conflict between public and exclusive space

Many people feel that our society is becoming too exclusive. As things stand now there are very few truly public spaces. This can be seen as unfortunate, because a public space is one where any people can come and mingle, regardless of superficial characteristics. A truly public space is potentially conducive to a more unbiased understanding between people of different races, classes, etc. The idea seems like it could produce only positive results, but it’s an idealistic concept. In truth, as some people argue, a public space which invites all people also invites danger and discomfort. A richer person might feel endangered if they are in a park with a number of homeless people, fearing that they will be robbed. People of very different lifestyles often times make each other uncomfortable and this discomfort goes both ways. The conflict between public and exclusive space is that between freedom to go anywhere, and safety and comfort concerns for the space users.

change of opinion?

I set out on this paper with an opinion that I wasn’t really sure whether or not I believed, but that I stated because with this sort of a paper you need a definitive opinion. I think in the course of writing the paper I convinced myself of the opinion which I half-way believed at the start. I think that the main purpose of college is in fact to set a person up for their future career. This is partly because I realized that personal growth (another common argument for going to college) will probably happen in the college age-range whether or not one attends college. Also, I found some good statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau about salaries of people who go to college versus those who don’t, and how much money these different groups earn on average.

Argument/Counter-Argument for Bird's essay

The Frederick Douglass narrative in a way provides great support for Bird. It shows that a person does not have to go to college to further himself educationally. Douglass taught himself how to read and write using what he could get a hold of as a black slave in the South (books from his master’s house, the knowledge of white children). He showed great perseverance in this area of his life, and eventually became entirely literate, all with out the aid of formal schooling. On the other hand, he was only one of many others like him who did not teach themselves to read and write. This, in a more subtle way, is a counter-argument to Bird’s essay. It shows that while there are a select few with an intense drive to learn, it is exceedingly difficult if one is not in a conducive environment. While this article directly shows a person who did not need formal education to obtain literacy and knowledge, when approached from an objective point of view, it reveals a single man within the broad spectrum of an entire population of illiterate and unknowledgeable people.

College: Why, Why not?

I found that the author hit a lot of good points, and was accurate with what she was saying, especially about the lack of available positions. I assume that the situation is somewhat similar today to the way it was in the 70’s. While she was technically correct about the facts and figures, I disagree entirely with her interpretation of them. A situation in which there are the exact number of positions available for a certain number of applicants is implausible, because then there would be no competition. This competition is what keeps the work force producing at high levels of quality. It is true that only a portion of those who apply with a given degree will then put that degree to direct use in their occupation, however other skills go along with getting any college degree (she did touch on this point, which I agreed with). Those who don’t put their degree to direct use won’t necessarily go into low paying, boring jobs. A person with a degree in business may decide after college that he really loves the fashion industry, become a designer, and earn great amounts of money that way. He will still probably be using tools he learned in college, and he is still doing what he loves.