DAYBOOK ENTRY # 1 How Far Should College Go?

In the past, some terrible and gruesome events have happened from the result of having weapons on campus. I feel colleges should go very far to ensure safety on their campuses. My first example is each college should have a system similar to lockdown. A way each student can be protected if someone dangerous is on their campus. This way they can hide from the danger. Its important that each student is fully aware of the procedures in case of such emergency. Secondly, universities should have a no tolerance for weapons of any sort. There is no reason a student would need a weapon on campus, and no reason a student should feel they would need one. There should not be any lenience when it comes to finding weapons. If a student is found with one, they should be expelled and escorted off campus immediately. It should be known that those are the consequences. Lastly, I feel professors shouldnt be able to have weapons either. This could just cause further problems if a student were to get hold of it, or if a faculty member decided to be violent. Again, there shouldnt be a reason that anyone would need one. In conclusion, if colleges want to remain safe they should go this far. Its not worth the lost lives of innocent people.

Reflection: I chose this daybook entry because it was my first attempt at writing an ethical argument essay. I feel I did a good job of doing so because I provided good examples of ways campuses can ensure safety such as a lockdown or a similar policy in case of emergencies, and a no tolerance for weapons for either students or faculty. I did not add much to this from my original draft in my daybook because I liked the way it was.

DAYBOOK ENTRY # 2 Each year, more and more students with disabilities are coming to college. All colleges should help accommodate students with disabilities. Everyone benefits when a school is beneficial to disability students because then students dont have to pick and choose based on if a university can support them. By providing disabled students with all the help they need, no student will get left behind. Therefore, colleges should accommodate to all disabilities. Not everyone agrees with this view, however. Some people argue that more and more students abuse this by making up disabilities to make classes easier for them. This argument misses the point. When colleges welcome and support students with disabilities they are giving them a chance for higher education. For this reason, colleges should be required to make accommodations.

Reflection: I chose this daybook entry because it was one side of the argument that I ended up arguing both sides of in two different entries. In this side, I feel I did a good job of arguing that it is important to support all students so everyone has opportunities to higher education. I even refuted the opposition by saying people are missing the point when they say we need to make it harder for students to be able to get disability services so it isnt taken advantage of, because the point is to help students not make things harder for them.

DAYBOOK ENTRY # 3 The number of college students claiming to have learning disabilities is increasing. Some students claim that they have disabilities when in fact they dont. These students requests are rude and shouldnt be allowed. Studies have shown that a number of these students do not really need the special services they are requesting. For example, some students they require teachers lecture notes when in reality they just dont want to go to class. As a result, many people are often taken advantage of. The best way for colleges to deal with this problem is to make it more difficult for students to be accommodated for disabilities. Advocates for the d isabled argue it shouldnt have to be a hassle for disability students to receive the help they deserve. Although this may be true, if they actually have a disability it shouldnt be hard to prove it. For that reason, it is clear colleges need to make it harder for students to be accommodated for disabilities.

Reflection In this daybook entry, I argue the opposition of what I wrote in my previous entry. I did a good job in this one because I brought up good points of studies showing that a number of these students do not really need the special services they are requesting, and how some students they require teachers lecture notes when in reality they just dont want to go to class. In the end many people are taken advantage of. I again refute the opposition by saying advocates for the disabled argue it shouldnt have to be a hassle for disability students to receive the help they deserve. However, if they actually have a disability it shouldnt be hard to prove it.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #4

So much of schools and universities money goes towards sports teams. This is understandable sports are a huge part of college life and very enjoyable getting the campus together to support your school. However, it is disgusting the amount that some schools take from tuition toward funding sports teams. Colleges need to lessen the amount of students tuition going towards sports. As many know, college these days is barely and sometimes not affordable for many people. Students often have to resort to attending two year colleges because four year institutions arent affordable and too pricey. How is it fair hearing its the best four years of your life if you cant afford it. Schools like Norfolk State and Longwood have over 20% of their tuition going towards sports teams. Thats more than excessive. Many colleges use this money to pimp out the athletes locker rooms complete with game consoles and flat screen televisions. If colleges lessened the amount of tuition going towards sports teams that would make a huge difference in a students four years at an institution. Many feel that it would hurt colleges to stop funding sports as much, but if schools just funded what is required to play the game, they would probably save a lot of money. In conclusion, schools and students would truly benefit from lessening the percentages of tuition going towards sports.

Reflection

I chose this daybook entry because as a student who has to transfer because I cant afford my college, this subject really hits home. I feel I did a good job of writing this entry because I included statistics about how much of tuition money some colleges use towards sports teams and how it should be put towards grants and scholarships. I did not add much from my original entry in my daybook.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #5

Recently, a number of colleges have experienced violence on their campuses. For example, the Virginia Tech shooting on April 17th, 2007 where 32 innocent people were murdered. Many colleges have not gone far enough in an effort to prevent violence because even after the Virginia Tech tragedy, similar events occurred. One reason is colleges should be required to have a system where students can be safely notified if such event is occurring and a way to be safely locked away from the danger. Another reason is all colleges should strictly follow a no tolerance for weapons rule. There is no reason a student would need a gun at school, and no reason a student should feel they would need a gun or any weapon for that matter. Any student found with a weapon should be expelled and escorted off school property immediately. Finally, faculty shouldnt have the right to carry a weapon either. I feel that would possibly cause more problem in case the wrong person ever got hold of the weapon. If colleges truly want to remain safe, campuses should become a strictly no weapon area and have a good plan in case of emergencies.

Reflection

I chose this daybook entry because although similar to what I wrote before, I feel it has a different effect because I brought in a specific example. The Virginia Tech shooting. I feel adding this helped my entry because if the reader remembers hearing about the Virginia Tech shooting, it was extremely sad, and would hopefully make them agree that colleges really need to focus on ways to prevent such tragedy from ever occurring again.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #6

As a student at UNC Charlotte I can honestly say I have no idea what the protocols are if violence were to occur on our campus. I am aware of the blue light system, but if a gunmen came into my dorm Im not sure what students are supposed to do. I feel my school does not do enough in addressing no violence seeing as I dont even know what our policy is. As college students we already have enough to read in each of our classes so none of us are willing to go out of our way to read policies. However, how do I know UNCC even has a plan? I think our school needs to make it more public and important. First off, if UNCC does not have a plan, they should sit down and think of some things. In high school everyone knew the lockdown drill in case anyone came into the school that was dangerous. We even had practices with the police in my hometown and we would time how long it took them to get to the school and go through and check everything. We have fire drills all the time at UNCC but never lockdown drills. It should be a requirement at universities to have a policy and to have it well known to the students attending the school. In case any tragedy did strike our campus, I would like to know what Im supposed to do to try and stay safe.

Reflection

I included this entry of my daybook because I felt it was a very honest piece. I wrote about how I dont know what to do if violence struck on my campus. I feel I did a good job by adding I knew exactly what the protocol in high school was, but not an idea what to do here. I also feel I did a good job of talking about how schools should require a policy and require everyone knows exactly what to do.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #7

My line of inquiry question focuses on the problem of gender violence and society viewing it as a womens issue when it shouldnt be. My hopes on what to discover about this issue is who contributes and how can it stop. I dont feel my issue is too broad. It will focus on men, women, and media and how they effect this view and the issue being victim blaming in gender violence. I wonder how society effects gender violence and victim blaming. How much do things like self-defense classes and rape whistles actually help women? How many men worry about being a victim of domestic or sexual violence? How has media effected this in the past and what can they do for the future? What about men? What about women? If more men spoke up could that help? The issue is definitely worth exploration because gender violence is a huge problem in America and so is victim blaming. Any opportunity to decrease this problem in the future is worth the research and the actions. I wish to inform all of society about this issue and I feel it is very important that everyone listens. My current opinion is that media can help and Im hoping that is where my research will take me. My preconceived notions are that this is actually a mens issue and more men need to speak up on the issue.

Reflection

I included this daybook entry because I feel I did a good job of thoroughly explaining my inquiries of my topic for my round table essay and multi genre project. I think I did a good job of talking about questions that I had, what I wanted to research, and how what I hoped to accomplish was ways to stop gender violence or at least lessen the amount in our country.

DAYBOOK ENTRY # 8

Alabama Illustration

In my previous essay I discussed the outrageous amount of money schools put towards there sports teams and how that is a problem because of how unaffordable college is for non athletic students. More money should be going towards grants and scholarships. One illustration to support my topic is Alabamas football locker room. This must have cost millions. It is equipped with flat-screen televisions, a pool with waterfalls, and an arcade. Why does the football team need there own arcade? The answer is, they do not, and this locker room is filled with unnecessary things that probably cost too much money. Its a locker room, not a resort.

Reflection

I included this daybook entry because it shows that I can find images or illustrations that help support my topic. This example of Alabamas football locker room went perfect with my essay about how colleges spend too much money on sports teams seeing as majority of the things in that locker room are completely unnecessary. I added a decent amount to this entry.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #9

Miss Representation While watching Miss Representation, it was frustrating to me hearing the comments people said about the women in politics, how they are all sexualized, and the disgusting things people said. Sarah Palin was talked about majority of the time for her looks, not her political side. I was overwhelmed at the sexual assault and other gender violence statistics shown in the film. Actually, all of the statistics in the film were sad. As a woman this movie was very hard to watch because it was so easy to understand what some of the girls were going through. I was somewhat confused at the end and this is where it goes grey for me. What were they asking people to protest? Were they asking to protest all movies that sexualize girls? As much as I am against diminishing women I also feel it should be more knowledgeable that Hollywood stars and Hollywood movies arent a reliable source of real life situations. As a woman, that movie really impacted me, but I am curious how it would be viewed or was viewed by a man or men. Do they feel it is dramatic and that its just a bunch of feminists or male bashers? Or do they sympathize and want to do something about these issues. Overall, I very much enjoyed this film.

Reflection

I included this daybook entry because it shows how I can respond well to movies. After watching this movie, I was able to ask questions about things I was wondering, and write down comments of things that were memorable to me, or offended me, or angered me, or saddened me. Since my original entry was in bullet points, I formed this into well written paragraphs to make it easier to understand.

DAYBOOK ENTRY #10

In the article College Should Be For Everyone by Crystal Sanchez, one of the arguments that the writer presents as evidence is that everyone needs to discover what theyre good at. Another example is that more and more jobs are being phased out or shipped overseas. Perhaps the best reason the author states is that education is an essential part of a democratic society, and without the ability to understand and analyze news reports, people are not capable of contributing to the social, political, and economic growth of the country. I dont feel the author had any weak arguments, in fact all of her arguments were quite strong. She even addressed the opposition on how some people argue that not everyone should have the opportunity to attend college because underprepared students will require so much help that they will require so much help and it will take away time and attention from better students. However, the author then states this argument is red herring, and that most schools already provide resources such as tutoring and writing centers for the students who need them. With some additional funding the author feels that schools could expand the services that they already are providing to students. Overall, I found this to be a well written essay.

Reflection

I chose this daybook entry because I feel it shows I can write a response to essays I read. I was able in this entry to address what I felt the author did well, and point out how she did a great job of refuting the opposition. I did not add much in comparison to the original in my daybook.