Write three paragraphs that support your claim. (i.e., “You should support my claim because of THIS... because of THIS... and because of THIS....)Be as descriptive as possible. Use examples from the BOTTOM OF THE ABSTRACTION LADDER.
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Grounds is the perfect job for students because it is so flexible. Many students struggle to find jobs that will fit in with their school schedule, especially when certain classes are only offered at certain times and they may not have a large break in their schedule. On grounds crew, you make your own schedule. For example, you could work a different schedule each day of the week, come and go between work and class several times in one day, or work all of your hours for the week on Tuesday and Thursday and that would not even be a problem. You can sign up for the classes you want to take without having to worry about how you are going to work. In addition to choosing your own schedule, you can skip work if necessary for various reasons, be it school, family, or anything else that may come up. I have never heard of another job on campus (or anywhere else in the world for that matter) that would be more willing to work with a person’s schedule than BYU grounds.
ReplyDeleteOne more reason why grounds is the best job for students is because of the fun social environment it provides. I can confidently say that the best friends I have made since starting college, besides my roommates, are my fellow crew members. I have gone to dances, parties, concerts, and even just to the library to study with different members of my crew. We have become so close that going to work is actually fun; I can honestly say that there have been days when I haven’t wanted to leave, as crazy as that sounds. One major factor that may discourage someone from taking a job at grounds may be that they don’t want to have to do manual labor, but when you do it with some of your best friends it becomes more bearable, even enjoyable. It’s also nice to have to opportunity to make friends with such a wide variety of students at BYU. The people you meet at grounds are not all the same age, in the same ward, working on the same major, or taking the same classes as you. Working in such a diverse environment and making friends with such a wide range of people is a unique experience that would be otherwise difficult for most BYU students to have.
Working for grounds crew is a very satisfying job. It’s not like working at a fast food restaurant or as a custodian where you come in and do the same thing every day without ever really seeing the results of your work. With grounds, you get to see the progress you have made as you walk around campus. You get to take pride in making BYU have such a beautiful campus, and you can show those you know what you have helped to create. It is true that a lot of grounds work is monotonous and never ending (weeding, raking leaves), but this is not all that grounds work entails. For example, I work on the crew that takes care of the South Hill. Over the summer, in addition to the maintenance work that will always be necessary, we engaged in a number of projects to make the area look permanently better. We spread mulch over almost the entire hillside, cut out dead grass and laid new sod where needed, and built numerous rock formations that not only will help make maintenance easier, but took a wild, overgrown area and turned it into a beautiful landscape. Anyone who had seen that hill before last summer will agree that it was quite the transformation, and I get the satisfaction of being able to say I was a part of that. Very few other jobs available to students on campus provide them with the opportunity to see the impact their work has made the way grounds crew does.
The Lord of the Rings is the perfect epic for anyone.
ReplyDeleteReasons:
1. The underlying message of The Lord of the Rings is that good always overcomes evil. Everyone can benefit from the uplifting overall message of the power of even the smallest person, or hobbit, to make the world a better place for the rest of humanity. Teaches to recognize the good and evil characteristics in personalities, in a harmless way because many characters are not technically human. Good is embodied in the hobbit heroes, Frodo and Sam, and their faithful supporters. Aragorn and Gandalf’s characters are excellent models for good friends who always stand for the good moral choices, even against the fateful odds of tens of thousands of orcs. Evil characters are usually easily spotted because they are dressed in black, look dirty, or are hideous. However, these films do not teach ignorance, in that all evil intentions come from scary looking creatures. Through the characters of Boromir and Sarumon, you can learn to recognize that evil can lurk in more unsuspecting places as well. These “friends” of the good guys have alterior motives, so you can see all different types of people. Forgiveness is shown through Boromir’s character as well because he overcomes his selfish desires and rededicates himself to protecting the cause of good. This series of movies puts in epic form the worth of fighting for good over evil.
2. There is extensive symbolism in each movie that points to a deeper, more spiritual meaning. The movie itself is adventurous and captivating, and draws out a large range of emotions, but the profound core implications make the movie fulfilling to watch on any level of interpretation. Journeys are the foundation of the trilogy. On the surface, the journeys are entertaining stories, but beneath them you can see the spiritual journeys each character must take, especially Frodo, to be successful in overcoming the temptation of the Ring. The ring tests the hearts of every creature who comes in contact with it, no matter their race or background. The Ring affects the entire earth, just as temptations do for each individual. Overcoming personal weaknesses for the cause of justice and truth and equity is an underlying message in these movies. Another symbol is the ongoing conflict of Gondor’s need for it’s rightful king. Aragorn is the heir to the throne, and only he can unite the people of Gondor and all of Middle Earth. Aragorn can be a symbol of Jesus Christ because he establishes a righteous dominion and brings peace to all people. He faithfully fights with the good in every movie, and is one of the few who can resist the power of the Ring. The layers of symbolism stretch the mind of the viewer to new depths and can be a tool for learning useful, applicable analyzing skills. Whether one simply enjoys the storyline or delves into the interpretations of symbols, the movies can be stimulating for any crowd.
3. Watching The Lord of the Rings exposes you to an array of well written, powerful music. The music is enriching and encourages an appreciation for music beyond just pop culture. The music in these movies is used to create emotional responses for almost every situation, rather than modern music’s main goal of stimulating lustful and selfish emotions. For example, there are songs for the hobbits that reflect their care free, friendly lifestyle, which heavily contrasts the song of the ring wraiths which is loud, and dark sounding. This song prepares the watcher for the terror of the threat the ring wraiths pose. Modern music almost always has a loud, constant beat with no variation. The Lord of the Rings is so much more interesting and diverse. Currently voted number two in popular music, “Sexy and I know it” is entirely about a guy singing about himself being sexy because of his body. If a person were to only listen to popular music, they would most likely be very shallow and seriously stunted when it comes to emotional development.
Claim: You gain more from a religion class if you focus on building your testimony and forget the grade.
ReplyDeleteIt is impossible for a professor to test a student’s testimony and the only time the strength of a testimony is called into question is when you face trials in your life. Also the world expects the religion classes at BYU to be the equivalent of an academically rigorous course you would find at other high level universities where the exams require hours of diligent study and preparation. However, here at BYU we are given a unique opportunity to learn by the spirit both academically and spiritually. So why would we choose to take the challenge on alone? For many years I wondered how Joseph Smith went from a farm boy with a third grade education to the eloquent and sophisticated writer that we read in the Doctrine in Covenants without “academically rigorous” university courses. If you take a closer look at how Joseph studied, he never worried about the grade or how much recognition he got for his hard work but he was always striving to strengthen his testimony. It is at times like these, when we are learning with the goal to better understand our father in heaven, that we have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion and teacher. Joseph Smith taught that the “Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge.” Heavenly Father has given us a powerful resource while on earth and it is our job to emulate Joseph Smith and show our appreciation by taking advantage of such an inspiring opportunity.
If you’re still not sure why focusing on the grade is not the best way to look at religion classes, then let me explain in a way that inspired missionaries worldwide. Some years ago Elder Jeffery R. Holland gave an inspirational talk to a group of missionaries at the MTC where he addressed what he called one of the greatest tragedies— missionaries who returned home and fail to remain active in the church. He articulated that something was wrong with the missionary program because “somehow we’d been able to throw the switch and say the words. It had come in one ear and out the other or in both ears and out our mouth, but it had never gotten down to the heart of the missionary.” This is the same experience that many of us go through as we fulfill our religion class requirements. If you are only learning the doctrine so that you can get a good grade on the next test and then promptly forget it, then as Elder Holland would put it, you’re going through the religion class but you’re not letting it go through you.
I’m not going to try to hide the fact that we receive benefits from striving for an A on our transcript, but the perk of a 4.0 is insignificant compared to what our heavenly father has planned to reward us with in heaven. Henry B. Erying reminds us that “the Master is clear about the process. Through prayer, fasting, and hard work, with a motive to serve Him, we can expect His grace to attend us. I can assure you from my own experience, that does not mean we will always be on the high end of the grading curve […] But remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life” (Oct. 2002 Ensign, Education for Real Life). Whenever I am studying for my religion class and I find that my drive is waning, then I only have to think back to the promise of President Erying and countless others and it reminds me that in many ways my religion classes is most important, because not only will I be rewarded in this life but also in the life to come. However, this is only true if we fulfill our half of the bargain as Erying warns and put the kingdom of God first.
Claim: The experience of living with roommates is one that all college students should have.
ReplyDeleteLiving with roommates helps develop the important skill of communication. Communication is important from the start. When I moved into my apartment my roommates and I did not communicate as well as we should have. Everyone organized the kitchen in different ways and no one really liked the kitchen the way it was. A couple weeks into fall semester my roommates and I decided that it was time to talk about how we really wanted the kitchen organized. Through communicating we were able to resolve the problem. Another example is at the beginning of winter semester my actual roommate and I got into a little fight. I was confused on why she was mad at me. I never communicated what was going on in my mind, so she never did. For a couple of days she did not talk to me, and it hurt. One night I told her I was sorry for whatever I did, and the next day everything was back to normal. This might seem silly to others, but this experience taught me that I must be open and communicate what is on my mind to my roommates. None of us are mind readers, so we should not pretend that we are. We should be open in all of our communication.
Living with roommates helps you understand the need of sharing. Living with your parents is nice because they pay for your basic needs and wants. Once you move out it is a whole new world. When I first arrived at BYU I thought all of my roommates were going to share everything and contribute equally to the food. The first few months this actually worked, and we were doing great. Then a few months into the semester certain roommates stopped contributing to the food supply and started eating other roommate’s food. One day I came home after a long day of school and wanted to hurry and grab some taquitos that I had bought at the beginning of the week. When I reached into the freezer, all of them were gone. I was surprised because I had not eaten any of them. I was a little mad, and began to closely monitor my food. My roommates started calling me the food police because I was always monitoring the food. I came back for winter semester and realized that I needed to share, and those things I do not want to share I needed to label. Living with roommates has helped me and I know it can help others learn that sharing is an important skill to have.
Living with roommates helps you develop relationships that cannot be developed in any other way. Throughout this year I have grown to love my roommates and they have become like my sisters. When one of us is sad, happy, mad, or frustrated we all feel it and want to be there for each other. The other day one of my roommate had a friend leave on a mission, which is always hard. That evening we decided to have a fun night so that she could get her mind off of things. We went and got cupcakes, painted nails, and put our homework aside for a while. It was one of the best nights that we have had. My roommates and I have experienced highs and lows in each of our lives. The cool thing about each of these times is that no matter what is going on in the others life’s we are always there for each other. Without the experience of living with roommates it would be harder to develop such close relationships.
Claim: Children who compete in beauty pageants at young ages will face degrading and negative consequences in their futures.
ReplyDeleteAt the young ages when many children begin competing in pageants, they are not capable of choosing for themselves whether or not it is something they want to do. Mothers, and even some fathers, of children of all ages have a vision for their child and take it upon themselves to make it happen. Sometimes accused as living vicariously through their children, parents enter their kids, sometimes less than a year old, in pageants that they choose. The children do not protest because they cannot protest. Some pageant moms insist that participation in pageants teaches confidence, public presentation, and leadership skills. Even if this is the case, the positive attributes learned by competing in pageants are nothing compared to the emotional distortion that can occur in these children.
As children get older, pageants become more competitive. In order to keep up with the well-known stars of the pageant world, parents push their kids to limits that are simply unhealthy. To beat out competition, lots of time is devoted to practicing routines. Children complain when they do not want to practice any longer, but the parents insist and often bribe the child to keep going. Pageants are often held over long periods of time, spanning from a few hours to almost a whole day. A normal three or four-year-old would take a nap in the middle of these events. However, there is no time for such things as naps when there is a pageant to be competing in. Parents give kids large amounts of sugar to keep them awake. Some even give their children coffee and energy drinks; as the children grow older they begin to demand more and more of these substances.
While the circumstances and requirements that come along with pageants are certainly unhealthy for the inward well-being of children, their outward appearances should be considered as well. Much of what goes into preparing for and participating in pageants is not age-appropriate. Little girls will spend the whole day before the pageant getting their hair and nails done. They will sometimes get facials or have their eyebrows waxed. Tanning is almost necessary to compete in pageants; a pale girl up on stage will rarely win. Young kids scream and fight while being waxed or tanned, and then scream and fight some more the next day when a make-up artist is applying heavy makeup and hairpieces. Finally, after all that torture, the girls put on their outfits. The older the girls get, the less clothing they wear in the competitions. Girls under ten years old wear tight, short, and cropped outfits. One girl wore the same costume worn by the prostitute from the movie Pretty Woman. It would be considered inappropriate for a teenager to wear such a costume, and parents put a young girl in it and let her parade around on a stage in a competition. In situations such as this one, children are being taught that it is okay to dress in such ways and that being portrayed as someone like a prostitute is a good or funny thing, something from which they can win praise and prizes.
Claim: The New England Patriots are the best team in the NFL and they will win the Super Bowl.
ReplyDeleteReason: You can look at all the statistics you want but the only one that really counts is winning, and to do that the only thing that matters is scoring more points than your opponents. The Patriots know how to put points up on the scoreboard, accumulating the 2nd most points in the NFL, only behind the Saints who are out of the playoffs. They are averaging 10 more points a game than the nearest competitor still in the hunt. This offensive prowess is possible due to the incredible receiving core that calls themselves “the Brady Bunch.” The Patriots one-two punch, Wes Welker (WR), who contributed the most receptions and receiving yards in the league, and Rob Gronkowski (TE), who secured more touchdowns than anyone else, cannot be stopped. Even when teams allot extra defenders to these receiving machines they can only hope to slow them, leaving players like Aaron Hernadez and Deon Branch, who had great seasons as well, wide open. There just isn’t a secondary in the game that can account for that many quality receivers.
Reason: I think people sometimes forget who the Patriots have on their team, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. They already have their names in the NFL record books, but the three-time Super Bowl champions added another achievement to their historic careers this year, becoming the winningest coach-QB tandem, ever. With all the great duos like, Dan Shula and Dan Marino, as well as Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw, to achieve that all-time mark in 35 games less is quite an accomplishment. Tom Brady holds the best winning percentage of any quarterback in NFL history (.772), and Brady's touchdown-to-interception ratio (2.53) is the best in NFL history among all players with 2,000 or more passing attempts. I am not a betting man, but if I were I would find it very difficult to bet against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots.
Reason: Analysts, players, and fans have always said, “Defense wins championships.” They have not taken the Patriots as seriously this year because they have the 31st ranked defense in the league. However, the ranking system is flawed. It only takes into account how much yardage a team gives up, and yes, with the Patriots ramped injury streak and inexperienced secondary they do give up a lot of yards per game, but the system doesn’t take into account the take aways, which is where the Patriots thrive. No AFC team caused more turnovers or gave up as few as the Patriots. Turnovers will make or break you in the playoffs as seen by the teams already heading home. You might as well pack your bags if you give the Patriots extra possessions.
Claim: New Years resolutions aren’t all that great- what we need to focus on is what we are doing well already.
ReplyDeleteLet’s be honest; it’s very rare that New Years resolutions don’t end up failing. A lot of the time people make too many goals and just can’t handle the stress or the time commitment. We try to “run faster than [we] have strength” even though the Book of Mormon urges us not to. All of us have heard people we know go off on tangents about their long list of New Years resolutions and how they are so excited to get started on them and that this year they really are going to do the things they say they will. Less than a month later, they admit that they have already missed a week, and after about two months they have entirely given up and make the excuse that they just don’t have the time, or joke that New Years resolutions are supposed to end around then anyway. Along with making too many goals, people tend to set unrealistic ones as well. We say we will begin going to the gym a few times a week, start eating like a health freak, or attend the temple regularly, and assume that by the end of the year we’ll be a completely different, better person. By doing this we try to deny the fact that we are in college, which means that we don’t have a lot of time to spare. Even though we have strictly good intentions, these goals just can’t happen because of the unrealistic hopes of having more time than we really do.
Too often we neglect the things we do every day that are just as important as going to the gym or eating healthier. As I mentioned before, we tend to make too many goals that can distract us or keep us from doing the things that we already do that are essential in our lives. We need to focus on these things first, and then if we want we can make one or two reasonable goals that won’t interrupt the important things we are already doing. In Dallin H. Oak’s talk Good Better Best given in the October 2007 session of General Conference, he stated that “the number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives.” We all need to take the time to sit down with a list of things we want and/or need to do, and place each item into the category of good, better, or best. By doing this, we can more easily understand and determine what things are most important for us to do. After we have done these things, we can start looking at fulfilling some of those New Years resolutions that are most likely placed in the good and better categories.
Change is a lifelong progression. If we try to make fantastic goals only once a year and we fail, we won’t try as hard to keep changing. Take a gymnast, for example. A person may have a goal of someday competing in the Olympics with American gymnastics team. There is absolutely no way this person could just become a professional gymnast overnight. This person would need to start out by learning how to stretch well in order to become flexible. Once they are flexible enough, they can start working on doing simple exercises such as a summersault or cartwheel. Once this is mastered, this person could move onto mastering a front flip or back flip on the trampoline, or on the ground with an experience person to help by spotting them. And once this is mastered, they can do a backflip without help, and so on until they finally become a professional gymnast. Just like a gymnast has to make little goals of mastering minor tricks in before he or she can use them to perform major stunts, we need to make small, realistic goals little by little in order to see a major difference over a long period of time. It will take a long time, but in reality, you will be happier, more motivated, and won’t quit as easily because you are constantly fulfilling goals that aren’t quite as hard to reach.
Claim: All members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should serve in the temple as regularly as they are able.
ReplyDeleteRegular temple attendance will enrich your life spiritually and mentally. I haven’t always been the best at scheduling time to go to the temple. Most of the time, I just feel too busy to add anything else to my already heavy load. I’m sure most students at BYU have felt this way at some time or another. We attend a prestigious university and a lot is expected of us. However, I am living proof that temple attendance is possible! For my Book of Mormon class this semester, we have been assigned a semester-long project. The goal is to enrich our lives with a weekly commitment. For my project, I have chosen to attend the temple weekly. I have had to learn to plan my schedule carefully so as to fit this extra commitment into my week. Though it may be difficult sometimes, it is possible! The feeling of peace and comfort that can be found only in the temple is worth the struggle it takes to get there. Regular temple attendance can help us busy students to slow down and appreciate everything that Heavenly Father has provided for us. Though it may seem that you can’t afford to lose that study time today, the effort you have made to get to the temple will pay off in the future! The time spent in the temple can calm anxiety for a big test, help you relax after a hectic day, and allow you to ponder the scriptures so as to further your understanding of the gospel.
Temple attendance is a commandment of God. In the millennium, we will spend a large portion of our time performing ordinances for those who did not receive the gospel in this life. Temple work is of great importance to Heavenly Father. Countless times, the brethren have counseled members of the church to go to the temple. As members of this church, we have a responsibility to follow that counsel to the best of our abilities. Elder Richard G. Scott once said, “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.” We, as latter-day saints, must proactively strive to “become what we want to be.” If a temple-goer is part of who we want to be (It’s definitely part of who I want to be!), we may have to sacrifice extra free time or a few precious hours of sleep in order to become that person.
I am from Kaysville, Utah. My high school was roughly 98% LDS, with about the same percentage enrolled in seminary. I grew up attending the Bountiful temple, which is about a 15 minute drive from my house. You would think, with the high population of latter-day saints in the surrounding area, that the Bountiful would be one of the busiest temples in the world. Unfortunately, it has one of the lowest per head percentages of work done every day. In other words, members in Utah go to the temple less often than members in other parts of the world! Though we have a temple right outside our door, we don’t make the effort to go regularly. I’m not saying that this is true of everyone. I know that there are many who are faithful in their temple work. If the rest of us could only be as faithful, temple work would progress far quicker! Though thousands of our ancestors have ordinances completed in proxy daily, there are still billions of people whose work needs to be completed. If everyone who was able made the effort to attend the temple, its work would progress much more quickly and those serving would be greatly blessed.
Abby Christensen
ReplyDeleteClaim: G2 .07 pens are the only writing utensil acceptable for human beings.
Can you imagine what sort of King our dear King Arthur would’ve been without Excalibur? What would’ve happened between David and Goliath if not for David’s sling? And if not for his trusty dagger, would Brutus have executed the murder of Julius Caesar, one of the most powerful men in the world, half as well? Nay. These men wielded powerful tools – tools that ruled kingdoms, fought giants and usurped tyrants. Sadly these days, such “ancient weaponry” has been left to museums and folklore. This begs the question of how are we, the people of this day age, supposed to rule our home or fight against corporate giants or oust the tyrants in our lives without such defenses? Oh my good people – do not loose hope. For, in the shape of an elegant retractable gel pen, lies the embodiment of hope – the Pilot G2 .07 pen.
For you pen nerds out there, you might be thinking, “But the Papermate Flair just has a bolder stroke!” or “The Precise V7 pens glide so much smoother” or, my favorite, “Zebra Sarasa pens are the exact same thing, but cheaper.” And for you normal people out there, you might be thinking, “The embodiment of our hope is a pen?” You see, I too once thought that choosing a pen required little effort, if any. Usually scrounging one up from behind the couch worked for me. But the fact of the matter is, a pen is an extension of your hand. A pen is your personal form of communication – whether you dot your “i’s” with hearts or loop your “o’s”, each letter, word, sentence is unique to your handwriting. A pen is the bridge to your diary, the key to your checks and a handy shank in ambushes. A pen can say sorry, say I love you and say I agree to the terms and conditions. Along with opposable thumbs, pens are what basically separate us from the animals. With all the power a pen can hold, it is our duty to demand the best.
If one were to look up “best” in the thesaurus, strawberry sherbet, tennis, the Beatles and G2 pens would invariably show up. Though smaller and lighter, the Pilot G2 .07 pen is just as quick and twice as sharp as any sword or sling. The design of the pen itself is so hand friendly, that you’ll wonder where your hand learned to spout ink. The strong smooth strokes and smear proof formula are just bonuses – did I mention they’re earth friendly? All the greatest attributes of various pens can be found in one. With the G2 as your guide, worlds of possibility are yours to own. What better way to sign your name? What better way to check off your list? What better way to write a birthday card? To put it simply, what’s better than the best?
Claim: Imagination is fading in children but it doesn't have to
ReplyDeleteI believe in magic, do you? I grew up with a brown sheet. That sheet took me to places unknown to the outside world. I was on a boat, in a house or a tent, in a castle; that sheet knew of lands that I haven’t been able to find in years. I didn’t need a computer or an Xbox. All I needed was a little daylight, my brown sheet, and my imagination. Imagination is the most powerful thing we have; it’s the magic we see in the world. It breaks my heart watching children grow up glued to the television and their game systems and their computer screens. Looking back, the best days I can remember are the hot summer afternoons that my mom kicked us out to play for a few hours. The only time we were allowed inside was to get a new Popsicle to keep us cool. Our imaginations ran wild as we tried to keep our games going till dark. It was really something special.
“We get the magic educated right out of our souls.” I’m not sure who said that, but I couldn’t agree more. By the time kids are just five years old they are put into the school system. They hear things like: “Color in the lines.” “Don’t make a mess.” “Play this way.” What is this doing to our children? The magic within them in being conformed into what the schools think is proper. I’m not saying structure is unnecessary, but we might be crushing their creativity. Maybe we should let them color outside the lines, come up with their own rules to games, let them think outside the box. Magic runs through their veins, and just because we let that go, doesn’t mean they need to be in a rush to do the same.
The youth are becoming dependent on media, and it’s sad. All it takes to get a temper tantrum out of a kid these days is taking away the game boy or TV privileges. It was such a shocking experience for me to babysit. I told some kids that the TV needed to be shut off and it was time to go outside. After a little crying, I got them into the daylight, but they just sat there. I was baffled. There are so many things to make up and dream up! They sat there with a pouting face and said, “There’s nothing to do!” Without the video games and movies, they couldn’t come up with anything to do. What happened to the magic? When did they lose it? Kids need to imagine, put the media down and let the magic flow. It doesn’t last forever, but I wish they’d hold on just a little bit longer.
Myra Lai
ReplyDeleteClaim: Recycling needs to be improved. Substantially.
Reason: Recycling helps slow down the rate at which we fill landfills. When we recycle, we have less waste that will end up being dumped into landfills, possibly by up to 75%. This decreases our need for more land for more landfills, and land would thus be available to us for longer periods of time for more profitable uses instead. A reduced need for landfills means less competition for land, especially since landfills require a very wide radius around it due to the smell and possible leeching of chemicals; such as leachate, which is the product of plastic breakdown; into the ground. If we don’t reduce our waste, landfill space is going to creep closer and closer to residential areas. That could lower property prices, damage the health of the people if contaminants seep into drinking sources, or make living nearby really awful due to the smell.
Reason: Recycling saves energy and the Earth’s resources. When we recycle, we conserve our natural resources and raw materials, making them last longer. For example, 17 trees are saved when we recycle a ton of paper, which means fewer trees need to be cut down in the future to be converted into new paper or other wood-based products. Furthermore, it takes 64% more energy to make paper from scratch as compared to recycling it. The energy used to produce the metal for one aluminum can is about the same as that needed to recycle around two dozen. Burning plastic consumes twice as much energy as recycling it. With our limited amount of fossil fuels and oils left on the Earth, I think all of us should really try to reduce our energy consumption. Recycling would be such an easy place to start.
Reason: I’m used to recycling and I can’t stand not doing it here. Back home in Singapore, each block had its own recycling bin provided by a government-contracted company. Recycling bags would also be distributed monthly to, and collected from each household by the same company. Since most of our waste is generated in the home; such as milk/juice cartons, soft drink/tin cans, plastic bottles of various sizes, cardboard boxes; recycling was made really convenient as we could just rinse the items and place them immediately into the bags provided. Then we just had to place them on our doorsteps on the listed date and the company would come and take care of it. Sure, it took a little while to get into the habit of thinking before throwing, but it becomes natural really fast. I definitely could see that my family had less waste after we increased our recycling efforts, and it does feel good to know that you are contributing towards saving the Earth and its resources. But, it is so hard to recycle in Provo! Student housing doesn’t seem to have any form of recycling options available. And the nearest recycling cans are on campus. That’s really convenient. Not.
Claim: They Lakers should be willing to trade both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol for Dqight Howard
ReplyDeleteReason: Statistically Dwight Howard's impact justifies giving up both Gasol and Bynum. Adding D12 for Pau and Drew statistically makes sense for the Lakers. On paper it at first may not make sense. Initially it looks as if you’re essentially trading 14 feet of proven and talented role-playing all stars for 7 feet of NBA superstar. But the Magic have made it well known that any team that takes D12 will also be taking the contract of Hedo Turkoglu along with him. Regular season statistics, especially for veteran players, are not very indicative of their ability to contribute, many veterans coast during the season and step it up only in the playoffs. So to compare this potential trade statistically, lets compare last season’s playoff numbers. Bynum (14.4 and 9.6) and Gasol (13.1 and 7.8) gave the Lakers a combined 27.5 points and 17.4 rebounds last season when it mattered in the playoffs. And it was well noted that these contributions were not enough, as they were bounced in the second round. Bounced is a pretty generous term actually; a more appropriate term might be back-alley-whipped. In comparison D12 gave his Magic 27 points and 15.5 rebounds in the playoffs last season. Alone. Throw in Hedo’s (9.2 and 3.2) contributions, and this potential trade gave its team 36.2 points and 18.2 points in the playoffs last season.
Reason: Dwight Howard not only statistically makes the Lakers better, he also brings the intangible "Star Power" to LA. As noted earlier, the NBA is a league of superstars. The influence they have on the league is unrivaled by other professional team sports (see Melo last year, LeBron last summer, Chris Paul this summer and, now, Dwight Howard). And among the superstars of the league, Superman’s smile shines brighter than perhaps any other stars right now. Getting Dwight Howard to the Lakers needs to happen, and not only because he will help the team win games. Dwight Howard is one of the league’s most recognizable faces. He’s a fan favorite with no controversial history. He basks in the media spotlight, and says all the right things. While his on the court accolades are duly noted (3x defensive player of the year, 5x all star and 2nd in MVP voting last season) off the court he would rejuvenate the Lakers franchise in a way that Gasol and Bynum can never do, regardless of the numbers they put up. It would bring the media spotlight back to LA.
Reason: The Lakers need someone to lead them post-Kobe, both on and off the court. Dwight Howard fits the bill. The Lakers have long been a championship contender. They are the Yankees of the NBA; they do not rebuild they simply reload their roster with talent on the fly. Kobe Bryant’s prime will soon be coming to a close, and they need another future hall-of-famer to carry this team for the next decade. Trading for D12 isn’t just about contending for the next three years while Kobe is able to still play. It’s about building another dominant era of Lakers basketball. And what better star to build around then the super durable Superman. D12’s durability is well noted, having missed only 5 games due to injury in his 8 seasons. That kind of durability is incredible; especially when compared to Bynum, who missed 27 games last year alone and has a history of injury.
Claim: Occupy Wall Street is not a moral movement in which people should participate.
ReplyDeleteThe participants of Occupy Wall Street are upset because the top 1% of the nation's citizens hold a disproportionate percentage of the total wealth in the nation. They think that it is unfair that some people should have so much more money than others. They believe that everybody is not only entitled to the pursuit of happiness, but to actual happiness as well, for some reason thinking that more money will get them happiness. However, if instead of looking at just this country and instead looking at the entire world, you will find that approximately $35,000 per year is in the top 1% of the world. By the Occupy movement's reasoning, everybody in the US who makes more than $35,000 per year - which many followers of the Occupy movement do - should give all their money away to the rest of the world until they have only $35,000. For some reason, I don't think that these people will do this, making them seem very hypocritical.
In Matthew 7:16, the Savior said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." So it makes sense that if the participants of the Occupy movement were morally upright people working through legal methods to achieve their goal, they might be a good movement. But they aren't. The original Occupy movement took place Zuccotti Park in New York City. The park is a privately owned park, making the entire host of Occupy protesters trespassers. That in itself is illegal. However, it goes farther than that. Zuccotti Park was cleaned every night before the Occupy protest began. Because of the protest, the park could not be cleaned for over a month. During this month, people were sleeping in sleeping bags on the street. Some began to start doing their business in the middle of the street, and one even went so far as to do it on a police car. Furthermore, the protest began to look like Woodstock, with many people having sex in the middle of the street. Obviously, the fruits of the Occupy movement are not good. Therefore, the movement itself is not one in which people who consider themselves moral and upright should participate in.
The people of the Occupy movement are upset because of the large amount of wealth that the top 1% of the nation controls. They want to take this wealth and redistribute among the other citizens of the US. To me, this just seems wrong. They want to go to somebody who has earned a lot of money, and just because that person has more money, they want to steal it and give it away. How would you feel if you earned, say, $2.5 million every year, and then somebody came up to you and took it all and gave it away. I would be pretty upset if that happened to me. The members of the Occupy movement need to learn that the best way to get money from rich people is to get a job, not complain.
Claim: The rising generation is losing the ability to communicate face to face.
ReplyDeleteReason: Text messaging is one of the most popular forms of communication today. The rising generation is getting cell phones earlier in life than in the past, so they are starting their text message addiction earlier. Texting is simpler and easier to use to most young people with the advancement of cell phones. Cell phones are being created to make texting faster and easier. One way is through the new ability of most phones to use Swype. With Swype it increases the amount of words that a person can send in less time, resulting in more text messages. With the two options of calling and texting, young people would say that texting is a faster and easier form of communication, thus they do it more often.
Reason: With the new trend of gaming, the rising generation is spending hours secluded playing video games. With the advancement of gaming consoles, more and more people are stepping into the virtual realities games create. Spending hours on end playing video games limits the social interactions happening between young people. With fewer interactions between them, young people are slowly losing their ability to communicate with adults and others on a personal level. Social interactions happen every day throughout the world, and with the rising generation losing the ability to communicate with others, it will have an impact on the future of our society.
Reason: Social networking such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are cutting off the personal connection through which people used to communicate. Instead of talking with someone in person, now days you can just send them a little message. Without having to ever see a person, people can become “online” friends. On Facebook, many of my friends have over 500 other friends in which they supposedly communicate. With that many people as friends, no one can really expect to be close friends with all of them and have personal contact with each and every one of them. Most people in a friend list of 500 are just acquaintances and have no other contact with that person except to see their updates. With the dwindling number of close friendships, close personal contact is being lost and with it the hope of the rising generation’s face to face interactions.
Claim: all freshmen should live on campus for their first year.
ReplyDeleteReason: Living on campus increases your accessibility to the school. If you live on-campus, you can easily walk to your classes, the library, the computer labs, etc. You don't have to waste time and money on waking up in time to shower, get ready, drive to school, find a parking space, and then trudge to your class in the snow. Living on-campus is especially convenient when you've forgotten that ten page research paper on your desk and you only have ten minutes before the deadline.
Reason: When coming to college many experience the challenge of not knowing a lot of people. On-campus housing is a vital part of creating your college social life. Living on the BYU campus will allow you to meet more people and establish more friendships than living off-campus. Living in a dorm means that there will always be someone around to hang out with. Dorms are a great way to become aware of any campus activities and how to be involved in them. Not to mention all the members of your student ward will be close together and therefore you are able to coordinate ward activities and form study groups easier.
Reason: After spending all day rushing around, going from class to class, relaxation is vital for college survival. On-campus life is a simple solution. If you live in the dorms, you don't have to worry about monthly rent payments, utility bills, and grocery shopping. For example, students who live on-campus at Helaman Halls are required to purchase a meal plan in order to make eating easy and convenient. With a swipe of a card, you have more dining options than you can consume. While students in Heritage housing can purchase meal plans, many prefer to use their kitchen and make their own meals. This can be less expensive and healthier than the dining plans but also more of a chore when you have hours of homework to finish.
Claim: There is no such thing as a “Non-dancing” show in Musical Theatre.
ReplyDeleteReasons:
1. Theatre is a very visual art form, and dance is a defining characteristic of musical theater. While it does contain audio elements, its primary sense is visual. You don’t go to “hear” a musical but to “see” a musical; if you do go to hear one (if the soundtrack isn’t enough for you) then you would go to a concert performance of the show (i.e. Les Miserables). However a true musical in its original form is highly visual. Musicals involve lighting, costumes, hair, make-up, expansive set building, properties, blocking, and movement or dance! Musical theatre was an offspring of opera and the oratorio. An oratorio is a musical production similar to an opera, but the performers don’t have costumes and the lighting is very basic. So what are the differences between a musical and an opera or oratorio? Spoken word and, more importantly, dance!
2. The dance/movement of musical theater is what has kept this art form alive throughout the ages. It’s that final element that makes a show a musical. There is a saying in the theater that goes along the lines of “When words aren’t enough, sing it. If singing isn’t enough, dance it!” The reason we have dance breaks is because speaking or singing what we feel no longer effectively portraying our emotions. It’s the theater’s form of bolding, capitalizing, and italicizing a word all at once. It’s generally the climax of the show. For instance, think about the recently revived musical Anything Goes. The title number of the show, the first act closer, is a giant tap dance! If the script says “Dance Break”, you had better be sure it is worth the audience’s time. Otherwise, your audience will become bored or distracted from the story, making it difficult for the audience to care whether or not Bloody Mary convinces Lt. Cable to go to Bali Hai.
3. Dance is the thing that sticks with an audience the longest and is relatable to all ages. Ask any person you meet outside the theater circle. If you ask someone a musical they’ve seen, most likely the first thing they will say is “Singing in the Rain.” Why do they like it? Because of the dancing! Chances are they’ve seen other musicals too, but what was the first thing that came to their mind? The dancing musical. Children and adults alike find it entertaining and captivating; which will keep your full audience’s attention. As frequent theatre-goers, all of us have had to endure at least one awful show. What’s the tip-off to audience members on how amateur a production is? The dancing! When you see three different timings of a jazz square, you know you are in trouble. If your audience sees that special care was not taken into all aspects of the show, why should they do the same? A sure fire way to lose your audience’s attention is to produce eye sores. If you want audience members to come to next year’s production of Drowsy Chaperone, you had better make sure you didn’t underestimate “Never Fully Dressed without a Smile” in this year’s Annie. Otherwise, your audience will be leaving without one.