In the last PA, you took one of the arguments that favored your position and developed it into a paragraph.
In PA#5, consider an argument against the position stated in your thesis (PA#3) and respond to it.
Consider the following structure:
1. State the counterargument to your position,
2. Explain the point of conflict,
3. State your response,
4. Explain your response, and finally
5. Provide evidence for your response in the form of quotation and/ or and example and details.
Post the paragraph as a comment to this blog entry by Tuesday, 1/26, at 5 PM and bring a hard copy to class on Wednesday 1/27.
Below is a sample culled from the previous assignment. Yes, the writer inadvertently wrote a refutation paragraph when he or she was supposed to write a confirmation paragraph. However, it's a very good refutation paragraph anyway.
Misinformation is largely to blame when it comes to why there are many
American individuals who refuse to donate organs. People are simply not
as correctly informed about organ donation as they should be and instead
are only fed myths. Many believe that if there is a fine print in the
back of their drivers license declaring them organ donors , the hospital
staff wont work as hard to save their lives. Saving a life is always
first priority to any medical professional. In fact , the medical team
that treats the patients is separate from the transplant team. Doctors
and nurses involved in a person’s care before death are not typically
involved in the recovery or transplantation of donated organs, tissues
or corneas. In addition hospital staff cannot access the donor registry
list. Another myth believed by many is that if you are a registered
organ donor, doctors will not wait until you are declared dead to start
removing organs. According to Gift of Life Donor Program “Brain death is
a medically, legally, and morally accepted determination of death. To
determine brain death, more than one diagnosis of brain death and a
series of tests over a period of time are required before the donor's
family is presented with the opportunity to donate.”
An abundant amount of professors are in agreement that computers are too distracting and should be forbidden from the classroom. They see it as a tool that impedes on the students willingness to learn, as it provides copious amounts of potential distractions. However, I feel that it is beneficial for the students to have the option to take the initiative and avoid the potential distracts. For one, there will be various distractions in the adult world, and it is a good habit to learn as a student to fight against the temptation and be productive. Furthermore, I believe that it should be down to the students to decide if they want to be productive, because the professors truly don’t have the power to force one to pay attention. For example, if a professor condemns their students for using computers, the student will not immediately become engaged in class. The distracted student will have other ways of being distracted such as doodling, zoning off, or even falling asleep. Given these points, it is suffice to say that restricting computers in the classroom does not actually cure boredom, nor does it increase motivation. In fact, the only impact that banning computers will have is negatively towards the students that use computers as a tool.
ReplyDeleteAlong with a strong emphasis on academics in Asian cultures, family is also highly valued. Although there is an important sense of family, some may say that Asian-American parents prevent their children from individualism. They say that students should be making their own decisions with regard to their future, not their parents. In addition, they say that Asian-American children do not need to be practicing math problems for years “just because their parents say so”. In reality, parents are role models for their children, even in Asian cultures. Parents do not have control over their children’s future, and Asian-American parents are not forcing their children to become world-renowned mathematicians. In fact, not all Asian-American students want to pursue math and science fields. Instead of being told that they must follow in their parent’s footsteps in math and science fields, which would take away the individualism of the students, they are given skills that would help them in their future. Through listening to their parents and practicing their daily problems, they learn discipline and hard work in order to achieve highly in life. Mei Li, an Asian-American Ohio Wesleyan students, is grateful for all the opportunities that her parents provided for her and her siblings. “Everyday in the first grade, I would practice multiplication tables after school,” Li said. “Today, I am an art major, not a pre-med major, but I would not have been able to get where I am today without the hard work my parents taught me.”
ReplyDeleteIn the very first part of my essay, I stated that football players are mean, rambunctious and self-centered if football players are so self-centered, how come Roger Staubacuh: Americas favorite QB joined the armed forces, how come according to the Bleacher Report it specifically says “Thankfully not all of them were arrogant” them being the football players “Some were charitable, others, loyal but all of them nonetheless heroic”. Ironic isn’t it? it’s ironic how non-football players can assume what we are by what you see on the field. Yes you see us trying to rip each other’s heads off during a play, but what you don’t see is the big team huddle after every game where both teams come together you definitely don’t see all the wonderful things we do for others when the media isn’t watching our every move. For example, we knew a young man by the name of Jake, he had some sort of disease I can’t quite remember what it was but it was his long life’s dream to become a Ohio Wesleyan bishop we introduced him to the team, gave him a mock draft and even gave him his own number. That’s not all he got to be an honorary captain. Watching Jake smile, tell jokes, and interact with the players will be a time I’ll never forget. I know, someone is going to say that we did it because we wanted good publicity no, on the contrary we did it so that we could give someone who may not live to see tomorrow to live out his life’s dream I even asked coach “ do you think that football players are mean” he says to me “ seriously Savon ? The way I see children react to you and the faces of the parents that see you making their son/ daughter smile when you play or joke around with them makes all the other players jump for joy. They won’t tell you that but it does” To sum this point up: it’s with no contest that we have some of the utmost respect for those who lay it all down and we provide out of the kindness of our hearts. I highly encourage you to think about what football players you refer to before you say that ALL football players are mean.
ReplyDeleteWhen the older generations say that teenagers are rebels, they mean it by teenagers are disrespectful and or don’t listen. Adults say that teenagers are this way because they want to go up against adult authority and that rebellion gets the attention from adults by deliberately disobeying the laws or norms created by the adults from what they learned when they were kids. Who is to say that’s actually the norm though? It might have been the norm not to do some of those things back then but I don’t think it’s the same case now. I feel like the norm has changed as the years gone on. People think way differently now. I feel like it’s not being a so called rebel I feel like it’s just teenagers being teenagers and they shouldn’t change there identity for no one. You shouldn’t change your views or beliefs no matter what anyone says or does if you believe it’s the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteMany advocates of Microsoft Word would argue that Microsoft's editing is more effective than Google Docs. The Microsoft Word supporters argue that Google Docs has a very limited editing capability and that Microsoft has a much better ability to edit documents. Although it doesn’t have the best editing capabilities, Google Docs has enough editing capabilities that most of the population has enough to edit thoroughly. Google Docs allows its users the ability to bold, underline, italicize, and even check for spelling mistakes. These are the most common editing tools used by the population who use word processors. According to PCWorld.com, they say, “When it comes to the basic formatting and editing tools we use to create documents every day, we can’t find an overwhelming advantage [of Word] over Docs.” The experts even agree that when it comes to editing, Google Docs is just as effective as Microsoft for the everyday user, that everyone should put their work into Google Docs.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may seem hard to believe, there are teachers who are convinced dyslexia does not affect the children who are diagnosed. They simply label them as dumb, stupid, lazy, or incompetent, refusing to change their methods of teaching. Some would argue that it would seem as if the child were being given special “privileges,” evoking jealousy amongst his or her fellow peers. Others simply don’t believe in the existence of dyslexia, making it impossible for the student to request any form of accommodation. Instead of investing their time in hoping dyslexic students, teachers do the opposite by assigning them less homework. In short, they believe that if a 14 year is still incapable of reading a chapter book, his or her future of higher education is non existent. The truth of the matter is, none of this is true. It is entirely unjust to determine the future of an individual without giving them the opportunity to voice their own opinions. Children with dyslexia can appear to be slow, or incompetent in a variety of academic fields o study. However, given the proper accommodations such as additional time, audiobook as opposed to regular text books, oral exams as opposed to written ones, all make it possible for dyslexic students to flourish. Dyslexia does not affect an individual’s intelligence. It simply affects their way of learning; specifically, conceptual writing and quantitative information. TO say that these two subject areas are to challenging for dyslexic students to comprehend is wrong. All that is required is a mentor who is willing and able to provide the time and effort to work with dyslexic students.
ReplyDeleteHarry S. Truman is usually ranked amongst many of the great presidents, however, he made many controversial decisions and is, therefore, one of the worst presidents to serve in the oval office. People find Truman alarmingly a great president. I in fact, find that hard to believe because he has neglected many of the traits a great president has. First, he maliciously killed many innocent lives by dropping an atomic bomb on Japan. Not only did he commit this massacre of innocent lives one, he did it twice (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). Secondly, after he served he was ranked one of the worst president to serve. The public did not approve of him and according to Gallop’s Presidential Ranking, Truman’s presidential rating was at 33 percent (Lincoln is at a 96% approval rating). Lastly, Truman started many wars and one in particular was the cold war, which could have been devastating to the world. I believe that Truman lacks the main characteristics a respectable president must have: popularity with the media, protecting innocent lives, and starting the cold war.
ReplyDeleteLooking through history it is easy to see how men have always been dominant over woman in the eyes of society. Whether it is in the work place, or in sports, or even just in daily living. Many people believe that women are only made for certain life purposes brought on by physical limitations, sexist thoughts and the idea that women are meant to stay at home. The idea that a woman is given a hard time to try a different career path from these stereotypes just because of her gender is wrong. In fact, without woman pushing the boundaries our world today would be in a very different place. Thinking of Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Margaret Thatcher, Madeleine Albright, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Michelle Obama and many more woman all pushed these social boundaries put into place based on gender. Imagine what our world would be like today if these women listened to the stereotypes and stayed at home in the kitchen. Imagine if these women didn't have the courage to follow their dreams. Our world would be very different. As Michelle Obama once said “always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody says distract you from your goals.”
ReplyDeleteMany will say that women’s lacrosse isn’t a sport compared to men’s lacrosse. They watch men’s lacrosse and see the players being hit with the long metal poles and the extreme contact made between players. But what people fail to realize is they are covered in pads while in women’s lacrosse the only protection worn is a small mouth guard and goggles. While there isn’t as much stick to body contact in women’s lacrosse, it still gets rough. In only my 4 year years of playing I’ve seen numerous concussions, torn ACLs, and even a girl getting four teeth knocked out because the mouth was no help. Every season, my arms and legs are purple and green from all the hits. I have countless new welts all over from how competitive the game gets. For an athlete to run 3-5 miles in just one 50 minute game, its impossible to not call it a sport.
ReplyDeleteAlthough many people don’t feel these prejudices towards Muslims and also can differentiate the difference between a Muslim and a terrorist there are many who cannot. Those people feel that these prejudices aren’t without reason. They argue that stereotypes don’t form just on the opinion of one person. Rather, that they have been a significant amount of times that acts of terrorism have been committed by Muslim individuals. Almost on a regular basis one can turn on the news and hear a story about some form of terrorism and nine times out of ten it’s allegedly done by a Muslim person. Thus validating in people’s minds the stereotype that Muslims are terrorists. The truth of the matter is, there are tragic events that happen everyday that are by the definition of terrorism acts of terrorism and often aren't labeled as terrorism when it pertains to people of non-middle eastern descent. In fact, these stories don’t even make it to the news because it’s not what people care about. The public has become so hypersensitive on Muslims that news outlets only care about these forms of terrorism for the added drama so that viewers will watch. It has unfortunately acquired a type of commercial value.When looking at Fox News’ world news section of their website, three out of the five top stories are about some sort of terrorism or travesty that has to do with Muslims and Middle Eastern people. This is only one example of how media and prejudice people are blurring the lines between the difference of being Muslim and a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteKids and some teachers think that student-athletes don't come to class to work,student-athletes work ethic should be noticed more. student-athletes have some type of homework everyday rather its from school or from the sport they play, when students go home and don't got school work the student-athletes have to go to practice after school for how ever long practice is. I feel like student-athletes work profoundly hard and disposed to do anything an everything it takes to play the sport they love,if not then it will show. Student-athletes work so strenuously that in 2014 the NCAA wanted to pay the student-athletes because they felt that the student-athletes balance so much throughout the school year between your sport season,school and other things students-athletes have going on in their life.
ReplyDeleteLamar Dumas
ReplyDeleteMany times, the appearance of an individual can give the signals not to come close to him. Often, it could be dangerous for one to start a conversation with a complete stranger especially in a big city were everything is more anonymous. You never know what might be on the mind of the person sitting next to you. For example, someone with low eyes, a skinny body and shaking would most possibly be under the influence of some drug. People that do not know how to properly treat a drug addict could put themselves in danger while the person they encounter does not have the awareness of his or hers surroundings. The bad habit of drug addiction makes individuals have only one thing in their mind which is how to get their next dosage. Unfortunately, in the inner city, you should not only be careful to interact with drug addicts, but generally with everyone. The absence of money many times leads to the creation of bad intentions.
Earlier in this essay I stated how soccer players need to be fit in order to prevent injuries, but some might argue that all sports need to do this, for example, in football, the players need to be fit and be able to take contact and hits. In lacrosse, players also need to be fit in order to be able to run around for four quarters and take hits from the poles that are they are being wacked with. This being said, all sports you need to be fit in order to play. But, in soccer it is a little different, although there is a lot more contact in football, soccer still has contact. Although, it isn’t near as much, their are still collisions. With that being said, soccer also is one of the sports that racks up the most distance run in a single game, being an average of about seven miles excluding the goalies. Not only this, in soccer, there is only a limited amount of substitutions with only four. In lacrosse, basketball and other sports, there are as many substitutions as the team desires. This makes it even more challenging for soccer players, even if a player is hurt or tired, they still need to finish the game or the team is going to be short handed. Soccer is also considered a player’s game, it is on the players and only the players to perform and call the shots on the field, in football, the coaches have a very big part in how the game is played. Tiffeny Milbrett said, “Soccer's not a game that you can restrict players, especially creative players and players who have proven themselves at that level.”
ReplyDeleteWhen viewing the concept of grades it is simple enough to see a positive pattern between learned traits through aiming for better grades, those traits, such as obedience, discipline, and work ethic all show that aiming for a high GPA can pay off dividends. Some employers may hire one just because he/she has a higher GPA than the next candidate. On the contrary however, there are many instances where some employers simply aren’t interested in that. As a matter of fact, it can be inflated due to some of the other extracurricular classes they might have taken. I have even been told by some of my professors that it’s not always about how good your GPA is, it’s about the networking you make.
ReplyDeleteThe tactic to defend one's ideals with statements like "the ones who messed up were not really representative of our views" is a fallacious one that is often used by religious groups in the aftermath of someone conducting vile things in the name of their religion. Therefore, that communism is defended with statements like "Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao were not really communists" is also a fallacy. There is no defending the fact that they killed millions of their own countrymen. Therefore the closest I can come, with that realization, to defending the spirit of communism lies in denouncing the forms of communism these dictators followed - Stalinism and Maoism. These two schools are based around socialism in one country, this requires that the country in question be isolated from others. Enforcing that belief often comes with genocides and mass killings. But not all communist schools are like that - in fact most Communists now identify as Trotskyists. Trotsky championed the idea of a permanent revolution built around the awakening of the human spirit. If an idea requires that humans awaken to their worlds, how can it be evil?
ReplyDeleteMost anti-feminists believe that feminism demeans the traditional idea of a woman and seeks to overpower men; however, feminists simply seek equal rights, not superiority. Specifically, a women against feminism website allows women to share their oppositions. For instance, they see feminism as a movement that will degrade the idea of stay-at-home mothers and cooking for spouses. Furthermore, they think feminists wish to tear down the patriarchy and overpower men. Many of the discrepancies between anti-feminists and feminists comes from incongruent definitions of feminism. Feminism, simply stated, advocates for equal rights in regards to political, social, and economic standards. Advocating for gender equality is no different than fighting for equality among races, neither groups seek supremacy. Supporters of women’s rights do not disrespect stay-at-home moms or cooking for men, rather want equal opportunities and the same well deserved respect that males receive. For example, Annie Lennox, artist and activist, states, “We all fight over what the label ‘feminism’ means but for me it’s about empowerment. It’s not about being more powerful than men-it’s about having equal rights with protection, support, justice.”
ReplyDeleteI could see why people may see lacrosse players as not hard working. People see it as an easy to sport to go to college for because there are not that many people that play the sport compared to football, basketball, and baseball. When you think of going to college for, lets say basketball it is ridiculously hard for someone to go division one for basketball. When you look at lacrosse all you may see is people committing to division one schools. This may give people the impression that if they want to go to a division one school they may as well pick up lacrosse because it is not hard to get good at it and go to college for it. Even though some of these reasons may be true, it is still not as easy and still takes a lot of work to get recruited. It may not be as hard as getting recruited for basketball, but lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country, so eventually it will get there.
ReplyDeleteThe tourism industry is one of the main causes of the homelessness population to increase, however the tourism programs are Hawai’i’s main source on income. The picturesque islands attract millions of people from around the world generating approximately $14.7 billion per year. The locals offer a variety of activities to do such as festivals that take full advantage of their rich heritage and community that brings both locals and new visitors together. But the industry needs workers to help organize and allow these activities to run smoothly. According to Hawai’i Tourism Authority, “Hawai’i’s visitor industry continues to be the largest generator of jobs among the major industry sectors in the state, providing 152,864 jobs in 2010. Through new airlift, marketing and destination experience-based efforts, the number of jobs in 2011 is expected to grow to 159,542—an addition of 6,678 jobs.” These jobs will allow more money to flow within the already struggling economy and eventually allow Hawai’i to recover economically.
ReplyDeleteMany older generations believe that most video games do not help to strengthen the brain. They believe that videos games are a waste of time and actually harm your brain since it is not a physically active hobby. I agree that some video games are made to kill time and not help to work your brain, but there are some video games that do benefit your mind. What these brain games do for you is to help keep your mind sharp. When a person is 75, their brain is not going to work the same when they were 25. Many brain games out now are focused towards older generations to help keep their brains in good shape. It is stated in an article from The Boston Globe that, “By playing NeuroRacer, adults 60-85 were able to develop multi-tasking skills on par with 20-year olds.” Through playing this video game, these adults were able to improve their minds and keep them healthy. Older generations might now have a new understanding of how video games can actually benefit the mind.
ReplyDeleteAsian Americans are rarely included despite a long history of discrimination in the United States. Many debates about racial equality are still centered around Black race and White race; Asian Americans are often ignored as part of the debate and often are invisible in this kind of topic. All and all, the purposes of Affirmative Action have been a long-term debate on who is the true benefactor of this clause. Landmark cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978), Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), and Fisher v.University of Texas (2013) were all initiated by White plaintiffs (Park & Liu 1). The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment states," No state shall . . . deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Though the constitution granted equal protection for all race. But Asian American interested cases such as Ho v. San Francisco Unified School District have clearly demonstrated the modern segregation of schools. Ho v. San Francisco Unified School District, a class action filed in 1994, forced the San Francisco school district to stop its practice of classifying students by race for assignment to the city's K-12 schools. School denied many students because the school had already accepted the maximum number of Asians especially Chinese. The legal battle was long, but after five years, the defendants capitulated and agreed to a settlement by which they stopped their use of race as criteria for schools admission (Ho v. SFUSD). Asian Americans are often isolated from both sides of the black/white paradigm. African Americans and Hispanic Americans may resent Asian Americans for their perceived success. Because of the changing positions that Asian Americans have occupied in American society, it is a model minority designation, rather than affirmative action, that is responsible for creating much of the discord between the races.
ReplyDeleteManufacturers also have a word to say, which is that trans fat is formed naturally and artificially. The naturally formed trans fat can be found in oils or other products related to animals, such as meat and milk. Those products are not only the final products themselves but also ingredients for other products. Therefore, I believe it is inevitable that the products with an ingredient which contains natural trans fat happen to contain trans fat after all. The labeling doesn’t reflect manufacturers’ struggle in getting rid of artificial trans fat at least when it is what they can do at the best in fact. According to Connie Diekman at Washington University, “Not everything in nutrition is so black and white.” For there is difficulty in measuring inconsistent and small quantities of natural trans fat, the labeling should also allow the room of ambiguity to list trans fat less than 0.5g as 0g.
ReplyDeleteIt is commonly stated in the media that dark skin African American females are often shut out of job opportunities and or higher pay due to the pigment of their skin but the public is largely misinformed by this information. Research have showed that one-third of employed black women work in management or professional jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a record number are attending college. Dark skin black women with college degrees earn nearly or even more than similarly educated white women or light skinned African Americans. The number of businesses owned by black women has nearly doubled in the past decade to more than 900, 000, according to CNN. Another false image that the media have imprint in the mind of the America public is that dark skin Africa American females have no strong leading role model to act as a guide for them but this statement couldn’t be farther from the truth. In this golden age young black women see more options for themselves than ever due to influential leaders. Options that include running a cable network like Oprah Winfrey, leading a Fortune 500 company like Xerox’s Ursula Burns, and become an international pop icon like Beyoncé (aka the queens).
ReplyDeletePeople, such as myself, with learning disabilities are being labeled as “retarded.” The usage of that word, being targeting towards peers is hurtful, and is a major decrease in self- confidence. Having negative comments, like “You are too stupid to get into college”, “You are never going to go far in life,” makes you doubt yourself, and your ability to achieve goals. We have come a long way to get the support that is needed academically, for people who have trouble learning. But what we need to change the stereotype that people who struggle with learning are consider “retards.” People who had learning disabilities, turned out to change the world. Thomas Edison, who was told he was “retarded” by his peers ended up invented the light bulb, and Albert Einstein whose own parents didn’t believe in him, ended up discovery the photoelectric effect. We need support from people around us, encouraging us that we can achieve anything we put our minds to. Being surrounding with positive attitudes from peers, would lead to academic changes, and confidence.
ReplyDeleteThose who join country clubs are sometime known as "snobby", that members are selfish, and do not care about others. Movies, such as “Caddyshack” are known to blow this stereotype out of proportion. Most of the time when people join elite country clubs, the members get along well with each other. Most people join to socialize with others. Although some members will be selfish, it does not mean that others will go out of his or her way to make the place better. I have never been a member of a country club, but have worked on one. Members who golf often go out of his or her way to repair the course if one notices.
ReplyDeleteEven though Ohio Wesleyan students tend to play sports as well as study their major, striving computer scientists sometimes fall to the cravings of killing the dragon lord in World of Warcraft. As I stated before, the stereotype that computer scientists plant themselves in front of their tvs for hours of gaming marathons is inaccurate, but people all are different. This means that there are computer scientists that do play games such as World Of Warcraft, or Runescape. My colleagues who study Computer Science with me all do different things. Some play on the football team while others do enjoy long, antisocial, video game marathons. It's all a personality trait. It all differs by person.
ReplyDeleteIf a person is caring and rude, under no circumstances would that person shove, ignore and/or be unfriendly to others. Even though New Yorkers can say they are just living life as they have been taught, and trying to be successful – this is not true. Many would argue New Yorkers are honestly just bread as rushed, people and emerge themselves in the hustle and bustle in the city life. To support this claim, one may argue that other major cities, with just as much success and competition, like Boston and Chicago, have friendly, laid back citizens. People who make this argument do not understand the culture of the East Coast, particularly, New York City. Though, it is not completely false to say there is a sense of rudeness present, it is easily refuted when we look at the compassion New Yorkers do posses. After the horrific and tragic events of 9/11, all of the city came together and showed immense support and love for everyone in sight. Negative characteristics of a person can always be overlooked when a person is willing to be caring and compassionate during times of need.
ReplyDeleteBeyond the claims that art students have it easy, many are quick in saying that a BFA is a useless major, one that will be of no benefit after graduation. There are common assumptions associated with those studying the arts – that they are destined to become waiters or bartenders, or fulfill the trope of the starving artist. This highly undervalues creative people and their ability to apply their skills in the real world. Receiving a BFA require critical thinking an analysis, as well as the ability to observe and reflect on one’s work, and that of others. Young artists maintain a self-awareness and understanding of the world around them that often surpasses that of their peers. As my drawing professor Kristina always says, an artist’s job is to make the world beautiful. More importantly, we are tasked with the job of recording our present, in doing so ensuring that it will be represented for future generations. The value and magnitude of the arts as an inherent facet of our society is all to often written off, ultimately in vain.
ReplyDelete