Essay #6 Rough Draft

Essay #6 Rough Draft
What came first, the chicken or the egg, the creator or the created? This question has puzzled people for as long as minds have had the capacity to be puzzled, and it continues to be one of the greatest mysteries of our day. There are many theories that attempt to explain the existence of our world and the universe, but I will only discuss the two main ones: creationism and evolution. Some say God created the universe, while others believe it to be a natural progression of matter that can be explained by science. Although there is no way to make any definitive answer, reason for doubt causes me to put more faith into the latter of the aforementioned causes. Both hypotheses have many criticisms and supporting elements, but as I unearth their claims I feel the argument of creationism will prove itself a more likely candidate to the answer of our being.
P1) In this paragraph I will discuss the supporting reasons for creationism, and how it is the likely cause to our universe.
P2) I will provide the most popular and convincing criticisms to creationism, and the existence of God.
P3) I will provide the supporting reasons of evolution.
P4) I will provide criticisms to evolution.

*Although it looks like I have not done a whole lot of work, I have spent a lot of time reading articles and organizing main points in my head. I just haven't found the time to translate it all to the paper...

5 Sources for Essay #6

1.New Creationists and Their Discredited Arguments. Michael Ruse.

At Issue: Creationism vs. Evolution. Ed. Bruno J. Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002.

http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.www.santarosa.edu:2048/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C13%2529%2522Creationism%2522%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R2&currentPosition=5&userGroupName=srjc_main&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C13%29%22Creationism%22%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010182208&docType=GSRC

2.Evolution Alone Explains Life on Earth. Massimo Pigliucci.

At Issue: Creationism Versus Evolution. Ed. Eric Braun. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005.

http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.www.santarosa.edu:2048/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C13%2529%2522Creationism%2522%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R2&currentPosition=6&userGroupName=srjc_main&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C13%29%22Creationism%22%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010182213&docType=GSRC

3.Physical Laws Support Creationism. Ker C. Thomson.

At Issue: Creationism vs. Evolution. Ed. Bruno J. Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002.

http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.www.santarosa.edu:2048/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C13%2529%2522Creationism%2522%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R2&currentPosition=7&userGroupName=srjc_main&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C13%29%22Creationism%22%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010182205&docType=GSRC

4.Intelligent Design Theory Is Religion, Not Science.

At Issue: Intelligent Design vs. Evolution. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007.

http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.www.santarosa.edu:2048/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C21%2529%2522Evolution%2B%2528Biology%2529%2522%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R1&currentPosition=18&userGroupName=srjc_main&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C21%29%22Evolution+%28Biology%29%22%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010482204&docType=GSRC

5.The Theory of Evolution Is Ideology, Not Science.

At Issue: Intelligent Design vs. Evolution. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007.

http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.www.santarosa.edu:2048/ovrc/retrieve.do?subjectParam=Locale%2528en%252C%252C%2529%253AFQE%253D%2528su%252CNone%252C21%2529%2522Evolution%2B%2528Biology%2529%2522%2524&contentSet=GSRC&sort=Relevance&tabID=T010&sgCurrentPosition=0&subjectAction=DISPLAY_SUBJECTS&prodId=OVRC&searchId=R1&currentPosition=27&userGroupName=srjc_main&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28SU%2CNone%2C21%29%22Evolution+%28Biology%29%22%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&displaySubject=&docId=EJ3010482208&docType=GSRC

Plagiarism Blog

1. Do you think the University’s honor code is too harsh? Should the students have been given another chance or some other penalty?
I do think the university was too harsh on the students. The amount of punishment the students recieved for their actions was unjust, and did not match the petty crime. The professor claimed that his phrase, "who had been released from a concentration camp", should have been sited, but if students are expected to site every phrase their professor says than papers will begin to look more like works sited pages than the actual assignment.
The two students also agrued that they were never fully informed about what the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing was, and so they were innocent to the actions. If this actually is the case (even though there's really no way to be sure), than it gives even more reason that the punishment from the school was too harsh. The instructors should properly explain what they consider plagiarism and how to site it at the beginning of the course.
Overall I think both the students and the school are at fault. The school should have made clear their policies on plagiarism and the students should have taken it upon themselves to find out.

Essay #5

Essay #5 Rough Draft
I have never known anyone to be honest, but I have known many to be moral. This seemingly paradoxical statement separates two words from their synonymic connotations, and defines a difference between honesty and morality. I look at honesty rather literally, and even though it is not always bad to lie, it is always dishonest. Sometimes lying is imperative to retaining ones morality, and in the right situation, lies are less hurtful than the truth. By definition though, a lie can never be more honest than the truth. A person cannot be considered honest if they tell lies, but a person who only tells the truth can be considered less moral than someone who lies.
The word honesty assumes two definitions that are similar in nature, but when looked at closely enough, do not always mesh. Many people see an honest person as someone who is sincere, genuine, and trustworthy. I instead see that same person as someone with a good morality, but not necessarily an honest history. I look at it this way; In court, witnesses and everyone else involved in a case have to take an oath. They have to solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and once they make this vow of honesty and are expected to keep it true. If a witness tells a lie in order to save their friend from a fruitless punishment, but later is found to have lied, they are said to have acted dishonestly. Even if the accuser is a millionaire, and the one thousand dollars he sues the poverty stricken mother for would put her into hopeless debt, saving the friend from this punishment by lying is a dishonest act. Even though it may be the moral thing to do, being moral does not mean being honest.

I am having trouble thinking of what else to write my body paragraphs on. I am going to finish the first one, but I don't know where to go from there. Do you guys have any suggestions?

Masculine and Feminine Ideals

In the U.S. women are expected to be thin, tan, and revealing. In magazines and television shows women are portrayed as super models who resemble grown-up barbies. Even the supermodel image has changed over the years, and it seems like today the ideal model is a thin women with virtually no curves. Since super models are so highly praised for their beauty, women may believe that to be beautiful, they must look like them.
The men that get these supermodel-looking women usually resemble bodybuilders from the waste up (as in more attention is paid to sculpting the upper body). Men are led to believe that being thin or fat is unattractive and undesirable, and acceptance can only be gained if muscles are attained. (look at me rhyming)

Election Results

I am glad the election is over, and I am happy with the results. Now we get to see the true colors of our president, and see if he holds true to what he has preached. I personally have faith that he will. November 4th, 2008 was a historic day and it has reminded me of how lucky I am to live in this nation. Although there are still obstacles to overcome, it is evident that we are making advances to a brighter future. Today has been like a breath of fresh air, and I look forward to being part of the wave of change that will (hopefully) sweep over America.

Essay 4 Rough Draft

Sam Maurer
Lauren Servais
English 1A
10/21/08
Essay 4 Rough Draft
The other day I watched a Santana concert on television, and I thought that Santana played guitar amazingly well and was very versatile. I did not think, “Yeah, Santana was great and all, but it’s a shame that the triangle player was so misrepresented”. In actuality, the triangle player’s representation never even crossed my mind. This is because he took, quite literally, a backstage role in the performance, and that the show was really about Santana, which is where the focus was rightfully placed. Similarly, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the focus of the story is on two male characters, so to say that the text is sexist because it portrays women as people who lack depth and variety is a ridiculous claim.
Women in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn appear as they do not because Mark Twain believed them to be unimportant in society, but rather because they all assumed second hand roles and were never given the chance to develop themselves as dynamic characters. In the novel the men stand in the forefront of the novel while the women stand in the backs and sides. It is obviously a male dominated book, where the women only play second hand roles. I think that for this reason, the women are never given the chance to shine or create themselves as characters with depth. Since the two main characters are men, and since the readers follow their stories exclusively, it is only natural that they are seen as dynamic. Readers chart their progress and are with them for every decision that they make. Any character looked at this closely would appear more dynamic than a character with a smaller role in the story. In this particular novel it is just the women who assume that backstage role, thus making them less significant to the story line, and therefore, not as much needs to be said about them. Walker states that Twain sees little importance to women, and this is why he presents them only as products of society. She proclaims that, “Mark Twain [is aware] of the final ineffectuality of women in his society”(490), and that for this reason they represent nothing more than motherly figures. I believe that Twain does not value women any less than men, but rather that he depicts them as they would appear according to the time period. I think that overall Walker delves too far into the novel, searching for forced stereotypes that do not exist. Had the novel centered around women, they would likely appear dynamic, but since that is not the case with this novel, the women never get the chance to shatter society sculpted image.
Some critics claim that the women who are seen in the novel are only seen as motherly characters who do not branch out beyond this stereotype, and in this the novel is sexist. A counterargument to this is that Twain utilizes historical realism to portray these characters, and they appear as they would in the setting of the novel.

Huck Finn Blog

Alice Walker’s essay suggests that the women from The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn are only seen as stereotypes, and as nothing more than motherly figures, who lack depth and personality. Walker states that Twain sees little importance to women, and this is why he presents them only as products of society. I believe that Twain does not value women any less than men, but rather that he depicts them as they would appear according to the time period. I think that overall Walker delves too far into the novel, and searches for forced stereotypes that do not exist. Since the novel’s focus is on men, they are the characters who the reader spends more time with, and thus, it is easier for their qualities to come out. The female characters are not the focus, and so they aren’t seen in this way. Since less time is spent with them, less is learned about them.

Listen at my band!

Check out my bands tunez. They are raw, real, and attractive:
(click the picture)