14. April 2009 by student.

According to steroidabuse.com in 2006 2.6% of high school students admitted to using steroids once in their life. A few years ago(06-07) a high school in my home town took on accusations from other local high school who were accusing most of their wrestling team of using HGH (Human Growth Horomones) and Steriods. The school even underwent Federal investigation because it was believed that a father of one of the wrestlers was providing such drugs to the team members. Over the last few years the school had taken its athletic program to the next level due to many transfers, most of whom were wrestlers and involved in the steriod scandal. The school took on these accusations because the same year their wrestling program had became the smallest school in Florida high school history to win a team state title. This sent up red flags out to all of the other local schools who felt something was wrong anyways. By the time the investigation began at the school it ended. Their isnt much investigating to be done becasue it is illegal to test high school students for steriods(this was during the time of the investigation, that may have changed by now becase i have read that texas has been leaning toward allowing testing). The question i pose to you is do you think it is right to test high school students for steroids? I personally feel that it should be allowed, if kids are making illegal decisions like this then they should not be protected by the law.

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »

14. April 2009 by student.

Obesity is a social problem in the United States.

Why is obesity a social problem and not a person problem?  I feel that society is to blame for obesity.

Society portrays and imagine of tall stick figure girls as being being beautiful.  They are shown in every magazine and on TVall over the world.  Also society shuns down upon celebrities who are mildly overweight or even healthy looking.

Why am I saying that this makes people obese?  This makes people obese because it puts constant pressure on people to monitor something they love.  Sometimes it is genetically difficult for people to be skinny but they try to be so they are accepted by society.  This could cause people to look at food as there enemy and try constantly to fight off food.

Eventually one could food and decide they dont care what society thinks and instead of eating just to fulfill hunger one might over indulge constantly and completely give into food. This could cause a weight problem and when that begins it could become very hard for one to stop the vicious cycle.  They begin to feel bad about themselves and once that happens they look to food for comfort and it becomes very hard for them to accept themselves or allow themselves to become healthy again.

I feel this is a huge social problem that lies in the heart of the media.  The media needs to potray healthy looking people or slightly overweight peopel as being in shape or normal, so peopel could accept themselves for who they are and not have to look upon food as their enemy.

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »

14. April 2009 by student.

Before transfering to FGCU, recycling and sustainability was not a very important topic to me. In my first year here at FGCU, i was required to take a Colloquium class, although boring, that helped open my eyes to the importance of recycling and sustainability. According to Sustainablog.org, we have over 251 million tons of trash here in the U.S.. Out of the 251 million pound of trash that we have here, we have only managed to recycle approximatley 82 million tons of materials. That leaves somewhere around 169 million tons of materials that we have deprived our earth of and not payed it forward in the form of reducing, reusing, and recycling. If you look at it percentage wise, here in America we are recycling approximatley 32% of the total waste. Although this is up 100% from the past couple decades, we still need to keep on the right track towards sustainability. One thing that we could do to help is start the transition from plastic bottles for bottled water to some other type of material. Every year 1.5 tons of plastic is used to bottles 89 billion liters of water of which only 20% of those bottles get recycled. When it comes to paper, we are spending millions of dollars for space in landfills. Just recycling your junk mail every day would make a huge impact on saved money. Each year the average U.S. citizen will recieve about 1.5 trees worth of junk mail. Recycling all of the junk mail would save us approximatley $370 million in landfill dumping fees each year. Each year, 10 million tons of newspaper are thrown into landfills. If we were to recycle just half of the newspapers that we were throwing away we would be saving somwhere around 75 million trees.

So as you can see we are a part of a generation that is on the brink of destruction if we dont change our lifestyles when it comes to sustainability. We are using up all of the critical materials of earth at a rate that our planet can not keep up with. I mean if you can get many uses out one onject by simply throwing it into a different bin than all  of our other trash, why not do it? Its simple and its a step that we need to take if we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy the same beautiful planet that we are living on today.

Posted in Social Problems, Uncategorized | No Comments »

14. April 2009 by student.

Greed is very prevalent in today’s society.  It is okay to be greedy with possessions that belong to you but i feel it becomes a serious moral issue when people become greedy with things that do not belong to them.

I play a sport for this school.  One day after a home match our coach had told us to go out and eat and the bill was on him.  So myself and the rest of the team went out and enjoyed ourselves as we were told.  Our coach payed for the bill obviously with the budget money that is reserved for that type of thing.  However the next day at practice our coach had told us that we had spent way too much money and that we each had to pay him $18 for the money that we had gone overboard.  I found this hard to swallow since my meal was only 9 dollars and my coachhad told us that he would pay for it.

As expected nobody paid him back, weeks later we played another home match and the coach at the other school had asked me if we were getting food after the match I told him no and he was shocked.  He explained to me after every home match he feeds his team.

This made me begin to ponder, how big is our tennis budget?  If the coach at Etsu could afford to pay for his team to eat at every home match why wouldn’t we?  We are in the same confrence and have the same budget amount.  On a more serious note how come my teammates and I do not get to keep our uniforms while the girls team has so much apparel they could clothe a small army.  Lastly, why is our coach asking for money back from us for something that he not only said he would take care of but infact should be dont on a more regular basis.

This had now happened a month ago and our coach is still asking for 18 dollars from each player.  Last week one of my teammates asked if the seniors were going to be able to recieve a warmup jumpsuit as promised to them in the beginning of the year by our coach.

My coaches reply shocked me he said he could not get them their warmup suite because he said that he had already spent $1500 dollars of his own money on the program this year.  I believe that $1500 dollars were spent but it definatley wasen’t spent out of his pocket it came from the budget. (which has to be atleast 10k)

This really bothered me that he referred to the budget money as his own money.  Money that is meant to be spent on us and athletics is being referred to as his.

I think that this is somewhat of a natural instict  of people which needs to be seriously addressed.  When people are given something they sometimes use it for the wrong reason or even call it their own when it isn’t theirs at all

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »

14. April 2009 by student.

Domestic Violence happens every second of the day, every hour of the hour, and every minute of the minute. Domestic violence has been an issue for years in this society and yet nothing much has been done for it. Domestic violence is continuously a growing issue in this society and will always be a growing issue in this society if nothing is done. Who do we blame? In fact, is there anyone to blame for this bizarre behavior? It is known that the family institution is the first to teach you anything in  life; therefore, people do what they see, what they learn, and most importantly what they were raised around. However, it does not give anyone the exscuse to beat upon someone. Commonly domestic violence happens to women but there are some men who are victims as well. Recently, there was a case where two  R & B singers Rihana and Chris Brown were involved in a domestic violence dispute. At that very time, domestic violence was bought to light more than it had ever been. Why? It sickend me that it took a couple who were famous and known to have this situation looked upon as to where if it was just a normal couple in a neighborhood nothing much would have been done. It is not fair. People should not be neglected because theyhave less than someone. Different people of different types are victims of domestic violence regardless of their race, class, sex, ethnicity, orienation etc; therefore, a case of domestic violence should receive the same attention as the case with Rihana and Chris Brown. No im not saying that every case should be on tv and broadcast in the media but every case should have law enforcement that cares just as much they did with Rihana and Chris Brown’s case. In a issue such as domestic violence no one’s case should be dismissed, shoned upon, or ignored. As for the people it is our desicion to determine if thats how we want to leave or do we want to make a difference and stand up for ourselves. Dont be a victim of domestic violence and if you are seek help. Never give up if the law enforcement only advise you of what you can do, keep tyring even if that means you have to do your own thing to get your case recognized or noticed, just let it be known. A silent voice in the end will be never be heard!

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14. April 2009 by student.

Currently i have been doing research on another country for my gendered studies course and surprisingly this topic has made a tremendous effect on me.  As living in the US, i have found that we, women,  do live in a patriarchial society, in fact, just about every country is patriarchial. However, while stepping outside of my norm and broadening my horizons i have found another country where women, just llike women in the U.S., suffer from all sorts of hegemonic msculinity. True our women in the U.S. still suffer from gender inequality but for the most part we our growing, have improved our standards, and are still improving( for example, the lily ledbetter fair pay act: the push for equal pay, ERA, etc.). On the contrary, the women in Ghana seem to have a long way before they can get to where the women in the U.S has. In Ghana the women suffer from a process called Female Genital Mutilation or female circumcision, slavery, societal discrimination, political and economic inequality. Each of the issues i have listed are all examples of violations of the women’s rights in Ghana. It was stated, that FGM is done so the girls can have a lesser urge for the desire of sex, an introduction into “womanhood”, and preparation for marraige. This procedure is done depsite the fact the girl may not want it, it is her parents desicion, and with this being done it provides her family with social and economic survival because once she is married, her husband, then takes care of the family. Another issue is slavery. In Ghana, a system known as Trokosi, is where a young girl(usually under 10) is given to a fetish shrine to compensate for the crime someone in her family has committed. In this system the young works for the priests, perform farm duties, house duties, and in most cases have babies by the priests. The women in Ghana seems to have no rights or rather have their rights violated. There is no room for these women or young girls to make their own desicions because the man does the desicion making for them. Yes, they have the right to voice their opinion but in the end it’s the men who have final say. I totally, disagree with what happens to those young girls as well as the women but it seems as though internalized oppression plays a major role in these women lives. They seem to accept these things as norms because it’s all they know now. There are organizatins that are trying to get these issues forbidden but because of Ghana’s lack finances not much improvemnt has been made. I only pray for the women that soon they will have their rights no longer violated and hope that one day the young girls can live happy and harmful life

P.S. : Febraury  6 is International Zero Tolerance Day for FGM. Please be aware and take recognition

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14. April 2009 by student.

The internet has become such a major part of our society. Sure, this technology is great and does a lot for our society, but when does it become too much? When people sit at the computer for hours on end doing nothing? When people can’t sit down to have a simple meal without checking their blackberry three times to make sure they have no new emails? When children stay inside all day playing games and exploring the internet? The internet has done great things for society; we can now communicate at a blink of an eye with anyone around the world.  But when does a little World of War Craft, Facebook, and Blackberry become too much?

                You know you’re addicted to facebook to much when someone takes a picture of you and responded with “You better tag me”.  Teenagers are so addicted to this social network website that they spend hours on facebook a day, exploring and pretty much just creeping on other peoples’ lives. What did teenagers do before they facebook? Maybe they actually read or actually went outside and experienced nature.

                When the Blackberry was invented it was for business men and women to be able to communicate with others in a blink of an eye. The ability to check and send emails was a perfect way for these individuals to communicate with who the need to without being in front of the computer. They also had the ability it surf the web to find any information they might need. Did the inventors really think Blackberries would be such a big hit from teenagers to adults in the real world? These business men and women are so addicted to the cell phone that they can’t spend a whole meal without checking to make sure they didn’t receive a new email. Teenagers are just as addicted to the blackberries: surfing the web, texting, BBM (blackberry messenger), and checking emails.

                Just the other day I was “exploring” on facebook, and I came across and family friend’s bat mitzvah photos and the theme was AOL, and the slogan was, “I went online at Allison Bat Mitzvah”. The most important day in this girl’s life other than her wedding had and internet theme to it. I didn’t go to the bat mitzvah but I guess instead of dancing, the kids just went online? Although the internet has done many great things for our society, the internet has become such a fixed part of our society that it has become scary.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 3 Comments »

14. April 2009 by student.

Fast food is something that we have all eaten in our lives. It is a great way to get food very efficiently and at low cost. Many people know that it is bad for you, but most people do not have the time to go home and cook a good meal for themselves or their family. Fast food places are there to make money and not to help you stay in shape. They do not care if the food they serve has high amounts of fat or calories. They are open very late, so when there is no other places to get food you have to eat there. There has been a big debate who is to blame for the obesity on this country and the fact is that it is not the fast food place’s fault for people becoming fat off of their food. Your parents and you are responsible for what you eat.

                Your parents are a big part of your life. When you are little they take care of you and help you along the way and make decisions for you. When you are a baby; you cannot get food for yourself, so you parents have to get it for you. They decide what food you are going to eat every time you are hungry. At this time you are too young to tell them that you do not want that food, so you just have to eat what they give you. Children as young as 1 or 2 have no idea what types of food are good and bad for you and at this time it is the parents that need to make good choices for you and make you get into good habits about eating right and making good choices.

                When kids become teenagers they will have the knowledge to know what is good and bad for you. They will have taken health class and realize that fast food is not the best option to take when you are hungry. At this point in a person’s life they are the ones responsible for what they eat and consume. Many people just want to blame someone else for their own problems and they really need to take responsibility for their own actions and not try to blame others. These fast food companies know that people will eat what is cheap and convent, so they take advantage of our lack of discipline and know that people will still come and eat their food. We need to take responsibility and not blames fast food companies for our actions.     

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

14. April 2009 by student.

            A story about a freshman college student attending Yale University has recently been brought to my attention. I was immediately hooked when I learned he was a college freshman, because I too am in the same situation, and I wanted to learn about the types of things he was going through. Well apparently he was in a pretty bad situation because his religious views conflicted with the views of Yale University.

            I learned that Yale University has a rule that requires freshman and sophomore students to live on campus in their dorms. In the case of Elisha Dov Hack, this went against his Judaism views. From his older brother, who also attended Yale, he learned all he needed to know about Yale dorm life. He also learned that he did not want to be a part of it. When he went on his Orientation tour of the dorms it was filled with topics of sex. Whether it be the signs for free condoms or the issue of the Yale Daily News that talked about the definition of “sexile” which is apparently “banishment from your dorm room because your roommate is having more fun that you.” He stated that if you live in the dorms, you’re expected to be a part of a certain crowd; which involves abiding by certain standards of life that he did not believe in.

            Elisha was torn by the thought that Yale was forcing him into something that he did not want to be a part of. He was not trying to say anything against his classmates whose sexual morality might differ from his, he merely had his own beliefs and views that he has been taught and wanted to keep faith in them. This is something I know firsthand, because I too live in campus dorms. To say the least, it differs from living at home. You are opened up to a whole new world that is foreign to you. Luckily I am having a great first year of college and wouldn’t change a thing. But I totally understand where Elisha is coming from.

            College dormitories differ drastically from the way they used to be in the 50’s. Back then students who allowed guests of the opposite sex into their dorm rooms were most likely expelled. Nowadays boys and girls are living on the same floor, they could even be neighbors. It’s sufficed to say that the people have developed different morals in society today. Yale is proud of the fact that it has no “parietal rules” and that its students can decide their own sexual morality. But for young Elisha that is the problem he faces. He doesn’t believe in the moral message Yale is conveying. A dorm room is basically your home away from home for the school year and he states that he would not be comfortable if he had to call a dorm room home.

            Elisha states that he might have to sue the university in order to protect his religious way of life. I have not read about the outcome of Elisha’s situation, but I hope him the best. I know being a freshman in college is hard enough, but adding the pressure of his living situation into the mix must be rough. I myself am catholic so I do not necessarily have the same beliefs as him. But during my year in college I know I was faced with some tough situations that took a lot to get through. Everyone has their own dilemmas in life but being forced to live on campus when you don’t believe in it, that’s a new extreme I haven’t heard of.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

14. April 2009 by student.

The destruction of athletes and the image of sports through the use of performance-enhancing drugs has become an epidemic. Performance-enhancing drugs have recently become widespread throughout professional sports in leagues like the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL. It is most commonly found in the MLB. The most common reason for steroid abuse in professional sports is the desire to excel. Steroids in professional sports are a meaningful issue because it’s cheating and ruins the reputation of the sport and the player. The pressure to succeed has tempted professional athletes to seek additional methods to enhance their performance. Fans are now taking records less serious when they are broken because it’s commonly steroid users that are breaking them. It’s ruining the integrity of the sport and pushing more fans away because it’s not about natural talent anymore.   Due to the records being broken in sports, allegations are being made around the world with concern of these drugs being the cause.  The most common performance-enhancing drugs are steroids. Although steroids increase muscle masses the side effects can be severe. Steroids in professional sports have caused much confusion and controversy. It is on the TV almost everyday with stations like ESPNews and Sportscenter. The most recent case is Alex Rodriguez admitting he injected a performance-enhancing drug for three seasons of his career after testing positive. This is a huge deal because he is also the highest paid baseball player ever and one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Now A-Rod joins the list of all the fallen greats whose career statistics have been ruined by steroids. A-Rod cannot be punished because he used steroids during the year MLB did not have any drug-testing penalties. Now people are arguing whether he should be allowed in the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. A recent AOL poll was taken and over 50% say that A-rod should be allowed. There is a lot of talking going on about doping in professional sports but there is little action being taken place.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »