Week 1, Prompt 1: "TV Is Good for You" By Joel Waldfogel (Slate)

C.A- TV is good for women living in rural India, for television helps them to get rid of traditional ideas and to know about “autonomy (whether the woman gets to make her own decisions about shopping, health, and whom she visits), attitudes toward beating (the number of circumstances in which women view beating as acceptable), and whether women prefer having male children.” (Waldfogel)  

There are numerous debates about effects of television on people’s daily life. Some people say that television is useless box that has no positive effects on people; however, others believe that it is a crucial way of learning in 21^st century. Joel Waldfogel, a writer for Slate, is an example of a person who believes that television is good, at least for the women of rural India. His main reason was that by watching television, women can get rid of some traditional ideas such as autonomy, attitudes toward beating and preference over the gender of babies. I do not agree with the statement, for these effects not all be good, fact that there was a house shows that it was not the most rural areas of India and the research done in few areas.

            First, the effect will not all be positive. Though there might be some positive effect of the television, it is not to say that television only had a positive effect. The research only focus on the positive effect, however, there will be some negative effects that they did not count. The researchers only focused on the positive effect that they did not even care about the negative effect of television. There might be possibilities of them having Cinderella complex, them being less productive and many more after they are exposed to television.  So, the readers to know the overall effects of the television when the article does not even mention the negative effects.

            Furthermore, the fact that they had television in their house shows that, those women do not live in a very rural area. When we had to go to a village in our ninth grade activity hike, we had to go to places where there was hardly any electricity and no television. Also the research was done in Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Delhi; the states that are considered pretty urban in India. The researchers when to the place that ‘they’ thought were rural, but not to the very rural areas of India. Thus, the effects are not accurate as they do not even meet the standers.

            Lastly, this research was only done in a small scale. It was taken place in five states of India out of twenty eight states and seven unions in India. The research was takes place in five out of 35 states and unions of India. They are making a generalization out of the minority, a form of a false analogy. A fact or even a theory cannot be presented by using such a small scale, therefore if the author is trying to convey that people are actually being affected, they should take a larger scale and then do a actually research with better details.

            I disagree with the article’s central argument “that television is good, at least for the women of rural India.”  This research maybe true, however with numerous logical fallacy that author use such as, the black and white fallacy and false analogy, the article does not appeal to me. 

Extra Credit

Adele- Make you feel my love

100+ College Essay Topics 12

What is your favorite word, and why? (University of Virginia)

My favorite word is ‘love’ because

Love is  blind.

Love is  a happy childhood

Love is encouraging his attentions

Love is a sign that spring can not be far away

Love is trust

Love is understanding

Love is pure

Also according to Corinthians chapter 13 :

‘ ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought 

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’

Love is one of the only words in any language that does not have negative meaning. Love has a positive meaning not only in English, but also Korean, Japanese, Hindi and other languages. I like things to be direct, without any other side whether it is a word or a person. The word love has only has positive meaning. Also, it only contains positive words to describe the word. Last and most importantly, I think without love there will be no trust, the basic need for any relationship. However, unlike trust, which is easy to be broken, love is firm.  

Article 11

Japan population to shrink by one-third by 2060

by BBC

issued: 30 Jan, 2012

accessed: 31 Jan, 2012

According the government report the population of Japan is expected to fall by one third by the year 2060. Currently the population of Japan is 128 million; however, this is expected to fall to 87 million in 50 years. The Health and Welfare ministry also estimated that 40% of the population will be of retirement age by 2060. This is because Japan already has one of the highest life expediencies of the world and it has one of the lower birth rates of the world. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda promised to push the reform programme this year. The programme is designed so that there will be higher birth rate than there was in year 2011. If this plan works out then population will not fall as fast as expected. However, his opponents say his plan require higher taxes than are currently proposed.

This is the problem that Korea is also facing, and probably one of the biggest problems that Korea faces. I think this is a big problem, for aging society, like Japan, will not have positive effect on the economically within its country. Economically, for the population will be rising needed more money from the government, and the money that is given to the old will be taken from other with higher taxes. The main reason for the aging society is the rapid inflation, while the salary is not rising as high. If one can not afford to support oneself, then he is not likely to have a kid. If the government really wants to increase the birth rate of a developed country, then they should give more subsidizes on goods related to infant and child. 

Vocab

1. compile

(v)- to put together (documents, selections, or other materials)in one book or work.

Origin: 
1275–1325; Middle English  < Latin compīlāre  to rob, pillage, stealfrom another writer, equivalent to com- com-  + -pīlāre,  perhapsakin to pīla  column, pier, pile¹ , pīlāre  to fix firmly, plant (hence,pile up, accumulate) (dic.)

One needs to compile a lot of documents in order to make a non- fiction book

2. programme

(n)- a plan of an action

Origin: 
1625–35;  < Late Latin programma  < Greek prógramma  publicnotice in writing. See pro-² , -gram¹

There is a lot of programmes in Woodstock yet to be accomplished. 

3. grim

(adj.)- stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise

Origin: 
before 900; Middle English, Old English;  cognate with Old Saxon,Old High German grimm, Old Norse grimmr

Some teachers always have a grim look on their face.

Article 10

China steps up security in Tibet following protests 

by BBC

issued: 31 Jan, 2012

accessed: 31 Jan, 2012

The security in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and main roads following deadly protest in Sichuan province has been tighten due to a senior Chinese official’s order. Lhasa Communist party secretary QI Zhala informed about a crackdown on people involved in “separatist, destructives and criminal” activities. This security has been tightened due the move that came after protesters clashed with security forces in some parts of Sichuan province last week. Observers of this news say the recent violence is the most serious outbreak of anti-government protest among Tibetans in nearly four years. This activities lead to three death and injured more than dozens. This tighten in security will prevent further unrest regarding mainly separatist and Dalai Lama.

I think this action does have a point in Chinese defense, for the Chinese government want to keep the Tibetan province under their control. Also, this order has a good point, for there will be less chaos. However, I believed that this order was made only so that the government can have more control over the Tibetan province. As a person surrounded by Tibetan, I think Tibet should be free. Tibet has its own unique culture, religion and language that is totally different China. Although I do like the part that there will be less violence, I do not like the part that the order will restrict that freedom of Tibet.  

1.Province

(n)an administrative division or unit of a country.

Origin: 
1300–50; Middle English  < Middle French  < Latin prōvincia province, official charge (Dic.)

Tibet is not a province of China, it is a whole country in itself. 

2. Monasteries

(n)a house or place of residence occupied by a community ofpersons, especially monks, living in seclusion under religious vows.

Origin: 
1350–1400; Middle English  < Late Latin monastērium  < LateGreek monastḗrion  monk house, orig. hermit's cell, equivalent tomonas-,  variant stem of monázein  to be alone ( see mon-) + -tērion  neuter adj. suffix denoting place (Dic.)

There is no monasteries in Woodstock, for it is a Christian  school.

3.prefecture

(n) official residence of a prefect.

Origin: 
1570–80;  < Latin praefectūra. See prefect, -ure (Dic.)

Is there a prefecture in Woodstock?

100+ College Essay Topics 11

Once you have completed your education, would you return to your hometown to begin your adult life? Why or why not? (William and Mary)

Every vacation, when I reach my home my parents ask me, “What do you want to do in the future?” Every family meeting I attend my relatives ask me, “Where do you want to go for University?” However, my answer is always the same, “I do not know.” The future that I thought was so well planned out is not even there; just like the promises that politicians make every year. To find my interest I participate in many extra- curricular activities. It is not that I do not enjoy anything, but rather like all of it. I think if there were no after school activities that I go to, I would be depressed due to boredom.

Sadly, in Korea, where I come from, there is no such thing as extra- curricular. All there is after school is more studying until they go to bed, which is around 2 am. I want to introduce fun extra- curricular activities that children will actually enjoy, and not be like those academies that students are forced to go. So my answer is, ‘Yes, I would come back to my hometown to begin my adult life, once my education is completed.’ I would come back show something other than studying in Korea and bring some joy in their lives. Hoping that they will actually enjoy their lives, leading it to some decline in teenage suicide rate. As South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. I really hope this rate goes down with my help later in the future.

100+ College Essay Topics 10

You’ve just written a 300-page autobiography. Send us page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)

This little incident inspired her greatly and made me changed her job eventually. I gave up a well paid job to start up Non-Governmental Organization. It was not so easy for the little girl from a small country, South Korea, to full fill her dream. Not only, it took me a long time to find my passion, as me was a worried one, but also there were many obstacles on the way. I found out that I needed experience to run NGO.  Soon after I realized my lack of experience in this field, I applied for a job in a whole different field. To make up for the time that I missed to find my passion, I had to work twice as much as I did. The more I worked the more I found out that starting up the NGO was not as easy as I thought it would be. While working in the field I found out that there were many problems that did even come to my mind. Nevertheless, I did not give up, for I was sure that was what I really wanted to do. Although I did not have a global recognition regarding my field, I was just happy with the fact that I finally found my dream. In fact, I found myself lucky; there are many people in the world who does not even know their passion, but I found out what I wanted to do. On my way to reach the goal, I met someone just like me. A man, who did not know his passion until later on, however, worked passionately about it.