last blog prompt

So, this is to be our concluding blog entry, and there is so much to type, so I will try to make it short.  English 1301: Composition and Rhetoric taught us mainly to write.  We learned proper sentence structure and how to correctly cite in MLA format.  Writing is a good skill to pick up, but I think the most important thing I learned from this year is how to research effectively   Every single project we have been given has required us to include multiple sources and use them effectively in papers.  Usually, my English teachers required only one or two, but instead we needed five to eight.  Using all of the databases efficiently helped cut down time and to find relevant articles quickly.  This class emphasizes also on correct spelling and punctuation.  Nobody in the class wants to face the Wrath of Mannan, and we all want cupcakes, so the class does its best to control all spelling.  This class will help me in all future classes for its helpfulness in grammar and MLA emphasis.

Blog 10

I don't believe that someone can take a generalized stance on whether someone should take a year break between high school and college.  A student may have financial troubles and may use an extra year to help pay for classes, or a lazy person could use it to sleep in and play video games every day.  On the flip side, going to school year after year with no break can cause a student to crash.  Students should take their time, not feeling obligated to go to school or to wait a year.  There are several reasons someone would pick one and not the other.  I personally just left high school and decided to jump right into college not only to get a real job faster, but so that I don't get rusty.  I'd imagine that after spending a year doing nothing it might be hard to get back into studying.  Even though I went right into school again, I don't feel any better than someone who waited a year, because you never know WHY they waited.  I think it's a bad idea to wait just because you want to postpone the inevitable, but school, injury, and other reasons are more than reasonable.

Blog Number 9

I believe that it is important to vote in presidential elections because we have the liberty of being in a democracy.  There are countries all over the world which don't have the privilege to choose who rules them, and by not voting we are neglecting what our forefathers have worked so hard to give us.  By not taking the time to know what each candidate stands for and vote for who you think is right, there is only one thing being said in my opinion: I don't care.  I mean, why else would you not vote?  A person who doesn't vote is basically saying they don't think the outcome will effect them and continue their own lives hoping everything will work out for them.  There are billions of people in this world who wish they had that right, but non-voters just throw it away like it doesn't matter or make a difference.  In my view, voting should be one of the few mandatory acts people in America should participate in and it is very important to take it seriously.

Blog Number 6

I personally don't believe that social media sites are a replacement for social interaction in the least. The purpose for these sites was to give more access to people to communicate with their friends and to share things about their day.  Spending hours on the internet can be unhealthy, but isn't that still considered socially interacting?

In order to have a decent web page, you need two things: friends and posts.  I know what your thinking with the "oh, so what about people with 2 million friends" kind of people, but that in itself is partially right.  If you have no one seeing you, you are just wasting your time talking to no one.  Having too many friends can ruin your social life, I agree, but at least the said person has some.  Unfortunately, having a few friends isn't enough; you need to be socially active.  You don't always need to use the godly semi-colon as I had just used in extreme in depth posts about societies wrongs and rights, but you need something.  If you invite a bunch of people to your friends list and never say a word, can you call them your friends?

Now, for about 98% of people, these two conditions are met, so now what?  Well, you can do whatever you like.  You post about your day, upload pictures of your dog in a robot costume, or even link a song you like.  Being on social websites helps you communicate your self or your intended image to those you like, which is, in my opinion, socialization.

Should there be a dress code in places such as school, restaurants, places of business, etc.?

I personally believe that, while America stands as a beacon of individuality, there needs to be dress codes in certain establishments.  If you were to go into a fancy restaurant with your date and there was a guy who had never taken a shower and had patchy clothes next to you, it would make the meal quite unpleasant.  Sometimes, it is just assumed that you conform to the dress code.  I mean, who in their right minds would wear a burnt orange shirt in the student section of an Texas A&M game?

In order to pursue this idea, you must first fight the counter arguments.  Yes, I understand that as Americans we are encouraged to express our own ideals.  I have no beef with people who print controversial topics on their shirts and walk around the streets.  While your lifestyle is your own, business owners my not agree with it.  If you think about it, business owners should have near limitless control over their own stores.  Would you like it if I walked into your house dressed in drag?  People should be able to wear what they want to wear, but also respect owners of establishments and match their clothing appropriately 

Can television and/or video games influence behavior?

If you ask me, the media (television and video games) have a MAJOR influence on behavior.  For example, we can examine the difference in societies reactions to something simple: movies.  In the 1973 classic The Exorcist, audiences were horrified by a 13 year old girl swearing and vomiting.  In many recent movies, you can people shooting others in an endless killing spree without even batting an eye.  Our minds view of right and wrong is highly based on what the social norm is.  Surely one person killing hundreds is much more severe than a young girl swearing, but what has happened to cause the prior to be less aggravating?

If you think closely, the answer can be explained in one of two ways:  humanity has changed or society has.  I tend to believe it is the later.  Humans will always be who they are, but it is influences from outside sources that change our spectrum of right and wrong.  This can even be seen in video games.  The simple violence of Mario jumping on a cartoon turtles head has evolved into Grand Theft Auto, a game where you are encouraged to drive around murdering innocent civilians.  I'm personally appalled by this, but who else is?  I'm sure twenty years ago the game would be banned.  And what has this done to the kid playing the game?   I'm sure he won't go out into the street and shoot a grandma in the face, but couldn't you agree that his senses are dulled?  Do the evils in life seem that much more normal to him?  Is the swearing girl now a massacring hero?   Where does this line end and the next one begin?  I could rant on and on, but I will end on the note that anything, be it TV, movies, games, or even advertisements, can influence ones behavior.

Blogo Numero Tres

I personally do not believe that students should be forced to learn another language in school.  For some people, such as myself, it is unbelievably hard to comprehend languages not our own.  While we do live in a country with people from all across the globe, the majority of Americans speak English.  While it is an extremist view, being forced to learn another persons language could also be translated to accepting their culture.  While I personally don't think that way, there are racists out there who refuse to accept others as who they are, and forcing them to accept other ethnicity's culture.  Forcing one person to so in my opinion could be construed as forcing someone against their will and breaking their constitutional rights.

While what I already stated is what I believe is true, I also believe this: learning another language should be highly encouraged.  Becoming bilingual can open so many doors for people and help them communicate with so many more.  Not only will it look good for getting into college, but also the job market.  All children should have the opportunity to learn new languages at school as normal.  This being said, I still believe that it should be encouraged, not required.