If i tried to light up a cigarette in the middle of class, the professor and other students surely would make me stop right there on the spot. However if I come to class with a Mountain Dew no one would take a second thought of it, some may even want some. The Church has no "official" stand on the issue of whether or not caffeine is against the word of wisdom, but has left it to each to decide for themselves. BYU has made it their decision to not offer caffeinated drinks on campus. I feel that this policy is mainly to avoid the criticism and outcry that would come from the ultra conservative groups if BYU sold these beverages on its campus. If we wanted to really ban the sale of all caffeine from campus, chocolate would have to be removed from all the vending machines also. Students will continue to purchase these beverages and bring them onto campus and in their classes without consequence or second thought. BYU loses potential profit by not offering them and does nothing to bar their presence on campus, so why even have this policy to begin with?
6 comments:
Hey guys, this is a super rough first paragraph. I'd really appreciate your comments/ideas/opinions. I'm kinda playing devil's advocate on this one also since I'm ok with it either way--so don't attack me!
Lance for the most part I feel like this is a good paragraph. And I complete agree with you. I would like to have the opportunity to purchase a Mountain Dew or Coke while on campus, because in the middle of the day when I'm tired I do not have the time to drive to the nearest gas station to purchase a beverage.
I like the quote you have on the sign at the beginning because it captures the readers interest for sure. Also, I like the topic your chose because it is definitely a debatable one that people are going to want to read, just to see what you have to say. I predict some people are going to disagree with you on this, so just be sure you combat any possible arguments in your writing. I like what you have so far.
I also like this issue. It can relate to every student whether they are for caffeine or against it. Your arguments are good but at some points it seems a little exaggerated.
I also agree with this argument. I feel we are mature enough to choose for ourselves whether or not we want to purchase caffeine, and that the sales would boost BYU if they offered caffeine. It is essential for college life!!!
I'd recommend looking up on BYU's web page (or on the 100 hour board, off of the BYU web page) what BYU's exact policy is and BYU's justification for it. Remember who you're writing too--administrators who don't want outrage from people about caffeine being sold on campus. Also, I'd recommend considering the article, "The Energy Drink Epidemic" in the December 2008 Ensign--while it focuses largely on energy drinks, it talks a lot about the health risks associated with caffeine in general, and because these sodas do have so much more caffeine than chocolate, that's something you may need to address.
I'd recommend making a list of all the possible reasons you could provide for your argument, and then choosing the ones that are strongest. For example, losing potential profit may not be important to BYU--they're a non-profit institution.
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