Counterintuitive Fall 2024

StripedSweater’s Proposal

For my research essay I will be focusing on the effect of addressing mental health in high school. During my research my goal is to bring attention to the importance of mental illnesses, especially depression. The idea behind my hypothesis is for students who struggle with anxiety and depression to be aware of healthy coping methods and for them to keep their private and social lives a positive and encouraging community. The hypothesis would be edited so that the question itself can be verifiable and arguable; however, the goal remains: to research the effect of addressing mental health to those who are beginning to reach the age of maturity. Prior to this assignment, research has not been conducted. But with the personal experience with a mental illness and lack of awareness, I feel that researching and addressing these issues with healthy ways of coping can positively influence many students.

Source 1: High School Depression and Suicide Prevention Program

https://shapeamerica.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/19325037.2002.10604730?needAccess=true

Background: This source talks about a mental health course that was implemented in high school with the goal of raising awareness of teenage depression and provide resource information for those who are feeling depressed or suicidal. After the study, results have shown that not only students who are struggling have found help, but even those who don’t have depression have been able to pick up on signs from their peers who may be silently struggling, and have helped them.

How I intend to use it: I will use this source as evidence to strengthen my argument that raising awareness about mental illnesses and providing healthy coping methods could help, whether coping methods include seeing professional help or other ways of coping, which I will further continue my research.

Source 2: Mental Health Programs in schools

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12310-010-9038-1

Background: This source explains a school-based intervention to reduce depression and PTSD for young children who have been exposed to traumatic events. The study explores factors that influence the implementation of a specific evidence-based practice in schools, more specifically, the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS). This study demonstrates that these evidence-based practice do help students with dealing with depression and trauma, but only more likely when previously exposed to these practices.

How I intend to use it: This source stresses the importance of dealing with depression and trauma; although trauma itself isn’t mentioned in my hypothesis, it could definitely be related to my research. I plan to use the information found to either support the idea that addressing mental health could benefit students or not, or maybe that this study specifically could or could not work for the outcome of my research.

Source 3: Addressing Students’ Social and Emotional Needs

Background: This source talks about schools that have recognized the importance for mental health and personal needs for students; not just teaching material but also providing strategies for effectively dealing with highly stressful situations. Multiple studies have been conducted and the results have shown positive outcomes for managing stress for the students.

How I intend to use it: The studies could present useful information for determining the effectiveness for these mental health efforts. The results have shown that addressing mental health yields positive results, but I will analyze this source for how effective it really is.

Source 4: Evolving Roles for School Nurses

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1942602X09353915

Background: This source argues that aside from teaching academic sources, which is required by the NCLB, that mental health services are equally important for the student body. This article also addresses issues for districts without these services, such as the budget not being able to cover the cost of hiring professionals. However, with the students in luck, solutions are available. This source dives into the importance of mental health of students as they grow.

How I intend to use it: This source seems to support my hypothesis with the explanation of how important mental health is for students. I believe that this source could strengthen my argument that making mental health aware in school and providing help could greatly benefit the students.

Source 5: Mental Health and System Restructuring

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272735898000713

Background: This source talks about mental health awareness in a different light in terms of schools. The source explains that a school’s mandate is to educate; they are not in the health business. This may be somewhat of an explanation for why not every school has a program or effective way for mental care. This article continues to explain that too few schools have enough mental care resources for all the students. This can be understandable to an extent: for a large student body, resources need to increase in quantity while not decreasing in quality.

How I intend to use it: This source made me look at mental health awareness in schools in another way. A school’s goal is to educate students and to help them realize their dreams in terms of a profession. It is not to provide mental care, that is why professional therapy exists. However, after addressing the mandate of school and the benefits of bringing mental care into school through studies and experiments, I intend to question the idea of mental care into an educational course; not only in a way of recognizing that our emotional well being matters but also to educate on what to do if one’s emotional state is not as it should be.

For my research paper, I will be diving deeper into the conversation surrounding the legal drinking age, more specifically, raising it from twenty-one to twenty-five. Alcohol has been known for its harmful effects on the brain and body, however, the specifics surrounding the two are never fully discussed as the issue with drinking has been pushed aside in recent years with more prominent issues taking center stage. I will argue that raising the drinking age to that of twenty-five will help younger generations understand the negative effects alcohol has on the brain, especially the development at the end, and the body, more specifically on the internal organs instead of externally.

1. Human Brain Development Does Not Stop At Adolescence: Research

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20110923/human-brain-development-does-not-stop-at-adolescence-research.aspx

Background: This source explains that the human brain does not stop developing at adolescence, but it instead keeps on developing well into our 20’s. Research conducted at  the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta provides evidence that indeed confirms that fact. By using a type of imaging that examines brain wiring, researchers were able to see that in the white matter changes were still occurring, well into young adulthood. The changes were happening, for young adults, in the frontal lobe part of the brain, 

How I Intend To Use It: I will use this as concrete evidence to show that the brain does not stop developing before people reach the age of twenty-one (the age that they can legally consume alcohol). It is also to debunk any counters that the brain does indeed stop developing before twenty-one and therefore alcohol cannot be harmful to the brain in terms of development. 

2. 3 Things That Happen To The Human Brain At 25

https://www.inverse.com/article/33753-brain-changes-health-25-quarter-life-crisis-neurology

Background: In a certain section of this source, the final part of brain development (which is the prefrontal cortex) is discussed. The author explains how at twenty-five, the risk management and long-term planning skills are starting to kick in at this point. Scientists have said that this part of the brain takes the longest to fully develop, and that by the age of twenty-five, the so called “remodel” of the brain comes to its end after its beginning at the age of thirteen. 

How I Intend To Use It: I will use this section of this source to build up off of the last source in terms of going off of what the last part of the brain to develop is. The prefrontal cortex controls areas such as planning, complex behaviors, and impulse control and this information is important because if the brain development is stunted by the use of alcohol, then these important functions for a human to have mentally can be interrupted sooner than they should be. 

3. Prefrontal Cortex 

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/prefrontal-cortex

Background: This source delves deeper into the prefrontal cortex and what role it plays, how it develops, and the different parts of the prefrontal cortex. In terms of the role that the prefrontal cortex plays, it is a huge part of personality development, and like the previous source stated, this part of the brain deals with those complex emotions and behaviours. For how it develops, the brain does its development in a back to front order thus the prefrontal cortex is the last in line. For this development, experience plays a big role, so most neurologists can agree that by the time someone reaches twenty-five, the prefrontal cortex is fully developed. There are three different parts of the prefrontal cortex: the medial, the orbital, and the lateral. The medial cortex contributes to attention and motivation, and it can be simplified as a sort of start button. The orbital cortex control impulses and ignores distractions, but it also helps keep strong emotions in check. The lateral cortex allows for plans to be created, organized in a certain sequence, and then be executed. It is safe to say that the prefrontal cortex is an important part of the human brain. 

How I Intend To Use It: This source goes into further detail with the prefrontal cortex, explaining the role, the brain’s development process, and the three different parts of this cortex. I plan to use this source to go even deeper than just claiming that alcohol stunts the brain because of xyz. Instead, I intend to use this information to build my argument in terms of emphasizing how important this part of the brain is and how alcohol consumption leads to these functions not being as strong or being incomplete all together. 

4. Effects of Alcohol on Brain: Damage and Treatment

Background: This source goes into both the short and long term effects of alcohol on the brain, and it also states the areas of the brain that are the most susceptible to being harmed by alcohol use. The prefrontal cortex is mentioned as one that changes personality and emotions drastically when damaged by alcohol and this is an important area of the brain, however another part controls an important part of the brain. The Hippocampus is in charge of memory creation and when this is messed with, it can be difficult for a person to create new memories. In terms of the short term effects of alcohol, blackouts are the most common and these have problems of their own with forgetting what happened while intoxicated, which can be very dangerous. The long term effects are more centered around worsened memory, thinking, and emotion control. Overall, both short and long term effects offer bad conclusions in their own way. 

How I Intend To Use It: I intend to use this source as more evidence for why the legal drinking age should be raised. Those at twenty-one would be doing more harm to their brain as it is not fully developed in the first place, and then adding on extra harm with thoughts and memories at an early age is not good. Additionally, most twenty-one year olds get ahead of themselves and consume more than they are capable of or more than what is reasonable because they are young and not fully thinking in the moment as someone who is twenty-five would do.  

5. Physical Effects Of Long Term Alcoholism

Physical Effects of Long-term Alcoholism

Background: This source goes into the more physical aspects of alcohol consumption. The author breaks down each organ or system that are then affected by alcohol use. In terms of the heart, drinking leads to a high blood pressure which would then potentially lead to a heart attack, and with long term drinking, the heart can experience high levels of stress. The liver is an organ that breaks down slowly, so if a person stops drinking early, the liver can recover, however if it is in the late stage, then the liver can continue to take damage. With the immune system, its ability to fight off bacteria is weakened thus potentially causing easier infection and illness which over time can greatly damage the body. Even reproduction can be harmed by the use of alcohol. Risky behavior is the most known factor, but alcohol consumption can also lead to low hormone levels and women risking infertility. 

How I Intend To Use It: I intend to use the physical factors of alcohol consumption to add more to my argument about raising the legal age. Including the physical aspects are just as important as the brain because like the brain, no one can see the organs being damaged as someone runs around at twenty-one drinking recklessly compared to someone who is twenty-five who would be more aware of the effects and would most likely know how to pace/control themselves. 

For my research essay, I will be studying the mental health issues of working college students. With the added pressure of figuring out a way to pay for college or just needing that extra money in their pocket, working college students are struggling more with their mental health than other college students who do not have a job or who don’t have to stress about paying for college. Those who receive more money from Financial Aid or whose parents receive higher income do not have that extra weight on their backs because they do not necessarily need a job to help their parents cover the cost of their tuition or to fulfill their own needs and wants. Even with numerous scholarships, grants, and loans, the college students who are working may still need more money in their pockets to pay their bill or more money to just survive the week, but this also means they have to give up their free-time. Why are the mental health issues of working college students worse than the jobless college students?

1. College Vs. Paycheck

Background: Rainesford Stauffer expresses her point of view when she was a student who was working full-time and was also going to school full-time. Stauffer tells her audience that even with her jobless peers, she understood what it feels like to have a busy schedule and a heavy workload.

How I intend to use it: This is supposed to help explain the perspective of a working college student to people who do not understand the struggle or experience of students who never have enough time for sleep or free time. I will use this as proof that college students actually experience this and struggle with keeping up with their mental health.

2. Not Enough Hours in the Day: Work Study Students and Sleep

Background: Students are not getting enough sleep throughout the week when they are going to school full-time and also working one to two jobs per week. This is affecting their performance in their academics and extracurricular activities.

How I intend to use it: I plan to use this to help explain one of the causes and effects of working and attending college on campus at the same time. There are facts and experiences included in this article that will assist me in proving the issues that are caused by working while going to school full-time such as not sleeping enough and performing poorly in class.

3. Effects of Employment on Stress Levels in College Students

Background: Due to the rising number of working college students, a study took place on working college students versus non-working college students. With the statistics and proof from other articles, the author has gathered reliable information on the stress levels of working college students and goes into depth about other causes of stress and why working college students choose to work.

How I intend to use it: I intend to use this to help me with my reasoning of mental health issues worsening within working college students, and to clarify the causes and affects of stress within this population of students.

4. Pros and Cons of Having a Job on Campus

Background: The pros and cons of having a job while in college are interpreted simply but explained just enough for one to comprehend.

How I intend to use it: I plan to use this to emphasize the cons of having a job while in college while also highlighting the pros and reasons why students get a job in the first place.

5. How to Manage Stress When You Study and Work at the Same Time

Background: The challenges that college students face is added up to show how much time they should commit to their studies, and this time is overextended when they add a 40 hour work schedule to their plate. There is advice and tips given to the readers, who are working college students, to help them manage their mental health and heighten their time management skills.

How I intend to use it: I plan to use this by providing suggestions in my research paper to working college students on how to manage stress and to exaggerate my point that working while going to school takes a lot of work and time. This will also help me explain that it is understood how a majority of college students experience mental health issues for their own reasons, but from the point of view of a working college student, mental health issues are increasing and getting worse within that specific population.

My research essay is about the fact that different types of music can affect your moods . In my research I would like to see the ways the brain reacts to music and who it affects your mood and also how  it helps the brain development. I would also how to see the process the brain goes through while listening to music and how that increases your mood and how it helps the brain become more intelligent .

1. https://www.aimm.edu/blog/how-does-music-affect-your-mood

Background: This article is about music that can be used for therapy because  since music affects our brain , it could possibly help those who have mental problems. It also talks about how music increases our mood which affects our surroundings and how it helps perceive the world around us based on what type of music you are listening to.

How I Intend to use it : This article will help me realize the ways that music can affect you in many ways. It also shows that music may be a different way to help mental problems .

Music to reduce pain and suffering during and after surgery.,

2. https://cloudcovermusic.com/music-psychology/mood

background: This article talks about the research between music in the impact it has on our feelings and mood. This article basically talks about the how and the why music impacts us and certain beats and how fast or slow the pace  of the music controls are our emotions . For example how slow and smooth songs reflects sadness

How I intend to do this : this article will teach me how the brain works when listening to music and how it physically affects your brain and the process it goes through. It will show how each type of music is connected to a certain kind of emotion and . 

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3741536/

Background: This article talks about the psychology of music listening. It talks about how certain people have been researching music for a long people for a long time and talks about the reason why we still listen to music even if it affects her mood.

How I intend to use it : this article will show me the different perspectives of people searching about music and will help me understand the reason why people listen to music and why we don’t stop . It will help me view the effect of listening to music in different ways which could help me improve my essay .

4. https://rockandrolldaycare.com/5-ways-music-helps-childs-brain-development/ Background: this article shows 5 ways that listening as a child can help brain development faster and much smarter it can make you . 

How I intend to use it. This article will help explain the many benefits listening to music can have on you . It helps me realize how it’s increasing your memory and helps you understand whatever you are listening to much easier .

• https://share.upmc.com/2014/12/music-affects-developing-brain/  
• Background: This article shows how playing music or learning music  at a young age can increase smart and how increase gray matter in the brain . It’s also talks about how should encourage their child to learn music starting at a young age  
• How I intend to use it : I will use this article to expand on the facts that children learning at a young age helps the brain grow in a great way and how it has many benefits in the end .

For my research essay I will investigate the lopsided argument of homemade lunches vs school lunches and which is more nutritional and better for student academics. I intend to discover the factual evidence and truth about home brought lunches as they lack the nutritional value needed for student daily health necessities and why school made lunches are benefiting student education moreover personal homemade.

Thesis: Promoting the consumption of modern school lunches will benefit student education/focus in the classroom more than modern homemade lunches because of the well-balanced and variety being presented to students at school^[a]. 

1. 
   URL: Children’s packed lunches lack nutritional quality

Background: This article focuses on a major survey conducted on children attending various primary schools in England. They found that fewer than two in every one hundred packed lunches indeed met nutritional standards. This article states that eight standards have been introduced for cooked school lunches. Confectionery, savoury snacks and sweetened drinks are restricted while vegetables, protein and dairy have to be included in each meal.

How I Intend To Use it: This article will provide proper evidence of the lack of nutritional value presented in homemade lunches. Well over 75% homemade lunches lack essential daily vitamins and nutrients, but are over packed with sugary/ unhealthy snacks. This article will provide the insight of 100 kids lunches and how there is a lack of nutrition.

2. URL: School Meals Are Healthier After Major Nutrition Reforms

Background: This article focuses on the increased scores of school lunches on the healthy eating index. Scores are much higher compared to where they were before 2010. Students who had bought school lunches were way more likely to consume milk, vegetables, and/or fruits at lunch than kids with lunches from home.

How I Intend To Use it: This article will improve my argument by showing that school lunches healthy eating index scores are rising up each year giving students better chance to receive necessary vitamins and minerals they may be lacking from homemade lunch. Knowing that veggies and fruits are consumed much more from school lunches will very much improve my argument that they are more nutritional.

3. URL: How the quality of school lunch affects students’ academic performance

Background: The article focuses on increase of student testing grades when the school is paired in a healthy contract with a school lunch company. Students, on average, received .03 to .04 standard deviations higher which is a great improvement.

How I Intend To Use it: This article will improve my argument as a whole by providing in school test scores that have been increased due to healthy school lunches. This article can also provide a counter argument as to how some schools who aren’t paired with healthy lunch companies have students that maybe doing worse academically.

4. URL: https://bonnevilleacademy.org/how-does-school-lunch-affect-learning/

Background: This article focuses on the direct impact of school lunches to students moods and education in the classroom. Students are given the complete option of healthy schools lunches, but are also provided the sugary and fattening foods.

How I Intend To Use it: This article can very much improve my argument as it provides the facts that school lunches provide all healthy options and nutritional value even if students do not choose that option. My argument is that school lunches are healthy and the thesis is being supported when these lunches have all the food categories recommended for daily intake.

5. URL: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-makes-a-healthier-lunch-mom-or-school-cafeteria/

Background: This article focuses on the idea of home packed lunches lacking the protein, sodium, fiber, vitamins, etc. A study showed that there are some very well packed school lunches, but the overall study showed they were mostly unhealthy.

How I Intend To Use it: This article definitely improves my argument by the comparison between the two in contest which are the school made vs the homemade. In the contest it shows the homemade is lacking very much nutritional value and are higher in calories while the school lunches were almost 100 calories less.

For my research paper I will delve into the discussion of the media’s negative contribution to the concerning phenomenon of school shootings. I intend to prove that media sensationalism has not only caused the desire for notoriety among the youth but also the increased rate and lethality of school shootings. I will propose that, if my hypothesis is proven true, legislation should make the move to regulate media coverage of mass shooting offenders and possibly ban reporting their personal details altogether. There is, however, the possibility that media sensationalism has merely created a moral panic but not increased incidents. I intend to determine, over the semester, which of these arguments holds more water.

1. Media fame for shooters: Does mass media encourage copycat crimes?

Background: This essay examines the effect of media coverage of school shootings that focus on the offender. It discusses the ethical debate prevalent in journalism: is media sensationalism and the constant focus on offenders contributing to copycat offenses? It presents not only the direct but indirect role of the media in school shootings as well.

How I intend to use it: Present the evidence that the media is, in fact, contributing both directly and indirectly to copycat offenses by people seeking fame in the media.

2. Fame-seeking rampage shooters: Initial findings and empirical predictions

Background: This study reports on the concerning increase of mass shooters seeking fame. It also reports that the United States has a disproportionate number of these types of offenders. Fame-seeking mass shooters tend to be significantly younger and more violent than other offenders.

How I intend to use it: To illustrate just how much more prevalent and dangerous fame-seeking shooters have become, as well as discuss the growing number of younger people becoming offenders. It’s important to not only provide evidence that these fame-seeking mass shooters are becoming more prevalent, but also to show just how much more threatening they’ve become.

3. School crime policy changes: The impact of recent highly-publicized school crimes

Background: This study examines the impact of school crimes on campus policy. Highly publicized school shootings have raised fears and concerns among parents and school administrators. They have caused many children to feel less safe.

How I intend to use it: To illustrate that media sensationalism may perhaps be overestimating rather than contributing to the threat of mass shootings in America’s schools. It’s a major counterpoint worth considering as I delve more deeply into researching the topic. It also suggests more effective alternative ways to tackle school shootings.

4. The Effects of Media Coverage on Mass Shootings in the United States

Background: This study notes how the rise in mass shootings is correlated with the rise in media coverage of mass shootings. It presents not only the effect of media coverage of mass shooting offenders on future incidents but also HOW this phenomenon has fueled the rise in these fame-seeking shooters.

How I intend to use it: To show primarily how increased media coverage of mass shootings has contributed to the rise in shooting incidents.

5. School shootings, the media, and public fear: Ingredients for a moral panic

Background: The coverage of school shootings has indeed raised public fear of future incidents. But empirical data suggest that America’s schools are safer than ever. This study takes a look at the role of the media in school shootings and violence among the youth.

How I intend to use it: To present evidence that media sensationalism HAS made a negative effect, but merely on moral panic; not increased school shootings.

For my research essay, I will be discussing the idea of lengthening the NFL season and eliminating at least some of the preseason. I want to provide solid reasons on to why this idea makes more sense than the current schedule that the NFL currently uses today. I am going to argue that a change to the schedule will benefit players, fans and the entire business of the league. Four preseason games for NFL teams feels unnecessary for everyone involved and an extension of the regular season will definitely make the league more enjoyable due to the fact teams will have more of a chance to qualify for the post season tournament known as the playoffs.

1. NFL preseason expected to be shortened

URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/08/28/nfl-preseason-expected-be-shortened-with-expanded-playoffs-more-likely-than-game-season/

Background: This article talks about the lack of fans attending preseason games because there is little to no interest in them. The top players sit out of these games to avoid injuries and there is no meaning to the game when it comes to winning and losing.

How I intend to use it: I think this article basically perfectly describes my argument so I will be using information from this link in my paper. The article also talks about the possibility of the league changing the schedule from 16 games to 17 or 18 games.

2. NFL, NFLPA reportedly making progress on new CBA that would expand regular season

URL: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-nflpa-reportedly-making-progress-on-new-cba-that-would-expand-regular-season-and-add-two-playoff-teams/

Background: This article talks about talks about how the NFL has been trying to expand the length of the regular season for years now, but the NFLPA has continuously shot down the idea. Now, the NFLPA is considering the idea of expanding the season.

How I intend to use it: I will talk about in my paper how there has been disagreements between the NFL and NFLPA for quite some time now when it comes to the idea of expanding the regular season.

3. Roger Goodell repeats stance to shorten preseason

URL: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001032561/article/roger-goodell-repeats-stance-to-shorten-preseason

Background: According to the commissioner of the NFL, he is all for shortening the preseason just lik the rest of us NFL fans. Goodell stated in an interview that the league should strive to accomplish tasks at the highest level and he is not sure that the preseason is doing that right now.

How I intend to use it: This could help a lot in my paper because Roger Goodell is the commisioner of the NFL and if he agrees with the idea that I am proposing, then there is a high chance that changes could be made in the near future.

4. You absolutley don’t need four preseason games

URL: https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27347878/you-absolutely-need-four-preseason-games-why-shortening-makes-sense

Background: This article talks about how the current CBA for the NFL expires in 2021 and the new CBA will most likely feature changes to the NFL schedule. The writer even states in his first sentence of the article that the NFL preseason is trash. This shows that many people want changes to be made.

How I intend to use it: I can simply talk about in my paper how the new CBA will be agreed upon in 2021, and all signs point towards a new schedule being made. It seems that most people want a new schedule. Including the NFLPA who were originally against the idea.

5. What it would take for NFL players to agree on 17 game regular season

URL: https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2020/2/25/21151529/nfl-players-17-game-schedule-cba-negotiations

Background: This article talks about what the players in the NFL should fight for. Specifically more money and more health benefits due to the fact a longer regular season could potentially mean more of a chance starting players in the league can get injured.

How I intend to use it: This is arguably what it comes down to when deciding if the league should expand its season. The players have to feel that they are safe and once they do, I believe the changes will be made. I can talk about the benefits players will face when lengthening the season.