We'd all like to know what you want to ask first and why this question or topic interests you. Therefore, please explain what you hope to learn, what community you are exploring, what issue(s) you hope to resolve or understand better, etc.
Your reponse here may even serve as your initial introduction to your own discovery essay. There are, by the way, two excellent essays to follow on pgs. 485-501 of the Allyn and Bacon textbook.
Your individual responses are due by Sunday, Feb. 14th.
(Do sign your name at the end of your post.)
--Lisenbee
Think about the number one problem that limits individuals from pursuing a college education. That’s it, tuition costs. In the past few years, tuition costs have sky-rocketed among universities creating a barrier for non-financially secure students. As a college student on full tuition, I am blessed to not have to worry about the frequent rising tuition costs because it will not affect me. However, for those students who depend on tuition costs to remain at a stable price, there is a problem. Although I was aware of the typical tuition costs, I was mainly unaware of its frequent increases and the sum of people who were affected. For this research assignment, I decided to pursue the question, Why are tuition costs sky-rocketing? Many will point figures at the economy and the current state we are in, however there must be other alternatives. This question deserves to be examined because there have been increases in enrolling college students, meaning there are more people paying, therefore why the sudden increase? I suppose universities are becoming greedy with their money given that education is an essential part of success, and therefore take advantage of the control over tuition.
ReplyDelete-Anais Perez
Many people know the Holocaust as the murder of over 6,000,000 Jews, but little know beyond that; including myself. History fades away and as time goes by, people tend to forget important moments in life. Not only was the Holocaust the systematic genocide of European Jewry, but the destruction of 5,000,000 other people who were deemed "undesirable" by Nazi Germany. Casualties of the Holocaust are usually estimated at about 12,000,000 people. All of this, in the span of 3 years, between 1942 and 1945. How could such atrocity occur in such little time? How could Hitler's regime efficiently wipe out 12,000,000 human beings in the 1940's? Surely we have all heard the stories of the gas chambers, but how efficient were they in killing over 30 % of all Jews? Yes, the Holocaust occured, but how could something of that magnitude occur so easily? Was there resistance? Was there retaliation? Who and how did anyone survive? All these question and no answer. The fact is that the events that occured in Europe between 1942 and 1945 illustrate the most efficient way of permanently destroying human life. Life that is remembered uptil this day.
ReplyDeleteTechnology, has it become a vital part of human existence? Can we survive without it? One day without a cell phone and all contact with others is lost. It’s a hassle to get in touch with those we care to know about whenever we want and it seems impossible to attend a school, visit a business ,or simply hang out at a friends house without being surrounded by technology- the computer and Wi-fi that we use to connect to the Internet and write our research papers, the iPhones, the light bulb, the air conditioning, etc. What is the reason why it hasn’t completely taken over yet? Or has it? If it were to take over what would be the hassle anyway? Wouldn’t things be easier for us? Lives are saved in hospitals everyday. Advancements in fields such as biomedical engineering provide tools that help to save even more lives-certain surgeries are even performed by robots! With so many inventions, who knows what will come next? In order to understand any of these questions and to even attempt to answer them I must drown myself in research. First, I will try to see what technology was in the past and then how and why it evolved to what it is now.
ReplyDeleteMy Discovery essay is about the moon. my initial question is, why does Earth have a moon? then many questions followed. what would life be without a moon? are some myths about the moon true? why we dont use the lunar calendar instead of the solar calendar? what did past civilizations believed about the moon? so far, i just have my intruduction, nonetheless, i know this assignment will be interesting because the topic is something that intrigues me. in my opinion, this is something that has to do with the global community and is timeless. i do not want to use scientific terms, unless needed because i want to write it for someone that is not a fan of science but would like to know more about the moon. i hope to answer the questions i have and why not, even produce my own theories.
ReplyDeleteAna Torres Hernandez
How does therapy for the mind work? Who are the professionals and what are their techniques? Could people receive the same positive results from animal therapy as they do from human therapy? Throughout my discovery process I hope to find the answers to these questions and many more. I want to explore the community of autistic children and hardened criminals. How do interactions with various animals change the lives of these people? Why do some people open up to a dog more quickly than they would to their daily caretakers? What is it about animals that touch our hearts and move us to be close to them? Perhaps it is their unwavering love. Pets do not judge us, slander us, or reject us. At the end of the day pets thrive off our attention and care. Their whole existence revolves around their need to please their owners. Can animals be used to rehabilitate those who need that little extra push? Patients who never move their arms will try to reach out and pet a dog. Patients who do not wish to speak will whisper their secrets to gentle horses. What is the cost difference in pet care opposed to professional human interactive therapy? Do the many approaches of human therapy yield more positive results than the mere interaction with animals? Could a combination of the two be used to reach a new level of therapy in reluctant patients? I hope to shed new light on the many questions I want to explore.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Ward
I've come across this many times before and never really understood the meaning for it. My topic is simple: I want to know what the big deal is with Chuck Norris. Guys talk about him like he's God. He is known as the manliest man; one in which guys worship. Why? I have no idea. That's what I plan on finding out. The main community I'll be targeting will be the guys. More specifically, young male adults. I want to know what it is about this Chuck Norris guy that gets him so much fame.
ReplyDelete-Paula Pinto
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ReplyDeleteFor my essay I want to discover more information about The Nazca Lines. I was watching the new show “Solving History with Olly Steeds” on the discovery channel and the episode on these lines fascinated me. I was very surprised that as interesting as the lines are I had never heard of them and none of my friends had ever heard of them either. They are called geoglyphs and the best way for me to describe them is that they are gigantic crop circles that stretch for miles but instead of being made from wheat fields they are lines in sand and some have been proved to have been made as long ago as 525 A.D. Some look like animals and some just straight lines and there are several theories as to what they are for but the question remains: Who would make these figures that they couldn’t even see? No one knows exactly who made them or why, although many believe it was the Nazcan people. I definitely want to do some research and learn a lot more about these mysterious lines in the Nazca Desert in Peru, how they were discovered, how archeologists are learning more about them, and also do research on grave robbers who are making researching the lines extremely difficult for archeologists.
ReplyDelete-Noemi Guerra
Jose Garcia
ReplyDeleteThe freedom of choice is one of the most important things we have as a democracy. It is the one thing that no one can take away from us, but somehow people always try to take it away. The government wants to issue a new law that says that schools have to provide healthy choices and get rid of the “fatty” foods in the lunch rooms. This is a horrible thing, people need their right to choose what they want, and taking away someone’s choice for lunch is a big deal. When you get out of class all you want to do is eat something that tastes good, and on top of that, after them telling you what to do all day in school now they tell you what to eat as well. I want to know can they really do this. Can they take away my freedom to choose French fries over carrots? If so, is this the extent of what they can do, can this become a landslide of government intervention that people just don’t want. I want to learn has this happened before, is there a precedent, has this happened in another issue of bigger proportion. Most of all will they take away my option of fried food?
I would like to learn about events that happened in history and how they really took place. There are many different theories as to what happened in the Watergate scandal and the real reason why President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and other controversial incidents similar to those. I honestly do not like learning about history though I do know the essentials of what took place in the past. My community would be students who have not enjoyed learning history and that want to know the truth about certain incidents. I want to read about the different theories of what really happens in the government behind closed doors because we know that what information is released to the public might not necessarily be accurate. It interests me to know the truth than to just be blinded with what the man wants you to think
ReplyDelete--Gabriela Guardiola
It's natural for people to eat and we are free to choose what we eat. Unfortunately, I think the obesity epidemic in children is getting out of control. My question is how did fast food chains really start and become pretty much second nature to eat at for everyone in America and worldwide. But I also want to know why today young children are severely overweight than children in the 1940's and on. Everyone assumes that children are fat because of the fast food fad but I don't believe that is entirety true, there must be more to it that than just the fast foods they eat. I am interested in that discovery topic because I am also interested in the health field of nutrition. So I want to discover the dawn of the fast food chains and how it ties in with the obesity epidemic.
ReplyDeleteWas the United States really involved in 9/11? It is a shame to ask this question. Hundreds of innocent people died that dreadful day. It is wrong to say that our own government planned this attack for their own benefit. These people did not deserve to die. They were just going to work
ReplyDeletelike any other day. They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It has been almost a decade since the attacks on the World Trade Center. No one is really sure what really happened on that morning. There has been a commission report that has been released about the incident but there are still many non-believers out there. How is it now that the media isn’t talking about
this situation? There are many American people that care for this country that deserve to know
the actual solution. We have the rights and liberties to know what the truth is. Every time that the news is on, there are always talks about the Iraq War. This war has been going on since eight years ago. Why are we not talking about 9/11 but we can talk about the war? There are many conspiracies out there about the government being involved in the murders of hundreds of people. Some say that explosives were planted on the towers and were detonated right before the plane hit. Also, there are speculations that the United States did this to purposely go to war with Iraq to acquire oil. People will keep searching the answer because somewhere out there is the truth.
- Frank Nunez
Technology has a way of entering into every part of our lives. Advancements in science have thrown us into a new age of discovery. The area of technology that I’m particularly interested in is alternative energy sources. To be a bit more specific, I’m talking about the tools available to people so that they can comfortably ‘live off the grid.’ I’m really concerned about this because I’ve always been interested in moving into the country and living off the land. My ultimate goal in life is to build my home on my property and be able to power my home with electricity coming into the house for free from the sun, wind or wherever. Popular energy collection systems that I know little about are for solar and wind power. With so many new inventions, I’d like to know where the current technology is at, and what will come next. First, I will research into the solar and wind power, then I hope to discover more alternative sources of energy.
ReplyDelete-Victor Zayas
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ReplyDeleteFor my discovery essay I want to learn about the world's current standing on nuclear war. Why is the world currently in danger of a nuclear war? Which countries are housing the most nuclear threats? What can be done to prevent a nuclear war from happening? These are just a few questions that come to my mind on the subject; they can all also branch more questions from each other. My community is subjected towards the world but i would like to focus my point towards young adults. The age group i would be looking to impact would be high school students ranging from freshmen to seniors. I chose this community because not many high students try to learn about world wide topics such as nuclear war. I hope that by writing this discovery essay on nuclear war i can open both my eyes and they eyes of young adults to how bad the situation in the world truly is.
ReplyDelete-Christopher Barroso
I would like to discover the effect that scientific theories, like the big bang or evolution, have on the religions of the world. Is science causing people to become more or less spiritual? can the two coexsist peacefully and compliment eachother? All human beings seek to know where man came from and why. Each individual follows their own path in answering this question. I want to discover, from a strictly objective perspective the different relationships the two can form. I also want to find out where the world stands on the subject in general.
ReplyDelete-Anne Benolkin
What I want to ask first is: Why is it that many adopted people don't want to search for their birthparents? This topic interests me because I have a cousin that is adopted and she has no intent (so far) in finding out who her birthparents are. I have also heard of many adopted people who do not wish to look for their birthparents and so I wanted to find out what the main cause (or causes) is for them not to be interested in finding out their birthparents. I hope to learn about the lives that adopted people live emotionally and how knowing that they are adopted may shift their emotional feelings in some subjects that involve the family. I also want to learn how adopted people either accept or disagree with their birthparents initial act of giving them up for adoption. The community that I am refering to would involve people who are adopted, the adoptive parents and birth parents of the adopted person, as well as couples who are willing to adopt. I hope to cover many questions concerning this topic such as how to look for birthparents, how birthparents will react, how old the adopted person was when adopted, etc.
ReplyDeleteEneida Pinon
Americans consume thousands of pounds of meat per day. Restaurants and households purchase meat to satisfy everyday needs and wants. No matter where you go, whether it is McDonalds or Fresh Foods at FIU, you will find people eating a variety of meats such as chicken, turkey, and beef. We chomp and devour our food with little knowledge of where it comes from and how it is processed. FIU allowed me to realize the cruelty that comes hand in hand with the livestock that serve us as food. As I was walking through the FIU campus I was handed a pamphlet with pictures on the cover. At first I did not pay much attention but once I realized the pictures were of caged livestock, I opened the pamphlet and read about the animals that are slaughtered to provide us with food. I knew that slaughterhouses existed and that animal cruelty was bad, but I did not know to what extent. I decided to read the pamphlet to pursue the question, How are farm animals treated in slaughterhouses? The pamphlet, which was made by Vegan Outreach, an animal rights organization, would give me the first insights on the abuse performed on farm animals.
ReplyDeletefor my discovery essay i am interested in 2 topics. my first topic is random drug testing of high school athletes. for years the states have been trying to test high school athletes for performance enhancing drugs. my question is how to states choose which players to test, what is the effectiveness of the tests, if there is any way around it, and what ae the consequences for the athlete. the community i will focus on is south florida.
ReplyDeletemy second topic is the human brain. i have always been intrigues with the way the brain works. my question is what goes on in the brain of a serial killer that makes them do what they do. i hope to further understand the criminal mind and why they find joy in tormenting others while people such as myself find it horrible.
Jonathan Davalos
In this essay i will identify myself with the Christian community. I want to know why some people of the christian faith believe that women cannot be pastors who or why they should not undertake the headship role in a marriage . I want to know why we refer to God as "he" instead of "she" and why God can't be neither, since technically God is not a human.I want to know why God chose a man named Jesus to be crucified for the sake of mankind, instead of a woman to die for our sins. I am not going to question the motives of my faith , because i know what they are, but rather what is the reasoning behind these exsisting roles for women and men and how they can be applied in a secular world, if possible.
ReplyDelete- Nubia Palma
Faith is an extremely powerful thing, and as such, the driving force behind many of the ways people interact with each other. Throughout history, faith in a specific religious or political system has been associated with self-discipline, philanthropy and personal well-being. But there is also a darker side to these teachings. Since the times of the crusades and even centuries before, faith has been used as an excuse for violence, as a scapegoat for doing harm in the name of righteousness. In this essay I want to explore how and why different systems encourage violence towards specific groups.
ReplyDelete-Julio C. Saiz
There are many people in the world who believe that marijuana is not a harmful substance at all, while others believe that it is the most harmful substance on the planet. Many of my friends smoke marijuana, and they advocate that it is not harmful for you in any way. So why, then, is marijuana illegal while tobacco and alcohol are completely legal and are responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people each year. I want to discover the true facts about marijuana and whether or not it is as harmful (or safe) as people say it really is.
ReplyDelete-Robert Connell
For my discovery essay I would like to research, the correlation between video games and violence, many people are always first to blame video games for crimes commited by teens and children. And from that stems many questions, for example do video games cause violence? or even another view could be, can video games enhance a person knowledge. What effects come from playing violent video games? These are questions that constantly being asked. And for this I chose violent video games as the topic for my essay.
ReplyDelete-Adam Merida
The question I want to address in my discovery essay deals with the education of the United States. The United States is one of the most if not the most prosperous countries in the world, not only that but the third largest nation in the world; population wise. As I grew up I always heard the statement by teachers and those older than me that our education is collapsing and students getting "dumber". Of course this always concerned me because I am one of those students that are considered "dumb" or whose education is nothing compared to past generations or other countries. So my question is, is our country's education truly collapsing? Are our children dumber than that of other countries? And if so, what are the things that are taken into consideration when comparing our students and education to that of other countries? The audience that I'll be aiming towards is young adults and high school students. I think it is important to be aware of this situation in which other countries believe our students to be "dumber" and our education system to be insufficient.
ReplyDelete-Alexander Dominguez
So my curiosity of the Ouija board started when a couple of my close friends began planning on a day to experiment this supposedly possessed game board. Like them, i was very curious about the truth behind this spiritual toy. Typically, we often don't think about or might not even believe that there is a darker side of the world that is not quite visible to us. This dark dimension is what i believe is the world of spirits and ghosts. And so my question starts, Can we call these sprits through the simple purchase of a Ouija board? And are these stories really true? Unfortunately, i am not able to answer that upon my own experience because i have none. But from what happened that night at the "Ouija Getty", my friends had experienced something out of the ordinary. A night in which they happen to get a glimpse of the "dark side". A night i missed out on, but one that added to my list of questions. And that, i hope to cover through this discovery essay.
ReplyDelete-Dania
i have always been interested in how people think, why people do things, and what goes on in one's mind. Many psychologists that i have talked to have told me that a criminal's mind is the most interesting, simply for the fact that they do not think like the average human. By asking what goes on in a criminals mind, i hope to learn why they do such horrible things. I believe that this would be interesting to most people because whenever one hears of a crime, they always ask "what were they thinking?" or "why would they do that?" I plan to find the answers to these questions and more through this discovery essay.
ReplyDelete-Mariano
Last summer I began watching the popular MTV series “16 and Pregnant.” The episodes displayed how the lives of six young girls were drastically and rapidly changing since they discovered they were pregnant. Each girl had a different story to tell. Some were captivating and inspiring, while others were quite disturbing. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching every show. As the season came to an end, there were commercials promising more of the mothers on a new MTV series called “Teen Mom.” All this talk about sex, abstinence, pregnancy and babies got me thinking a lot about how these girls were raised. I wondered if they ever paid attention in school when Sex Education was taught, or if their school even offered this form of education. Maybe their schools only taught them about abstinence so they didn’t know about safer ways to engage in sex. If they had known, could they have prevented their current situation from happening? These shows motivated me a lot. They’ve taught me to be extra careful. Mostly, they’ve got me asking a lot of questions. So, my decided question to research is which is more effective to teach: safe sex or abstinence? Both are crucial for teens to know about, but which do they really benefit from. Many people have different views on this topic, so I know I’ll get a lot of feedback and information on this topic.
ReplyDelete^^^ Megan Hill ^^^
ReplyDeleteForgot to sign my name at the bottom!
"He's got the ball, he's running for it, almost there, almost there, he did it!" Everyone- that was betting on the Saints, of course- whether at home, a bar, or at the stadium, at that moment started cheering their lungs out. "Tracy Porter, you just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?" "I'm going to Disney Land!" This is perhaps the biggest moment of the year for football fans all over America. All the hype people have built on the Super Bowl over the years has always amazed me; people center their lives on this one night of football. For weeks, everywhere you go there are Saints and Colts balloons, jerseys, hats, even food! This has led me to ask myself, why are sports so important? Our society today puts more importance on the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series, etc than anything else.
ReplyDeleteAna Gonzalez
For this essay, I will be discovering the effects of working while attending college as an undergraduate student. Does working part time have a negative or positive effect on a student’s school work? Should students be juggling a job and school work? If not, what are the alternatives for students who work to pay for classes? How available is financial aid for students? Over all I want to explore the benefits and downsides of working and attending college. This is something that I can relate to as it pertains to a community that I belong to (undergraduate college students).
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Jimenez
For my discovery essay, I have decided to research music therapy. My question is, how does music therapy work? While thinking of this, other questions began to pop up: what exactly are the healing powers of music? Why do people choose to undergo music therapy? Is it really a newfound scientific discovery, or has it existed since man discovered how to make fire? This topic interested me because I was looking at a documentary one night, based on how MT helped children in a certain hospital. Also, I had a friend whose autistic cousin underwent music therapy, and improved greatly.I hope to answer my questions, and find out more info on this topic as I explore music therapy.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment was made by Samera Nath.
ReplyDeleteMy topic is about the over fishing taking place worldwide. More specifically in bluefin tuna. I will try to discover and understand why it is happening and how to help the situation. Japan is the country mostly responsible, but is it because they need this destructive industry to continue to survive or simply because it is a very profitable market?
ReplyDeleteFor my essay I wanted to research genetically engineered foods. I want to know, how they are made, how they affect our economy, and most importantly how do they affect our health? I've heard that this new science allows for scientists to insert good traits into our foods and eliminate the bad ones. Although this does sound as though the food is being made to perfection are there any downfalls? Could taking out bad traits in foods in turn cause the food itself to be bad? Some bad traits in anything are necessary for something to functoin. For example humans and bacteria sometimes we need bacteria in order to funciton for example our intestines have bacteria. Questions like these are the ones that I hope to answer in my essay.
ReplyDelete-Karla Olivas
What has always fascinated me is science fiction. The imaginations of the people who are involved in the community are so interesting. The science fiction society created epics such as star wars, star trek, battle star glatica, etc. All of those shows/movies turned into obsessions by its fans and even the new generations are following on the same footsteps. Even the gaming industry is full of science fiction marvels such as the games halo and gears of war. Those two games have made history on the Xbox and the story line and concept is so solid that I wonder if the people who come up with the ideas are geniuses. I always wanted to know how sci-fi came about. Its origins and how it transformed society and expanded the imagination of millions. If there was no sci-fi, the world would be one boring place. Epic space battles, super soldiers and alien races bent on annihilating mankind makes life much more interesting even though its only a figment of one’s imagination but now a day’s who doesn't imagine. I want to know how the science fiction community has influenced other community such as anime and the fantasy world. I’ve seen many anime's such as Gundam, full metal alchemist, and etc. those shows have science fiction elements in them and are Japanese created cartoons, and by the way I consider Japanese people Gods in science fiction because they create some amazing stuff. Even the fantasy world has sci-fi elements, such as mass effect or the final fantasy series; they are fantasy based but have sci-fi elements in them two. In the end I want to see how the science fiction community has evolved and contributed to the world.
ReplyDelete- Danesh "Gio" Ahmad
my essay first question is, "why is marijuana still illegal even though there are so many good uses for it?" through the years ive tried to research different subject about marijuana but ive never really looked at why it was outlawed in the first place. ive asked a couple of people over the years and no one can ever give me the right answer so i want to find why it was outlawed and hopefully that will lead to other questions
ReplyDelete-Elias Daldi
My discovery essay is going to be based on the subject of breast cancer. My interest in this topic branched just from being a female and the curiosity of such a common diagnosis among women around the world. Throughout this discovery essay and my research I hope to learn more in depth about breast cancer and what consists of it. I also hope to learn statistics and read up on some more facts pertaining to breast cancer. I want to explore survivors of breast cancer, and maybe meet someone who has had the trouble of dealing with breast cancer, yet overcoming it and currently healthy today. I think this topic will be beneficial to me as a young female, as well as beneficial to the audience that reads my essay. I hope to have fun with it, and learn alot!
ReplyDeleteMost countries have national holidays remembering the revolutions or wars that permitted for the overthrow of certain governments or simply led to a nations freedom. Presently in Colombia there is a revolution that has lasted for more than 40 years claiming to be “fighting for the people and getting rid of an oppressive oligarchy that is in control,” this revolution is led by multiple guerillas, mainly led by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), all supporting a political overthrow and installing a socialist system. Now, any person is entitled to have their own political views and pursuing their interests, but where does one draw the line between the pursuit of a political goal and unnecessary violence? Does this “heroic mission” justify the killing of innocent people? Does it justify kidnapping? Does it justify the use of drug trafficking? All in all the purpose of this essay is to deeply research the ideology of the FARC and if in the end their goal justifies their actions.
ReplyDeleteJohn Mejia
When I was young I was never really exposed to smoking except for the occassional outing when the waitress asked, "smoking or non smoking?" but as I got older smoking seemed to become a bigger issue than I thought. I go out with my friends and we are having a great time until one of them pulls out a cigarette. My eyes begin to water and my nose begins to run at the mere idea of a cigarette so I have grown to loathe the act of smoking and its corresponding smell. They know it bothers me and they try not to smoke while I am around. But I have come to realize that they don’t smoke near me because they know it bothers me but rather because they don’t want to hear my lectures about the dangers of smoking. This revelation led me to realize that I really don’t know the full effects smoking has on a person. Therefore I wanted to explore the effects and addictions smoking has on individuals. But because I want my information to be more directed towards my friends, I want to take my research one step further and see the effects on teens.
ReplyDelete-Tiffany Lyon
Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain standing at 29,035 feet, is located on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, and is believed home to the world renowned, and much feared creature known as the “Yeti”. My essay aims to explore the beliefs and myths evident amongst local Tibetan villagers, and pieces of evidence provided by countless voyagers who have undertaken the dangerous mission of uncovering the legendary monster. I was first exposed to the Yeti in a children’s book depicting significant places of the world. Through research I hope to discover my opinion on its existence. The thought of a giant, historic ape-man roaming at such high altitudes intrigues me as does the thought of living in a world complete with mysterious and eerie life aside from humans, plants and animals. Is there only one remaining ape-man, and why is it that thousands live in terror of its wrath?
ReplyDelete-Azmeh Khan
President Obama boldly declared “we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or Muslim nation” but a “nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” Many conservatives were outraged at such a statement, while their liberal counterparts agree wholeheartedly. This statement got me thinking, how accurate was the President in his declaration? How did the familiar “separation of church and state” actually come to be? More specifically, was the United States founded as a “Christian” nation? If so, does it continue to be a Christian Nation today? This topic interests me because, well, I like history and I like government. As for religion, it interests me on a historical level because I can’t say I’m much of a believer. However, I’ve always been interested on people’s actions throughout history because of religious beliefs. The delicate balance between church and state is something most people do not think about on a daily basis, but if you look back, it was the reason for many disputes throughout history. The answers to these questions are what I hope to discover throughout this essay.
ReplyDelete-beatriz carricaburu
Every year we see the covers of magazines, billboards, storefronts, and the runways showing what is “in” for this season’s fashion. Everything from color, cut, fabric, prints, and even an over all themes are presented to us. But who chooses what we see and if we want to see it? Are they positive that we want to see a nautical theme with blues oranges and yellows as the predominant colors? In my paper I will be looking for, primarily, what determines a trend, who chooses what gets sent to the fashion houses and how does one become one of the few trend watchers the world has.
ReplyDelete-andres villazon
Many people believe they are intelligent. However, my question is how do people really rate how intellegent a person really is? One may be knowledge than another person in books but the other may be "smarter" in the real world or "street smart" as people like to refer to. Why do people judge your intellegence on the social class one falls in? A once educated individual could have lost all of his fortunes and fallen into hands of poverty. We will look down to this person and not even consider his opinion even though he may have more knowledge than me or you possess. Common sense to one person may be a totally new revelation to another. Is there really a way to classify if you are intelligent or not? Some people take IQ test but how does that reflect life situations. The FCAT or the SAT also fail to tell the true intelligence of an individual. So many factors can play into the result of the exam such as anxiety, nervousness, pressure, or not enough sleep.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the legalization of marijuana is the most overplayed topic in highschool and college by far. Of course I have my opinions on it, who doesn't? The thing is, I know what marijuana does to a person and I see why it has become an illegal substance. On the other hand, I practically know nothing about psilocin, or psychedelic mushrooms. The only predestined information I have about them is that they grow from the ground and they are a hallucinoginic drug. But what makes them illegal? Is it because they are hallucinogenic? Do they cause long term or short term harm to the body? If native americans used them for religious practices, why are they considered a danger now?
ReplyDelete-Javier Perez
For my discovery essay I decided to research psychedelic therapy. I decided on this topic because one of my friends was having a conversation about it and honestly I had never heard of it nor did I understand how it worked or where it came from. Throughout my research I will be asking should it be allowed? Is the process safe? Is the process worth legalizing certain drugs for medical use? Which drugs are used for which conditions? How and where it started? And how the therapy benefits the patients? I hope to not only find the answers to my questions but also understand the process itself. I want to learn if psychedelic therapy can help more conditions then the conditions it has traditionally been used for. I also want to learn what the effects of this therapy are physically, mentally, and emotionally. There are many communities involved in this research since it involves various conditions and is practiced all over the world. By practicing it in different parts of the world I also want to learn if there are differences in how the cultures practice it and where it originated.
ReplyDelete--Michelle Hernandez
With the economy in a full force downward spiral, most working citizens are concerned with the recent increase in job cuts and decrease in employment hiring. In order to remain appealing to their current or prospect employers, some Americans are seeking degrees, or in some cases attending graduate school to receive a higher education. Although we have had multiple recessions in the past, this recent recessions is especially unique to the lawyer population of the country. Typically, when a recession occurs, lawyers are not affected directly. So what makes this recession so different for previous recessions? Why would, and how does it have a direct impact on the law community?
ReplyDelete--Stephanie Padron
Throughout or lives we have always resorted to meidcations as a quick fix for the slightest heache or sinus. Over time, we have been trained by our elders to take medicine when we felt the slightest sign of illness. However, is this dependence on medication a bad thing? It it possible that our reliance on medicines could affect us physically and psychologically? Does our constant use of medication hinder the ability of our body to perform regular functions naturally? In this essay, I would like to discover if our dependence on medication is a hazard to our health and if we have, in fact, been so trained to use them that we don't allow our bodies to remove the disease naturally. Have we been compelled by pharmaceutical companies to purchase medicines for everything?
ReplyDelete--Melissa Montero
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ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about several important topics to explore and i have had difficulties making up my mind. Each question has lead me to a another question and so on . Animal testing is my elected subject , I think its going to be a great matter to investigate about my research is going to be focused on how animal Dna manipulation or testing has been positive or negative for human health ? What have we accomplished untill now after all these years, is it ethical? These are the questions i want to answer with my discovery essay.
ReplyDelete-Jhonander Camargo-
For as long as human beings have lived and died the concept of immortality, whether physical or spiritual, remains an object of desire and fascination. We fashioned religion, undertook studies in the sciences, and developed the most advanced technologies humanity has ever seen in order to find the cure, or the ultimate solution, for the process of aging and natural death.
ReplyDeleteWhether it be in stories or movies, I have always been fascinated by immortality. But, what truly pushed me to learn more about the subject was a program on t.v. that discussed and explained various scientific breakthroughs and research that could potentially lead to mankind achieving immortality.
What I hope to learn/achieve/discover through my research is a better understanding of the research and developments I saw on that program and then some. I want to explore what the possible effects it will have on humanity and the earth in general; what are some of the inevitable changes something like immortality, or at least a radical increase in human longevity, will bring about? I hope that by delving into this community that seeks, criticizes, and is fascinated by immortality, I will determine my own perspective on life and, perhaps, even death, and thereby better understand the whole host of philosophical, ethical, religious, and medical problems/issues pertaining to the subject.
Timothy Zhang
Is it really possible for a human being to not be able to love someone on a romantic level? Can a person actually live a long and prosperous life without having someone else there to count and depend on? Questions like these are the ones that come into my mind when I realize that a potential guy doesn’t meet my expectations and the phrase “he is just not for me,” starts to come out of my mouth. Throughout my life I’ve witnessed people fall in and out of relationships, don’t get me wrong I’ve been in a couple myself, but none have come close to that overwhelming feeling of care and devotion I believe someone should have when they sincerely love someone else. I believe the greatest downfall of my expectations in a relationship come from comparing it to those I see on TV and even that undeniable, unconditional love I heard my grandparents shared, the ones that make me believe that what I have might not be at its best potential- it could always be better. Is it possible to “blame” my downfall to outside sources like comparing my relationship to other timeless relationships or could there be a deeper meaning to it- could I just be incapable of loving someone else? Are there other people out there that feel that “love” might just be hopeless because of unfortunate experiences? I’m trying to see if some people are programmed differently, perhaps the areas of the brain that respond to the emotions associated with love are not affected, and anything else that can affect someone’s emotions.
ReplyDeleteKristen Moller
I am discovering scientific innovations brought about by Nazi Germany's human "experiments" during the 1930s and 1940s. Gustavo is right in his blog above, it is almost common knowledge at this point that Nazis killed over 6 million jews, and many have heard that German doctors carried out experiments on and tortured many thousands of Jews, but I began to wonder what medical advancements came from the demise of so many. What was gained from such terrible and gruesome experiments performed on such a large scale. This question quickly becomes an ethical dilemma and gives way to a much more significant question.....Can scientific data that is collected in an unethical manner be viewed as "valid" scientific data?
ReplyDelete-James Dean
The topic of most intrigue to me at the moment would be that of the land of Israel, and whether or not it is truly an inheritance to the hebrew people. For centuries this topic has been the cause of many quarrels and wars between Hebrews and Arabs- who claim it is they who have a right to the coveted land. Some Muslim Arabs even claim that the supercession of Israel's right to the land by Arabs is alluded to in the torah. Supposedly, this supercession was indirectly decreed by Moses, being ispired by God, when he allegedly warned the Israelites of the coming prophet Mohhamed. Apart from theology, Muslim Arabs also attempt to use historical events that suggests that today's jews do not have a right to the land at all. Thus begins my research.
ReplyDelete--Giancarlo Guerrero-Lokhem
Everyday we hear about equality, including equal rights for individuals of different race, gender,and sexual preferances. After watching numerous documentaries of transgender individuals in the middle east, many questions have crossed my mind. These intersex individuals are most often referred to as hijra. In the country of Pakistan, they are now recognized as a third gender. This is a huge step for this communtiy because this will help them merge into the everyday world, and not keep them solely as freaks and outcasts. But will this third gender ever fully be accepted by society? Will other countries such as the United States and Europe adopt there ways and include a third gender in things such as ballots and questionares? After all if a traditional country such as Ppakistan can have an official third gender, why cant same-sex marriage be legalized? Overall this is a changing world. As our views change, the rules change to satisfy everyone and their way of life.
ReplyDeleteDanae Powell
With all the different kinds of brands and foods that the U.S. has sitting down waiting to be bought in supermarkets, such as Publix and Sedanos I wonder how it all works. From where does the U.S. get so much food from? With so many people buying food why are supermarkets never "sold out?" I also want to investigate which companies or corporations if any, control if we eat foods with or without steroids and other things that other places don't have such as France.
ReplyDeleteMy essay is about the drug culture and the effects on the mind body and spirit. My topic will not only be limited to legit medical uses but also to experimentation of the general public. I wish to see how LSD, DMT, Slavia Divinorum, MDMA, Cannabis Sativa and other psychedelics affect not only the "normal" mind but also the creative the abnormal minds(i.e. psychizophrenics.)
ReplyDelete-Maria Serrano-
Technology has enabled film makers to do the impossible in modern day motion pictures. Cities are destroyed by a hostile alien race, dinosaurs roam the earth with humans, and earth is obliterated by a massive asteroid. The impossible has truly been made into a reality in the field of movie making thanks to the advancements of special effects technology over the course of time. But like a portrait of the Mona Lisa, the special effects in a movie are works of art that need to be appreciated and most people simply observe these works of art without considering how the special effects were created. How many times have you watched a movie and witnessed a scene where the special effects are mind blowing but you did not take the time after the movie to think about how these special effects were created? I know I am a culprit of this whenever I see something like an entire planet getting destroyed in a movie. I might not appreciate a work of art like painting enough for me to find out how it was created from scratch, but I am an avid movie-goer that wants to discover how the special effects of a movie are created and how much they have advanced since they were first used in movies.
ReplyDelete-Daniel Montenegro
For my discovery essay i want to understand why people are so quick to accept ecerything they are told. NO longer do people, especially youth, go searching for answers and delve into facts to make an opinion for themselves; they are now satisfied to take on someone elses opinion without question- as long as they are an authority figure. If this country was built on the foundation of freedom and freedom to have your own opinion and fight for what you believe, how have we changed so much as a society that we give up that freedom so easily. If a student hears a teacher say something, they automatically take it for the truth and are so conviced that they are willing to fight and argue, even though they dont know what they are fighting for, typically. Why is it that we give so much credibility to people because of their status, and why do we not search for our own answers?
ReplyDeleteAltagrace
ReplyDeleteQuestion: At what point did conservatism begin to decline in popularity, and what are the factors responsible for this?
This question is of particular importance for me because I have been noticing that with each successive administration (presidential), less of the American (and even international) population is supporting and/or voting for conservatives (Republicans). My goal is to identify the reasons behind this trend, to discuss the pros and cons associated with conservatism and its liberal couterpart, as well as to discuss (in detail) the typically social issues instigating the decline in conservative support and what may be done to change this.
In America there has been a rapid decline in the population of people following the christian faith. In 1990 86% of Americans identified themselves as christians, in 2008 the number dropped to 76%. Upon stumbling on these statistics my initial question was, what caused the decline in the population? Could it be another growing world religion, a change in worldview, or perhaps a shift in the core cultural values of Americans. Or is it that christianity is an abstract and not a concrete objective faith? These things lead me to the big question that I intend to find an answer to, what is christianity truly about.
ReplyDeleteFor this essay I’d like to explore religion on first a personal and then a universal level.
ReplyDeleteBoth my parents were raised in strict Catholic households, but for the most part they did not raise me the same way. I can remember going to the same church in North Miami for a good eight years of my life, but then everything changed in the third grade when my family moved to Coconut Grove. We spent many weekends trying out different churches in the area, some of which were not even Catholic, and in the process I was exposed to all different branches of Christianity. As a youngster, it got me thinking: Do the small differences that separate us matter at all? The church I the most vivid memory was a non-denominational church named Unity on the Bay. It was the first time I can remember looking forward to going mass every Sunday; not just for the free donuts outside the chapel, but because I genuinely enjoyed learning about my faith. At the time I didn’t make sense to me that Christians of all backgrounds (and sometimes even Jews and Muslims) could worship together like that. Unfortunately that didn’t last long. W ended up moving again, this time to Broward County, and we returned to parents’ religious roots, settling on a traditional Roman Catholic church named St.Edward’s. I started going to mass because I felt like I had to, but after a while I realized that if my heart’s not in it, then I may as well explore other faiths that interest me.
So I guess my initial question might be, “Can exploring other religions really make me stronger in my faith?” For this assignment, I plan actually experimenting with other branches of Christianity to find what it was that attracted me to Unity on the Bay and try to recapture that (and maybe bring some of that back to St.Edward’s?). I’d also like to apply what I learn to some global problems, like how people from various religious backgrounds can coexist. Is the solution as it simple as it seems? And if the solution is so simple, why is religion the reason for so much conflict in the world?
-Dominique Benjamin
ReplyDeleteMy discovery essay question is how is food distributed across America? How do we distribute it across the world? How does the food not spoil? Why doesn't ice cream melt on its way to the super market? Why do some people say don't buy from a supermarket? What's the big deal about farmers markets? Since supermarkets are basically a large convenience store, does that reflect on our fast paced society?
ReplyDeleteThis is the base of my essay. I compiled this list of questions in which I plan to answer each one, in order, in my essay. I hope to learn about food technology and how it has evolved and affected the American household. I’m exploring the community of people who shop for food products at supermarkets or farmer’s markets. This topic interested me because I heard that farmer’s markets are healthier but the food spoils fast but supermarkets are everywhere and have all kinds of variety that farmer’s markets don’t have.
-- Betty Hernandez
Think of all the music you listen to in certain moments of your life. When your trying to relax, when you want to get pumped up, or maybe when you are studying and want to tune everything else out. Music affects people and whether you notice it or not it changes people mental views on things like can make the day better or worse for someone. I want to understand the details on music affecting people and how that music can be used to help people do better on tasks that might otherwise be more difficult or if just to at least relax people from the everyday grind
ReplyDeleteCarlos Donado
Commercialism, defined as “excessive emphasis on profit” is often looked down upon in the music industry. However, as some individuals often claim certain artists/producers as “commercial” adequately drawing a line between commercial and non-commercial music is difficult. Thus raising the question as to what commercialism in the Music Industry is. Is it purely a subjective and biased label or are there artists that have turned their music career into a profit-centered business? This essay will hopefully help me discover what commercialism in the music industry is, and the issues raised in modern day music.
ReplyDeleteJenny Garcia
I must restate my question due to the fact that I realized that Japan isn't the powerhouse of the bluefin fishing industry but simply 1 of many.
ReplyDelete