My issue is oil drilling in Arches:
I myself am an avid visitor of Arches National Park. It is one of my favorite places in the entire world because you can go there and forget about all your worldly cares and just reflect on all the miracles that God has blessed us with. In my opinion, Arches is one of greatest gems in nature. The question that I’m going to pose today is this, “What is more valuable? Preserving our one-of-a-kind landmark, or an increased economy?” But in order to answer this question, we must first examine exactly how much will drilling actually help out the economy. According to a recent analysis of Utah oil and gas production, leasing, and future resources, “Utah's known petroleum reserves have been estimated at little more than 1 percent of those in the entire United States. Its natural gas reserves are estimated at 2.5 percent of the country's. Cast another way, ‘the total amount of oil and gas in or near the existing areas of large-scale production is estimated at 912 MMBO and 10.68 TCF respectively -- enough oil to supply the country for less than seven weeks and enough natural gas to supply the country for about five and a half months.’” Another point to consider is whether or not Utah will actually see all that oil that we are hauling out. Kurt Repanshek of the National Parks Traveler brings up a good point. He said, “After all, just because oil and natural gas come out of the U.S. reserves doesn't necessarily mean it will be consumed within this country.” So is it worth it to drill in for only a minute percentage of the country’s oil reserves when it might not even be consumed within the United States? You tell me.
Ok so I realize this is a rough draft and it is exactly that- rough! But I tried to use pathos and ethos a little in the beginning and then go straight into logos with the facts and stuff. How was my smoothness and transitioning? Do you think my arguments are legit?
Showing posts with label OE Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OE Development. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Visiting Hours
Body Paragraph:
As a resident of Heritage Halls, I often hear others complain about visiting hours. When eleven o’clock rolls around, many people don’t feel it is necessary to go into the lobby. They think that there is no difference between being in an apartment kitchen and being in a lobby; they would not be breaking the honor code in the kitchen just as they would not in the lobby. However, obeying this simple rule shows that we have respect for honoring our word. We promised to obey the visiting hours and, if nothing else, respecting visiting hours shows that we will be true to what we have promised to do. It is an exercise and test of our obedience and integrity. Being responsible for checking the clock shows that you want to follow through with what you have said you would do. It shows that you are a person of honesty and truthfulness.
I tried to make an appeal to ethos in the first sentence. I am not sure whether saying that I myself have complained about the visiting hours at times would help my credibility/relatability or not. What do you think?
9:00 church.
Every member of the church knows how hard it is to get up in the mornings when your mom comes in and says it's time for church. Especially when it's seven thirty in the morning. As if that's not hard enough, now you are on your own and no mother is telling you to go to bed because you have early church in the morning. This is the tragic story of new college students. As responsible as every entering freshman aspires to be, let's be honest the "no bedtime" concept is a big deal. This early church causes students to just sleep in and not get credit for even going to another ward. This jeopardizes their enrollment in BYU. If they do manage to roll out of bed, the majority of students will just sleep through the three hour block. These people receive no extra spiritual benefit than those who just slept in but still receive credit for being there. Lastly if a student does manage to get there, and by some great miracle does manage to stay awake, they generally will feel disappointed with the experience due to the lack of participation from others. I don't think that freshman students should be required to attend only their specified ward in order to receive credit for the weeks attendance.
It doesn’t matter which ward you attend, the church is the same everywhere. If you go to a three hour meeting with the right intentions you will get something out of it no matter where you are. I believe that it is frustrating for students who attend missionary farewells or go home for the weekend to not receive credit for attending their church meetings. I understand that students are supposed to attend their ward because they must serve in callings sometimes, however if attending other wards isn’t a habit I don’t see the harm.
After reviewing the comments on my first attempt I changed my topic slightly. Instead of writing about how students shouldn't have 9:00 church I wrote about how they should still get credit for going to church even if they don't go to their own ward. I'm still in the beginning of my process so I don't really have any specific questions yet. There are some things that I know I need to work on so it's still a work in progress. But actually I did try to use some pathos in the opening trying to strike a chord with those who are tired in the mornings. Just wondering if that was effective.
Youtube and Myspace Blocked? 2
This is one argument for Youtube/Myspace staying blocked on campus.
After my initial outrage of seeing that Youtube was blocked on campus, I stopped to think about the reasons why this was so. I came up with a few, and the reason that stood out the most to me was this: Youtube is dangerous, especially when it comes to pornography. We have all been warned by church leaders about the dangers of this growing disease. Youtube and Myspace are both sanctuaries for pornographic materials.
The questions I have are:
Is this a good point to make?
Will this make people uncomfortable?
Am I coming at this issue too strongly?
After my initial outrage of seeing that Youtube was blocked on campus, I stopped to think about the reasons why this was so. I came up with a few, and the reason that stood out the most to me was this: Youtube is dangerous, especially when it comes to pornography. We have all been warned by church leaders about the dangers of this growing disease. Youtube and Myspace are both sanctuaries for pornographic materials.
The questions I have are:
Is this a good point to make?
Will this make people uncomfortable?
Am I coming at this issue too strongly?
Greek Life
Topic: Having sororities and fraternities at BYU
Brigham Young University is a prestigious school in which the majority of students continually strive to be the best of the best. Fraternities and sororities give students more opportunities to do this. Greek life provides leadership positions within each chapter and many members also hold leadership positions on campus. Positions such as president and treasurer look impressive on resumes and they set you apart from the other students. All but two presidents of the United States since 1825 (when fraternities and sororities were first established) have been members of fraternities. Their commitment to Greek life by maintaining high GPA’s and holding difficult and demanding leadership positions has helped these men achieve the unimaginable. The doors that will be opened to students in fraternities and sororities will help them exceed in college and later in a profession.
Questions:
1. Do I present a strong argument that is convincing?
2. What improvements should be made for my paper to appeal to the reader more?
Brigham Young University is a prestigious school in which the majority of students continually strive to be the best of the best. Fraternities and sororities give students more opportunities to do this. Greek life provides leadership positions within each chapter and many members also hold leadership positions on campus. Positions such as president and treasurer look impressive on resumes and they set you apart from the other students. All but two presidents of the United States since 1825 (when fraternities and sororities were first established) have been members of fraternities. Their commitment to Greek life by maintaining high GPA’s and holding difficult and demanding leadership positions has helped these men achieve the unimaginable. The doors that will be opened to students in fraternities and sororities will help them exceed in college and later in a profession.
Questions:
1. Do I present a strong argument that is convincing?
2. What improvements should be made for my paper to appeal to the reader more?
Benefits of Gratitude
After reviewing the comments sited on my first paragraph of my opinion editorial, I have adjusted the approach to the subject of how being grateful for simply being able to attend BYU can be beneficial for students.
As I relate how it is beneficial to be thankful for being able to attend Brigham Young University, I do so by first establishing where it is that I am coming from. I am the second oldest of five in a family of seven. Due to our family’s unique situation, we have been struggling to find our financial stability for about four years. This in turn, has caused our family to go through many ordeals that, as I reflect on them now, I would never wish upon anyone. Be this as it may, it is because of these experiences that I have been able to gain an appreciation for the little things. Being able to attend BYU has never been a little thing for me. This in turn, has provided me with a two part system of beneficial assets that would be helpful to anyone who is attending this great university. This two part system of beneficial assets is as follows; a greater drive of determination and a better out look on life.
As I describe my situation, I did so in order to appeal to ethos. I wanted the reader to understand that I have reason for seeing the need and benefits that come from being grateful. Was this accomplished?
As I recognized from my original OE first paragraph, the lack of logos was apparent. I tried to appeal to logos by listing things that would benefit students through out their college life. Were the reasons I listed enough to persuade students to see a need to be grateful?
As I relate how it is beneficial to be thankful for being able to attend Brigham Young University, I do so by first establishing where it is that I am coming from. I am the second oldest of five in a family of seven. Due to our family’s unique situation, we have been struggling to find our financial stability for about four years. This in turn, has caused our family to go through many ordeals that, as I reflect on them now, I would never wish upon anyone. Be this as it may, it is because of these experiences that I have been able to gain an appreciation for the little things. Being able to attend BYU has never been a little thing for me. This in turn, has provided me with a two part system of beneficial assets that would be helpful to anyone who is attending this great university. This two part system of beneficial assets is as follows; a greater drive of determination and a better out look on life.
As I describe my situation, I did so in order to appeal to ethos. I wanted the reader to understand that I have reason for seeing the need and benefits that come from being grateful. Was this accomplished?
As I recognized from my original OE first paragraph, the lack of logos was apparent. I tried to appeal to logos by listing things that would benefit students through out their college life. Were the reasons I listed enough to persuade students to see a need to be grateful?
Cannon Center Chaos 2
My topic was concerning extending hours at the Cannon Center on the weekends.
This topic is important to many freshmen because it is the place where they go to get all of their meals. However, on the weekends it is difficult to find a good time to go to dinner. Sunday dinners are important because the quality time it provides people to spend with others. At dinner, students are likely to be engaging in pleasant conversations, rather than returning to their computer after church. Leisurely Sunday dinners allow students to discuss with their friends what they learned in church that day. In turn, this will allow others to be lifted up and enlightened. Longer weekend hours for the Cannon Center would also benefit the families that come to partake of the food on Sundays. It is important for family dinners to be relaxing and enjoyable, in order to become closer as a family. With the thought of family and friend unity, longer hours at the Cannon Center would benefit the quality of conversation within the groups.
Is this argument strong enough to convince the reader that the Cannon Center needs to start having longer hours?
This topic is important to many freshmen because it is the place where they go to get all of their meals. However, on the weekends it is difficult to find a good time to go to dinner. Sunday dinners are important because the quality time it provides people to spend with others. At dinner, students are likely to be engaging in pleasant conversations, rather than returning to their computer after church. Leisurely Sunday dinners allow students to discuss with their friends what they learned in church that day. In turn, this will allow others to be lifted up and enlightened. Longer weekend hours for the Cannon Center would also benefit the families that come to partake of the food on Sundays. It is important for family dinners to be relaxing and enjoyable, in order to become closer as a family. With the thought of family and friend unity, longer hours at the Cannon Center would benefit the quality of conversation within the groups.
Is this argument strong enough to convince the reader that the Cannon Center needs to start having longer hours?
Recycling OE
My opinion editorial advocates a new and better recycling program for BYU. Here is a body paragraph for my essay:
Students should be aware of recycling and its positive effects so that they will be more willing and likely to recycle. With a wide variety of students from across the nation and world, students from BYU have a array of knowledge on recycling, ranging from expert to being completely in the dark. People from California, where a number of recycling laws are enlisted and practiced, are probably more likely to recycle than a person from a state that does not have these same laws simply because they are used to recycling and have a better understanding of it. If the community of BYU was educated about recycling, more people would be aware of recycling and could make it a habit in their daily routine. Advertising with recycling posters across campus is one way to bring about awareness. With bulletin boards in every building that students pass, low-cost posters advocating recycling could be easily distributed. An article in the Daily Universe could also bring knowledge about recycling to many students who read it. Bringing a knowledge and awareness of recycling to the BYU campus will help remind students to recycle and can help introduce the idea of recycling to students who have no strong prior knowledge of it.
Some questions I have:
I realize that the topic of recycling is probably a huge bore to most people. How can I make my writing more interesting to capture and maintain a reader's interest?
Is this paragraph relevant to my essay?
What other ideas could I incorporate into other body paragraphs for my writing?
Students should be aware of recycling and its positive effects so that they will be more willing and likely to recycle. With a wide variety of students from across the nation and world, students from BYU have a array of knowledge on recycling, ranging from expert to being completely in the dark. People from California, where a number of recycling laws are enlisted and practiced, are probably more likely to recycle than a person from a state that does not have these same laws simply because they are used to recycling and have a better understanding of it. If the community of BYU was educated about recycling, more people would be aware of recycling and could make it a habit in their daily routine. Advertising with recycling posters across campus is one way to bring about awareness. With bulletin boards in every building that students pass, low-cost posters advocating recycling could be easily distributed. An article in the Daily Universe could also bring knowledge about recycling to many students who read it. Bringing a knowledge and awareness of recycling to the BYU campus will help remind students to recycle and can help introduce the idea of recycling to students who have no strong prior knowledge of it.
Some questions I have:
I realize that the topic of recycling is probably a huge bore to most people. How can I make my writing more interesting to capture and maintain a reader's interest?
Is this paragraph relevant to my essay?
What other ideas could I incorporate into other body paragraphs for my writing?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Testing Center
In most cases, Brigham Young University’s idea of having a building set aside for testing is an excellent way to provide students with the maximum time necessary with their professors in class. The concept of the Testing Center, although an exceptional quality, needs to be taken into a smaller setting. Instead of jamming students into a room at certain hours, the testing center should have paired off classrooms for paired off subjects. This way the setting of the test is substantially smaller, and more convenient for those watching the testing. By separating the Testing Center into different sects, employees working there, as well as the grading process will simplify the entire process. Employees will be capable of knowing what exams are being taken and for what subject. Although students are upheld by the honor code, cheating is still a large factor in today’s education. With so many students crammed into a building, it is difficult for employees to catch students cheating. In most cases, when employees circle around the students in an uncomfortable pattern, students hesitate no longer have full concentration on their exam whether there cheating or not. With smaller classrooms, employees wouldn’t have to deal with the policing students. The individuals will be in smaller numbers making cheating fairly noticeable without having to put additional pressure on students.
Whether this type of classroom setting would discharge additional pressure to students is a commonly composed question. Exams are necessary to analysis what students have understood on the material given. Testing can be a very high pressured and stressful event depending on the student. The way the Testing Center at Brigham Young University is set up can only apply more pressure and stress upon students testing within it. With such a high capacity of students, a constant flow of traffic is inevitable.When taking into consideration the amount of individuals that enter and exit those doors, the noise and chaos is not beneficiary to the students. When taking exams, constant movement in ones peripheral vision can be very distracting, especially to students who are placed near the doorways. By cutting the rooms into smaller sect’s students don’t have to deal with the high capacity of people moving around them while they take an exam. Instead they can be shaved into smaller classrooms and given the quite environment needed to study. Another advantage of moving students into smaller rooms is to lessen the pressure. Employees won’t have to confront each student or stand by or around, giving the students the opportunity to have complete and total focus on the task at hand.
Whether this type of classroom setting would discharge additional pressure to students is a commonly composed question. Exams are necessary to analysis what students have understood on the material given. Testing can be a very high pressured and stressful event depending on the student. The way the Testing Center at Brigham Young University is set up can only apply more pressure and stress upon students testing within it. With such a high capacity of students, a constant flow of traffic is inevitable.When taking into consideration the amount of individuals that enter and exit those doors, the noise and chaos is not beneficiary to the students. When taking exams, constant movement in ones peripheral vision can be very distracting, especially to students who are placed near the doorways. By cutting the rooms into smaller sect’s students don’t have to deal with the high capacity of people moving around them while they take an exam. Instead they can be shaved into smaller classrooms and given the quite environment needed to study. Another advantage of moving students into smaller rooms is to lessen the pressure. Employees won’t have to confront each student or stand by or around, giving the students the opportunity to have complete and total focus on the task at hand.
Questions: Do I put a good argument up?
Any flaws you see in my explanations?
Any other topics of why you hate the Testing Center?
Pi Beta Phi
A fraternity is a home away from home for people. They are there so that students and members can have fun and forget about the struggles they are facing while away from their parents. Yes most of the time when you hear about fraternities you hear about the parties that can get out of control. This however is because the university does not have a set of rules that they are required to live by. When fraternities live by certain rules they can help students take a break from studying or whatever is troubling them at that time. They can accomplish this by going on camping trips or participating in other activities that the member agree on. Since members will have something in common these activities will be easy to decide on. You may argue that these activities can get out of hand. This may be true, but if we really think about it, even without the fraternity sponsoring an activity the same group of individuals could get together and do the same thing. However when you put a set of rules that they must abide by then the activities will stay under control. Yes there are people out there that break rules, to minimize this you can say that if these rules are broken, then the fraternity or sorority will be shut down by the university and the individuals involved in the rule breaking activity will be placed under probation.
The rules for the fraternities are really simple ones to make. Since Brigham Young University already has the Honor Code in place you can issue that same rule, if you will, to the fraternities. Some additional rules can vary depending on the type of fraternity. If it is an academic one you could set the rule that all members must obtain a certain grade point average. If the fraternity is a sport one, it could be required that the student be in at least one P.E. class a year or semester, while a member of the fraternity. Since BYU already has an outstanding record of being one of the "driest" campuses in the United States, I feel that if we accept the fact and let students start up fraternities that the university will not have a problem with alcohol. Another aspect of fraternities that can be somewhat questionable is the initiation process. To make sure that these do not get out of hand, they can be overseen by a representative of the university to make sure the rules are being adhered to. If need be the university could have an individual present at all initiation ceremonies
Questions:
Do these paragraphs place a good argument for having frats?
What aspects should I work on?
Any suggestions on what to cover in the following paragraphs?
Parking Surplus Means Shortage for Students
The number of parking spots available to students does not equal the demand, and is not adequate for the student population attending BYU. For the fall of 2008, there were 9897 Y undergraduate student parking permits issued. This is the lowest number of permits seen in the past several years, dropping by almost 8000 permits since 2005. This is compared to 1864 G graduate student permits, 373 A faculty permits, and several hundred C housing permits. Though there were 9897 Y undergraduate student permits issued, there are only 7143 parking slots designated for Y permits. That is a shortage of 2754 parking spots for hard working undergraduate students. The graduate students also experience a shortage of 704 parking spaces. The A faculty and C housing on the other hand have a surplus of prime parking spaces. Faculty has a surplus of 3377 parking spaces and the housing permit holders have a surplus of more than 1000 spaces. These statistics are easily found in the BYU Police Department Parking Office yearly publication.
The parking available is in need of a major reapportioning. It appears as though the needed parking spaces exist, but much of that parking is being unused. The faculty and housing parking have been allotted too many spaces for the number of permits issued. This is not a matter of only a few spaces either; this is an error of more than four thousand spaces. The faculty has understandably been given the spaces nearest to campus, but it should be a crime to leave so many spaces unoccupied each day.
Do these facts present a valid argument?
Will this simple fix get the attention of the administration?
The parking available is in need of a major reapportioning. It appears as though the needed parking spaces exist, but much of that parking is being unused. The faculty and housing parking have been allotted too many spaces for the number of permits issued. This is not a matter of only a few spaces either; this is an error of more than four thousand spaces. The faculty has understandably been given the spaces nearest to campus, but it should be a crime to leave so many spaces unoccupied each day.
Do these facts present a valid argument?
Will this simple fix get the attention of the administration?
Breaking My Back Edition #2
My opinion editorial is about the weight and price of our textbooks and how these issues could be better addressed.
As I proposed this argument, it was brought to my attention that E-books may not be suitable because many students don’t have computers, however, for the amount I have paid for my books each semester, I easily could have afforded to buy a laptop or computer and still had some money left over. Although laptop’s can be very pricey, there are many other ways a student can attain a laptop or computer to use. For one, there are many places on and off campus in which you can rent a computer for a semester, you can also apply for a number of scholarships and grants in which you are provided with money that could be used to buy a laptop, and many companies give away free laptops to students in drawing’s and other contests. The problem is not therefore the cost of providing a laptop, but rather that E-books may become more expensive to buy if people were required to buy them instead of textbooks. This statement may be true to a point because yes, I do agree that if textbooks were distinct the price of E-books would go up due to their greater demand, however, I do not believe that they would be any way as expensive as textbooks because they do not require paper, packaging, or backing, but rather your payment is just towards the actual text and information. Overall I find that E-books are the way of the future and a much better option for all those concerned.
Being a student is rough, not only do we endure little sleep and extraneous studying but we pay a great deal of money for the opportunity to do so. Now don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful to be here and it is a joy that I have the opportunity to come to such a great institution, however, I find it sad that although we live in a world with such great modern technology we are still required to buy hard cover textbooks for school. Not only are these books heavy and will damage your back, but many times they can cause straining and harm your eyes as well. Now, I have to admit that after just a few hours of typing this paper my eyes have become sore and it is difficult to read the computer screen. I thought that perhaps this would be the case with e-booking as well until I realized that after reading a textbook for a few hours I feel many of the same sensations, and have to leave for a half an hour and then come back in order to properly focus on the words I am reading. I do believe that E-booking may hurt a students eyes after a long period of time, however, I do not feel that this damage would be any worse than that of squinting to read small words in a textbook. With E-booking, after you have downloaded the book, you can go through and choose which font and size you would like the text to be displayed in, with a regular textbook this is not an option and many times you will end up squinting in order to read the material, thus damaging your eyes anyway. Yes it is true that reading from the computer for hours at a time over long periods will cause damage, but not any more than that of reading a textbook over the same course of time.
Questions:
Did you think that my argument was strong and represented a strong student approach to this topic? How could I make my argument stronger?
In this argument I am trying to appeal to other students, and also portray an enlightening yet realistic view to professors and administrators of this serious problem, do you think that I am doing this well? What other ways could I do this better?
As I proposed this argument, it was brought to my attention that E-books may not be suitable because many students don’t have computers, however, for the amount I have paid for my books each semester, I easily could have afforded to buy a laptop or computer and still had some money left over. Although laptop’s can be very pricey, there are many other ways a student can attain a laptop or computer to use. For one, there are many places on and off campus in which you can rent a computer for a semester, you can also apply for a number of scholarships and grants in which you are provided with money that could be used to buy a laptop, and many companies give away free laptops to students in drawing’s and other contests. The problem is not therefore the cost of providing a laptop, but rather that E-books may become more expensive to buy if people were required to buy them instead of textbooks. This statement may be true to a point because yes, I do agree that if textbooks were distinct the price of E-books would go up due to their greater demand, however, I do not believe that they would be any way as expensive as textbooks because they do not require paper, packaging, or backing, but rather your payment is just towards the actual text and information. Overall I find that E-books are the way of the future and a much better option for all those concerned.
Being a student is rough, not only do we endure little sleep and extraneous studying but we pay a great deal of money for the opportunity to do so. Now don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful to be here and it is a joy that I have the opportunity to come to such a great institution, however, I find it sad that although we live in a world with such great modern technology we are still required to buy hard cover textbooks for school. Not only are these books heavy and will damage your back, but many times they can cause straining and harm your eyes as well. Now, I have to admit that after just a few hours of typing this paper my eyes have become sore and it is difficult to read the computer screen. I thought that perhaps this would be the case with e-booking as well until I realized that after reading a textbook for a few hours I feel many of the same sensations, and have to leave for a half an hour and then come back in order to properly focus on the words I am reading. I do believe that E-booking may hurt a students eyes after a long period of time, however, I do not feel that this damage would be any worse than that of squinting to read small words in a textbook. With E-booking, after you have downloaded the book, you can go through and choose which font and size you would like the text to be displayed in, with a regular textbook this is not an option and many times you will end up squinting in order to read the material, thus damaging your eyes anyway. Yes it is true that reading from the computer for hours at a time over long periods will cause damage, but not any more than that of reading a textbook over the same course of time.
Questions:
Did you think that my argument was strong and represented a strong student approach to this topic? How could I make my argument stronger?
In this argument I am trying to appeal to other students, and also portray an enlightening yet realistic view to professors and administrators of this serious problem, do you think that I am doing this well? What other ways could I do this better?
Caffeine
My subject was about caffeine on campus.
I do not wish to justify the consumption of caffeine simply because nothing has expressly been said about it in the scriptures. We know from the Word of Wisdom and the Prophets that we should live healthy lifestyles, get proper nutrition, and avoid some things. Caffeine in excess can be harmful, but there are many other things such as painkillers that can be also. We were all born with our agency and are all entitled to the guidance of the spirit as we live worthily. Furthermore, most of us have some common sense and our consumption of not only caffeine but all things should be based on our knowledge of what is best for our health and what the spirit tells us on the matter. That stated, I do not feel that a Coke every once in a while is harmful. However, the control and choice lies within each individual over how much, if any, is consumed.
While BYU does not sell colas with caffeine, they do sell a drink called Guarana. Caffeine is not listed on the ingredients; however, it does contain guaranine, a well known synonym for caffeine. Dr. Jennifer Nielsen, a BYU faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who specializes in organic chemistry confirms this and goes on to say, “No one does research on guaranine, because they don't call it that. It is caffeine.” When asked why they sell this drink she replied, “In the name of providing an authentic cultural connection with Brazil as well as maintaining solid and friendly international relations with 185 million Brazilians, we do. We also carry it because of numerous requests by returned missionaries from the approximately 28 missions in that country.” This seems like a rather arbitrarily made decision. I also found that a single seed from the guarana fruit contains approximately five times the amount of caffeine as a coffee bean. Clearly this beverage contains a comparable amount of caffeine to that of a can of cola. So why is this sold to appease the requests of some RM’s if it clearly breaks the policy to not sell caffeinated drinks? I served my mission in Peru and the national drink of Peru is Inca Cola which contains caffeine. If we were being fair, BYU should also sell this despite its caffeinated content so that I and the other Peruvian RM’s can reminisce with a glass of that golden goodness over lunch at the Cougar Eat. In order to be fair and just, BYU would have to break policy and sell it so that Brazilians and Peruvians can enjoy their beverages of choice. I do not feel the wants and desires of one are more highly valued than those of another and if BYU feels the same must cede to the wishes of Peruvians and RM’s of Peru as they have for the Brazilians.
I feel that the first paragraph is the weakest, I tried to acknowledge assumptions people might have about this subject in order to build credibility. The second is an attempt at pathos where people might open their eyes and understand what is really going on. I found the comments from the Dr. here: http://soundingboard.byu.edu/archive.cfm?start=26&page_no=6 it's the 4th question down for those who want to see.
I do not wish to justify the consumption of caffeine simply because nothing has expressly been said about it in the scriptures. We know from the Word of Wisdom and the Prophets that we should live healthy lifestyles, get proper nutrition, and avoid some things. Caffeine in excess can be harmful, but there are many other things such as painkillers that can be also. We were all born with our agency and are all entitled to the guidance of the spirit as we live worthily. Furthermore, most of us have some common sense and our consumption of not only caffeine but all things should be based on our knowledge of what is best for our health and what the spirit tells us on the matter. That stated, I do not feel that a Coke every once in a while is harmful. However, the control and choice lies within each individual over how much, if any, is consumed.
While BYU does not sell colas with caffeine, they do sell a drink called Guarana. Caffeine is not listed on the ingredients; however, it does contain guaranine, a well known synonym for caffeine. Dr. Jennifer Nielsen, a BYU faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who specializes in organic chemistry confirms this and goes on to say, “No one does research on guaranine, because they don't call it that. It is caffeine.” When asked why they sell this drink she replied, “In the name of providing an authentic cultural connection with Brazil as well as maintaining solid and friendly international relations with 185 million Brazilians, we do. We also carry it because of numerous requests by returned missionaries from the approximately 28 missions in that country.” This seems like a rather arbitrarily made decision. I also found that a single seed from the guarana fruit contains approximately five times the amount of caffeine as a coffee bean. Clearly this beverage contains a comparable amount of caffeine to that of a can of cola. So why is this sold to appease the requests of some RM’s if it clearly breaks the policy to not sell caffeinated drinks? I served my mission in Peru and the national drink of Peru is Inca Cola which contains caffeine. If we were being fair, BYU should also sell this despite its caffeinated content so that I and the other Peruvian RM’s can reminisce with a glass of that golden goodness over lunch at the Cougar Eat. In order to be fair and just, BYU would have to break policy and sell it so that Brazilians and Peruvians can enjoy their beverages of choice. I do not feel the wants and desires of one are more highly valued than those of another and if BYU feels the same must cede to the wishes of Peruvians and RM’s of Peru as they have for the Brazilians.
I feel that the first paragraph is the weakest, I tried to acknowledge assumptions people might have about this subject in order to build credibility. The second is an attempt at pathos where people might open their eyes and understand what is really going on. I found the comments from the Dr. here: http://soundingboard.byu.edu/archive.cfm?start=26&page_no=6 it's the 4th question down for those who want to see.
Peace of Mind for All 2
My topic was that the weapon restrictions in an around campus should be lifted. I'm going to redo a lot of my opening paragraph to spread out the thoughts more, so if I repeat things you read in my first post - it's okay! I may even change specifically what policies I focus on, so that I propose a smaller change. These are paragraphs for the 3 main points and a beginning conclusion.
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Although most people naturally believe that crime will increase if the general populace is permitted to have weapons, this is statistically untrue. Generally speaking, counties in the United States that have looser gun laws have lower crime rates. To be fair, it should be pointed out that those counties might have looser gun laws as a result of already low crime. The NRA, however, recently published a study that compared crime rates in locations where uniformed, armed personnel were present with locations with no obvious security. They concluded that over 5,300 crimes were prevented each day in the United States by the mere presence of a firearm. Historically, a general pattern can also be seen in a larger scale. Famous political tyrants such as Hitler and Musoolini have almost always confiscated civilian weapons before their reign of terror began. As a first-hand witness of the near-civil-war that occurred in South Africa in the early 90's, I know there is a direct correlation between an increase in violent crime and strict weapons laws.
Criminals will probably always be able to acquire firearms and illegal weapons. After the Soviet Union stopped backing revolutionary groups in eastern Europe and central Africa, Belgium quickly became the center for illegal arms dealing--filling a hole in the arms market. The people who fund that market don't care what the government decides they are allowed to have. The people who do obey the law can only be victimized by those who don't, especially when criminals know there's a very slim chance of any capable retaliation until the police arrive. To give a good comparison, I recently purchased a hunting shotgun. It came equipped with a 2-shell magazine designed for firing bird-shot, and an uncomfortably long barrel. It cost me $300 and I had to spend most of a Saturday filling out paperwork and waiting for approval from various government agencies. Almost every piece in the gun can now be traced to me. A former acquaintence of mine acquired a Romanian-made AK-47 through a personal sale that required no background check and almost no paperwork. After the purchase, it was discovered that the gun had been equipped with a highly illegal post-market trigger, that made the gun fully-automatic. For $400, this gun was capable of doing a great deal more damage than my firearm, and the government would've had almost no way to track the weapon until the trigger was turned in later. Unregistered weapons and the people who buy them are the only real threats.
Perhaps the most valid argument against my proposal is that of safety. The BYU campus is not a place where criminals commonly lurk, but it is a place where one can and should demand a safe haven to seek education. Firearms do indeed have the potential for some serious accidents, but when handled properly they are perfectly safe. There are regulations and guidelines in place to keep firearms safe. Just as it can be said that most crimes with guns are committed by people who weren't supposed to have the gun in the first place, it can be said that almost all gun accidents occurred when people did something with the gun that they weren't supposed to. Most concealed handguns come equipped with special locks, safety features, and holsters that make accidental discharge a near impossibility. For instance, in most Glock and 1911 handguns, the trigger is locked in placed until the back of the grip is squeezed, and the trigger is pull directly backward. Unless your hand is in the position used for shooting - that's almost impossible to do at once, especially when kept in the appropriate holster Firearms stored in a car are required by law to have no ammunition in the chamber, and to be locked down. One will also find that the people who are most careful with guns, and have the greatest respect for their danger, are those that are properly exposed to and trained with guns.
Although guns and campuses generally don't mix, it is my firm belief that a careful reconsideration of the weapons policies in certain areas of Provo will help make the area around BYU even safer. While safety is of the utmost concern, I believe that the reasons that second ammendment was written are just as valid today in Utah, as they were over 200 years ago at this nations birth. There are countless situations when the government simply cannot succceed in defending it's citizens. In such circumstances, individuals have a right to arm themselves appropriately.
=================================
(It's just like Harry Potter 5! The ministry wanted to take away their magic!)
I made sure that I was discussing counter-arguments and acknowledging their validity. But did I weaken my argument too much?
I tried to focus on logos, and slightly on pathos. Do you think it was effective?
I tend to suck up a lot. Does my emphasis on logos hide that? I want it to sound more professional than pathetic (as in pathos...)
=================================
Although most people naturally believe that crime will increase if the general populace is permitted to have weapons, this is statistically untrue. Generally speaking, counties in the United States that have looser gun laws have lower crime rates. To be fair, it should be pointed out that those counties might have looser gun laws as a result of already low crime. The NRA, however, recently published a study that compared crime rates in locations where uniformed, armed personnel were present with locations with no obvious security. They concluded that over 5,300 crimes were prevented each day in the United States by the mere presence of a firearm. Historically, a general pattern can also be seen in a larger scale. Famous political tyrants such as Hitler and Musoolini have almost always confiscated civilian weapons before their reign of terror began. As a first-hand witness of the near-civil-war that occurred in South Africa in the early 90's, I know there is a direct correlation between an increase in violent crime and strict weapons laws.
Criminals will probably always be able to acquire firearms and illegal weapons. After the Soviet Union stopped backing revolutionary groups in eastern Europe and central Africa, Belgium quickly became the center for illegal arms dealing--filling a hole in the arms market. The people who fund that market don't care what the government decides they are allowed to have. The people who do obey the law can only be victimized by those who don't, especially when criminals know there's a very slim chance of any capable retaliation until the police arrive. To give a good comparison, I recently purchased a hunting shotgun. It came equipped with a 2-shell magazine designed for firing bird-shot, and an uncomfortably long barrel. It cost me $300 and I had to spend most of a Saturday filling out paperwork and waiting for approval from various government agencies. Almost every piece in the gun can now be traced to me. A former acquaintence of mine acquired a Romanian-made AK-47 through a personal sale that required no background check and almost no paperwork. After the purchase, it was discovered that the gun had been equipped with a highly illegal post-market trigger, that made the gun fully-automatic. For $400, this gun was capable of doing a great deal more damage than my firearm, and the government would've had almost no way to track the weapon until the trigger was turned in later. Unregistered weapons and the people who buy them are the only real threats.
Perhaps the most valid argument against my proposal is that of safety. The BYU campus is not a place where criminals commonly lurk, but it is a place where one can and should demand a safe haven to seek education. Firearms do indeed have the potential for some serious accidents, but when handled properly they are perfectly safe. There are regulations and guidelines in place to keep firearms safe. Just as it can be said that most crimes with guns are committed by people who weren't supposed to have the gun in the first place, it can be said that almost all gun accidents occurred when people did something with the gun that they weren't supposed to. Most concealed handguns come equipped with special locks, safety features, and holsters that make accidental discharge a near impossibility. For instance, in most Glock and 1911 handguns, the trigger is locked in placed until the back of the grip is squeezed, and the trigger is pull directly backward. Unless your hand is in the position used for shooting - that's almost impossible to do at once, especially when kept in the appropriate holster Firearms stored in a car are required by law to have no ammunition in the chamber, and to be locked down. One will also find that the people who are most careful with guns, and have the greatest respect for their danger, are those that are properly exposed to and trained with guns.
Although guns and campuses generally don't mix, it is my firm belief that a careful reconsideration of the weapons policies in certain areas of Provo will help make the area around BYU even safer. While safety is of the utmost concern, I believe that the reasons that second ammendment was written are just as valid today in Utah, as they were over 200 years ago at this nations birth. There are countless situations when the government simply cannot succceed in defending it's citizens. In such circumstances, individuals have a right to arm themselves appropriately.
=================================
(It's just like Harry Potter 5! The ministry wanted to take away their magic!)
I made sure that I was discussing counter-arguments and acknowledging their validity. But did I weaken my argument too much?
I tried to focus on logos, and slightly on pathos. Do you think it was effective?
I tend to suck up a lot. Does my emphasis on logos hide that? I want it to sound more professional than pathetic (as in pathos...)
Bookstore Monopoly
My paper is about the bookstore and how, when it comes to text books, it is a monopoly. I am recommending ways to make its policies fair for all students.
Most college students are relatively poor and cannot waste their money or they will not have enough money for other necessities. It is a growing trend for students to order their books online instead of buying them from the book store in order to save money. There are numerous websites dedicated to ordering books from stores and students across the nation. There are also general shopping websites online like eBay or Amazon where books can also be located. The only problem with using these websites to order books at a cheaper price is the time it takes for the books to get to the student. Generally students need to read the books for a class during the first few weeks of that class in order to get good grades at the very beginning. This is a problem, however, because BYU and the BYU Bookstore do not post the book list for each student early enough for the books ordered online to reach the student before classes begin. This also causes the bookstore to be a monopoly because there is not sufficient time to try to get books at a cheaper price online. In order for the Bookstore to be fair to the students at BYU, the booklist needs to be posted at least several weeks before classes begin. This also would give the students who do not have a car enough time to go to another store to compare prices to make the best deal. This way, the students would be able to save money if they so chose, even though the school could potentially make less money.
When used clothing is sold to a second-hand store, the well-kept and gently used clothes are taken for more money than the clothes which appear worn and damaged. This is because shoppers will be willing to pay more for the nicer clothes than for the worn clothes. This same idea should be implemented when selling books back to the bookstore. Those who keep their books clean and well-kept should be given a higher price when they sell them back to the bookstore. The books which have highlighting and writing in them should be bought back for a lesser price, and in turn, should be sold back to students for a cheaper price. This gives incentive to take care of books, and it also allows students to decide if they would rather pay more money for a nicer book, or pay less money for a book with writing in it.
Do my arguments make sense and are they strong enough to convince administrators? I tried to use logos when talking about how these new policies make more sense for the students.
Are Credit Cards more Cost Efficient than Meal Plans?
My opinion editorial is on the scam of meal plans. Meals plan should be recommended for students, but not required. Many are spending unnecessary money when really a credit card would be more cost efficient.
Freshmen year can be a difficult time for many students because busy schedules can be hard to manage and thus eating food can be put on the back burner. With a fixed amount on one’s dining plans, a lot can be unused. Accounts can become back logged with twenty to even 70 dollars of unspent money. What makes these plans a money maker for the university is that if the balance goes over a certain amount, money is lost and not refunded. The result can be the unnecessary and wasteful spending of money by students who don’t want to lost money to the university. This is the biggest problem with all dining plans. They require the user to spend an amount that may not always be used on a weekly basis. It would make a lot more sense to simply use a visa or any other type of credit card. This money would be coming from essentially the same source. It doesn’t matter if you are using a dining plan or credit card; the money is coming from the same bank account. The only difference would be that with a credit card you are not required to spend a certain amount of money. With these similarities and differences in mind, having a meal plan really is not as cost efficient as a credit card.
A lot of students see these meals plan as great way to manage money, but if in reality you are not spending your entire plan on necessary food, than money is being lost or squandered. College is the time for young adults to learn to be become frugal with their money; however, many seem to use far too big of meal plans and never learn this valuable principle. If students never learn this then their livelihood could be in grave danger of unnecessary spending. Heritage Hall residents are the main abusers of meal plans. They have a kitchen, thus they can make meals in their dorm and not also have to eat out at places like the Cougareat, Legend’s Grille or the Cannon Center.
Do these paragraphs seem like they would positively effect administrators who could be able to change BYU's meal plan policy?
Freshmen year can be a difficult time for many students because busy schedules can be hard to manage and thus eating food can be put on the back burner. With a fixed amount on one’s dining plans, a lot can be unused. Accounts can become back logged with twenty to even 70 dollars of unspent money. What makes these plans a money maker for the university is that if the balance goes over a certain amount, money is lost and not refunded. The result can be the unnecessary and wasteful spending of money by students who don’t want to lost money to the university. This is the biggest problem with all dining plans. They require the user to spend an amount that may not always be used on a weekly basis. It would make a lot more sense to simply use a visa or any other type of credit card. This money would be coming from essentially the same source. It doesn’t matter if you are using a dining plan or credit card; the money is coming from the same bank account. The only difference would be that with a credit card you are not required to spend a certain amount of money. With these similarities and differences in mind, having a meal plan really is not as cost efficient as a credit card.
A lot of students see these meals plan as great way to manage money, but if in reality you are not spending your entire plan on necessary food, than money is being lost or squandered. College is the time for young adults to learn to be become frugal with their money; however, many seem to use far too big of meal plans and never learn this valuable principle. If students never learn this then their livelihood could be in grave danger of unnecessary spending. Heritage Hall residents are the main abusers of meal plans. They have a kitchen, thus they can make meals in their dorm and not also have to eat out at places like the Cougareat, Legend’s Grille or the Cannon Center.
Do these paragraphs seem like they would positively effect administrators who could be able to change BYU's meal plan policy?
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