Tag Archives: RCL

My Future after Penn State

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While I haven’t been thinking too much about  what I want to do after college yet, since I’m just trying to get through my Freshman year in one piece, there are a couple of things I would like to do in regards to a civic life.

One of the overall goals of my college career is to commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. Being in the Air Force will automatically set me up to carry out civic acts. But, I’m not talking just about defending the country and its people. I see myself traveling around in Europe and utilizing my degree in Russian.

What does knowing Russian and the Air Force going to do for my civic life, you may ask?

Well, one of my dream’s is to help out with Eastern European orphanages. Coming from one, I know how scared and confused they are. My plan is to increase the awareness of these orphanages. Maybe even getting to the point where when I come home every now and then  I can tell friends, family, etc. about the children who need to be adopted. I originally came over on a medical visa, so I would want to help other children get those medical visas. This will open the doors for them to not only get better healthcare than the orphanages provide, but to have the chance of meeting a family who wants to adopt. The Air Force will give me the opportunities to travel and be stationed at bases in places like Prague, Czech Rep., Budapest, Hungry, or Moldova. These places do have some Russian-speaking areas, so that will be where my focus is.

I think helping children is one of the best ways to pursue a civic life, since, as the clique saying states, children are our future.

We’ll see how it all goes in about ten years down the road.

I Advocate for Animals

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In this week’s RCL post we have to elaborate on an idea for our advocacy campaign. To explore this idea, we have to look at the audience we want to target and the media format we will use to get our idea across to that audience.

The reoccurring example of my issue brief and, consequently, my advocacy campaign is the SeaWorld’s bull killer whale Tilikum. From the time he was born in 1981 to the present. Tilikum has been in captivity. He is actually the biggest killer whale to ever be held captive. As a result, he has been a main attraction his whole life. Before he killed Dawn Brancheau in 2010, Tilikum was one of the favorites among the SeaWorld trainers. The general public enjoyed him just as much.

When a person thinks of SeaWorld they are most likely thinking about the orcas and dolphins. This is the reason why my advocacy campaign will be directed to an audience that consists of marine park visitors. The visitors at SeaWorld are shown an exciting display of tricks performed by killer whales, dolphins, sea lions, etc. What they don’t see, however, is what life is like for the animals after the shows. Unlike the executives of companies like SeaWorld, the visitors aren’t biased when it comes to the welfare of the animals. The companies want to make money so they do whatever they can with the animals to keep making money. The visitors come to SeaWorld because they’re interested and excited to see a killer whale in person. The only way a policy against animal captivity can be advocated is through the general public who visit the marine parks. Their money is what fuels the parks and, as a result, the mistreatment of the animals.

I believe the best way to advocate for the animals is through a TED Talk. With a TED Talk, you can incorporate pictures, videos, and short, powerful sayings. In this particular advocacy campaign, the pictures say a thousand words. Through the use of a TED Talk, I’ll be able to show the audience, the marine park visitors, everything that SeaWorld doesn’t show them. I can give them the facts while they can see them for themselves.

 

My Writing Process

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In this week’s RCL post, we have to elaborate on our writing process. Specifically, writing that’s directed towards assignments in school versus writing during free time.

The first part of my writing process involves the “where” component.

Generally, I need to be in a quiet place to start brainstorming ideas. I tend to get the best ideas in the shower or when I’m laying in bed at night. Any place that I know someone won’t bother me will work just as well. When I start writing, however, I find that being in a crowded place sometimes helps. There are times when I need to be around others in order to start writing. For instance, I enjoy going to the HUB to work on a couple of papers because the commotion acts as a catalyst for ideas.

The second part of my writing process is based on the “when”.

Coming to college, I found out that it’s impossible for me to write anything during the evening or late at night. All I focus on is how tired I am. To remedy this, I started waking up early in the mornings. What I realized is that my writing process is at its peak when I first wake up in the morning. Now, I go to bed at a decent hour and simply get up extra early in the morning.

The last part of my writing process incorporates how I actually write.

The first thing I do is grab a blank sheet of paper and start jotting down ideas. I’ll usually even write out my introduction by hand. This helps me form ideas so when I look at an empty computer screen I can start typing away. Writing first by hand decreases the chances of acquiring a writer’s block.

My writing process also varies. It’s never a standard process that I follow. Whenever I’m writing, I usually just fellow a method that works and gets the assignment completed.

Peta.

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For the RCL post this week we’ve been assigned to pick an advocacy campaign and argue whether or not they use persuasion or propaganda.

The first advocacy campaign that came to mind was People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or more commonly known as Peta. For awhile now, there has been mixed feelings about this particular advocacy campaign. It cannot be refuted that this organization strives for an excellent goal: better treatment of animals.  However, looking at purely advertisements, this advocacy group has run into major resentment from the public and,now, are known for having atrocious ads.

Below are just a few of the most shocking advertisements endorsed by Peta:

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It can be seen from even these examples that Peta uses propaganda to sway the opinion of their audience rather than persuasion. Not only are many of these ads tactless, but many of them aren’t true to the facts, such as the “Got Autism?” ad which linked drinking milk to having autism. Peta’s advertisements continually use female body image to attract attention as well as  celebrity endorsers. The purpose of these ads is to grab the viewer’s attention, no matter in what way. While Peta is trying to send an ethical message to the public about the maltreatment of animals and gain support for their cause, their propaganda turns most away from the advocacy group. Many people disagree with their ads and find them highly offensive. Unfortunately, because of this, Peta has now become the butt of a few jokes and has even lost some support from the public. Their use of propaganda has affected their image in the public’s eye. For many people, when they think of Peta, they think of the organization’s bold propaganda rather than the good deeds they are trying to accomplish. Most of their ads are not reliable and, therefore, make the advocacy campaign unreliable.

Maybe if Peta used persuasion instead of propaganda they would have a much better reputation and many more supporters.

 

Advocacy and Persuasion Possibilities

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For Unit 7, our major assignment is to argue for or against an existing policy, or come up with a new policy in regards to an area of interest.

The first idea I had in mind is more broad than the other two; shark conservation.

It’s no secret that millions of sharks are killed every year through poaching and commercial fishing. While the U.S. did pass a law in 2000 to try to combat the shark fishing, a stricter policy needs to be implemented because many sharks still get killed every year.

The second idea I had is still broad, but more related to the U.S.

By now, most, if not all, people have heard about the killer whale at Sea World who killed one of the trainers during the show. The media put the blame on either the trainer or the killer whale, Tilikum. What most people don’t know is who is actually to blame. A documentary named Blackfish revealed to the viewers who was to blame, Sea World. The documentary explored the history of Tilikum from when he was captured, to his home at the Sealand of the Pacific, and finally to his captivity in Sea World. Using this case as a centerpiece I want to advocate stronger policies on animal captivity, in regards to amusement parks like Sea World and Sealand of the Pacific.

The third idea I had is the most specific. One of Penn State’s policies is that first-year students must live on campus and, consequently, they have to purchase a meal plan. The area of focus for my third idea is the purchase of a meal plan. My idea is that Penn State should allow students to choose whether or not they purchase a meal plan and if they choose not to do so, then there will be a kitchen available to them. This idea stems from two of my roommates being vegan and having hardly any options at the dining commons. They end up eating large amounts of unhealthy food because there is nothing else for them to eat. They would benefit by not purchasing a meal plan and, instead, having a kitchen to cook their own meals.

As of now, I’m leaning more towards my second idea.

Difference in Deliberation Matters

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For our RCL post this week we have to find two examples of online deliberation, one being the best we can find and the other being the worst, and then make an explanation as to why the outcomes are different.

The best online deliberation I found was a discussion on Facebook involving my flight (Air Force ROTC). Each week AFROTC has events planned to boost up morale. Last week, however, nothing was planned because of THON. My flight didn’t want to go a week without having some sort of morale event together. As a result, a deliberation was set up online to discuss what everyone wanted to do, i.e. go to THON, have dinner together, go to the gym together, etc. We all reached a conclusion pretty quickly. Everyone wanted to go to THON together. This deliberation was highly successful in a short amount of time.

The worst example of an online deliberation I found also involved my flight on Facebook (surprisingly, you can find numerous examples of deliberations on Facebook). One of the upperclassman of our flight needed someone to step up to become a Recruiting Officer. Three people all volunteered, but the upperclassman only needed one officer. The three cadets had a hard time figuring out who should be the Recruiting Officer because they were all willing to do it. After some indecisive arguments amongst the lower cadets, the upperclassman yelled (or wrote in all caps) at them to make a decision. Finally, one person was chosen. Although the deliberation reached a conclusion, it wasn’t as successful as the previous example of online deliberation.

Why?

In the best example, the flight commander worked with the rest of the flight to make a decision. This gave everyone some direction in regards to what were the possible choices of activities because, obviously, going to the bars or to a  party would not be appropriate or possible at all. Whereas in the worst example, the upperclassman who was looking for a Recruiting Officer didn’t help out with the decision making process. He didn’t make any suggestions such as “if you have an easy work load this semester than this job would be favorable”. The three cadets had to make a decision without any direction or any information on what the job entailed. While both deliberations had an outcome, the second example took much longer to produce a result than the first one and in the second example the cadets felt uncomfortable getting yelled at over Facebook.

 

Deliberation Reflections

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The Five Days of Deliberation are finally over. The various arguments about how to change higher education are slowly starting to dwindle down in my mind and other matters are taking their place. But, before these arguments completely settle down, there are a few things I have to say.

Overall, I believe my group did a fantastic job talking about numerous arguments at all different angles. We talked about how maybe we should try to fix the primary education before higher education because fixing the primary education system could cause a rippling effect. This point was most talked about when discussing Option 2 (which was working together to repair an ailing society). During this part of the deliberation we said it might be easier to teach people to work together at a younger age because they are more accepting.

However, we also discussed that since the deliberation was on higher education, then we should focus on higher education and not primary education. My wish is that we could have spent more time talking about primary education. Advancing the primary education will allow for an advancement of higher education. In relevance to Option 3 (ensure everybody has a fair chance), I believe primary education allows for this option to be more possible than higher education. You don’t need to write essays, submit SAT’s/ACT’s, submit an application, etc. Primary education, I feel, has less obstacles than higher education and, therefore, can give more students a fair chance. I believe that by looking at primary education you are actually going “outside of the box” in terms of deliberation of fixing the higher education system. This idea goes along with the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.

Primary education could push options 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously, possibly better than higher education. I mean, we are who we are today because of our past. So, if we focus on primary education, maybe higher education will reap the benefits as well.

National Issues Forums

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When I first started reading this issue guide on Higher Education I expected the information to be boring and far from anything I could personally relate to. However, by the second page it was clear to me that this guide was dealing with issues completely relevant to my life. There have been so many rants in the past few years on the cost of college. I never understood why society places so much importance on higher education and yet the costs are astronomical.

I was glad to find out how the National Issues Forums Issue Guide addressed the problems dealing with higher education. The Issue Guide suggested three  different options on how the higher educational system could change.

The first option: Focus on Staying Competitive in the Global Economy

This option is based around the idea that math and science fields are “better”. I particularly did not like this option because it implied how some subjects are better than others, which I believe is false. I will agree that math and science are important, but so are fields such as languages and art. Not everyone is geared towards math and science. Some people are naturally talented in the arts and humanities. We need all the fields working together.

The second option: Work Together and Repair an Ailing Society

This option put emphasis on strengthening ethical values. The Issue Guide states how, as a society, we are losing trust with one another. I agree with this statement completely. The exclamation “Oh, I have no more faith in humanity” is becoming more and more frequently used, which is alarming.

The third option: Ensure that Everyone Gets a Fair Chance

This option basically states that everyone should get an equal opportunity. While it’s a great sentiment, I simply don’t think it’s realistic. There’s always going to be someone who gets the short end of the stick.

Overall, I found the Issue Guide to be highly beneficial. These issues are important to us because the decisions made, if there are any made, affect us directly. The title of the Issue Guide is “Shaping Our Future” and, as clique as this sounds, we are our future.

 

College and Changed Views

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It’s safe to say that everyone changes once they get to college. For me, I definitely knew I was going to change. I knew my ideas, beliefs, and values would change. I just didn’t know in what way. Now, after experiencing my first semester at college I know how I changed in those first few months.

My first semester was riddled with challenges. I had to learn to balance ROTC, hard courses, and a social life. Unfortunately, I only was able to handle ROTC and my classes. Not having an exciting social life challenged one of my biggest beliefs.

Coming to college I believed I had to work hard all the time. When it came to studying, I was extremely anal. I would sit in the Stacks until midnight Friday, Saturday, and sometimes, Sunday. I didn’t have fun. I didn’t get to branch out to join new clubs and make new friends. I didn’t live. I kept thinking to myself “I’m attending one of the best universities in the world and yet I’m miserable”. By the end of the semester I, with the help of a meaningful conversation with my grandmother, realized that it’s okay to let loose sometimes. You can’t get A’s all the time. You only get the “college experience” once so you have to make the most of it. College isn’t all about being the best and sacrificing everything for good grades. College is about having that one period of your life where YOU make the decisions, YOU explore what you want, and YOU live the way you want to live.

All throughout high school I was that kid who had to get straight A’s. If I didn’t get an A on a paper or test I would obsess about it for the rest of the day. Of Course, coming to college I expected to get A’s all the time. But, instead, college handed me a reality check. No matter how hard I would work in a particular class I would get a B on everything. I eventually had to learn that getting B’s were okay too. I’m still going to strive for the A, but if I get a B instead then I’ll still be happy because I would know that I did my best.

College challenged me in a way I never expected.

 

This I Believe: Finding Freedom to Forgiveness

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The RCL post this week involves listening to an episode of NPR’s “This I believe” and evaluating what makes it compelling.

In 1984, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino sent Ronald Cotton to jail for raping her. Eleven years later, DNA evidence concluded that Ronald Cotton was innocent. Instead of hating her Cotton and Thompson-Cannino formed a friendship.

What struck me first when I listened to this podcast was that it was performed as a duet. Cotton and Thompson-Cannino took turns speaking. Instead of the content being mismatched and hard to follow, everything was blended effortlessly. The podcast sounded more like a story than some of the other “This I Believe” episodes. There were numerous instances where the listener could see how well the two speakers complimented each other.

For instance, Thompson-Cannino said, at one point, that after learning she sent an innocent man to prison she was filled with overwhelming guilt and shame and she couldn’t forgive herself. A few moments later, Cotton says he forgave her sooner than most people would have thought. I particularly thought this exchange was compelling because it made the relationship between these two clearly evident.

While the delivery of the podcast is notable, I believe the content is even more important. Cotton and Thompson-Cannino touched upon a difficult life lesson to learn: forgiveness. Cotton forgave Thompson-Cannino for sending him to jail for eleven years and Thompson-Cannino not only forgave herself, but also the real man who had raped her. Their reasoning was that forgiveness gave them back their freedom. Their anger towards everything that had happened was keeping them locked in their own jails. They also noted that as soon as they decided to forgive they felt the healing power of forgiveness.

I immediately felt this was a podcast everyone should listen to because, in life, we experience hurt and betrayal. By forgiving what’s been done to us, we set ourselves free of the pain. It’s hard to forgive, but Cotton and Thompson-Cannino show that it can be done.