I like the idea of an honor code. Many elite private universities have them, such as Vanderbilt. At Vanderbilt they have a ceremony at the beginning of every year and the incoming freshmen sign a banner saying they will abide by the honor code. I think this is a great idea because it makes it feel like you have personally committed to being honest. They specifically lay out what is unacceptable and then you sing saying you understand the rules and consequences. While MTSU has clear academic dishonesty information on their web site and in the catalog, having students sign something makes it a little more formal.

When I go to a ceremony of any sort, I take it seriously. The reason we have ceremonies for anything is to draw attention to and show the importance of something. This is why a ceremony regarding the honor code is a great idea. I am not sure if there is less dishonesty at the schools that use these types of tools, but it is worth a try.

Wind Farms

Any means we can use to gather energy that makes no harmful byproduct is something we should look into. Wind is an infinite resource, and for that matter, so is sunlight. I know that the argument some make is that wind is unpredictable and there wouldn't be a steady supply of energy. Maybe not, but it can be one part of the solution to creating cleaner energy. There doesn't have to be one answer, there certainly isn't now. We use methane, natural gas, hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, and others. I think a good idea would be to use wind and solar in tandem and them we could significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

There is also argument over the cost. There is an initial cost for the production and installation of the turbines. After this, there is little maintenance cost and the cost of electricity produced is on par with coal and natural gas. New types of energy always cost more at first because the infrastructure is being built and investment must be made with an eye to the future. It all comes down to where are priorities lie. If it is most important to only have the cheapest form of energy with little regard for the quality of life it leaves for future generations, then wind may not be viable. On the other hand, if we want cleaner air and less pollutants from coal and less damage to our water table and private wells as caused by the fraccing process to access natural gas, then wind power is somehitng we should consider.

Propaganda

The goal of propaganda is to convince people of something. To do something, to eat something, to watch something. It is meant to tell people, "vote for him." propaganda can be done very effectively to convince a group of people to think the way they are being told to think. I think good propaganda does exist as long as we can realize it is still subversively changing what people think. One example of this could be anti-drug commercials and pamphlets. They are still presenting a biased case and not looking objectively at all acts about drugs. What they are doing is still good though because it is convincing people not to use drugs.

One example of working propaganda is the one that is the first to come to my mind when propaganda is mentioned. Nazi Germany used propaganda very effectively. They were able to exterminate many of their own people only through the complacency of the rest of the population achieved, in part, through propaganda. Another example of propaganda being used effectively is the anti smoking campaign. Smoking rates have declined greatly since public service announcements and warning labels have been added to tobacco products. A final example of the successful usage of propaganda is in dealing with the Iraq war. People were told we were in immediate danger from that country. they had weapons of mass destruction. Anthrax even. It was scary stuff. i remember watching Colin Powell give the famous UN talk where he held up the small vile and talked about all the terrible things they had. Emotional tones and phrases were used to convince people this war was necessary preying on people's weaknesses after 9/11.

I like writing. I do. No, really. I am saying it so many ways to try to remind myself that I do, indeed, enjoy writing. I have a three year old and a five year old. Most of my writing time involves tracing dotted letters and spelling random words. It is incredibly hard to make myself take the time to write for myself about something that interests me.

One way I can make this a little easier, is to have a nice place to write. My husband recently refinished a desk for me that I have reserved as a me only desk. No children's papers or applesauce allowed! I have a nice lamp with a white shade, a small blue vase with small white flowers painted on it for pens, and a nice stack of books I am currently interested in. I like to write short bursts in notebooks and longer writings go on the computer. My desk faces a window that oerlooks the MTSU campus. I have a lovely view of trees while I write. I am hopeful that this class will make me use this little used space more often.