Papers
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
The Potential of Adult Stem Cells
At some point in everybody’s life, they bear a sharp resemblance to an unidentifiable sphere of cells that looks nothing like a human being. But these are no ordinary cells tied down to serving a single, narrow purpose for their entire existence. These cells have the extraordinary capability to transform into any type of cell present in the human body from a skin cell on the upper left shoulder to a muscle cell in the heart. The inherent problem with embryonic stem cells is that in order to tap into the regenerative power of these cells, the life of fellow humans must be sacrificed. The forfeiture of life in order to save it creates as many problems as it solves. Fortunately for countless unborn humans there is an alternative to embryonic stem cells that does not involve their death in any way. It is in adult stem cells that we can find the same healing potential without the cost of human life. Adult and embryonic stem cells share many of the same properties but adult stem cells have several advantages which do not include the fact that they do not require the death of a human. Adult stem cells would be taken from the very people who need them, which eliminates the problem of rejection by the immune system and that of finding an appropriate donor. In addition to this, adult stem cells are much easier to predict and control than embryonic stem cells and have already been used in numerous successful treatments. Adult stem cells will revolutionize the field of medicine.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Modern Technology Has Its Faults-Misty
Remember that conversation with your best friend senior year of high school? The conversation lasted hours and was full of great laughs. How many times were “lol”, “jk”, and “brb” used? It almost seems that this kind of slang has become a new form of language. Instant messaging (IM) is a very casual form of speech, with more relaxed grammar and spelling, also known as street speech. The use of this modern technology (IM) reduces the use of the formal English language, makes it more difficult to adjust to situations where formal English is needed, and takes away from the relational skills that teenagers develop by talking with and interacting with others. Therefore, instant messaging can hurt a student’s writing abilities and social skills.
The Elementary Bridging of the Gap-Megan W
Language is something that makes this world run; it is how we communicate to each other through words. The number of languages is numerous and dialects are infinite. Speaking to one another is very important and learning to speak to others of different linguistic backgrounds is going to make this world more united. In the United States we do not begin learning different languages, until high school and college, but this should be started much younger. Starting the teaching of foreign languages in elementary school, the students could greatly increase their linguistic skills. Among the different reasons: it is proven that children learn foreign languages easier when they are younger, children need to be able to communicate with the growing immigrant population, and by learning other languages we are able to communicate with other Christians around the world.
What can be done about traffic?
The idea of miles and miles of open road and a full tank of gas means freedom to any red blooded American. Cars give Americans the amazing ability to go anywhere and do anything. The problem is that every car owning American has this same idea of freedom and they all seem to be on the road at the same time. What freedom exists while sitting behind a dirty eighteen wheeler in a hot, sticky seat during a traffic jam? Only the choices of lighting up a cigarette, surfing the radio to find an escape in music, shuffling through various stranded papers, or making a phone call to say “I’m going to be a little late.” Everyone wants to arrive at their destinations faster, but no one wants to wait an hour before they leave while the traffic clears. The plague of traffic infects every city in America, and it’s time to find a cure. Besides making one late for an appointment, traffic jams pose major problems for businesses, governments and families, steps must be taken to insure the problem gets better. Some of the ways traffic can be alleviated include the increased use of technology, staggering operating schedules for major institutions, and helping individuals understand that they must change their habits in order to solve the problem.
Learning Foreign and Second Languages at a Young Age - Jamie
One way the diverse cultures of the United States are evident in daily life is through our conversations. For example, when walking in the street of a busy city, we can hear languages from all over the world. While average Americans are able to understand English conversations, they may be frustrated with their inability to understand the other languages flowing around them. If only they had had the opportunity to study a foreign language at a younger age, their feelings of frustration would perhaps be lessened, familiarity with the language would be deeper and an appreciation for it would have developed. Learning foreign languages should be required for children in the United States. If people acquire a second language while still children, this will increase their chances of absorbing and storing more of the language in their brains, creating a better realization of diversity and culture in their surroundings, and preparing them for the experiences they will encounter in the future.
Weather Modification: Useful Technology or Unnecessary Evil?
Imagine a world where, with a push of a button, one could alter the weather. Imagine a military that could strategically change the weather over an enemy to gain an advantage. Imagine a government with the capability to stop a deadly storm from hitting a populated area, saving millions of lives and billions of dollars. That is where technology is headed. “Weather manipulation” as scientists and militants are calling it, is the goal of American society. To be able to control weather for one’s benefit and another’s harm is the future of technology. But is this a positive thing? Weather manipulation is not a necessary technology because of the effects that it has on monetary costs, weather patterns, and the environment as a whole.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Loss of Eloquence
Grammatically incorrect phrases such as “lol, brb, how r u, wassup, and I luv ya,” are now commonplace in a culture teeming with online chat rooms, text messaging, and instant messenger. Literary eloquence has been lost because of countless instances of Internet shorthand. For example, “u” and “r” have seemingly more value than the grammatically acceptable “you” and “are.” Our culture prides itself in the ability to produce people who, despite glaring errors, can type a sentence – or a fragment of a sentence – in five seconds or less. This recent development succeeds daily in preventing people, completely capable of expressing comprehensive thought on paper, from living up to their written potential. Society’s lack of negative response to this electronic phenomenon results in an overall diminished style of writing. Similarly, computer communication does not seek to develop writing in general and it is a threat to the formal style of writing as a whole.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Preaching the Judgment
Have you ever read Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”? If you have, did you agree or disagree with the way the message was preached, that is do you think preaching hell-fire and damnation is effective? If you have not read it, Edwards utilizes powerful imagery of hell and a biblical view of the Lord to warn sinners of their impending destruction. As he said in regards to sinners outside of Christ, “There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God”(n.d.9). These warnings of divine judgment are an effective tool that the prophets used to turn people, especially lost Christians back to the Lord. This tool should be used more often and more appropriately, in three major ways. The first area in which it is not used enough is evangelism. The second way is that when these warnings are preached, it is an open rebuke by the Spirit of the Lord that should result in repentance. The third way is that this type of preaching edifies and builds up the Church.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Supreme Court Tenures
The U.S. has one of the best governments in the world. Any American citizen should feel privileged to live in a democratic society. A great aspect of our government is our justice system. An important part to our justice system is the Supreme Court. A key to the effectiveness of the Supreme Court is the fact that the justices have lifetime tenure. Lifetime appointments are very vital in keeping the justices free from political influences, the public’s opinion, and trying to please others for future political purposes.
[For more, see this article in the New York Times.]
Calvin College and The Liberal Arts
Calvin College aligns itself with the liberal arts tradition, a tradition that comes from antiquity. The notion was fully developed during the middle ages and serves as a model for current liberal arts schools. However, Calvin College is also a preprofessional school, which means it offers degrees in areas not normally found at liberal arts colleges. For example, Calvin offers degrees in business, nursing, engineering, and social work. At the heart of Calvin College lies the core curriculum, which according to many makes the school a liberal arts institution. But the notion of Calvin being such a institution is a flawed conception. Calvin falls short of being a liberal arts college not only in implementation, but in its ideals and goals as well.
Students need to learn language to succeed
The “World Power” America is how many Americans think of themselves and are viewed in much of the world today. And rightly so, as the United States of America has significant influence reaching into every major country. Perhaps this can be best seen by the impact that the English language has had on the population of the world. The language of the educated used to be that of Latin, since then English has taken that place. While English, for understandable reasons, has become an important language, the American public has become all too comfortable with English becoming the world language. Consequently, the instruction of foreign languages in the American school system has drastically decreased, and the cost of such action has had and will continue to have increasingly negative effects. The key that nearly all countries have discovered is that by starting early, children learn language both better and faster and perform more competently in other areas of schooling. Language assists in breaking down social barriers between cultures and races, and aids in the business and political world, as our planet becomes more international with each passing day. The United States of America must require schoolchildren to study foreign language if the U.S. desires to have literate, competent people representing it, to have understanding of the general welfare, as well as to keep up with trade, and mostly to maintain the respect of other nations.
Physical Education Made Mandatory in Schools
Growing up, kids love going outside for recess. For many students, recess is the most important parts of their school day. Being outside, playing tag with friends, talking with others, and meeting new people made recess and physical education class fun as well as a learning experience. As we get older, the structure of our schools make it necessary to emphasize the disciplines that will help the students get jobs and less on fun and recreation. Physical Education should be mandatory in elementary and high school because it helps students to take a break from the rigors of the other disciplines, encourages kids to keep in shape and physically healthy, and helps kids learn more about themselves.
What can the U.S. Health Care System Learn from Canada?
Millions of Americans go without health care in the United States each year. While it can be proven that the average medical bill in the United States is too expensive for the average person to pay, many justify this by saying that insurance adequately takes care of this problem. Insurance may alleviate the stress for some; however, it does not for a large portion of people who do not qualify for it or can not afford it. An estimated 45 million Americans are uninsured. This is not the case in Canada. All Canadian citizens are insured by the government. Each citizen is given the needed medical assistance regardless of what their income or health status is. Although the Canadian system may not be perfect, the United States needs to view this system, see which elements would help its current system, and implement them.