"This I Believe"

Inspired by the original This I Believe series, my very own personal manifesto:

"Life is a parade; you can either be a part of it or watch it go by."

When I was assigned to compose a "This I Believe" essay, I was very hesitant. This project wasn't just about me rattling off my religious or political affiliation, or listing the activist and community service groups I rallied behind. This essay, in a sense, would become my formal philosophy to the world, and I took it very seriously. I thought about what I could possibly say; how I could make it personal but have it also relate to and be useful in other people's lives. Memories from high school came rushing back to me, and a magical sentence formed my mind: Life is like a parade; you can either be a part of it or watch it go by. Initially I had been surprised that I could come up with a message holding so much meaning.

My first year in high school, as I have said numerous times before, just plain sucked. I did nothing; I went to school, came home and did homework, went to bed and started the whole thing over again. Fortunately, the rest of my high school career didn't follow this same dull pattern. My sophomore year a friend of mine convinced me to join the high school's marching band, and that was most definitely one of the best decisions in my entire life.

Marching band has brought me once in a lifetime opportunities. Along with my fellow classmates, I was a part of an award-winning marching band for three consecutive years--the three years that I marched, we won a championship. I also had the pleasure of performing and marching down Main Street U. S. A. in Walt Disney World Florida. From these experiences I made many close friends and learned many valuable lessons.

I learned about Penn State by chance . . . but then again maybe it wasn’t. I hadn't heard or known much about the school, and to be completely honest the main reason I decided to apply, after the deadline I might add, was because the website was nice. I was accepted, and I had no idea what was in store for me.

After finding out Penn State had the Marching Blue Band, I decided to audition. I remember the two audition days in late August. I remember the anxiety I felt just after I had performed.  There were a lot of talented girls auditioning to be a silk, and I was sure I hadn't made it. I remember Kathy finally posting the list and seeing my name.

My first year in the Blue Band was amazing. I have found my second family. The strangers, who had barely known me a month, helped me through the passing of my grandmother who passed a few days after our very first game, and my roommate who passed a week before finals. Through my struggles I've also gotten a glimpse of what life is supposed to be: crazy, fun-filled times with the people you love, doing what you love.

I can assure you, had I not taken that chance back in high school, had I decided to continue my life day by day in the same way I would not have made as many memories as I have. Engaging in life is a choice. You Only Live Once. Each of us is born with the decision to allow life to shape us, or for us to shape life. We must engage and make the things we want to happen, happen. We cannot allow valuable opportunities to pass us by.

This I Believe, life is a parade; you can either be a part of it or watch it go by. The choice is yours.

Y.O.L.O.

Persuasive Essay : What Parents Need To Know About Pro-EDs

            The real-life venue that my essay would appear in is a parenting magazine.  It has been found that eating disorders are the most fatal psychological conditions, and that pro-eating disorder websites contribute even more to poorer prognoses. Every parent should care about the harmful effects that pro-EDs cause because many adolescents experience body dissatisfaction and partake in disordered eating.  Parents can help reduce and prevent damage caused by pro-ED use by simply monitoring what their child does on the Internet, and by not overlooking the numerous warning signs.

Since its conception, the Internet has proven to be efficient and useful in gathering multiple sources of information.  With a click of the mouse one can find numerous recipes for foreign delicacies, follow personal blogs of celebrities, and even obtain research for academic projects and papers.  The Internet is an entirely new world waiting to be explored.  But with all the beneficial, educational, and inspirational material that can be found on the Internet, there is also inappropriate and potentially dangerous information as well. 

            Recently, personal blogs supporting qualities of eating disorders have surfaced on the Internet.  These sites, frequently referred to as pro-ana or pro-mia, advocate for the recognition of eating disorders as lifestyle choices rather than for what they truly are: illnesses (Sue et al, 2010).  Tips and tricks for dieting, pictures of ultra-thin models known as “thinspiration,” and pro-ana creeds are some of the common themes found on pro-eating disorder websites.  These and many other aspects of pro-EDs are very harmful and even reinforce disordered eating.  Given the increased reports of body dissatisfaction among pre-teens and adolescents, it is a parent’s duty to monitor Internet use, and ensure that their children are not being taught to hate and destroy their beautiful bodies in hopes of obtaining impossible, and even deadly, weights and shapes.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder marked by the refusal to maintain a minimally normal weight for one’s age and height (Mashe & Wolfe, 2010).  Those suffering from the disorder often experience an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though they are in fact underweight.  Bulimia nervosa is another eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating.  Oftentimes those with bulimia eat excessive amounts of food within short periods of time, while experiencing a sense of lack of control.  As a result, those suffering from the disorder partake in compensatory behaviors including fasting, exercising, purging, and the use of diuretics, laxatives, and supplementary diet pills.

The self-starvation that characterizes the restrictive type of Anorexia nervosa has been linked to numerous physical complications including problems with the circulatory system, irreversible osteoporosis, and lethargy (Sue et al, 2010).  Those that struggle with Anorexia nervosa often times have weakened heart muscles and even exhibit cardiac arrhythmias.  The mortality rate for Anorexia nervosa has been recorded at 5%, but further research indicates it could be as high as 20%.  Bulimia nervosa comes with physical complications as well, although the disorder offers a better prognosis.  The excessive vomiting and use of laxatives that characterize bulimia contribute to the erosion of tooth enamel, dehydration, weakened heart muscles, and gastrointestinal disturbances.  

Numerous studies have been conducted in order to better understand what effects pro-eating disorder websites have on its viewers.  In an attempt to identify the correlation between pro-ED website use and eating pathology Bardone-Cone and Cass conducted an experiment (Rouleau & van Ranson, 2011).  Two hundred thirty-five healthy female undergraduate students filled out questionnaires prior to and following 25 minute exposures to one of the three researcher designed websites: a pro-ana website, a fashion website with average sized models, and a home décor website.  Participants who viewed the pro-ana website reported perceptions of being overweight, higher levels of negative thoughts, lower levels of self-esteem, and an increased likelihood of exercising or thinking about their weight.  A similar study was conducted by Jett, LaPorte, and Wanchism and it was found that pro-EDs also have the ability to transform behavioral intentions into actual behaviors (Rouleau & van Ranson, 2011).  Participants that viewed an actual pro-ana website significantly decreased their caloric intake by an average of over 2400 calories, whereas no significant change in diet was found among those in the control groups.

Pro-EDs reinforce eating pathology through tips and tricks that cover a range of themes including dieting, exercising, and calorie restriction.  Studies have shown that 96% of pro-ED website users report learning new weight loss and purging strategies from these sites, and 69% have reported actually using these strategies (Rouleau & van Ranson, 2011).  Competitions for thinness between users also occur, but many of those participating are completely unaware of the serious damage that such behaviors have on their health.

Along with reinforcing eating pathology, pro-EDs prevent help seeking and recovery (Roulaeu & van Ranson, 2011).  These sites strengthen eating disorder identities by praising self-starvation and weight loss, and attribute this “success” to self-control.  These sites also normalize side-effects that result from self-starvation, as well as provide tips on how to conceal eating disorders symptoms from family, friends, and health care professionals.  This information accounts for 11% of the tips found on pro-EDs.  Some of the tips include wearing nail polish to hide discoloration due to lack of nutrients, and doing everything one possibly can to weigh more right before a doctor’s appointment.

As numerous studies have shown, pro-eating disorder sites cause perceptions of being overweight, high levels of negative thoughts, and low levels of self-esteem in healthy individuals.  Since these blogs are personal, their creators are protected under the First Amendment, and cannot be forced to remove the damaging material.  Clearly attempting to block all inappropriate material is impossible, but being aware of what your children view on the Internet and knowing the warning signs of these dangerous eating disorders will decrease the likelihood of your child having severe body dissatisfaction or developing disordered eating.

Visual Arguments Against Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Those viewing the above political catoon are immediately bombarded with controversy. In the comic strip the older angel explains that he died waiting for embryonic stem cell reseach to find a cure for his terminal illness.  After inquiring about how the younger angel died, it is revealled that the younger angel had been the embyro. The creator of this cartoon tackled head on the primary argument in favor of stem cell research--to find cures for terminal diseases and save millions of lives.  The political cartoonist argued that blind attempts to find cures often come at the expense of ending additional lives that have yet to even start.The manner in which the young angel died appeals to the audience's emotions; most do not want to think about how new life has to be terminated in order to perform scientific research. The author argues that such research often takes too long, with suffering patients regretably dying, resulting in even more deaths than would have occurred if embryos had not been used. This visual argument sparks questions regarding ethics and morale in its viewers, fulfilling the three types of rhetoric: ethos, pathos, and logos.

When one takes a look at the opposing side of the Stem Cell Research debate, one can see the frustration that those in favor experience.  The above political cartoon is satirical and full of sarcasm.  In the comic, one can see that a terminally ill child, Billy, supports stem cell research.  He is seated, in his wheel chair, beside the treehouse of the "Culture of Life Club".  The club and its member(s) take the stance that some life stages (more specifically embryos and fetuses) are more sacred than lives that have already begun. 
Many states do not recognize a fetus as a person until birth.  Since it has not been finalized nationally as to whether a fetus has any rights, numerous debates regarding abortion and stem cell research continue to occur.  Those in favor of stem cell research desperately try to psuh for legislation allowing research that woukd improve the chances of life for those already defined as living individuals.
Clearly this is one of the main touchy subjects featued in every election, and it will continue until the entire country comes to the same agreement regarding who or what is defined as a living individual with rights.

Arguments and Fallacies Online : Exit International

Exit International
"A peaceful death is everybody's right" is the repeated axiom of the voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide organization, Exit International.  Exit International hopes for the "provision of accurate and concise end-of-life choices information" specifically for its older and terminally ill members. The organization contends that ending ones on life is legal, but members are often encouraged to create end of life plans in order to ensure that their families do not come into conflict with the law. In the long run, Exit International hopes to decriminalize assisted suicide.

It seems to me that the organization finds and uses every roundabout way to avoid repercussions from the law. Although the organization only provides information regarding methods of voluntary euthanasia, such information given should be regarded the same way as if the staff working for the organization povided its members with the materials and/or physically assisted in the suicide. The organization holds workshops that discuss its "Peaceful Pill eHandbook," along with other topics such as the use, risks, and legal issues regarding barbituates, prescription and non-prescription drugs, gases for the use of the hypoxic death, and many other "pertinent" information. Although the workshops are reserved for members of Exit International who are over 50 or terminally ill, I believe that 1. fifty is still a fairly young age (average life expectancy for humans is 77 years), therefore healthy adults should not be provided such "services"and 2. the information Exit International provides could possibly end up in the hands of someone unhappy who is neither over 50 nor terminally ill, cauing serious ramifications. 

False dilemna is the primary fallacy in the organizations argument: if we provide information on multiple methods of suicide without actually providing the materials or performing the act, we are not assisting in suicides and therefore aren't breaking any laws. The organization also uses a Red Herring--its axiom--to distract from the fact that assisted suicide is illegal and to justify what its members do. Exit International uses appeals to pity and pathos. The organization feels that since their members are growing old (50+) or may be sick, they have a right to end their life presuming that they are just going to die anyway, which is not necessarily the case in all circumstances.

Are anti-bullying commercials portraying the negative effects of bullying accurately and effectively? -- A Rhetorical Analysis

PSA -- STOP BULLYING

Due to numerous advancements in technology today, bullying has evolved from its original form of mainly physical harm into intimidation and torment via mass media communications such as the Internet and text messaging.  With more discrete forms of torture for bullies to resort to, bullying has gone unnoticed significantly more by parents, teachers, and other authority figures.  To combat this problem, anti-bullying organizations have produced public service announcements with hopes of exposing the dangers and damaging effects bullying has had on its victims. 

It is fair to assume that the most convincing message to end bullying in all its forms would encompass all three persuasive appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos.  But with the enormous pressure to reveal this huge problem quickly and trigger direct action from viewers, producers and directors must create commercials and advertisements that contain startling statistics and disturbing imagery.  Does manipulation of people’s emotions through such images and statistics cause the message to be sent more effectively, or must accuracy also be sacrificed in order to initiate the desired reaction?

Alpha Dog Productions filmed a commercial depicting the “worst possible consequence of cyber-bullying” in response to the increased numbers of suicides caused by bullying in 2010 (Ou, 2011). The commercial began with a female student checking her appearance in her locker mirror as the school’s warning bell rings.  The student sees two familiar faces approaching behind her and instantly becomes nervous. While desperately trying to escape her foreseen torment, she drops all of her books.  After gathering up her things from the floor, the first bully walks up to her and says, “Nice shirt.”  The bullies walk away quietly laughing, and the camera focuses on the girl again, whose face displays signs of relief for successfully avoiding the school day’s routine torture.

The camera returns to the bullies, one of whom has her phone out and is sending a text message.  Seconds later the unsuspecting victim receives a text: “NOT!!! U ugly bitch :P”  The camera focuses on her paling face and once again on the phone in her hand.  Blood begins seeping through the ends of her sleeve and she collapses to the floor.  The victim’s body lying in a pool of blood is the final image viewers see as sounds of screams and sirens continue around her and as the video fades to black.  The commercial concludes with these captions: “Words have consequences.  19,000 bullied students attempt to commit suicide each year.”

The producers and directors of this commercial definitely realized that the most effective way to get their point across was by playing with people’s emotions.  The entire scene is particularly disturbing, but the end of the clip is considerably unsettling.  Although the commercial uses logical arguments—bullying can cause victims to have low self-esteems, feel isolated, engage in self-harm, and even attempt suicide when mistreatment becomes unbearable—the statistic given at the end of the commercial does not entirely match the overall message of the video. 

The directors’ intent, the commercial itself, and the concluding message are not consistent with each other.  Copyright holder Andrea Ou proclaimed that the video clip’s original purpose was to expose the dangers and serious detrimental effects that could result from victimization via cyber bullying (2011).  This was established with one of the captions that closed out the commercial, which attempted to reveal the negative outcomes of cyber bullying.  The statistic given at the conclusion of the clip is related to the number of teen suicide attempts resulting from bullying coming in all forms, and not solely those caused by cyber bullying. This commercial is quite misleading; it portrays a performed suicide when the statistic only accounts for suicide attempts.  Also, the number given describes suicide attempts made by victims that suffered from bullying in all of its forms, not solely cyber bullying.  As a result, the commercial loses its credibility and effectiveness, and therefore becomes less likely of producing the desired reaction necessary to put an end to verbal abuse, cyber abuse, and bullying.  This commercial would have been more authentic had the directors included examples of physical abuse that victims could also receive in addition to the emotional and mental maltreatment that they suffer.

Although the commercial combats some misleading notions about bullying— “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me” is far from the truth—it forms and endorses new stereotypes in the mind of its viewers.  Since the victim in the clip was a female student, and since she presumably cut her wrists to end her life, viewers may be convinced that boys are not as negatively affected by bullying, and furthermore, that only girls engage in self-harming behaviors and attempt suicide.  Viewers may also be led to believe that if no physical signs of self-harm are noticeable or apparent, victims are coping well with bullying, when in actuality they could be considering ending their lives or be self-harming in other ways.  

The commercial’s target audience is definitely the middle and high school population, but more specifically, the directors focused on bullies.  Based on the content of the clip, and the caption “Words have consequences,” one can conclude that the directors are concentraing on students that are verbally abusive and /or cyber bullying their peers.  Since the video clip is quite distressing, one can determine that the directors believed that scaring bullies straight would be an effective method.  Although the shock value of the commercial can initially cause guilty feelings in bullies, very rarely will the images stick in their minds long enough to cause them to correct and change their behavior. 

I found this video on YouTube and I had not seen it before on television, or anywhere else for that matter.  This video, like many others, was most likely posted on the Internet instead of aired on television for numerous reasons.  Bullying is a touchy subject and suicide even more so.  Many people do not want to face the reality that actions and words really can cause severe damage to another person emotionally and psychologically; so much so that the person would rather end their life than continue existing and being tormented.   Because anti-bullying commercials are often rash and to the point—using disturbing images and contain dreadful statistics—television companies are more hesitant to air such advertisements or commercials of this type for fear of negative audience response.  Since the video can only be seen on the Internet it is not as effective as it could have been had it been aired on television. 

Producers of anti-bullying commercials and public service announcements need to ensure that their advertisements are reaching maximum effectiveness.  If the commercial is too disturbing for everyday television viewing, the advertisement must be reevaluated and revised to ensure that it is appropriate for all audiences.  Producers must not depend solely on human emotion for the successful reception of the announcement, and statistics, if cited, must be used properly and accurately.  Statistics also must coincide with the overall message of the commercial.  If these points are kept in mind, there is no doubt that anti-bullying movements will effectively raise awareness and succeed in putting an end to peer victimization.