Sarah's Prospectus

I would like to argue that the images shown by the fashion and advertising industries have a negative affect in young women’s views of themselves with a focus on the particular focus on the aspect of their weight. Also, because all cultures have their own depictions of ideal beauty, I would like to research the media’s effect on different cultures within America; including Asian, Mexican, and American itself. In researching this, I would like to look at the lengths that these targeted women go to in order to fit these roles that the media portrays; such as eating disorders, and how/if these differ between the different American cultures.

Pat's Abstract

The topic that I have chosen for the research paper is if offshore oil drilling and oil drilling in ANWR would be helpful to our economy and reducing our dependency on foreign energy sources. First, I will define offshore oil drilling and examine the positive and negative consequences of drilling and not drilling. I will argue that finding new places for drilling for oil will not help the United States to become energy independent, because eventually those oil reserves will run out and we will back in the same place that we are now. I will research the effects that drilling would have for our economy and against the environment. Then, I will discuss other options that are available to the United States for becoming energy independent, instead of drilling for more oil on our own land.

Nick's Abstract

My research paper will be pertaining to rhetoric used by the Republican Party in the late 1990’s to today through analysis of text, speeches, legislation and other expert opinion. The reason I am pursuing this topic is because I wanted to see what method of argument the party most falls in line with whether it be logos, ethos or pathos. I will make the argument that, although contrary to popular belief, that the Republican Party mainly uses logos with subtleties of ethos and pathos. Also, I wanted follow the rapid conservative rising of the 1990’s through the congressional majority being achieved for the first time in 40 years and so quickly losing that majority, 10 years later and show the change in the rhetoric used. I will also incorporate the ideas of the Democratic Party and how the Republican’s tried to refute them, and by what means. I am not limiting this paper to just what language is being used but how the Republicans communicates that language through media and other outlets. I will demonstrate the drastic change in rhetoric used by the party after the 9-11 attacks and language used with the current energy and economic crisis.