Get into your blogging groups and talk about (or revisit) the issues you want your blog to focus on. By the end of the first hour of class, you will need to post your editorial plan for your blog to our course blog. In this post, you will need to write (together) a short proposal for your blog, and here’s what you need to include:
First, describe the overall topic or issue that you will all write about in some way and explain why it is an important issue and one that you should address now. (That is, think about this issue’s kairos.) Why is this issue timely? Why is it important for you and your peers to generate persuasive arguments about this issue in this particular moment? What kinds of arguments are appropriate or even possible to make at this point in time? What kinds of readers will be interested in your blog’s focus? Describe as many kinds of readers as you possibly can who might turn to your blog for insight on this issue. Overall, how will you appeal to these readers and write in a way that is appropriate for them?
Second, describe each individual writer’s post. How will each of you contribute to a discussion on this issue in a meaningful and unique way? What argument do you think you will put forth about this issue? Which sub-set of readers will you appeal to most directly? How will you appeal to them in an effective way? What gives you the authority to write about this issue? What questions do you have about this topic? What kind of extrinsic evidence do you need to support your claims about the argument you think you’ll make about it?
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In our post we will focus on the hours of the dining hall in Centennial Halls. As graduating freshmen we want the best for the incoming class, and an important aspect of being a freshman is the transition from home cooked meals, and schedule, to the new structure schedule set by the dining halls. As always, there are two sides to each story. We will spotlight on the problem with the current schedule, the solution, and the logistical reasoning for why it is now. We want this blog to spark interest from fellow students to make a change if they so desire. If enough supporters are generated, then the issue can be brought to the attention of management. This issue can appeal to many students at DU that currently or have lived in Centennial Halls or Towers.
ReplyDeleteAs a diverse group of students that we are, who are interested in a well rounded debate, we will attempt to cover the main issues of both arguments. The post will go like this:
1. One will focus on the logistical reasoning behind these hours. the budget, workers’ needs, and helping the students transition into a new well balanced lifestyle.
2. Another will focus on the problems that students have with the hours. coming from a student managing school, work, meetings, and friends, these hours just don’t work!
3. Finally, now that we’ve address the problem, one will focus on a practical solution, considering both sides, the students and the budget.
We can interview students, workers, and Sodexho management who are directly affected by the issue. So by collecting these evidence we have gained a few more set of eyes to the problem, allowing us the further support our argument.
Angelica, Khanh, Alex
Overall Topic:
ReplyDeleteOur overall topic is social justice issues, focusing on three of them. These issues have a number of subtopics that are important in many individual’s lifestyles that are problems that need to be addressed right now. The Immigration Reform issue is timely because many illegal immigrant students need higher education now in order to make it in the world today. The standards in education are falling, and schools are becoming places of self-esteem building instead of objection achievement. Sodexo creates a campus that stifiles competition and encourages the status quo over student’s creativity and these issues need to be looked at now. Diversity and inclusiveness is a timely issue because everyone should be equal but have the right to be diverse. These issues should be important to our peers because they deal with human rights, and the potentially descrutive consequences surrounding these issues need to be addressed and made obvious to the reader. The readers’ of our topics would be interested in the future of our school, our country, and our basic human rights. In using personal experience as well as extrinsic evidence, we should be able to appeal to all of our readers.
Kathleen:
I will argue that the immigration reform needs to be passed. As a writer, I would appeal to anyone who care about social justice issues and anyone who agrees that illegal immigrant children should be able to earn an education in the United States. I will appeal to them by being on their side, and describing the advantages for these children and for the United States as a whole. I get the authority to write about this issue because I feel that I am pretty educated on this topic, being in the social justice LLC and also reading and watching videos on the subject. The question I have about this topic is whether the negatives of this topic outweigh the advantages of this topic, and whether or not that gives the opposing side enough of a fight. The extrinsic evidence that I would need is statistics of how many illegal immigrant children are not able to attend college each year. I would also need to provide the numbers of how many illegal immigrant children there are currently in the US and how many of those knew they were illegal. This will help prove my point that it is not the children’s fault that they crossed the border illegally, so therefore they deserve an education and possibility of a good life.
Charlie:
Will either focus on Sodexho’s overbearing control of the university dining, or the failure of schools to properly educate students – their transition from places of objective achievement to places simply for making students feel better.
Team Five: Philippe, Michelle & Nick.
ReplyDeleteThe overall topic that we would like to address is the issues of living on campus. From enforcing the rules in the residences halls to living on campus for 2 years and the food that is provided. The importance to these issues are that living requirements hinder the living and learner at DU because it restricts us to independence and can force you into a bad living situtation that leads to students that are depress, unsafe living conditions, and have a low standard to the food that is provided. Also, this is a timely issue because each of us live in the residence halls for 2 quaters so we have the experience of how the living conditions are. We can relate this blog to studetns who live out of state that have to live in the dorms for the two year requirments and those who live in the dorms that do not have the 45 mile radius to communte to school. Finally, the way we can appeal to these readers is by interviewing the people living in the dorms and those who regulate the rules to get each perspective of each party.
Michelle: The main points to my blog is enforcing the rules in the residence halls. This is a big issue in some of the halls because some students are not getting the respect from the other residence about being nosy on thursday nights when some students have classes on Friday and not having any of the RA's enforce the rule of "quiet hours." Not only is this disrespectful to some students but it is a safety issue when drugs are trying to get into your room into at 2 in the morning. The way I can appeal to our readers is by interviewing the each student that party and who study to the ones that are suppose to enforce these rules. Finally the reason I feel that this gives me authority to write about this issue is because I have experience the choas of living in the dorms.
Philippe: I am choosing the 2-yr live-in requirement. I feel that this requirement prevents us from making our own work zones that we are comfortable working and living in.
Nick: I will be discussing the dining hall food at DU. In order to do this I will interview students and dining hall staff in order to create a picture of the food served on campus. These interviews will discuss issues such as food quality, variety and nutrional value. This blog will attempt to appeal to students because most first and second year students have to consume dining hall food for most meals. As a student who has to eat dining hall food every day and as an athlete that needs to get the most from the food eaten on a daily basis I am in a unique position to write on this topic. In order to do this I'll find evidence about how the food is produced, stored and prepared at DU in order to show that the food served here may not be very high standard.
The topic that we chose for our blog is on campus issues that are relevant to the student body. This is an important issue because it is an integral part of our everyday life that we all have to deal with on campus. It is something that we as Denver students have the potential to change if we get people involved. Therefore, it is essential for our peers and ourselves to generate persuasive arguments because we have the power to change things. At this point in time it is possible to make arguments concerning the scholarships, dining plans, and environmental friendliness of this campus. If we do not take these factors into account then nothing will change. The students on campus as well as the campus staff will be interested in the focus of this blog. The students may turn to this blog to voice their opinions and either support or oppose of this blog, the staff may also turn to this blog to figure out what the students want and take their opinions into account, and prospective students in high school may even look at this blog to see what students are getting involved in and want to change on campus. Overall, we will write in a manner that is persuasive but non-offensive, creating an environment that is open for opinions and thoughts that will help promote change.
ReplyDeleteElyse will be writing about the bike rental racks that are making their way onto campus. If they are successful then they have the possibility of dispersing to the city of Denver. I will put for the argument that this is a good idea, especially for college students who cannot afford a bike, or do not want to deal with maintaining a bike. This blog will appeal mostly to students, but the people who are trying to increase the use of these bikes could want to read it. I will appeal mostly to students, and try to find out how it will work and how to get a card, which will give me the authority to write about it. I need to investigate to find out people’s views on it and how it is supposed to work.
Rachel will be writing about how the housing scholarships students receive do not transfer to Greek housing, even when living in a Greek house does count as living on campus. This affects a lot of the Greek life students and gives them a huge problem. It is not right that although living in the house does count as living on campus, the campus scholarships do not count towards it. Something needs to be done to change this. This blog will appeal to the students that are involved in Greek life. I will appeal to the students and try to get the scholarship to transfer over so that it will help students in a financial way. I will need to gather information as to if all the houses do not accept scholarships, or if it’s only some, and then why they will not transfer, by asking the people in charge.
John will be writing about the how the cafeteria needs to be opened a little bit later so that people who have practice till 7 can still get dinner in the dorms. The cafeteria is only open till about 7:15 and some people’s practices don’t get finished till 7. This affects a small population of the student body because there are not many athletes that have to deal with this, but it would only required a small change in the current procedures to resolve the problem. If the cafeteria was open only 15 minutes longer than it is not, it would give everyone an opportunity to get dinner every night. If the grill lady worked for an extra ten minutes and they didn’t start cleaning up till 15 minutes later, the problem would be fixed.
Group Four (Abbey, James and Seth) are focusing our blog on the Denver budget deficit and various aspects of its affect on Denver residents and students. Specific aspects will include the Denver public school system, public transportation and ways to manage and generate revenue. We can learn from faculty and staff here at DU as well as experts in Colorado government. Readers will range from a student looking to learn to those experts who are trying to learn from their populous. We will attempt to bring youth sentiment and a concerned student voice to these public policy issues.
ReplyDeleteJames will be focusing on ways in which to generate revenue and improve and support public transportation. Focus will be on DU and the way students and staff impact use of Fast Trax and the Light Rail.
Seth will be writing about the budget deficit with issues focusing on the Colorado law of TABOR and various issues of trade and taxes for the city.
Abbey is going to be discussing the affect of Denver’s budget on public schools. The budget deficit for public school affects both the quality of education and standards for students.