Rogerian Argument

Sidney Faine

Professor Crumit-Hancock

Rogerian Argument Essay

5/2/2017

Poverty in Communities

            A common characteristic in communities all over the globe is poverty.  The average percentage of communities in financial need is 80% (Leiner, 2014); that’s well over 3 billion people who seek help. Due to the lack of finances, the citizens in these communities suffer from aggression, depression, anxiety, dropping out of school, and coming into contact with crime. (Leiner, 2014). There have been many debates as to whether these communities deserve help from others or not, and after looking through numerous articles it is clear that many people have been attempting to provide help. However the real question is, what is the correct approach to help these communities in need? By reading Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion, The Jewish Quarterly Review, and The Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children Exposed to Poverty, many solutions have been mentioned such as economic help, charity organizations, and other various types of donors. However, the Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion is the only article that provides strong options to help improve these communities.

            Although many people around the world are trying to find solutions to help those in economic need, there are many people that think those in poverty should fend for themselves. Not only did those in poverty “dig their own grave” per say, but they also made it difficult for their children and grandchildren to dig themselves out of the poverty hole as well. Basically, half of the population wants to help those in need, while the other half thinks they should provide for themselves, and if they cannot afford certain things, than that is due to their own actions and decisions. For example, global poverty strategies were considered, but after a long debate, concerns were shown towards a large demographic change on the “scope and nature of global poverty.” (Strier, 2008). Although not all may agree, this is a very accurate statement. When the world undergoes a drastic change, chaos is bound to happen. Therefore, if it was decided to completely end world poverty, problems and possibly even riots would break out. Community Anti- Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical Discussion also discusses national, regional, and community level changes as well as the global change mentioned above. However, it was also discussed that if anyone were to make a large change towards poverty in the national or regional level, it would not work properly. This being said, a community-level change is the only proper solution according to this article. The author, Roni Strier, states that poverty strategies at the community level are, “linked to the political nature of poverty research,” and are to some degree, “research funding agencies.” (Strier, 2008).

            Although there is a lot of controversy on whether or not to help the communities suffering from poverty, I think that the answer is pretty clear. Although a global change can drastically harm the world, I think that if communities were to start out slowly, and work within their own city limits to improve themselves, poverty could surely cease. Obviously, it will not end all at once, it will take time and lots of help and donations. However, over time I truly believe that the world could end poverty by helping one another out. This plan is beneficial to all communities that decide to join, because in the long run it will improve the lives of everyone involved. Not only is this plan beneficial, but it is valid as well. Communities could construct a donation fund to those in need, while also providing efforts to help their fellow citizen.

            There are many similarities and benefits that come along with each argument discussed above. For example, both arguments discuss helping communities, whether it be on a larger scale or a smaller scale. Both arguments also discuss the benefits of supporting those in need with donations that are not needed by the more fortunate.  However, the argument I suggested also benefits the surrounding communities and makes the world a better place altogether. Therefore, those that are not in poverty should slowly move towards making the less-fortunate communities a better place to live.                  

           

Annotated Bibliography

Leiner, Marie “The Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Children Exposed to Poverty.” Salud

            Mental. April 3, 2014. Print.

            This article focuses on the relationship between poverty and the affect it has on children in a community. The author, Marie Leiner, studies a sample of children living in numerous cities in Mexico that face poverty compared to children living in more stable cities, such as El Paso, Texas. The rest of the article explains the type of study she used to measure the emotional problems these children face, while also giving a conclusion as to what her study found.

Shoshan, Boaz. “Poverty and Charity is the Jewish Community of Medieval Egypt.” University

            of Pennsylvania Press. July 17, 2008. Print.

            In this article, Shoshan discusses the poverty that Jewish communities have faced throughout the years. However, Shoshan focuses more on how poverty makes their community healthier by bringing all the people together to provide charity to those who are less fortunate. Therefore, unlike the article used beforehand, this article provides an argument as to how poverty helps the community.

Strier, Roni. “Community Anti-Poverty Strategies: A Conceptual Framework for a Critical

            Discussion.” Oxford University Press. 2009. Print.

            This article discusses how communities are a reoccurring theme when it comes to poverty in an area. However, Strier also discusses how this relationship has not been adequately proven. Therefore, this article helps prove both sides of the argument correct by proving that neither side has an adequate amount of information. 

Week 13: Free Writing

You always hear about how emotional people get when they leave college to go home for the summer. I personally never thought that I would be the emotional type in this situation, but as my freshman year comes to a close..I now understand what everyone has been saying. In my dorm room, my roommate and I had 2 walls covered entirely with pictures of us and our friends. As I was taking down my half of the wall, I began to feel the emotions bubbling up inside me. Not only is it sad that I won't see a lot of my friends for the next 3 months, but the fact that I won't see a lot of the senior class ever again is what really makes me sad. Altogether, I just want to thank everyone here at Defiance for making my first year so amazing.

Week 13: Playlist

If I had to create a playlist for my life it would be,
1.) Mr. Boombastic by Shaggy. As a kid, my family and I would drive over to our friends house to go swimming in their pond. On our way there, we would listen to tons of Shaggy's songs, but this one was always one of my favorites. Now, whenever I hear it playing, I'm sent back to soaking up the sun and making memories with my family.
2.) Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang. When I was younger my dad would take out his Sugarhill Gang CD and listen to it during our entire car ride, no matter where we were going. Because of him, I am now able to rap every single word to the entire song whenever I hear it playing. And every time I hear it, it takes me back to my younger days and bonding with my dad.
3.) Fergalicious by Fergie. You know that song that makes you want to dance every single time it comes on? Fergalicious is that song for me. Whenever I'm out with my friends or even just driving on, I can't help but rap every word along with Fergie. Even my friend Liz knows to play this song whenever she's in charge of the aux.
4.) You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins. This was the song dedicated to my senior class, and every time I hear it I think of one of my best friends, Blake, singing it as loud as he could into my ear. And no, he's not as good of a singer as you think. But back to the point, this song reminds me of all the good times I had with my class and all the memories I'll always cherish with them.
5.) Wannabe by Spice Girls. Believe it or not, my grandma, who was in her 70's at the time, knew every word to every song by the Spice Girls. When I would go to her house as a kid, we would watch The Spice Girls movie, and then listen to the CD whenever she would drive me to her friend's house to swim. Now that my grandma passed away, this song has even more meaning to me. It always reminds me of spending time with my grandma and how fun and outgoing she was.
6.)  London Bridge by Fergie. By now it's clear that I'm a big fan of Fergie, but this song doesn't just make me want to dance, it takes me back to my high school basketball days. Although it may not be the most appropriate song, it was on our warm up playlist and every time it came on, my fellow seniors and I would sing our hearts out. It may not be the best warm up song, but it always got me and my teammates fired up.
7.)  Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran. With both my grandpa and grandma passing away earlier this year, this song always hits home with me. It reminds me of how, although it's painful, both my grandparents are in a better place now.
8.) Keep'n It Real by Shaggy. It's also obvious that I'm a big fan of Shaggy, since I practically grew up listening to all of his music (thanks to my dad). Not only does this song remind me of summertime with my family, but it gives good life advice about "keeping it real" with everyone you meet. Basically, this song has taught me to be yourself and not change just to be like other people.
9.) All Night by Chance the Rapper. I wanted to add this song to my life playlist because every time I go out with my friends this song is always playing. Basically, whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of my first semester here at Defiance and all the memories I made with my friends here.
10.) That's What I Like by Bruno Mars: Every time this song comes on, my entire basketball team either sings to it or dances to it. Now, whenever I hear it I get flashbacks to our first season together and it always brings a smile to my face.

Week 12: Free Writing

One of the main things I've  learned here at Defiance College is that your team is always there for you. Early this year I lost both my grandpa and grandma due to certain illnesses, however through it all my teammates and coaches were there to keep me up. They made sure I was doing okay and even signed a card for me with really heartfelt words in it. Some of my team even came to the visitation to support me in this tough time as well. As the year progressed, many of my other teammates lost family members as well, yet we were always there to help them out when they were feeling down. Now, one of the toughest people on our team just lost one of her biggest supporters, her brother. During tough times like this, it's important to remember that you have a whole other family standing behind you to pick you up, whether it be from losing a loved one, going through an injury, or simply having a bad day. Your team is always there for you.

Week 12: Elevator Music

In the video, "Elevator Music," a teenage girl and an elderly man are seen standing in an elevator together. As they stand in silence, the girl pulls out her phone and starts playing some music rather loudly. This obviously irks the elder man, thus he takes out his phone and plays his own type of music just as loud. As the video continues, more and more people enter the elevator, and more and more people take out their phones and play the music they prefer as loud as possible. At the end of "Elevator Music," a man enters the elevator with a boombox, and everyone knows that his music will overpower all of their phones, so they turn their music off. However, the man decides to listen to his music through his headphones instead of blasting it for everyone else to hear. I personally think that the author made the music in this video stands for everyone's opinion, and that they're all trying to overpower what everyone else things. However, once the last person comes in with the boombox, the others realize that even though he has the loudest system (opinion) he keeps it to himself so that it will not disturb the others. I also think that the author's audience can pertain to anyone simply due to the fact that each person in the elevator is of a different age and race. However, the audience could also relate to those who are involved in politics and matters such as that. Altogether, this video can teach people in a community to respect one another, take turns when speaking out, and that in the end, sometimes silence is the best answer.

Week 11: Free Writing

One of the things that irks me the most is when people don't take handicap accessibility into consideration. Obviously, having a father with MS has drastically changed my perspective on this issue, however more people should be aware of it. When choosing a college, one of my first concerns was if it was handicap accessible or not, because I wanted my dad to feel comfortable when he'd come and visit or come watch one of my basketball games. After looking into Defiance College, I thought it was suitable enough for him. However, after having my dad actually come here, it has come to my realization that the campus is not all that accessible after all. Yes, Defiance has gone out of its way to provide elevators and handicap accessible sidewalks, but there are also many things that are not adequate enough. The bathrooms do not provide doors that open for those with walkers or wheelchairs, and the dorms also have very tight quarters that are hard to maneuver through. Many students that are enrolled in the Cultural Diversity class have also realized this due to the "wheelchair project" that they conduct. I guess what I'm trying to say is, people assume that a place is handicap accessible just because it has parking spots and buttons to open doors, but in reality much more is needed.

Week 11: Transition to College Writing

Dear Seniors,

"College work requires new kinds of motivation and self-discipline." When I read this line out of Keith Hjortshoj's book, The Transition to College Writing, I couldn't think of anything else that was more true. In high school you can get by with studying the night before for a test, but if you do that in college you can kiss your GPA goodbye. And believe it or not, you actually have to pay attention in your classes once you get to college, because in a blink of an eye you can be 10 slides behind and lost on what the professor's talking about. Another point that Hjortshoj makes in his book is that the variation between high school and college is most dramatic in the first year, and he is not wrong about this. Obviously your first year in college will be the most different. You won't have to get up at 7 AM every day for school, and some days you might not even have class. Another dramatic difference between your senior year of high school and your freshman year of college is the amount of studying you'll have to do. It's not a joke or a suggestion, you need to study. A LOT.
However, there's a couple things that Hjortshoj didn't mention about your transition into college. Although the coursework is more difficult, and you really have to manage your time, you're not alone on this. There's plenty of people that are willing to help you with homework you don't understand. And another thing that may not seem important is managing your time and when you're going to sit down and do your work. A lot of first-year students skip over this step and end up missing assignments or stressing about due dates. Just a little tip, set a scheduled time to study, do homework, and catch up on the classes you're having trouble in. If you do these things, your first year will be a piece of cake.
Some people do not take these tips into consideration. For some reason, they think that these are just myths, when in reality they're not. If you believe that you can walk into college and keep the same studying procedures, you're lying to yourself. If you come in with this mindset you can end up hurting yourself in the long run, and no one wants that.

Week 7: Free Writing

The first snowfall of winter is such a beautiful thing, and the way the sun makes the snow sparkle is even better. But seriously, I'm ready for all this damn snow to melt. Sure, it was fun and all at first. Snowball fights, sledding, making snowmen with your friends, but halfway through all those activities you start to realize that the cold has crept into your fingers...and then you wish you'd never sunk your hands in that 4 feet of snow. I'm tired of doing the fast-paced mom-walk to all of my classes, and tired of looking like an Alaskan Eskimo when I like in Northwest Ohio. I simply want it to be warm. So yes, I understand that snow can be beautiful, but it would be even more beautiful if it would pack up and go somewhere else.

Regrets

One thing that everyone on this planet has is regrets. For example, some of my biggest regrets are staying in my comfort zone and not telling people how much they mean to me. I regret these things, because it has held me back from so many things in my life. If I would have went outside of my comfort zone in high school, I could have made so many more friends and made so many more memories. And if I would have told some people what they truly meant to me, they might still be in my life, and I wouldn't regret how things had ended between us. However, I still have a chance to do these things, and no longer make them regrets. I can take my time in college & open up to those I do not know. I can also let all of my loved ones know how truly thankful I am that they're in my life. If everyone had this same mindset about turn regrets into something better, we could all be much happier, thus making our community and planet a much happier place as well.

Week 5: Politics

Why "America First" is a dangerous doctrine:
In this article, the political community is the anti-Trump administration, or in simpler words, those who do not support Trump. This could be a very unhealthy community, because they are focusing their energy on pushing negativity onto a group of supporters instead of trying to make the world a better place. Altogether, an unhealthy community such as this could possibly lead to threatening events such as a riot. Healthy communities could be affected by this in a negative way as well, because the anti-Trump administration could forcibly ruin their day to day routines. 

Behind the Internet's Anti-Democracy Movement:
In this article, the political community is the anti-egalitarians. This could be a very unhealthy community because they only care about their own views, not the views of other people. This could also lead to threatening events and heated arguments that could affect people in negative ways.

Week 5: Free Writing

My deep belly laugh, my partner in crime, basically my sister, Deborah. Her name is not really Deborah, but for safety reasons it this is what I'll call her. When I first met Deborah, I did not think we'd get along very well, but now we're inseparable. We both find humor in the same things, and can communicate with simply giving each other "the look." Not only do we both have passion for the same sport, but we're both the coolest people around. Obviously, I'm a tad cooler than Deborah though. At the end of the day, no matter what I'm going through, I know that I can go to Deborah and she'll give me the best advice she has. All in all, I'm glad I met Deborah, she's exactly what I needed here at college, and I couldn't thank God enough for putting this goofball in my life.

Week 3: Free Writing

As a child, I remember spending almost all of my free time outside, or with my family playing some sort of game. Now, when I see children, they have their noses buried in an iPhone, or an electronic tablet of some sort. It's sad to think that this is what our society has come to, to where parents have to beg their children to put their electronics down just to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. What's even worse than that, is seeing a child reach out to their parent, and seeing the parent push them away so that they can answer a phone call or reply to a text message. In a society such as this, you rarely see people spending quality time with each other, and if you do, there always seems to be a cell phone near by. This is why when I have children, I am making sure that they do not grow up this way. I will make sure that they are more infatuated with living their life, than with seeing how many likes they can get on their social media post. That they will actually make memories with the ones that they love, instead of tweeting about it. Altogether, I just want to make sure that they enjoy life as much as I have, without having a phone by them 24/7.

Week 3: Audience Awareness

This week I am supposed to write about the importance of audience awareness, which may seem rather dull to some people, but in reality it is actually very important. We should be critical of the audience and the information provided in these advertisements so that we do not get the wrong impressions and so that we clearly understand what the company is promoting and who they are promoting it to. For example, in the first commercial I was required to watch, a father build a trampoline for his daughter's Christmas gift. While she was sleeping, a few forest animals found the trampoline and decided to enjoy it. After watching this, it is clear that the intended audience for this commercial could be trampoline buyers and parents with young children. I think this was the intended audience, because is shows that no matter who you are, you can have fun on a trampoline. I was also required to watcha commercial that showed a young boy who was supposedly "lost" and asked a police officer for a ride home in his Mercedes-Benz police car. It is clear that the Mercedes-Benz company is reaching out to an audience interesting in cars and even more specifically, Mercedes-Benz. This is evident, because the commercial shows that anyone will go out of their way just to get on ride in a smooth car such as a Mercedes-Benz. The last advertisement I was required to watch was aimed towards the beer-drinking audience. I say this, because it was a commercial about people having a good time throughout many decades, and in each decade people were seen enjoying a Budweiser beer. Therefore, they're trying to reach out to the beer-drinking audience and promote the fact that whenever you're drinking on of their drinks, you're most likely having a good time.

Week 2: Free Writing

Many of you have probably read a blog pertaining to someone's love of a sport and how it got brought into their life. Therefore, I feel that I should put my two cents in on my love for basketball. Basketball has always been in my family, however it really took off when my dad and uncle decided to play it in high school. They ended up breaking all the records at Cory-Rawson, and then furthered their athletic careers at Bowling Green State University. There, they also made a name for themselves, and after graduating my uncle was actually drafted in the 6th round of the NBA by the Houston Rockets. However, he chose his family over a professional career, which in my opinion was the right choice. Many years later, the word got around that my parents were having another baby Faine. People automatically expected me to be born with these amazing basketball skills, however that was not true. Sure, I had some ball skill, but I was nearly as talented as my father had been. And what made it even harder was the expectations from all of those who knew the "Faine" name. As I began to age, I started to get more and more attached to basketball, and realized why my dad loved it so much. I realized that it's not just a sport, it's a way to show that you're made of greatness, and it's also an outlet for any anger or frustration you might be feeling in your life. Another reason I play the sport, is because it's a way to keep my dad in the game. He was diagnosed with MS in 2006, therefore he can no longer play basketball, let alone move like he used to. So as you can see, I don't just play the sport for me, I play it for my dad, because I know how much he loves the sport. Although I can't give him the ability to play again, I can give him the chance to stay involved in the sport he has loved for so many years. 

Week 2: Community

I've never had the opportunity to be apart of a community other than my own, small town community. Once I decided to attend Defiance College that all changed. I was thrown into an entirely different environment, which was intimidating at first. However, after spending one semester here in Defiance, I can now say that I am apart of an amazing community, both in the college and the city itself. 

Before I decided to go off to college, "community" was simply the people that lived in the same town as me, but now it has an entirely different meaning. "Community" now means having the same interests and goals as those around you, and having a feeling of fellowship with those around you. In other words, it's like being apart of one big family that's trying to make the city a better place. Although I have only been a part of the Defiance College community for one semester, I feel like I've been here my whole life. This community took me in as their own, and made me feel as if I were at home. 

There are many reasons as to why I think Defiance has a good community. For example, there are many organizations both at the college and throughout the town that put forth their time and efforts to make the city a better place. In the 6 months that I have been here, I, along with many others, have helped pick up litter along the highway, volunteered for the Special Olympics, walked dogs at the humane society, and stuffed backpacks full of food for the poor. These may not seem like huge changes to some people, but by volunteering to do these small activities, we are making this community better one step at a time. Although it seems that I have volunteered for a lot, there are many other organizations that I have not been apart of that also help make our community a kinder place. For example, there's a Goodwill store for those who are low on money, and an organization called "Opp Shop" at the Defiance College that lends out professional clothing for those who cannot afford it. These small gestures help the less fortunate have the opportunity to add to our community by attempting to get a job.
Altogether, by choosing to further my education at Defiance College, I have found out what the true meaning of "community" is. It means joining forces with those around you, and putting your efforts towards helping others and making a city or town a better place to live. By doing these simple things, we can make our towns a nicer, kinder place to live.

Week 1: Free Writing

"You never know what you have until it's gone." I've heard this saying numerous times without realizing its importance, but now it speaks volumes to me. At the beginning of this month, I lost the only grandpa I had ever had. I thought losing him was the worst part, but seeing my mom and grandma in pain made it even worse than it already was. As if that wasn't enough, I also lost my grandma Faine, who was a single parent to four sons, including my dad. Now, you may think that this blog entry is going to be rather sad and depressing, but that is not my goal. It's just come to my realization that I have lost two very important people to me, and I wanted to take this time to properly thank them both for all that they have done. Therefore, thank you Grandpa. Not only for being a great husband to my grandma and a great father to my mom, but for taking the role as my only grandfather, and filling it perfectly. You have taught me everything I know about cars, and because of that I don't get nervous if my car gets stuck in the snow, or if random lights start flashing on my dashboard. You have also taught me how to properly get milk out of my cereal bowl without spilling it all over me, and yes, I still use the "scooping technique" to this day. I also wanted to say thank you for showing me how a marriage should really be. You loved Grandma unconditionally, even when Alzheimer's crept into your life, and because of you I know what real love looks like. I would also like to take this time to thank my grandma as well. Thank you for always making me laugh, and for telling me I have a, "cute figure," even on the days that I'm feeling a little chunky. You introduced me to the world of art, and then proceeded to teach me everything you knew about it. And I also can't thank you enough for teaching me that it's okay to be a single, independent, woman.  Because of you, I know what the proper meaning of "necking" is, and I also know nearly every story about our family, even if you tended to repeat them once or twice. Both my grandma and my grandpa have taught me many things throughout my life, while also making unforgettable memories with me. It hurts that they are not here to help me get through this heartache, but I know they are both in a much better place now. I will finish this entry off with rather simply; I love and miss you both, and can't wait to see you two once again.

Week 1: Waking Up in Jail

Waking up in a jail cell was definitely not how I planned to spend my Sunday morning. As I attempted to rub the grogginess out of my eyes, I tried to remember what had happened the night before. However, nothing came to mind. I started to feel the panic creeping up on me. "Hello?!" I screamed as I searched the room for a guard of some sort. I started to pace next to the makeshift bench they call a "bed." What in the world happened last night? How did I end up in jail?! Still in disbelief, I stuffed my hands in my pocket and felt something round with shard edges prick my finger. I pulled the mysterious object out, and realized it was the cap to a Smirnoff bottle. "That's odd..." I mumbled to myself. I could have swore I didn't drink last night, and I definitely didn't feel hungover, just extremely tired. I shoved my hand in my jacket pocket to look for any other clues. As I pulled my hand out I looked at my findings; a necklace, a pack of tissues, a Taco Bell receipt, and a cap to a Nyquil bottle. Like a giant wave, the previous night came rushing back to me. I had went out with my friends to be the DD for the night, since I had a cold and wasn't feeling too well. That explains the tissues. Deborah, one of the girls I had gone out with, gave me her necklace because it kept getting caught in her hair and pulling it. After hours of watching my friends drink themselves away I told them it was time to go, but they insisted that we go get some Taco Bell before I took them back. I looked at the receipt and not to my amazement, the price totaled about $30...man, they can eat. After returning everyone home safely, I remember my gas light turning on, but silly me thought I had enough gas to make the drive back to my dorm room. About 5 miles away from my campus, I ran out of gas. It was way too cold for me to walk, plus I already had a cold and was feeling pretty awful myself. I reached in the backseat for my Nyquil bottle and took a big swig of it to help me sleep through my awful cough. I remember waking up to a police officer tapping on my window and shining a light in on me. As I rolled down my window, the smell of the alcohol Deborah had spilled in my car came rolling out, and of course the officer smelled it. He asked me to step out of the car and take a Breathalyzer test, which I gladly said yes to since I had not been drinking. However, to my amazement the officer said my alcohol level was higher than it should have been, which I'm assuming is due to the alcohol that Nyquil contains. The officer could tell I was not extremely impaired or anything. Therefore, I remember him saying he was taking me back to the station just for precaution reasons. I laughed to myself as I looked at the Nyquil cap. Who knew trying to cure your cold could get you arrested?