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Seeking to show us something new, insightful, and interesting, write in the Causal (explaining the causes of some phenomenon that exists) mode. This may become a rough draft paragraph. Just ramble and surprise yourself. Flannery O'Connor: "I write to discover what I know." Total 300+ words.
Remember the example. Phenomenon: People venture high in hot air balloons. Why? What causes them to do so?
- Brag to friends
- Demonstrate wealth and adventuresomeness
- Show amount of leisure time
- Seek a nature-conquering thrill and tranquility
- Belong to a community who seeks the same experiences
- Get away from stressful, technology-crowded work world to a forced-bonding, tight, secluded physical space that is pleasant and full of solace
- See the world from a new perspective...
101 comments:
7Riley
es can be vivid and very frightening and can leave people in a state of panic and fear when they wake up. What are nightmares anyways? Nightmares are disturbing dreams that wake you from sleep. They often leave your heart pounding with fear. Nightmares tend to occur most during rapid eye movement or known as REM sleep. Why do people have nightmares? What causes them? Bad dreams or nightmares are mainly caused by confusion or anxiety for most people. According to livescience.com “nightmares are helpful to our survivial or else they probably would have been done away with by evolution,” said Deirdre Barrett, a psychologist at Harvard University. Nightmares are often spontaneous but they can be caused by a variety of factors and underlying disorders. Some people have nightmares after having a late-night snack, which can increase metabolism and signal the brain to be more active. Also, a number of medications also are known to produce more nightmares. Children's nightmares most likely occur after watching a scary tv show or movie, listening to a scary story, or even from feeling anxious or stressed. Most children grow out of the nightmare stage, but then why do adults still have them? It could be caused from a conflict or problem and poor eating habits contribute to frequent nightmares. Nightmares in adults are generally caused or triggered by psychological factors such as anxiety and depression. Basically, most nightmares are caused by medications, poor nutrition, stress, anxiety, depression, and sometimes other contributing factors. So how exactly do you stop these nightmares? Do not go to bed angry or stressed out, make sure you are obtaining regular sleep patterns, do not eat right before bed, reduce alcohol, reduce your exposure to violent images, and try not to sleep on your back. Simply changing your daily habits can reduce nightmares. In conclusion, nightmares can be caused by little to no sleep, poor exercise and diet, and stress.
3 Kueter M
When someone sees a dog, they run. However, when others see a dog, they approach the dog and pet it. Why do some people run while other stay? Phobias. The primary reasons people develop phobias are being involved in emotional situations, acquiring the same phobia as one’s parents, and inheriting this phobia through genetics. When someone hears the word phobia, one automatically thinks of an emotional situation that scars a person for life. Car crash, broken bone, or spider bit, these things cause the victims of these events to have an irrational fear of the item or animal who inflicted harm onto them. Traumatic situations are major causes of phobias, because no matter how hard the person tries, they can never completely forget the event. One can also learn their parents’ phobias as well, directly and indirectly. Directly, children learn their parents’ phobias if the child was constantly aware of their parent’s phobia during childhood. For example, if a girl went to Valley Fair with her family and wanted to ride the big, daunting rollercoaster. Her mother and father told her that they did not like rollercoasters because they thought rollercoasters were scary. Thus, Emily now knows her parents’ phobia for rollercoasters directly and thinks for the rest of her life that rollercoasters are scary. Hence, she eventually develops a phobia for rollercoasters; however, she has never been on one. Indirectly, children learn phobias from their parents reactions. For example, when Jesse is playing outside and stumbles upon a spider, he brings this spider into the house. When he shows his mother, his mother screams and tells him to bring that back outside. She did not directly tell him that she hates spiders; however, he indirectly understood that spiders are scary. Hence, when Jesse gets older, he screams at spiders too; however, he has never been bitten by one. Lastly, one can inherit a phobia through genetics. This is shown through the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were betrayed by a serpent, thus kicked out of the Garden of Eden. This would explain why so many people are afraid of snakes, yet have never been bitten by one. It is genetically programed in our minds to hate snakes due to the experiences of Adam and Eve. In conclusion, phobias are just mind over matter. Getting over one’s phobia is the same: mind over matter.
3 Kueter A
Picking up the morning paper and in big bold letters it said, “Body Found, Brutally Murdered.” One may think to themselves why do people do this? Why do people end the lives of other people? In one way or another it is more complex than just good and bad people. Sometimes these people can just not help what they do to other people because they do not know the difference between right and wrong. But how does someone not know the difference between right and wrong? It is because of neurological damage they suffered from when they were in their mother’s stomach. From the mother smoking, to drinking alcohol, to not getting the right nutrients for the baby can all have affect on their brain.
Humans should find it difficult to kill someone for any reason at all because that is how they are designed. The brain is composed of three parts: the brainstem, cerebellum, and cerebrum. The cerebrum is divided into four lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that housed the personality, behaviors, emotions, judgement, planning, problem solving, intelligence, and concentration to name a few. The human brain is designed for compassion, for guilt, for a kind of empathic pain that causes the person causing the harm to feel some sort of suffering that is in many ways as great as what the victim is going through. It is only when they do not feel that pain or guilt that makes people wonder, what are reasons why? They may just be pushing their emotions back or it may to be the result of something they can just not control. The primary reasons why people kill are that they are born with it, it is neurological, and it may be the result of them being chronically aggressiveness due to some type of trauma that may have caused them to become paranoid or insane. Learning to untangle and prevent these primary reasons from occurring can help predict who will kill, and maybe even stop them from doing it.
7 Knutson
Ghosts are a natural phenomena and have been seen by people all over the world. It is a highly debated topic as some refuse to believe that ghosts exist. Ghosts can be anything from a shadowy figure in a room to an apparition of a loved one that is deceased. Scary movies are a representation of these apparitions that can sometimes shed a bad light causing disbelief in this phenomenon. In England a woman by the name of Michelle Widwinter went outside her home to snap a picture of the exterior. Later when she looked back at the picture she discovered a man looking at her through the window was a man by the name of “old man kent.” She initially did not believe in these apparitions until she started hearing loud noises coming through the walls and lights flickering on and off. Swiss scientists have spent time researching electric brain stimulation in attempts to explain the phenomenon. When they electrically stimulated an epileptic patient’s brain, the patient reported a shadow person sitting behind her, copying her every move. When she sat up the figure did the same, when she bent forward and grabbed her knees it copied the movement. When the patient attempted to read a card the shadowy figure reached over trying to remove it from her hand. Another explanation for these figures could be infrasound. A researcher Vic Tandy believed his laboratory was haunted. He research factors that could have explained this and discovered something, humans can hear sounds up to 20,000 hertz, anything lower than that we are unable to detect. These “silent” noises can be felt as vibrations and can create a sense of panic with the right surroundings. Apparitions can appear to us in all different forms, some believe these to be real and others fail to see them as having any scientific proof to support them. It is up to you to decide for yourself what you choose to believe to be true.
7 Hanson
Lung cancer, yellowing of the teeth, and increased risk of a stroke, these are all side effects of smoking cigarettes. If these could happen to you one may ask why would you ever want to smoke, or how can you still smoke after seeing these side effects? You have probably seen the variety of ads that try and stop teens from picking up the bad habit of smoking, but they still seem to get hooked on cigs. A major reason as to why cigarettes are being smoked by teens these days is the appeal of doing an act that they should be doing. Some teens find enjoyment from secretly smoking and not getting caught by adults. Another reason as to why teens smoke is the sense of feeling more mature when they smoke or the fact that they may have a friend who smokes. Most teens have probably seen an adult smoke and if they want to feel more mature they get the idea that smoking will instantly make them more adult like. If a teenager has two friends who smoke cigarettes there is a strong possibility that the non smoking teen will try and become addicted to cigarettes. Now one may argue that teenagers are not grown up yet and may not understand the consequences of cigarettes. This may very well be true, but how come those teens don’t kick the habit when they become adults? It is still pretty common to see adults smoking when they are out and about, why would they still smoke even if they understand what it is potentially doing to their bodies. A few adults were asked why they still smoked and most said it was just out of habit, from doing it for years. Whether you are 15 or 55, smoking will be around you no matter where you go, but it is your choice whether or not you decide to pick up the habit of smoking cigarettes or not.
1 Vielmette
It is late, outside sitting around a bon fire with family or friends, but something is unusual and feels off. This could be a your natural instinct of fear that just about every human has. The fear of the dark is a very common fear that many of us share but why? Is it that we were scared when we were young by something in the dark? A sibling trying to creep up on you or a spider crawling on your arm when you can't see it. All of these are examples of why one would fear the dark or just the dimness that comes with it from all light around it. Humans as a species can fear it by just plain instinct which could be from when our ancestors many centuries ago would be out during the night and any noise whatsoever could be a sign of a predator. This is a fairly well known phenomenon as a lot of other animals share this fear. Mainly the animals that do are the ones who are not active during the night so any dog or cat is out of the question no matter how many times you try to scare them in the dark it won't be dark for them from their miraculous eye sight. Most animals share the trait of being able to have "night vision" however some don't as most chimps don't share this or if they do it isn't to the extent of others and they can be afraid of the dark just by simply turning off a light and making a loud noise can scare just about any chimp. The idea is, more or less, the fact that you can't see what made the noise or if they can't immediately see it and can't look at their surroundings to locate the sound it can frighten anyone and make you more afraid as you don't know the real danger that is coming to you. When the lights are on and a sound happens under a desk then you have nothing to fear because you can see under the desk that there is nothing; however, at night and the same noise happens but you can't pin-point the noise easily and it is just in one general direction that your desk may be in then the danger level increases. All of this can scare just about anyone unless they have conquered their fear of darkness but even then a sensible person will fear a deep rumbling in the corner of their room if a small figure sits there.
“Why does everyone hate me? Why am I ostracized at social events? Am I awkward? Was it something I said? Maybe I smell bad. Hey, there is someone who looks lonely. Oh, she is walking away. Who is she walking to? Wow, look at that guy. Everyone is talking to him. There is something about him that I like, but I cannot put my finger on it. Maybe it is his face, or his talk, or his movements, or something. I wonder if he would talk to me. Oh my gosh, he is coming over, what do I do? Should I play hard to get? What do I say? Nope, that was not the right thing to say. Hahaha, make him think it was a joke. I am fine, I am cool, I am fine. Oh do not say that, you are not funny. You are trying too hard. Laugh, he just told a great joke. Wow, his hair is amazing. Hey, he laughed at my joke! And I do not think it was out of pity! Maybe I am likeable! Wait, his face just fell. No wait, do not leave. I am sorry! Gosh-diddly-darn-it, he is walking away. Is my breath bad? Was it something I said? Why does everyone hate me? Am I just not likeable?" Everyone has wondered if they are likeable or not and everyone knows that one guy who is. Is it their hair that pulls people in? Maybe, like Maybelline, they were born with it. Are they just more expressive and easier to talk to? That one person always has a great first impression, but know one can pinpoint as to why. So what causes Jane to be more likeable than John? People can just look at someone to figure out if they are worthy of their time but why? Thanks for asking because that is what we are talking about today.
1 Ellis
Only a few short years ago, if you didn't own a Television, everyone would get confused. “You don’t have a TV? What’s all your furniture pointed at?” Nowadays, Smartphones and Tablets can play shows on their screens as well, making it easier to shrug away from work and school with such easy access to procrastination. What has television truly impacted on the human race? Is it good that we learn about things on the news so fast? Or that Netflix gives people the access to binge watch their favorite shows? Will watching Spongebob Squarepants really destroy brains cells like your mother always told you when you were five and asked to watch cartoons? Many people say things such like, “TV makes you stupid,” and “It’s rotting your brain!” And yet, over the years people continue to watch TV. People also blame TV for making it impossible to have original ideas when their heads are filled with the ideas of someone else. TV has many problematic effects towards a person, but Television is also an art, where people can make beautiful shows that trigger people to cry, to laugh, to get frustrated, angry, and the shows can make you smile. Everyone has shows that they prefer over others. Comedies and romances or Sci-fi and Action are the main categories. Though many people just love the art of film production. How the director throws in symbolism or pathetic fallacy to get you more enraptured. Or the frustrating act of a cliffhanger. These things can make televisions seem more like an obligation that just an easy way to turn your brain off for a few hours. Television is also how we learn about what is happening around us. With the presidential election underway, the best way for voters to learn about the candidates is by watching debates and rallies. All in all, television has a large impact on society and both the good and bad will continue to shape the generations.
6 Eigenberg
It is a common occurrence in today’s evil-filled world for a person to lie to another person. But, why do they do it on a survey when people are looking for truthful opinions of anonymous persons? One theory is that they don’t fully believe the survey is anonymous. Their answer could be a controversial answer that they wouldn’t want the general public to find out about it. If one particular nosy person were to find out about their answer, then it could end up embarrassing the surveyed person. The surveyed person would then lie or tell a half-truth as to avoid their answer being exposed to the whole world and thus being embarrassed or publicly chastised. Another theory is that people just want to be funny, so they lie to ruin the validity of the survey. They think they will receive a few giggles from classmates, so they lie in a humorous manner. An example of this is a person is taking a survey on drugs, and they way over exaggerate their answers to look “cool” among their peers. These students are class clowns, attention seeking and narcissistic. There are very few of these people, but there may be enough of them to nullify the results of any given survey or raise the margin of error a few points. The last reason I can think of at this time is that they are lazy. The lazy person will just click their way through a survey answering “A” for every answer. These people click their way through a survey untruthfully, because they are tired, uninterested in the survey’s material, or honestly don’t care that they are ruining a survey. If these people know the final results will be shown at the end if they answer the questions, then they will go through it quickly and untruthfully answer the questions just to see the results of the survey.
6 Kluin
Why do people partake in listening to and performing music and why is it that music seems to have such a profound effect on people all around the world? A widely known ever popular occurrence, music is present within every culture across the globe, whether it is played on the radio, performed in concert by a band or an ensemble, whether it be played from a personal instrument that one owns, listened to at a religious gathering, played as background noise in the grocery store, or even listened to from one’s own mp3 player or phone, music is everywhere but always tends to have a relatively similar impact on those who tune in to its melodies and rhythms. There are many who would listen to music just to fill the silence, adding some noise to where there otherwise was none. Switching on the radio in the car on the drive home or having music going while perhaps cooking dinner is something that every one of us has done multiple times. However, few people would claim that just filling empty space with notes as their only reason for listening to music. Many people find motivation within its melodic phrases, using it as a source to possibly spur themselves into working harder at school work, their job, or even exercise. Music has an undeniable tendency to make a connection with listeners and bring out emotions. Each song does this in a different way and brings to light different emotions. This may be one of the reasons why not everyone enjoys the same types of music as some emotions are more pleasant than others, and perhaps better for different circumstances. For instance, while exercising, one might want to listen to upbeat, exciting music to get them pepped up for a workout. On the other hand, a slower paced, more relaxing melody might help those who wish to focus their attention in a certain place such as studying for an exam. In this way, many people may listen to music to put them in a certain mood to accomplish a different set of tasks. Another, possibly more obvious reason people listen to music is that it is fun! Music makes people want to dance, sing, and generally makes people excited when listening to it. Many people each year attend concerts of varying musical genres for none other than the pure enjoyment of being in a setting dedicated to music. Of course these only touch on a few of the many reasons why people find both playing music and listening to it to be such an engaging concept.
6 McGee
A phenomenon that is occurring in today's age is the rising divorce rates. I believe that divorce rates are going up for many reasons. Such as the way TV and movies belittle marriage, this puts in our heads that marriage is not a big deal. TV shows and movies often show people getting divorces, people cheating on their spouse, and people saying that marriage is “just a piece of paper”. Media seems to make faithfulness in marriage an option and they make cheating or leaving look cool or desirable. I also believe that the vow of marriage is not taken seriously, people do not treat it like it is a sincere promise to another person. I believe taking home education classes out of many schools also has contributed to the raise in divorce rates. The beginning of any marriage comes with lots of stress but adding things like not knowing how to properly cook, clean, change a tire, mortgage a house, and do taxes creates a lot of extra stress between couples as they try to figure it out. I also believe that as young children movies filled our minds with the ideas of Princes and Princesses that get swept off their feet and fall in love in royal ways. This makes children picture relationships as princes on white horses battling dragons to save the beloved, helpless princess (that have never actually meet) from tall, locked towers. And then they become teenagers and relationship are portrayed completely different. As teenagers and young adults relationships on TV seem to be based on only one thing. The relationships are not about love any more. I believe these contrasting ideas confuse people and make it hard to have a healthy relationship and successful marriages. I believe that media has destroyed the picture of marriage and made it seem better to be unmarried, unfaithful, or divorce. They make divorce look like the easier, better way out.
6 Hokenstad
Though most like to seem independent, people rely on those whom they hold relationships with. Why do people require socialization to remain happy and mentally stable? Why does people’s social status affect their mood? Why does the state/status of held relationships affect people's mood? Why must people have to have companionship to feel accepted? These are all centered around the same topic, but vary in the level of intricacy within the same topic. People are extremely complex and it is difficult to understand their motives and actions, but by analyzing aspects such as these we can understand the human race better.
Why do phobias exist? No matter whom you ask, every person has at least one fear. What causes people to develop these fears? Is it instinct or learned behavior? What is involved in the process of being afraid of something on the neurological level? Do people feel influence by others to be afraid of certain things such as snakes or spiders? Do people have genuine reasons behind their fears or are they irrational? If there was no influence from other people, would people still be afraid of the same things as they are with influence? Are children or adults most fearful of things? Is the largest percentage of fear coming from objects or events? Are there certain things that are feared more in some countries than others? Why is that? Do people make up fears to be accepted by others? Are there any documented cases of people who are fearless? If so, is that an illness or a natural occurrence? What do the largest percentage of people in the US fear? What about other countries? Why are these things feared? There is no doubt that there are a large variety of things people may be scared of, ranging from ghosts to teddy bear.
Wrightsman 1
Walking through the park, you see people now days randomly sitting down in funny-looking poses. No, it is not yoga as one might think. Do not question them or snicker at this weird encounter. Take a mental note of what they are doing: meditating. Meditation is considered to be a calming agent. But why do people meditate even if they are already calmed down? Simply because it not only can calm you down but it has tons of benefits for both your mental and physical health. Anxiety is a disorder that over 18 percent of american adults suffer from (Folk 2015). The act of meditating can help relieve the stress that causes anxiety and reduce the anxious feelings you are experiencing at any given moment. That being said, most people who suffer from anxiety also suffer from high blood pressure. Sitting down and meditating can lower your blood pressure in a matter of minutes. It creates an environment in your body that helps use your oxygen more efficiently. Another benefit of meditation is lower cholesterol levels. Stressing your body out makes it harder for it to work effectively to reduce your cholesterol levels. Younger people are adopting this activity more and more everyday now. It is said that people who meditate more often release an anti-aging hormone called DHEA. I mean come on, who would not want to look younger?? This is also a turn on for the older generation of people. Convincing them that it could help rejuvenate their appearance is enough for people to just get down in poses and be calm for a few minutes each day. This hormone also sets the brain into a restful mode causing the person to achieve more sleep hours during the night (chopra.com 2016). More sleep leads to greater health and better skin. So not only does meditation calm you down; it recreates your body into a better and healthy body. Take a few minutes each day to let your mind and body be at peace.
7 Van Kalsbeek
The struggles of weight happen to everyone but there comes a point where enough is enough and you need to realize you have a problem. Obesity is a common word in America, we tend to be described as a country as being overweight since we like to increase our food portions. We see this at McDonald's when they constantly ask if you would like to make that a double or by gas stations selling pops at a lower price than water. What leads people to see that they are causing harm to their bodies by intaking more food than necessary. Do they have low self esteem? Just love the taste of food? Is someone enabling them to continue this habit? How are they able to live a normal life? Did they have a traumatic life experience? Everyone has heard of the TV show my 600 pound life showing the life of people who are no longer able to save themselves from their weight. They have destroyed their health and now need a medical miracle to rid themselves of the fat by having a surgery. When you watch the show you see them bed ridden and only being cared for by immediate family, showing they no longer have a social life because they can no longer move. How can anyone let themselves go to the point where they are not able to do the basic things in life. Not being able to walk without being winded or just being a normal human and being surrounded by people. My thoughts are boggled by this phenomenal because I do not understand in my own mind why someone would let their bodies go just to wither away. This is why I want to understand the reasoning behind these stories of why obesity is occurring. They know the health risks behind obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones and even cancer are just some of the problems that can occur with this unhealthy living choice. Also by just being oversized and having children this is showing their offspring the life choices and they are following in pursuit of their parents which is causing a chain of obesity to continue.
3 Hauge
A mother arrives home from work she hurries to dress her toddler of twenty-eight months into her baggy pink tights and overpriced leotard. It’s 4:42 pm and class starts in thirteen minutes. This will be the first ballet class her daughter will ever take...hoping for more. She prays her daughter will love it so much that she will continue with it throughout her childhood into her teenage years and perhaps end up as a professional. It seems as if the mother wants it more then the child does when neither has met the studio owner nor even walked into the studio door to understands what’s going on.
She runs out the door, toddler in arm, she realizes she forgot her keys. She straps her daughter in the back seat car seat and runs back inside. While the child waits for her mother she has no idea why she is dressed in this frilly new outfit, or why they have messed up their schedule by going for a car ride instead of playtime. As they head to their new destination the child looks at the fluffy clouds in the blue sky and moos at the cows they pass by. She is so enthralled by the cows and the sounds that they make, by the time they arrive at the studio all she will say is moo. When the pre-ballet teacher calls the little girls to the room the girl does not cry like some others, but waves at her mother and walks and moos into the room.
The mom waits in the lobby with the other moms whose children are taking the class. Crying, clapping, and the occasional moo is what the mom hears from the studio. She is too nervous to read the book she brought along to pass the time so in the meantime she picks at one of the loose stitch on a pillow. Finally the door opens and she hears her little girl running out yelling moo.
1 Brandsrud
Bullying, one of the largest issues plaguing schools today, but what causes people to wish harm upon others? Many young people, and even adults, are picked on or teased by their peers. Many times these hateful words are meant as humor; however, on many occasions these words are not taken as jokes, but rather are taken in a more hurting way, and even more so, these words may be intended to attack others. People act as bullies for a variety of ways. Some bullies may feel that they need to be powerful, so they choose to put others down, in hopes that they can use the lowered esteem of others as steps so that one day they may reach the top. These types of bullies typically feel helpless and have esteem issues themselves. Other types of bullies may be physically bullying...the types that you see in the movies. These are the stereotypical bully that shoves, kicks, punches, and physically harms other students in order to show their supremacy. Along with in schools, bullying has moved into the lives of people everywhere through communications via the Internet. People located all over the world have access to a computer, the Internet, and many social media platforms. These platforms were originally intended for easier communication between friends; however, the intentions remain the same, but people are now using this form of communication to inflict pain on others. Bullying, however, like many other traits humans possess, are learned, meaning that, while rather difficult, bullying can be unlearned. Bullying begins in the same place as all other learned behaviors, the home. Bullies typically come out of homes with dysfunctional family life, meaning that as a child his parents separated, or he did not receive very much attention from the parents. Parents can also encourage bullying through their actions, such as through their handling of anger, or their handling of conflict. Finally, older siblings who are bullied are more likely to bully their younger siblings creating more hostility at home. Once learned, bullying can be refined and expanded upon at schools; this could very well lead to the creation of more bullies as kids are attacked by others. As stated, bullying can be solved or unlearned with one simple phrase: “just be nice.” If people are all more understanding of each other, bullying will never exist again.
Long 6
Whether it is a giggle from a two-year old or laugh tape in the background of your favorite movie, we hear laughter on a daily basis. Laughter seems to be part of the international vocabulary of the world. All member of the human species can understand it. No matter where
you are at, you can always understand how someone is feeling when they smile and laugh, which is something that you do not have to learn, unlike French or Spanish. However, just because it is a common happening in today’s world, does not make it any less strange. So, why do we laugh? The answer may be simple to some: we find something funny. Whether it was a joke, skit, movie scene, etc., when you see something comical your natural human instinct is to laugh. It occurs unconsciously. Humans do not need to tell themselves to laugh, it just seems to happen on its own. Which is why it is so hard to produce laughter artificially, it just does not sound right. You are born with the capability to laugh and is not something that you must learn how to do. Laughing gives us a powerful look into the insights of our unconscious mind. However, very little is know about the certain brain mechanisms into making us laugh. Although it is triggered by many thoughts and sensations, it is expressed by many parts of the body. You will smile, your core will tighten up, and you may even clap along as you laugh. Laughter shows your relationships between people, which is clear because we hardly laugh to ourselves. Contagious and social, laughter is a cordial gesture commonly made during a conversation. When someone around you winds up in a laughing fit, you can not help but to crack up yourself. But why is that?
1 Sjogren
Lively and carefree noises from the circus or carnivals is what many picture when they think of clowns and their antics. However, there is a medical condition which arises from the opposite feelings for clowns. These fear filled feelings are clinically defined as Coulrophobia. This fear is normally developed during childhood, but it is also visible in many adults. In today’s society, affected numbers have been rising due to random clown sightings around the nation. The real question is why are people so afraid of clowns? It could be the uneasiness of not knowing who lies behind the mask. The thought of communicating with an unknown person is a frightening feeling to some. Another cause could be the physical appearance of the figure. The overload of makeup, the red nose, the colorful wig, and the smirk filled smile may each be terrifying in their own right. Once clowns add on scary components to their costume, the fear becomes even greater. A third cause might come from all of the horror movies with clowns in them. The film that generated this fear was named “It.” The story involves an individual who posed as a murderous clown hunting after its’ prey. Often times little children were his targets. A second film is “Batman.” The joker in this movie is an evil criminal in the image of a clown. In sinister movies, the clown voices are deep and menacing which makes people fearful of what is to come. The story of John Gacy does not help the matter either. Gacy is one of the most famous serial killers of all time. In addition to this, he portrayed himself as a clown character for fundraising events. The “Killer Clown” connection sends this fear off the charts. There are so many stories, legends, and angles around the fear of creepy clowns.
Koehn 6
What do you see when you are walking down the halls of the high school? What do you see when you are walking the streets? What do you see when kids are at lunch? We see people scrolling, talking, or texting on their cell phones. Why are humans so obsessed with technology? Cell phones are people's best friends, they are with them wherever they go, and people are on them at all hours of the day. Technology has become such a part of today's society that we have become dependent on them; they are a necessity. Some people may even feel lost when they forget their cell phone at home. We now communicate more on our cell phones than we do with actual people. We find it much easier to just shoot them a text. Talking face to face is something some people struggle with nowadays because we aren't comfortable with that. An example of this is when we get in the elevator. Instead of having a friendly conversation with someone we will turn to our phone to avoid talking and get away from the awkward silence. We are obsessed with technology for many other reasons as well. Technology is very fast and convenient and makes everything so much easier. We are also obsessed with technology because it makes us powerful. We have almost everything we need to know at the tips of our fingers; we can do just about anything with the technology we have today. Others are obsessed with technology because of social media. Social media is a major component of technology and cell phones today. Teenagers are obsessed with the amount of likes they get on a selfie, or the amount of followers they have. They feel as if the more likes or followers they have the more likable they are or the more popular they are, and this feeling is what makes them obsessed. People obsess over technology and I believe that people will never stop obsessing over technology because there is always something new to obsess over.
Harvison 1
Acetone, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide, all may be substances you can find in a high school chemistry room. Chemicals that are used in things such as nail polish remover to cleaning up road kill on the side of the road. However, some people find it best to combine these dangerous chemicals and inhale or ingest them. Hallucinations, the chance of stroke, palpitations, and paralysis -- all of these are side effects of drugs. During this year alone nearly 47,000 people lost their lives due to drug overdose. Of that number a fourth of that will be due to heroin overdoses specifically. Heroin and Methamphetamine have the ability to take everything from you; career, friends, and family.
You never attempt to get addicted, but that is what happens when you dabble irresponsible with any type of drug. Most fall into drug addiction accidentally whether it be from a prescribed medication or one try at a party. Much like nicotine in a cigarette, the ingredients of heroin or meth can force your body into addiction, however, mental addiction can be separated. Most people are well aware that the side effects and damaging consequences that may last long after they put them down. Addiction is a choice. At some point you pick the pipe up or stick the needle in your arm; therefore taking your chances at addiction. The people you hang around with, all of who you chose to, have a huge impact on your actions. Everyone wants to feel accepted, and in some groups doing drugs or drinking alcohol will somehow make you “fit in”. Peer pressure may be one of the biggest influences to start drugs in the first place.
The rush, the high, and the binge. The experience of drugs can not be compared to many other circumstances. Many use methamphetamine and heroin to get this magical feeling of no worries. Although it may feel like there is not a worry in the world while high, there are always lows.
6 Corcoran
In this day and age it is hard to say anything without somehow offending somebody. Why does it seem the people within the country are becoming softer and softer every year? The majority of Americans who live in a middle class home or above are privileged compared to the rest of the world. In this generation we have no great war, we have no defining characteristics besides the pathetic ability to oversee our wonderful privileges and seemingly seek things in our culture to get offended by for means to feel important and have a voice in society. We have been nurtured growing up in a place of participation awards and happy meals, turning what used to be a tough as nails face of strength into a whining toddler who isn’t getting his way. If it is topics of gender definition, religion, speech, or the minute details of everyday life, people find some way to complain about everything going on around us. “Oh my goodness! How dare they! My latte was was cold when they gave it to me! My day is ruined!” As they turn down the radio reporting a story of children being murdered by extremist groups across the country for no cause of their own. When you have been given such safe and secured life, you become numb to what is actually a problem versus your excuse to hear yourself talk. If it stems from the selfish inability to understand what isn’t directly affecting you, the over nurturing parenting that has been creating a society of wimps, or the yearning for a voice in a generation that is but a footnote in the history books. We are time and time again proving to be a group so absorbed in what is only happening right in front of us, we fail to see the bigger, more important issues around the globe. The result? A perpetuating disaster of selfishness.
1 Meyer
Larger cities with famous sports teams always expect success when it comes to championships. Playing professionally in any sport in any highly populated city creates an immense amount of pressure on the athletes themselves. This makes for high tension during the games, and anything less than success will probably get a scolding from most of the city. When a team is incapable of winning a championship for over a century, it makes it easy for supporters of all types to find fall guys and scapegoats. But why is the greatness of a professional team something people live and die for? As if it is their own family? Steve Bartman’s interference in a Chicago Cubs playoff game destroyed his life almost completely. Jeered and booed at as security escorted him to safety, Steve Bartman was the most hated man in Chicago for doing anything a normal fan would do… reaching for a foul ball. Since the event in 2003, Bartman has been isolated to the point that his address is hidden from the public, as threats of death and harm are constantly stated about him. However, Bartman’s interference wasn’t the only cause of the Cubs’ loss, yet he is given the title of the scapegoat. His simple act angered hundreds and thousands of people, and ruined his life.
The fierce competitiveness of sports can bring out the evil side of citizens. Why though? A similar situation had occurred for the New York Yankees as a twelve year old boy reached over the railing and caught a home run ball for the Yankees to tie the game. Unlike Bartman, this twelve year old was considered a hero to the City of New York, yet this instance seems overshadowed by Bartman’s case. Although, the Yankees have won frequently the past twenty some years. Does the fact that the Cubs haven’t won in over a century affect the testiness of fans? Similar instances yet completely different results may answer that question. Sometimes, sports can distract fans from the common sense of life.
7 Bogensberger
Today is the day, it is your turn to give your presentation in front of the whole class. Your heart begins to race, palms start dripping with sweats, and your body feels like it is set on vibrate. With shaky legs, you approach the front of the classroom and try to accept reality that you must turn and face the class. Your mind begins to wonder, “what if people think I am boring?” or “what if I stumble on my words and lose track of what I was saying?” or even “what if I make a complete fool of myself and people no longer want to be associated with me?” This is it, you have to start presenting, just try and picture everyone in their underwear; this is advice we have all been given before a big speech. We have all had our share of nerves when having to speak in front of an audience but some have it worse than others, why is that? Stage fright affects numerous people but in numerous different ways; some people’s heart beat increases when they hear their name called while others have a total melt down and can not remember how to move their legs. As humans, we are constantly worrying about our reputation and how we present ourselves in front of other people, especially the people whose opinions matter most. But why? Why do people get stage fright? Why does speaking or just being in front of others make people nervous? Are there different types of stage fright? And for the people who have stage fright, how does it affect them, what are the physical conditions that occur when being in front of an audience? To get over your fear of public speaking, a good place to start would be to understand why you are experiencing stage fright in the first place.
6 Reinschmidt
When asked to describe their pets, many people think of the joy, happiness, and friendships that they bring. There is a saying that goes “Dogs are the only creatures that love you more than they love themselves.” Whether it be 5 minutes or 5 days, dogs exert the same excitement each time, making you feel like the most important person in the world. The question arises here: How can someone hit, ignore, starve, or abandon these precious creatures? Most try to ignore the reality of the fact--usually the type to turn off or turn away from the infamous ASPCA commercial the second they hear the song “Angel” play. What drives someone to hurt a helpless creature? How could you look into the eyes of an animal and neglect them? Most people will not understand, but there are many factors that cause a person to abuse their pet in multiple ways.
The abuser may have first been abused as a child or adult, leading them to treat their pet the same way. They may express the need to feel superior to someone, even if it’s merely an animal. They release their rage often by physical abuse to the pet, sometimes for no reason and it worsens when the pet makes a mistake. Typically, these are the gruesome images that you see, including blood, missing limbs, ears, or eyes, and animals that are petrified of humans. A person will have to dedicate numerous hours to working with the creatures in order to regain their trust in humanity. After being rescued from these horrid habitats, they may end up in a humane society or second chance facility, and could possibly never find a home again--due to their violent past, they may not be very friendly. Humane societies sadly fill up, and when they cannot accept anymore pets, they have to put some down. Perhaps considered an endless cycle, these animals deserve a better life; finding the causes for abuse may be the first step to ending the violence.
3 Myers
It is Christmas Eve and your family starts putting up your stocking above the warm fireplace mantel. You pick out the best frosted sugar cookies that you made the the night before to show Santa Claus your amazing cooking skills. You finishing up filling the huge cup of cold milk and set the cup with the cookies next to the bright flashing Christmas tree in order to try to keep Santa from getting hungry during his long journey. A couple weeks ago your family had gotten together to listen to Christmas carols while you work hard making the massive evergreen look better then it has in the past, but tonight you get to sit back and relax while you take in the tree’s beauty. And of course you can never forget about the eight magical reindeer that do the most arduous job on Christmas Eve. Before you go to sleep, you sporadically place just enough carrots for each of the reindeers to gnaw on when Santa delivering the extraordinary gifts. Finally, when you come back into the cozy warm house, your eye catches a sight of something. It might be the shiny gift wrap from the pile of presents that have your name on them just waiting for you to open them in a few short hours, or it might be the elegant angel on top of the tree. Some of us remember these types of Christmas memories, but others celebrate might not. Why do you celebrate Christmas? Is it because you believe it is the religious holiday representing the birth of Jesus? Is it because you have always had the same traditions around this time time of year? Or is it just a time to catch up with relatives you do not normally see? People all around the world celebrate Christmas, but not everyone celebrates the same way or for the same reasons.
6 Beckman
History repeats itself. Over the course of human existence, the past is something that has captured the attention of many people; more specifically, how the past tends to repeat itself. There are many reasons that may be associated with why history tends to have recurring events. One of these reasons is that people simply do not learn from the mistakes of those who came before them. Another, is that these new people may think that since they are a new generation, they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. They are a completely new generation, so why would it not end up working out better for the new generation? They have more supplies, more equipment, and “better strategies”. Though, if it did not work in the first place, there’s not much of a chance that it would actually have a different outcome later on. The last reason that history has a tendency to repeat itself is because countries want to establish their dominance over another country, region, or even the entire world.
There are many different aspects that have led played into the idea that people do not learn from the actions of others, or that they follow in suit. These aspects include things like: racism, rise and fall of empires, rise of the democratic government, wars. Starting even back in Biblical times, Moses said, “Let my people go.” The Israelites were being prosecuted by the Egyptians. Fast forward a few thousand years to 1914 in Nazi affiliated Germany, the beginning of WWII, where millions of Jews, disabled, homosexuals etc. were sought out, thrown in concentration camps, and sent to their death solely based on their beliefs or how they looked. Fast forward to December 1, 1955. After her people had been enslaved for hundreds of years, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. She sparked the African American Civil Rights Movement in America. Fast forward to today. Even after all seeing what discrimination can do to a person or even a whole population, the need to be “normal” is still impressed upon different cultures. Prejudices exist mostly toward those of muslim dissent in today’s day-and-age.
Reindl 1
Reading the latest news, you find out that the newest phone is to be released in the next couple of weeks. This gets you frantic to save up money and to purchase the new phone seconds after it is to be released in stores. This same phenomenon happens to people who love cars, video game fanatics, and avid readers alike. Why? Why do people feel so inclined to have the latest and greatest, whether that includes technology or literally a newly released book. Not only do people feel the need to have the latest things, but they also will go to the extreme to obtain it. They will use a whole paycheck, wait in lines for days upon end, and will miss out on most mandatory things in their life like school or work. One big explanation for this phenomenon is the jealousy that some people feel towards others. When looking at people in your life, such as neighbors, co-workers, or colleagues you may start to feel jealous if they have a cooler car or a better position. It happens because it is a human inclination. The feeling of jealousy could also infect you in the way of feeling that others don’t currently have something better than you, but they could in the foreseeable future. One other explanation for needing the newest thing is the longing for conformity. With social media being as prominent as it is, current trends are at a new high. Feeling the need to conform controls people so far as to force their actions to be alike with everybody. If everybody has the latest technology, you may feel inclined to have it. Like the old saying goes, if all your friends jump off of a bridge, would you? This question brings up the dark side of conformity. Keeping up with current trends can go so far as to lead you to your downfall with everybody else. These explanations and many more could help figure out why people feel the need to have the latest technology.
1 Presler
Technology has become a huge part of our American society. Nearly every school age child has had access to some sort of touchscreen, handheld device or Internet, sometimes doing so even before learning to largely function on their own. Social media has flooded our schools, streets, and everyday lives. Apps such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook have overtaken free time and have become an area for people to share more information than the common person needs to receive about their life. Although some young adults gawk at the idea of their parents adding them as a friend on Snapchat, the reality is these apps are not just for kids anymore, as numerous adults are very much in the loop as well. This being said, how is it that so many people see the same memes or new Extra gum commercial? Or that new, hilarious Vine everyone in Spanish class was talking about? This outburst has been given the term “going viral”, and it is a current phenomenon. Not to be confused with a virus epidemic, going viral is a goal of hundreds of social media entertainers, but it can also be granted to regular commoners, sometimes even without an intent to inherit fame. Once something has been put out to the Internet, it can travel anywhere and be seen by virtually anyone. Our advanced technology has made it easier than ever to spread these things like wildfire, as with one simple click of a button you can aide in the spread. You go home, log into an account, see something you believe to be hilarious or heartwarming, and share it with a friend. The friend does the same, and the cycle continues. Thus, a virality is born. Diversified material goes viral due to our addiction to social media, our consistent connection with others, and our easy access to the Internet--all of which are effects of the Information Age which our country has been part of since the latter half of the 20th century.
Galbavy 1
Waking up at 5:30 not to your alarm, but to the loud bark of your dog. Watching tv when suddenly bothered by the bark of your dark. Talking on the phone when suddenly interrupted by the bark of your dog once again. Throughout the day annoyed or happy(when playing) due to the fact that your dog is barking. Why do dogs bark though? It is clear, or should be clear to everyone, that dogs cannot speak like humans do ,but of course they do have their own communication system and they pick up on words that you say. The random barking during the time you chose to watch tv, sleep, or talk on the phone all serve a purpose usually because they are trying to convey a message to you that they need your help. There are many reasons a dog will bark ,but here are some main ones. Dogs bark when they are really hungry and you do not feed them when you usually feed them. They bark when they have to go to the bathroom because like humans they go to the bathroom too except you control when they get to go because you potty trained them. Dogs love chasing small animals or sometimes other dogs and when they are bottled up inside they tend to get a little crazy and start barking once again. Dogs tend to bark when you make them happy as well. They like hearing you asking them to go for a walk, giving them a treat, and playing with them. That is probably the time that you enjoy or do not care if they are barking because it is not in an annoying manner. The next time you are watching tv and your dog starts barking do not see it as an annoyance ,instead go see if they need your help because more than likely that is what it is.
1 Klamm
Why do you brag to friends? Bragging to friends brings you a sense of accomplishment, makes you look cool, and could make them like you more. If you brag you can make yourself feel like you actually did what you were talking about even if you did not actually do it. If you talk about it enough you can make you think you did it. You will change your thoughts to make yourself feel accomplished with the task you bragged about. It could also make yourself look cool. Bragging about the big fish you brought in or how many points you scored in a basketball game could make you seem cool. If you brag more people will know about what you did and they will remember your accomplishment. They will also think about it the next time they play basketball or go fishing and invite you to go with them. Making yourself seem cool could make more friends and could make more relationships. They will know what you have done and how good you are at it and may want to be like you. This will make them want to get to know you to be able to be more like you. This could make them like you more. It is great to make friends even if you have to brag to make them. Bragging about how good of a cook you are could make more friends; and make them like you after they taste you marvelous dish. Eating together will bring you closer and make you feel like you are getting to know each other more. This could also be enjoyable for you because you can do what you love to do and it will make you happy. Bragging could also make you happy because people are listening to you and getting to know your strong parts.
Mork 7
Starting on our causal essay has been exciting. I love taking all the surveys I receive on my email. Like the other essays, I have come up with an overabundance of topics, but I just do not know if I completely like any of them. I finally came up with two ideas that I think I have a higher interest in writing on. Those two topics are: What causes people to face their fears and Why do people try new things. Why time seems to go faster as we get older is another one of my topics that I am more interested in doing.
Many people are doing topics of fears and it is evident that many fears exist. Everyone faces at least one fear in their lifetime. The reasons for facing fears may vary. One reason someone might face their fear is that they are forced too. Another reason could be that the certain individual is faced with a fear when they are surrounded by a crowd. People like to impress others and sometimes facing a fear that most people share can make you look daring. Wanting to get over a fear is another reason for facing it. If you are fear something just because of the image or opinions that have been put into your brain but never truly go through an experience with that fear, you may never actually know if it is something you yourself would think of fearing. Overall I like this topic because it seems interesting and is a little more thought provocative than the topic of “trying new things.”
I like the next topic of trying new things because it is something I love to do. From experience I think that people enjoy trying new things because you never know if you like something until you have tried it. By trying new things you also meet new people and friendships may be formed. It is said that you regret the things you did not do more than you regret the things you did do. If you try new things you are doing more things and will hopefully regret less things in the long run. People try new things to widen their ability to connect with people. People also try new things when past things fail to work for them or they lose interest.
My last topic that I am deciding between is “Why does time seem to go faster as we grow older.” I have pondered that question most frequently in the summer when I feel that the school year is arriving too quickly. I think that one reason time might seem to go faster as we grow older is because we get more involved with things as we age and do not have as much free time. I also think that time may seem to go faster as we get older because we can actually check the time.
1 Beck
During the past month, 26.4% of undege persons (ages 12-20) used alcohol, and binge drinking among the same age group was 17.4%. Alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers. Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than a few sips) by the end of their high school career and more than one third (37%) have done so by eighth grade. Do they drink because they are bored? Do they drink because their friends do? Do they drink because they think it will make them fit in? There are many different reasons as to why underage persons drink. Most do it because their friends do and they do not want to be left out or get laughed at by their friends for not doing it. They may believe that this will help them gain popularity or acceptance into a certain clique, but all it does is degrades them. By drinking to be like their friends, they are just falling to the peer pressure that is drinking. Depending on the age you are when you start drinking it can affect your life, your studies, and many other things.
You always wonder how underage persons are able to get alcohol. Among underage drinkers (age 12-20), 30.8% paid for the alcohol the last time they drank, 8.3% purchased the alcohol themselves and 22.3% gave money to someone else to purchase it. Those who did not pay for the alcohol still drank, 37.4% got it from an unrelated person of legal drinking age and 21.1% received it from a parent, guardian, or other adult family member. You think about how underage persons have the money to buy the alcohol. Some may have jobs that can pay for the alcohol, some may ask their parents for money and say it is for other things, and some might just take the money from their parents to pay for it.
Willard 1
The phenomenon surrounding the appeal of recreational drugs that have extreme mal effects including heroin, meth, and etc. This phenomenon is certainly a curious one given that throughout the entirety of our lives, we are preached to about avoiding a multitude of varying substances. So one must ask themselves, what is the driving force behind this addiction and dependence. There are certainly a considerable number of determinants associated with this topic. When pondering this question, one must come to the conclusion that there are a number of generally more safe and plausible methods of dealing with the determinants associated. One of the primary determinants is that of peer pressure. Often times many young people will succumb and ultimately indulge only because “their friends are doing it.” Take a second, and imagine being at a social gathering of sorts, a social gathering with an abundance of “synthetic activities,” as it were. At this social gathering, your friends have begun to participate in said activity and now, you are wondering whether or not you should partake. Everyone around you seems to be doing it so naturally, you feel the need to fit in. It’s only human nature, -- fitting in that is. What would you do? Many of us lack the willpower necessary to say no and leave, so therefore, we give in and begin to participate. A Lot of this is also directly associated with the whole idea of mob mentality. If one person starts running, his or her peers may begin to run simply for the sake of avoiding feeling out of place amongst his or her friends. There is a cliche saying, “If you’re friends jumped off a bridge, would you?” There is actually a real basis behind this despite it’s comical connotation. It is absolutely essential to try and surround yourself with good people in order avoid getting sucked into negativity.
1 Top
Known to be man’s best friend, dogs have been present on Earth for a substantial amount of time. Why do people own dogs? Where did they come from? Most people you know have a dog, the reasons could be innumerable. The purpose of owning a dog has changed quite dramatically throughout time. Although not originally from the United States, they were brought to enhance our lives in countless ways about 9,000 years ago (http://nature.ca). Their companionship and intelligence has indubitably influenced human culture. In the early 1900’s dogs were known to be more serviceable than today; helping on the farm, hunting, and anywhere their help was called for. Today most dogs are owned for the purpose of enjoyment; to have as a pet. Most are now house pets and show their compassion by curling up onto the couch with their beloved owner. Some are still trained and used for hunting, but not for survival like in the past. Breeding has become very popular as well. This has become a way for owners to make money, show off their dogs, and create a more desirable breed. Dog showing has also become a more popular event, causing people to spend a ridiculous amount of money for their most prized possession, their dog. Dogs are breed to create a new type of dog that possesses better traits and characteristics for different jobs and lifestyles. For example, people who wish to own house pets prefer smaller dogs, while people who own farm dogs that serve an important purpose prefer to have a larger breed to be able to chase cattle and climb tall objects. People have very different reasons for owning a dog, most say they could not live without them. Writing this essay so far has come very easy for me because it is a topic I really am passionate about.
3 Sorenson
I have had some trouble thinking of a topic for my causal essay. I think that I am going to answer the question, “Why are some people introverts and some people extroverts?” For those who do not know, introverts are people who get energy from being by themselves and extroverts get energy from being around people. I have a theory that there is a biological explanation for how people get their energy. There could be a certain chemical in the brain that, depending on the amount of the chemical in the brain, dictates whether a person is an introvert or an extravert. There might be no biological reason for it, and it could be purely based on the environment in which people grow up. If people’s parents are extroverts or introverts could influence the way that a child learns to get their energy. A child could see their parents retreating to take a nap or spend some time alone and notice them return more refreshed and energized. This would teach them that they get their energy from being alone, or being introverted. Or a child could notice their parents coming home energized and hyped after spending the night out with friends and surrounded by other people. Seeing this would teach the child that they get their energy from being with people, or being extroverted. Whether a person is extroverted or introverted could also depend on societal factors. Race, gender, sexual orientation, or economic upbringing could all possibly affect how a person gets their energy and recharges. Depending on a combination of these factors, you could be an introvert or an extrovert. Certain genders or races may be more prone to getting their energy from different places. There are possibly other reasons for how this works. Another biological explanation, besides a chemical in the brain, could be the presence of a certain gene. If you have the gene you could be an introvert or extrovert, and if you do not have the gene you could not be an introvert or extrovert.
1 Headrick
From C’s Get Degrees to Straight A’s: Why United State’s School Are Based Off of Grades
Since the day we came out the womb, we were graded somehow. Mostly everyone graded the baby on their appearance, either saying “Oh! Such a cute baby!” or saying the same thing but later tell their spouse “That baby is uglier than my dog!” Fast forward into the toddler/kindergarten and the grading becomes more intensified. The teachers try to be on easy on the grading of the kindergarten with either stickers or candy. If the child does well with their finger painting they get a big star sticker on their Pablo Picasso. If they do not do well, they get a kind saying like “keep trying” or they do not bother with telling the child that they are doing horrendously. In elementary school, the grading has evolved into excellent, satisfactory, and needs improvement. The school system still does not want to hurt the feelings of the children so they fluff up the grades to more sensitive terms. These grades are really for the parents to try to build up their child for middle and high school. Middle and High school are the big leagues of grading. They use the standard grading system from A’s do F’s on their report card. These grades are now more for the student with a little help of the parent. The school system believes that these grades help make the student more determined to get an A or B. Even in the workplace you will get graded on your performance with either grades or just verbal grading by your boss. Sports can be based on grading when the judges hold up the judging cards. Everyone has been graded from the start of birth and are continually being judging everyday they are living.
1 Quanbeck
Coming up with essay topics is hard. Why? Perhaps I should investigate that matter. A related question would be: why do people procrastinate? I’ve watched a couple TED talks on this matter. The general conclusion seems to be that while procrastination in the extreme is detrimental, in moderation it is helpful. Procrastination allows ideas to develop in the subconscious. By the time the task must actually be completed, such as writing an essay, the idea is developed more than before and can quickly be written.
A more compelling idea I have now had with the help of a fellow student who I will refer to as Jonnhy Hofflburg to preserve his identity. Hofflburg suggested that I write about why people age. This seems like a very promising and interesting topic. Scientists seem to disagree on why we age. In an article on Today I Found Out, Melissa wrote, “Around since 1882 when biologist August Weismann first introduced it, at its fundamental level, the cell damage theory holds that the body succumbs to ‘wear and tear’.” Scientists have studied where this “wear and tear” occurs. One theory maintains that aging is due to DNA damage over time. Throughout a lifetime, DNA is being damaged and mutated constantly. Most of this damaged DNA is repaired or discarded but some mutations accumulate over time which leads to dysfunctional cells. Another aging theory is cross-linking. The cross-linking theory is that proteins that should be discarded are protected from the enzymes that would break them down. These faulty proteins accumulate. Cross linked proteins slow down bodily processes and cause aging. Another theory is that cells have “programmed longevity”. According to these scientists, cells are genetically coded to die after old age deficits occur. Scientists subscribing to the immunological theory believe that the immune system is designed to deteriorate over time. As the immune system grows weaker, the body deteriorates.
2 Coyle
Bullying is a phenomenon that we cannot begin to explain. What in the world makes us see a person who happens to be different than we are and we look at them and think, “Hmm, I think it would be a great idea to say things at them in order to make them feel bad or cry and then I will feel good.” Is it because we feel like we have power over that person’s emotions? Mayhaps it is because we are lonely and the only interaction we get is from making others feel bad, otherwise we would have no one else to talk to. Whatever the reason is, bullying is something that is obviously bad to do or experience. Bullying makes someone feel like they are worthless in this society and like they have nothing that they can do that is good enough for the people who are bullying them. The world doesn’t know why a person necessarily bullies other people for fun or why they do it to better themselves, but some know why they bullied and, though a nefarious task, they do it for a noble cause. I have heard that a person bullied someone else because that person had been mean to them or to someone else and the person who bullied for the good cause did so in order to bring that person to the realization that bullying is not a good thing for them to be doing to others. Other times, it was because that person was infringing upon another’s comfort and being annoying in their eyes and for the bullier, it was common sense that to get them to shut up, bullying would have to be done to them. No one really understands why they get bullied unless the bullier makes it clear to them. And most of the time, the person just looks or speaks or acts different, someone doesn’t like it, and therefore, they get bullied but have done nothing wrong to deserve it.
3 Bowman
Another long, grueling day had expired for young, aspiring Jimmy. He had been put through the wringer as nothing seemed to have gone right on this atrocious, never-ending Monday. His day began with a “bang” as another tire inconveniently bit the dust during his morning drive to work. Nonetheless, worse was yet to come as he arrived only to be greeted by a mountainous pile of incessant paperwork, a grumbling, never-satisfied employer carping about the uncompleted, lagging job at hand, and an unscheduled conference call in which he would be managing. However, his frustration does not end here, for the real “nail in the coffin” came when he arrived home to a dangerously ill son, proving helpless in providing any treatment to ease his suffering. Jimmy goes to clock-out for the night, but something just does not feel quite right. Jimmy, his heart racing, mind, restless, could not stray from consciousness. It appeared darkness was setting in and sleep was so far from his grasp. Why does Jimmy dread the coming morning? Why does he continuously toss and turn with no success of fading into unconsciousness? Why must he feel so anxious after this tiresome nightmare of a day? Unfortunately, Jimmy is facing the same spiteful demon that many other humans have come to confront as well, anxiety. Anxiety is caused by many factors that often vary depending on each person’s situations and circumstances. It can be triggered from the fear of a phobia or the uncertainty of an ensuing day. It can be prompted by the stress of a hard work week, with every new obstacle proving overwhelming to the near brink of insanity. Or, by the paranoia of what will ensue after actions have been carried out and one is awaiting the consequences. Inevitably, anxiety will always be present no matter how hard humankind works to avoid it. Therefore, why not learn its cause? The primary reasons why people experience anxiety are fear, stress, and paranoia--unavoidable factors in the fast-paced, day-to-day human style of living.
3Bachman
Animals have long been domesticated for positive use for humans. However, in the last two hundred years people have kept animals as pets. What causes people to enjoy having a furry friend in their house, on the couch or even in their bed. Animals seem to bond with the human that raises them, feeds them and gives them a loving home. By far the most popular domesticated animal to have as a pet is a dog or a cat. I believe that dogs and cats respond the best to human succor. Cats and dogs create a feeling of love with their owners by showing them affection for what the human does for them. Animals, like rabbits, are domesticated to be pets but do not seem to respond with affections for their human owners. I believe that the animals that do not show gratitude to their owners and try to give back are less popular to the common person as a tamed pet. Some people also like to keep animals that are dangerous to their well-being. Snakes and spiders are kept by some pet owners for the thrill of owning a dangerous animal. Several times owners have been killed by their pet snakes or spiders. The allure of owning a dangerous animal is known only to the owner and is not dictated by mass appeal. Related to the dangerous pet, people will buy an obscure animal to attempt to tame as a pet. Often in the news, reports of a illegally bought tiger or alligator surface and pictures are shown of the animal in someone's house because they wanted to tame it. The people that try to domesticate dangerous wild animals must be insane or an intense thrill seeker. Dogs and cats are the common type of animals but people will try to domesticate any animal they see as a worthy pet.
3 Mendoza
In the media and in our own community there are countless reports on how alcohol has taken many lives in the form of drunk driving, diseases, or meritless drunk fights. It leads one to wonder, if alcohol has so many bad attributes why consume it, why create it in the first place? The popular phenomenon of consuming alcohol can be dated back centuries into our history as this has been going on for years before us and with no doubt it will be continuing after us. The consumption of alcohol has the following causes: Stress, genetics Fun, Addiction, and Peer Pressure; all these factors play a huge role in the consumption of alcohol and the death of many people.
Stress an emotion we all endure from time to time. Psychologically, stress can have a great affect on your brain. Work, school, and personal issues can cause stress which can also lead to drinking. Drinking is considered a stress reliever to many individuals, particularly many old adults. In their mind, they think maybe one won’t hurt and will continue to drink and drink while creating false justifications just for them to feel better about themselves in their minds. Aware of other methods of stress relief, many adults go directly to drinking, why? Why can’t adults put down the alcohol? Environmental factors play a key role in why people consume alcohol. When you’re around alcohol or around people who consume alcohol frequently, you are subjected to do it yourself. By social standards, you are considered the outsider and can fall into peer pressure. Whether you’ve had a bad day or around alcohol, you are more at risk than someone who is not placed in these conditions. There are many factors that play a key factors in the consumption of alcohol, whether you fall as a victim is up to you.
3Wheeler
(I haven’t done as much research as I would have liked, but I will still try my best for this blog post)
There are a few different types of abuse that parents direct towards their children. The three main types of abuse are emotional/psychological, physical, and sexual. Out of the 86 responses I received on a survey about abuse, 15 people said that they have been a victim of one or more kinds of abuse from a family member, romantic partner, or peer. About half of those 15 people indicated a parent or guardian as the abuser. Even just 15 out of 86 (about 17%) is a horrifying statistic. Neglect seems to be the most common type of harm done to a child, and can be very dangerous. Physical abuse is defined as “inflicting bodily injury through excessive force or forcing a child to engage in physically harmful activity, such as excessive exercise” (Wissow 1425). Emotional abuse is “coercive, demeaning, or overly distant behavior by a parent or other caretaker that interferes with a child’s normal social or psychological development” (1425). Sexual abuse “includes the inappropriate exposure of a child to sexual acts or materials, the passive use of children as sexual stimuli for adults, and actual sexual contact between children and older people” (1425).
So why do parents harm their children? People abuse their children for several reasons. Some do it because of mental distress, such as a psychological disorder or a drug addiction. Some emotionally abuse their child because they simply do not know how to raise a child and do not realize the harm in their actions (which is not an excuse). Some parents resent their child, feeling like the child has caused them some sort of loss, be it a job, relationship, opportunity, or financial. Others wish to have extreme control. Some want to mold their children into something, and use the abuse as punishment. Others simply do not care enough about their child (in cases of neglect). Sexual abuse is an immensely complicated topic, and has several reasons (all incredibly terrible and sickening). (at this point I don’t think I have done enough research to even begin to explain that one).
3 Waldera
It is on the news, on the tv, and sadly it is almost always around us. Almost everyone in the world knows someone who has been directly affected by cancer. Cancer is regularly mistaken as one single disease; however that is a common misconception, cancer is a group of around 100 diseases. Uncontrolled growth of cells in the human body and the ability to spread very quickly from it's original origin to distant sites are 2 major characteristics that belong to this disease group. Many people do not know that Cancer can be caused by an extremely large plethora of ways. The most well-known cause to contract cancer is through smoking. For males, if you smoke you are 23 times more likely to develop cancer. You are 14 times more likely if you are a woman. In 2005-2010 alone 130,659 Americans died from smoking attributed lung cancer. Another major reason for cancer is due to poor and nutrition, and obesity. Unneeded fat in the bad can lead to dangerous effects, like producing hormones and growth factors that change the way cells in your body work. This can raise the risk for several diseases, among them being cancer. An additional cause to cancer is through the consumption of alcohol. The consumption of alcohol can lead to 7 types of cancer. Mouth, liver, and bowel are places that you can obtain cancer of you consumer alcohol. In our bodies, once alcohol is consumed, it is then converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. This chemical can cause cancer by damaging DNA and stopping our cells from repairing this damage. Acetaldehyde also causes liver cells to grow and reproduce quicker than normal. These regenerating cells are more likely to obtain changes in their genes that could lead to disease, such as cancer.
3 Poole
Why do people choose not to vote? It is their right, but why do they choose that? There are multiple reasons why. During a presidential election, the range of effect is the entire country and most citizens will want to have a say in who will be their leader for the next four years; during a smaller election, however, perhaps one that is deciding a law, there are some who simply do not care. They don’t have an opinion or it does not affect them. Voter apathy can be a large part of elections depending on the jurisdiction of the vote. In South Dakota, where there are not a lot of people, sometimes an election can be decided by a few votes. Each person’s vote is worth more than perhaps a Californian, where there are more people residing in one city than the entire state of South Dakota. One vote not being worth much can also cause voter apathy. One might think, “Oh, I won’t waste my time. Everyone else I know will just vote the other way and win no matter what I do.” and elect not to go to the polls. In South Dakota, we are known to be a red state. No matter who is running, every year South Dakota vote republican. Voters who may want to vote for the democrat feel worthless and even frustrated with the way elections work. The electoral colleges make some sense, but in other ways, they can completely screw up certain voters. During the 2000 presidential election, Bush vs. Gore, George W. Bush won the election even with fewer votes than Al Gore because of the way electoral colleges work. Some voters do not like this and refuse to vote because they feel that the colleges are unfair and obstruct democracy. Many reasons for voter apathy revolve around frustration and feelings of insignificance. Growing up, children are taught that no person is better or more important than any other person, and finding out that one state is more important to an election than another can be confusing or vexing. Even if you understand it, you may still think it is unfair, and you wouldn’t be alone. So many voters who refuse to vote may feel like their vote doesn’t matter, when in fact, that adds up. Vote. Let your voice be heard. Don’t skip out on voting on any subject matter.
3 Hoffman
“Greetings!” “Salutations!” “Hello!” “Nice to see you!” and most importantly: “How are you today?” Greetings are those little sentences you exchange betwixt your friends, acquaintances, enemies, or even strangers that serve as a first impression to the wondrous conversation you are about to have. Occasionally, the greeting instead serves as an instruction to not engage in the following conversation, which, oftentimes, is for the best. For example, if you say “Hello”, and the receiver responds with “I’m good thanks”, the typical response would be to make up an excuse and get out of there. I will try the stanley parable thing in this sentence. Furthermore, greetings are something everybody has to deal with, and has swiftly become but a travesty over the years. Greeting someone with the previously stated important words, “How are you today?”, has an astonishingly limited set of answers as of today, even if you you would like to talk about your day. If the receiver responds with anything that isn’t “Good”, “Well”, “Okay”, or “Fine”, you can see the face of the sender simply turn cold with fear, their eyes widen and mouth agape, though nothing but a stutter protrudes from their vocal chords. This is because they were not prepared for a conversation consisting of more than four words. With any luck, maybe in another conversation, a sender is truly hoping to get a response more than four words, and even then, they will find themselves in a bland and gray conversation that ends quickly. Evidently, this makes conversations of today effectively the worst of both worlds. Reading this essay, or watching this video, will not only grant you better a understanding of the troubles of greeting that must be fixed within the near future, but also teach you how to avoid this impossible spiral of repetition we seem to find ourselves in.
3 Schroder
Obsessive and overused, social media is a huge component of today’s society. Teenagers and adults from all around the world are hooked on the use of social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. These apps have caused people and their eyes to be glued to their phones all day long. Instead of having a real conversation face to face with a person, people nowadays do all the talking over the phone, especially through Snapchat. The question is, Why is Snapchat the number one source of communication for teenagers today? This Phenomenon is quite obvious for many reasons. Kids used to be obsessed over Facebook and Instagram, but as adults started joining on those sites, a new app had to be found. This new option was Snapchat. Snapchat has many great features that allow teenagers to be able to talk to their friends and let them see and know what everyone is doing all in one. A selfie or picture can be captured in a quick second, along with then writing a short caption on the picture that lets everyone know what they are doing when it is sent of for everyone to see. Snapchat also has a feature known as “stories”, which allows for every single friend on a person’s list to see the picture they posted. This helps spread the word faster of what people are doing, and it helps making plans easier. If a picture is posted on someone's story, it lasts for twenty-four hours for people to see. The story feature allows for memories to be made and life moments to be captured. Not only can you post pictures or send them to friends, there is also a way to text and face-time friends as well. Swiping left on the arrow allows one to send messages just as they would do if they were texting. This app has everything a teenager could ever want. Even though Snapchat may seem like it is taking over people's lives, it is becoming the new “normal” when it comes to communication.
6 Johnke
You have been at work since an early 7 A.M. this morning. After filling out hundreds of paperwork, signing your sloppy signature in ink at the bottom papers, and staring at a glowing green gridded screen with absurd numbers filling in the variety of cells, each with individual representations. Finally you have had enough and get up to go to lunch at the McDonalds down the street from your office. There the Number 1 (a Big Mac Meal) entices you so you order it as a to-go. After receiving the order, you unwrap the burger and throw the wrapper into the street because there is no garbage, and because in reality one wrapper is not going to affect the environment that badly. But, you are not the only one littering, millions of others are and often with no consequences. This filth and garbage makes its way to the sewer and eventually the sea, clumping together and forming an island that is almost impossible to take out of the ocean.
The selfish attitude humans exhibit is slowly destroying the world yet it took hundreds of years for us to become aware of what we are doing. The ocean is filling up with massive amounts of garbage which clumps together forming islands. This waste is also affecting the wildlife, catching itself on fish and turtles--choking them. The oils that are split poison corals, killing the reefs that took hundreds of years to form. The most unfortunate of things is that the waste making its way to the ocean is preventable. If humans step-up and work to keep trash out of the ocean, maybe, just maybe, the wildlife that is endangered and the once beautiful coral will regenerate, allowing future generations to see the beauty for themselves. But, if nothing is changed in human society, everything will change in the sea.
3 Braley
Would you kill someone? What if someone asked you to? What if that person was someone you knew? What if that person was a total stranger? What if that person was an authority figure? Authority plays a huge part in everyday lives, when at school; there are principles, teachers, deans, and superintendents at work; there is your boss, managers, and fellow coworkers who just got a promotion, on the drive home; there are police officers and construction workers who people will, almost always, slow down for, at the doctor's office; trust is placed in the hands of the nurses and doctors that they are performing the correct procedure, even at home; there is always someone who is the head of the household. The majority of the population listens to these figures without questioning them, even to the point where they would do something out of the ordinary for them such as potentially harming another human being just because they were told to, but why what about them gives them this kind of power over us. This phenomenon goes beyond that of people who have been placed in known positions of influence. There are times when people will give someone authority they do not deserve because of how they dress. Is it some instinctive trait that has come from ancestors working together so long ago, or is it something we are taught, and it is only by watching how others interact that such people gained their power? Yet even though the majority comply with authority they are not always agreed with and are often hated by those who lie underneath them in the pyramid. This hatred to can at times go beyond just words to the point where there are deviants who go against the grain and do everything in their power to rebel and refuse to follow the rest of society in its complacency.
3 Roby
When a baby reaches the age of about three or four months, they start to laugh. Babies do not understand jokes or humorous situations well enough to laugh at. It usually seem that babies and young children laugh at everything, even if it is not funny at all. Strange noises, fast movements, a weird face, most babies smile or laugh when they see someone that is familiar to them. It is not a learned trait, to laugh, but it is learned when it is and is not appropriate to do. Most people assume that laughter is just a response to humor, when we see or hear something that is funny we laugh-- but laughter is much more than that it is a social cue. We laugh mostly with people that we like or love. Sharing laughter with someone draws you closer to them, laughing with them shows them that you like being with them. Laughing with one or multiple friends is a way to form a group with them and show them that you like their company. It is a way to show that you have something in common with them. Laughter can draw people together but it can also split people apart. The opposite of laughing with someone is the more malicious idea of laughing at someone. Being laughed at is a cue that someone or a group of people do not like your company; they do not respect you. Laughter brings people so much joy and is typically thought of as a happy action but laughter can also be evil. Laughing at someone, generally called a scoff or mock, belittles them and makes them feel a lesser person than you and your friends. Humans laugh at events that are sad in an attempt to lighten the mood. When a friends falls and gets hurt some people may laugh to make the situation seem less of a tragic incident.
3 Barton
On average, humans spend about one-third of their life unconscious; this state of unconsciousness is also known as “sleep”, but are we really unconscious when we are sleeping? For many, when they lay their head down at night, their brain shifts into another dimension that we call dreaming. What is a dream exactly? A dream is a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. So why is it that when many of us go to bed in hopes of resting our brain, our brain suddenly because more active? And why are we not more tired when we wake up in the morning, since our brain has been working all night? Some dreams seem to go on forever, but in reality, when we sleep dreams rarely last over twenty minutes long, and some last for only seconds. Dreams typically take up about two hours of our sleep. On average, people have three to five dreams each night, but it is difficult to remember dreams. Most people forget their dreams after only a few minutes of waking up, unless they have written it down and concentrated on remembering the dream. A recent survey of 89 people was done on dreams, and the results showed that only 18% of people could remember their dream from the last night the next day. There are many theories as to why humans dream, but none are set in stone. Some believe that dreams are just the way that your brain reacts to REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, where it receives random signals from multiple parts of itself. Others think that dreaming is merely an incident of the brain needing to be activated. Whatever the reason is, I am okay with it. I am fortunate enough to usually remember my dreams, and I find them to be very entertaining. Dreams are something I often use to spark up conversations, and they are something to look forward to when hitting the hay.
3 Buteyn
Whenever you see a person at your school or at work and they are in shape you immediately think that they play sports. High schoolers are told to strive for the best and do as much as they can in their high school career. Playing three different sports and trying to manage a good GPA every year of high school is not uncommon for generations past and coming. Every parent will try to tell their kid that playing sports will help them earn money for college. College is a daunting cloud that is seen right as you enter high school as a freshman. Typically everyone, despite being told no too, will procrastinate with thinking about what they want to do until their senior year. Sports are one of the easiest ways to get into and pay for the college of your choice. All throughout people’s lives they deal with anxiety whether it is from school or work everyone is greatly affected by it. Students deal with it all the time with having to finish five page essays, Calculus worksheets, Spanish reviews, and Biology labs all after working for five or six hours to help pay for a car and to buy the equipment needed in the sports they play on top of all of that. Understanding their employees and students play a major role in teachers and managers jobs in keeping them happy while still being able to get the job done and show improvement from the years before. As a way to relieve stress managers will organize a softball team or have a game night at work where when the job is done they will be able to just relax and have fun. Laughing and having fun are by far the best ways to relieve stress. Being in shape and happy with your body is another main reason why people want to play sports. The physical exercise and the work put in outside of that sport is the main reason why people choose to play sports in their lifetime.
3 Olthoff
In recent years, the amount of school shootings has drastically increased. In fact, there have been 199 shootings since 2013. So why have school shootings gone up? It is possible that these people just do not like school. It is a place where you are required by law to go and complete tasks that you do not always like to do. It is also possible that they are being bullied at school. If they constantly have people nagging them and belittling them, they could direct their rage towards them. Teachers could also be a cause of their anger. Being bullied and having a teacher do nothing about it would make any rational kid angry. They may resent the teacher because of this, or even try to take care of the bully themselves by eliminating the problem by using a gun. There have also been cases of shootings where a student is depressed and wants to put an end to their suffering. However, before they do this, they want to try to make themselves known by performing the heinous act of mass murder. Mental instability could also be a possible motive. Students sometimes hear voices in their heads due to a mental condition and those voices may be telling the student to commit the crime. Mentally unstable students may also think it is a game and do it for fun. As in the case of the Columbine High School Massacre, the students thought they were superior to the other students and because they were bullied, they made a game out of eliminating as many people as possible before killing themselves. Whatever the reasons a person may have to shoot students at a school, it is not right. Understanding and identifying these things can help make schools a safer place to be and put an end to school shootings before they even begin.
20 October 2016
3 Smit
Speech is a necessary activity to communicate with the world around an individual. It is the act of turning sounds from the vocal cords into coherent words that portray the thoughts of an individual. Why then, do people move their hands to and fro as they speak if the only organ necessary for inner expression are the vocal cords? I know from prior speaking experience (I practice daily) that when attempting to find a word, I make the action of the word I am trying to find. Eventually, I am able to take the action made with my hands and put the word into a sentence. After reading through several scholarly articles, I have noticed a trend among “hand speakers.” One of the experiments had young children explain a math problem three times; First without any directions (control), second without moving their hands, and third telling them to use their hands. All children benefited immensely from the control when told to use their hands. This study suggests that hand movement helps visualize the word the speaker is looking for, allowing him to quickly spew forth the story he wants to tell. Another experiment was performed on the success of TED talks. These scientists found twenty-five highly rated videos and twenty-five poorly rated videos. Knowing what they were looking for, the scientists counted the amount of hand gestures used in all twenty five videos. Not surprisingly, the highly rated videos had way more hand movement--over two times the amount of the lower rated videos! A different experiment had three groups of children, varying by age, watch a wordless Tom and Jerry cartoon. After the video, they were told to describe the plot of the cartoon. Those who used more hand gestures scored higher narrative structure scores later in development than those who did not.
7Tingle
Anger is an emotion that everyone feels once in their lifetime. Whether it’s when they spill their coffee on themselves, are late to an important activity, or had a friend betray them in some way, everyone expresses their anger differently. Anger can be an automatic response for someone who had their feelings hurt and will most likely retaliate by saying another rude comment to the other person; If it isn’t handled appropriately, it can become an ongoing cycle. Others may get angry when things don’t go their way, and they believe they need to make it right again. Anger may also come from someone’s inability to understand someone else’s action(s). Some individuals prefer to handle their anger by staying quiet and keeping to themselves.They refrain from talking to others and won’t talk about their feelings with anyone.This is categorized as an unhealthy way to deal with anger, as it will build up overtime until the person has a mental breakdown. Other individuals may react to their anger by taking it out on others through violent words or actions. They do not care if everyone knows they are angry, as long as people stay away until they calm down. They let go of their temper and throw a tantrum, similar to how a 2 year old deals with their anger. They cannot handle working through their frustration, so they take the easy route by expressing their anger however they please. Then, when they take their anger out on someone else, the other person may become offended, and they become angry as well. This, too, can also turn into an ongoing cycle if neither person learns to work through the feelings they are experiencing. There are other individuals who try to work their way through their anger by identifying the cause of the feelings, and may turn to a healthy distraction like exercising, meditating, watching tv, or something else to take their mind off of the anger they are experiencing. This is a more appropriate way to deal with anger; if everyone dealt with their anger similarly, many future conflicts could be avoided.
6Holter
Around the world, many young and older adults are struggling with depression, bullying, addictions, financial issues, and disorders. They try to hide and ball everything up and act like everything's alright; but, in reality they are struggling and they need help, whether it be friends, family, and or professional help. Some see their only solution being to commit suicide, but why? There are many questions arising about suicide today that make others curious to why suicide is the only answer for some. Do they not have supportive friends or family? Do they hate their life so much that the only way to make it better is to kill themselves? Are they being bullied in school or outside of school? Do they struggle with self image? Or do they feel absolutely helpless in this world? Suicide in today’s world is a common concern, and it should not be. Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for the ages ten to twenty-four. It (suicide) takes more lives than cancer, heart attacks, and or strokes do each year. When hearing about someone committing suicide, you at first feel sad, mournful, or heartbroken. But do you ever think to yourself, “Why did they do it?” “Why did they want to take their own life, when there is so much more to look forward to in the future?” Walking down the street, you may not realize how many people are struggling with life problems. They hide it extremely well, because they do not want attention on them nor do they want help from others. Having thoughts of suicide can hinder the ability of communicating with peers, getting out of the house to socialize, or stopping the daily things done in life. Suicide is a “popular thing” in today’s world that no one seems to worry about or care about, until it happens in their life.
6Steffel
My essay will be questioning why our ethical implications prohibit the moral justification of genetic engineering. A very debatable topic I hope to cover and advance upon a wide array of scenarios and situations in which the outcome has supported both sides of the argument, trying to keep my essay as far from any biases that could be made by me or any persons that I intend to collaborate with. I will be talking to various professors from a multitude of universities in hopes of finding professors that air on both the side of advancement and the side of cautionary progress(as well as trying to get my name thrown around the university for various perks, but that is beside the point). While being a very elaborate topic I am hoping to take it the same way everyone else is approaching theirs, by finding cases and breaking down the reasons behind why we are choosing to stop this process. I may use a survey if I can not find any reliable sources on what average people are truly feeling about what is happening in places like China and if this has a serious effect on them. I also want to try and tackle why we fend so religiously towards this situation and why even people with no religious affiliation are using it as a combatant's towards theses studies. These are cool studies and studies that can truly advance the human race beyond and type of technology. The ability to perform actions that everyone dreams of is close to reality but now so many are standing to fight against it. Is the equity the dilemma? Do some feel that it would only be provided to a select group or those who can afford it? All questions are good and I hope to find answers and raise awareness to what is truly going on.
6Sherron
All people are stressed or have some form of stressor in their life. Whether it be environmental, physical, mental, work-related, or school-related, stress exists in everyone’s life. It seems this stress is ten-fold among seniors. Seniors have nearly every stressor listed above in their life;, with a few extra ones thrown in. Seniors also are not equipped to handle stress as well as, say a 40-year old. Simply put, they just do not have the experience required to handle stress. Because of this, things may seem more stressful than they are, thus making them feel even more overwhelmed.
Seniors face many forms of stress, some more obvious than others. Some obvious ones are schoolwork, work, extracurricular activities, and college plans. They are about to embark on a new part of their life; an unknown adventure that nearly determines how they will spend the rest of their life. Will they go to college? If they do, will they pursue a degree with extended coursework? If they do not, will they go to a vocational school or just jump right into the working world? All of these are things that seniors have to consider in the midst of completing their homework assignments, remaining involved with the community, and working some extra hours to pay for what they end up choosing. Some seniors face some more subtle stressors; their peers and classmates, whom they have spent the last twelve years with, will not be doing the same exact thing as they are. Because of this, some students may feel pressured to conform to what the majority are doing or what is expected of them (college). Senior year is also a time of many inbetweens. Expected to act like an adult, seniors are still under the supervision of their parents. Their parents may still provide for them in some ways, but they also begin to encourage their young adult to take on their own responsibilities; instead of having everything paid for, now they must pay their own cell phone bill, along with their car payments.
All of these, and then some, are reasons why seniors can be more stressed than other demographic groups.
6 Waltner
Inevitably, every person is unique and finds their interests in different places. Everybody has experienced competitiveness in one way or another--regardless of which end of the spectrum they choose to occupy. The extreme competitors (diehards) are the type that are throwing things in the dugout with tears pouring down their dirt-streaked faces after a strikeout in a laid back game of tee ball. The ones who were slamming their small fists upon the unmovable hardwood after their team loses a simple gym class activity, such as kick ball. The ones who were dripping in sweat after a game of two hand touch football at recess. Everybody knew who these kids were; therefore, everybody tried to stay out of their way in gym class--with the exception of their equally competitive opponents. It is not just sports for these vigorous competitors, but also life. Losing is not an option, they will be fulfilled with unavoidable depression, a complete feeling of failure, if they do not receive a job they want. However the fact they lost to their enemy hurts more than the idea of not getting the job. The people on the other side of the scale, with non-competitive personalities, look over at these fools and think how immature they are, asking why does everything have to be a stupid competition. However it is obvious for the other people, why wouldn't someone prefer to be better, more talented, victorious. Winning may not be the only aspect that matters in everyday life, although majority of people will say losing is horrifying. Therefore, why are today’s men and women so competitive? Competitiveness is a trait that we learn through situational scenarios. Sports have a tremendous impact on the level of competitiveness in a person, if someone grows up playing every sport possible, no doubt they are likely to challenge anyone on every matter.
6 Etrheim
As I am sitting here typing this blog, I am thinking to myself what could I research about, go on for five pages, and enjoy doing it all at the same time. I have thought of many ideas: Why do people love roller coasters, why do people love to sleep, why do people play sports, why do teenagers self harm. I have decided I am doing why people love roller coasters because I really enjoy riding roller coasters myself. I think I will be interested in researching things about them. In my essay I can talk about plenty of things why people do, in fact ride roller coasters. People could ride them for the adventure, the dangerous side of them, and to get adrenaline in your blood flowing. They must like the feeling of the wind blowing in their hair, bugs getting in their mouths (sometimes, not always), and the feeling when your stomach drops after you go down a huge drop on the roller coaster. I can also talk about how people who do love roller coasters, they have to be able to have trust in the roller coaster’s engineers and construction workers. You want to trust that they put it together right so that it will not break down. As well as trusting the engineers, you will want to have trust in the safety straps holding you in as the ride goes along. You want to be able to have fun and not think about the roller coaster breaking while you are riding it. If you think too much and start saying, “What if this happens?” and all the what if’s you can think of, you most likely do not like roller coasters and do not trust them. Some people might just like to ride them because they want to be able to brag to their friends about how fearless they are for riding the scariest one.
6Clark
All over America, there are many different types of people. Whether it be Native American, Asian, Caucasian, or African American, everyone has their own physical features and characteristics that makes them unique. Some may be short or tall or obese or petite. What makes them become obese? What makes them let themselves get that bad? Is it a choice or is it not? Obesity is so much more common today than it was in the past. Each year it just seems to rise as well. Are they just lazy? With an inactive lifestyle? Do they have a negative surrounding environment or unrealistic work schedule? Is it because of the oversized food portions in public places or the constant food advertisements? Is it not a choice relating to your health conditions or genes? Are they emotionally unstable and food is there happiness? Do they have a lack of sleep or an uneven sleep schedule? Believe it or not, all of these factors contribute to our society's out of control obesity issue. People simply just think oh that will not happen to me. I would never let myself get that out of hand. But, really it happens pound by pound..it is just a gradual change. You do not just wake up one morning and are automatically three hundred pounds heavier. It's a gradual thing that if you do not get under control can eventually take over your life. Obesity is something that can really affect your health, self image and even other aspects of your life. Imagine being bed ridden for the rest of your life and not being able to attend your children’s sporting events because it is just too much on your heart? No one wants to be like that. Our society needs to learn how to control this in a better manner so we are not continuing this rise on the obesity trend. It can be prevented, we just need to take the action to make sure it is and figure out why it can get so bad for obese people.
6 Runia
For a variety of reasons, people are afraid of spiders. Some were taught to fear spiders by the media. Television shows often portray spiders as disgusting or scary. In addition, several horror movies center on gargantuan spiders overrunning a town. Adults and children alike, upon seeing such events portrayed on television, may develop a fear or disgust towards spiders. The media may choose to portray spiders as scary because many adults are afraid of spiders. As a result, though, both children and adults may be taught to fear spiders, thus continuing the cycle of spider phobia.
While people are taught to fear spiders by the media, spiders, interestingly, are represented both positively and negatively through media directed specifically towards children. At a young age, children learn the song “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” This song does not characterize spiders as evil or disgusting. Rather, the song is upbeat and happy. Similarly, the movie Charlotte’s Web depicts spiders as fun and interesting. Charlotte, a barn spider, is a good friend to Wilbur, a pig. Charlotte is presented as kind and loving. Such songs and movies may be attempts at teaching children not to fear spiders. On the other hand, the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet” presents spiders as scary, since, in the nursery rhyme, a spider causes Miss Muffet to flee out of fear. So, noting that the media presents spiders both positively and negatively to children is interesting. Nonetheless, the media largely portrays spiders as scary and disgusting, thus leading to many people learning to fear spiders from the media.
Additionally, people may have been taught to fear spiders by their friends and family, especially their parents. If someone sees another person become scared or disgusted, they are likely to imitate such feelings. This most often applies to children. If a child observes someone he or she looks up to recoiling from a spider, that child will view spiders negatively. Next time he or she sees a spider, the child will recoil. He or she will associate feelings of disgust or fear with spiders. Thus, the child has effectively been taught to fear spiders. This scenario applies to children learning spider phobia from friends or other relatives, too. As a result, even though certain spiders may not be a true threat, the phobia of said spiders is perpetuated into the next generation, and the cycle continues. Therefore, a fear of spiders can also be taught by friends and family, especially parents.
6Clark
In between is and happiness, I used the wrong form of there. It should be their...my mistake!
6 Baldridge
South Dakota has drastic weather changes and is located in the middle of nowhere. Why do people continue to live here? Why do young adults stay here instead of going off to the Big Apple? The biggest reason is because of their family. Nobody wants to leave the comfort and safety of having family easily accessible. Moving to a new place can be the scariest adventure to partake in, so people just don’t. There is also the chance that you might inherit a lot of land here after your parents or grandparents pass away. Who would want to leave free land behind? Another reason why people stay is because of the colleges. Growing up in South Dakota, you pretty much cheered for the Coyotes or you cheered for the Jacks. Because of how involved the colleges are in the communities, it makes it easy to want to go to either one of these places. It is also a smaller state so the colleges will be less populated. This leaves a greater opportunity for students to get more one on one learning chances. While the weather is mostly annoying, it is some people's favorite part of living in South Dakota. The unpredictability can cause funfilled chaos in the peaceful lives of residents here. South Dakota is a fairly safe state to live. It is the twenty-fifth most dangerous state, while this seems high, it is just in ratio to the very low population. This low population leaves less room for overcrowding or fights to break out. The people originated in South Dakota also tend to be more polite and outgoing rather than gangster and violent. Living in South Dakota can have many advantages and many disadvantages. Even with all its flaws, people born and raised in South Dakota, tend to never leave the nest.
6 Lindemann
You are honestly going to tell people that some scribbles in berry juice on a cave wall constitute “art”, but people spending years of their lives dedicating their bodies to becoming a living canvas is something that should be disrespected in society? Not today son. Tattooing has existed for thousands of years across numerous cultures including ancient polynesians, early native americans, and african tribes. Tattoos were -and still are- used to show status in society, to commemorate a person or a journey, as a form of expression. For some reason, somebody got the idea that because a person enjoys drawing on their skin, it makes them less qualified for a job. This makes no sense. Someone is willing to commit their time and money to become walking art, this should show passion and dedication and creativity, not irresponsibility and delinquency. There are a million and one different reasons to get tattoos, and the majority of recipients are not going to permanently mark their bodies with ink and needles “for the lolz.” There is an incredible amount of symbolism to be found in different forms of tattooing, from the style to the method of application to the depiction itself. Did you know that some cultures give tattoos by cutting slits into people’s skin and then rubbing ash or ink into it, and using the scar tissue to convey the image? Did you know that american sailors in the early 1900’s would tattoo “hold fast” on their knuckles because it was thought to bring good luck? Or how about that getting tattoos can reduce your risk for certain viruses, because the exposure to foreign substances helps strengthen your body’s immune system? Tattoos are a cultural phenomenon that has existed for thousands of years, and yet we still question someone’s judgement for choosing to get one. Well then, why is that? Why do people choose to permanently mark their bodies?
6 Loosbrock
From an atheistic perspective religion is a perplexing topic; if one believes it to be false, then why do people flock towards its many variants by the millions? For an atheist, religion is casting aside logic and reason in favour of blind faith. In order to truly believe a religion one needs to ignore facts that have been corroborated by science. Despite science’s manifestation and maturation from religion, the two are mutually exclusive. The Catholic Church originally supported (or at the very least tolerated) the scientist Galileo until his findings started to contradict the teachings of their infallible holy book. At the time, Catholicism taught that the Earth was the center of the the universe as it was God’s creation; Galileo observed our solar system and came to the conclusion that Copernicus was right–the Earth revolved around the sun. Galileo, being a scientist, stuck to his observations and conclusions that directly challenged the teachings of the church. Until his death, Galileo was put on trial, imprisoned, and ostracized by the church and the community. Eventually, the world came to its senses and acknowledged the truth of heliocentrism; magically, the supposedly infallible words of God disappeared from church doctrine. This example is not an outlier; religions have been forced over the past few centuries to change their doctrines to avoid contradiction with science. Logic and faith are incompatible as we continue to learn about our universe. People turn to religion despite irrefutable fact to explain the unknown, ease their worry about death, and gain a sense of community.
Religion is a tool that can be used for good or evil. Currently, Islam is being used by ISIS as they aim to expand their brutal caliphate. Islam has been used to justify the slaughter of “infidels” as extremist carry out jihad. 9/11 and the Paris terror attacks were influenced by radical Islam. Being more militarized and conflict oriented than other current religions, Islam clearly states that non-believers need to be forcefully converted; only moderates that are willing to ignore what is claimed to be the word of Allah can truly live in a society with freedom of expression and religion. Nearly all Muslims believe that drawings of Muhammad should be punished with death; even those that would not be willing to commit the killing personally make no attempts to condemn those that do act. Limiting our most sacred ideals, the doctrines of Islam are incompatible within our society. Islam is not alone; Christianity is responsible for a multitude of atrocities.
6 Zajicek
Blood,sweat and tears, why would one put themselves through so work? The phenom of why we play sports is a question most athletes don’t truly think about. Most athletes were born always playing sports,either pushed by their parents or to play with their friends. Naturally as time goes by and your friends continue and your skills improve you stick with it. Although throughout the course of life many drop out of sports for many reasons. One reason being everyone is improving and your skills just aren’t up to par any more. Another reasoning for people dropping out of sports is they simply have lost interest and would like to focus their energy elsewhere. In some circumstances people may have to drop sports completely because of problems at home which is never ideal. For the ones who stay in sports they often question, usually after hard conditioning, the reasoning why they are even in sports. This always pops into the minds of athletes but never truly taken into consideration. When reflecting back most don’t know why they do sports. A survey, with majority of students playing school sports,concluded that students play to be apart of a team solely for the social aspect sports can provide.Sports create an atmosphere where everyone comes together to do what they love and lift up one another essentially giving you another family to rely on. An additional majority that was voted for in this survey said they compete for the excitement of competition. This is a common answer between athletes because these competitors are extremely competitive with everything they do whether it be in the classroom or a simple yard game. Athletes day in and day out work extremely hard in practice even if it is outside in the hot humid air or if it's inside doing conditioning drills. These competitors push themselves physically everyday but also mentally knowing they can quit but never do. When competitors push past this mental block this shows focus and loyalty to the team.
7 Else
It is the year 1916, full home electricity is spreading to homes nationwide; the news is only read via periodicals or heard on an unreliable radio; telephones controlled by operators are appearing in homes; cars are just beginning to hit the roads. Fast forward to the year 2016, household electricity is something everyone takes for granted; news can reach people in a matter of seconds on television, computers, and social media websites like Facebook and Twitter; telephones are in the hands of every man, woman, teenager, and baby; and automobiles are a necessity for nearly everyone. In just one hundred years, the majority of people have conformed to new technology, music, ideas, government programs--the list goes on nearly forever. A better question to ask--what has not changed in one hundred years? Very little has not changed in one hundred years because many societies are always searching for the next new thing. People of our society also believe that they must get married, attend college, and have kids. Society nearly forces one to do what every other person is doing. The truth is, humans are easily influenced by peer pressure and what others around them do. Twitter trends, vines, and popular celebrities send our society into a craze with outrageous ideas that stem from the internet such as the water bottle flip, deadly clowns and the infamous ranch girl. It may seem that every internet trend is utterly absurd, but this is not the case. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised thousands of dollars to benefit the unknown cause of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Social media is an extremely fast way to pass ideas on to friends, and when people you know are doing these ridiculous things on the internet, you immediately become interested in the latest viral craze. Pop culture has always been inane and the population of the mid twenty-first century society will continue to be followers, not leaders, because they are afraid of being ridiculed on social media.
7Huska
Warning this is just a huge rant session and a mess of words that aren’t really organized.
What causes people to have a mental illness? Were they born with it? Is it from brain damage? Did the mental illness come from environmental reasons? Was someone abused so bad they got the illness? Maybe they have had such a rough life where it seems everything is against them and they gain the illness just to top it off? Three main things contribute to why people are diagnosed with a mental illness. These three factors are: Biological, Psychological, or Environmental causes. Environmental factors can include death or divorce, dysfunctional fam, anxiety, loneliness, anger, low self-esteem, changing of jobs or school, social or cultural expectations, substance abuse, poverty. Biological factors may include genetics, infections, brain defects/injury, prenatal damage, substance abuse. Psychological factors include emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, loss, neglect, cannot relate to others. You could be born with a mental illness such as ADHD or maybe later in life you may be diagnosed with depression due to lack of self-esteem, loneliness, or just feeling like the world is against you.
Is a mental illness even a thing? I think they are faking it. It is all in your head. Why should I believe you? You are lying. What do you have to be depressed about? You are just crazy. There are so many stereotypes and stigmas that come along with having a mental illness. Many people are not hired for work because they have a mental illness or are called names. People say they are incapable of going about life like any other normal person without a mental illness would. It is a proven fact that people with a mental illness are less likely to get hired, less likely to be allowed to rent an apartment, or are less likely to interact with the general population.
7 LivingstonE
Causal and Casual are extremely close, and most of the class fell for the similar spellings. A causal essay is all about why things happen, and you would think that it would be pretty simple to think about the cause of something or why something happens. Well it’s not. Out of everything in the world, there are millions of options to write about from “why is the sky blue” to “why do we celebrate holidays”, yet none of these have sparked my interest. I could ask any question about any single thing that exists, but the thing is that we have to prove why it exists. We have to write about why things happen, but we also have to have the proof behind it, which is the most difficult part. There are many abstract ideas that have run through my head, but nothing that could be written about for a length of five pages. I can gather from filling out about 30 surveys from fellow students that a large group of them are writing about phobias. Although there are hundreds, perhaps even thousands of phobias, all of the basic ones that I have thought of have been swept up by another student to write about. The only one that I haven’t heard of anyone doing is the fear of the dark, which I might consider writing about. The only thing that I am trying to tackle is to write something extremely well. I want to have a topic that gets me out of my comfort zone because it’s better for me as a writer, but we also have to do research on the topic so I would be learning something as well. I want to think of a topic that is simple but also abstract enough so that when someone reads the title of my essay or reads the essay in general that they say “ I would have never thought”. I wanted to write about music, but that seems too typical for me considering that I am in band. I want something to spark my interest so that I enjoy writing this essay, but nothing has quite gotten me to that point yet. I want to inspire myself and readers.
7Haase
I haven’t really decided on a topic yet, but I’ve been throwing two ideas back forth so far. One was suggested to me by Mr. Christensen, and that was to do “why was ranch girl so popular”. I think this would be kind of intriguing to look into the psychology of why people share things on social media, where is it to get people to like the same things that they like, to get other people to laugh, or to share worldly things. Or why the irony behind the ranch, or the pun behind it that got people to like it, or how many of my own peer actually supported it because they knew my own personality. At first I thought that trying to find sources on “Ranch Girl” would be hard because no one is doing a study on my tweet, but then I realized that it wasn’t even about my tweet, it was about how social media and the psychology of people that share it, not the post itself. I was thinking I could talk to my psychology professor from my class at USD, or have short survey.
I have also been thinking about doing “what causes the social stigma behind mental illness and suicide”. There is a certain stigma that comes when someone has a mental illness or dies by suicide and I’m curious as to what causes it. It is kind of near to my heart since one of my close friends passed away by suicide, and hearing what some people think about mental illness is disheartening. Mental illness isn’t any different that a physical illness is why does society treat it differently. I could run a survey on my classmates about how they see or have been affected by mental illness to get an idea of how my peers view this issue, I could talk to a counsellor or psychiatrist that deals with mentally ill patients, or talk to people other people have been affected by someone who has died by suicide.
7Jensen
What cause people to glorify Christmas more than Thanksgiving? Were they taught this at a young age? Is it because Christmas is publicized more? Or maybe it is because you receive gifts? Growing up Christmas was always considered to be more important by the public. The Santa Clause figure, having no school for longer periods of time, seeing family, going into a sugar coma from the deserts, and receiving loads of gifts from various family members in which you barely know. Of course Christmas is considered one of the most wonderful times of the year, but what about Thanksgiving? What about being thankful for everything you have and who can forget eating turkey? Has America completely looked over this holiday? In stores, they don’t even decorate for Thanksgiving anymore. The minute Halloween is over I see a bunch of Christmas lights go up for sale, and blow up santa dolls everywhere. Thanksgiving is a great time. You get to eat so much food that you almost die. Being around family can be quite annoying, but who doesn’t love their family. Not to mention, that Thanksgiving is in Autumn. Autumn is such a beautiful time of the year, with the leaves falling off the trees. Plus, at Thanksgiving it isn’t winter! Who can complain about that? The whole idea behind Christmas is so ridiculous. No joke, the minute dessert is out off the table people start discussing Black Friday. Black Friday shopping doesn’t even occur on Friday anymore, it starts on Thursday as early as 5-6 pm. Thanksgiving is more of a chore than a holiday. It’s almost as if people dread celebrating it because of how easily it is forgotten. In conclusion, Christmas is more glorified than Thanksgiving because of the publicity, receiving gifts, not having school for a longer period of time, and all the sweets.
7LivingstonP
Social issues are something one might find very interesting. Each challenge in society has to have some sort of solution. These solutions may seem simple from the outside looking in but as you dig deeper you realize a fix to a problem might be more arduous to come about than you might think. An example of one of these social illnesses is homelessness. One may see a group homeless men or women in the street and assume that they are nothing but lazy people who probably did something wrong to end up without a proper home. One might also wonder why a homeless person just does not get a job. what is stopping them? They have nothing but time and are probably safer in any kind of workplace than on a street corner. So why do they not just work long shifts and save up until they can afford some kind of cheap housing? One may research the question, why do not homeless people just work, expecting only to realize the answer is not as simple as it may seem. They will find out that 44% of homeless people actually hold jobs but do not make a good enough salary. The ones that do not work but are trying to sometime struggle to find jobs because employers will ignore an application if the applicant leaves the space for the applicants address blank. These employers assume that homeless person applying for the job fits the negative stereotype of a person without a home. Mental illness is another thing keeping individuals in the street. These people lack the financial support for the proper treatment they need to live a safe and normal life. Homeless people end up homeless for a number of reasons including mental illness, getting kicked out by parents, running away, gambling addictions, drug addictions, unemployment, and not getting paid enough from their jobs.
7 Blue
Why are human emotions affected by weather? I have often pondered this question especially when I see people down and depressed on a rainy day. I think to myself, how does precipitation from the sky change how you feel? In fact, history would suggest that you rejoice when rain comes because you need rain to grow crops. I suppose you need sunlight too, but nevertheless spirits are clearly impacted by the type of weather that exists outside. Some reasons to account for this could be that certain types of weather may hinder or allow us to do the things we love. For example, I love skiing. Skiing is something I look forward to every winter. If it is January and extremely cold, as always, but there is snow on the ground, I am very happy. However, if it is January and extremely cold, as always, and there is no snow on the ground, I am sad. Weather does not only affect happy versus sad emotions, weather can also elicit feelings of hope, excitement, alertness, or even drowsiness. The factors that cause these feelings can be anything from the clouds to the dew point outside. Feelings of hope can be found in a dark sky when a small patch of sunlight breaks through a crevice in the clouds. Excitement is inspired by lightning, heavy rain, thunder, and other facets that are involved in a big storm. Alertness can be struck into someone because the weather radio begins beeping incessantly, indicating a tornado may be coming and you must fly down to your basement. Finally, drowsiness can set into a person in different types of weather. You might be lying in the sun on hot sand with a slight breeze sliding over your body. Or you might be curled up in your bed on a cool, cloudy spring day. My hope in this essay is to discover how and why people are affected by these weather events and if they truly determine how people will feel.
7 Broekemeier
College, although completely unnecessary to live a happy and fulfilled life, has become an assumed cultural norm in most first world societies. It is a common question for the nearly-graduated high school student, and one that can be quite frustrating for those who are still at a loss for how they choose to pursue their interests once they have attained relative independence from their parents or caregivers- whosoever that may entail. Many individuals are able to become successful and satisfied with their status in life without the need of a higher education. Many blue collar jobs are easily learned and practiced by those who have decided against seeking out university after their high school graduation, and some don’t even graduate high school at all. So why has it become completely safe to assume that any high school senior will be attending university after their graduation? Although there is plenty of credibility in pursuing college, it is entirely unrequired. There is no prerequisite in the laws of life that require an education detrimental to the financial standing of most to ever be classified as successful or satisfied by your peers. College has simply assumed a position of symbolic superiority in that if you attend college and graduate with a degree, that you have automatically become better off than most individuals. Well this may potentially be true in some cases, for the vast majority of the world’s population, this is not entirely correct. A plethora of uniquely prospering people exist in the world, who have not attended or completed university. They have no formal degree upon which to adorn their walls, and are incapable of relating to conversations about their college years, a phase in life in which they barely participated as they sought out other options more suited to them and their individual interests. Some may ignore college due to lack of fiscal standing; others may not have the interest; and others still may seek adventure or other methods of finding fulfillment in their life.
7 Grode
There is no elevator to success; you must take the stairs. Many people live by this saying, striving to achieve their goals. People dream about being successful, working closer to their objectives each day. To win a championship, a job, or even an argument, humans will put forth any effort to be on top. Fear of failure plagues the minds of many, which is why there is so much competition in this world to be better than the guy next to you. Success will not come to you; you have to go to it.
The desire to be successful is natural. People simply love winning. When you see children playing a game, whether it be a pickup game of basketball at recess or kickball during gym class, they always want to win. Material prizes are insignificant for them. Just the taste of winning, the sweet nectar of being better than the opposer is enough to push them towards being on top. Being competitive along with hard word is the key to being successful. While competitiveness starts at a young age, it must continue into the latter years of your life to earn success. Nowadays in our society, humans must vie against each other to get into higher level schools, to be on sports teams, let alone to have a starting spot, and to get jobs and promotions. Naturally, some people are born with more ambition and passion than others. These are the types of people that will push more to be successful compared to the people on the other side of the spectrum, who will accept having a low level job and boring life for the rest of their existence. Although there are certain people who will accept that, most people will not settle for something so low. They will fight for positions, for jobs to be on top.
7 Wickersham
You are plummeting towards the ground. You are unsure of how you got in the situation you are in and why you are falling, but you are rapidly descending downwards. There is no parachute to save you, no net to catch you, and nothing that appears to soften your landing when you hit the ground. It appears as if death is imminent. But then, right before you hit the ground, you jerk awake and realize you are lying in your bed. Your eyes are wide; your heartbeat raises rapidly. It takes you a moment to finally catch your breathe and realize you are safe, but you are still startled. If you have experienced this dream, you are not alone. Research shows that 60-70 percent of people experience dreams of either falling or tripping continuously before being suddenly awakened by your body twitching. It is known as hypnagogic jerk, and is common among most people. Studies have not proven what the exact science and reason is behind these dreams, but they have narrowed it down to a few propositions. Some theories suggest it is physiological action of the brain and has to do with what is going on in your life. Other theories claim it is just physiological reaction inside the body with chemicals in the nervous system, muscles, and brain.
I am going to use this as my opening paragraph and currently am trying to compose a thesis statement to hook the audience in. I believe I have introduced it well, but now need a sentence (or sentences) to really hook the audience. Then I can get into all the data and research on both the psychology and physiology of hypnic jerks. The reader is hooked with what I have right now, I just need to get into all the details to answer all the questions they may have. Many of them have likely experienced hypnic jerk and I hope to answer the question: Why do I have them?
7 Scholten
Imagine you are hanging out with your friends and everyone is on their phones except one friend. There is no talking going on and that one friend is not having a good time because everyone is ignoring him. Phones have taken over many peoples lives and nowadays if you do not have the best and coolest phone, you are not as popular. I have decided to do the topic of why do we use our cell phones so much and why are we addicted to them? In our society, I feel that teenagers and even parents have become addicted to their cell phones. Whether they are checking facebook, checking texts from friends or family, or even checking fantasy football, our society is constantly on their phones and if you do not have yours for a minute, you will become depressed and might miss the latest news and information about your favorite things. Reliant on their phones, many people spend most of the day on their phones. 40% of the people that took my survey spend at least an one hour a day on their phones. This is wasted time that many kids and adults spend on their phones. People use their phones for many different reasons: social media, alarm clock, games, texting and calling family and friends, email, and the list could go on and on. Social media is a major reason why most teenagers use their phones. 89% of the people who took my survey said that they use their phones for social media purposes. Whether it is Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook, social media has made a new way to communicate with people and a easy way for people to get the latest news. This hurts news companies tremendously because all the information they are going to talk about is already on social media and has gone viral. Texting also has been extremely popular among younger people. This is an easier way to talk to friends without actually having to speak to the them face to face. I will continue to work on adding more to this essay, but this is just glimpse to what I will be writing about.
1 Talcott
If you ask any teenager what sound they dread the most, you will almost always get the same answer. No, it’s not the dreaded nails on a chalkboard or even the aggravating Emergency Broadcast System. No much, much worse. The alarm clock. When a sluggish adolescent is snug in there bed early at six in the morning and is suddenly awoken by the horrid reveille of an alarm, that is where true evil is found. Many a teen can barely drag themselves out of bed upon hearing this sound, and most op for the Snooze button. Sometimes a parent is required to turn the light on or even physically remove their child from their cocoon. This cycle continues throughout the years of middle and high school. As kids grow older and mature into adulthood waking up to the alarm’s call becomes increasingly easier. They are fully awake and productive in the morning hours of their jobs, whereas back in their first period classes they were barely even functional. So why is this? Are teenagers just naturally lazy? Or is there a deeper cause to their need of sleep and why they do get enough? Most studies recommend that the average teenager get from eight and a half to nine hours of sleep. In a survey of 84 students at Brandon Valley High School 63 of them (75%) did not acquire 8 or more hours of sleep. Only 3 (3.6%) of the students that fulfilled the recommendation for sleep got the high end of 9 hours of sleep. So what would make these students only get 7,6, or sometimes even 5 hours of sleep? The primary reasons that teenagers do not get a sufficient amount of sleep are biology, busy schedules, and an incorrect view of sleep.
7Dybdahl
For most people, the only problem that they may have with the law is getting a speeding ticket or other minor traffic offenses. For many individuals, these offenses may not be considered criminal behavior since they are minor and result in little, to no, punishment. Typical people could not imagine themselves murdering someone or stealing something. Many feel like it would be impossible for them to act in such a way. So why do people do it?
The cause of criminal behavior may be related back to the family life of the person committing the crime. It is found that children with violent parents are more likely to become violent through learned behavior. These children see their parents, who are role models to them, act in a way that is against the law. Wanting to be just like their parents, the children follow in their parents footsteps and act the same way as them. Another reason for criminal behavior would be the mental state of the criminal. More than half of the people who are in jail are diagnosed with some type of mental illness. Mental illness does not cause a person to become a criminal, but there is a strong correlation between the two. Reasoning behind criminal behavior can also be peer pressure. Peer pressure is more common in children, and the crimes committed are more towards the spectrum of stealing. The power of peer pressure is very strong and can influence a person to do pretty much anything. If there is something in return for the person committing the crime, it almost seems as if the crime is easier to commit. Whether it result in a friendship or something bigger, like money, it is simpler to commit the crime because there is something that they want in return. Criminal behavior is a complicated area to study because a criminal could be disguised as someone they really are not.
Konz 1
Dreadful and scary, the world can be an accumulation of terrifying events, people, and situations. People are constantly surrounded with depressing media coverage and being warned of criminals to avoid at all cost. In a society that seems entirely fixated and focused on all of the negative things going on, what is the motivation to believe in a religion and putting so much trust into Someone a person has never seen? Worldwide, eighty-percent of people claim to identify to a certain religion; this lofty amount of religious people is due to… (intro paragraph...to be continued)
Religion is an interesting topic because most people do not have ideas that completely agree with one another. There are so many differing viewpoints that almost make it a difficult subject to discuss without angering or offending anyone. Without differentiating between the different religions and just lumping them together as “religious” compared to “nonreligious” it is remarkable that 80% of people believe in a higher power. Regardless if it is the Christian God or not, it is very surprising that so many people would depend, trust, and lean on a deity that they have never seen or physically spoken to. My prediction is that my research will prove that the reason people cling to religion is because they think there has to be something more: something to hope for and believe in. I think people have to be able to put their faith in something because of everything that is out of their control in order to have peace of mind that someone is looking out for them. In fact, it is a very calming idea that there is a God who knows everything that is going to happen to you and that you were made you in his image; what more could you ask for. In my opinion, people need more to hope and they need to know that there is more to life then what is here with them on earth.
3 House
One essay done now another essay to pick. I still have no idea what I want to write about and still have no idea what to do in the future. Sitting here, not writing this essay, I found myself preparing emails to send to colleges about being a potential track runner and academic student. The same thing that I have been avoiding for so long keeps nipping me in my rearydeary, that is; What am I going to do with my life? I literally just wrote a paper about not knowing what to write about and not knowing what to do in the future. Now I must explain the cause of something on a deep level. Maybe I just keep the train rolling off my last essay and see how derailed it gets in the area of uncertainty. What leads a student to pick their intended major and choice of lifestyle? Why are so many american youth so unsure what the future holds for them? Is it the collapsation of American Values and American Family? Is it the constant media and societal pressure to be a certain way? Media screams sex, drugs, and violence more our way then it does not. Society expects us to conform to the setup it has laid out for us since before our conception. School, Work, Marriage, Death. There has to be more to life then those things. When kids try to be themselves we are told no, not that way. You need to do this, this and this. No we do not care about whether it suits you or not you have to do this. Well this mentality leads to problems later in life about around the age of 18 when the future has to be decided. But that kinda seems like rehashing an old argument there is so much depth to me as an individual ergo I should be able to write about something else. It not like i do not have ideas; It is mainly I do not find any of the idea worth my persual. I have gone through enough of my life constantly being part of things that I do not like. I do not want to write an essay unless the essay inspires me. What is the point of creating something if it is not genuine and original to the creator itself. This brings up a potential essay idea that I will sleep on. Why do we find ourselves participating in things that we do not like? Why do we do things that we find boring or even hate? What is the point of living if it is not to our fullest. Another idea I got from a hilarious group chat member, T-Tingle, is what makes something into an unforgettable memory. I walked in with almost no essay ideas and now I am ending this blogpost with a few great ideas that I will have to decipher by doing the dishes and sleeping and running a 5k saturday.
3 Woessner
Music is an extremely popular form of self-expression. You can listen to music no matter where you are, what you are doing, or what mood you are in. The wide variety of songs and genres is outstanding; this allows you to listen to music non-stop. Music is astoundingly popular, and just like fashion styles or fads, different genres are more popular than others, and the genres continue to rotate throughout the generations. For example, I am sure your parents listen to different types of music than you do, and same for your grandparents, and so on. These different genres allow for a large shift in fashion style, self-expression, and mannerisms. Through surveys, I have found that different generations listen to different types of music. Reasons for this could be abundant, but a few of them stick out as the most plausible causes. For example, it is almost a societal norm to directly oppose most ideas or beliefs that your parents hold, for the fact that those ideas and beliefs are directly associated with “being old” or “out of style.” I plan to interview a local radio personality from Badland’s--a station that is strictly rock music-- about why she thinks the Rock ‘N Roll genre is on the decline in popularity. Realistically, a music genre typically does not completely fade into non-existence; the genre simply declines in popularity, with spikes in popularity in certain points through its history. This could be because a certain artist or band comes along who is very popular and creates music that most find impressive and enjoyable to listen to. This event causes others to attempt to pursue a career making that same type of music, because they were inspired by a group in the same genre. Eventually, the cycle starts over again, and we begin to see new trends in the music genres.
6 Clemenson
When committing a crime, you run the risk of getting caught and sentenced to the following: fines, community service, and/or prison time. So the simple question is why would anyone take these risks by committing a crime? In reality, most people will never commit a felony but approximately one-third of the population will. According to Judge Zell, of this third of the people, they can be separated into another three groups: those who are successfully rehabilitated after one stint in prison, those who repeat offend until their forties or fifties, and those who spend their whole lives in and out of prison. Therefore, if only one-third of the population commits the majority of crimes, what makes them unique and susceptible to act on a crime? Criminologist have study the crimes and came up with several theories such as, criminals are biologically different, criminal psychological behavior is different, the affects society has on them, and that they learn through those who surround them.
Jack, a rich kid with a happy family, lives in a gated community, goes to a private school, and has a tutor help him earn a 3.8 GPA in high school. Also, you have James, a nice kid living in the inner city whose dad left when he was five and mom works twelve hours a day between two jobs to get enough money. James went to a public school but had to skip to help with his siblings and eventually dropped out after tenth grade. Eventually, James begins hanging out with the other kids living on the block--none of which finished high school. One of these kids gets arrested at the age of eighteen, who do you think did it? Based on the information given, most people would believe James gets arrested due to the fact that he lives through much tougher circumstances.
3Moelter
Every person, no matter where they come from, wants to come home from whatever terrible situation or work day they may have had to escape to the dreamy wonderland of sleep where they have control over what happens to them. Although for ninety-eight percent of people, they do not have this kind of luxury in life; some may even dread the thought of attempting to fall asleep at the end of every day. Thanks to nightmares and night terrors, individuals have a strenuous time trying to sleep at night and just cannot seem to think happy thoughts as they try to rid themselves of these haunting dreams. f Some people may wake screaming, shaking, and even sweating from such frightful images. Do nightmares and night terrors have a more lasting impression than normal dreams do? Is this why we wake up from nightmares more frequently than we do our normal dreams? Or is it that we are uncomfortable with the situation the nightmares and night terrors put us in? As with most people, dreams are very realistic. Therefore, how could nightmares or night terrors be any different? Almost everyone loves to know what they dream about, but how can some not recall a single thing while others state in detail what has happened to them in these nightmares, dreams, or night terrors. Why is this so? Are some people just more insightful than the others are? The ones that may not remember what they were having nightmares about might have them less often due to the fact that they do not realize they had a nightmare the night before (as through not knowing about the nightmare they do not know what not to think about before bed every night), but then it could also be the polar opposite for some individuals too. People may have nightmares/night terrors because they are either going through something emotionally/psychologically, they have been without sleep for far too long, they have seen something that has scared them or shocked them immensely, or they are only making it up in order to impress their friends.
1Powell
Much of the recent growth in the Libertarian party is due to malcontent within the current parties. The newest generation of voters has grown up pressured by their parents, staunch supporters of Reagan Republicanism, and their peers who grew up in the modern Democratic revolution. Young voters see themselves as defenders of the social movement, believing the government has no right to regulate transgenders and abortion. While this fits well in with the Democratic Party platform, young voters dislike the center-left fiscal policies. Many young voters, especially in rural areas, believe in stringent fiscal policies, or a capitalist economy. Growing up having the government infringe on both their civil and fiscal liberties has caused a revolution of a different kind, the Libertarian revolution. Libertarians believe in laissez-faire economics combined with liberal social policies, stemming from the belief that the government has no right to interfere in our personal choices. However, the seeming anarchist views have led many to criticize the Libertarian party. Outsiders believe Libertarians are a herd of psycho criminals that want to watch the world burn, but nearly the opposite is true. Libertarians simply believe the government has no right to ENFORCE personal decisions, not claiming these personal decisions as right. Think of the age old axiom “just because you can do something doesn’t make it right.” This saying perfectly epitomizes the Libertarian movement. Decisions are meant to be made by individuals who will then suffer the consequences of their actions, not by the government who believes controlling your life will make you succeed.
Technology has also been an important component of the recent success of third parties. In previous elections, only the two major candidates were ever discussed; the onset of the digital age has enabled candidates like Gary Johnson to reach out to voters without the throwing around the huge sums of cash that accompany a typical campaign.
With the current political system (specifically First Past the Post Elections) it is almost impossible for a third party to break down the barriers necessary to gain power. When one considers the recent downward trend of the GOP, the idea of the Libertarian party replacing the Republican party is not as far fetched as it seems. If the GOP does not adapt to modern social circumstances rather than the staunch conservatism based in the Silent Majority, they could easily become overshadowed, becoming one of two minor parties conflicting with a major party, or even worse, become an absolute minority. Rant over.
6 Symington
Listening to and playing music has been one of the most popular activities to engage in for the last few centuries starting in ancient times. Due to this fact, music has had incredible popularity because of the massive amounts of affects that it has on a person’s attitude and how their life ends up to be like. As a result of this, many different activities have evolved from listening to and playing music. Such might include: band, orchestra, chorus and many others. Throughout personal experience with over ten plus years of experience in music, it can be seen that music has had a huge impact on my life along with many others. As a result of this, it is blatantly obvious to many people that the type of music you either play or listen to has an affect on your attitude. For example, if you were to listen to quiet piano music, you might experience the feeling of serenity or calmness. However, the opposite effect can be experienced when listening to intense music. When listening to intense music, this can also affect your attitude by making you feel angry or even uncomfortable at times. In many recent studies, music can also help raise many standardized test scores. This will ultimately help students to get into better colleges with less debt causing less stress and financial problems later in life. Music has also helped many people like me with speech impediments. As a child, I grew up having a lisp which ended up making me become extremely shy. To help alleviate the effects of this, my parents signed me up for speech therapy in which one method was having me listen to music while reading a short passage from a book or talking out loud with other people. Within a few short weeks, my speech impediment was nearly better. Not only me but hundreds of other people have found refuge in the healing power of music which in my case, made me feel empowered to do anything.
1 Reese
Why do people buy expensive cars but just leave them sit in a garage? Having possession of an expensive item of any kind will boost people's happiness just because they are in possession of that one thing, but why have it if it is expensive and serves no function? That is just it, it is purely a status among humans to have expensive cars and having one puts you into the “elite” who waste their money, but to them it is not necessarily wasting money. I have seen this first had; my grandpa bought a red corvette about two years ago and has driven it around 10 times, that does not seem worth to spend a hefty amount of money. Particularly for men, this is common, it allows for them to brag to friends about their latest purchase, not only that, they can show society how much money they have (when they drive it). It is really fascinating when you see people with collection of cars that reaches the ten to twenty mark, they sit in a warehouse or garage and are there just for looks. These type of people want to demonstrate their wealth on a different level than buying electronics or clothes. Also, cars express a more advanced wealth than electronics or any else really, it is a status that many seek. On top of that, it gives the presence of joy and even possibly strength. Possession of something that is longed for can bring power to someone even if it is not seen it is in how they go about their day. They have a more joyful day knowing that they have what they wanted for a long time. On the other hand, it can lead to people being too full of themselves which is not necessarily a good thing.
3 Roegiers
In the day and age of technology and social media, truly anyone can become famous for just about anything. This is what happened to Michael Senatore, a.k.a, the water bottle flip guy. A video emerged of him performing at his school talent show. His act began as the intense 300 Violin Orchestra played over the speakers as he slowly crept up to a table with his water bottle in hand. Then, as soon as the music paused, he flipped his water bottle in the air and landed it, standing straight up. The crowd began cheering wildly as Michael walked off the stage like nothing had happened. This random high school kid would have no idea the impact he would make on America. Soon after the event, the video started circulating around on Facebook and Twitter, soon becoming one of the most watched videos on social media (pretty much everybody had seen the video within a week.) People then began trying the phenomenon out for themselves, and it quickly grew into a fun challenge for anyone to try. Viral videos like this come and go quickly, however, for whatever reason, this one stuck. This video went viral over 4 and a half months ago and the trend of water bottle flipping is still thriving. The question is, why? Why do people see something like this and create a craze out of it? Is there really any value to learning how to flip a water bottle? Is flipping a water bottle really that impressive in the first place? Questions such as these will always arise for phenomenons like this. They can be very difficult to understand, but with enough research and knowledge of the people around us, we can come up with a general conclusion to why events like this occur.
6 Campbell
Why do people not take their medicine? If it's going to make you feel better it would make the most sense to take it, right? Is it because people don't like the taste or the after-taste that the medication gives? Or maybe they don't like the side effects that always seem to occur whenever they take it. Honestly, they may have simply forgotten. No one knows the exact reason as to why one individual does not take their medication. There are many ideas why this happens but everyone has their own specific reasonings. People are generally pretty good about taking their medication, but that is not the case for everyone. That is the subject of concern in this essay. For the overall health benefits it would be wise to take a medication that is prescribed to you. Would someone not do this because they think they're fine? Because if they think they're fine then what's the point in taking it? Since they were prescribed something in the first place that means that they are not fine and the Doctor sees a more serious issue than maybe they do. When prescribed a medication it’s for your own good to take it, they don’t prescribe something for no reason. You were showing the symptoms that led them to the conclusion that you need a specific medication. If someone is not taking their prescribed medication what should be done about it? What can be done about it? Hopefully, people know that taking their prescribed medication responsibly is for the benefit of their health, no one else. Whether it’s an antibiotic for a sinus infection or a pain reliever for an injury, the Doctor was educated to be able to prescribe you the appropriate medication. Now it’s your choice to follow their advice and start feeling better, or to ignore them and remain in the unhealthy/injured state you’re already in.
1 Jeanson
Why are crown of thorns seastars destroying coral reef systems? It is most the overfishing of one of their biggest predators, a puffer fish, among other things. When the biodiversity of the environment is changed to favor the COTS they tend to have outbreaks, or in other words large groups of the starfish in a certain area. Another reason is when there are large deposits of nutrients for the coral. When there is more food for the coral it allows for more growth and then there is also more food for the crown of thorns. This allows them to also grow in population as well as destroy their surrounding environment with their enormous appetites if allowed to get out of control. COTS can grow up to eighty centimeters in diameter and travel at about twenty meter per hour allowing them to cover a large area of coral and eat it. The crown of thorns starfish practically only eats coral so when there are large outbreaks of them they can cause severe damage to a reef system. Normally when there is only a few COTS in the area it is not a huge deal as they lean towards eating the faster growing coral but when there are many COTS they can eat faster than the coral can grow and then they go for the slower growing corals, the ones that can take a millennia to grow. That is where the most damage comes from. In the largest COTS outbreak they destroyed over eighty percent of the reef system and the damage is still noticeable even today. There are multiple ways to control their populations, however. Some marine biologists as well as volunteers capture the starfish and place them in fresh water buckets suffocating them until they die and then burying the body on land. Other ways are by injecting them with certain chemicals such as copper sulfate or other things that are deadly to the seastar but safe for the surrounding environments.
7 Singh
As a country we are the most obese in the world. Obesity is the number one cause of heart disease. Fast food is major contributor to our obesity epidemic. The processed food contains a large amount of fat and calories. Knowing all of the risks and problems that fast food presents we still eat it in larger quantities than we should and the fast food business is generating billions of dollars because of this. In today’s society it is very easy to just run over to McDonalds and pay a relatively cheap amount for a large amount of food. Americans live a very fast and busy lifestyle which is perfect for fast food restaurants. Drive throughs make it even easier and faster to buy fast food. They make there food fast and cheap which makes it super convenient for the average American. Someone who works long day shift usually does not have the time or the energy to cook a homemade meal. They resort to fast food to save themselves the stress of cooking. The cheapness of the food also entices consumers to purchase their products. Despite how cheap the food is, it doesn’t lack in flavor so people don’t find ant issue with buying it. They may be avoiding the stress now, but eating fast food has its consequences. While the food may not have an immediate impact besides maybe a slight stomach ache, the more you eat it, the more you gain weight and clog your arteries.This can lead to heart disease which is the number one killer in America. Since people do not realize this until it is too late, they don’t have the chance to correct the eating mistakes they’ve made which can lead to fatal consequences. Fast food restaurants appeal to the busy, hard working American by taking advantage of their lack of energy and time.
1 Mikkelsen
You can sleep when you are dead; but if you do not sleep you will be dead. One can find themselves in the battle of to sleep or not to sleep. An essential part of life--sleep--is required for everyone, and without it we would simply die. A question that may or may not have answer is why do we sleep? To some the answer may be simple while to others it is an event that does not seem to have a clear answer. Either way, sleep is a phenomenon that occurs throughout everyone’s life and this regular activity on average “wastes or uses” one-third of someone’s time here on earth. Sleep is just a regular part of life. Whether you are like most and get the majority of your sleep at night, or are like some unique individuals that sleep at random times during the day, it is something that we all do. Sleep, being a natural instinct, is as simple as eating. It is not a learned behavior and while we know it is required, just how required? When you think about your life you would probably rather be present for the important moments, instead of sleeping the time away. By getting more sleep are you actually benefiting your overall health or just wasting time that could be put towards more productive activities. Some may question why this has to be done or why there is sometimes a magic eight hours of sleep recommended. There are many studies that show the negative effects of not sleeping; these can be shown by experiments conducted involving things such as sleep deprivation. There are also studies showing that provide evidence that we might just be wasting some of our valuable time. Dolphins, giraffes, and elephants barely do it so why do we. Sleep is a regular part of human activity that has been occurring from ancient times to today, but the answer as to why we do this is still unclear.
6 Berg
August 6, 1945. September 11, 2001. April 15, 1912. December 7, 1941. The list of infamous dates throughout history such as these can continue to go on forever. Ranging from the use of the first atomic bomb, to massive terrorist attacks, to the sinking of “unsinkable” ships, and everything in between, we can learn so much just by reflecting on the past and the lessons it contains. Because of instances such as these, we must study our past to make sure we are not on a path that would lead us to repeating mistakes in the future. Learning from the history of the entire world allows us to recognize certain circumstances in which decisions made by people may have affected an entire nation, or group of people. For example, the mindset of one person spread and convinced millions of others that a certain group of people needed to be exterminated. Hitler had convinced many that the Jews were the source of all of Germany’s hard times, and therefore it was necessary to rid of these “problematic people.” On the other hand, the constant giving, wisdom, and sacrifices of figures such as Mother Theresa and Ghandi set precedents which people continuously strive to reach. Also, studying history gives us the opportunity to learn and understand how the society we know today began and developed. Through advancements in technology, we are now able to do so much more than others have in the past. We have a better warning system for major and minor weather patterns, to better prepare for everything from a small thunderstorm to a life-threatening hurricane or tornado. Medicine and the availability of it has also greatly increased over time, as more people are studying to advance it. Now, vaccines are available to rid of the chance for extremely dangerous diseases, and treatments and cures are constantly being created and modified in order to help as many people as possible.
6 Forster
When tuning into a presidential debate for the 2016 campaign, what do you notice? The tension between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, two candidates who could not be more opposite? The frustration of the moderator unsure of how to handle the obnoxious politicians? Or the extremely differing opinions on influential issues? Political polarization is at the heart of modern American politics, but many Americans may wonder why this is as they find themselves constantly complaining about the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. In recent years, increasing numbers of Republicans and Democrats have expressed negative views of the opposite party. The country has found itself in a kind of gridlock, unable to accomplish much due to a lack of willingness to compromise across party lines. Even in the Supreme Court, it has been nearly impossible to appoint a new justice, simply due to the fact that Republicans refuse to approve a Democratic president’s appointment to the court. The ideals of the Democratic and Republican parties may be further apart than ever before in history. Issues such as abortion, health care, gun ownership, global warming, and tax policy are some of the most prominent issues that American politicians and the public are facing. These have also intensified the divide between liberals and conservatives. The United States is divided over economic policy, social policy, national security among many other issues. The somewhat unexpected popularity of the unconventional presidential candidate that is Donald Trump may speak to this polarization. It may highlight the split between the two parties, shown through the intense opinions on his campaign from the two sides, positive from conservatives and negative from liberals. Unfortunately, between the two unpopular candidates running for President of the United States and the disillusioned and fearful American voters, the fate of the country is seemingly unknown.
7 Woodward
Why do women tend to watch sappy romantic movies, whereas men typically choose intense action movies? Is it showing the true inner desires of what they wished their life would look like? Does it take them away from reality for a short period of time? Does it make them have hope for our corrupt world? At a young age little girls’ lives are filled with princes and princesses and happily ever afters, so they grow into young women who would never pass up The Notebook as they are scrolling through channels on a Saturday night. Adolescent boys also have their lives filled with fast cars and big guns, even just by Hot Wheels and Nerf guns. I believe these influences affected their personalities and now their movie preferences. I also believe movies take viewers away to another world. There’s no better feeling than getting goosebumps and butterflies while watching two of the most beautiful actors fall in love. Romantic comedies make us feel like their is hope for true, everlasting love in the world despite all past heartbreaks and crummy dates. From wanting to tear each other’s heads off to kissing in the rain, romantic movies warm every girl's heart. Apart from ladies, men prefer action-packed, gun-filled, and superhero galore. Do they experience more of a thrill from these types of films or is it just their nature of trying to be “manly”? I believe that males sometimes underestimate their lives; therefore these movies bring them to a life they wished they lived. The beautiful women and cool weapons are just an addition to the action and comedy. They also, like women, may be escaping from reality for a few hours while everyone else in the house is asleep. Although there are many differences in the movie choices between guys and girls, maybe they are choosing them for the exact same reasons.
1 Benitez
Hey can you do this for me? Why? We are going to paint the wall blue. Why? Hey did you hear about this? What? Everything is made up of atoms. Why? Look at that person. Who? Every single thing in this world can be asked as of why it happened or why it is like that. People for some reason have to know the reason to these questions or at least ask why. There are reasons behind this and you may ask me...why? There are a few questions that are asked that are very simple and we learn these very early in our life some of them being: what, who, where, when, and finally why. We use these to clarify that which we do not know. As humans we like to know stuff because we are then informed and can be relevant and useful. You do not want to be the person left out of something because you did not know of it or of something. An example of this is when someone is left out of a joke and the joke becomes an inside joke. People like to be included, this makes them feel important. Another reason we ask so much is to increase our intelligence. We want to learn about what is going on around us, so we know what to do or what is going on. We also ask questions as an attack at someone’s thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. One common way this is done is with religion. We ask questions that make the religion look stupid and appease ourselves and make us feel better. They are to show the flaws of an idea or belief and compromise the integrity of it. Scientists always question the belief in god with how the world was created and beings came to be if not by evolution.
3 Casey
Have you ever lied before? Of course you have, everyone has. Have you ever been lied to? Yes, you have. If you believed that you had nothing but completely truthful people surrounding you in life, you are sadly mistaken. Lying seems to be a normal part of human behavior. We learn as children that lying can benefit us in several ways. After the first time of lying, when you were probably four or five, it only got easier to spit out white lies right and left. There is no specific kind of person that lies, being a jock, a mathlete, or a theatre kid will alter that you already have and probably will lie again. Whether it was a little white lie or something incredibly serious. Some people believe that lying makes you a bad person, while others have no qualms about it whatsoever. Whatever your stance on the subject, it is bound to happen, even if you are one of the most sincere and upfront person you know. People lie for various reasons, they want to avoid getting in trouble, they want to impress somebody, or the lies just pop out for no reason, even when there is no consequence in telling the truth. A lot of people that lie repeatedly believe that they are doing it for a good reason, such as sparing someone’s feelings or trying to keep someone safe. Some people are even diagnosed with a disorder related to compulsive lying that relates to sociopathic tendencies. Thankfully though, not everyone who lies is a sociopath. There are actually some ways that you may be able to tell if someone is lying. Being able to distinguish when someone is lying to you can do a lot of good in what and who you should believe. Knowing more about the psychological aspect of lying can help you in your day to day life.
7 Munson
Many people are avid sports fans. Sports provide entertainment in a way that few other things can. They provide real action, unlike things faked for movies and television. Ask a random person on the street and chances are that they are at least a casual fan of some team or other. If you asked enough people a trend is sure to emerge. While there would of course be a large variety of answers, there would be some that come up more frequently than others. Likely those answers would be Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, and American Football. These sports make up the ‘big four’ of North American sports. It used to be that America’s pastime, baseball, was the king of sports. But in recent years American football has risen above and claimed that title. Why has this happened? Baseball has fallen under criticism for being too long and boring, but an average NFL game last longer than an MLB game. That said, it is more reasonable for a fan to spend three hours each week to watch their favorite team, than it is to spend three hours almost every day to watch a baseball game. Baseball has longer periods of action, which makes it feel more drawn out. Innings last as long as it takes for a team to make three outs. In football, quarters are 15 minutes long no matter the circumstances. Baseball games can go on indefinitely, until a winner is decided but football games can possibly end in a tie.
Thompson6
Everyone has a favorite genre of movies they like to watch. The genres range from Romance to Comedies, but with Halloween approaching many television channels and theatres start playing their horror movies. While some people really enjoy these movies, others can not stand them, but what causes some people to love horror movies? From research I have found, the three reasons that people enjoy horror movies are because of tension, relevance, and unrealism.
Tension is generated by many things but suspense by music and gore are two that I will focus on. While watching horror movies we can feel uncomfortable, a major part of that feeling comes from the music. The minor chords are not something that we are used to so when we hear that sound before we see something we instantly become uncomfortable and scared. Two examples of the suspenseful music in the movies are Jaws and Psycho. Many people say that scary movies would not be scary if the volume is turned off, which is true, but what the gore of movies can also bring up tension in the viewer. In movies such as Saw and Cannibal show many disturbing images that make people uneasy and create tension in the viewer. They also use relevance to get people to continue watching this genre. Relevance can be split up into four different aspects of terror and fear: universal, cultural, subgroups, and personal. Universal makes horror films more relevant and use the common themes of darkness, danger, and death. Cultural is what common ideas are in the world in that time these include nuclear weapons and vampires that appeared in the late 1980’s. Subgroups exploit many of the juvenile fears. These movies hit the teenage lifestyles such as independence and identity. These settings include schools because they hit the location many teenagers and where they spend their time. Finally, unrealism is final reason that many people enjoy scary movies. People know that these scary movies are not real and for the most part can not happen, but the part that intrigues many people is the “Based on a true story.” Some of these movies include Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, and Silence of the Lambs, all based off of Ed Gein. All of these movies are not about his story, he is a platform for it and another factor to the unrealism. Unrealism also comes from the inopportune times of events. These are all topics that I will go more in depth with in my essay.
3 DeCurtins
How ever did it come to this? Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? We must chose between the lesser of two evils? At any rate, these two clowns, Trump and Clinton, are the Republican and Democratic Candidates, respectively. First off, Trump is an unnatural phenomenon of sorts, as he has absolutely no experience in holding a political office, and hardly has any experience in running for an office for that matter. Trump has gotten this far for a few reasons. One of which, and quite frankly the saddest, is American xenophobia. When Trump says ridiculous things like, “build a wall” in order to keep mexicans out of the US, he is confirming some of the deepest and darkest (and repressed in many cases) racism and xenophobia. He also calls all of the terrorists, “radical islam” and that the refugees coming to America from the syrian civil war the “trojan horse.” Just about any historian will tell you that immigration is good for the economy and should not be stopped. As far as Hillary Clinton is concerned, many voters are voting for her simply because they either don’t want Trump to be president, or they are Democrats, and that is how they feel they ought to vote. Without the political pressure to back down, Bernie Sanders could very well have run a good campaign against Donald Trump. Clinton’s political history is full of many different dark secrets and controversial things that many of her opponents love bring up against her. Her history is full of corruption and conspiracy, and she likely would not have had a shot as president if her name was not as well known and without Trump being the only other reasonable option. We must really analyze the legitimacy of each candidate, and decide which if either of these candidates, is worthy of the title: President of the United States.
Why are teenagers obsessed with technology? Why does the world revolve around digital screens? Thinking back to 20-25 years ago, things were completely different. Technology was just on the rise and wasnt yet very in depth. Life in the 1990's definitely did not revolve around technology, so why does it now? The 1990s were just the beginning of the world turning into a digitally oriented world. The children that were born in the 90's were just babies, just like how the technologies that had come about were also just that, babies. These children have grown and developed right along with the technology. They gradually adapted and became accustomed to the technologies that came about as they grew older. They taught themselves how to navigate smart phones, laptops, video games, and the most advanced technology that we have to date. As a comparison, we ARE technology. The technology is inside us, bore into our brains. Technology is all that we have ever known. Since we were children, we have slowly become more and more sucked into the digital world. At this point, we are young adults, and technology is very advanced. Specifically, our iPhones. Our phones contain everything we could ever think of, we use them for everything. We cant think of a life without our smart phones. We have become so mentally involved with technology that we are borderline obsessed with it. We are constantly on our phones. We communicate 24/7 with friends, we are never away from them. We always know the big events happening in the world, we are always up to date, and we never feel like we are out of touch.
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