Data Driven Research Topic

I have decided to do my data driven researcher project on learn about culture through travel. My research question will be "What does literature tell us about traveling to countries to learn more about cultures in different parts of the world?" This topic interests me because I have traveled to many different places before and have learned about the different cultures in the areas I have traveled to. I want to see if traveling to a country is the best way to learn about their culture.

3 Potential Research Topics

My Possible Research Topics
1) What does data tell you about increasing attendance at Hockey games?
2)How does literature reveal the evolution of mega yachts getting us to where we are today?
3) What does literature tell us about traveling to countries to learn more about cultures in different parts of the world?

Article Bias Assignment

In the article "Why Should We Not Have The Death Penalty" by author Unknown it explains the good and the bad of haven't the death penalty. The author later argues the death penalty should not be eliminated from the justice system. During the article he demonstrates many different forms of bias throughout the article. I chose Observation Selection bias and Stereotyping as two strongly enforced bias shown in this article. There are many other examples of bias but these are most commonly used in the article.
   Observation selection bias is one example he uses in the article. This is the effect of suddenly noticing things that were not noticed previously and as a result wrongly assuming that the frequency has increased. He uses this went describing innocent people who have been sentenced to death. He supports the death penalty because so many cruel, guilty people have been put have been put to death by it. He also noticed that the number of innocent people being put to death has increased after doing research. This is an example of Observation selection bias, that number did not increase innocent people have been killed for as long a history goes back. He just never realized that after seeing how large those numbers really are.
Stereotyping is another form of bias used in the article. The author concludes the article with examples of people being put to death because of their race. He says in a white jury or mostly white jury a man of different race will more likely be put to death then a white man. I believe this is an example of stereotyping because I do not think that is true in all cases these days. Racism is not as big a problem as it was further back in history. I think most people have the right idea about racism and I does not impact the justice system as much a described in the article. Therefore, stereotyping is a bias used in this article to support the authors argument.
In the article "Why Should We Not Have The Death Penalty" the good and bad result of the death penalty are portrayed. We also saw a variety of example of different bias shown in the article supporting the author point of view. Observation selection bias and Stereotyping are just a few demonstrated in the article.

The Real George Reese (Profile a Peer)

       George Reese, a senior at Norton High School and a caption of the Lancer's Football team, is a character I was happy to sit down with and learn more about.

       George is a friendly guy who can relate to almost anyone. For example, he has broken his ankle before and still lives to tell the story of how the trainer made him walk back to the school with a broken ankle, but that's a story for him to tell. He also favors the movie "Stepbrothers" because "of the relevance in the movie." He enjoys traveling as he has been to Mexico before and he says he prefers the city because your life is all in one place. He is an honest guy who admits he eats too much fast food and likes all music except country.
       One thing you need to know is that Mr. George Reese loves football. When I asked him if he likes sports, he simply corrected and said he loves sports. So his follow up answer to what sport do you like the most was no surprise coming from Norton's captain when he explained, "Football, it is the greatest sport on earth." Nothing else had to be said to feel this young man's passion for the game, which explains his die-hard fandom for the Philadelphia Eagles. When I asked him, "If you were to die in a week and had $1,000,000, what would you do?" He simply replied, "I would go to Phily and watch the Eagles play!" This was another example of George's love for the game and his team.
        Some things you might not know about George is his dream job is to be a teacher/football coach. This shocked me but it showed his drive to do what makes him happy and successful. Also, George has a very kind personality and it is shown when he answer my question, "If you won a billion dollars right now, what is the first thing you would buy?" He very calmly answered, "Turf Fields for Norton High School." Of course like any human being he wanted it named after him and I believe that shows another side of him and how he can relate to others. He also answered my question, "Do you want to get married someday?" with a every common answer, "Do I want to...no. Will I...probably." This shows his attitude compared to everyone and how similar it is.
       After talking with George, he appears to me as a person who is satisfied with his situation and strives to make every day just a little bit better for everyone around him. Therefore, he is someone I can see many people looking up to as a leader and as a friend.

Mr. Kefor Questions

A.) I believe incentives strongly govern peoples behavior. Not just in school or work but in life everyday. If there is an incentive to get something done I think it will get done productively. This is possible because when people have a driving force, whether its a raise, someone pushing you or pure joy and the feeling of accomplishment they have a reason to continue and get things done.                             In my opinion the best incentive varies for every individual. For most people money is a huge incentive, but others might think of other peoples before themselves and motivate themselves just based off other peoples satisfaction and pure joy. Sadly not many people think like that so money would be the best incentive. It also depends on the environment. Not many people would volunteer there time for others in a work atmosphere. If it is for the community hopefully you could find more people volunteering there time.
B.) An aesthetic experience I have gone through is starting for Norton High's Hockey team as an 8th grade. I was extremely nervous going into this game. In warm ups I could not focus for my life. I have played at much higher levels before but for some reason the atmosphere got to me. Once the puck dropped nothing else mattered but stopping the little black thing from going into the net. Within the first minute I had gotten 2 shots both were nice saves. At this point when all my senses came together and I knew I could do it was an amazing moment of my life. Today I am the starting goalie as a freshman and  I am more ready then I have ever been.            

Bucket List (Long Term)

1)      I want to go on a RV road trip. This has always been a dream of mine to ride the California coast in a RV. I would start in Seattle and Finish in Las Vegas. I would go all the way down to LA though.

2)      I have always wanted to go deep sea fishing. I go down the cape ever summer and I always see the boats rolling in and out of the harbor. I just want to hop onto a 38 foot Viking 270 with a tuna tower and just go out for the day.

3)      I need to go onto the end of one of those giant bubbles. I don’t care if I am 97 and on my death bed I am having two huge men jump off the end of a plat form and onto the other end of the bubble so I fly through the air to my grave. I see people do it all the time on TV and in Magazines and I want to do it so bad.

4)      I want to go to Florida and rent a Can/Am Spider Roadster. Then roll around Tampa to Naples to Fort Lauderdale to Miami. I would spend a week in each area and all I would have is a back pack and the motorcycle.

5)      My last Bucket List point is to travel to Australia for a month. I heard it’s like three different worlds in one. I would go to all of it with all my Australian Buddies and travel the outback. Then scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. Then to finish I would chill in the city. 

Bucket List (Short Term)

1)      To begin my bucket list, I need to meet Patrice Bergeron and own a real Bergeron jersey! Patrice Bergeron is my idol. Not just on the ice but of the ice too.   

2)      I want to play varsity soccer in my high school career. I play JV this year and I think making varsity before the end of my senior year is reasonable.   

3)      I want to win an award for the high school hockey team. I played last year as an 8^th grader and I want to stand out this year.

4)      I want to go to Dunkin Donuts and purchase 6 donuts after 3 o’clock and get 6 donuts free, then eat every one of them by myself.

5)      I want custom Nike Roche Runs. I made this nasty pair of Roche Runs on Nike ID and I want them so bad.

6)      I want to get more than two shut outs this season for hockey. I got two last year so I would like to exceed that limit this year.

7)      Get a job! Getting a job is very important so this is a must have for me.

"The Case Against High School Sports" article response

In the article, “The Case Against High-School Sports” by Amanda Ripley, I found the article very interesting, but I strongly disagree with the supported topic. To begin, I believe that high school sports have a positive influence on students. Getting an education is very important, but some of the most valuable lessons in life are taught to us outside of school. For example, in school we do some group work but not enough to really learn how to deal with people and work as a team. I think these skills are as important as a high level education. If you are very smart but can’t associate with others then you will only get so far in life, and you most likely won’t be the happiest and most positive person alive. Don’t get me wrong, an education is a big part of being successful.

To add to that I think Amanda Ripley made some very good points in the article. She mentioned many times that the amount of money spent on sports compared to money spent on the school was an unbelievable ratio. For instance, she found that a “school was spending $328 a student for math instruction and more than four times that much for cheerleading: $1,348 a cheerleader.” This is outrageous in my eyes. I am aware math does not cost that much money but for the amount of money you are spending on cheerleading you put it towards buying an ipad for everyone in the school. Now this sounds impossible but I think doing this is very possible and very effetive. If you took half the money you pay for one sport then you already have enough money for three or four classes worth of ipads in the school system. Therefore, her points here make a strong argument but I still disagree immensely.

           My last point is from a high school athlete himself: me. I personally love high school sports. I was playing high school hockey before I was even in high school. After the one season as an 8th grader, I felt better than everyone else more mature because I experienced something no one else had experienced. I think it had a very positive influence on me. It motivated me to do good in school and work hard. A former Tennessee principal said, "If I could wave a magic wand, I'd have more athletic opportunities for  students, not less. I've seen truancy issues completely turned around once students begin playing sports. When students have a sense of belonging, when they feel tied to the school, they feel more part of the process." I believe that statement summarizes high school sports perfectly. I felt like I was already part of the school before I even started because of the hockey team. 

             The reasons above are why I disagree with the article and I think high school sports are great for all high schools.

Persuasive article with Ethos, Pathos, and Locos
Ethos: "In my opinion I believe cell phones should be allowed, as long as people are responsible."
Some blame the cell phone companies; but all they are doing is selling a product. Others blame irresponsible teens; but why blame them for wanting to talk to their friends? So, who's left, THE PARENTS! Parents need to limit their teen's usage of their cell phones! Limited cell phone plans do exist and need to be introduced more, therefore opening new options for parents and teens."
"In conclusion, cell phones should be allowed in public places. They are very useful in emergencies and can save lives. As long as people know when the right time to use them, there should be no problem. So don't be the guy who ruins everyone's movie by keeping your cell on. Cells need to be used with moderation and responsibility."

Pathos: "You were driving down the highway on a rainy day, when a driver loses control and slams right into you. After you are done spinning out, you reach for your cell phone; with the last amount of energy you have left to call 911.  This simple call could save your life, or someone else. With today's world evolving so fast, new dangers come as well. With that, we need to get help and fast! However not only on the road do we need cell phones."
"We all remember the tragic day, April 20th 1999, the awful Columbine High School Shooting. Two students opened fire on many innocent people that day. Frantic 911 calls were made. Dispatchers and parents were on the line with students using their cell phones to call out for help. Imagine the heart ache if you knew someone dear to you was in danger and you had no way to reach them."

Locos: "In a study published by the AEI-Brookings Joint Center, a team of researchers compared the effects of driving while talking on the phone and driving while drunk. They concluded that drivers that were using cell phones exhibited greater impairment than intoxicated drivers. So yes, cell phones DO pose potential threats. However, Hilary Davis a journalist for The Rocky Mountain College paper says cell phones can save lives."
"Many cell phone customers buy their phones with only emergency use intentions. But what about the kids and teens that use their cell phones to send 300 texts a day? Like a Scottish teen who is in rehab for excessive cell phone use! Another teen sends 345 mobile messages a day! This is what he said about text messages, 'It's kind of comforting when you get one. I like it, it's like a game of ping-pong, as you send one and get one back.'"

Link to Article

My Pet Peeves

Tony's Pet Peeves 
1. "Bruins Fans"- When people clam they are bruins fans just because they won the Stanley Cup. Don't get me wrong I love Bruins fans but if you can't name one player on the team then you are not a fan.

2. "Shooting"- I am the starting goalie for Norton High Schools Hockey team. One thing I hate is when players shoot the puck at the net while they are in line for a drill. Trust me when you get hit in the side of the head during practice it gets kind of annoying. 
3. "SHOTGUN" - Me and my friends have a rule when it comes to shotgun in a car. If you see the car and call it...its yours for the trip. I hate when they just take it even though you called it. 
4. "Commercials" - When you are watching a show and every commercial break is thesame commercials over and over again. 
5. "Know it alls" - People who try to say they know everything when you really know they are wrong half the time.
6. "People who chew with there mouth open" - If you do it I cringe then walk away.     
7. "Sass"- I hate when someone joins a conversation then is sassy about it. Like dude go away if you are going to be like that. 

8. "Whoa is me" - When people insult themselves so you have no choose but to complement them. If you say something bad about yourself them I will most likely agree. 
  

Tony Cerce

In the article, "We Don't Need No Education," author Ben Hewitt conveys his position through literary and rhetorical techniques. To begin, the author uses a form of literature known as repetition. He uses this to get his point across in the article when he states, "This is what I want for my sons: freedom. Not just physical freedom, but intellectual and emotional freedom from the formulaic learning that prevails in our schools. I want for them the freedom to immerse themselves." In this little section, he repeats 'freedom' four times. I think the point he is trying to get across is he wants freedom for his children. Next, he uses a technique that is not so much literary, but more to the point. He uses many statistics that just seem to blow your mind. For example, "More than three million teens leave school annually, a number that makes up about 8% of the nation's 16 to 24 year olds. Drop outs comprise 75% of the state inmates and 59% of those in federal prison." This really says something to me and proves another point. People who are unschooled are still eager to go through the school experience and are unlikely to drop out and be unsuccessful. A more turgid technique is the author wanted to prove something by writing this article. To do this he got the opinions from others who thought like he did. Here's a quote from Peter Gray, "Children are forced to attend school, where they are stripped of their rights. The debate shouldn't be about whether school is prison, because unless you wanted to change the definition of prison, it is. It's like locking a child in a closet." This quote is one that makes me stop and think for a second, and I think that was his goal... to make you think about what you just read and convince you to consider the topic. That's a very good technique so that's why he included it in the article. Finally, Ben Hewitt didn't just use literal and rhetorical techniques to persuade the readers, but he wrote about his passion and showed he was devoted to what he believed in. He says, "I want for them the freedom to be children. And no one can teach them how to do that." I believe that this one quote sums up the whole article and his passion for his children's success. I firmly believe that his passion is his writing was the strongest and most powerful technique he used. To summarize, the author used a variety of techniques and did a very good job conveying his position in this article.