisterhood and support group. Being a female, I will willingly admit that weight is one of the top subjects on a girl’s mind. So what could be better than having a network of supporters? No other place in the world would actually supply such raw ambition to lose weight to better the confidence of a person.

3. Before researching on the web, I never really knew much about pro-ana and pro-mia networks. However, it is understood why people who are educated on the controversy might feel that they are completely absurd due to the actions of encouraging EDs. Contradicting the matter, the sites almost seem to uphold the morale of many of its participants. So if the sites were taken away or eliminated, it is hard to say what the effects would be. One viewpoint, again, would probably think it would be what is best for society. But what would happen to the community of people who have participated religiously in their eating rituals and used them as havens of escape? Taking away such hidden worlds could possibly turn out to be a huge dilemma.

Logical Fallacy

Ad Hominen

"She is a cheerleader. What could she possibly know about participating in a real sport?"

Joggers or Runners?

1. My initial reaction of the website reading was that I was kind of intrigued. I never really thought of the human race as “runners”. Also, the idea that running is wild definitely stood out to me.

2. I run probably three to four times a week. After reading the article though it made me feel weak and that I don’t work hard enough because the comparisons the writers were using (the idea that our ancestors ran for their survival) was very strong.

3. I found that the use of black and white images definitely tied in with the point of the article: that a person is either a runner or a person is not. In other words, the answer is black or white, one or the other. Also, I really liked how at the end of chapter two the last page stated in bold text “run like an animal”. It was very inspirational and to the point. The significance of these elements and the message that they are working with easily persuades the reader in an easy, clear way.

4. Values that are promoted in the ad are physical activity. One obvious result of running like an animal is health and good fitness.

5. In the article, Pearl Izumi alienates the jogger by criticizing him. However, I think the main motive behind that is to inspire joggers to become runners and “save the population”. Considering myself a jogger, I was more inspired than offended. With that, I see large marketing advantages.

6. Logos came off as the strongest rhetorical appeal in the ad. All of the information condensed into a paragraph form instantly made me think that it had to contain facts and logic in order to back up the main question of “ever notice how it’s always runners who find dead bodies?”. Also, the technique of comparing where joggers are found jogging and where runners are found running had to of had some kind of brainstorming behind it.

7. I would choose the Reebok ad to appear in a magazine because it’s more visually appealing and does not require much reading for the viewer. If you think about it, what average person flipping through magazines stops to read a detailed ad such as Pearl Izumi’s? I can also see Izumi’s ad offending people or confusing them from using such a touchy subject (dead bodies) to get his point across. The Reebok ad makes sense and I think more people could relate to it, meaning the feeling of throwing up. How many people really come across dead bodies when they go for a run anyway?

Army America

1. After reading the assigned texts and viewing the provided websites, I found that there are several kinds of rhetoric found on both links. They both have tons of visual rhetoric. The first website’s use of bold, powerful text along with serious black and white photos of soldiers clearly sends out the message that the military will make you a stronger, more respected person. I instantly got a feeling that I was in the presence of authority when I was browsing through it. The site’s homepage is also very professional looking and is credited very well with army symbols and newsfeed. Also, in the media section, the creators of the site are trying their best to suck viewers in by all of the different images they have displayed of the video game along with inspirational video clips of real soldiers. The second website’s trailer uses a lot of testimonials of real people who explain how the game content relates to life. The people interviewed basically use their own voiced opinions and suggest pros about the benefits of having an army gaming event to persuade viewers.

2. Obviously the intended audience is mostly young teens. In some of the video clips, higher ups even stated that “it is a great way to get young people to come out”. I feel that these messages have a strong influence over youthful boys aspiring to be part of manhood.

3. To an extent, I do agree with what Navy veteran Boyle has to say about the website and game. I believe that any military branch is a great organization to be a part of, but at the same time I feel one has to join for the right reasons. A video game can only compare so much to real life, and if one joins the military because of it there is chance they could be blindsided by the realities of war if they are not stable enough for it. For instance, the realities that the media portrays concerning the war in Iraq are scary and saddening. It buds fear in many American citizens. With that, the game/event can indoctrinate the ideology of war. If one decides to go to a gaming event with an already previous interest in joining, then I don’t see a problem with that. However, when recruiters try to persuade an ignorant teen that playing a videogame is just like being in the real army, I think it is unethical.

4. I do not feel that the websites encourage teens to become violent. They are both created in very professional, respectable ways. Even so, I am not a fan of extremely violent video games. I find them nauseating and they make me uncomfortable. If I had children I would definitely want to review what they are playing.