Day 25 April 15, 2003

1. Names. Poster stuff back—I enjoyed those days, even if they’re a bit hectic for me. Things coming up: Papers due next Tuesday, whether you’re doing the project or the service learning. If the former, remember, the earlier sections should be woven together into a single essay, though it may still have visible sections; you may want to revise your introduction/proposal in light of what you’ve actually done, and the others as well in light of the feedback you’ve gotten.

If you did the service learning project, please hand in all your journals again, as well as your final paper, which should be a reflection on the whole experience and how it connected with issue(s) that have come up in class as well. Many of you are well along with that thinking, I learned from the poster sessions.

I hope to get some feedback on the particular placements you did as well, separately—I think Kristen had brief forms for people to fill out last time. I know there were some issues beyond your control.

About the final: I’m leaning toward a take-home; it’s not until Thursday, May 1, 9:30. Probably somewhat similar to last time.

2. All right, here we go with what’s news. I counted ca. 27, ca. half of them late; I found myself copying in the varied explanations, just for relish.

My plan: to just zoom through these quickly today, then talk a bit about the patterns we see. For Thursday, I propose a broader discussion about the state of the country and the world, and about the information we’re getting and not getting.

For the recent news issue to discuss in Issues, here’s a link to one of the best articles I found on bilingual education. I think this is something the class should discuss, because as more English as a Second Language Students live in America, this is no doubt an issue all of us may come in contact with at some point, especially if we care about what is going on in our schools. There are positives and negatives on whether the native language should be taught along with English, or under English, or classes taught in native tongue until English is learned. It’s hard to say, and there is research on both sides that say one way is better than the other.

http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=8

 Thanks-

Kathy Dickson

http://www.cato.org/research/articles/carpenter-030202.html

This article talks about Pres. Bush and the way that he and his people have

tried to make the war look like a justified and necesary thing for our

country. The language in this article is clearly against the Pres. and his

people. This is not the issue though that I want to discuss this article

for. The reason I want to discuss this artilce is to ask the question who,

what, when, where, why, and how? Who do we beleive? What do we believe?

Where did they get their info? Why should we believe it? And the most

taxing question of all to me how do we know we can believe it even if we

know the answers to all those other questions?

Allan King

Here is the article that I read http://www.msnbc.com/news/896296.asp?#BODY.  It is from Newsweek.  It talks about Private Jessica Lynch and the complete story about her rescue from Sadam Hospital in Iraq.  I thought that this article was particularly interesting becasue she is such a role model for many Americans.  Her story is very inspirational and brings somewhat of a positive aspect to all of the violence associated with the war.

-Lesley Johanns

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0410/p18s01-lire.html

I think that this article "Aids crisis: a job for churches?" is a very compelling article that is worthy of our attention. Aids is one of the ultimate weapons of mass destruction in the world that we live in today. Something needs to be done to stop the spread of this epidemic. World Vision is launching a campaign in 15 US cities to get Americans to realize the crisis that African nations are encountering. Some churches have started to push for greater response in the US but it has been a slow process. There are other voices such as the president that are started to realize that AIDS is a huge problem. Some in congress are pushing for more funding up front. World Vision is hoping to educate pastors in these countries to teach abstinence and faithfulness in sexual behavior. There are people that are starting to take action but much more needs to be done in the future.

Kristen Washington

Becky Leatherman

University newspaper shut down over April Fools' issue

http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/04/12/student.newspaper.ap/index.html

This article is about an April Fools Joke that was played on a campus. It tells of an issue of a newspaper that was shut down after making racist jokes, condoning rape and domestic violence, and it included profanity. I think this is important to talk about because of the issues that the paper made fun of. Rape, domestic violence, and racism is still very prevalent in our society. I think its important to be aware that even joking about these issues condones them. Though some people may not feel that this April fools day joke was a big deal, I believe it was and I think its important to talk about these issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1251-2003Apr9.html

“Paige: No Religious Bias in Remarks”

I chose this article because I hear a lot about how people are always

finding ways to keep God out of schools because it offends them or oppresses

their freedom to worship other gods or no god. It always aggravates me

because they speak about their freedom to not have religion forced on them

but what about a Christians’ freedom in the classroom? I think it’s

ridiculous how easily people are offended and how forceful they are about

protecting their “rights” even if it means denying the rights of another. I

thought this would be a good issue for class discussion because I’m sure

there are some strong opinions surrounding this topic.

-Alisha Fought

http://thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030428&s=editors

I think this piece is worthwhile because of the way it represents my opinion that the United States should deal with the issues involving Iraq with the rest of the world.  I am afraid that if we become to isolated, our country will not survive.  Globalization is occuring whether we like it or not, so I think instead of bullying other countries for our gain, we should take a more open minded position.

Jake Boehr

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14800-2003Apr12.html

I found my article from the Washington Post. The article I chose was " Causalities: Low Member, Many Causes." I found the article really interesting and I was surprised that many of the casualties of the United States at this point have been unrelated to direct enemy fire. Many of the deaths were accidents or situations of friendly fire and so on. It was a very interesting article and I think it should be discussed in class This week or the beginning of next week. Amanda Egley

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14/international/worldspecial/14SOUT.html

This article would be interesting to talk about, because of how it takes a different perspective of what’s happening in Iraq, and I’m disappointed with how the US has displayed the war in the media.  It talks about how the US and British troops are not providing for the Iraqi people.  Prices for food are increasing dramatically, and there has been a major shortage of water.  The shortage of gasoline is also making travel very expensive.  The military should be doing more to take care of the Iraqi people, as they are trying to destroy these people’s government.  One person made a comment, “Saddam was bad, but we had water," he said. "And God says that all life is made from water so no one can stay alive without water."  That really struck me.  If the US is fighting this war to save the Iraqi people, why shouldn’t we be starting right now while they are suffering?

-Erica Wiebe

Matt Gothard sent you this MSNBC News Link:

Message:

This article is fascinating because when scientists learn more about the human genome, they could possibly cure diseases. Unfortunately, it could lead to more genetic cloning and the idea of making everyone exactly the same.

** Human genome sequence completed **

Scientists have completed the finished sequence of the human genome, or genetic blueprint of life, which holds the keys to transforming medicine and understanding disease.

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_email.asp?/news/899806.asp

http://slate.msn.com/id/2081388/

This article tells about how the US military has been successful since a decade before desert storm.  Some people are unaware exactly why we are the superpower we are.  This should help clear that up.
Zach Simpkins

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,84044,00.html

This is a website that I just picked from random about the war. The war in a

pretty contraversial topic right now that is happening in our world. There

were many stories about the war, I just picked this one at random.

Amber Fitzwater

The url for my news article is http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14HOSP.html

This article is intitled Burden Grows for Southwest Hospitals. It talks about the lack of funding that the government is giving to hospitals. Hospitals in the Southwestern states are treating an increasing amount of illegal immigrants who will not be able to pay for the services. Since the government is not providing the funding for the laws that mandate hospitals to treat everyone, hospitals are beginning to reevaluate the services that they are willing to provide in the emergency rooms. This should be a concern for anyone who wants to know that they will be adequately treated in any hospital emergancy room in the United States no matter where you are from.

Faith Blough

I read an article about the SARS virus and how they have broken the genetic

code. I think that this is important to talk about because this virus has

been deadly for many people and if they have found a cure for it could help

many more. I know that a lot of famous people have been putting off going

to canada to shoot movies and things from fear of getting this virus and

hopefully this will ease their tensions and they will be able to get back to

work. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14/science/sciencespecial/14INFE.html

Sorry that this is late but i was thinking it was due tomorrow morning.

Candy Apperson

i am so sorry that this is late.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/13/sprj.irq.bush.syria/index.html

now that bush has gotten his way with iraq, he has now chosen a new country to focus his "weapons of mass destruction" mumbo jumbo -- syria.  not only do they have these weapons but it is also harboring fleeing high-ranking iraqi officials.  is syria now an honory member of bush's axis of evil?  and why syria? why not iran?  this issue is of great importance because this whole process of reform in the middle east is not going to end with the end of hussein.  with the quick success in iraq, bush feels that he has justified his actions and has taken it to the next step.

stephanie elton

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/14/sports/golf/y14protest.html

This article is about the continueing battle for women's rights. i think

when ever anyone feels discriminated it needs to be discussed. i do not feel

that martha burke is right in this case though.

P.S. i thought this was due on tuesday by 8 not monday sorry adam meekhof

Hi Jeff,

  I found this website http://msnbc.com/news/899962.asp?cp1=1 This is a story about what the POW's experienced the days they spent in jail. I swore to myself that I wasn't going to pick an article that was about the war, but when I thought about what had been going on this semester this is what dominated the news.

Andrea Lehman

  I thought this was not due until tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, but someone told me that it was actually due today (Monday). Sorry if this caused you any problems!

Andrea Lehman

Raudel Hermosillo Jr.

URL Assignment

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/04/01/scotus.affirmative.action/index.html

This particular issue is very important. As a minority of the class, I feel

this issue is very imperative to discuss and gain some feed back from this

class, where the overwhelming vast majority is “white”. The issue of

affirmative action has grasped the attention of the United States Supreme

Court. “At issue is whether race can be used as a factor in admissions to

publicly funded institutions as part of an affirmative action program.”

(http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/04/01/scotus.affirmative.action/index.html) The

article practically talks about affirmative action in institutions of higher

learning publicly funded.

I personally feel race should not be a factor for anything. I believe in

equality, I believe in “the right person for the job”, and I believe that

affirmative action is not the only way to acquire a diverse atmosphere.

“Justices Tuesday were asked to decide whether a state has a "compelling

interest" to promote a diverse student body, or whether the Equal Protection

Clause of the 14th Amendment forbids giving one ethnic group or minority

special advantages over another.” (Same article)

The country loves to exploit the notion of equality for everyone. I

strongly believe that affirmative action is in violation of that goal that

the country strives for. It is a violation because due to affirmative

action, sometimes the qualified person is not hired, or admitted to college.

When a person is hired, or admitted to college, solely because of race over

a qualified person, equality becomes inequality. I like to believe I am

here in Bluffton College as a qualified student and not as a cheap way to

employ a diverse characteristic for the college. I will probably never know

why I was accepted as a student here.

A possible solution to gain diversity in colleges and universities would be

to recruit students from all over in a sort of blind technique. Issue

students a number with their test scores and a list of schools they wish to

apply to. The only way to contact the potential student would be through

mail, or e-mail, telephone contact would be prohibited due to possible

accents students may have. The student would also be issued an e-mail

account with their number as the name, for example

13407604-8@collegeapplicant.com. The student’s high school counselor will

issue out the number and the email. The question of “what race are you?”

would have to obviously be prohibited to ask as well. This would be a good

remedy for schools like Bluffton College, who do not issue sport

scholarships. I believe that schools who do give out sport scholarships do

not initiate affirmative action. I believe they try to simply get the best

athletes for their programs regardless of race. Non-athletes for these

schools would have the same procedures that students who go to schools

without sport scholarships have.

Once again this is just a foundation for a possible solution of the

affirmative action issue. There are still a number of issues to be answered,

such as the whether or not to keep the gender question in or out. The

student body then becomes a gamble, and not a quota system that many

colleges today try to comply with.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11849-2003Apr2.html

The Mystery Virus: A Guide to Origins, Symptoms and Precautions You Can Take

By Rob Stein

Washington Post Staff Writer

I feel that such and epidemic like SARS is a concern for all of us. People

are dying in this world and who knows how far this will spread. I think that

people should be aware of it and aware of the dangers. This article answers

all the questions needed to really understand this condition and this tragic

epidemic, which is hitting China with a vengeance.

~Erin Weber

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20030414_1583.html

I read this article and i thought about the issue of governmental power.  I actually think this is a issue in america because everybody wants the power or more power from our government.  It sstarting to take steps from being a democracy to other forms of government.  Some other people are believing that the government is becoming too much and the people are not getting much saying.  Rumsfeld wants more power for the defense department even though they have so much power already.  I think this really is a problem to us and our government.  We should consider this as a growing issue also. 

Jeff Hinderschied

http://www.cse.org/informed/issues_template.php/1075.htm

I chose the issue of rising malpractice insurance probably because I am a Biology/Pre-med major who is very concerned about this topic as I prepare for medical school. However, this problem affects everyone. If doctors are unable to pay for their insurance, which protects them from the greedy individuals who sue every chance they get, then they can not continue their practice. This means that, as indicated in the story, desperately needed trauma centers and other medical facilities are forced to close. People with life threatening injuries or illness must then drive hours out of their way which can have fatal consequences.

I think that issue should be relevant to everyone because after all doctors are human and will make mistakes, although few and far between, it is inevitable. Therefore, until our society becomes less greedy, this problem will persist.

Dr. Gundy,

  I wanted to inform you that after checking my email a moment ago I found a mailer-deamon email telling me that the assignment that I sent to you could not be sent, for reasons very unknown to me. I checked and rechecked your address and everything and it was fine so I am not sure what happened. I am sending it to you yet again in hope that it reaches you.


Jenny Lehman- who would very much like to break this computer which has caused a ridiculous amount of problems....

My article is about how a New Orleans School had a gunmen open fire. A 15 year old boy was killed and three girls wounded . There were four suspects in this shooting. This happened when about 200 students were in the gym and the suspect just came in and started shooting. Jonathan Williams was the one that did the shooting, people saying that it was gang related. He got away and they have no clue how it got through the security guards and the metal detectors. Parents heard about this and rushed to the school, but couldn’t get in.

Cari Bowman

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,84135,00.html

* Sorry Jeff, I didn’t look at the date well enough and thought it was that we had until Tuesday morning to turn this in.

Kelly Dietrick

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,84135,00.html

With the controversial subjects like 911 and the war with Iraq people have lost focus on the issues that were present a few years earlier; such as violence and shootings in schools.  I think this is a topic that the US needs to be concerned with because it affects the lives of America's youth, and isn't that much more important than how other counties are run?  I think so.  This article covers the most current school shooting that happened in New Orleans (this is where I am going on my Cross Cultural Experience this May) today.  Where a gunman opened fire in a gymnasium full of students, killing one boy, and injuring three girls. The new bulletin thinks that this incident could be gang-related.  But I didn't write on this article because it is a horrible thing that occur, but because the school systems and the government need to find more efficient ways to protect students and an intervention program to teach people about violence, guns, gangs, etc. to prevent school shootings from occurring.

Sorry Prof. Gundy, I forgot that this response was due before Monday at 8, I thought it was due the same time our other articles have been due.  I am sorry.  I didn't find this out until tonight, then I had class til 10, so this was the first oppertunity I had to respond.  Again, I am sorry.

Ryan Whitaker Current news site

Jeff Gundy 9:30 http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/

 I chose this site, because I am kind of wonder if media is going to far with its coverage and what it is actually showing people such as the dead solders in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/04/14/teen.prison.ap/index.html

This article is about a juvenile prison's violence. It contains a teenagers account of what happened on the "inside". It struck me as interesting because it appeals to the issue of prisoners rights. How safe are our inmates? Should they be protected at all? These are the two main questions I had.

ps. I took this assignment to be due Tuesday morning as opposed to Monday morning, therefore causing my email to be late.

Chris Myers

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/04/14/mexico.witchs.ap/index.html

This article grabbed my attention right away. It is so violent. I cannot believe this actually happened. In what kind of world do we live today??? The article never mentioned what crime Shilon, the witch, has ever committed. It would be interesting to follow up on this case and see what the grounds were for stoning and killing this man.

Whoops! I forgot this was due on Monday. Sorry for the late response!!

Caroline Moons

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2003-04-14-code-sars_x.htm

I was having problems with my account, something about it being oversized,

but I finally got it straightened out and I got my account all cleaned out

so there shouldn't be a problem sending mail anymore. Anyways, I think this

artilce is interesting because it talks about how the new strain is very

dangerous but that with the help of new technology/medical information they

are finding ways to fight it.

~Amy Rodabaugh

First, I want to apologize that I didn't get this in sooner. I honestly just looked at my paper this morning and that's my fault. But I figured late was better than never...I hope, anyway. Here's the web address for what I found.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/15/health/15SPRE.html?pagewanted=2

This is about the outbreak of SARS. I believe that this is an important topic because it is something that could easily affect each of our lives. This is a very fast and easy spreading coronavirus that is potentially deadly if given the right host/environment. Research is a continuing process for SARS in order to contain/stop the outbreaks. There is still not much known about SARS, such as where it actually originated. It is suspected that two common viruses came together and formed a single new mutated virus, and that this began in chickens. THis is such an important issue because SARS is airborne rather than bloodborne. THis causes rapid spread of the virus. Carriers show flu-like symptoms, so SARS is not always caught right away. 80% of people with SARS are able to overcome it. However, 20% reach a more dangerous stage of the disease and die.

Miranda Thorn

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/04/13/broadway.cellphone.ban.reut/index.htmlI wanted to take a look at something other than the war in the news. The article talks about NYC banning the use of cell phones in  "any indoor theater, library, museum, gallery, motion picture theater, concert hall or building in which theatrical, musical, dance, motion picture, lecture or other similar performances are exhibited."  Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who tried to have the law vetoed, does not feel that it is an enforcable law.  Any offeders actually caught will recieve a $50 fine for their cell phone usage. What really gets me about the article is the fact that this is NYC.  When you think of NY, you think anything goes because of it's free spirited environment. I guess that banning cell phone usage just seems slightly petty to me. My excuse is that I honestly forgot. Sorry.

Angie Darr

Yeah... my excuse is pretty lame. I just plain forgot.

I did find this interesting bit about Rodney King I'd like to share. http://www.msnbc.com/news/900553.asp

It seems King's claim to fame is going to forver be run ins with the law. While what happened to him in the early 90's was unjust, he's only celebrity because he was once a victim. If anyone else had had a similar accident as this recent incedent, it would have only made local, perhaps at most state news. Yet because of the national attention the riots created King's may forever be under fairly close watch by the national media, waiting to see if they yet again make use of his name to grab people's attention.

Laters,

-Brian Daniel