Blog 11

http://www.summitpost.org/living-on-the-edge-extreme-sports-and-their-role-in-society/214107

My argument paper is about extreme sports, also known as action sports. I am arguing that athletes in these sports are legitimate well-trained athletes, and that the sports are just as safe as many conventional sports. My audience is the sports world. At first I thought ESPN would be a good place for a publication like this, however I realized the majority of ESPN articles are news about certain events happening in sports, not argument articles on general topics such as mine. I thought a more suitable place for my article would be the sports section of a newspaper, and I found a similar article on the Summit Post’s website.

What issue is the article about?

·      This article is about extreme sports. It talks about the type of people involved in extreme sports, and why society needs the sports and athletes involved.

What is the author’s stance on the issue?

·      The author believes that society needs extreme sports, as well as the athletes involved.

How does the author make his or her argument? How is the piece organized?

·      The author first talks about why society cannot get rid of these sports. He explains that the athletes get a certain high from competing in these sports, and put extreme amounts of time into them. If the sports weren’t allowed, the athletes would need to get their high in other ways, such as drugs and other crimes. He then talks about the need for thrill seeking risk takers. He states that without risk takers, our country would not be where it is today. It takes risk takers to immigrate to a country, it took risk takers like Martin Luther King Jr. to stand up for slavery, the list goes on and on.

Did you agree with the writer? Why or why not?

·      I do agree with the writer, everything he says makes a lot of sense. I especially agree with the point that without extreme risk takers our country would be nowhere near where it is today. Risk taking is what America was founded on.

What did you like about what the writer did in his/her piece? What would you have done differently?

·      I liked how the author organized his two main points. The second point fed off of the first one. Also I liked the sources they used. Used a very good source to explain the type of people who do extreme sports and how important they are to society. If I were to do something differently maybe I would bring up personal experiences either with risk taking people or as one myself.

How might you incorporate some of these techniques into your own piece? What might you do similarly to the author in writing your essay?

·      I think using a lot of sources is very important in this piece. I need to establish credibility, and although I have some experience in the field, it is such a broad field that I will need to do a lot of research and incorporate many sources. 

Blog 10

http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2009040300

Clemmitt, M. (2009, April 3). Extreme sports. CQ Researcher, 19, 297-320.

Extreme Sports: Are they too dangerous?

This article is about an old but growing craze: Extreme Sports. “Extreme Sports” can range anywhere from skateboarders pulling off crazy tricks in the air, to mixed martial arts. A lot of the public see these athletes as just violence and adrenaline junkies. They don’t realize the immense skill needed for such sports. MMA is one example, where fighters use many different types of fighting. Some people want to ban it saying it’s dangerous, but athletes argue that it is safer than boxing. Extreme sports can be safer than conventional sports such as football. These “extreme sports” athletes don’t like the title.

I completely agree with this article and the athletes. People don’t know the skills needed for such sports. I snowboard and wrestle. Snowboarding and skiing take a lot of practice, especially if you want to pull off anything near the impossible tricks that are on TV. Wrestling is one technique used in MMA. Wrestling takes years and years to master, and that is just one part of MMA. MMA athletes train very very hard and need to be extremely talented. Also, I definitely believe there is a lot of merit behind the statement that these sports are safer than some conventional sports.

http://library.cqpress.com/globalresearcher/document.php?id=cqrglobal2011041900

Kiener, R. (2011, April 1). Honor killings. CQ Global Researcher, 5, 183-208.

Honor Killings

         This article is about a world wide issue: honor killings. It talks about women and children around the world that get killed because the “dishonor” their families. This issue obviously isn’t prevelant in the US, but is a big issue in other parts of the world. The killings happen for the sole reason that any woman commits or is suspected of committing an “immoral” act. These immoral acts include very small things. They happen because of ancient extremist beliefs.

         It is very easy to agree with this article. This is obviously extremely wrong and a big deal. It said that between 5,000 and 20,000 people die each year because of these honor killings. It is extremely prejudice and stupid. These potential victims need to be protected, something needs to change.

http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2007061500

Katel, P. (2007, June 15). Debating hip-hop. CQ Researcher, 17, 529-552.

Debating Hip-Hop: Does gangsta rap harm black Americans?

         This article is about hip-hop. It talks about how may rap artists are taking the “gangsta rap” approach. They are talking about hardcore problems, violence, sex, and drugs. The article says that glorifying thug culture is harming black culture. Some people are standing up against it, but it is still very popular.

         I disagree with this article for the most part. I agree that it is dumb and degrading when a rapper just talks about random violence or drugs or sex. However, a lot of these rappers grew up with extremely tough lives and were surrounded by these things. They are expressing themselves and talking about what they went through/ what they’re going through presently. Who are Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby, two of the richest people in the world, to look down on this. They have absolutely zero idea what these rappers went through. I also highly disagree that it is mostly enjoyed by white youths.  

Blog 9

The 2 major gaming systems for the past 4 or 5 years have been the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. For years people have debated which controller is better. They are both very technological controllers and very high end, let’s get into the details of both.

Xbox 360 controller (Microsoft)

The Xbox 360 controller is white and looks deceivingly big. It has some girth around the handles, allowing it to rest in the gamer’s hand, rather than be held tightly. This is preferable for gamers who like to cradle the controller. The Xbox controller is colorful and seems almost futuristic. The buttons are lettered (X,A,B,Y). Next, The “D-pad” on the Xbox controller is unique. The D-pad is the big grey button on the center-left of the controller that resembles four arrows. On the Xbox 360, the D-pad is one big button, that the gamer pushes in different directions to perform different actions. Because it is one big button rather than four little buttons, it is slightly less precise. Next, the triggers of the Xbox controller are big and spring loaded. They offer very little resistance, allowing the gamer to hold them longer without discomfort. The triggers of the Xbox 360 controller are located on the back and labeled RT for right trigger and LT for left trigger. The Xbox 360 controller has many accessories available. There are thousands of custom “skins” you can buy to cover the controller in almost any design available. These skins range from TV characters to sports teams to simple beach designs. The chargers available for the controller charge it very fast. Lastly, the Xbox battery packs last extremely long.

Playstation 3 controller (Sony)

The Playstation 3 controller is a sleek black controller and seems to be a lot smaller than the Xbox 360 controller. However, they are very close in size. The handles are a little slimmer, preferable for gamers who like to hold the controller tightly. The Playstation 3 controller looks more old school and conventional; it is very similar looking to the Playstation 2 and other older gaming system controllers. The main buttons on the controller are shapes (an X, square, circle, and triangle) again proving how basic and “old school” it is. The D-pad for this controller is located on the far left. It looks like 4 arrows as well, but they separate rather than one button. The triggers are located on top of the controller and labeled “2.” They offer slightly more resistance than the Xbox controller, making them uncomfortable to hold for extended time. The Playstation 3 controller has many accessories available as well. Gamers can design them with the same array of skins they can for the Xbox controller. The chargers for these controllers are also extremely efficient. Lastly, the battery lasts very long, but not quite as long as the Xbox controllers.

In conclusion, both controllers are top of the line and great controllers. It is all up to preference and what the gamer is used to. 

Blog7

Mike DeCotiis

Blog 7

Part 1:

            The Norton Field Guide explains in detail things to consider when constructing a website/blog in chapters 51 and 53. It talks about considering your audience, readability, usability, hypertext, interactive features, visuals and more. My blog considers a few of these topics, but not nearly all of them. When constructing the blog all I really did was pick a random color scheme, then add a picture of Jay Z as the background. I didn’t pick fonts, headers, or put any thought into the color scheme. The Jay Z picture shows my interests, but does not have much to do with writing. Is it easy to read? I definitely think so. I kept the default font and size; the writing is big enough and clear. I did not use any crazy unreadable fonts or make the font extremely small. Is the blog appropriate for a college classroom about rhetoric and writing? The background and such do not really relate that much to these subjects, but that doesn’t make it inappropriate. Does is it express who I am as a writer and student? The main thing you see in the picture is Jay Z. I’m going to say yes and no. It does not really relate to school or writing in any way. However, I have always looked up to Jay Z. He came from very little, and became not only one of the best rappers of all time, but one of the best businessmen. Jay Z is not stupid; he is a multimillionaire with his own clothes line and partial ownership of sports franchises. He also writes his own lyrics, that usually contain substance rather than just a catchy mainstream tune. He’s an inspiration to me that counts as something right? I’m not saying it can’t be improved, but I think my blog accomplishes its purpose.

Part 2:

            I changed up a lot of elements of my blog for various reasons. The first and most noticeable change is my background. I changed it to a big picture of the ocean, or some type of body of water. I did this for a few reasons. First, I love and always have loved the ocean and swimming. This helps the blog represent me personally and my interests. Next, I think it reflects me as a writer. I always focus on having a very relaxed paper that flows well. The water represents this “flow.” Lastly, I wanted to consider my audience. At least for me, the body of water has a relaxing calming feel. I want my readers to be relaxed and flow through my ideas. I also changed my color scheme. I did this for much of the same reasons as the background. I changed the colors to some greys and a dark blue. First, this helps the theme match the water background. Also, it helps convey that flow and relaxing feel I was talking about earlier. I think the new scheme definitely helps that even more. After this I went on to change my font and font color. The main reason I chose the font I chose is because it is big and easy to read. Readability is extremely important. I also like this font because it is not too serious, but not too unofficial at the same time. It conveys the exact attitude I want from my blog. The color again has to do with flow, matching, and relaxation. Between that, the ocean background, and the new color scheme, I believe I have completely changed the emotion of my blog. Lastly, I changed some sizes and layouts around. I made the right side bar with a lot of meaningless links much smaller. I also made the main part a little smaller. This allows the viewer to see the background a little more, but still easily be able to see the focus of my blog. These changes greatly enhance my blog. Some sites that inspired me to make these changes were these sample blogs and the facebook home page.

Blog Post 6

Blog 6

Part 1

I am writing about the effect of Greek Life on student grades. The scene/setting I am going to explain is the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, the house that I am currently pledging to. It certainly is not the biggest fraternity house in State College, but it’s still pretty damn big. As you approach the house from the outside the first thing you notice is the front lawn and the house’s beautiful façade. The lawn is massive, and if it’s nice outside; you’re almost guaranteed to see some brothers outside tossing a football or Frisbee around. There are few trees close to the street and the path to the house is decorated with bushes.  The left side of the house has a fenced in area called “the fortress”. It is a big open space, and often used for tailgates and whenever there are outside events. This area also houses a fire pit, grill, and bar. When you walk into the house you’re walking right into the biggest room in the house. There are couches and a huge TV. During parties and other events the couches and such get moved. During the day there are always numerous brothers hanging out in this room. To the right is a room with tables and the kitchen. The kitchen usually gets messy pretty fast, but nothing some pledges can’t handle. The room with the tables is where everyone eats. This room also has the door down to the basement. The basement is a big open area for dancing. It has a bar on the left and a stripper pole and raised floors on the right. To the left of the lounge area there are some bedrooms, and stairs that lead upstairs. Upstairs is made up entirely of bedrooms, and resembles a hotel hallway with doors everywhere. One more thing to add is that the floors are usually somewhat coated with beer/whatever else.

Part 2

Jim Reid, Vice President of Pi Kappa Alpha, Junior Smeal student

“We promote academic excellence by having mandatory study hours during pledging and supporting each other by collaborating when doing assignments/studying.”

“The upperclassmen have all taken the same classes the underclassmen are taking; we're always willing to help. “

Cary Feliciano, Delta Chi pledge, Freshman

“I don’t think Greek Life will negatively effect my grades. My brother is already in a fraternity and has maintained a 3.8GPA even during pledging, and I think it will help me prioritize more.”

Part 3

“A major goal of the fraternity and sorority community is to encourage and assist members in surpassing their academic potential.”

http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/

“All chapters are Penn State are required to hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5”

http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/forparents/faq.shtml

“Each chapter works with the University to develop comprehensive academic programs that include: GPA requirements, study sessions, goal setting, progress reports, tutoring and incentive programs.”

http://greeks.psu.edu

“about 25% of penn state students are involved in greek life”

http://collegeprowler.com/penn-state/greek-life/

Part 4

The next step in my investigation is to find out who would have the information about average GPA of penn state students, and average GPA of penn state students involved in greek life. I believe this number will be very important and meaningful. I also think it is important for me to interview a few people not involved in greek life to make it an unbiased paper. 

Blog Post 5

           In this broadcast This American Life investigates Penn State’s title as the number one party school in the country. It is an hour long, very detailed radio broadcast investigative report.

The issue it addresses is the many effects caused by drinking and partying at Penn State.

It is a very interesting issue and gives a few main reasons why it needs to be addressed. The broadcast states that the extensive drinking hurts the surrounding community. Drunken students damage property of residents at State College. These are regular people trying to live their lives, who constantly have to deal with drunk students who don’t care about anything. The broadcast gives another reason to investigate when it talks about the extreme risk and danger of students’ health. The amount of alcohol some students consume in very short periods of time is not good for them. The last reason to investigate is that drinking affects students’ grades. The broadcast cited a stat that many Penn State students admit that their grades have suffered because of alcohol and partying. 

The obvious audience is anyone involved with Penn State. The issue affects students, staff, and residents of State College. A broader audience is also other college students. This type of drinking by no means only happens at Penn State. IT happens in some form at almost every other college in the country. The American Life wants all college students participating in these behaviors to be aware of the damages it can cause.

The broadcast talks a lot about different groups of people that this issue affects. First, as I said before, it talks about residents of State College. It cites specifically one half hour period of time that the reporters were at a residence. They saw countless drunk people walking by. Some girls peed on the property, some kids threw trash, and some guys ripped a stop sign out of the ground and were dragging it down the street. This was just one night in a short period of time. It also stated a problem that I never heard of. Drunk people literally wander or break into peoples’ houses and fall sleep. The piece talks about cops and how the drinking affects them. For such a small safe town, something like 48% of the budget goes towards police enforcement. Another person related to the issue that the story cites is a deliver boy for Canyon Pizza. Canyon is a popular spot for drunk students to go late. The delivery boy told stories of how his car got severely damaged sitting outside the pizzeria. It got spit on, stepped on, and punched. The delivery boy even had his jaw broken by a severely drunk student.

After this broadcast I drew the conclusion that binge drinking is a serious college problem, but probably not going to change severely anytime soon. The broadcast also ends by making it clear that everyone associated with Penn State loves it with all their heart. It concludes with senior students saying they’ll be coming back to Penn State until they’re “old and wrinkled”.

There were literally too many interviews and too much research done to name nearly all of it. There were interviews done on students, residents, cops, deliverymen, alumni, Penn State staff (such as President Grahm Spanier), and local storeowners. There was a lot of research done having to do with the effects of bing drinking, and how much alcohol is consumed by students.

The story uses some effective narrative technique. First, it uses a lottttt of dialogue. Also, it tells some side stories and keeps you interested. The broadcast transitions with music and different act names, helping the story flow smoothly, and go a little faster.

            I definitely think this was a well done piece. I thought it was lengthy, but that may just be because I’d think anything I had to listen to for an hour is lengthy. I liked the transitions and the vast amount of information/perspectives