Locating and Using Sources

While researching the efficacy of sex education in public schools, I found an article by Douglas Kirby in the Journal of Sex Research. I determined that this was a credible source by noting the amount of times it has been cited and referenced by other researchers in their respective articles; also, the journal that this article appeared in is a peer-reviewed publication. Furthermore, the experiment was conducted in a thorough, precise manner, leading me to ultimately categorize this article as a scholarly source for my upcoming paper.

Kirby began by detailing the numerous proposed means of deterring adolescent unprotected sex, pregnancy and childbirth. These approaches differ in the amount of information they choose to divulge to the students. Kirby and his associates randomly selected 662 African American students in grades 6 and 7 from 4 public middle schools in low-income communities in the northeastern US. After obtaining consent from a parent or guardian, students were arranged by age and sex and randomly allocated to one of four research groups. The students then observed one of the five following instructional programs: an 8 hour abstinence-only educational program, an 8 hour safer sex-only program, an 8 hour comprehensive program, an 8 hour health-promotion control program, or a 12 hour comprehensive program. These instructional programs were highly structured, with periods for brainstorming, dialogue, debriefing, experiential group activities and skill-building exercises.

Data was collected by a self-report survey before the program interventions, immediately following the educational programs, and students later received 3-, 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-up questionnaires. The questions were all carefully designed so that they were clear and appropriate for their audience.

Ultimately, the experiment demonstrated that abstinence-only intervention reduced sexual activity. Fewer abstinence-only participants than the control participants (no formal sex education) engaged in intercourse. However, abstinence-only education did not affect condom use. The other knowledge-based groups reduced reports of having multiple sexual partners compared to the control group, but no other significant differences between the knowledge group and the control group were found.

Kirby thus acknowledged that abstinence-only interventions may help in preventing adolescent sexual activity, but he warns that these results should not be interpreted to indicate that all abstinence-only sex education programs are effective.

With its mix of technical analysis of statistical data and a clear interpretation of the experimental results, I feel that this article is very rhetorically effective in both expressing the realities of the experiment and the real-life consequences of its results.

Trading in Traditions

As my peers line up to score their Chilifest wristbands and Tshirts, preparing their trucks for the oncoming onslaught of cheap beer, country music, and dirt, I sit quietly in the comfort of my apartment, tallying the many Aggie traditions that I will once more decline to take part in.

As an incoming college freshman, the Aggie traditions are stressed as one of the main accolades that this institution boasts. Respectful events like Silver Taps and Muster are held to honor fallen Aggies, whereas Aggie football games or Aggie Ring Day exist simply to rally school pride and student enthusiasm for our university.

There are many informal traditions that Aggies abide by, as well. Saying "Howdy" to one another as we cross paths on campus, dunking the Yell Leaders in Fish Pond after winning a home game; it's jokingly said that if a Texas A&M student does something twice, it's a tradition.

I guess I never drank the maroon-colored, Reveille spit-flavored Kool Aid. I must've missed that part of the New Student Conferences. Throughout my four years at Texas A&M, I've been what the Red Asses call a "2%er," meaning I only take part in 2% or less of the student body traditions. I don't say "Howdy," I hate Aggie football games (but REALLY! They make you stand the whole freaking time!), and I don't own a single pair of cowboy boots.

This has allowed me throughout my undergraduate career to step back and take a critical look at the student body. Our university has traditionally placed on the top ten least LGBT-friendly schools, and it's plain to see why. Recently the Student Senate, made up of campus-wide elected undergraduate individuals, attempted to pass a bill that would allow incoming students to forego paying the part of their student fees that help fund the LGBT center on campus. Under the less hateful moniker of "The Religious Funding Exemption Bill," students who didn't feel like supporting this institution would be given the option of appealing their student fees and receiving the appropriated money as a refund.

The bill passed in the Student Senate; Student Body President John Claybrook promptly vetoed it when it was brought in front of him.

Students from all walks of life have taken impassioned and genuine perspectives on each side of this issue. While I think that a crowning achievement of our university is the opportunity for its students to take part in the administrative affairs of this institution, I hope this will give current Aggie students a chance to put aside "fun" traditions like Chilifest and Ring Day and consider the traditions this university was really founded upon: our Aggie Core Values.


Excellence. Integrity. Leadership. Loyalty. Selfless Service. And most importantly, Respect. For all Aggies.

Cooking in College

My parents celebrated their twenty-ninth wedding anniversary last night, and true to my family's form, the children (or "fruits of the marriage") were responsible for providing the feast. Typically this amounts to little more than picking up the check at whatever restaurant my younger sister and I can actually afford; however, this year my old man had something entirely different in mind.

"I want you girls to make us dinner," he declared, clutching a stack of cookbooks in his arms. "We fed y'all for years, and it's about time you return the favor."

Needless to say, the chicken was undercooked, the pasta a little too crunchy; my sister and I got overly ambitious with the dessert, but when the soufflé wilted like a sad, dying flower moments after removing it from the oven, my parents mercifully took us all out for ice cream.

Regardless of the ultimately happy ending, my experience in the kitchen was anything but pleasant. It's definitely a foreign environment to me - having a meal plan throughout all four years of college has certainly contributed to my utter lack of culinary skills, but I honestly think apathy is far more to blame.

I have several friends who swear they subsist entirely off of Ramen noodles. One of my best friends is on a first name basis with the staff at our local Whataburger. This one girl I vaguely know continuously posts pictures of food she makes on Facebook - I believe her diet consists exclusively of cupcakes.

Now that I'm staring down the barrel of the gun called Graduation, it's beginning to dawn on me that I'll soon be forced to fend for myself. Everyone tells you that the four (plus...) years of college fly by in a flash; NOBODY warns you that afterwards, you have to suit up, become an adult, and most importantly, feed yourself.

So, readers, what the heck do I do?! Do y'all know of quick, easy, and especially CHEAP recipes I can make a mess of in my post-grad kitchen? Does anybody have any similar nightmarish experiences with cooking?

Culture and The Common Man

As I finish up this blog post, my friends are scurrying to pack their bags, load up the cars and set out for The Great Unknown (well, the campsites of Lake Bryan, if we're being honest here). We're taking a few days to "get away from it all;" we're ditching the turmoil of the big city we call College Station and shacking up in the woods to rest and reset.

We certainly aren't the first batch of kids to look to nature for stress-relief and inner restoration. This Romantic notion has influenced many artists, writers and thinkers who also needed a break from the commotion we tend to create in our everyday lives.

But as we go brawling through the backwoods, I can't help but reflect on the ways that nature has been brought into the limelight of contemporary culture, as well. It seems as if modern TV is turning back to its roots and discovering its rougher side. Redneck Couture has caught on like wildfire; shows like "Duck Dynasty" and Jeff Foxworthy's "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" showcase all the fun to be had  in our own backyards, with our own power tools and fireworks.

This homegrown, good-ol'-boy upsurge thumbs its nose at the likes of Kim Kardashian and her clones; however, we still see this culture manifesting itself in the same consumable ways that other television fads have. Trucker hats proudly emblazoned with "John Deere," rhinestone-studded cowboy boots, flashy rims on pick-up trucks - although blue collar may claim to be different, it cannot escape becoming commercialized.

We're headed to the woods to remind ourselves that we don't need fur-lined tents to keep out the cold winter winds (although, hey, that does sound pretty nice). Flashlights from The Dollar Store will shine just as brightly, and you definitely don't need a gilded lighter to set things on fire.

What do you guys do to get away from it all and unwind? And, if I'm not back in class next week, can you make sure my friends and I haven't been eaten by bears?

Culture and Keeping Up

I am not quite yet a grown up, so when I was recently informed that I would have to wear "adult-y" clothes for work this weekend, I knew that my closet wouldn't be any help whatsoever. I dreaded what this newfound work requirement meant – a trip to the mall to supplement my admittedly unsophisticated wardrobe.

 I try to stick with online shopping and generally do my best to avoid the mall; although we can’t deny my completely irrational fear of dressing rooms, the real reason why I stay away from retail centers has more to do with my addictive personality – once I shop, I really don’t want to stop.

Maybe it’s a rush from spending the money I’ve worked hard for; maybe it’s a matter of spoiling myself. Maybe the culture in which we live inundates us with so many consumable goods that we’re not only prone to purchasing, but we’re primed for it. Or maybe the effects of shopping elicit an even deeper psychological thrill. Whatever the reasoning behind it may be, very few can deny that there is a case to be made for retail therapy.

We all know that my foray to the local shopping mall didn’t end with dress slacks. I unwittingly came away with far more than I intended, and my bank account will surely be sulking for weeks. I guess the best course of action in the future is to avoid the temptation altogether…that is, until I get home and realize that I now need an adult-y pair of shoes to match. 

Fighting Nemo

As winter storm Nemo bears down on the East Coast, media outlets are in a frenzy trying to warn their readers of the frosty, impending doom. The blogosphere is a-flurry with updates and information on this Nor'eastern, and the entire country waits with bated breath as, ironically, Nemo begins to find us.

Different blogs are bringing different information about this storm to light. The New York Times published a post about the nomenclature of Nemo, whereas The Daily Beast is delivering real-time weather updates in a Twitter-style format.

The rhetorical implications of the differences in topic between these two blogs is curious - one would expect that The New York Times publication would provide relevant, necessary details about what to expect in the impending storm, as well as bits of information about what the New England region and its officials are doing to ensure their citizens' safety. However,  what we see instead is a report centered entirely upon the interesting choice of name for this weather woe. Unexpectedly, The Daily Beast provides us with the better source of pertinent information about the preparation for and likely effects of our nefarious Nemo.

The specific syntactical formatting of the two blogs is interesting to note - whereas The New York Times delivers its report in standard paragraph form, The Daily Beast intersperses its real-time updates, with time stamps and screen shots of different Tweets from news sources and city officials. However, the standard formatting of The New York Times blog post and the social media layout of The Daily Beast blog post do not reflect the nature of the content of the blogs. Rather, the whimsical structure of The Beast's post contrasts the important information contained within the Tweets and real-time updates.

What are your thoughts, feelings and fears for winter storm Nemo? For my local readers, how happy are you that we're already experiencing warmer weather? For anyone in the Northeast who stumbles across this post, WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING ONLINE?! NEMO IS AFOOT! BEWARE!

Culture and Spoken Word Poetry

In any piece of spoken word poetry, the poet, whether knowingly or not, incorporates the beliefs and behaviors of his or her culture into every stanza. Speaking publicly and performing onstage comes with an innate responsibility to both the culture you bring to the stage and the culture to which you present. 

Spoken word poetry evolved as a means for the fringe groups of society to explore self-expression in a unique, creative environment. It has since exploded into a competitively practiced, widely revered craft that many people utilize to inform, to teach, and to connect with one another through free verse.

Now, anyone with the inspiration and inclination to spit poetry has all of the tools they need to create and share with others. With this massive influx of new poets and poems, I have to wonder, does this help disparate cultures transcend geographic and social barriers to connect over commonly shared values?

In performing spoken word poetry, the goal is to connect with listeners – but if you inadvertently permeate your performance with patterns of thought specific to your culture alone, are you accidentally accomplishing the exact opposite? In an attempt to share with others, could you actually be alienating yourself even further if you fail to relate to the shared experiences and beliefs of your audience?