To Cheat or Not to Cheat?

Today students across the United States are expected to honor the academic integrity integrated into higher education.  The difficulty of some courses is understood by many instructors and professors but they still demand a lot out of their students academically.  No matter what the material may be, students are still held accountable for their actions in the classroom pertaining to possible violations of academic integrity.  However, there was a specific case when a class at the University of Central Florida was caught cheating on a final exam.  The decision by the professor to have a mandatory retake was the correct one.  All of these students who were in this class should have been held accountable whether or not they took part in the cheating scandal.

The amount of ignorance that students in college have today is unfathomable, and this case in specific is an example.  Students go into college to learn about their selected major and yet they somehow expect to be able to cheat their way through four years of schooling.  In this case at the University of Central Florida the students rage and anger directed at the professor for having a mandatory retake, was selfish and embarrassing the educational process.  Professors choose their profession for a reason, to demand excellence in the classroom and help students learn in pure honest ways.

The professor goes about addressing the class in a very disappointed manner, but professional manner as well.  The evidence and proof he shows to the class makes it very apparent a large portion of the class did in fact cheat on the exam.  “I performed a forensic analysis of the data and noticed abnormally high grades this year compared to last”, stated Professor Quinn.  Professor Quinn also informs the class that someone had slipped an answer key to the exam under his door, revealing that someone had gotten ahold of the key.  According to KnightNews.com the University of Central Florida has had a history of academic dishonesty and therefor the university has begun increasing its punishments for students who were caught cheating on tests.  This helps back up the decision made by the professor to have a mandatory retake for his class.

Personally I feel the professor made the right choice in his decision to have a mandatory retake.  I do not really understand the reasoning behind students motive to cheat because they are going to school for something they supposedly want to be doing for the rest of their lives.  As a fellow student I understand some of the difficulties that come with college classes however the consequences for academic dishonest heavily out weight the possible pros.  These consequences are what keep me from taking a chance at being caught cheating on a test or exam and they should do the same for all students.

It was obvious that the students or a large majority of those in the class did cheat on the exam.  It was obvious because of all the evidence that the professor had to solidify his argument.  On the video the professor took he gave statistics showing the glasses average grade point average going up a grade in a half as well as a chart to help back it up.  If this had been just pure accusation this would have been a different story, however he had valid evidence to prove his students had cheated.

It is no secret that there is a high amount of academic dishonesty in today’s higher educational systems.  The only thing left for these institutions and professors to do is to find ways to combat these occurrences and establish some sort of academic integrity within these students.  If universities are truly worried of the tainting of academic integrity then they will be forced to come up with some sort of punishment that will scare these cheaters out of their dishonest ways.

My Six Best Blog Posts

When I came into this inquiry class I was not sure what to expect, in fact I was not entirely sure how to blog either.  I would have been the first one to predict my best blogs would have been ones that were highly based on research; however it did not exactly turn out to be that way.  It came to be that four of my strongest blogs were ones that included not only research and citation but were primarily going off my opinions and beliefs, along with persuasiveness as well.  Looking back on the assignments given and grades I received, it is clear which six blogs were my best blogs.

As the semester went on I gradually found that my assumption of my strengths in writing were wrong.  It came easiest for me to write commentary type blogs that included a fair amount of me, the writer’s opinion.  This was because I was writing on topics that grew great interest to me and the writing came much smoother and easier.   

Disregarding the fact that these six blogs got the best overall grades, there are a couple other reasons why I believe these were in fact my best blogs.  The first reason was the interest that the topics for each of these six drew.  I found myself not paying attention to where I was on the paper or how far I had gotten, but instead just writing.  When writing a commentary type blog that you are interested in, it is not difficult to put together a well-researched and opinionated blog.  Having such a deep interest in the chosen topics also allowed me to go farther in depth and present the reader with more information than I would have with a topic of little interest.   The commentary blogs were most defiantly strength of mine just because of the freedom to choose our topics.

Another reason these six blogs were my best six was due to them being properly organized and consistent.  This point is cohesive with having interest in the topic because if you are intrigued by what you are writing it is easier for things to flow properly.  My six blogs give valid information or an argument and is structured well.  None of them contradict themselves and leave unanswered questions, creating a grammatically correct and well thought out blog.

There were some of my blogs that turned out to be my best, however felt the opposite while I was writing them.  For example my blog, When Are You a “Real” Adult felt like one of my weaker blogs.  However it turned out to be one of my strongest and best organized blog.  These six blogs show my strengths as a writer and there is no doubt that these six were the clear cut favorites for my top blogs of the semester.

My Six Best Blogs

–          Summer Book Reads,

–          YouTube?

–          Living Through Technology

–          When Are You A “Real” Adult?

–          Instilling a Love For What You Do

–          Capital Punishment; An American Necessity

Capital Punishment; An American Necessity

Murder, forcible rape, both are one way tickets to your death bed and properly so.  In the United States there are too many questions being brought about whether or not capital punishment is right and if it should be banned.  The main question that arises is, is it cruel and unusual punishment?  Some people argue that the Declaration of Independence has protection, if you will.  Well I can tell you having the intent to murder someone and then doing so does not deserve the Declarations protection of their rights.  People who have the audacity to take a human beings life or sexually assault them against their will, deserve nothing less than death.   All those who oppose capital punishment should rethink their decision because their thought process is what is giving murders a second chance at the freedom they do not deserve.  After someone commits murder or rape of any kind they are entitled to one thing and one thing only, and that is being put to death.

Death row is a deserving place for many, but the process itself needs to be sped up by the United States government.  Some inmates sit in death row anywhere from five to twenty five years.  For one this is not cheap, being that the average inmate costs around 100,000 dollars per year according to the website “The Economist”.  It is no mystery that the American Economy is far from being well off, so why waste money on prisoners that have been sentenced to death?  Once it has been proven that these convicts committed murder, rape, or sexual assault, they should have a minimum of two years on death row.  Two years is an extreme in many cases, for these convicts should not only have a speedy trial but punishment as well.

With that in mind I also believe that before a suspect is sentenced to death, there needs to be conclusive evidence and some sort of DNA testing.  This is to prove the suspect on trial is actually guilty.  Along with testing the suspects should have the right to appeal any conviction.  Once this process is done and the suspect has been convicted, they should be put to death.  Our world today is filled with enough evil and the last thing we Americans need is murders sitting in prison soaking up tax payer’s money.  Since it costs so much to keep these inmates in prison, why let them sit in prison?  Yes it may seem harsh at first thought, but it cannot be any harsher than the crime the convicted felon against their victim.  If I had anything to say about a murderers fate I would have them put to death in the same way they murdered their victim.  This would be equivalent to their crime and would serve deserving justice.

Due to the fact this is such a controversial topic there will probably not be any quick decisions made in the near future.  This is understandable however it is not understandable that people think that capital punishment should be done away with because it is “not right”.  People will continue to this this until someone dear to them is either killed or raped by a heartless human being.  Perhaps this will change people’s perspectives on capital punishment slowly and steadily.  Until Americas view on capital punishment is for the most part similar, the United States will continue to house pure bred ruthless killers.

Something Just Doesnt Seem Right…

–          In Mr. Skinner’s case it comes across as if the judicial system bent some rules in order to have him locked up.  If the DNA tests were inconclusive what evidence did they have?

–          In my opinion a blood and sweat stained jacket as well as a knife would serve as conclusive evidence if there was a DNA match, so why were no tests done?

–          It seems as if though Mr. Skinner’s lawyer is not really morally ok with defending his client due to his unwillingness to fight for his requests.

–          In my opinion Skinner’s want to have this evidence tested shows the possibility of him being innocent.  If he knew he was guilty why would he wand additional proof to show his wrongdoing and possibly lead to capital punishment?  He states “let the chips fall where they may” meaning let the truth reveal itself.

–           Gregory Coleman, representing district attorney Switzer said this was an attack on the criminal proceeding however the Supreme Court decided to hear his case.

–          The most simplistic thought that comes to mind when reading this is that Skinner is given a real unfair trial process just because there is evidence present that “should” be tested but for some reason is not.  It’s never made clear as far as exact reasoning why the blood stained evidence is/was not tested.

–          The author’s statement, “He is merely seeking the opportunity to test important pieces of evidence ignored by the prosecution” shows possible bias towards the defendant, Mr. Skinner.  It’s coming across as if the author is making a case for Mr. Skinner to have his case looked at more in depth and “given a chance” in other words.

–          The author especially shows bias towards Skinner in his last statement of his writing saying, “but he should not be punished for the maneuverings of his lawyer”.

–          Overall the bias that is being presented by the author is almost taking away from his credibility because it makes the reader think twice about wanting to help or feel bad for the reader.  Instead of using person opinions or stating ideas the author should present more facts to the reader and persuade them through convincing them that way.

–          Skinner said that the blood on him came from examining the victims but if he was too drugged up to kill them, how was he in the right state of mind to examine and determine if they were alright?  With that in mind why was he caught hiding in the closet with a weapon, and conscious?  His story has too many contradictions for me to believe.

–          Overall it makes sense to have the physical evidence tested for the court and prosecutions sake to end the case.  They would more than likely find Skinner guilty and have conclusive evidence, and enough to give him the death penalty.  This is why it does not make sense to me that Skinner wants these materials tested.

–          I believe Skinner is guilty.  There is too many details, and too much reasonable doubt playing against him.

Instilling A Love For What You Do

                Going to any place of a higher education and putting forth the effort needed to succeed in your area of choice is a process that must have a certain level of desire and love behind it.  This “love” for learning is a goal that Concordia is trying to instill into the minds of every student.  Having a love for learning sounds a lot less appealing to the ear of the average student but that may be due to the irrational thought process of the average student.  When you hear the goal, “instill a love for learning”, the first thing that comes to mind is homework followed by endless late nights with sleep deprivation worked in there as well.  These qualities do not come across as appealing to the student body as the administration may think, however the goal is one that should be passionately strived for.

                Part of going to college is the process of maturing and growing into a responsible young adult.  The thought of going to a homework free campus with a restriction on hours spent on homework sounds ideal, however is simply unrealistic.  We the students are going to college to study the field and career of our interest that we believe we will someday be doing.  If you ask the average student what they want to do when they are older the generic answer is, “something I love and that pays a lot”.  Well if students want to someday be employed in the career field they “love” then they better be willing to “love” putting forth effort in the learning process.  Now of course no student is going to love staying up late into the night doing homework and getting very little hours of sleep, but there needs to be a deeper appreciation for the reasoning behind the homework and the effort they are putting into their future. 

                Being a well-respected college that is known for their academics, Concordia’s goals are going to be far from easy to obtain for us students.  The last thing that we as students can do is let the difficulty of these goals push us away from wanting to obtain them.  This requires us to adjust and sometimes even change our lifestyles and the way we go about certain things such as time management and how we use our free time.  This is all part of what Concordia is trying to do in order to mold its students into the successful people they will someday be.  As a student many of the favored pass times require time and energy and that leaves little energy to direct towards work in the classroom and towards homework.  What Concordia is trying to do is take that energy and have you direct it towards your desired major with passion as well.  Going out and having fun with their free time is what students “love” to do but eventually (sooner than later) it is their responsibility to put the partying aside and focus on what matters, which is their degree.  From a student’s point of view, yes, it is hard to crack down and direct the majority of your time and focus to school, however there is a deeply rooted understanding of importance inside each student that keeps us on the straight and narrow.  As freshman in college the process of growing up and maturing out of the teenager phase of life is inevitable so the sooner that Concordia can instill this goal of a love for learning the more effective it will be on the students they are targeting.

                Overall looking at it from my point of view (the student) Concordia’s goal of instilling a love for learning in all its students seems like a necessary goal and one that solidifies the foundation of Concordia’s mission to mold the minds of its students.  Granted in some aspects the word “love” seems a little far-fetched due to it being left up for interpretation to the students.  There is no doubt that seriousness in the classroom and towards school out of the classroom is a priority for Concordia, but loving every step of the way as well.  It is clear that this specific goal is a challenging one but more importantly a necessary one.

Professional Sports Not So Professional

From an early age children are told to “dream big” and that “nothing is impossible”.  When you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up the most common answer is to be a professional athlete and from an elder’s standpoint to tell them their dream is more than likely unattainable due to the difficulty of the physical requirements, would be contradictory.  So we the older generations allow these children to look up to these professional athletes as role models and dream of someday being like them and being able to play in a professional sports arenas, but who exactly are these kids looking up to?  Today’s professional athletes consist of nothing more than being greedy, dishonest, and dramatic.  To be quite honest if these are the types of people being looked up to, then our country has a big problem that lies ahead.

                In a 2008 study 16,500 athletes held jobs as competitive athletes and sport competitors.  In the same study 16 percent of the athletes were found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs, nearly one in every five.   Even with that number deceptively seeming high, professional athletes are one of a kind.  They go into their respected leagues with the raw natural talent needed to succeed in their sport; however that doesn’t seem to be good enough for them.   The thought of the god given talent these athletes possess not being enough to fit their standards is disgusting to think about.  Here these individuals are given the opportunity most people dream about and all they do with it is taint the purity of the sports world.  It seems like now days you can’t turn on sports or a sports talk show without hearing about a new athlete that has been found to be using performance enhancing drugs.  In my opinion once an athlete has been found guilty of these acquisitions they have not only negatively affected the purity of their sport but have put any record he or she may have broken in question.  A recent example would be when baseball superstar Barry Bonds was discovered to be using performance enhancing drugs his whole career. Bonds, who is the league’s all-time leader in home runs now surfaces the question if his legacy is legitimate.  I can sure tell you he would not have my vote to get into the Hall of Fame.   These are the athletes that need to be made an example of.  John Dawson writer in World Express magazine stated, “Imagine that day in the future when Bonds walks to the podium and begins his acceptance speech. Will he thank his trainer, Greg Anderson, who, according to leaked grand jury testimony, helped Bonds acquire undetectable anabolic drugs known as the “cream” and the “clear” and has spent months in prison rather than testify against Bonds?”  This brings to mind the idea that it is more than just the players and this foreshadows only bad things for the sport world’s future.

                There is no doubt that steroids and performance enhancing drugs are getting out of hand in all professional sports, but how the consequences will be determined is still up in the air.  If I were the commissioner of any sport I would make it an automatic one year suspension for any athlete caught taking these substances.  Whether they were first time offenders or third time offenders, and if they just so happen to be third time offenders they would be banished from the league indefinitely.  These punishments may seem harsh but something must be done to save the purity of the sports we all know and love.  If something is not done soon steroids will be a requirement to get into professional sports, eliminating true talent all together.  There must be some type of movement in the sports world to eliminate all dishonest athletes that take the easy way out and the sooner the better.  As far as the future purity of the league, well that remains to be seen.

When Are You A “Real” Adult?

When you turn 18 you can defend and die for your country, vote for the leader of your country, and even experience the holy matrimony of marriage; however you may not consume any type of alcoholic beverage.  Take a second to reflect on that thought for a moment.  You can marry the woman or man of your dreams, but you will not be legally able to celebrate at your own wedding with any type of champagne or alcohol.  You can be sent to the vast war infected countries to die for your own country and be looked upon to be mature enough for this, yet by law you are not looked upon to be mature enough for a cold beer.  This is a hot topic that has many people’s opinions out there on the web, and even creeping into congress.  There are people who take the same stance as me that the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, and it would be in your best interest to hear not only them but their argument out.

                The concept of lowering the drinking age is not just one that is a dream of all under age kids that want to get their hands on some alcohol, but a common belief of many U.S. representatives, adults, and kids.  The three blog posts that I read are not only “must reads” but “go read right now reads”.  “If 18 is old enough to lift a weapon in defense of your country, its old enough to lift a cold beer on base”, this was a quote by a U.S. representative in the first of the three must read blog posts I read.  The blog was posted by Larry Peterson and gives a very strong structural argument that addresses both the opposition’s side of lowering the drinking age and then counters the arguments to those.   “There they are in their rucksacks, and they’re going off to operate Abrams tanks and Black Hawk helicopters and squeeze the triggers on their M-4 rifles.  We tell them they’re responsible enough to do that and risk their lives, but not responsible enough to have a beer with their steak on post. I think that’s an insult”, said Peterson.  This is a strong statement and not only from an opinionated standpoint, but from a human rights standpoint.  Yes Peterson does focus a little heavily on the military standpoint of things, but there is no bypassing the importance and gratefulness of an American soldier.

                The second must read that pertained to the topic of lowering the drinking age to 18 was one that focused on the Duke Presidents strongly opinionated statements favoring the topic.  If you as an individual have any interest or initiative to have the drinking age lowered to 18, this blog post is one you should defiantly read.  Duke president Richard Brodhead makes many thorough arguments in favor of the changing of the drinking age.   Brodhead says the current law “pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks” and prevents school officials “from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice.”  It is pretty commonly agreed upon by young teens that once they go to college drinking does not seem as “fun” because they can do it whenever they like.  Many of these teens being 18 years of age anyway.  The remainder of this blog goes on to give many other strongly opinionated arguments advocating the lowering of the drinking age by Brodhead, and numerous congressmen.  I would strongly urge readers of all different interests and beliefs to take time out of their schedule to read this blog because the content is mind boggling and makes it become very evident that the current drinking age is one that should be lowered.  When an opinion is given by a highly credited individual it becomes a much more worthy and notable opinion that cannot as easily be dismissed by the everyday person. This is another reason why I urge you to read this blog post!

                My third and final must read blog post was posted by a notable blogger, Drew Olson.  Like my other two must reads Olson gives a very persuasive argument to why the legal  drinking age deserves to be lowered, and counters many peoples opposing opinions as well.  Olson makes a strong statement in the defense that the number of car accidents has not lowered due to the drinking age but because of stricter seatbelt and speeding laws.  Olson says, “Plenty of smart people will counter my argument with plenty of statistics showing that raising the drinking age to 21 reduced the number of accidents and deaths on our highways. I will grant that, but counter that safer vehicles, increased emphasis on curtailing speeding and mandatory seat belt laws have played a role in that reduction.”  This is one of many strong cases that Olson makes in his blog post and this is why I highly recommend you go to his website and read his blog post on the legal drinking age.

                Lowering the legal drinking age is a hot topic in today’s world that has and will have a large impact on many American young adults.  Whether or not lowering the age is what you stand for I still strongly recommend all three of these blog posts and encourage you to consider all of the pros to the question, putting aside the immediate availability of alcohol.  It is unclear at this point and time if the legal drinking age will be lowered but, with these three articles in mind I don’t see why it shouldn’t be.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3396443/

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/authors/drewolson/lowerdrinkingage.html

http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-09-02/kingston-lower-age-drink-beer-or-win-military-posts-18

The College Life

                Lack of sleep, overwhelmed, sore, and constantly stressed are not exactly a common combination of general feelings for the average person.  It is however a common feeling for a college student who is new to the college scene.  There is no doubt that every college student has to attend to the different demands of college life, in every aspect as well.  This is no different for me and the transition into being a college student and the transition into collegiate sports as well.

                Little do “we” freshman college students realize how easy we had it in high school when entering our freshman year of college.  Compared to high school, the homework is more extensive, sleep is seldom to come by, and keeping a healthy diet is easier said than done.   When you are in high school you get into a routine that allows time for you to go to school, maintain a relevant social life, eat appropriate amounts, get homework done, and most importantly sleep.  In my case the addition of transitioning from high school athletics to collegiate athletics is also in the mix.  Not to say that having all of these changes, and in some cases pressures is not doable, but adjusting to it all is no easy task.  At this point I have already come to create a daily schedule that I follow.  With all of these changes in front of me and not knowing how to accurately adapt to the lack of sleep and plethora of homework, I have found “downtime” to be more like homework time.  That one hour block I get in between classes is almost more frustrating than anything.  I get done with a class and finally get back to my room and I get a whole thirty minutes to rest and catch up on homework.  Why not do it all at night you ask?  Well staying up until 2 a.m. every night can only go on until you have fallen asleep with a book in your hand.  My mother used to tell me, “Make sure you get your eight hours”, but at this point “getting my eight hours” would seem like a vacation.

                With all of the sleep deprived and homework loaded nights in mind, I still have to commit three hours a day to football.  In high school all that was required for football in a day was about a two hour practice at most, and of course games on Friday nights.  In college there is a lot more off the field commitments that require a lot of one’s time.  At minimum practices will be around two hours, plus the hours you spend watching film off the field, and when you are already tired and swamped with homework  studying for football makes you all the more exhausted.  Don’t get me wrong because there are defiantly some pros that tie into this as well.  Football keeps me focused and keeps my head on straight so that I don’t go out on weekends and completely blow off all that is due on Monday. 

                With all these different complaints that come to mind there is one of two ways that they can be looked at.  As complaints, or sacrifices that are necessary, and that is exactly what they are.  Nobody says the college life is an easy life, and football is supposed to be a challenge.  It is how I handle these challenges and sacrifices that will help shape me into the kind of person that I want to be. So in the mean time I will continue my 2 a.m. homework schedule, and continue to attempt to keep up with the fast past life that college has come to be.

YouTube?

Updating your status, posting a new tweet, and even talking face to face with a family member who is hundreds of miles away, are all commonly used and well known types of social media.  With the technological world advancing at such a rapid rate there are more and more ways every week to stay in tuned to the social media world.  However finding an efficient and commonly used way is the key.  There are your basics which include Facebook, Twitter, and Skype which all allow you to stay in touch with friends and family.  All of these types of social media are accessible through cell phones, or laptops. With those in mind now imagine capturing a video on your phone and having it on the web in a matter of minutes.  In minutes it is posted for all of your friends and family members to see.  Do not think too hard because it’s much easier than it may seem, in fact it is a part of everyday life.

            This concept is up and coming and is called YouTube.  YouTube allows you to post videos, whether they are professionally shot or homemade videos, on the website.  The website does not stop there because that would be far too simplistic for this specific site.  With the addition of amateur or professional video postings, you can also find instructional videos, television series, movies, and many educational videos as well.  The capability of being able to post any video immediately to the site is as convenient as it sounds and has sparked people to post videos on everything. 

Everything from humorous to informational videos, and if their video gets enough “hits” the publisher could have videotaped his or her way to fame.  Many publishers who have gotten a large number of views (usually humorous videos) are offered commercial appearances.  One example is this crowd favorite, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ChcMtiiic. 

It may sound like a simple concept and seem like a typical type of social media that is not efficient or necessary but in many ways it is.  It can be very helpful in some tough situations as well.  You can look up videos that a teacher has assigned, or look up “how to” videos.  These can range from how to do a magic trick, to how to tie a tie. There is also the option to watch a television show or movies, so don’t think it is strictly restricted to home videos.  This new type of social media is not only a creative way to keep in touch with the outside world, but in a fun way as well.  It is a different alternative other than Facebook and Twitter and is in some ways much more valuable.  It is valuable in a way that allows people to reach out to the world in a creative and positive way. YouTube is a way to keep in touch with our fast paced world, and at the pace its going, YouTube could be the new “Facebook”.

Living Through Technology

You reach into your pocket in hopes to pull out your cell phone, but instead you get a handful of lint and only your pocket.  You realize that you have lost your phone, and instant panic sets in.  Why is it that people have such a helpless and empty feeling without their cellphone? I will tell you why, and that is because the dependency on social media and networking is enormous.  If cell phones and the internet were to be wiped off the earth today, there would be not only a panic amongst everyone but a giant question on how to go about social networking in an equally efficient and convenient way.  There is no doubt in my mind that the social media world and social networking has had an impact on my personal and collegiate life, but in what way is the question that needs to be answered.

                When you live a busy life where things are constantly on the go and you hardly have any time to yourself, social media and social networking can play a key role to the simplification of someone’s life.  When thinking of weather this addition to my life is either positive or negative it seems almost completely obvious that positive is the only way to describe the impact that the internet and cell phones have had on my life.  Now don’t get me wrong because cell phones can have their negative effect on the social world as far as drama within friends, additional bill payments, and requiring your undivided attention.  As far as the internet some will say computers are too expensive, people become too dependent on the internet, and peoples person to person social skills go out the window due to internet chatting and emailing, but even all of these poorly put together arguments against the internet, email, and cellphones cannot overweigh the positives that are brought about by these necessities in today’s world.

                Cell phones allow me to fulfill that instant need to need to know what is going on in the world.  Social networking allows me to stay in touch with people and events in an efficient way so I can stay on track in other busy aspects of my life.  In this day and age it is pretty hard to go about without having a cellphone, email, or the internet.  All three make it easier for me to contact people and for them to contact me as well.

                The influence that social media and networking has had on my collegiate experience is no different, and by that I mean its influence has been only positive.  Being able to email my professors with questions or send them my papers has saved me numerous times even already.  Yes I do find myself dazing off into the Facebook world sometimes, but Facebook has allowed me to stay in touch with family and friends that are close and important to me.  This gives me the opportunity to be a successful student and also stay in touch with my social life as well.

                There is no doubt that the social media world has different impacts on peoples lived in many different ways, but for mine only the word positive comes to mind.  It’s hard to imagine being denied the quick and easy access to the internet, which allows me to gather needed information on a paper.  It’s also harder to imagine the impact I would obtain if I had no way to stay in touch with friends and family.  Lucky for me I don’t see cell phones, email, or the internet going anywhere anytime soon.