Essay Topic

The topic of my first major essay will be socioeconomic status. My research question is "How does the socioeconomic status of a family affect the academic success (or education) of students." This topic interests me because I attended several schools before I graduated from high school and became a "cougar" at the University of Houston. I have had the wonderful opportunity of meeting students with diverse backgrounds. "Los Angeles High School" was the first secondary school I attended upon completing intermediate/middle school. The vast majority of these students were from poor working class families. I later transferred to "Schurr High School" which was located in East Los Angeles. This school was comprised of students from families with varied socioeconomic statuses. There were students from working class as well as lower and upper middle class families. I finally transferred to "Dobie High School" where I graduated in 2008. The population of students in this school was rather uniform in social status. Students ranged from working class to lower middle class. In other words, the population of students at Dobie was at neither extreme of the socioeconomic ladder (it was right in between the poorest students at L.A. High and the wealthier students at Schurr High).

My experience in these three schools provided me with an insight that is sometimes overlooked by society. Students from wealthier, more affluent families have a greater likelihood of being academically successful than those from poor families. In order to clearly illustrate this point I plan to cite statistics from reputable sources. I also want to share my personal experiences as a first generation student and the challenges I have faced as the first-born American in my family. I would like other people to see that sometimes natural intelligence is limited by lower social status.

I realize that there will be listeners opposed to my viewpoint. They might provide examples of individuals who rose above poverty through hard work, a view that goes hand in hand with the struggle for the ideal "America Dream." However, I plan to curtail the effectiveness of this counterargument by pointing out that there are statistically much lower success rates for people from lower class backgrounds. In other words, I will disprove my opposition by showing them that they are speaking of individuals that are merely the exception to the rule.


This unfortunate fact conflicts with my personal belief that students should have equal opportunities to become academically successful. I hope that one day the academic disparity between poor and wealthy students will be reconciled. I would like to see this dream become a reality so I might direct my essay at the government or at the very least some politicians that would be willing to fund programs that would ameliorate this problem.

Visual Argument Source

Dear Ms. Foster, just in case you need to make sure my Visual argument is not plagiarized, here is a link to my facebook album http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=553471&id=1216317821 and here is the link of the photoshop version I made for the assignment: http://s593.photobucket.com/albums/tt15/blissfairyfox/?action=view&current=Munchkin-1.jpg

If you any problems viewing these links please notify me. Have a wonderful day :)

Visual Argument

Glee

Drama-comedies are a norm as television programs, but musicals on the other hand, are more often than not seen in movie formats as opposed to being aired as regular television shows. The fusing of these two genres is intriguing and certainly leads viewers to wonder whether or not "Glee" is littered with nothing but old cliches or, is a new groundbreaking fusion that will surpass expectations. A pilot episiode of "Glee" provides some insight into this query. The creators of this show do in fact use stereotypes and stock characters but combine them with fresh ideas that stand out and enhance the viewer's experience.

The word "musical" alone is enough to evoke familiar images from former films such as "Grease" and Disney's "High School Musical." In fact, both of these movies were alluded to during the pilot episode. In addition to rehearsing with a "Grease" song, male leads Finn and Danny Zuko can relate to one another. They are both confronted with the conflicting desire to follow their heart while attempting to fulfill social expectations of what they should be. Finn can also relate to "High School Musical's" Troy Bolton. Both have a difficult time reconciling masculine traits with their innermost dreams. To be more precise, they are torn between sports and their passion for singing. This struggle is tied to their need to maintain roles as "alpha males" for their sports teams, in conjunction with balancing a softer side for their show choirs (which are seen as feminine). In addition, the romantic chemistry between Troy and Gabriella is paralleled by that between Finn and Glee's female lead, Rachel.

On a non-musical level, "Glee" has other elements that are not original. The bickering between co-workers, and the constant rumors that run through the faculty and staff of the school are similar to the work environment seen in "The Office." Stereotypes about society are also evident. Mr. Schuester's car is old, reflecting the belief that teachers don't make a good living from their income. We also see the typical jock and cheerleader couple. Furthermore, the age old question about happiness is posed: is happiness to be obtained with success through material wealth or by pursuing one's passions?

Although "Glee" has many qualities that are representative of former shows, characters and stereotypes, it is important to note that "Glee" is different in that it infuses modern situations with a new genre. For example, Mr. Schuester points out that many students have myspace pages because they don't have a real life. This psychological insight is a recent problem that has emerged and has not been well-developed in other tv shows. The pilot episode even shows a group of cheerleaders mocking and cyber-bullying Rachel for what they perceive as "pathetic." Additionally, while some may argue that the references to other shows is boring, it may be argued that these allusions serve to actually enhance the viewer's experience. By alluding to other characters and stories, the creators of "Glee" create a sense of familiarity for their audience to be able to better understand, relate to, and sympathize with the characters. In other words, the show is not uncomfortable, awkward and confusing like some sci-fi programs. Furthermore, the musical aspect of the show heightens the intensity and artistic appeal of the show. The choreography that goes into producing a simple three-minute musical scene takes much artistic skill to produce--something that other shows end up sacrificing as a result of their monotonous genre.

Labor Day-Doubter

A quick skim through McGurn's article could easily discourage readers about a college education. However, upon closely analyzing the article's structure and its statements, it becomes clear that the piece is riddled with flaws. For example, McGurn is more than willing to provide supporting evidence for his claims. He mentions economist Lerman and Holzer to say that "there are jobs that don't require college but pay above the national average." However, when speaking about an opposing viewpoint, he quickly glosses over the subject by being vague. For instance, he admits that on average a college grad will have a greater income and more security but he conceals the effectiveness of that viewpoint by failing to provide data and statistics. This dismissal of evidence shows clear and intentional bias. Furthermore, McGurn states that college is not the only way to gain human capital and that there are other skills one can rely on to succeed (i.e. punctuality, reliability etc.). He makes the implicit assumption that college grads lack these skills when in reality they must possess or acquire these skills in the process of becoming successful students. Another assumption the writer makes is that money is the only measure of happiness when choosing a career. McGurn does this by glorifying the rise of an entrepreneur and his income. Based on personal experience, I know that McGurn is oversimplifying the life of an entrepreneur. My father has been the proprietor of various car mechanic shops and currently owns a dealership and junkyard. At first, one may marvel at such an accomplishment especially considering the fact that he gave up on educational endeavours in middle school. However, business fluctuates with the instability of our economy and being the owner of such a risky enterprise is a full-time job that sometimes chips away at family life and one's health. Thus, the trade-off of acquiring financial success without an education is living with insecurity and putting one's life at risk.

Labor Day - Believer

I have seen Mike Rowe at work and heard his testimony that the people with some of the "Dirtiest Jobs" are also some of the happiest people he has ever met. He recognizes the fact that plenty of people are not suited to the college environment and would instead prefer to spend their time outside doing extremely hands-on activities. This is not to say that education itself is not vital to success and happiness in the financial world. The article states that those who obtain financial success without a college education spend many years perfecting their craft and moving up in the industry that they have chosen. In the years before a college education was readily available, this strategy was the norm for people who wished to prosper economically but who could not afford to attend a university. In this economy, it may still be the best way for people who do not wish to spend a lot of money to pursue an education that would be optimal for their career path. In fact, it may be the only way to avoid spending thousands of dollars setting yourself up for failure. For example, my uncle is an electrician with a high school education who, though he wishes to advance career-wise and financially would not thrive in a four-year university environment. However, he does happily attend certain classes and obtain certifications that allow him to achieve his goals of advancement. Though a college education is the quickest, most efficient, and most socially acceptable path to financial prosperity, it's not the only way!