WEEK 8 BLOG (2/28 - 3/6)

"Standoff" has been the main word used to describe the situation in the House of Representatives in the state of Indiana over the past week.  The Democrats in the House decided to go to Illinois to prevent a number of votes from happening.  Because they are not present, there are not enough members to take any votes and get anything passed. 

http://www.indystar.com/article/20110301/NEWS05/103010329/Statehouse-standoff-rhyme-rhetoric?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

There are many who applaud them for standing up for their convictions and doing what they believe is right.  There are also many who believe that they are essentially defrauding the people of Indiana by not showing up to perform the job that they were elected to do.  So far, it has been a week and nothing has been accomplished in the House of Representatives.  As of today, the Democrats are still staying at a hotel in Urbana, Illinois and have shown few signs of returning any time soon.

Do you agree with what the Democrats are doing?  Is it alright to simply not show up if it appears as if things are not going to go your way?  Does it make a difference that these decisions would impact the entire population of the state?  Is there another way that this situation could have been handled?  Should the Democrats have to face some sort of consequence when they do return - if so what?  At what point should Governor Daniels step in and possibly use the state police to force them to return?  (PART I due by 3/3 ; PART II due by 3/6)

WEEK 7 BLOG (2/21 - 2/27)

This is the posting for the Week 7 Blog Assignment.  It should be about your reaction to the experiment done regarding witnessing someone drugging another person's drink.

(PART I due by 2/24  ;  PART II due by 2/27)

WEEK 6 BLOG (2/14 - 2/20)

For years the NCAA has had a partnership with groups like EA Sports to use their member schools information in exchange for a multi-million dollar fee.  Both entities have benefitted from this partnership.  They have profitted financially by being able to use the likenesses of the stadiums, schools, uniforms and even the players.  While the schools have profitted, the players have not been given any of thes additional monies.  This is why a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the collegiate athletes whose likenesses have been used in these games.  The NCAA contends that they are compensated through scholarships and the education that they receive.  They go further to state that if they compensated them, the athletes would become professionals and would no longer be deemed amateurs as their rules mandate that they be.

Should college athletes be paid for being used in video games?  Should accepting a scholarship / education be enough to prevent them from earning any other money for their performance on the field?  Should a company like EA Sports be held responsible for these policies and should they be forced to compensate the athletes that have brought them so much money?  If successful, should any and all athletes from past years be able to file their own lawsuits?  What impact might this have on the video game industry and is it worth it?  (PART I due by 2/18 ; PART II due by 2/20)

ROUND II BLOG INSTRUCTIONS

In Round II, you will be making three total posts.

Your first post is exactly what you've been doing so far...you answer the question / comment on the situation posed.  The big difference in Part I is that this end of things must be posted by Thursday each week to be considered on time.  This will be worth 10 points.

Your second and third post will be a reaction to someone else's post.  For Part II, your posts need to be made by Sunday each week.  Each post in Part II will be worth 5 points.

IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THREE SEPERATE POSTS.  IF YOU PUT ALL THREE ON ONE POST, YOU RUN THE RISK OF ONLY BEING CREDITED FOR ONE PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT.

WEEK 5 BLOG (2/7 - 2/13)

Last week saw some crazy weather the likes of which we haven't seen in a while.  The ice especially reeked havoc on schools as all Indianapolis schools were out for three days, and many were out for four days.

Were conditions really bad enough to warrant closing schools for this long?  Was it wise for some schools to return on Friday while others were still closed?  Given that those days will have to be made up, was it worth it to you as a student to have those days off?  Since those days will have to be made up, what days make the most sense to you?  (PART I due by 2/10  -  PART II due by  2/13)

WEEK 4 BLOG (1/31 - 2/6)

The past week has seen major instances of civil unrest in Egypt.  Surely, you have seen the media coverage documenting the violent turn that it has taken on over the past couple of days.  Just in case you've been living in an ice cave, here's a sampling from Wednesday...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt

With this garnering a majority of the coverage, it is easy to lose sight of the reasons for the protests that began this movement.  Below is a summary of the issues...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110128/ts_yblog_thelookout/unrest-in-egypt-whats-going-on

The question that we have to ask ourselves at this juncture is, is all of this worth it?  Are the original reasons for the protests important enough to keep it up in the face of the violence that has erupted?  Is President Mubarak doing the right thing by trying to maintain power in the face of growing protests calling for him to step down?  If the "Mubarak supporters" were local thugs hired by the government, is this an appropriate response?  As the violence escalates, should the U.S. get involved in an effort to restore order?  (Due by 2/6)

WEEK 3 BLOG (1/24 - 1/30)

This is the location to post your response to the "What Would You Do?" scenario for the Week 3 Blog.

Write what your response / opinion is about one of the three scenarios presented in the episode that we watched in class.  (due by 1/30)