Counterintuitive Fall 2024

We leave DNA behind everything we do

Everything we do today, everything we touch and do leaves our DNA behind. Imagine one day you woke up and cops came to your door and arrested you for a crime that you did not commit. Say this is back in a time with a DNA test. Things were not very good and not used often so it was really only an eyewitness that said it was you. So you got sentenced to 30 years and you’re in jail and since the Vance of technology throughout, your sentence has come up and DNA testing has become more effective. The innocence project offers you to help to see if you can be freed or exonerated, because they believe you did not do it, and they were going to use your DNA to prove that it was not you. This is only possible because of how advanced our technology is becoming in today’s age.

The innocence project is an organization to help free or exoneree wrongfully convicted individuals. How they do this is through the use of DNA evidence and advocating for criminal justice reforms. DNA evidence has recently become a big part of forensic science, and in the criminal justice system. This has also helped reform the legal system and the criminal justice system because it helps find the flaws in them and is also helping them become better and stronger. This has also helped reform the legal system and the criminal justice system because it helps find the flaws in them and is also helping them become better and stronger.

“in every cell of every living organism and contains the “blueprint” for building and maintaining living beings. And even though humans share 99.9% of their DNA with one another, the 0.1% of DNA that varies from person to person can tell us a lot about each individual, and can be used to help identify people who have committed crimes as well as exonerate wrongly convicted people.” Every single human being has DNA and your DNA is a blueprint of who you are and your own identification. Most humans share 99% of their DNA with one another but there is the .1% that varies throughout the people that can individually tell a lot about each person.

Since the advancement of technology, they have to collect and gather this DNA differently than they had to before they have to be more careful and considerate of what they are doing with this evidence. Evidence can easily be tampered with, so they want to make sure that they are using the right procedures when gathering evidence And analyzing it. There have been many cases where mistakes were applied. Forensic science has contributed to people being convicted. Some of the major method hoods that are often misused or bite marks fingerprints blood stain patterns to marks and hair compressions. These methods were often frequently misused in cases, but since the advanced technology, these methods have increasingly become more significant, and more reliable with the advanced technologies.

Because of our technology, and how advanced it has become, the innocence Project has exonerated or freed 575 people just based on DNA testing in the United States alone. The technology for DNA hasn’t always been around because technology hasn’t been around for that long. Either the boom of technology was in the late 1900s and early 2000s for DNA and really exceeded in the 2010. Because of how advanced our technology was becoming around this time, error allowed the innocence project to become more beneficial and more effective in its field of work in freeing wrongfully convicted people. Technology is a major part of what this company is trying to do. DNA testing has not always been around and is a newer thing, but is significant in criminal cases because it is proving to have a big impact on freeing people for things that they did not do. The systems we used to identify the patterns in the DNA are very advanced and very accurate so the results that we get from these systems are on point and can determine if the person was really the one who did it or not and can be the deciding factor on if they are free or not.

“DNA testing and advances in forensic science disciplines have revealed weaknesses in the scientific foundations of several methods that were once widely accepted by the criminal legal system and used to help secure earlier convictions.”The innocent project helps expose flaws in the criminal system that leads to people being wrongfully convicted. They also advocate for changes in police procedures, such as handling evidence, and the use of eyewitness testimonies because they can be false sometimes. Just because someone says they saw something does not mean it really happened so that’s why they are saying eyewitness testimonies need to be Taken more seriously because anyone can say anything. Most of the people that are convicted are because of eyewitness cases. Eyewitness cases over the past few decades, have proven to not be as beneficial as they used to be because of this the innocence project is advocating to stop relying so much on this eyewitness testimony, and start using more hard factual evidence in the trial in court to convict a victim. It also has strengthened the forensic science system by providing misleading evidence and how they can fix it and make sure the evidence is correct, and on point. They can also find where these mistakes were performed in the laboratory, or when gathering the evidence. It also shows flaws in the method hoods they use and also shows flaws and how they use the evidence in court during the case.

References

Selby, Daniele. “DNA and Wrongful Conviction: Five Facts You Should Know.” Innocence Project, 2 May 2023, innocenceproject.org/news/dna-and-wrongful-conviction-five-facts-you-should-know/#:~:text=The%20emergence%20of%20DNA%20technology,exonerate%20hundreds%20of%20innocent%20people. 

The Innocence Project. “Misapplication of Forensic Science.” Innocence Project, 18 Oct. 2023, innocenceproject.org/misapplication-of-forensic-science/.

Meta-Perception: Understanding its Role in Personality Clusters, Exemplified by Narcissism

Meta-perception, the process of evaluating how one is perceived by others, constitutes a fundamental aspect of human interaction. As we delve into the complexities of personality clusters, specifically focusing on the enigmatic world of Narcissism, exploring the intricate realm of meta-perception becomes essential. The goal of this essay is to navigate the multifaceted layers of meta-perception, shedding light on its significance within personality clusters, with  Narcissism as an application example.

Meta-perception, as explained in psychological research, denotes the evaluation of how individuals are perceived by others (Lam,2012). In the context of personality clusters, it transcends mere self-awareness, delving into the often-distorted perceptions others hold about individuals within these clusters. Within the realm of personality clusters, the narcissistic cluster stands out as a compelling example. Individuals within this cluster often exhibit self-centered tendencies and inflated self-importance (Lam, 2012). Meta-perception within the Narcissistic cluster manifests ad a distorted lens, where self-aggrandizing perceptions create gaps in understanding how others perceive them. This distortion, as revealed by Lam’s research, significantly impacts interpersonal relationships.

The research conducted by Lam (2012) illuminates a key aspect: perception discrepancies within the Narcissistic cluster. These individuals, grappling with inflated self-perceptions, often misinterpret how others perceive them. This creates a shasm in interpersonal dynamics, leading to strained relationships and emotional disconnection. Lam’s finding underscore that addressing these meta perceptions discrepancies becomes pivotal in improving relationship satisfaction within the Narcissistic cluster. 

Understanding meta-perception and its discrepancies within personality clusters, especially Narcissism, carries profound implications. By addressing these discrepancies, interventions and therapeutic approaches can be tailored promoting healthier interpersonal relationships. Moreover, this insight provides a framework for navigating the complexities of other personality clusters, facilitating more empathetic and understanding interactions. Meta-perception, a subtle yet powerful force, weaves through the tapestry of personality clusters, illuminating the complexities of human interaction. Through the lens of Narcissism, we discern the distortions created by inflated self perceptions. Lam’s research acts as a guiding deacon, revealing the significance of addressing meta-perception discrepancies for enhancing interpersonal relationships within personality clusters. In embracing the intricacies of meta perception, we pave the way for empathetic connections, fostering understanding and harmony amidst the diverse landscapes of human personalities.

References

Lam, Z. K. W. (2012). Narcissism and Romantic Relationship: The Mediating Role of Perception Discrepancy. Report submitted to the Department of Applied Social Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Bachelor of Social Sciences in Psychology.

Schaffhuser, K., Allemand, M., Werner, C. S., & Martin, M. (2016). Discrepancy in Personality Perceptions Is Related to Relationship Satisfaction: Findings from Dyadic Latent Discrepancy Analyses. Journal of Personality, 84(5), October 2016. DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12189.

School is more than study in the book

If there were no other reason to homeschool your kids, the socialization they get in school will be enough.

—John Holt

Thousands of years ago school was the one option for learning and life was build based on it, mean that every person must go to school to learn, enjoy, socialize and learn how the life work.

Public, it’s the place where all our life connections start, such has joining clubs, doing friends, enjoying the time with new people besides our parents and family. We feel that we’re a part of a community outside our household and making good memories. Also, we don’t need to forget that school is an experience for a very long term with thousands of years and histories; so, nothing can replace all this work. Several of the events that stick in our mind our whole lives are: homecoming, school trips, prom, first day and last day of school, and graduation. Life, it’s chapters, and every time you do a chapter and move forward to the next one, you feel happy and proud of yourself. But, at the same time, you will have missed the past, but life has to continue. For each person who went to public school and completed this chapter of his life, the best feeling for him is the day he graduated, and he’s going to enter a new chapter in his life after school.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”-Aristotle.

properly, or elective home education is the place plane of freedom between your own walls no one is here to give you orders or having a person call a  teacher where to sit down and listen to her properly , there is no annoying people around bothering you the environment , you don’t have to wait for the weekend to have break from waking up early to go to school, you are always in the weekend, less depressed from test and exams because you own everything at your own.

But in the same time homeschooling can be  beneficial for some cases of people like special needs or some kind of people where they have kind of disability where they can go outside the house every day to go to class than come back so it’s easier to study from home.

References

Special needs students – the advantages of homeschooling. Calvert Education. (2019, January 3). Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://www.calverteducation.com/homeschooling-children-with-special-needs/special-needs-students-the-advantages-of-homeschooling

Special needs parenting: The pros and cons of homeschooling a child with disabilities. Angel Sense. (2019, February 11). Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://www.angelsense.com/blog/special-needs-parenting-the-pros-and-cons-of-homeschooling-a-child-with-disabilities/ 

READY KIDS Occupational Therapy-Homeschooling For Special Needs Children: Weight Pros & cons.The ready kids team. Homeschooling for Special Needs Children: Weighing Pros & Cons (readykids.com.au)

Ray, B. D. (2017). Research facts on homeschooling. National Home Education Research Institute. Research Facts on Homeschooling – National Home Education Research Institute (nheri.org)

Medlin, R. G. (2000). Home schooling and the question of socialization. Peabody Journal of Education, 75(1-2), 107-123. Home Schooling and the Question of Socialization: Peabody Journal of Education: Vol 75, No 1-2 (tandfonline.com)

Rudner, L. M. (1999). Scholastic achievement and demographic characteristics of home school students in 1998. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 7(8). ERIC – ED424309 – Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998., Education Policy Analysis Archives, 1999-Mar-23

Isenberg, E. J. (2007). What have we learned about homeschooling? Peabody Journal of Education, 82(2-3), 387-409. What Have We Learned about Homeschooling? on JSTOR

Gaither, M. (2009). Homeschooling in the USA: Past, present, and future. Theory and Research in Education, 6(3), 331-346. Homeschooling in the USA: Past, present and future – Milton Gaither, 2009 (sagepub.com)

When stepping into a head position or high valued role in an organization, the mindset going into it nine times out of ten is to implement your own ideas in hopes to improve from what your predecessor has built. Above all else you definitely don’t want to make things worse than they were before you were appointed to the position. Nevertheless under your newly acquired leadership typically you want to drive the organization to new heights making your mark essentially building a “winning culture”.

We’ll be taking a look into The Jackson St. Tigers (2020-22) and The Colorado Buffs (current). 2 Collegiate football teams that have undergone successful changes in leadership and in turn built a winning culture. It’s safe to say that not only building but maintaining a “winning culture” is a high priority in just about any level of athletics. Proper coaching is a big part of building this culture. An area of coaching that is held high in collegiate football is recruitment, after all you need quality players to make quality plays on and off the field in efforts to move towards this winning culture .

NFL legend and current Head Coach of the Colorado Buffs Football Team, Deion Sanders seems to understand the formula to a science. Winning culture is defined as “a culture that sets the stage for positive attitudes, high expectations, and successful performances.”(Jamail, 1) Coach Deion Sanders or “Coach Prime”  throughout the past 4 years has displayed his understanding of building a winning culture with emphasis on recruiting. Deion Sanders to this date has now been head coach of both of the aforementioned teams who prior to his arrival had little to no success.

From one organization to the next, one steady element of Coach Prime’s success is his ability to attract and secure some of the highest rated recruits. Coach Prime started his collegiate coaching career at Jackson St. University an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision team. Before Coach Prime’s arrival the team had finished their previous season with a record of 5-5 and the year prior a record of 8-12.

Now those numbers aren’t necessarily abysmal but when you take a look at the seasons Coach Prime was able to have with the program in just a few years it may help move you in a better understanding of what his impact amounted to. 

“In Fall 2021, Sanders led Jackson State back to championship glory with a school-record 11-win season and the first Southwestern Athletic Conference football championship since 2007. JSU went undefeated in conference play (8-0) and won nine consecutive games to complete the regular season en route to the SWAC Championship and the program’s first-ever berth in the Celebration Bowl.”  (JSU Page, 1) 

Coach Prime’s first year had an immediate impact with recruiting. After the impressive first year Sanders had already began drawing attention to the program. Due to this acquired attention it aided recruitment which eventually led to Jackson St. scoring many notable athlete commitments from athletes that had many offers other than Jackson St. but one that stood out above the others was the commitment of arguably of the highest rated recruit in the nation in athlete “Travis Hunter”. Hunter who had a multitude of offers from higher level Division I schools chose to play under Coach Prime because of the impact he’s had on the program and his players.

Coach Prime’s impact was displayed on and off the field. So much so that, even just as much as the fact that his name was attached to a subdivision DI college football team even their viewership per game drastically improved. “With viewership for the first two games surpassing more than 200,000 online views on ESPN3, the power of Coach Prime and JSU transformed the network and led to the final four contested games of the spring season televised on linear television on ESPN or ESPN2 as JSU posted a 4-3 record.” (JSU Page, 1) Coach Prime’s reputation which dates all the way back to his legendary football career to sports analyst is a heavy benefit for overlooked teams when his name is attached to them. This increased viewership and the team’s success eventually leads to more players wanting to play under Coach Prime and also setting up his players with more exposure to get them to the next level.

While at Jackson St. due to his quick success and ability to change the culture of the program from a “underground” level program to a now more *exposed*, winning, and respected program Coach Prime was presented with many awards. Some of which include “SWAC Coach of the year” and “Black College Hall of Fame Coach Of the Year in 2021” amongst many other awards he received during his time with the program. Coach Prime’s understanding of flipping the culture of an organization was in full effect and he and his team were feeding the world with as much evidence as they desired.

After 3 years with Jackson St. Coach Prime decided to take his skillset to the next level of collegiate football. Sanders was hired at The University of Colorado which at the time raised many eyebrows and even infuriated some. The world’s initial reaction contained questions such as “If his intent was to provide HBCU football programs with more exposure why would he leave?” and “Why would he choose Colorado, they have been one of the worst teams in college football for years”. This criticism didn’t phase Coach Prime, he went into Colorado with the same mission as he did with Jackson St. but now on a higher level.This Colorado team finished last season with a painful overall record of 1-11 and the season prior to that an overall record of 4-8.

Within the first few weeks of his arrival Coach Prime had already started changing the program inside and out. Changing the standards of his player’s etiquette on and off the field. To the numerous questions Coach Prime would receive about him taking on the task of yet another underperforming team his most common response was “We Coming.”. The mentality of no matter what the public may see or think about this team he and they will show the world just how great they are.

With Coach Primes arrival he also displayed his recruitment skills again, bringing multiple players from his former team as well as freshly recruited athletes along with him to help revive this struggling program.

It should also be noted that Sanders happened to recruit the nation’s top-ranked transfer class as it plays a final season in the Pac-12 before moving to the Big 12 in 2024. That’s what can lead to winning big.”The haul includes nine scholarship players who played for Sanders at Jackson State, most notably son Shedeur, the quarterback, and two-way star Travis Hunter, who was the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruit in 2022. Cornerbacks Omarion Cooper and Travis Jay transferred from Florida State, while receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. (South Florida) and running back Alton McCaskill (Houston) are others considered premium talent.” (Bell, 1)

References

https://gojsutigers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/deion-sanders/219

Bell, Jarrett. (2023). “Behind the scenes before Deion’s debut.” USA Today https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.rowan.edu/ps/i.doid=GALE%7CA762976253&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=07347456&p=AONE&sw=w&aty=ip&enforceAuth=true&oweAuth=true&userGroupName=rowan&u=rowan

https://nathanjamail.com/what-is-a-winning-culture/#:~:text=A%20culture%20that%20celebrates%20virtue,all%20to%20win%20the%20game.

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The Pursuit of Happiness: Finding Joy in Simplicity

In our fast-paced modern world, the pursuit of success and happiness often goes hand in hand, it’s essential to pause and reconsider our approach to happiness. Happiness, that ever-elusive state of contentment and joy, has driven individuals to great lengths, yet the more we chase it, the further it seems to be from our reach. The pursuit of happiness is full of contradictions. Constantly striving might leave you feeling empty, but finding joy in everyday moments can be deeply satisfying.

The journey of trying to define happiness challenges us to explore its intricate web of emotions, experiences, and values. Tchiki Davis’s article highlights the notion that happiness is not a monolithic concept but a tapestry of various components, each contributing in its own unique way. To understand happiness fully, we must acknowledge its dynamic nature, shaped by individual perspectives and life experiences. In this essay, happiness isn’t a final destination; it’s an ongoing journey where we enjoy life’s simple pleasures. The idea that happiness is harder to achieve when you actively chase it highlights how being in the moment and paying attention to daily life matters. True happiness, as defined here, emerges when we shift our focus from what we lack to what we already have, finding joy in the everyday. 

In a society that loves success, many think that being really ambitious is how you find happiness. But trying too hard can make you really stressed and tired. It’s like a puzzle where you win, but happiness stays hidden. It’s important to acknowledge that for some, setting and achieving goals does lead to a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Yet, it’s equally important to consider the toll this relentless pursuit takes on overall well-being, including mental and emotional health. 

Discovering happiness in everyday life is made easier by practices like showing gratitude for what we have and being empathetic to others. These strategies stress the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and deepening our connection with the world. By finding joy in simple moments and practicing gratitude, people can unlock a more lasting form of happiness.

In our relentless pursuit of happiness, we often find ourselves racing towards an elusive finish line. Happiness, a concept as simple as it is complex, has captured the human imagination for centuries. This essay argues that true happiness is about discovering joy in everyday moments rather than constantly chasing it.

Defining happiness is a multifaceted challenge, as it can vary from person to person. Tchiki Davis, in her insightful article, suggests breaking happiness down into its constituent parts, exploring factors like gratitude and empathy. To understand happiness fully, we must acknowledge its dynamic nature, shaped by individual perspectives and life experiences.

Happiness is not an endpoint but a continuous journey, marked by an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. The idea that happiness is elusive when actively pursued underscores the importance of being present and mindful in our daily lives. True happiness, as defined here, emerges when we shift our focus from what we lack to what we already have, finding joy in the everyday.

The variety of human experiences means that happiness is different for each person. Striving for specific goals, such as advancing in a career, can accidentally lead to stress and unhappiness. Often, the pursuit of external accomplishments hides a deeper need for inner contentment, which tends to be more successful when it’s not the primary focus.

In a world where people often link happiness to doing well financially, many think that constantly chasing success is the answer. Yet, this ongoing effort can harm your well-being, causing stress and worry. Trying to find happiness through achievements can be puzzling, where you reach success but happiness stays out of reach.

It’s important to acknowledge that some people do find satisfaction and happiness by setting and reaching goals. But we must also think about how this constant striving can affect our overall well-being, including our mental and emotional health. The argument about whether the pursuit of happiness should be intense or more relaxed goes on, with different viewpoints shedding light on the complexities of this journey.

Finding happiness in daily life is made easier by being grateful for what we have and showing empathy to others. These actions help us maintain a positive attitude and feel more connected to the world. By relishing simple moments and practicing gratitude, individuals can access a more enduring form of happiness.

In conclusion, we are left with a powerful reminder: the pursuit of happiness should be less about chasing dreams and more about embracing the present. The definition of happiness offered in this essay encourages us to be mindful of life’s everyday wonders, where contentment arises from a conscious and grateful heart. In a world that bombards us with grand aspirations, let us not forget that the true beauty of happiness often reveals itself in the quiet moments and simple joys of life.

References

(N.d.). Dan Gilbert: The surprising science of happiness | TED Talk. Retrieved October 22, 2023, from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science_of_happiness/transcript.

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.). What is happiness, anyway?. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/202009/what-is-happiness-anyway

Effects of Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the biggest drinks that are seen to have an effect on people in their everyday lives. It’s shown to have short-term effects on people after 5 to 30 minutes after drinking it. There are some people who take caffeine to help them get their morning started. But some take it to the next level by experimenting with caffeine with other drinks like energy drinks and alcohol. We found evidence that states, “Caffeinated energy drinks—alone or with alcohol—are heavily marketed to young adults, many of whom believe that caffeine counteracts some negative effects of alcohol intoxication.” This idea refers to us and how our central nervous system is heavily affected by our consuming alcohol and caffeine drinks which can lead to a negative impact on our body (Curry & Sastio, 2009). As soon as people find out about this they think that they should just stop drinking coffee as together. This can be seen as a good thing in society that helps people stay away from consuming caffeine but people who drink coffee every day hear this and try to steer off drinking coffee. This leads them down the road of having of showing symptoms of withdrawal. This is seen as them being addicts that need coffee, but try to stay away from it. We find that people who are having withdrawals are heavily affected by it that it affects the hard. An article I found states that, “Caffeine withdrawal can impair normal functioning (e.g., incapacitating headache, missing work), and it has been suggested that fatigue and performance decrements resulting from acute caffeine abstinence may have important implications for safety (e.g., sleepiness while driving) and academic achievement.” Some of what they said makes me think of people who have experience either have jobs or are college students (Juliano & Huntley & Harrell & Westermann, 2012).

We find that consuming too much caffeine can lead to your mind and body being affected. Some studies show that your mind is awake for so long that your body can’t keep up with it. Caffeine reduces the amount of deep sleep that you enjoy from your mind being awake. Studies show that having over, “400 mg of caffeine taken 0, 3, or even 6 hours prior to bedtime significantly disrupts sleep. Even at 6 hours, caffeine reduced sleep by more than 1 hour. This degree of sleep loss, if experienced over multiple nights, may have detrimental effects on daytime function.” Your sleep cycle is affected greatly by this as when it’s time for you to sleep you can’t do to your brain telling you to get up. It’s like your mind is in an endless loop and you don’t know if you are either awake or asleep (Drake & Roehrs & Shambroom & Roth, 2013). However, caffeine is seen to have affected society on another level where it makes people spend more money and purchase a lot of items after drinking caffeine. We find that, “Caffeine, as a powerful stimulant, releases dopamine in the brain, which excites the mind and the body. This leads to a higher energetic state, which in turn enhances impulsivity and decreases self-control,” said lead author Dipayan Biswas, the Frank Harvey Endowed Professor of Marketing at USF. “As a result, caffeine intake leads to shopping impulsivity in terms of higher number of items purchased and greater spending.” Researchers have shown that caffeine has a very powerful influence on people who only come to buy a few things and end up buying a lot of things. (USF Innovation, 2022).

References

Kim Curry, & Michel J. Stasio. (15 July 2009). The Effects of Energy Drinks Alone and with Alcohol on Neuropsychological Functioning

Laura M. Juliano, & Edward D. Huntley, & Paul T. Harrell, & Ashley T. Westermann. (1 August 2012). Development of the Caffeine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire: Caffeine withdrawal symptoms cluster into 7 factors

Christopher Drake, Ph.D., F.A.A.S.M., & Timothy Roehrs, Ph.D., F.A.A.S.M., & John Shambroom, B.S., & Thomas Roth, Ph.D. (November 2013). Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed.

University of South Florida (USF Innovation). (July 2022). Drinking Coffee Can Make You More Impulsive and Cause You To Spend More Money

Grateful Earth. (November 2022). HOW COFFEE AFFECTS THE BRAIN

TYE Medical. (July, 2022). How Does Caffeine Affect Your Body?

What makes the core subjects, ‘core’

The American K-12 curriculum is guided along by one key idea, the core subject. The core subjects are english, math, science, social studies, and foreign language (Miller). In order for a student to legally graduate high school, they must pass whatever their state’s required amount of classes is for these core subjects. This is a simple enough concept to grasp. Its easy enough to see how subjects like science and english will play a role in students lives after their graduation, so we don’t really think about how or why these subjects are selected to be the core subjects. As it turns out, there isn’t any set of criteria that determines what the core subjects are. Searching for, “What is a core subject” will often yield results that tell you what those subjects are, rather than showing you how they benefit the students. For example, Information published by the College Board defines a core subject as, “mandatory classes you must take to meet graduation requirements in the subject areas of English, math, science, and social studies (College Board.)” Unfortunately, this type of surface-level definition is the most common result when researching the topic. The issue with these types of definitions is that they don’t actually tell us the reason why the government requires students take these courses in order to graduate. They lack any substance. So is there a definition that can help give us the reason? What is the criteria that actually makes a subject “core?” And should be questioning that criteria?

Maybe its obvious to some what determines a core subject. All of the previously mentioned core subjects are umbrella terms that cover a wider variety of more specific topics. A student’s schedule would never say math or science, it would instead say statistics or physics, for example. So this means that one characteristic of a ore subject is that its broad enough to fit another, smaller subjects into it. You could argue that putting thought into the what we consider a core subject is useless because every subject somehow fits under those main 5 core subjects, however even if this is true, I still think its worth examining why we value the core subjects so much. Why do we value the problem solving skills that students gain from math classes, and why do we think that learning how the world works in the form of science is valuable? The answer to these questions will help us define what makes the core subjects, core.

One potential definition of core subject comes from the federal government itself, specifically, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nancy Saffer in a piece written for the Bureau titled, “Core subjects and your career” talks about both the general applications of each subject in the real world, but more specifically, the career implications that each subject has. For example, when writing about the benefits that taking english courses has, Staffer tells the reader how the communications skills that students learn in english classes are valuable to all career types, even ones that require little communication (Staffer, 1999). Now we’re getting somewhere. This concept tells us that the skills we learn in core classes should be applicable to wide variety of potential careers. This makes sense because if everyone is required to take these courses, then those courses should teach you things that act as a foundation for any number of careers. We now have another piece of criteria that we can use to define a core subject. A core subject should be valuable in its ability support at least foundational skillset for any career.

If the selection process of core subjects was only concerned with how it impacted careers, then that would be disappointing to say the least. So what else besides careers are core subjects concerned with supplementing its students with? Well one answer could come from Jackson Best, who states that, soft skills can be learned through mathematics, a subject where soft skills wouldn’t seem too intertwined. According to Best, “But this same anxiety [anxiety of failing in mathematics] can be used to develop resilience instead of trauma if we give students the right tools to manage it (Best, 2020).” What this means is that we see the core subjects as something that can enhance other skills that aren’t inherently related to the subject. These subjects must provide skills that students are able to utilize in different way. While similar to the careers criteria, this differs slightly because these soft skills learnt from the core subjects are able to be sued in environments outside of the workplace as well. These skills are used to prepare students for their adult lives.

Now we have our criteria for a core subject. A core subject must be able to fit other, similar subjects into it, it must prepare students with skills specifically geared towards careers, and it must prepare students with skills they can utilize in their adult lives. So how does it actually look in practice? One example that I think is extremely relevant is how in high school, I would often hear fellow classmates ask, “Why aren’t we taught how to do taxes in school?” I often agreed with their assertion that learning how to do taxes would be beneficial to the students. Let’s take a look at a theoretical ‘tax education’ subject, and if it would fit our criteria? Well, a tax education would first have to be broad enough to fit other, more specific classes as well. This might be a stretch, but students could learn different parts of tax law, so we’ll say it passes this criteria. This subject would absolutely fit our criteria with preparing kids for their futures, no questions asked But what about our criteria with preparing kids with career oriented skills that prepare for a broad variety of careers. This is where I have my doubts. This type of subject would be incredibly specific. Would the skills learned in this class be undoubtedly applicable to students and their wide array of careers? I don’t think so.

With this idea of a core subject now properly defined, we can now use it to determine what core subjects should look like moving forward. We can criticize this set of criteria and use it to change the education system, or enhance it.

Refrences

Best, Jackson. “Finding Soft Skills in Mathematics Isn’t As Hard As You Might Think.” 3P Learning, 2 Mar. 2020 https://www.3plearning.com/blog/finding-soft-skills-mathematics-isnt-hard-might-think/

Miller, Brian. “What Does a High School Curriculum Include?” – Education Degree. https://www.educationdegree.com/articles/what-a-high-school-curriculum-includes/#:~:text=What%20Are%20the%205%20Core,and%20a%20foreign%20language%20course. Accessed 22 Oct. 2023.

What’s the Difference between Elective and Core Subjects? – BigFuture | College Board. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/help-center/whats-difference-between-elective-and-core-subjects. Accessed 22 Oct. 2023.

Nancy, Saffer. “Core subjects and your career.” – United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/1999/Summer/art03.pdf

Work Less, Enjoy More Life

Picture this, you wake up to your alarm on a friday morning, get dressed, and as you’re about to pour yourself a cup of coffee, you remember that your office has now switched to four day work weeks. Now wouldn’t that be something. Everyone who is currently working has only known that of a five day work week, but never questioned why that is. I believe that with a little bit of knowledge on the subject and with the way that our world has progressed throughout the years, we should make the leap to a four day work week. 

Now everyone would love to just cut their work one day short without any repercussions to their pay or hours, but that doesn’t seem realistic, right? To really know the answer to this question, we have to look into the history of why the work week is set the way it is. Prior to the work week mandate in 1927, there wasn’t a set work schedule throughout different industries, and some people would even work “fourteen- to sixteen-hour days, six days per week.” as stated in Four-Day Work Week: Old Lessons, New Questions. However, in 1927, many companies and influential CEOs including Henry Ford proposed their own regulations in regard to work time to the Labor Union. After a short trial period, Henry Fords five, eight hour day work week was integrated. This way of work has remained largely unchanged for nearly 100 years. 

It wasn’t until nearly 50 years later that people here and there bring up the topic of further decreasing the work week, as we can see in “A Look at The Four Day Work Week” written in 1971. In this paper, it brings to light some of the companies that offer a position with a four day work week. Yet in these positions, you are expected to work 10 hour days, essentially canceling out the shortened week. Due to this, there was a lack of people willing to trade the day off for longer time in the office, and less than 75 thousand workers in the U.S. worked only four days a week. At the time, an 8 hour day was still seen as something that was fought for and rewarded to workers, and to throw that out the window and return to longer days seems counterproductive. 

Now, 50 more years later, a “boom” in technology has exponentially sped up most of if not all work done in not only the U.S. but the entire world. With the introduction of the internet, cell services and advancements in machinery, you would imagine the amount of work someone can do today within a week would be equivalent to the work someone in the same position 100 years ago would quite possibly take a month or more to get done. And yet, we still have the same schedule. With these advancements, with the right amount of enticement, most people would even be able to complete a week’s worth of workload in 4 days. What could this enticement be, possibly the same pay and hours, just as long as the completion quality and quantity does not decrease, they would only have to work four days a week. 

In a study done in January to December of 2022, 3000 workers of 61 companies participated in a trial of a four day work week. The conditions they proposed were the same as previously stated, complete the same workload in the 4 days of working 8 hours instead of 5 days, and have the quality of work be consistent as it was before. The article called this the “ 100-80-100 model: workers get 100% of the pay for working 80% of the time in exchange for delivering 100% of their usual output.” 

On the company side of the experiment, upon completion, 92 percent of the companies stated that they would continue with the four day work weeks. They went on to say that one of these companies was receiving 88 percent more applications for work, and their productivity even increased 22 percent, even though the time at work was shortened. As expected on the employees side, most if not all were overjoyed by the extra day on the weekend. Roughly 90 percent of the employees said they would like to continue with the 4 day work week, while 15 percent of these employees went on further to say that they wouldn’t even take any amount of money to go back to a five day work week.

In more recent news, there have been strikes and employee walkouts demanding 32 hour work weeks while keeping benefits such as wages and healthcare. One example of this is the 13,000 members of the United Auto Workers at three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. When negotiations with the Detroit automakers didn’t come to a conclusion for a new labor contract, these workers began protesting and going on strike. To the outside and ignorant viewers, it would appear that the workers’ demands are outrageous. When in reality, they are only demanding what should rightfully be adapted with the way the world has steadily progressed.

In conclusion, the outdated work week of 100 years ago has failed to keep up with the changes of the world. Why should our employees work almost 100 percent more proficient than that of an individual 100 years ago, and yet work the same amount of hours and days. Hearing it started like this, it seems outrageous just thinking about how when the bill for 5 day work weeks was passed, people would work five days a week at ford for roughly double what was seen as a base salary. In comparison, the people in the same position today are making minimum wage and working the same hours. Yet, the amount of production in the company and stock value of ford has grown exponentially. Not only this example, but it is the same for almost every company out there. And because of this, it should be mandated that work weeks be shortened to 32 hours while keeping every benefit otherwise offered for a full time employee.

Refrences

Hedges, Janice Neipert. “A Look at the 4-Day Workweek.” Monthly Labor Review, vol. 94, no. 10, 1971, pp. 33–37, http://www.jstor.org Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.

Liu, Jennifer. “Workers Report a 4-Day Workweek Improves Health, Finances and Relationships: It “Simply Makes You Happy.”” CNBC, 24 Feb. 2023, http://www.cnbc.com

Peirce , Philip S, et al. “The 4-Day Work Week – ProQuest.” Www.proquest.com, 1 Feb. 1974, http://www.proquest.com Accessed 11 Dec. 2022.

Needs a Title

As we enter a time where being economically sustainable is necessary to make real environmental improvements, companies are cracking under pressure to keep up. Companies that we expose, or don’t, are utilizing greenwashing and it is increasing at an alarming rate. The ideal standard for these companies is to turn to more environmentally friendly work practices to decrease the carbon footprint that they are leaving behind. Since the world was hit with the deadly virus, COVID-19, people started to view the human-environment relationship differently. According to Dr. Kolandai in a University of Auckland study, people’s awareness of the natural world developed after experiencing what a pause in daily life could do to help the planet. Having said, companies are trying to shift towards being eco-friendly businesses where consumers are comfortable with spending their money but are being deceptive while marketing their new goals.

It should be no surprise environmental changes need to be made since global warming has been on the rise for quite a while now, since the 1950s to be specific. As the world has developed, mass production has had a major growth spurt along with all of our technological advancements. This is what birthed large companies, leading to uncontrollable pollution. According to the Carbon Disclosure Project, a non-profit that manages environmental impacts, just 100 companies are responsible for 71 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions alone; no wonder why they are trying to polish their image to the public, right?

A major contribution to greenwashing is the government turning a blind eye to what the companies that they support are secretly doing. For instance, one of the largest, and widely used oil companies in the United States, Chevron, has been in the spotlight for quite some time because of their poor business practices. They contributed 697 million tons of CO₂ to greenhouse gas emissions according to Client Earth’s greenwashing files in 2019. Since being exposed, they have promised to move towards a carbon low future by 2050 but have only been putting .2 per cent of their capital towards this project from 2010-2018, which means they are fabricating their efforts. This is possibly one of the worst greenwashing cases we have seen because the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System claiming that Chevron “remains in compliance with federal, state and local water regulatory standards.” Clearly not.

Even when the government attempts to step in and help to expose these companies who are greenwashing customers, the fabrication is much easier to get away with because of the difficulty in proving it. According to Dr. Steve Wong, “it’s also hard for companies that buy polymers to use in their packaging to distinguish between the plastic types without laboratory testing,” proving there is authenticity in what companies say they are using to make their products is much more tedious then expected. One example is insuring beverage bottles that state they are being made out of recycled plastic, like Coca-Cola, is actually truthful. But when researching further, really only 25 per cent of the bottle is actually recycled plastic while the remainder 75 per cent is Virgin Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) according to Beth Newhard in her article, “Plastic vs. Plastic: Which Packaging is Best.” Virgin Polyethylene terephthalate is a plastic that is seen mostly in single use bottles that end up being discarded and not recycled even though they can be. According to Jared Paben in article, “PET bottle recycling drops in the US,” he claims that the rate of these bottles being recycled dropped to a whopping 27 per cent; definitely not being recycled as much as we are told. Companies use this material to greenwash their consumers into thinking their products are being recycled, but really have ended up in landfills and are polluting our water more and more every day.

Environmental credentials are made by many companies, but not all of them live up to the bar that they set for themselves. One of the biggest food distributers, Nestle, has been named the top plastic polluters in the world for three consecutive years according to “Break free From Plastic” 2020 annual report. This has led them to promote their “ambitions” about being 100 per cent recyclable by 2025, but the campaign was not backed with any proof. Nestle’s form of greenwashing is subtle but there, they claim they are moving towards being recyclable but have no existing targets to hit according to Perry Wheeler in his “Greenpeace” article. A large company that contributes to this much waste for many years should have a bigger plan than just feeding the public outright lies through their campaigns.

The numerous companies that are relying on greenwashing to appeal to their audience has increased in recent years. Consumers want to see changes made in their campaigns that show they are willing to switch to eco-conscious habits even though it takes some muscle. Fabrication, outright lies, and propaganda are the only appropriate terms to use when referring to the countless greenwashing campaigns that have been exposed and that are continuing to be investigated. Companies’ promotion of misleading campaigns of environmental sustainability efforts are hiding the public from the harsh truths of destructive business practices.

References
(Not Sources)

Did you actually CITE all these sources in this argument? Or did you just consult them?
In References, list only those sources you actually name by author, title, or publication.

Paben, J. (2020, December 2). PET bottle recycling rate drops in US . Plastics Recycling Update.

Newhart, B. (2020, March 6). Plastic vs plastic: Which packaging is best? Beveragedaily.com.

Wheeler, P. (2018, April 10). Nestlé misses the mark with statement on tackling its single-use plastics problem. Greenpeace USA.

CDP. (2017, July 10). New Report Shows Just 100 Companies Are Source of over 70% of Emissions. CDP.net.

Auckland, U. of. (n.d.). COVID has changed how people view the environment and their relationship to it. Medicalxpress.com.

Wong, S. (2020, May 28). Cheap virgin plastic is being sold as recycled plastic—it’s time for better recycling certification. Eco-Business.

‌The Greenwashing Files – Chevron | ClientEarth. (n.d.). Www.clientearth.org.

‌ Eonnet, E. (2020, December 2). The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Nestlé named top plastic polluters for the third year in a row | Break Free From Plastic. Www.breakfreefromplastic.org.

Crash Down

In the late 1900s a new form of entertainment was born, the video game. This digital alternative for entertainment had been steadily growing in popularity seen as a novelty more than anything, a nice change of pace from playing a board game or seeing a film in a theatre. It was a niche market being a expensive investment for the majority of households at the time, the cost to start the gaming hobby was eye wateringly expensive   still the industry slowly but surely grew. As the growth of any industry forms titans of said industry rise in its wake one such company was Atari a California based game company formed in 1972 and for a while it was the company to beat some tried but couldn’t escape its shadow. In the end it was Atari that not only destroyed itself but the games industry as in 1983 the video game market crashed. It wasn’t a fast descent as many mistakes were made adding more and more straw to the proverbial back of consumers until something needed to give and something did. Since then, the games industry has been resurrected spared the fate of being a bad fad now growing into a gigantic market; New titans of industry formed from the ashes of the old era standing taller than ever before but within these new titans the phantom pain of past mistakes still lingers becoming cracks in this new beast. Old mistakes become new and new mistakes form from the success of the industry with the writing on the wall in the coming years without significant change is done video games will suffer the same fate as in 1983.

Usually when talking about an industry crash, we think in terms of stocks  according to business insider writer Robin Kavanagh’s What is a stock market crash? Understanding the causes and consequences can help investors prepare The stock market crashes when there’s a  substantial drop in overall share prices within a couple days. There are numerous reasons why a market would crash be investor speculation, natural disasters or simply someone adding or subtracting a zero for a specific stock. A industry crash more likely than not coincides with a “customer” customer crash where in the customer(s) no longer desire said product in the same quantity they have wanted in the past this can be shown in the massive surge of popularity of a fad only for interest to take a nose dive right after. The video game crash of 1983 displays both, The lack of interest in the product by the consumers and the lack of faith with the investors due to the oversaturation of the market. With many entities fighting to get into this emerging market the number of games being published inflated to a point where consumers couldn’t handle the sheer volume of games coming out; the overall quality of said games suffered as well due to this.

Video games as the name entails instead of lacquered paper and colorfully reentered carboard playmats and plastic figures Video games is a digital medium, lines of code packaged through cartridges, discs or downloading it through storefronts. These games are an interactive medium as well as the game is managed through a controller and a console. The console and controller is a two part system the console being a CPU (central processing unit) reading the code the  game is as well as processing the games internal mechanics and interactions; The controller is connected to the interaction part having the assorted buttons have a effect on the game state. This careful balance between these three core aspects of games makes the groundwork for the majority of games and even if one of these aspects wasn’t done properly it was a death blow for that company’s success. Creating a “good” (finically and critically successful) game is hard and creating a good game that also is financially successful is much harder. In a paper by Nikolai Surminski The role of video game quality in financial markets it is stated that “while the correlation between product quality, profitability and financial growth is impacting a company’s stock price through different steps, there also exists a direct link between quality and the performance in the financial markets”. In short, though not always the case, good games should and can produce profitable results.

The fall of gaming wasn’t the result of the good games not being successful enough, it was due to a two-part punch of a flood of low quality games and over production of consoles and game cartridges not being able to make back its production costs. So many companies wanted in on the gaming gold rush without proper understanding of the trinity; Lackluster games, barely functioning controllers and unimpressive consoles came into the market oversaturating a market with simply not enough people to buy them. These products were bought and sold for the same price as good products (a range of 30 to 125$) and because of the lack of formal reviews because of the newness of the market people non the wiser when buying causing a lack of faith in a industry that from a outsiders perspective was a expensive roll of the dice to see if you get something worthwhile.

Today gaming is dominated by AAA developers’ massive studios with budgets ranging from millions to hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a shippable product and while smaller studios still produce games it’s the AAA studio that is the backbone of the industry. The landscape of the finical world has changed a lot since then as investors grow hungrier for a favorable return on investment and studios doing everything in their power to meet those arguably obtainable expectations more extreme practices are put into place. the phantom pain of old mistakes evolves becoming a dark parody of hopefully learned failings, those failings pressure that will collapse on the titans once again only this time around I’m not sure anything will rise at all.

References

Josephson, K. (2023, August 5). The 1983 video game crash and a history lesson for Lina Khan: Kimberlee Josephson. FEE Freeman Article. https://fee.org/articles/the-1983-video-game-crash-and-a-history-lesson-for-lina-khan/

Kavanagh, R. (2020, December 24). What is a stock market crash? understanding the causes and consequences can help investors prepare. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/what-is-a-stock-market-crash

Surminski, N. (2023, June 3). The role of video game quality in financial markets. . https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1773250/FULLTEXT01.pdf