Advocacy Website

https://www.thelifeyoucansave.org/where-to-donate/against-malaria-foundation

This website raises money to prevent the spread of malaria. I was aware of this problem but never looked into it. I never donated money to it but I don’t necessarily disagree with the cause, just don’t associate myself with it.

They incorporated logos throughout their website in many ways. They first just layed out the facts by breaking it up into “The Problem” and “The Solution.” They laid out everything and weren’t hesitant to tell it how it is. They included this fact which I found super interesting and heart breaking, “Each year, over 200 million people become infected with malaria. Of those cases, the disease will prove fatal for 438,000 people. Seventy percent of these deaths are of children under five years old, making malaria one of the leading causes of child mortality in Africa.”

They also used a comparison method to prove themselves which also plays into ethos and establishing reliability/trust. They compared and contrasted their organization from others. Ethos also comes into play when they talk about their accountability and sustainability. They add all of their accomplishments that they have been recognized by before.

The last thing they incorporate a ton is a use of pathos. They play with the audiences emotions mainly from the pictures they post throughout the website. The pictures show deprived, african americans looking sad. It touches people because they feel bad for those people and may even feel guilt for how good they have it themselves. Once they feel some emotion, they’ll be more likely to donate.

 

Persuasive Essay Outline

OUTLINE  

Audience: Young men and women, policy makers and influencers, parents (to prepare their children for the possible social expectations they may face)

TITLE: Contraceptives – Strictly a Female’s Responsibility?

Intro: In the U.S., roughly 10.6 million women take hormonal birth control pills every day. On the other hand, men don’t take anything to prevent possible pregnancies and leave it up to the female to handle it. A man can impregnate over 360 women in a singular year meanwhile women can bear a one child per year. The issue with this is that females are facing the strain of birth control when men are the ones that have more potential in impregnating someone. Contraceptives have become the new fad within our society but the burden is being placed on the female leaving the man unaffected and lacking responsibility in a relationship.

Working thesis: By only offering female hormonal contraceptives, we are perpetuating gender expectancies and placing physical, emotional and financial strain on women.  

Background info – establish credibility

  • One man can impregnate over 360 women in a year while women can bear one child per year
  • Mens BC – injection to lower sperm count that proved to be 96% effective
  • Types of women BC
  • Men admitting they have equal responsibility in prevention but don’t share the consequences

Hint at the problem

  • Value into question
    • Shouldn’t there be a shift in focus onto male contraceptives instead of predominantly females
    • From the chart, you can see woman mostly rely on the pill, then sterilization then the condom
  • “A clinical trial of contraceptives for men was halted because of side effects—side effects that women have dealt with for decades.”
    • Mens side effects: mood swings, depression
    • Women side effects
      • Pill –  Headaches, nausea, menstrual cramps, yeast infections, breast tenderness, acne, mood swings, and weight gain.
      • IUD – pelvic or abdominal pain, ovarian cysts, headaches and migraines, acne, depressed mood, “heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding.”
      • Nuvaring – Vaginal-tissue irritation, headaches, mood changes, nausea and vomiting, weight gain, breast pain, painful menstruation, abdominal pain, acne, and decreased libido.
    • Women’s contraceptives are all FDA approved when they have similar if not worse side effects than the male version
    • https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/the-different-stakes-of-male-and-female-birth-control/506120/
  • Lots of men dont even know the protection that their partner is even taking
    • Assuming a girl is on it can create serious consequences

Preview of context

  • Thesis
  • Have made male contraceptives – studies
  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2854868/
    • In committed relationships, young men admitted that often times they rely on their partners to use birth control to prevent pregnancy, which can bring up feelings of anxiety and mistrust about pregnancy intentions.

Examples (2-3)

A growing problem – urgency – establish evidence

  • With premarital sexual relations gaining and extreme amount of popularity, those same people are also experiencing many consequences
  • Some girls can’t use birth control due to health problems/conditions – what then?
    • Crohn’s disease and IBD can limit the success/absorption of BC
    • Medications – prozac and zoloft (antidepressants)
  • Condoms are the most important contraceptive methods in teens
    • Don’t have a great reputation to always prevent pregnancies

Results of the problem

  • Gender expectancies
  • Single mothers – men don’t have as much as a connection to the kid so they feel like leaving is justified meanwhile the woman just carried that kid in her and has a maternal instinct to love and care for the kid

Possible solutions – how to examples

  • Even though the study fell through, they could still put the contraceptive on the market
    • 80% of men that did the study said they would buy and use this if it was on the market regardless of the side effects

Conclusion

  • Lack of government funding and motivation towards this issue
    • Mostly due to social stigmas that surround relationships
  • Address value in question again
    • List the possible solutions

Deliberation Reflection

Our deliberation turned out better than I expected. We had a great turn out of people and everyone seemed interested in the topic, sexual education. We got a lot of feedback referring to different school’s curriculums. Most people were either given no education or very minimal that focused on abstinence. The audience helped bring the conversation to new ideas. There was a common agreement on the fact that sexual education needs to be changed to encompass the reality of sex in todays world. My favorite point was how differently boys and girls are treated when they engage in sexual activities. A boy is usually praised for erasing his masculinity mean while a girl is shamed for them both doing the same thing. A girls mental health will plummet and the guy will see that doing this, brings him popularity. This then brings the stereotypes of girls being too sensitive and guys just sleeping around but it is because of the stigmas we place around sex. I also really liked the point the one member brought up about education being based on the guy being pleased and never on how a girl also needs benefitted from sex. Sex is a mutual thing that both must want to do and enjoy, but some people purely think that a guy initiates it, does it and ends it but that is so far from the truth. There is so much that I hope our deliberation brought up so people can see the real downfall in our education systems. I hope we got people to start thinking of possible changes that they could support for our future generations.

I attended the deliberation on gun violence. They used each approach to discuss 3 different ways to solve the issue. I didn’t get too involved in their deliberation because their focus was on fixing the problem instead of addressing what the problem really is. The audience wasn’t as vocal at this one which made it hard for their ideas to keep rolling. Overall they had great ideas on ways to solve this pressing issue.

Deliberation Articles

The first article was titled Sex Education. It discusses what the definition of sex ed is and how it is implied in today’s world. It touches on how social media and other sources are thrown all over the place and sometimes kids get the wrong idea. It then goes into how sexual education shouldn’t be implemented into school teachings. I personally disagree with this subject because not all parents are involved enough into their kids lives to inform them properly. Having a set curriculum in school would help educate kids on the same level.

The second article is about the rules and regulations for every state in the United States. I specifically chose Pennsylvania to see what their rules were for sexual education. What I found was that teaching anything related to sex ed wasn’t mandatory in schools but if it was going to be taught, abstinence must be stressed. Even though that isn’t mandated, education on HIV and AIDS was forced to be taught. Parents still have a huge say in what is being taught because they go over the curriculum before their kids see it to make sure it is “age- appropriate.”

These two articles have connection in that the first one is opinionated and the second one that is factual then supports the opinion. Not forcing sexual education into school curriculum may seem like the right thing to do but in reality, it isn’t. Pennsylvania is in a way allowing teachers to get away with never touching on the awkward subject and just hoping parents assume the responsibility. We could use this in our deliberation for both sides of the argument – why it should or shouldn’t be taught. I think it would open up discussion of the audience and allow them to express why they agree with what they do.

 

“Sex Education – Learn.” American Life League, www.all.org/learn/sex-education/?gclid=CjwKCAiAksvTBRBFEiwADSBZfLOhUUxj8azOUJBUgFr4QaPJPQzTZqS0wKEjnUdTGY10ZcAMErvioBoC5TkQAvD_BwE.

 

“Sex etc.” Sec in the States,

https://sexetc.org/states/pennsylvania

Deliberation Nation

My teams deliberation title is “Let’s Talk About Sex (Ed) Baby.” Our deliberation is focusing on how sexual education during your school years is taught and then eventually applied to your life. Our three approaches include medical misconceptions, social stigmas surrounding sex, and how being unprepared can lead to people disrespecting you and what we can do to change these misconceptions. So many people are taught that sex is bad and it leads to pregnancy. Even popular movies display this. For example in Mean Girls when their sex ed teacher said, “You will get pregnant and you will die.” A lot of people actually believe that pregnancy is such a  horrible thing and that when it happens to someone, they immediately lose respect for them. Also, most people have no idea how to prevent things such as pregnancy and STDs. There are precautions that have gotten such a bad reputation because they “encourage sexual activity” but we want to expand on it not being an influencer, rather a safety precaution.

I am part of the summary and outreach team with Cam and Noelia. Our roles include reaching out and inviting organizations in the university as well as the community. We have to include social media events – twitter hashtags and a facebook event. We are currently working on a flyer to print and put around campus, mainly the hub. We have t make a post-deliberation survey as well as a report to send out to the community of what happened at the deliberation.

We have a list of people to invite including the school board, the health education teacher at the local school, UHS counseling services, “unite for her” organization, and the “planned parenthood” organization as well. All of these people have the interest of children and their well being. Some have the ability to change how children are being taught and others have the passion behind it to make people see that a change is needed. We hope to portray the importance behind sexual education and how people need to be educated in their life so they can make the right decisions.

This I Believe

I never liked change. Ever since I was a child, I liked things to remain the same so I could fall into a comfortable routine. I couldn’t even bare the thought of my parents changing the colors of the kitchen walls or a new couch in the living room; and because of this, my mom never insisted on implementing change into my life. Until now..

My parents got a divorce when I was in the 4th grade which ended in only my two sisters, my mom and I still living in the house. For 5 years, it was just us girls but through them, I could see my mom struggling with all aspects of life. Her mental health was at a rock bottom and eating became hard. Even through all that, she never let it stop her from being the best mom she could be.

One day, I was woken up around 8 am to sounds of a hammer smacking a wall. I walked outside of my room, looked over the upstairs balcony and found a strange man doing demolition in my family room. I was immediately infuriated and ran to yell at my mom for changing the house. After I calmed down, she told me that she had known him for a little and she is starting to like him. My first impression of him was not a good one so I didn’t support my mom’s feelings.

He was around quite often and they finally put a title to their relationship. For me, it was weird. I had just gotten used to living with only girls. Everything I just became accustomed to, had to be altered once again. After a year or two, he had asked her to marry him. She politely asked him to wait for an answer until she asked us girls if it was okay.  After all, he was coming into all of our lives not just hers.

My mom came into my room with a huge smile on her face and told me we need to talk. She told me what had happened with Buck, my stepdad and asked what my thoughts were on them tying the knot. At first, I was the stereotypical teenager that only wanted to do everything opposite than what she told me. My response was one she didn’t want to hear and my sisters did the same.

She was so upset because she had to decide between her children’s wants and her own. About three days went by and I had realized that I was being selfish. I talked to my sisters and we all decided that this was something that we all needed, especially my mom. I called and told her I wanted them to get married and that she truly deserves it. Those words brought her to tears because she no longer had to choose between us and him. We were all choosing him.  

I truly believe that putting others happiness in front of your own is such an important thing. Seeing the beauty of someone enjoying their life can ultimately improve your own life. Now, I have such a close relationship to my mom and step dad. I don’t know what I would do without him in my life. Seeing my mom today, I know that everything worked out for a great reason. After all was said and done, this change was a  blessing in disguise. This I believe.

 

RCL 9 TED Talk

Thesis:

  • Over our lifetimes, we have all contributed to the decline of the world as we know it through our decisions, actions, and lifestyles we choose to lead.

Introduction: (how it relates to paradigm shift)

  • Everyone has their version of The American Dream or in other words their life goals. These goals that we set for ourselves are the driving force of what path we decide to take. But have we begun to put ourselves first too often and forget about more pressing issues?
  • Just in the past 40 years, the United States has seen a spike in working solely for self interest. Our Dream has changed from family interests and being a hard worker to money, status, and power. Some of you may not see a problem with this set of ideals but in reality, it has blinded the American population from problems that are not so distant in our future. As of today, the world is heading down a rocky path but we have the ability to fix that.

Body:

  • Government Corruption
    • The criminal justice system is full of corruption
      • Meat eaters, grass eaters

 

 

 

  • Climate Change
    • Recent hurricanes due to the countless amounts of toxins we pour into our atmosphere
    • Forgetful of how our actions are affecting our environment
    • Bliss – no hurricanes, no total destruction that we have no way of stopping
  • Politics
    • We have been taking the two parties and creating a nation divided amongst itself
    • Tension continues to increase because of the dirty politics
    • Not what it used to be when it was first created
  • Stereotyping/bias
    • It ultimately limits opportunities
    • You can be blinded by the potential there is in a situation due to how opinionated you are

How to Face Future Without Fear:

  • By taking our personal dream, altering it to fit society as a whole, we can ban together as one to conquer eventual problems. Taking hardships on with the assistance of others is the best way to achieve an outcome you’re content with.

Conclusion:

  • In my Science and Art of Human Flourishing class, we conducted a poll of “How many people would choose happiness as their ultimate goal?”
    • We found that over half of the class of 60 people said yes
  • This Dream of fortune and fame is not one that will supply you a lifetime of happiness. It is a temporary fix to the suffering the world is facing.

Closing Statement:

  • Our future isn’t something already mapped out for us, there is no destiny or fate set in place. The future is ours, a readily available place that we have the power to build and shape through our actions. So always keep that in the back of your head so the next time you’re faced with a decision. Afterall, it’s what we do NOW that will affect us LATER.

 

RCL 8 Paradigm Shift

American Dream

Thesis :

Intro:

With time and changing eras, the dream seemed to alter to fit society’s wants and needs. It challenged beliefs that people were set on and forced new lifestyles. The linkage between the individual and society is from what an individual think the American Dream is. Their aspirations decide their actions which ultimately cause shifts in society. The American Dream has occupied numerous different meanings and ideals that are continuously changing.

 

The term “American Dream” means something different to each and every one of us. It’s a crucial part in the way we live our lives and what we decide to pursue. Every since the dream came to be in the 1920’s, it has been altering to the circumstances of the world.

 

Songs

  • Pink Houses By John Mellencamp 1983
  • Born in the USA By Bruce Springsteen 1984
  • America by Neil Diamond (immigrants) 1980
  • American girl by tom petty 1976

 

Immigrant views of the dream

 

1920’s

 

  • The Great Gatsby

 

  • Started to acquire a longing for material objects
  • Greed
  • Ultimately led to the stock market crash and the great depression of 1929 – the balance.com

 

1930’s

  • James Truslow Adams in 1931, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth – loc.gov
  • Millions of suffering americans
    • 25% unemployment
  • FDR elected and promised to make americans lives better
    • Social security act, new deal – history.com
    • Patriotism through the roof
  • Japan bombing pearl harbor stimulated american industry and therefore put an end to the Great Depression – history.com

 

1940’s

  • Women in factories men still overseas
  • Women in workplace created a huge step for feminism
    • Working is most women’s american dream
  • Instead of simply wanting a husband, a family, and a place to call home, they now had the opportunity to seek out employment, a new financial freedom. This would allow a woman with or without a husband to make her own money, to be a contributor to the daily allowance instead of just receiving. By the time the war was over, instead of running back to their homes, women began to take on more jobs in the workplace until they married or became pregnant. – ultraswank
  • Support for the troops – ads, magazines
  • Becoming more of a consumer society – war bonds, buying food to send troops
  • At the end of ww2, the american dream shifted slightly
    • Perfect american household
      • Suburban house, steady job, married, with kids

 

1950’s – ultraswank

  • Opportunities and futurism
  • Music, theater and film were taking off
    • Opportunity surrounded americans
  • Parents truly believed it when they told their children they could be anything they wanted to be
  • 1955 space race and futurism
    • Failing to beat russia to space but still pushed forward everyday technologies such as fridges, washing and drying machines, computers in the workplace
  • 40 and 50 maintained backbone of hard work, family value, and hope

 

1960’s

  • peace , freedom and equality
  • Vietnam war – sparked anti war protests
  • Equality and rights mainly blacks and women
    • Martin luther king jr speech

 

1970’s

  • World peace and a better richer life
  • Space exploration curiosity – exhibit
  • Working hard to support family
  • Everyone had the right to life liberty and pursuit of happiness

 

1980’s

  • Economy in recession
  • carefree , fun, making money
  • Hard times for farmers – crop prices declines – exhibit

 

1990’s

  • Money, power, status
  • Much like 80s but more developed
  • Individual success, fame, fortune – exhibit

 

Present day

  • Get rich, buy a house and a car, support a family without much hard work
  • Getting jobs that prove money to get rich quick – exhibit

 

How this will affect the future

  • The future’s not looking bright right now. We are so focused on the things we can accomplish to benefit ourselves that we are forget about the bigger picture. The United States has been ignoring critical facts about this earth whether it be climate change or increasing criminality. The world is so set in their selfish ways that it’s going to take a huge phenomenon to change the American Dream to that of kindness and pure caring for others.
  • Overlooked
  • Heading down the wrong path
  • Even though there are people who are pushing for a better future, the Individualistic feel proves to be a concrete aspect of the Dream.

RCL 7 Photography

Addario’s whole life work revolves around photographs. The pictures she chose to be in her book all play a part in portraying the reason she shares her life. Her photographs really play on readers emotions and allow them to physically see the reality that Addario writes about. By using imagery, her readers can more easily relate to Addario’s experiences.

My favorite photograph is on the sixth page between 210 and 211. The photo is a close up of an African American woman with a tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes are closed or looking down showing the high amounts of sorrow she is feeling. This photo really caught my attention because the background is faded out and her face is crystal clear. There are so many emotions encompassed within her one facial expression. I felt empathy towards the subject of this photo.

The second image that really caught my eye was the 14th page between 210 and 211. The Somali children are trying to feed a woman that is suffering from dehydration and hunger. This photo caught my eye because it gives a sense of community through hard times. In a sense, hope is shown through the children wanting to help. Optimistic feelings arose in me when I looked closer into this picture. The children are representing a new generation that are already striving for better times and conditions than what the woman has been through.

Like Addario, I hope to incorporate images into my blog for the use of attention grabbers, aesthetics, and to add to the content of my blog. The photos I chose will take a play on pathos. I want my blog to be interesting and a lot of times people are drawn to images instead of wordy paragraphs. Photos can tell a whole story without using a single word. As for the aesthetics, I find myself actually interested in things that present a nice visual. I like colors that go together and having an overall theme. I really think the photos I use will bring the whole blog post together.

 

RCL 6: Personal Conflicts

In Part III of It’s What I Do, Addario was very open with her internal conflicts with her life and her work. On page 146, the passage that stuck out to me most was, “Over the years I forced myself to be creative…..I wanted them to linger, to ask questions.” She was really starting to question her work and why she does it. She wrote, “ I was conflicted about making money from images of people who were so desperate (Addario 146).” She felt guilty for making money from others disadvantaged lives.

 

After much thought, she concluded that the struggle with photographing such difficult things was actually helping those people. She knew that the money she was making doing it would go right back into her work, into helping bring attention to the misfortune of others. She captured her readers attention by directly saying, “Trying to convey beauty in war was a technique to try and prevent the reader from looking away.” She encourages people to ask any question they may have about her work or the living conditions that she photographs. Addario can take a bad situation and turn it into a vivid, emotional moment in history.

 

At the start of college, I was really struggling with how to be happy with so many new experiences happening all at once. I was able to take that stress, turn it around, and learn to love it up here! Any friend that is having a rough time adapting to college life I am able to help them through it.

 

Like Addario, I want to encourage my readers to take lousy times and turn them into something positive. I really want my audience to push themselves to do something good for themselves as well as others. I hope that my passion blog will be full of informative and motivational things.