You'll be happy to know that the teacher evaluations are reviewed by upper division administration. I know that the Dean and Provost are given reports of the evaluations because instructors with high ratings get letters of commendation. I really like your CD, especially your lyrics, which could be applied to a real song. Very powerful! Thanks so much for coming back to the last day of class for a big group hug! It meant a lot to me. Good luck with your summer staff job!

Blog #12

My ideal university has many components. First of all, physically the landscape would be very aesthetically pleasing, with lots of beautiful landscaping and a clean living environment. This is important to me because living in a healthy environment helps keep students emotionally happy. Living situations would be a lot different as well. Sleep is something that a lot of us, as college students, end up sacrificing because of our busy schedules and different stresses. Class times are sometimes very unaccommodating for those students who have other commitments or are trying to get jobs. I think another important part of the ideal university is the available student services. Mason excels in this department, offering a variety of helpful learning tools as well as mental health services. My ideal class would be a creative learning class which would encourage thinking outside of the box and allow students participate in activities that force them to do things they wouldn't normally. The most important part of a university should be the way the staff motivates their students to excel and succeed. Having a bad professor can turn a student off to their entire learning experience, and the feedback of the students during teacher evaluations should be taken seriously and under advisement by the human resources department. 

Blog #10

1. The visual and textual rhetoric of the shirts doesn't elicit much of a response from me in one way or another. I know I had the shirt on the bottom when I was in middle school, and I used to wear it proudly because I thought it was a statement and I thought it was a cool way of letting people know that I am a religious person. I don't think I would have bought the shirt on the top because of the way it portrays Jesus as a "homeboy" in the literal sense, instead of saying it in a way that is usually interpreted as a term of endearment. When people use "homeboy", it can mean two different things. For the shirt on the top, it is meant to mean a "gangster," or a "hoodlum." For the shirt on the bottom, it is supposed to mean that Jesus is someone that you defend like one of your own "homeboys". I am probably the most religious person in my group of friends. I attend church every Sunday, and I grew up in the church. Neither shirt offends me, but I can see why some people might interpret it as offensive.

2. "Christians see it as a way to both show and propagate their faith." 324
To me, this is an example of why these shirts should be thought of as a way of exposing their faith and letting people know that they are openly Christian.

3. If the shirts only had the text, I'm sure some people would still find offense in them, but the the image portrayed in the second shirt is much different from the first. The second one is the generic image of Christ with his hands pointed towards the sky and his face looking humble and solemn.

4. The rhetorical message that interpreted was that yes, religion should not be considered a trend of any sort, but the idea of people being able to openly express their faith is a big step, and maybe the humor in the shirt is an easy way to let people know that you have some sort of religious beliefs.

People have their own personal relationships with Christ. In my eyes, whether you call him "Father God" or your "homeboy", the fact that you have some sort of interaction with your faith is what is most important. Either way, nobody has the same path in their faith, and nobody can really say whether it is wrong or right.

Album

Stop the Violence
Genre: Acoustic Folk
Explanation: This song will tell the story of a young child caught in the middle of the gunfire of rivaling gangs. The song will argue that the child would be fine had there been more stringent gun control laws to prevent violent men and women from being able to purchase weapons without extensive background checks. The song’s chorus will be sung by a children’s choir.

We lost you too young, we’ll never forget.
They took you away from us without regret.
If those politicians could feel how we feel,
they would have voted yes when there was that appeal.
Six years old, not time enough
to do all the things that you were capable of.
Playing hopscotch on the street corner,
car rolled up didn’t even see look to see her.
Three gunshots to the chest,
one for every million tears cried when we laid you to rest.
Semi automatic colt 45
got into the hands of a murderer.

Clean the Air
Genre: Indie
Explanation: Clean the Air is a song about the need for clean air and water and how much of an effect it’s having on global warming. The song will incorporate actual sound bytes from nature such as running water and birds chirping. It will start out as an upbeat and happy song and slowly turn into an ominous and dark song to represent the changing atmosphere of our planet.

The Art of Prevention
Genre: Alternative
Explanation: This song will touch on the issue of the use of birth control and the need for sex education instead of abstinence only education. The song will make indirect reference to the Bristol Palin pregnancy and how that is proof that abstinence only education does not work and actually causes more harm.

Mend the Wounds
Genre: Country
Explanation: Mend the Wounds speaks about the current state of the relationship between the United States and other foreign nations after eight years of a failed presidency. The song will include sound bytes from political leaders as well as the sounds of warfare like bombs being dropped and gunfire.

Eye for an Eye Leave the Whole World Blind
Genre: Folk
Explanation: This song will touch on the issue of Capital punishment and how government sponsored killing is not a humane form of punishment. The song will talk about past cases where people have been executed and then later proven innocent.


Album:
The album name is “Issues We Face.” The album cover is black and white and has a very simple picture of a hand holding up two fingers to symbolize the peace sign. It is very simple and rather ominous to reflect the difficulty that a lot of these issues cause. Inside the cover there will be a booklet of the lyrics as well as pictures from all around the world of warfare and starving children as well as images from catastrophes like the Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

Strong analysis in all blogs. Good work!

Blog #5

Steroids have been a very relevant subject in the recent years with the discovery of multiple athletes in various sports being caught using these performance enhancing drugs. This is a good collection of interviews and information because it present both sides of the steroid argument. It brought up historical instances of steroid uses which led to court hearings and even Senate hearings. The video doesn't really go deeper into the known side effects of steroid uses and how they really help people perform better. They show people working out but it doesn't really show how it would help athletes. I've never been a supporter of steroids, so while I think they can be used responsibly, I don't think they should be allowed. I think they can be used responsibly in the same way that certain drugs can be used responsibly, but at the same time, what is the point? You sacrifice a lot for a tiny good feeling. 

I think the standards for high school athletes and professional athletes should be the exact same but very harsh. The whole meaning of sports has changed with this new steroid craze. Athletes need to do things the natural way and not cheat their way through the sport. I think people do steroids to be the best, not to do their best. If it were about doing their best, people would be more focused on working as a team instead of working on their selves and their own specific body issues. 

The whole time that I was watching this video I was thinking about the WWE wrestler who just a few years ago snapped and shot his little girl and his wife in their home and then took his own life. Investigators ended up linking it to a random mood swing caused by the hormones in the steroids he was using. This alone should be enough of a reason to outlaw them. The risks are much more than the benefits. 

Freewrite #2 Opposing Stance

The most important priority in any college or university is to recieve a college education. Students should not choose schools based on what their party restrictions are. The restrictions recently imposed at Georgetown University are strictly for the safety of the student body. Alcoholism is rampant among many colleges and universities around the country and Georgetown has decided to put a stop to it on their campus. In order to teach students a lesson, D.C. police will now be arresting students for drinking related violations instead of issuing citations (Georgetown Students). People should not need alcohol to have an exciting and eventful college experience. Georgetown University has organized many new weekend activities that are alcohol-free in order to keep students entertained. Drinking has many risks that can often lead to problems.