Project 3 Reflection: BEATS?!

       I thought project three was interesting. My friend Karl and I really struggled to find a topic that we both cared about. I ended up picking the smoking ban and he talked about the Tiki Luau. Project three was very different from what I am used to in English but I thought I finished strong. I thought my interviews were my strongest part of my script and am thankful for my insightful friends. I learned how to compose an interview and how to make interviews flow into a script. My biggest struggle was my conclusion. I was really grasping at straws until I thought I found something that I could work with. I am a lot more confident with my conclusion now (thanks to a hint from Mr. Linthicum). 

The other issue I had was a mistake on my part. Garage band sets up the time as beats. Beats are NOT seconds. When I ended up finished with my script, I had only 80 seconds (which were really beats). I was freaking out and re-recorded all of my audio, so I would talk slow and create more time. I found out that the time was measured in beats and that my script was actually about 8 minutes long. This made me freak out even more (since it was about 11:00) Once again, I re-recorded my audio and talked at a normal speed. My final audio finished at 6:01.

I thought I crafted a strong argument. Even though I do not smoke, I was still interested in the topic. Luckily, my friends were too and they gave great quotes to bolster my points. I struggled with finding out what my topic would be, should I argue that the ASU smoking ban is good for the community? Should I argue that it is bad for the community? There are good points to both of the argument, which makes it such a great debate and I wanted to include them both. I chose to talk about ASU coming together because of the ban. I feel like this was a much stronger topic for me because I did not really have a stance on the ban and this allowed me to research both of the sides.

I have done a lot of work with audio and editing softwares. I had worked with audacity in high school but really forgot how to do a lot of the tricks. Audio is a real strong tool in writing and I thought learning how to write a script was great. I have not had a lot of experience with writing scripts but felt like this was very helpful. 

I feel like I will apply my interviewing skills outside of the university. Holding a microphone to someone is weird but coming up with questions on the spot, especially follow up questions, can be even harder. I have to get better at editing and must work on cutting things, lowering some volume and making quotes flow. 

Overall, I thought project 3 was an experience. I ended up learning a lot more than I had originally and had a lot of fun doing it.

Script Draft: Smoking Ban

I will first talk about the smoking ban and what it means for the ASU community. I chose this topic because this ban effects everyone at ASU. 

Beginning next summer, Arizona State will ban all tobacco products. Arizona State will ban tobacco on all four of their campuses. While this is a highly debated issue, the ban on tobacco products is good for the Arizona State community because it brings people together. Whether someone is in favor of the ban and intends to enforce the ban themselves, or is against the ban and protests it vehemently, both sides are joining together in the heated debate. I will then talk about the students who disagree with the ban. I will interview students that smoke and ones who do not, that disagree and will protest this ban. 

 The ban on tobacco has outraged a number of students who believe that smoking, while harmful, is their decision to make.

John: “Do you feel as if the smoking ban is good for the ASU community?”  

Karl: “I feel like I should be able to smoke even if it is harmful. I am an adult and should be able to choose to smoke or not.”

Students believe that the smoking ban is harmful for the ASU community because they believe it strips the students of their freedom. Students do not think the smoking ban is a moral issue and believe it is more about choice. Interview.

John: “Do you believe the smoking ban is a moral issue?” 

Karl: “No I believe the argument is about choice. Smoking is obviously bad for you but that does not mean that it should be outlawed. Eating Mcdonalds is unhealthy but that’s the consumers decision. Imagine Mcdonalds being outlawed. It would never happen.”

The Students for Liberty has protested the ban and gave out free cigarettes to people who would sign the petition to protest the ban. Students for Liberty used the phrase, “Smoke. Chew. It’s up to you.” The Students for Liberty is a perfect example of people coming together to protest the ban. Arizona State’s smoking community has gotten stronger because of the ban. 

Some students believe that the ban is wrong because it makes everyday citizens criminals. 

Makes everyday citizens criminals. The smoking ban has a lot of parallels to prohibition. Why ban something that everybody does? Why put people that smoke cigarettes into the same class as people who murder people and do far worse things. 

John: “How do you feel about the school putting a ban on cigarettes?”

Karl “I feel like the ban makes everyone criminals. I’m not a rapist. I’m not a bad person because I smoke cigarettes and do not want to be seen as one because I smoke.”

The smoking ban has strengthened the ASU smoking community but smokers are not the only ones who disagree with the ban on tobacco. 

John: “You don’t smoke Austin. How do you feel about this ban?”

Austin: “I have never smoked in my life but I disagree with this ban. People should at least have the option to smoke. Even though I hate the smell of smoke, it does not take away from the fact that they should be able to smoke. It’s not about if you think smoking is right or wrong because it is wrong. But it is about the students ability to choose if he wants to smoke or not.”

People that believe in the ability to choose have come together, whether they smoke or not. 

People who agree with the ban have come together as well. Students who are for the ban, believe that smoking should be banned because of health issues. There are many students who are afraid of the danger of second hand smoke. 

I will interview someone who is in favor of the ban and believes that the second hand smoke is too dangerous to have on campus. 

Many people believe that smoking should be outlawed because of the number of sick days that smoking creates. Attendance in college is important and smoking makes students more prone to sickness. (Put in interview of someone who has gotten sick a lot or missed classes because of heavy smoking)

The people (students and faculty) who believe that the ban is justified must come together if they hope to enforce the new law. The law is a “self-police” policy. The ASU police will not enforce the law. Students and faculty are asked to enforce the policy. Because the policy is not handled by the ASU police, students who favor the ban must come together to enforce the ban. One student asking a group of four that are smoking will not have much success in enforcing the ban but a group of 10 will have a stronger chance. (Interview someone who intends to enforce the ban)

An issue that the self-police policy brings is bullying. If that one student were to try and enforce the policy, he/she might be bullied and threatened to do otherwise. The possibility of bullying is one of the drawbacks in this policy but should not push the law to be protested. Why should someone be bullied when he/she is following the law. A scare tactic should influence the decision on whether ASU should ban smoking. 

Arizona State’s ban on tobacco has strengthened certain communities on campus. Students and faculty who believe that smoking should be allowed have come together to fight the ban, while students who believe that smoking is harmful to the people around them have come together to fight for the ban on smoking. The fact that so many people are coming together in order to fight for what they believe in, makes the Arizona State community stronger. 

ASU Reacts

Hello this is John Kluepfel from John’s podcast. Today, we will be discussing the NPR story Dreams of A Peacetime U.S. Presidency. The podcast was hosted by Guy Raz and Micah Zenko. Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations believes that it is impossible for a U.S. President to not be involved in military operations. Zenko believes that America will go to war with Afghanistan. Zenko says that the last peacetime president was Warren G Harding. Zenko believes that the American public has gotten  used to America participating in war. Zenko believes that because the American President is regarded with such power, he has more pressure than a leader of a smaller country to participate in war. 

Chairmen of the chief joint of staff Martin Dempsey takes the other side. Dempsey believes that “We are now living in the most dangerous time”. 

This topic is important because the  assumption that war is a substitute for foreign policy is frightening. The manipulation of the media in making movies with Navy seals for profit or to make war seem more acceptable is also frightening. The article also talks about the change in perception with targeted killings. Zenko believes that it was highly accepted that targeted killing was wrong until September 11, 2001. Today, many people believe the 400 plus targeted killings outside of a battlefield setting are justified.    

“To talk about this topic with me is Austin Olshefski.”

“How are you Austin?

“I’m feeling fresh Johnny Pod”

“Do you believe that it is possible for America to have a peacetime president?”

“Absolutely not. I believe that America will always be in war in any way shape or form whether it is supplying resources or physically engaging in battle.” 

“Why do you feel that way Austin?”

“Because of Americas history.”

“Do you believe that America will go to war with Afganistan?”

“No but I believe America will be involved in another military operation”.

“If Zenko is correct, how does it feel for the last peacetime president (Warren G Harding) to be in the 1920s.”

“I feel like it supports my statement that America will always be in war somehow.”

“Do you believe that Americans have gotten used to America participating in war”

“Yes. We have always been in war so people don’t know how it feels to be in peacetime”.

“Do you agree with Zenko that it is alarming that America always participates in war or Martin Dempsey, Chairmen of the chief joint of staff who believes that America is living in the most dangerous time”, 

“I agree with Dempsey. I believe there are so many threats out there and we are in more danger if we are not prepared”.

“Do you think America should just be prepared or always at war?”

“I believe that America should always be in war. Especially because we are America and are trying to be the world’s police. 

“Do you think America takiing big stances on countries like Iraq and Afghanistan lowers these threats?”

“No because I think this creates more dislike towards America in the middle east which causes more of a threat. 

“How do you feel about targeted killings?”

“I believe it is necessary to take down a leader like Sadaam Hussain because he is the leader of the operation.”

“Do you think the media takes advantage of war and profits from movies like Act of Valor?” 

“Absolutely. If people are interested in the subject they will take every advantage to make a profit.”

“Do you believe that the media uses movies to make war seem more applicable?”

“No. I don’t think they are trying to intentionally make war seem more acceptable but are just trying to make a profit.”

Genre Analysis: Dreams of A Peacetime U.S. Presidency

The NPR story that I listened to was Dreams of A Peacetime U.S. Presidency. The story was asking the question, is it possible for a U.S. President to not be involved in military operations. Guy Raz is the host who talks to Micah Zenko of the Council on Foreign Relations. Zenko is a modern war expect. The article discusses the topic that even if the Iraq war if over, the war in Afghanistan “will soon follow”. The story is convincing because it uses important people to back up the evidence. Using a modern war expect is a good source of information. Zenko believes that President Obama will never be a peacetime president and that Warren G Harding was the last peacetime president. The use of Warren G Harding as the last peacetime president is interesting. His statement says that the last peacetime president was in the 1920s. The fact that Zenko believes that the last peacetime president was nearly 100 years ago is interesting. Zenko believes that American people have gotten used to the fact that America participates in war. The article introduces the topic of Americans not minding military operations when Raz introduces Zenko. Zenko said, “It’s been a pretty steady assumption that the U.S. will use military force abroad.”  
      The genre of this piece was to explain what the loss of a peacetime president meant. The conversation was pretty informal and was not language that was used was easy for listeners to comprehend. Evidence is used with good quotes and interviews. The host chose this type of evidence because in an audio essay, it is important to use interviews and quotes. The topic if very well organized. The topic is brought up and the sides are both talked about. The story finishes with the consequences of what everything means. The citation styles and the design are not seen in an audio essay. 

Raz introduces the Chairmen of the chief joint of staff Martin Dempsey. Raz talks about Dempsey’s theory that “We are now living in the most dangerous time” Dempsey says that America is in more danger now than ever before since he was born (1952). Raz suggest that if this is true, it makes it more acceptable to participate in military operations. Zenko does not believe that we are in a more dangerous time than the Vietnam war or the Cuban Missile Crises. Zenko agrees with the statement that America should have a strong military but asks if America taking such a big stance in countries like Iraq or Afghanistan lowers the threats at all?

Guy Raz talks about the topic that because being the American President instead of President of Turkey puts more pressure to take part in military operations.

Raz and Zenko then discuss the consequences of not having a peacetime president. The assumption that people believe that war is an acceptable substitution for foreign policy. The media enabling war, as the many movies involving navy seals. Zenko also talks about the change of perception with targeted killings. Before 9/11, Zenko believes that Americans opposed all targeting killings. 

Zenko says, “If you would have told people on September 12, 2001 that the U.S. would have conducted 400 targeted killings outside of a battlefield settings, killing something like 3,000 plus people they would have never believed you. And there seems to be no public debate on whether this is a good or bad thing”. 

This story uses very good quotes and good evidence. It uses smart people that know what they are talking about but does not provide a lot of facts. An audio essay must have people to back up the claims and have facts. The audio essays must have interviews with other people and interesting quotes. The use of Martin Dempsey’s quote was a good quote to use. Audio essays must have quotes that rely back to the topic. Dempsey’s quote worked because it dealt with the military operations but quotes about the President’s win in Florida would not have fit. This was a very good story but I thought more facts and stats were needed instead of just opinions.

I want to do something that deals with sports as my topic. What the ASU football or basketball team mean to the community and how they effect the school. I am not sure if I want to do this but it is an idea...

Project Two Reflection: Clutch

        I was very stressed with project two. I thought my draft was written well but I struggled with making changes. I thought the paper was strong and did not want to take out things that I thought were important. I struggled with coming up with new things and trying to make them fit the flow of the essay. Whenever I thought of my essay, I could not think of new things to contribute. I was getting nervous as to how I was going to change my essay. I took a risk. I took a break. I stopped thinking about anything related to the essay hoping that a break from trying to think of how I could change it would give me new ideas. Finally, Friday came and I had not thought of anything new. I did not panic but finally sat down to tackle the rest of the essay. When I finally sat myself down and stopped worrying about the essay, it became easier. After not thinking about the essay for what seemed like weeks, I got my groove back. While my brain seemed to click at the right time, I do not wish to take this approach again. It was very risky and nerve racking. 

I also struggled with the view of the project. I am not good at making things look pretty and having a writing assignment with pictures was tough. I did not know what pictures fit and which didn’t and I struggled in making a design for the project. I struggled with creating a map and did not know how to make the map large enough until the last minute. I will apply my work in the world outside of the university by creating projects that are more user friendly that people can visually enjoy. It will be a struggle for me, but I hope to make my projects viewable.  

       I thought my synopsis was done well and I really liked my annotations. I thought I wrote a strong evaluation and am proud of the work I did. I thought my project two was better than my project one. I thought I went a little over on the writing requirements but I thought the things in the project were needed. I really liked my criteria because I truly believe in what I wrote. I am not a fan of big classes and I thought this was my way of telling other people. I have struggled with the lecture classes and online courses and wished to voice my concern with the learning environments. I enjoyed finding sources that backed my opinion that large classes made things like class participation and debating issues harder. I found evidence that showed me that small classes was positive in many aspects that fit my criteria. 

I really enjoyed project two because it was something different. It was not the usual writing assignment and that is what I think caught me off guard. I understand now that projects in the real world will not all be just writing and things like design are vitally important. 

Project 2 Map

View Learning Environments in a larger map

Research Sources: Learning Environment

The topic that I have chosen to evaluate is whether the Arizona State learning systems are effective. I want to explore whether the learning systems are effective at ASU because I have also learned in a small classroom environment. The new systems of online classes, large lecture classes and hybrids are all very new to me. The biggest issue I had was that my criteria for a good learning environment will be different than any other student. The criteria for my topic will be; class participation, student-teacher relationships, lesson flexibility, ability to debate or ask questions, being able to socialize or develop relationships with other students, being able to learn even when missing a class, acceptability into the class and a non-biased atmosphere. 

The four places that I will look to for information will be a small class, a large lecture hall, a hybrid consisting of half online and half in person and an online class. 

The scholarly article that I used was Can Downsizing College Class Sizes Augment Student Outcomes? An Investigation of the effects of Class Size on Student Learning by Lauren Chapman and Larry Ludlow. This article was the Journal of General Education. This was the Vol. 59 issue 2, from pages one hundred five to one hundred twenty three. (19 pages) with one chart and two graphs. This issue deals with the subject of class sizes and how they effect learning. The article also deals with how the system of having large classes at introductory levels and small class sizes at advanced levels effects effects learning. I chose this article because it deals with class sizes and has interesting facts to back up the claim that small classes are better learning environments than large ones. This also interested me because I have been told before that the classes will be smaller in the future and that having big classes at introductory courses is not a big deal. This discusses this topic which is usually not talked about.

The book article that I used was A Comparison of Two Teaching Strategies: Lecture vs. Discussion in a Small Class Environment at Florida Southern College. The book was written by Robert E. Hedrick and was forty four pages. I chose this source because it compared the styles of large lecture halls and small classrooms. The study showed that large lecture halls had higher test courts but small classes had higher interest and attendance. I chose this because there was a sense of compromise between large and small classes. Many people are either for or against when dealing with the topic of small classes and large classes but rarely do people take both side. I learned that there is no perfect system and a collaboration might be the answer for learning.

The third source I used was Hybrid Courses and Their Impact on Student and Classroom Performance: A Case Study at the University of Virginia. I found this article online, https://calico.org/memberBrowse.php?action=article&id=104. The article spanned from pages 517-531 (14 pages). The source was a journal by Emily E. Scida and Rachel E, Saury at the University of Virginia. I used this source because it dealt with Hybrid learning. This was an interesting article that concluded that hybrid learning can be more effective than classroom learning. I chose this article because I wanted to take Japanese but it was only offered five days a week which I could not fit with my other classes. Had Japanese been a hybrid class, I would be able to take it.