Topic Paragraph- Alyssa Friedel

Each semester at BYU brings change and new problems arise. Throughout the years the number of BYU students has continued to increase. Many students want to come to BYU and enjoy in this wonderful campus. But with the growing population comes more complications with enough space on campus. A problem that seems to be quite an inconvenience to students, is parking on campus. At BYU there are designated parking spots that require a permit that only faculty receive. The assigned parking for students is the Y lot. But the problem is there seems to not be enough of these Y lots around campus. Some would say to go early to get a parking spot but by eight o clock all the spots are taken. This then results to students being late to class or getting a parking ticket for parking somewhere else. BYU needs to take care of this problem with parking if they are going to continue increasing the number of students that get accepted.

Topic Paragraph - Roundy

It’s the first week of school and you just got done paying for tuition, rent and other needs when you head to the bookstore to get your books. You print off your list and find the books that you will need for your respective classes. Prices on books add up quickly and all of a sudden you are spending hundreds of dollars on books. You would think that the BYU bookstore would have the best prices on books and you can’t get by without them, so you buy them. Later you find out about other students that ordered their books online or went to other places to get their books and saved a lot of money. For most college students every penny counts so the extra hundred dollars or so would have gone a long way. You can’t help but be frustrated about your purchase. The BYU bookstore is a monopolist and charges way too much for books and other items in the store.

Topic Paragraph - Matthew Green

A new semester is upon us. With this new semester, has come several changes to how things are done here at BYU. Students are informed of these changes for the most part, through email. It was a surprise to me when I read the email regarding backpacks at the Cannon Center. It stated that "items left unattended in common spaces will be collected and transferred to the University lost and found office." Not only are students not allowed to take their backpacks in, but now they aren't even allowed to leave them outside, unless through use of the cubicles, which are full most of the time. Students should be allowed to take their backpacks into the Cannon Center because it will allow them to study and eat at the same time. BYU shows that they can't trust the very students who they expect to follow the Honor Code by forcing them to leave their stuff outside, in fear of food being taken. What can honestly be taken from the Cannon Center anyways? Who in their right mind would really try to hide a plate of lasagna in their backpack. Some students don't have enough time between classes to have to go home to put their backpacks down and come back to eat. It's time for a change.

Op Ed Topic Paragraph- Brittany Gearheart

America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but it is also one of the unhealthiest. It's not really a question as to why this has become such an epidemic. Because many Americans live life in the fast lane, it's often hard to find time to sit down and enjoy a well balanced meal. This is very much the case for students attending college and living away from home. With the added pressures of homework, the occasional job, partying and the easy access of "all you can eat" cafeterias or restaurants, the famous freshman 15 is a cliche that becomes a reality for most students. Occasionally, when students do have a break, they don't want to waste time at the gym or preparing a meal. It's much faster to grab a bite and get back to the books. If exercise and eating healthy were made a part homework, students would go about it just like they would any other assignment. They'd get their homework and exercise done all at the same time. The once required HEPE course at BYU should be made a general requirement once again.

OP ED Topic Paragraph- Danny Mccracken

The world of driving is changing. There have always been rules and regulations to keep us safe on the roads. For that all drivers are grateful. In some cases, however, the rules must adapt with their changing evironment. For this reason speed limits should be set higher on certain stretches of the highway. By increasing the speed limit to eighty miles per hour where safety permitts, we can create a safer driving atmosphere, improve our driving skills, and adapt to the advances in engineering in the changing world around us.

OP ED Intro Paragraph-

Tyler Aston

A new semester of school has started and we are all dreading the bookstore experience. We know that there will be long waits, over priced items, and we will most likely have to make several trips due to changes in required items. In order to help students minimize their time and money spent at the bookstore, all required class materials should be posted on students’ accounts the day following registration.

Topic/ Intro Paragraph - Ryne

Imagine for a moment that you are 75 years old. You live alone. Your family is all grown and spread over the United States. You have a lot of grandchildren whom you love dearly but only see a couple times a year. You have lots of free time, in fact you don’t know what to do with all the time you had. You’d love to spend lots of it with family. Your health is good. You still feel young, and are able to live an active lifestyle. You’d love to be traveling, to see the world but more importantly to see your great posterity more often. However, there is one crucial resource that you lack—money. “I worked for 45+ years!” you say, “Where did that all go?” You realize that you have nothing to show for those 45 years of 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, no sick days and a rare vacation. How do you feel? You are upset or maybe worried, but at the very least disappointed. You lived your whole life trying to scrape by, but with the expectation that you’d retire and then be able to do all those things that you always wanted to do. But now you’re there, and still just barely scraping by. You really don’t have much of your own money, and the assistance check barely puts a roof overhead and food on the table. You feel dependent. You have to rely heavily on others and don’t feel that you are really in control of your life. Money, or the lack of it, controls you. You ask yourself, “how did I get here?” As you look back over your life, you see your money habits. When it came to money, all you did was make sure the bills were paid, and then you expected that somehow the money would be there when you needed it in retirement. You realize now that you were wrong and your system did not work. Don’t be too hard on yourself though. You aren’t the only one to blame, you were never taught a better way, or any way at all really. Your parents didn’t teach you. They were in the same situation you now find yourself in. Your friends didn’t teach you. The subject of money was too uncomfortable to bring up. In all your years of schooling, you weren’t taught much more than how to balance a check book. You realize that your lack of education in personal finance has cost you dearly. So what do you do? Unfortunately, at that stage in life, there is not much you can do. Luckily for you, you are not yet 75. You are only imagining for the sake of the point being made. However, many Americans find themselves in that position. My purpose in writing this is to arouse an awareness of the importance of a basic knowledge in personal finance, and to make a plea for it to be taught in schools throughout the United States. It is not my intent to teach how to go about it, or of what that education ought to consist. I simply want to highlight the importance of an understanding of personal finance, because without that understanding, one cannot become financially free. Even just a grasp of the basics would enable us to make wiser financial decisions, and thus obtain greater financial success.

Topic Paragraph - Jake Lessie

Helaman Halls should lengthen their visiting hours in the dorm rooms. Four hours a week is simply too short, and with the added conflict of homework, ward prayer, and other activities, these mere four hours can easily be depleted to none. College is a time where students are making a jump, where they are now independent from their parents. It is a time where we start making our own decisions, and find what is best for us. It is also a time to make life long friends, and possibly find the person we want to spend the rest of eternity with. So how are we able to do these things if we have only fours hours or less each week to spend time with people in our own rooms? Lengthening visiting hours can also keep people from visiting when they aren't supposed to, while at the same time, keeping them out of trouble. Most can agree, that lengthening visiting hours at Helaman Halls will benefit the students so that they can be more social, and make more friends to keep for the rest of their lives.

Topic Paragraph

Nearly two weeks ago a group of friends and I went to a home basketball game here on campus to cheer for my favorite college basketball team, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Although I'm a student here at BYU, I grew up watching UNLV play and they continue to be my favorite team, so, having an "All-Sports Pass" I have been looking forward to this game all year. My friends and I all sat together and cheered our team on until midway through the second half when a group of security guards came and said we either had to leave or remove all the colors we were wearing for the opposing team. Some of the guards said it was a rule stated on our tickets, but none could show us where. Other guards said that the rule was printed on a small sign above stairs where you enter the stadium. We ended up making a deal with the guards and surrounding fans that we could stay if we all put our coats on and covered up our team colors (although other, more ignorant, BYU "fans" were still wearing red around us and were not bothered by security). A rule stating that nobody can wear the colors of the opposing team in the "All-Sports Pass" seating area is unfair and ridiculous. Everyone pays the same price for their tickets whether I cheer for BYU or not at a game is not the point, I paid for my tickets and I should be able to enjoy the game. The rule is not well known by any means and the only place it is stated is a small sign by the stairs in the stadium. So if I were to show up to a game with the wrong colors on by accident one week they wouldn't let me in to the game. Although I don't think even all the security guards know the rule so maybe I could pass right by like all the "fans" attending that game a couple of weeks ago that were also wearing red. If nothing else they should enforce the rule equally among all and not just to a select group that happen to be actually cheering for the game.

Paragraph Anthony Juliana

Utah is considered by many to have the "greatest snow on earth." The state of Utah even hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic games, where ski racing is always a popular event. However, students of the largest university of the state are unable to affordably participate in this great sport. By not sponsoring a ski team, Brigham Young University detracts potential students from by far Utah's greatest attraction. BYU should cover the participation fees of those who wish to participate on the ski team, a minimal cost compared to other sports.

Topic Paragraph - Austin Huntsman

After one semester of eating at the Center every day I decided that their must be a better way to eat my meals. It always seemed to me like the food was mediocre and on days when it was good, the lines to get the food took way too long. Also what are students supposed to do after the Cannon Center closes? It usually closes at 8 but on the weekends it is closed by 6. I know that I often get hungry later than that and I would like to eat something other than snacks out of the vending machines. In Helaman Halls there is a kitchen in each building's basement however, to prepare and cook a meal down there takes a lot of time which as college students is a limited resource. There is also a rule that students in Helaman Halls are not allowed to use small appliances in their rooms. I have had multiple small appliances that can quickly cook food and I can see how useful they would be to a busy student. I know that I would be glad to see a change made to this rule and I think that other students would appreciate it as well.

Topic Paragraph

" Scoot in Please"
As a large university BYU has many classes that some might consider "giant." With some classes reaching almost 700 students it is a common trend for seats to be difficult to find. That difficulty is escalated by the fact that students decide to fill up the seats from the aisles in, rather from the center out. I am not sure where the habit is derived from, but everyone at BYU seems to have learned it. Students should use common decency and sit in the middle seats first and they should also not leave spaces between each other. This creates a disturbance to both the teacher and the students who are trying to focus on the class. When people leave empty seats between each other they make the class look fuller than it really is and cause people to wander around searching for a seat. Plus, students stepping, climbing, and crawling over and around other students is really loud and distracting. Classes would start out much better and teachers wouldn't have to compete for students attention if the seat finding process was simplified.

-Dustin Belliston-

One Timer Textbooks.
You pay to much money for your textbooks. Now, on top of your dissatisfaction some teachers are now requiring that you purchase what I will call "One Timer Textbooks." These are textbooks that you actually rip out the assignments which forces you to buy a new book each semester and have no opportunity to re-sell and get some of the money you invested back. Why not separate the text and the assignment portion, allowing a re-sale of the text? Why not just post the assignments on the computer for the students to use? Why not let the students who purchase these books get what they want?

OpEd Topic Paragraph

Communication is a vital part of teaching, both inside and outside of classrooms. BYU’s current method of communicating outside of classrooms is through the server Blackboard. This allows teachers to post documents, quizzes, and grades, which the students can then access. However, Blackboard is no longer an effective tool for communication between teachers and students, because it is not a rare occurrence for there to be glitches and flaws throughout the Blackboard system. Often times, quizzes teachers post, do not show up, or sometimes even whole courses do not appear on Blackboard. However, there is a better way to communicate this same information. Last semester, one of my classes had us test drive a server called Brainhoney. Brainhoney had all the features of Blackboard, plus new ones, and was more dependable than Blackboard.
-Emily R

Topic Paragraph. Steven Kinyon

BYU's honor code is set for all students to comply and follow by. The University has set a high standard about what we as a student body and University strive to live by. For the most part, the honor code is very stable and agreeable to follow regarding some issues such as the law of chastity, the word of wisdom, dress and appearance and other such things. I personally agree with most of these concepts, but when it comes to keeping a clean male appearance is where I find it difficult and unreasonable to follow. The men should be able to grow facial hair and scalp hair to reasonable lengths of desire. We as male students have to keep our hair neatly trimmed and can't have any facial hair not including mustaches. BYU denying a student from: coming to class, eating in the cannon center or even taking a test is an unjust thing to do just because simply we forgot to shave, or maybe even our sideburns are too long. Some of us guys have a hard time keeping up on shaving, especially with work, school, family etc. It just looks like an act of disrespect to reject someone from testing or eating for something so silly, its almost as if you deny someone access to something because of their race or skin color. It might not be to that degree but it is ridiculous. I find it ironic how was have strict guidelines about having a clean shaven face and short hair when we have pictures of our Savior, Brigham Young and other prophets with long hair and facial hair, the very men we all strive to live like but we can't have those privileges. Of course this is a new day and age, but still the fact is that BYU should be a little more merciful on its grooming standards and not be as strict.

Topic Paragraph

While BYU remains somewhat competitive in almost every sport, they cannot seem to break the barrier from becoming a good athletic institution, to a great one. BYU will not come close to breaking the threshold of mediocrity and start winning National Championships until they abolish the honor code, which inhibits cream of the crop recruits from coming to BYU. The current honor code stifles the way BYU can recruit athletes because it sets an extremely high standard that most people not of the LDS faith can’t keep. This limits BYU to recruiting the same cookie cutter type individuals. Until BYU gets rid of its honor code, other D1 programs that do not hold their athletes to such a lofty standard, will continue to outperform BYU athletics year after year.

Op-Ed Topec Ideas - Jake Lessie

Argument: BYU should keep the Cannon Center open longer on Sunday.
Reason: Students have nowhere to go to eat on Sunday, except the Cannon Center, and many times the hours are not convenient with the students
Claim: When I came back to BYU from the airport, I arrived to the dorms at 6:30, too late to go to the Cannon Center, and as a result was forced to go out to eat instead.
Assumption: It would be much more convenient to have longer hours at the Cannon Center on Sunday.

Argument: Helaman Halls should have longer visiting hours
Reason: With very short visiting hours, it gives fewer chances for students to socialize with each other
Claim: Many groups of friends at Helaman Halls are either all guys, or all girls
Assumption: With longer visiting hours, guys and girls will have more chances to become better friends

Argument: BYU should allow students to show movies in the lobbies of Helaman Halls
Reason: There are no other places to watch movies, besides in our dorm rooms, which can conflicts with visiting hours
Claim: When wanting to watch a movie with some friends, the only place we could watch it was outside in the cold.
Assumption: Less people will be sneaking into rooms to watch movies, and it gives students a safe and comfortable place to be.

Op-Ed Ideas (Nate Lye)

1.

Argument: BYU should offer caffeinated drinks on campus.

Reason: Nowhere in the honor code or standards of the church is caffeine prohibited.

Claim: Caffeinated drinks aren't against any rules or standards.

Assumption: There is no reason to ban something that isn't violating the honor code.

2.

Argument: BYU should offer more Y parking close to campus.

Reason: The majority of the student population is undergraduates that live off of campus.

Claim: Parking was intended to serve the students at the school.

Assumption: Parking should be proportional to the student base.

3.

Argument: BYU should offer an associates degree.

Reason: BYU doesn't offer every possible major, and when students want to switch schools they could lose many (or all) of their credits.

Claim: BYU can't expect every student that starts at the school to stay until they graduate with BA or BS.

Assumption: Students don't know what they want to do initially, and many decide to switch schools part way through college.

Op Ed TOPiCS- Alyssa Friedel

1.)


Arguement: Byu should make more Y parking lots around campus.


Reason: So more students are able to park close to campus with out getting a parking ticket.


Claim: Going to a college where it snows, more students want to drive to school.


Assumption: More students live far away from campus, therefore they need to drive to campus.




2.)


Arguement: Paying 60 dollars to get a boot off your car is too expensive.


Reason: Most college students can not afford 60 dollars on the spot.


Claim: They make you pay before you take it off, when money might not be available.


Assumption: College students are trying to live on their own and paying to get a boot off is out of thier budget.

3.)

Arguement: The meal plan for students living in the on-campus dorms is limiting to students.

Reason: Students have to eat at certain times during the day and only given a certain amount of money to spend.

Claim: If you are extra hungry one day then you dont have enough money to eat for the rest of the week.

Assumption: Meal plans are expensive and students should not be limited to food.

Op Ed Ideas - Matthew Green

Argument: Students should be able to take their backpacks into the Cannon Center.
Reason: Allows for students to do school work and eat at the same time.
Assumption: Student grades will improve, if given more time on school work.
Claims: - Backpacks aren't allowed to be left in the hall, even when cubicles are all full.
- BYU shows that they can't trust the very students who they expect to follow the Honor Code by forcing them to leave their stuff outside, in fear of food being taken.
- It would give students more time to devote to other activities.


Argument: The Honor Code should not be enforced, rather there as guidelines to the way BYU would like you to live.
Reason: It would allow for students to follow it because they want to, not out of fear of it.
Assumption: More students will live the Honor Code equaling less problems.
Claims: - Students are more likely to follow things that are not forced upon them.
- Majority of students who attend BYU already agree with many parts of the Honor Code, making it unnecessary to enforce.
- Students from different cultures will be more attracted to attend BYU, creating more missionary opportunities.


Argument: Students should be allowed into sporting events for free, not through purchase of an all sports pass.
Reason: Students have a limited amount of discretionary income.
Assumption: More students will be more supporting of sporting events creating a bigger fan base.
Claims: - All athletes are put on a guest list, allowing them to get into any sporting event for free. Why don't regular students have that privilege?
- Students would be more willing to go to events because they can get in free.
- Students will be more willing to get involved in school activities in general.

Op Ed Topics

Argument: College courses should not have a required attendance policy.

Reason: Because students ought to have control over their education

Assumption: Students are old enough to choose to whether they will attend class, as well as accept the responsibility of their choice.

Claims: Students pay for their education. The choice to attend should be theirs.

If students can master the material and do well on tests without attendance, they should not be required to attend.

Not having an attendance policy is better for those who need the help of the professor and for those who do not.

Argument: Personal finance should be a required highschool and college course.

Reason: because the financial literacy of America is too low.

Assumption: Teaching personal finance in the schools would improve the financial literacy of America.

Claims: We are required to study courses like math, science, english, etc.., which often focus on knowledge we forget soon after taking the final exam. However, schools do little to teach personal finance, which is practical knowledge we will need everyday regardless of chosen profession.

Most American adults havea limited knowledge in personal finance (things such as planning, investing, budgeting, etc…) which forces them to live below where they could be.

A good understanding of even just the basics would lead to much wiser financial decisions, and consequently financial success in life.

Argument: The United States should do away with the current tax system and replace it solely with a consumption tax.

Reason: because the current tax system is a drag on the economy.

Assumption: A different tax system would allow the U.S. economy to grow.

Claims: The current tax system taxes effort, and rewards idleness.

The current system forces businesses to consider how to get around taxes as much, or more than, how to grow their business. This results in a weaker economy, often with businesses fleeing to more “tax friendly” nations.

Op Ed - Steven Kinyon

#1 BYU Football Recruiting.

Argument: Can BYU recruit star athletes that will follow a strict honor code?

Reason: Most athletes don't want to follow an a strict honor code.

Claim: BYU's 2010 Recruiting class was full of talent but some of the players on it have already violated the honor code.

Assumption: BYU can recruit top of the line athletes if they are willing to comply with the honor code.

#2 TCU and Boise St BCS match ups

Argument: TCU should of matched up with Florida and Boise State should of matched up with Cincinnati or visa versa or even the national championship.

Reason:Both Schools finished undefeated in the regular season and come from conferences that have to prove they can play with the powerhouse conferences.

Claim: This proves that the BCS is scared after having Utah and Boise State already beat powerhouse teams from previous years before.

Assumption: TCU and Boise State deserve a shot at those other teams, rather than against each other, or even a shot at a National Championship.

#3 Not being able to take food out of Cannon center.

Argument: Students who eat at the Cannon center should be able to take food out with them.

Reason: The food is paid for, why does it matter?

Claim: Why does it matter if I eat a donut inside the cannon center or outside of it? Either way I'm gonna eat it. We all pay for it.

Assumption: Students should be able take as much food as they want considering that the Cannon Center is a "All you can eat Buffet."

OP Ed Ideas- Brittany Gearheart

Y-parking Lot shuttle:

Argument: BYU should provide a shuttle that carries students from Y parking lots to campus.

Reason: It would make it a lot easier to get to class.

Claims: Students wouldn't have to walk 15-20 minutes just to get to class.

Claims: Students who drive could leave for school at sensible times.

Claims: Truancy and Tardiness would decrease.

Assumption: Students would be more willing to go to class if it was made easier.

Argument: Having a two-day class choice period for BYU freshman is unfair.

Reasons: Students can not get into classes they really need.

Claims: Those students who are allowed to pick on the first choice day fill up most of the classes.

Claims: Adding and Dropping classes would be a lot less complicated the first day of school.

Claims: All students pay the same tuition and should be provided the same opportunities.

Assumption: Class choice should be set up in a way that allows first day "pickers" to fill up a half of the class, leaving the second half for the second day "pickers". (does that make sense ?)

Argument: BYU should still require HEPE as a general course.

Reason: Most Students wouldn't put forth the effort of excersize unless it was manditory.

Claims: HEPE allows students a chance to excersize

Claims: After making it a habit in class, students would continue to excersize after that class was finished

Assumption: By making HEPE required, BYU students would develop healthy habits.

Op Ed Topic - Garrett McClintock

I am going to write my Op Ed about how BYU should be looking for either a MWC autobid, or moving to an auto bid conference. It would give BYU the best shot at winning a national championship in football, sooner. It would be easier to get a high ranking and get into the NC game, where they could prepare for a month, rather than have to play USC one week, Texas the next, and Florida in the national title game. There is a desparity between big BCS schools, and smaller schools because of the BCS, and because of this, the odds are against BYU in a playoff because they are not getting the same caliber athletes. A team can play the game of their lives once to win it all, but it is VERY unlikely they can do that week in and week out against teams with superior raw talent.

Op Ed - Jessica Wilberger

# 1. Dorm Visiting Hour
Arguement:
Visiting hours in Helaman Hall dorm rooms should be extended beyond four hours a week.
Reason:
More visiting hours will cause less disturbances in the dorms.
Claim:
If there are more visiting hours problems such as sneaking into dorms after horus would be reduced.
Assumption:
Limited visiting hours causes problems in the dorms.


# 2. Classroom etiquette
Argument:
Students should sit in the middle seats first and not leave seats between each other.
Reason:
It creates a disturbance to the teacher and the class when people are finding seats.
Claim:
1. When people leave seats between each other it makes the class look full and causes people to wander around looking for seats.
2. People climbing over people is loud and makes a scene.
Assumption: Finding seats is a problem in classes.

# 3. Taking food out of the Cannon
Argument:
Students should be able to take food out of the Cannon.
Reason:
The students pay for the food
Claim:
There is no harm in students taking a cookie or a half eaten apple with them on their way to class or back to the dorms.
Assumption:
Students pay for the food so they should be able to take it with them.

OP ED ideas - Danny McCracken

Argument: There should be no “quiet areas” in the library.
Reason: Quiet areas restrict the learning of students.
Claims: - All areas should be open for group study/verbal communication when necessary.
- Being “quiet” or keeping the volume down in a library should go without saying.
Assumption: Having no quiet areas will promote a better learning atmosphere by maximizing
the option of group study/verbal communication in all areas of the library;
also that students will keep the volume down and not get out of control.

Argument: There should be no speed limits on certain sections of I-15 and other highways.
Reason: Speed limits on certain sections of the highway promote a driving atmosphere in which
drivers become less alert and more easily distracted.
Claim: -The left lane will then become a “true passing lane” and the right lane will be for those
who prefer to drive slower.
-Drivers will be forced to pay more attention on their driving and develop their driving
skills.
Assumption: Having no speed limits on certain sections of I-15 and other highways will lead to
more attentive, skilled drivers who watch the road and their surroundings; this will
also lead to less accidents on those sections of highway.

Argument: The government should not tax or charge any fees whatsoever on student’s loans or
grants.
Reason: Students got the loan or grant in the first place because they were in obvious financial
need.
Claim: -There are enough taxes already.
-The majority of students are struggling financially.
Assumption: The students need the money more than the government.

Michael John Elias Thomas

• One thing that I noticed when coming to BYU is just how blessed we are to have prayer before each religion class. Prayer not only invites the spirit, but also starts the class out on a quite reverent basis. I do however feel that prayer should not just be limited to Religion classes. The Holy Ghost after all is the spirit of knowledge and understanding, which I think we all can benefit from in each of our core classes.

Argument: Prayer should be offered in every class before starting, not just the religion classes.

Reason: Prayer invites the Holy Ghost, which also gives students more understanding and knowledge.

Assumption: By starting out a class with prayer students will be enlightened to a higher understanding for that class.

Claim: The Holy Ghost gives knowledge and understanding.

Claim: Students can benefit from knowledge and understanding.

• Last Wednesday in the later end of the day, I was rather bored and decided it fun to build a snowman. Through quick recruitment I was able to find many others who were as eager as I was to construct a snowman. Among the building of said snowman, which also brought about the construction of a snow woman as well, I found out that the throwing of snowballs was banned. This action made me quite uneasy as I have found it a fun way to socialize and more of a sport than anything else. Just like any other sport, it gives the opportunity for a physical type of workout and the unity in one’s own team. I come from a northern state and I feel that this action is appalling. The mere thought of simply not using this abundant resource for fun should be strictly forbidden. I understand the need for such a rule in grade schools where the school is completely responsible for the safety of the children. However, we as college are not children and therefore should be mature enough not to cause physical ailments when competing in this sport. For as with all sports there can be injury caused to the point of medical attention. Football has not been banned at this college for its rough conduct, nor should it be. The final point I wish to make is that any sport can result in a loss of limb or broken bone and should therefore be the decision of each individual to decide whether or not to participate.

Argument: The sport of throwing snow should be allowed at BYU.

Reason: No Sport should be limited by any organization, but rather by the individual.

Assumption: By not banning any sport, students will have the opportunity to choose whether or not to participate in the sport of their choosing.

Claim: Any Sport can result in injury.

Claim: The throwing of snow is good for the physical well being of the body.

• When going to and from classes, it can be quite difficult to make it on time to our next classes. The ending of one class may result in only a ten minute gap to travel across the entire campus to get to the next class. For this reason I believe that the no bikes during passing period should be hereby disbanded. Rather than completely restrict the biking to and from class, there should rather be a path designated whereby said bikers might voyage in order to arrive on time. The creating of a separate bike path would not only insure the safety of other humanoids walking, by lack of clippings or fatal collisions, but also allow the bikers to increase their speed knowing that no pedestrian would be harmed.

Argument: A path should be designated just for the bikers on campus.

Reason: Because it would allow a quicker arrival time to classes for biking students.

Assumption: By not having a separate path, bikers are completely limited.

Claim: It would be safer to have a bike path separate from a walking path.

Claim: Bikers should be able to bike during the passing period.

Opinion Editorials - Roundy

1. Argument: The bookstore is a monopolist on the BYU campus.

Reason: They are they only place anywhere around BYU that has all the books that the students need.

Claim: The bookstore charges way too much for books.

Assumption: Students hate paying tons of money for their books.

2. Argument: Landlords for apartments around BYU charge too much for rent and fees, and don't care enough for the property.

Reason: Students have to stay in BYU approved housing and there are only a certain number of apartments around campus, so landlords will have students in their apartments no matter what they do.

Claim: They should make the prices competitive with the rest of the valley and make the landlords keep up on maintenance.

Assumption: Landlords take advantage of the fact that students have to live close to campus in approved housing by charging too much and not taking care of the property.

3. Argument: The fact that we have to have a code to add a class online after classes have started even if there is space in the class is ridiculous.

Reason: It would be easier for everyone if we could add the class online, if there was space in it.

Claim: It wastes a lot of time for students and teachers to wait and count how many people want to be in their class and how many have dropped, and then give out the codes to the students the teacher picks.

Assumption: It would save time if we could add a class online anytime if there was space in it.

OpEd ideas- Tyler Bailey

1. argument- The city of Provo should enforce a law to force all parking lots and sidewalks to be cleaned and salted to stop ice and snow build up.

reason- The parking lots and sidewalks in and around Provo are not well taken care of and it is a hazard to both drivers and pedestrians.

claim- Even trying to park is almost impossible with so much ice and snow in the parking lots, the lines are nearly invisible and sliding around on the ice makes it tough to even enter or leave a parking spot.

assumption-Most people are annoyed by ice and snow build up in parking lots and on sidewalks.

2. argument- The policy that nobody can wear the school colors of the opposing team in the "All-sports Pass" seating area at home basketball games should either be more strictly enforced or done away with completely.

reason- The rule is not well known to the public and is only enforced to specific fans at games.

claims- "All-sports Passes" are for tickets to every game, there is no rule that you must cheer for BYU or wear their team colors to games. If someone buys tickets to a game they should be able to sit where their tickets indicate and support whichever team they choose.

assumption- Not all people wear BYU team colors to games and most are not aware of the rule restricting them from wearing opposing teams colors to a game.

3. argument- There should be more "Y" designated parking zones closer to campus.

reasons- Most "Y" designated parking zones are full by 8 a.m. and trying to park in them any time after that can sometimes take up to an hour.

claims- If you want to be guaranteed a parking spot it is usually necessary to walk almost 15 minutes back to campus. Many people who drive to campus live too far to walk to campus and the lack of parking takes too much time to be worth the hassle.

assumption- Anyone who drives to campus has been affected by the lack of parking spots near campus.

Opinion Editorials - Austin Huntsman

#1 Longboarding on Campus
Argument: Longboarding should be allowed on the perimeter of campus.
Reason: It should be allowed because it would help students to get around campus more quickly.
Claims: It would take less time to get to classes even if students couldn't ride straight through campus.
Assumption: Students need to be able to get around campus more quickly.

#2 Use of Small Appliances in Helaman Halls
Arugment: Students should be allowed to use small appliances in their dorms at Helaman Halls.
Reason: This should be allowed because it lets students to make better decisions in regard to their diet.
Claims: Students could make more healthy decisions if they could cook in their dorm room.
Students would not be limited to eating when the Cannon Center is open.
Assumption: Students should make better decisions about their diet.

#3 Visiting Hours in Helaman Halls
Argument: Students should be allowed in the dorm rooms of the opposite gender more than 4 hours a week.
Reason: This should be allowed because students would spend their time more wisely.
Claims: Students would spend time interacting face to face rather than sitting on Facebook or watching tv.
Assumption: Students need to spend their time more effectively.

op eds Anthony Juliana

1:
Argument: Provo's ridiculous snowball law should be abolished.
Claims: Snowballs are not weapons.
Reasons: The only danger of snowballs are only when throwing them at traffic, which is illegal in most places anyways. Snowball fights are a fun social opportunity. It is also perhaps the most violated law on campus. Provo cops should be occupied with more important issues.
Assumptions: People are smart enough to know to not throw snowballs at cars.

2:
Argument: BYU should have a school funded ski team.
Claim: Being in Utah, it is a huge shame that the ski team is not funded by the school.
Reasons: Athletes of other sports mostly get to play for free, if not get paid to play. Students wanting to ski race must pay 375 dollars for a seasons pass + an additional 200-300 in league fees. Utah has the "greatest snow on earth."
Assumptions: There are enough skiers to make the team worthwhile.

3.
Argument: Residents of Oregon, Alaska, Delaware, Montana and New Hampshire should not have to pay Utah sales tax.
Claim: Forcing these citizens to pay sales tax is unfair.
Reasons: As out of states residents, we don't really benefit from the extra revenue the government gets from sales taxes. Example: A membership for the Provo library is NOT free for non-permanent residents. Plus families of students from these 5 states also pay higher property taxes so it is not all that fair for families to essentially pay taxes twice.
Assumptions: Individual shop owners will actually honor this new policy.

Op Ed Ideas - Garrett McClintock

Idea #1

Argument:BYU needs to remodel more bathrooms to be like those in the Wilk.

Assumption: Everyone loves the hand dryers in the Wilk.

Reason: When the bathrooms are remodeled, they need to be done to top of the line.

Claim: The hand dryers, and toilet paper dispensers are more sanitary and people find the hand dryers to be extremely amusing.

Idea #2

Argument: People need to sit fill in rows of lecture halls from the middle outward.

Assumption: Nobody likes climbing over 20 people to find a seat.

Reason: It is a distraction to those blocking the way as they get ready to focus for class, and disturbs the setting.

Claim: Climbing over people is frustrating, wastes time, and is an annoyance to all parties involved. If we started sitting in the middle, it would take away these problems.

Idea #3

Argument: BYU should argue for a Mountain West autobid, rather than a playoff.

Assumption: BYU should get a shot at the national championship every year.

Reason: If BYU were in an autobid conference, they would be able to go to bigger bowl games, leading to a national title game.

Claim: At the current state, with the recruiting differences (2010 notwithstanding) between BCS, and nonBCS schools, BYU has a better shot at winning via the BCS than a playoff. They could beat a better team by having 3 weeks of preparation much easier than having to beat really good teams for 3 or 4 weeks in a row with a playoff.

Dustin Belliston...

#1: Military.

• Argument- Navy Seals should not get court martialed for roughing up terrorists.
• Reason- Navy Seals need to get information from these terrorist when interrogating.
• Assumption- Terrorist are a threat to America.
• Claim- 3 Elite Seals were court martialed for giving Ahmed Hashim Abedm, the alleged mastermind of a gruesome murder of 4 Americans, a "bloody lip."

#2: Onetimer Textbooks.

• Argument- Teachers should not require disposable textbooks.
• Reason- Adds extra dollars to the students cost.
• Assumption- By using a disposable textbook it does not drive the cost down for the new book by eliminating the re-sale market.
• Claim- a)My Econ 110 class requires that a disposable textbook be bought and the assgnment are torn out.b)creating a seperate book with the assignments in it could split the textbook between Text and Assignments and then allow for the re-sale of the text portion.

#3 BCS Bowl Games.

• Argument- The NCAA Football Bowl Championship Series is an inadequate determination of the best college footbal team in the country.
• Reason- It does not allow for all the teams in the country to compete for the championship, instead it is divided up in conferences and rankings.
• Assumption- The BCS has not allowed all teams an equal chance to win.
• Claim- a)The BCS employs a voting assesment, which may be influenced by the profit of certain teams playing each other. b) Allow undefeated teams to finish the season with out having the oppurtunity to compete against the "so-called" champion. c) The last 6 seasons have had more undefeated non-BCS champions than undefeated BCS champions.

Tyler Aston

Idea # 1

A: Required materials for BYU courses should be available prior to the start of a new semester.

R: Students spend too much time and money acquiring materials during their 1^st week of classes, which negatively affects their ability to learn.

A: Early access to required materials would help students.

C: This would reduce the monopoly the bookstore has on the buying and selling of books, greatly saving students money.

C: This would save money, as BYU wouldn’t have to staff so many employees at the bookstore.

C: Time spent at the bookstore would be better spent studying.

Idea # 2

A: Teachers should have to grade tests on a curve

R: It is a better reflection of how a student has learned the material in the class

A: Grading on a points system is a poor way to grade

C: Students shouldn’t be penalized in points if class instruction didn’t emphasize material found on tests

Idea # 3

A: There needs to by more student on campus parking

R: It takes too much time to get to class.

A: There is an insufficient amount of student parking

C: More time would be allocated for study if students could drive to class.

OpEd Ideas - Emily R

These are my ideas!
Emily R

Idea #1
Argument: BYU should not have done away with the HEPE GE requirement.
Reason: This action gives the false impression that exercise is not an integral part of life.
Assumption: If BYU students were required to take the HEPE GE, they would exercise more.
Claims: HEPE provides an opportunity for students to exercise in class, students would realize how good it feels to exercise.

Idea #2
Argument: Black board is not an effective tool to use with classes on campus.
Reason: There are always glitches and flaws with Blackboard.
Assumption: There is a better way to communicate the same information.
Claims: There are problems with quizzes on blackboard, some classes don't show on blackboard, blackboard is frequently down for maintenance.

Idea #3
Argument: BYU should not have done away with the Woman's Research Institute.
Reason: This gives the impression that women are not important on campus.
Assumption: If the Woman's Research Institute remained, female students would feel more a part of campus
Claims: Woman's Research Institute was important to many people, and the campus community

OP ED IDEAS

My Op Ed Ideas.... Jordan Franks

1. 1. If BYU didn’t require a commitment to an honor code, BYU athletics would dramatically improve as a result of better and more diverse recruiting ability.

Assumptions: The BYU honor code stifles athletic achievement.

Reasons: The Honor Code stifles the way BYU can recruit athletes because it sets an extremely high standard that most people not of the LDS faith are not willing to accept.

Claims:

• BYU athletics are not very diverse as opposed to other D1 programs
• Other Major programs without an honor code inhibiting recruiting outperform BYU athletics year after year.

2. The dress code on campus is extremely lackadaisical, outdated and is loosely enforced. Therefore, the dress code should be abandoned.

Assumptions: The dress code should be abandoned because it’s not really enforced anyways.

Reasons: Why should there by a “code” established on a campus that no-one really follows and/or enforces?

Claims:

• People wear basically whatever they want
• Dress code is rarely enforced, if ever.

3. In this modern world where diversity is viewed as absolutely essential to create the best learning environment, BYU is not a place that harbors a lot cultural, religious, and political diversity. Therefore, BYU should look to increase its diversity by appealing to different groups and religions.

Assumptions: If Byu were to appeal to lots of different groups and religions, diversity would increase at BYU

Reasons: BYU doesn’t appeal to a very diverse group of people

Claims: BYU is over 86% Caucasian and around 98% LDS

English 150 Assignment Adjustments

Class,

I am adjusting the due dates on a couple assignments for the blog. If you look on the syllabus, you'll notice that I had you commenting on others' suggested topics next Tuesday. I am moving that date up to Monday by noon. This means that on Saturday by midnight you are going to post three of your own possible topics, along with C, R, and A. Then, by Monday at noon you are going to respond to three of your peers postings. Your responses should be more than "that looks good." Rather, you should offer constructive criticism or other points they should think about. I will also be responding to your topic ideas and giving you suggestions.

If you have any questions let me know.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday!

--RL

Welcome to English 150 Winter 2010

Class,

We will use this blog to help one another improve our writing. We will discuss various topics for papers and share our knowledge on topics or possible related events/sources. This is where you will post your idea for an Opinion Editorial on Saturday. If you have any questions feel free to email me.