A collection of essays and other writings I wrote in school on current events.
Current Events
Affirmative Action Position Essay
Summary
In my American History class junior year of high school, we discussed the topic of Affirmative Action. This is a position essay I was required to write on the topic.
Preview
Although much of the reasoning behind Affirmative Action is good, it goes wrong in a few major ways. Affirmative action is meant to bring an end to discrimination. In trying to do so, though, it elevates the so-called disadvantaged minorities above other groups. In addition, the members of the particular minority groups are stereotyped according to the group they are in rather than being looked at as an individual. Affirmative action also makes the assumption that minority groups are, in fact, disadvantaged. Another result is that the tables are turned and whites are discriminated against. Lastly, and most importantly…
Balancing the State and the Individual
Summary
Completed during my Junior year at MSOE for SS-415G, German Culture.
Assignment: Choose two writings covered in class and discuss how they relate to the following theme: The Preservation of Culture - What/who is a threat and what should be done about it, according to these works? Offer personal commentary on the works you're discussing. How do you feel about what they are saying? Are they totally out of date? Are they unique to German history/culture? Or, are there/have there been similar trends in American or other societies with which you are familiar?
Preview
In his writings about the state, Heinrich von Treitschke claims boldly that the state is “primordial and necessary” and is “no less essential to mankind than speech.” While the state plays a crucial role in society, it is not worthy of the high esteem Treitschke claims it deserves.
At first glimpse, Treitschke’s beliefs about the state appear to be reasonable. According to Treitschke, “the state is the people, legally united as an independent entity.” His use of the word “people” to refer to “a number of families permanently side by side” allows for a broad definition…
Ban Abortion - Speech
Summary
One bill we debated in American Government class my senior year of high school was a bill that banned abortion, except in cases of rape and endangerment the mother's life. This is a speech I wrote and delivered in support of the bill.
Preview
As Seniors in High School, I’m sure most of you already have made up your minds on abortion-related issues such as whether a fetus or embryo can really be deemed a human, whether abortion really kills a human being, or just a bunch of tissue, and so forth. Though I have very strong positions on such issues, I’m not going to get up here and tell you to change your mind on them. Rather, I would like you to consider a few comments related to the issue of abortion – namely, its effects, and the government’s role…
Ban Alcohol Advertising
Summary
Through my high school's American Government course, we executed a simulation of American government. My team's bill dealt with banning alcohol advertisements, and this is the position paper I had to write explaining my position on the issue. Completed during my senior year of high school.
Preview
Everywhere we go, we’re bombarded by all sorts of advertisements. We can seldom go through one day without receiving at least one phone call from a telemarketer. Turn on the TV for 15 or 20 minutes and you’ll see at least one 5-minute commercial break. Advertisements are abundant everywhere we go: alongside roads, at airports, and at train stations. Why is advertising so popular, why do so many companies pump millions of dollars each year into advertising? The answer is simple: ads inform people of products they otherwise wouldn’t have heard of, they make products look appealing to…
Cafeteria Mapping
Summary
This is a paper I wrote in my sophomore year high school English class about different cliques in my school and how I think people are affected by not being or being a part of these cliques.
Preview
Dear Dr. Jones:
With all the recent incidences of school shootings and other acts of violence, school administrators all over the country are trying to think of ways to prevent such incidences from occurring at their schools. You, too, are probably faced with the concern of school-related violence and how to prevent it. Many school administrators are considering forcing students to sit with students who aren’t in their group or clique, but is this actually a good idea? Will forcing students to sit with people they don’t like and/or don’t want to sit…
Can't Take God Away
Summary
Named after Audio Adrenaline's 1993 song, "Can't Take God Away," this essay analyzes the ways in which the song talks shows aspects of American life. Also included are explanations of how the beliefs shown in the song agree with mine.
Written for an English assignment my Junior year of high school.
Preview
Music has always been a big part of our culture. People sing and listen to songs for entertainment and for encouragement. Explore folk songs or Negro spirituals for instance. Many slaves sang spirituals for encouragement and hope to carry them through the rough times they experienced. Even today, most people enjoy listening to music because they can relate to the things about which the artists sing. Often artists sing about things that either upset or please them. These days, much of American music exposes problems in our society. In a song entitled, Can’t Take God Away…
Civil Rights Essay
Summary
In my freshman English class in high school, we discussed racism in our school and how it affects students. Along with the discussion in class, we had to interview two students - one Hispanic and one non-Hispanic - and a teacher from the school. This paper talks about racism in my school, using the interviews to add a more down-to-earth feel to it.
Preview
Racism…the belief that a particular race is superior to others; discrimination or prejudice based on race. Racism has been around for a long time and its effects have been seen a lot in the past few centuries: during the 1800s and earlier – in slavery, the Civil War, and slaves being freed; and then recently, during the 1900s – in the Civil Rights Movement. Everyone in the United States is supposed to have equal rights and not be discriminated against because of race, but sadly, that is not always what happens. Racism shouldn’t be around anymore, but it is…
Death Penalty Speech
Summary
One bill we debated in American Government class my senior year of high school was a bill that banned the death penalty completely. This is a speech I wrote and delivered in opposition to the bill.
Preview
Due to the fact that the entire concept revolves around death, capital punishment is a sensitive subject. When, if ever, is it alright to take the life of another human being. A week ago, you all heard me get up here and argue against stem cell research, based on the fact that the embryos utilized in stem cell research are lives that we are needlessly killing. You may be wondering, what the difference is between killing an embryo and a criminal, when, in your mind, the embryo might be less human than the murderer. Let me ask you a…
IVCF Leadership Policy at UNC
Summary
In my American Government class my senior year of high school, we were required to find two articles in a newspaper and then summarize them, explain our opinion, place our opinion on the political spectrum, and then write a resolution based on the article. This is the first of my two "Current Events."
Preview
Bibliography of Source:
Plowman, Edward E. (2003, January 18). “Brought to ‘heel.” WORLD Magazine. (Online). Available http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/01-18-03/opening_3.asp, January 30, 2003.
Article Summary:
Many post-secondary educational institutions across the nation have policies in place that require student organizations to allow participation from all students, regardless of the student’s race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and so forth. Often, these requirements not only dictate who may join the school’s clubs, but they…
Jihad...Peaceful?
Summary
Completed for my AP English 4 class, senior year of high school.
Assignment: Read and annotate the excerpt from John Milton’s Areopagitica and Zayed Yasin’s speech, “Of Faith and Citizenship: My American Jihad.” Then write a two-to-three page essay taking a stand about Yasin’s speech delivered at Harvard University’s 351st commencement ceremonies on June 6, 2002. In this essay, you should either argue against Yasin’s speech as it was originally entitled or defend Yasin’s right to call his speech “American Jihad.” If you support Yasin’s use of the term “jihad” in his speech, you should refer to Milton’s Areopagitica as evidence to support your position. If you oppose Yasin’s use of the term “jihad,” then you should still give examples from Milton’s Areopagitica and explain how your position connects to the author’s opinions.
Preview
In June of 2002, when asked to give a graduation speech at Harvard, Zayed Yasin, a Muslim, wrote a speech in which he explained his definition of a Jihad. In accordance with the subject matter, Yasin titled his speech “My American Jihad.” When Harvard requested him to change the title, he complied. This action, though, stirred up many who believed Yasin had a right to use his original title. From the stance John Milton takes in his essay, Aeropagitica, one can clearly see that he would argue against Harvard’s decision to censor the title of Yasin’s…
Malpractice Lawsuit Reform Proposal
Summary
In my American Government class my senior year of high school, we were required to find two articles in a newspaper and then summarize them, explain our opinion, place our opinion on the political spectrum, and then write a resolution based on the article. This is the second of my two "Current Events."
Preview
Bibliography of Source:
“Doctors take to streets to win malpractice reforms.” The Associated Press and CNN.com. February 1, 2003. Available http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/02/01/doctors.distress.ap/index.html, February 6, 2003.
Article Summary:
In this day and age, Americans seem “lawsuit-happy” – they sue for just about anything imaginable. Of all the categories of people that commonly get sued, doctors are probably some of the people sued most frequently. To protect themselves from paying the attorney fees and any money…
Stem Cell Research
Summary
The second assignment of my first quarter Composition class freshman year at MSOE was to write a persuasive essay on the topic of my choice. I was, at first, told my topic of "stem cell research" was too commonplace, but I did my best to bring out a less commonly explained aspect of the issue.
Preview
With the advent of a wide variety of scientific advances in the medical field, especially those improvements in health-related fields, the quality of life for the earth’s inhabitants has improved greatly over the past century. Scientists continue to improve upon current knowledge and expand the field of medicine. Over the past few years, scientists have performed significant research pertaining to the study of stem cells. Many researchers see potential in the manipulation of stem cells – possible treatments for currently incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (Goldstein). With these new discoveries, though, questions as to the…
Stem Cell Research Speech
Summary
One bill we debated in my high school American Government class legislative simulation was a bill that legalized stem cell research and provided federal funding to those organizations conducting research on stem cells. This is a speech I wrote and delivered in opposition to the bill.
Preview
From a very young age, I’ve been told that a monetary value cannot be placed on my life – my parents would not accept any sum of money, no matter how large, in return for my life. When I have kids, though, I’m not sure I’ll be able to tell them the same thing. With the increasing popularity and interest in stem cell research, it’s very possible that by the time I have kids, I could have just as easily sacrificed my children in order to provide a new organ for some stranger and in return…
The Perils of Dishonesty
Summary
Completed during my Junior Year at MSOE for HU-432 - Ethics for Professional Managers and Engineers.
Preview
With the publicity resulting from scandals involving falsification of information by companies such as Arthur Andersen and Enron, the issue of honesty in the workplace has gained attention in recent years. While many would quickly deem the actions of these corporations blatantly and obviously wrong, their own practices in regard to truthfulness betray their true nature and suggest that they, themselves, are not necessarily as guiltless as they would like to believe. This double standard often arises out of an extended practice with dishonest behavior motivated by fear or greed. Regardless, such actions are wrong, are harmful to all…
Under Siege
Summary
Submitted to Dr. Patrick J. Jung for SS-458: Contemporary European Society & Government at MSOE.
Assignment:
Question 1: What are some of the problems that Europe has experienced in the last twenty years due to immigration from Middle East and North Africa?
Question 2: What specific actions and policies by non-Muslim Europeans frustrate Muslims in Europe? What are the rationales that that non-Muslim Europeans use to justify these actions and policies?
This is a two-part question, but when you write your paper you must develop a thesis statement that addresses both questions. Your thesis statement should be specific and declarative.
Preview
The Biblical book of Genesis tells the story of God's promise to Abraham to make him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3). Because his wife, Sarah, was barren and he didn't trust God's provision, Abraham had relations with Sarah's maidservant, Hagar. She gave birth to a son, who was named Ishmael. However, when Sarah became pregnant by Abraham and gave birth to their son, Isaac, Ishmael and his mother were cast out (Genesis 16, 21). Isaac became the forefather of the Jews and Ishmael the forefather of the Arabs. The rivalry between these two half-brothers has continued through…
