The Marketplace of Ideas is Here!

Marketplace of Ideas Instructions

Topic Proposal Form

BRAINSTORMING LINKS

• Browse the topics at any of the "issues" based subscription databases:
• CQ Researcher
• Opposing Viewpoints
• Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society
• Check out the documentaries at:
• Frontline
• Sixty Minutes
• Read the news:
• CNN
• FOX
• NYTimes
• Chicago Tribune
• Read Blogs:
• Huffington
• Newsmax

Affirmative Action in College Admissions: You Decide

The question of the use of affirmative action in college admissions is one that may have specifically impacted all of you.  Today, it is up to you to ultimately make a decision about whether or not affirmative action programs should be used in order to increase racial diversity on campus.  Please do the following:

• In the second packet, reread the synopses of the Gratz and Grutter cases.  Then in the same packet, read and annotate the excerpts from the opinion and the dissent.
• Then in the first packet read and annotate the exceprts from the opinion and dissent of the Grutter case.
• Finish reading and annotating the last two articles in the first packet ("Race Neutral University Admissions in the spotlight" and "One Nation Indivisible").
• Read the article posted at this link.

Then, in a 2-4 page argument (double spaced), decide the outcome of either the Texas or Michigan case described in the last article.  Your argument should have a clear thesis and use information from any of the materials provided in class.  Each paragraph of your argument must begin with a clear topic sentence that is an assertion of your argument.  You may do additional research to support your argument but must cite correctly and submit a works cited page if you do.  You should not use first person anywhere in your paper.  Papers should be proofread and error free.
Papers are to be submitted to turnitin.com by Thursday, 4/25.

Hidden Bias

Do you have any hidden biases? Even though we work to have a society based on the concepts of justice and fairness, are there parts of our unconscious that prevent that from happening? Today you will take a test to perhaps provide an insight to these answers.
1) Go to http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>
2) Read intro.
3) Click on Project Implicit’s website.
4) Click on Demonstration
5) Click on “Go to the Demonstration Tests”
6) Read the Preliminary Information and the Important disclaimer.
7) Click on the “general information about the IAT”
8) Read Measuring Implicit Associations
9) Read the “I am aware…” sentence and click on “I wish to proceed” (if you choose to)
10) Click on Take the Race IAT and read and follow all of the instructions to take the test. You do not need to answer all of the survey questions.
11) Read the results of your test. Consider: did the results show that you have some hidden bias? Were you surprised by the results? What do you think might be some of the reasons behind your test results? What questions do you have about the results?
12) Click on the “frequently asked questions” and skim the questions and answers.
13) Click on the tab at the top of the page labeled “Understanding IAT Results” and read information.
14) Return to http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>. Read the entire page. How does this information enhance or change your understanding of your result? What conclusions can you make about stereotypes? Prejudice? Biases? How might hidden biases influence you (or not)?
15) Do a blog post about this information and your results. What do you think?  Does this information influence your thoughts and opinions about "I Sit Where I Want"?

Hazing Trial Assignment

 

Hazing: You be the Judge

 

            Due to your sophisticated expertise on issues concerning hazing and binge drinking as well as your thoughtful demeanor, you have recently been selected hear the case, The United States v. Chris Archer.  Your task is to review all of the evidence and then make an informed decision as to the defendant's guilt or innocence.  Once you have made the decision, you will issue a 2-3 page written judicial opinion stating the reasoning for your decision.  Although this is a "judicial opinion", in no way should you use first person.  You are a judge; the supreme authority as to the truth of the situation.  Be firm and declarative when you state what the decision is and why.  There is no reason to use the words I, we, our, or us.

            Your opinion should be structured in this way:

            Paragraph 1: Introduction to the case.  Set the context. Close with your ruling (this is essentially your thesis).  Your ruling should use the following format:   Although       (the argument of "other side") ,  the defendant in this case is   __(guilty or not guilty)   because   (your main reasoning)__    .

 

            Body Paragraph 1: Begin with a topic sentence that is an assertion about the law in this case.  Then explain the law and apply the facts of the case to the law.

            Body Paragraph 2: Begin with an assertion about hazing based on your knowledge of the issue overall from the unit.  Use facts and details from the resources used in the unit (film, articles) to support your assertion.  Conclude by applying the facts of this case to your assertion.

 

**NOTE: You may have more than 2 body paragraphs if necessary.  You should base this decision on how many assertions you need to provide the reasoning behind your ruling.

 

            Conclusion: Summarizes your argument and gives a sense of why this issue is important in society today.

 

            Your writing should be Times New Roman 12 pt font, double spaced, proofread and error free.  You need to submit this assignment to turnitin.com by class time on Thursday, 4/4.

Sexual Assault on Campus

Greetings all and welcome back to your blogs,
For today, continue to explore this article that describes the epidemic of sexual assault on college campuses.  Don't just read the main article but click on the hyperlinks and explore some of the other stories out there.  Then:

• When you find something interesting, post a link to it as well as a sentence describing why it's interesting in the comment section to this post.
• Do a post on your own blog that explores the issues raised in our class discussions and in the articles you read on this topic (this may count as your weekly blog post).
• Read the posts of two of your classmates on this topic and comment to them.  To ensure that everyone has someone read what they wrote, look at the blog immediately preceding and immediately after your own.  If you are first or last on the list, look at the two that are immediately preceding or after respectively.

Hazing

Later in the year, we'll be doing a short unit on hazing and alcohol abuse on college campuses.  This story hit the news today.

22 NIU frat members charged in freshman's hazing death

Thought you might be interested...

Gun Control, School Violence and other issues

In light of the tragic school shooting in Newtown, please work to gather information about the variety of issues that this incident raised.  Read the articles linked below or search on your own to see what people have been saying.  I also encourage you to look at library's subscription databases (Opposing Viewpoints, Issues and Controversy, CQ Researcher)to get some additional background information.  Keep track of what you read.  List the sources and take notes.
Here are some things that I've been looking at.

• NY Times Philosophical Blog, The Stone is doing a series of essays "that examine the ethical, social and humanitarian implications of the use, possession and regulation of weapons."
• The Atlantic is having an interesting internal debate stemming from this article that was published in its magazine the week prior to the Newtown shooting.  Search the site for gun control to see the other articles that have been written this week.  A columnist from Salon responds to the original Atlantic argument here.
• Mental health is also an issue that has been raised here, perhaps most heart wrenchingly by this article by a mother whose son suffers from a mental disease.  Time Magazine reviews the article and the responses it evoked here.

As you browse around today, please reply to this post by adding links to any articles that you find to be interesting, revealing, or provocative.