Legalizing recreational marijuana

By  Alvia Cherrington

What excites you about your research?

I have been contemplating on what angle to approach the subject of marijuana. However, as I have been researching this drug I have come to realize that I may have bitten into something  much bigger than I had anticipated. There are so many controversies surrounding this drug, and though I do not condone using marijuana for pleasure, I am still in support of legalizing its recreational usage in Illinois (which is a paradox in itself).

What problems or road blocks are you encountering?

Because of its controversy, I am finding it difficult to come up with an argument that will not be biased. There are research that supports its medicinal use, but because of the fear of addiction, the medical profession does not seems to want to take a firm stand or seem to be in one accord. I also find that there is a stigma being generated against those who use marijuana. To me, this is hypocritical since cigarettes and alcohol are being used for recreation too. My research has uncovered that cigarettes and alcohol are even more addictive.  In addition, there has been proof that alcohol intoxication was less when used in conjunction with marijuana. There are also inferences where suicide rates have gone down for states where marijuana is legalized.

Is there a plan to get through these issues?

Marijuana has been termed "the gateway drug." However, could it be that certain personality types are more prone to addiction? As I continue to ponder about this drug, I am inclined to argue about legalizing the recreational use (with parameters and consequences). Legalizing recreational marijuana will require extensive re-education of the public in order to remove the stigma of marijuana usage as a crime. 

Are You Kidding Me?

By Stacey Ganster

At first when I was found out we had to do a research paper on the working poor, all I could think was, “Are you kidding me?  I live this, I don’t want to write about it!”  Looking back on it, I suppose I probably would have had about the same reaction to whatever the research assignment was.  After all, who really looks forward to doing a research paper?

Nevertheless, I set out to do as good a job as possible, even if it was begrudgingly.  I diligently read David Shipler’s book The Working Poor.  I diligently looked for sources related to the working poor in America.  I diligently put together my annotated bibliography…and that was when it happened.  Something about working out the detail on that bibliography and putting in writing exactly what I would use each source for actually got me excited.  Why?  Because I saw that I was going to be coming up with a paper that actually meant something to me.  I had subconsciously chosen a topic that is more or less what I am in the middle of living out myself – going back to school with the knowledge that education is the key to getting out of a hand-to-mouth existence, the key to pulling myself up out of the ranks of the working poor and moving up to a place in life where I can feel comfortable enough to not worry about buying food next week. 

Sure, there are roadblocks to getting the research done:  no internet (can’t afford it), a full time job (commute is 75 miles round trip), being a single mother (missed half the class tonight attending my son’s band performance), and plenty more if I want to be whiney and list it all out.  But that’s not where I’m at now.  I’m at a good place where I can see the end of the tunnel.  I know all I have to do is spend more time at JJC and use the computer lab, make sure I don’t let the stress of work flow over to the classroom experience, and most importantly make sure that my son still comes first when something important in his life is happening.  After all, he is the reason why I’m back in school.  You have to practice what you preach, right?  And what I’ve been preaching to him is that school is the single most important thing ANYBODY can do to get ahead in life, even me!  

 

Research Problems

 

By David Garcia

 

EXCITEMENT

While doing research for this paper one of the most exciting things for me would be the fact that I’m doing something in regards to immigration. Both of my parents were born in Mexico in different areas and wounded up in Chicago.

 PROBLEMS

 While doing this research some problems I do come across would be what information would be best for writing this paper. Another complication that comes to mind would be if  I should do a personal interview for all my relatives as in aunts, uncles, and grandparents because they all had the same experiences but also saw it in a different perspectives; or just stick to my parents. Also knowing how to start the paper itself will be a challenge.

 PLAN

While there is no “definite” plan at the moment for doing this paper, getting these personal interviews done within the next couple days would be key in the next step of the process of writing this paper.  

Marco Warren

The brain is very unique but at the same time clumsy and easily bored. The interesting facts or theories that excite me about my research are the vast improvement of cognitive function and the contrasting theory that virtual violence in fact increases one's aggressiveness and possible forms a psychotic condition; as a result, causing one to become desensitized to violence. The cognitive improvement includes memory, problem solving, and increases speed of brain function, massive creativity boost, and overall IQ improvement. The main problems with these improvements is the fact that as people we adapt to the things we like, we don't usually go astray from our comfort zone. When the brain is comfortable it is easily bored.

The only problem I have encountered thus far is finding unique sources that prove cognitive improvement. To solve that problem I will interview people based on the current research statistics. Since virtual games are currently one of the biggest parts the media offers it won't be hard to people that will prove these statistics. Another way to prove this is to have a study of a group of people play these games and ask psychology questions dealing with peace and violence, and also test creativity levels.

Stop missing class. 030915

What excites you about your research paper?

What most exists me about my research paper is the fact that its going into depth about something that interests me. Not, only does the topic interest me but its the fact that its has to do with the Working Poor book that was read. The pros about this book was that its had so much to say and it gave so many different stories which made it so easy to comment and have a lot to say about it. Especially for the research its helpful that there's a lot within the book that now there's only research to look for to back up a story or information in the book!

What problems or road blocks are you encountering?

My difficulties have to be missing class the past 2 weeks due to family emergencies! Not, only that but keeping focus. Due, to the paper its so much within the paper. Its not a regular paper were it was only 5 paragraphs and done. No! This the real deal, actually going step by step getting every little detail before putting the whole thing together. Another, issue that I've had is remembering to CITE biggest thing that I forget ALWAYS! I see something and "Oh, yeah cool let me use this but no I forget to CITE".

Is there a plan to get through this issue?

My plan is NO MORE MISSING CLASS! Regarding the citing, I will cite the document and if I use it great and if I don't then ill just take it down. That way I wont be trying to find a document I used days ago and don't know were I had gotten the document.

What excites you about your research?
The question to my research paper is whether or not working mothers spend too much time working and not enough time with their children. I'm eager to find out the results to my topic because I feel as if I'm one of the children who doesn't see her mother often due to my mothers work schedule. Comparing and contrasting my relationship with my mother to others who also have hard working mothers. How grades differ, along with the support at sporting events, and how they tackle day to day problems.
What problems or road blocks are you encountering?
In the attempt to find research I'm having a hard time finding articles or stories in United States. Skimming through the articles many took place in Europe or people's stories were in china or Japan. The lives of these children will greatly differ from mine from the start along with those in The Working Poor.

Is their a plan to get through the issue?
My plan to get through this issue I am encountering is to focus a lot of my attention on my surveys. My survey's are aimed towards a specific group of people rather than such a broad group.

-Daisy Diaz

research paper

This research paper excites me because I didn't like the working poor and the stance it took on poverty. Very few people are trying to improve their life and get out of poverty. Most people are looking for handouts and getting everything given to them. The working poor seemed to have a very liberal view on poverty and the definition of the poverty line. Minimum wage means minimal skills. People aren’t meant to live off $8.25/h. I’ve encountered a problem on having many details on the book because it was so dry I skim read most of it. All I really read how everything is a “vicious cycle of debt” and all that nonsense garbage. The only way I plan to get through this issue is to discuss the topic with another person in class or I will go on sparks notes or something. For this book I literally bought an audio book of it and listened to all 13 hours of it while sometimes having a book in front of me. The book was so terribly dry and I disagreed with almost every view the book had. My family own multiple houses in Markham and Sauk village and the government pays for majority of the rent and 9/10 family still can’t pay the rest even though they are assessed on their yearly income on how much their part should be. It’s not that they don’t make enough it’s is just the house smells like weed and no one want to work. On the other hand my aunt lives in the ghetto yet her and her husband work for a living and had 5 kids yet still don’t need handouts. They don’t have that great of jobs and they both grew up from being dirt poor and still managed to have a good standard of living. So it’s hard to believe the “vicious cycle” and all that garbage. If you want something earn it. For me it’s just hard to have interest in a book when it goes against everything I have seen all my life. A guy became a citizen and started working for my dad 40+ hours a week. Making $10/h and had another job at night as a janitor and slept in his car so he can come to my dad business in the morning. While his family lived in a house and so he could put his kids though school. He ended up working his way up and making $20/h and he improved his position.

calvin pickup

By Dennise Myers                                         Paper Galore
I find it very interesting that the Appalachian states seem to be so far behind the rest of the country, in regards to educational deficits caused by language barriers. The "Hill" people have their own way of speaking that can be a barrier to learning in the classroom. My husband is from West Virginia so I am trying to narrow down my topic to just the education issues that face this specific area, but I am still finding it to be too broad and I am having issues finding sources that center on the topic.

My road blocks are many. Just to start, I have not dedicated time to this assignment due to personal reasons. I have not had the energy to focus on this class or my other two classes. I am not even sure if I will be able to continue my pursuit of a higher education. Secondly, I hate writing papers. I do not enjoy being bogged down by thinking to the tenth degree on matters that really do not have an impact on my life. Thirdly, using technology makes my blood boil.  I spent over an hour trying to figure out Citelighter.

How am I going to get through this paper? I am going to make a conscious effort to overcome my own apprehension. I plan to really do more research and not just downloading them. I will read them and make notes, but I will waste paper. I will print out these sources and use my highlighters, in numerous colors, to try and collect my thoughts.

By Juan Valdez

My paper on the recent issues dealing with ISIS has been really difficult. I understand all that's going on with them and the U.S. and what Obama plans on doing to stop them from terrorizing and killing innocent civilians, but what I'm struggling with is finding articles to tie together since most articles are mainly talking about the same thing. Almost all the articles I've read don't have critics ideas or thoughts on the subject, there just explaining what's going on so I can't continue on with my essay until I find something better. I've been researching different articles nonstop but cannot get one that is suitable for my paper.

Once I find a way to get past this problem the paper should flow easily for me and clearly analyze the crisis going on. Another thing I have been struggling with is finding out what exactly President Obama has planned or plans on doing other than the air strike, I feel like there's so much more going on but I just can't find anything.

Short blog post

By: Michal Macias

What excites me about my research?

My topic is immigration and the correlation between immigration patterns and the economy in the involved countries. I, personally am a first generation American, which means my parents immigrated to the US. This happened when I was still in the womb. With this being said, I didn't know how it was like to live in Poland, where my parents came from, so I can't compare it to the US. Although I have been there before, it doesn't quite satisfy the knowledge of the economy there and how the people there live day to day.

What problems or road blocks am I encountering?

With this being an analysis between immigration patterns and the living standards of said people, I am having a bit of trouble organizing my paper in a way where I'm not just stating facts about different countries and their respective economies. Also, with this being a heavy quantitative subject it is kind of overwhelming in some areas. (reminds me of certain parts of The Working Poor)

Is there a plan to get through these issues?

I'm thinking about not getting into the numbers so much and bring it to maybe a more socio-economic viewpoint. And dealing the organization, I'm thinking that I could just focus on a few countries that have a good amount of information about this topic.

Update-Bill Mathews

Research Paper

 

     So how is my paper going you ask? Well as you can see in the picture above it could be going better, but I am getting through it. The amount of research and actual time spent on it is the main my main concern, other than that I am chugging along without any true issues. I have found some decent sources on the jjc database that have been very helpful. I plan on starting my proposal tonight in class, and then continuing on to my annotated bibliography next. Like I said so far I have not come across any major issues, which is good. One thing I might do is find some sources from the web to use as well, since all of mine came straight from the database. This should allow me to expand my topic even further, and also help me elaborate on some of the key components of the database topics I already have. Just a quick update on my struggles. hope to knock this paper out sooner rather than later.

-Bill Mathews

 

Vocational Education vs. College Education

Mindi Gordon

 

As the title reads, my research paper is going to be about vocational education vs. college education, but I'm worried that "vs." is the wrong term to use.   Although I am pro-vocational education, I do see the need for traditional college and I hope that my research and the way I present it doesn't totally discount that. I'm excited to learn about all the creative ways that high schools have been implementing vocational education in schools across the country.  So far I have read about some pretty interesting ideas; for example one school created a whole curriculum around building an outdoor walkway to classes to manage over crowding in hallways.  During this project, students were able to learn firsthand about careers such as construction, project management, and even landscaping.   I am hoping to be able to come up with more substantial reasons or evidence for why the vocational route should be better introduced in our high schools and how that could be more beneficial to our students that don't have the resources or drive to attend college.  While I try to nail down a more specific topic, I am also attempting to find a variety of sources.  My plan is to get input from Mr. Hackney and peers on how I should continue to do that.  

Questions by: Dina

.

What excites me is that I am interviewing someone of my own race, so I have a little more of a background on the American Dream means to someone like me.  The fact that I'm finding more sources to use, that can relate to the American Dream.  I recently just watched a movie that I am hoping I can use for this paper, because I loved the movie and it is all about the American Dream and how some people plan to reach it.  The problems I am having is more technical, I believe.  I emailed myself the website of my sources and I can't seem to reach them any more.  I hope there is some other way other than what I been doing to reach my sources.  I am also afraid I won't be able to reach my sources and have to start from the beginning.  If this happens I just have to priorities my time a little more wisely this this to where I have time to do this.  Another problem would be at times I feel overwhelmed and want to not do this, but I just have to priorities my time better, so I don't feel like this.  Hopefully by following the direction and taking notes this will become pretty simple as I go along

Aroosa Rafi

What excites me about my research?

The things that excite me about my research is having to meet a person and getting to know about their life. I am very excited to meet up with this person who I have known for 3 years and interviewing them. I know how much struggles that they have faced and putting in all down step by step is just very exciting. His story matching with a lot of stuff that has happened in Shipers book so I am very excited.

 

 

 

What problems or roadblock I have encountered.

 

The problem that I have encountered were where to start with this paper. I have too much in my mind and I don't know where to start with this paper. I have all the question down but I don't know where to start with the questioning.  I am also having struggle with getting the annotation together. It will be easy once I have all the questions down in order so that way I can select all the database topics off of that. I have too much articles and no order of how to put this paper together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there a plan to get thought the issues?

 

Yes the plan will be staying in the library all day tomorrow and getting all of this stuff done step by step. I finally have a day off to get his whole annotation and proposal together. I have a lot of my ideas down so it should be very easy to get all of my steps together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What Not to Do At a Traffic Light"

I have to say that I am not really excited about the whole researching thing. I find the databases kind of boring sometimes and it can be hard to filter through all the articles. But I am enjoying learning more about my topic and finding that I am not the only one who has strong feelings that the way our college system works is flawed. I think I should be able to write a solid paper with the research that I have completed so far but I would like to gather up a few more sources.

 I am having a hard time sitting down and getting myself to do the work. I have my sources, but have only annotated a few. I have been busy with work, and I plan on spending the next few days working diligently to get ahead. I would like to find some sources on the web as well, not just from JJC database. Not there is anything wrong with the database, I would just like to explore ideas a little bit further. I have to say that I feel a lot like Sponge Bob today.

-Surges