Week 15: Future Writing

For the most part, I assume the writing I will be doing in the future will be my own creative writing. I enjoy writing on my own; writing down thoughts, ideas, goals, Bible notes, etc. I am a Communication major, so I will also probably be doing a little bit of writing for my communication courses; for example, persuasive writing or journalistic writings. For a Communication Majors class this year I had to write a research proposal, which consisted of about sixteen pages of written research. So there was quite a bit of writing for that one assignment, but all in all there is not much writing that comes with the degree I am aiming for. Although of course, I think one should be capable of writing well in order to communicate thoughts or ideas in all majors, as it will benefit in any future career.

After I graduate, I plan on heading into the entertainment field. Whether that be radio, television, or hosting. I love to be around people, interact with people, entertain people, laugh with people, and hear their stories. Getting into the world of radio or TV will allow me to pursue what I have a passion for, both entertainment and people. I do not think that the career I plan on pursuing will have much writing involved. Although, I do enjoy creatively writing on my own, as I said before; I especially have a love for jotting down thoughts and ideas in my Bible. I would definitely consider my writing as a miscellaneous sort of oeuvre.

Word count: 260

Week 13: Body Language `

My research question is ‘How do men and women communicate differently using body language in a dating relationship and why does it matter?’ I think this research question is important because we don’t realize how much nor how important our body language is and how becoming aware of our own nonverbal communication (body language) can affect our relationships with the opposite sex. It’s important be knowledgable of why body language matters.

One of the main points of evidence for this research question is the perception of body language according to male and female; in other words, a reason why they non verbally communicate differently is simply because they perceive that same body language differently than the opposite sex. Knowing how each gender perceives body language in a dating relationship helps me answer HOW they communicate differently using non-verbal communication. According to and article called, The Difference in Nonverbal Behaviors and How It Changes In Different Stages of A Relationship by Tracy Prinsen and Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, information on the differences in non verbal behaviors between men and women (and how it changes in different stages of a relationship) is discussed. This source will help as evidence in proving how non verbal behaviors change in certain stages of a dating relationship. The source also includes research on how past experiments have shown the importance of non verbal communication/body language/etc. in romantic relationships and includes information on surveys and questionnaire experiments, which will be a great form of evidence in answering my research question.

Bibliographic citation:

Prinsen, Tracy, and Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter. “The Difference in Nonverbal Behaviors and How It Changes In Different Stages of A Relationship.” Texas Tech University Library. 1 July 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

Word count: 252

Week 12: Google

After reading Carr’s article and reflecting, I realized that he never seemed to really have one major argument that he was writing against. He jumped from story to story, without always directly connecting it to his argument; it seemed to me as if every paragraph was a new point or story. Don’t get me wrong, the article was pretty meaty, but it just didn’t seem to flow well from idea to idea.

In addition, the points he used as “proof” definitely did not seem credible, nor did they even really help him with his argument. He used sources like blog posts or other media data, but nothing very substantial or credible. There were barely any sources that were scholarly, nor any to even back up his own argument. He may have used one good example, but he didn’t state an author to back up that claim, so it couldn’t even be considered scholarly or plausible.

Now, his argument as a whole is understandable and thought-provoking. His claims could very well relate to this day and age with all the new technologies that are continuing to grow. I do believe that a smaller attention span could be acquired from the massive amount of online activity and technology. Although, his claim is directly aimed towards Google, which I do not necessarily agree with. I’m sure that the most destructive type of online searching is not directly from Google; there are plenty other sites that could perpetuate smaller attention spans, such as social medias (like Facebook). So I agree that this generation’s online activity could aid in smaller attention spans, but the direct claim that “Google is making us stupid” could be questioned.

Word count: 280

Week 10: The Demise of Guys

The Demise of Guys is a very compelling and thought-provoking article. If the author’s statistics are accurate, it is also a sad a shocking realization. It also creates a great degree of concern and dismay as to the future condition of men. The research in this exceprt seems to be quite conceivable and factual; the author seems to have done a good job researching for this article based on the many viable sources he has listed for his stated statistics. It seems as though the boys and men of the twenty first century, in fact, are losing out. In my opinion, given the amount of time surrendered to video games, etc. and the instant access to sexual gratification through pornography, it seems to me that boys/men will have far less interest for social interaction, far weaker communication skills, and overall will be far more inhibited when confronting/ socializing with the opposite gender.  {Word count: 150}

Brian Fung had some compelling points in his article, although it did not change my perspective on The Demise of Guys. In my opinion, it does’t seem conceivable that heavy porn viewing and video gaming wouldn’t negatively affect and inhibit anyone socially; especially in relating to the opposite gender. Fung’s pretense that, “The op-ed stokes fears of a testosterone-fueled implosion among young men — the kind of apocalyptic emergency that threatens the country’s future if society doesn’t act right now” (Fung, 2) is, in my opinion, irrelevant and opinion-based. Fung fails to consider that everything we mentally consume affects us negatively or positively.

Tracy Clark-Flory’s article is an interesting and valid argument as to why Zimbardo and Duncan may not have statistically proven their thesis. However, Flory’s article did nothing to statistically disprove The Demise of Guys article nor prove her own point. So left with all the evidence put forth, I find it far more compelling that an exorbitant amount of time spent viewing porn and video games would be profoundly unproductive and in fact, highly socially/psychologically negatively impacting.  {Word count: 184}

Total word count: 334

Week 9: Melissa Elias

A New Jersey high school school board president, Melissa Elias, was accused of plagiarism in a speech she gave at the school’s graduation in 2005. It is said that the speech Elias gave was derived from a commencement address that was formerly given (six years earlier) by Anna Quindlen from South Hadley, Massachusetts. Quickly after Elias was accused of the misdeed by the school board, she resigned from president, but she did keep a position in the school board. Although, on August 4th, she completely resigned from her position in the school.

After the incident, Elias felt she was a victim in the situation; she seemed to feel that she did nothing wrong. According to the Rose City Blog, Elias wrote a letter to the school board alluding to her punishment being unfair, claiming that there could have been a different conclusion rather than “losing a valuable contributor to the board’s quality and purpose” (Elias, Rose City Blog, Plagiarism Today). To most people, it seems that Elias transformed the issue into a big conflict by trying to make the school look bad to take the attention off her own felony.

I absolutely think the punishment to Elias was fair. In my opinion, she got off easy. If anything, she was the one who made it a bigger deal than it could have originally been. She lost her position as board president which is entirely fair and just. She could’ve left it at that, but she had to go on about how she believes the punishment was unfair, that the school made a wrong decision, and so on. Ultimately, she took someone else’s work and claimed it as her own. That is an illicit peccadillo and she definitely deserved to be let go.

Word count: 292

Bibliographic Citations

Bailey, Jonathon. “The (Hopefully) Final Melissa Elias Chapter.” Plagiarism Today. 11 Aug. 2005. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2005/08/11/the-hopefully-final-melissa-elias-chapter/&gt;.

Criticism, Public. “Schools Chief, Board Leaders Join Calls for Elias to Resign.” New Jersey Hills. 5 Aug. 2005. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://www.newjerseyhills.com/schools-chief-board-leaders-join-calls-for-elias-to-resign/article_e642c0c5-9e18-5319-b542-c7fbe65515c0.html&gt;.

“Examples of Plagiarism and Cheating.” The College of Saint Rose. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://www.strose.edu/academics/academic_integrity/article3218&gt;.

Week 8: Argumentation Paper

For my argumentation paper I am covering the topic of abortion. This is a very controversial subject, as well as a very popular one among our society today. I am focusing on two positions, pro-life and pro-choice.

Some people are for abortion (pro-choice); essentially, they believe it is the woman’s right to her body and it is her own choice. They are for abortion because they believe the woman has the rights to her own body, therefore she can make her own choice. They could also be for abortion because of the situations that got them pregnant (like rape, or just unprotected sex). Age could also be a factor in why people are pro-choice, such as teenage pregnancy, therefore they claim that they are not able to be a good parent without set circumstances. Some pro-choicers claim that before a certain stage in pregnancy, the human zygote isn’t yet a human, so abortion is not murder. “The main argument of the anti-choice movement boils down to this: a human zygote, blastocyst, embryo, or fetus is a human being with a right to life, and abortion is therefore murder and should be illegal. This assumption is deeply flawed” (Pro-Choice Action Network, Joyce Arthur). This is a claim by a pro-choice advocate, stating that the belief that a zygote, blastocyst, embryo, or fetus is a human being is “deeply flawed.”

Now, they are also people who are against abortion (pro-life); essentially, they believe it is killing a human life, and that is wrong or unjust in their eyes. It could be considered murder. People may be against abortion because of their religious beliefs or morals/values. Usually fundamentally, people are against it. As for people who are against abortion for their religious beliefs, they could argue that the Bible says, “For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life” (Leviticus 17:14). Some pro-life Christians could argue that life starts at conception because the minute the egg is fertilized by the sperm, it creates a bloodline and God says that life is in the blood. 

Word count: 344

Bibliographic citations

Arthur, Joyce. “Personhood: Is a Fetus a Human Being?” THE PRO-CHOICE ACTION NETWORK. 1 Aug. 2001. Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml&gt;.

“Leviticus 17 NASB.” Leviticus 17 NASB. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. <http://biblehub.com/nasb/leviticus/17.htm&gt;.

Manninen, Bertha. “The Value of Choice and the Choice to Value: Expanding the Discussion  about Fetal Life within Prochoice Advocacy.” Ebsco Host. 1 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://web.b.ebscohost.com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=9f5ce691-e282-4ea6-8ce3-314d70ee9ea8@sessionmgr112&vid=4&hid=106&gt;.

Week 6: Dear Melanie Mock

Dear Melanie Mock,

I found your article interesting to read. You seem like you have somewhat of a progressive type of view and seem to have blindly fallen into a false ideal of separation of church and state; and being a Christian, you of all people should know the true meaning of that amendment and what it truly states. That is the biggest issue with me in your argument. We were founded as a Christian nation and have traditionally celebrated Christmas, and if someone is offended by that, that is their own issue. If someone doesn’t like a law, that is just frankly too bad. Our government and its Constitution was founded on Christian principles and on Christian values. Our founding fathers’ original intent of separation of church and state was to keep the government out of the church; it was never about keeping the church out of the state.

“The focus of every Christian should on the real manger, rather than on whether Nativities should appear in the public square, pressed up next to Santa and the elves” (Mock 10). According to this quote from your article, you are clearly stating that having Nativities in the public square detracts our focus from what Christians should really focus on. But please tell me, how does this detract your focus from Christ? How does a Nativity Scene, which is about Jesus Christ, detract your focus from Jesus Christ? That is simply illogical in my opinion.

I’m sorry I cannot say I enjoyed your article because I disagree with all of your points. Additionally, I believe that your expressed beliefs are apart of why American culture has become so degraded. However, your rights to express your opinion is exactly what our first amendment is about, and that I do agree with.

Sincerely,

Tabi Dienhart

Word Count: 301

Week Four: GFU

George Fox University is a wonderful school, filled with good community and a faith-based environment, which makes it unique to other schools. The peculiarity that stands out to me the most about GFU is the privilege to pray freely. Not only that, but our teachers pray as well (sometimes at the start of class). I consider this such a blessing and such an idiosyncratic trait about Fox.

I’m so used to not having the privilege to pray freely in the environment I went to high school in and the people I was surrounded with. So, coming to George Fox and discovering the faith in community and academia is a really amazing thing. My first week here, at the beginning of the majority of my classes, my teachers would mention Jesus or share a Bible verse with the class. You can discuss freely about Jesus with your professors and peers without it being “odd” or “out of place,” whereas at many other schools I’m sure it would. The reason I am considering this a “peculiarity” about Fox is because this feature is an anomaly. In our society, it’s not normal to bow your head and pray before you eat or before a meeting; that’s not an expected thing. Including other state universities or public high schools, where praying would be considered unconventional. For example, there are many schools that don’t even allow praying, not as a group and especially not individually. But here at GFU, it’s normal, it could even be considered encouraged.

Word count: 253

Week Three: Photograph

It’s an unusually cool Southern California evening in late March. Looking out over the Santa Barbara shoreline from a driveway perched high above in the hills as the the light of day is dimming into the dusk of evening. The lights of the beach front start to fade on and a typical thin layer of clouds hang over the ocean giving a distinctive backdrop to the horizon. In the distance are the faint tops of the palm trees that line Cabrillo Boulevard. The scent of the pink azaleas and the salt of the sea are wafting through the air. The sounds from the city below blend into a mild hum as they find their way up to us in the heights. Taking in this view evokes a feeling of contentment, serenity, calm, and anticipation of spring. With no obstructing movement, nothing gets in the way of experiencing these feelings to the full.

I remember driving slowly up the side of the hill, when I spotted the view that took my breath away. We stopped the car and I stood up out of the sun roof to get the perfect shot. This photograph is meaningful to me simply because of the memories and feelings that go along with it. I was doing the thing I love the most: driving around aimlessly, exploring, and listening to music in an incredible place. Surrounded by palm trees, the ocean, cool architecture, inspiring music, and breathtaking views… all with a calm heart and a soul for adventure. Santa Barbara, California, March, 7:30 in the evening.

Word count: 257

Week Two: Significant Impact

I grew up going to private Christian schools, preschool through sixth grade. Everyday, I would be surrounded with faith based peers and Godly teachers. I would learn about Jesus and His Word at school and have long, open talks about Him with my classmates. It was just a regular, daily part of my life; faith was always around me. Although, in seventh grade, things changed. I made a transition from elementary school to junior high; from a private Christian school to a public junior high school. All new people, all new teachers, all new atmosphere.

This change in my life was one that I will always remember. I think, all in all, I would consider it a good change. Of course, there were downsides and uncomfortable situations but it taught me a lot about myself, about life, and about faith. I was so used to being around Christian people and a faith based curriculum; (one could say I was pretty sheltered). Making such a dramatic transition from that comfortable everyday life to such a secular one was eye opening for me. Now, I was mostly surrounded by ungodly people and situations, which in turn, grew me closer to Jesus. My morals, values, and beliefs were heightened. I gained more knowledge about people, about this world and where I want to be in it. God led me down that path for a reason and I am glad He did. Through it all, He guided me, and for that I am eternally grateful to Him.

Word count: 253