Welcome back everyone! Because I LOVE LOVE LOVE my passion blog, I decided to pick a topic that was the same or very similar to the topic I picked last semester. As you all know, last semester I wrote about my health food obsession. This semester, I decided to stick with a fitness theme and either continue writing my blog about my experience with healthy food at Penn State or branch off on another health topic and discuss my love for Crossfit. I participate in the Crossfit club here at Penn State and often find that many people have misconceptions about the “sport.” I would use my blog to discuss those misconceptions and give more detail about this aerobic lifting phenomenon.
As for my Civic Issues blog, I really wanted to focus on the LGBTA community. I recently over break found out that my neighbors, two wonderful women, would be getting married this month after living together for over 20 years. Obviously I was ecstatic for them and very supportive. I thought for the Civic Issues blog I could look into what states current accept gay marriage and why (i.e. specific cases or protests in the state) they have that rules. It would not only satisfy my interest in the legality of gay marriage but it would also allow me to gain more knowledge and educate my readers about how the US is reacting to the LGBTA community. My only other thought for this blog idea would be discussing the sexuality of woman. More specifically in terms of rape. By examining specific cases, I would try to disprove what is often stated that provocative dressing etc. is what often leads and encourages rape and that the women involved “disserve it.” There are multiple cases like this that have been seen in the United States in the last 10 years.
The “This I Believe” topic is still REALLY in the works. I grew up listening to the essays on the radio and would really like to write a wonderful piece that I could share with my family. Unfortunately, I am experiencing a wonderful case of the writer’s block. A few topics that I came up with were the importance of family dinners, importance of knowing self-defense and the importance of knowing how to garden. I am not sure if I am taking the complete wrong approach to this essay thus far so feedback would be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, I will continue to brainstorm! Can’t wait for another RCL semester with you wonderful people!
I think all of your ideas are great! I especially like the idea about the women’s sexuality. There are some really fantastic poems about that subject that we read in my English class last year, and I think it’s a very interesting topic. I also like your idea to write about healthy eating at Penn State and cross fit! We did a few days of cross fit in my high school gym class, but I really know nothing about it, and I would like to learn more.
I like that you want to continue with the same topic for your passion blog, you are very passionate about being healthy and I think that makes an interesting blog. I think it would be really interesting if you wrote about LGBTA community. Its an issue that is really becoming important in our country and it would be interesting to analyze. I like your ideas for “This I Believe” just try to make whatever topic you choose more personal. You don’t want your podcast to be too generic.
I think your topics for the this I believe are great! Especially gardening; I didn’t expect it, and it’s specific enough that you could go into depth describing it while still relating it to some larger meaning .
I would be curious to see your LGBTA blog. I think it’d be interesting to analyze how those rights have come, the constitutional amendments that provide for that (article 14) and their discussion in the supreme court. I’d also be interested in comparing the LGBTA movement to segregation; a lot of the arguments are the same, except I think the courts mandated integration before it was socially acceptable, whereas it happened in the opposite way with the LGBTA community.
Passion blog idea: This is so you. Every time I think of Shannon, I think of a health nut that is so in shape and loves to exercise. And because that is kind of me, too, I would really enjoy reading your blog and getting your take on how to maintain healthy living at college, as it’s actually a lot more difficult than one would imagine. I think this is a great idea and I would really enjoy reading your blog if you chose to continue with this topic! (I would read it anyways, but this one in particular would be really fascinating for me).
Civic Issues: I really like this idea. I think it’s one that not many people would touch on, and I think its a topic that doesn’t necessarily demand to be addressed but has a lot of interesting viewpoints. I think there’s a lot to be said about it and I think you could approach it in a way that showcases how different the views are. Because its something thats not necessarily a prevalent topic in todays society, but still one of importance, it would be a great way to write about a subject that does not get as much attention as it deserves.
“This I believe”: Even though your topics are still in the works, I was thinking about doing something similar to the importance of family dinners as well. I think this is a great topic, however one that is also very common. So while I LOVE this idea my only piece of advice would be give REALLY specific examples to support your beliefs. Make it your own! That being said, the importance of gardening sounds so unbelievably fascinating and I would really enjoy reading where you ending up going with that!
Everything that you had an idea for in this post seems like very good possible ideas. Specifically I like the importance of family dinners for the “This I Believe”, the Crossfit idea for passion, and LGBTA for civic issues. You could really do any of the ideas that you have layed out here. Good luck!
Hi shannon! Hope your break went well. I love the continuation of your passion blog, loved the first topic and you clearly are passionate so love it. For your civic issues blog, it’s cool you can connect your issue to your neighbors. For the “This I Believe” topic I think you should pick a topic that is relevant to just you, something that only you specifically believe in. Knowing self – defense could be interesting if you have a story that links along with it. Good luck!