(GRE): How I apparently feel about restaurants displaying nutritional information

Eating healthy is becoming an increasing challenge in today's society. Aside from going to backyard markets, it is almost impossible to find even the purest food: vegetables, that have not been enhanced as GMOs. Although we necessarily go to restaurants expecting the healthiest food, as a population, we should continue to make ourselves aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Restaurants can help to educate the public by including nutritional information on their menus. This will not only help the food corporations keep themselves in check, but it will help us to make good nutritional choices for ourselves on a daily basis.

Corporations rely on advertising to reach consumers. By advertising food in a way that makes it seem fresh and appealing, corporations are able to attract a group of consumers that might otherwise never reach out and try their products. In the '90s, McDonalds presented McDonalds Salad Shakers. Salad in a cup, covered in dressing seemed like a refreshing and healthy snack on the go. Compared to their other products like frozen chemically enhanced meat and starch products, Salad Shakers were presented as the healthy choice. While this may have been true, the dressing and croutons made this seemingly fresh and healthy choice worse than other non-McDonald's options however, it's convenience and presentation in advertising made it the perfect excuse for a salad. Had consumers been aware of the nutritional information of the dressing, and the types of vegetables in Salad Shakers, they might have realized that it was not only not half as healthy as they may have believed at first, but that it was also not worth the money they were paying compared to a potentially healthier snack from a different restaurant. If restaurants are forced to list nutritional information, it will help to educate the public and eliminate the impact of questionable and false advertising.

Being educated about our food choices is the best thing that we can do for ourselves nutritionally. Knowledge is power and it is vital that we take the power of food back from large corporations such as Kraft and Nestle. If we are able to visually observe the nutritional value of what we are putting into our bodies, we will also eventually learn positive and negative correlations with the outcomes of healthier and less healthy foods. Although it may take time, eventually, we will be able to see the physical manifestation of positive eating habits versus negative eating habits. By making ourselves aware of what we are putting in our bodies, it will give us the opportunity to make our own choices and decide our own fate.

It is imperative to our bodies that we are made aware of what we are eating on a daily basis. Although some may say that people don't go to restaurants to eat healthy, every meal counts and we should at least be given the option to be aware of what we are eating. Several food chains have successfully begun to advertise the calorie counts of their products and it has created an empowered new generation of eaters and consumers. People are beginning to return to the basics of food, shopping solely at healthy food markets and using less processed products. The struggle between corporations and those who wish to eat healthy will continue until the consumer can decide to take the power back into his own hands and demanding nutritional information is a step in the right direction to take back our food and our bodies.  

Answers, Answers Everywhere!!

So I am currently ferociously studying for the GRE that I will be taking on July 27th (wish me luck). I have been working on many of the essay prompts and besides writing about some of the sillies topics and creating opinions about things I know nothing about, I've really been enjoying writing. Today I was actually able to finish under the time limit and produce something that I am semi- proud of. So here it is. (1) An opinion essay about whether political blogging is mucking it up for all the 'real political analyst pros" and making us all dumber or if it has a positive impact and  (2) dissecting an argument about the thought that a fake school district should make volunteering a mandatory graduation requirement.

P.S. Thank you to my dear boyfriend for hiding the remotes and refusing to be fun until I log my daily practice test hours. He's simply the best. 

(1) 

The internet and Blogosphere has come to be a place of creativity and peace with one's self for millions of people. Blogging is a way of examining one's self in public without necessarily drawing large crowds of viewers. A variety of blogs focus specifically on politics. It has become easier for more people to voice their opinions in recent years however, an increase in skepticism of available information in our society maintains the dignity of the system. Political blogging makes available more knowledge and a wider variety of opinions and as long as it is viewed with a skeptical eye, political blogging gives us an opportunity to see how our understanding of politics fits in with those around us, near and far.

Political blogs enable people to gain a variety of knowledge that they might not otherwise have access to. Political blogs focus on a variety of topics and many go into great detail about things such as specific leaders, abortion, and different international relationships. By being able to step into someone else's world and learn all about the most important thing in someone elses life through their eyes, we can learn and grow in new and creative ways. Without the work and unique perspectives of these bloggers, we might never otherwise have the opportunity to learn about these topics.

In addition to knowledge about specific topics, blogging gives us a way to be aware of opinions that do not align with our own. Because there is no limit to blog topics, the very fact that someone chooses to write about politics automatically creates a subjective atmosphere, and it is important to remember that. However, subjectivity does not automatically negate someones writing and feelings. In fact, it can empower a writer to express what they truly feel. By having access to political opinions from people all over the world, readers have a very special opportunity to see different aspects of politics through the eyes of almost anyone. This offers the chance to reflect on ourselves and understand politics in an entirely new light. It is incredibly important that we maintain this heightened awareness of political opinions that do not mirror our own.

Some may say that this freedom to publish anything to a blog lowers the standards and drowns out the real educated voices who supposedly know what they're talking about. Blog readers are aware of the fact that they are reading just that, a blog. They are especially aware that not everyone blogging about politics has a degree in Political Science and Government. People who use political blogs to expand their minds must maintain a level of skepticism about the information they are absorbing. Those who are able to maintain the necessary level of skepticism when reading, can gain the most from political blogs.

Blogs can provide a wealth of information if we know where to look for it and how to read it. By maintaining a skeptical eye, readers can benefit greatly from listening to the opinions of others, regardless of their validity. Political blogs are important for readers to experience a variety of opinions and knowledge that might not otherwise been available, but they are even more important for writers being able to express themselves and feel validated. It is vital that everyone has the opportunity to publish their own political opinions and feel validated in their beliefs because after all, we are all human beings. As long as readers can remain aware of the medium of the blog itself, it can be a crucial tool in learning about politics, other people, and most importantly, ourselves.

(2) (Keep in mind that this is not a question of my opinion, only a discussion of the validity of an argument.)

Argument:

Several charitable organizations in X Town provide opportunities for teenagers to engage in community service. These organizations have a great need for volunteers, but in recent years, the number of volunteers has significantly declined.

The X School Board should take measures to increase the number of volunteers. Teachers, parents, and other community members agree that it is important for young people to learn the value of community service. Requiring high school students to engage in community service would provide needed assistance to worthy local charities and would also help young people understand the importance of giving back to their community. For this reason, the X School Board should institute a program requiring students of XHS to complete 40 hours of community service prior to graduation.

Discussing the Argument:

This argument to require mandatory volunteer hours at Pleasantville School Board is one that assumes several different understandings of the situation. Firstly, the author assumes that in previous years, community service was seen as rewarding by the participants. In order to create a new program that is socially rewarding for students, the argument believes that re-living the past is the best solution. The author does not take into account any possibility that society has changed and the very definition of the term "rewarding" may now have an entirly different meaning. For example, a high school student who is a good person, enjoyed by all, and loves spending time in the community might not feel that they are leading a rewarding life because of academic failure which might lead to little hope for future education or a career.

Additionally, the author assumes that making an activity mandatory for teenagers will make volunteering appear tedious and as yet another task that teenagers must do to please adults. Psychological studies show that making activities mandetory makes them statistically significantly less enjoyable for participants. By saying that students's lives would be enriched by mandatory volunteer hours, his argument assumes that that these studies would not apply to this situation, which would be incorrect. If the author assumes that the students are in agreement with the idea of mandatory community service, then he is still only taking a poll of a small percentage of people that the volunteering would ultimately affect, considering students in the future.

Continuing on, the author does not address the necessity of any type of balance between school and community involvement. The author assumes that school work is not an issue and does not comment on the priority of school work over community service or vice versa. If the author assumes that school work is a priority for all students, then they are saying that a student who does receives excellent grades but does not participate in community service will be just as accomplished as one who does not do well in school, but is active int he community. This negates the argument that community service is a vital part of a teen's life.

Priorities can be a pivitol point of development in a teen's life and this instance is no exception. This argument for required volunteer hours assumes that completion of the hours will not hinder student's accademic success or the schools graduation rate enough to create a serious issue. If we assume that the author is more concerned with community involvement than a high school diploma and a higher average GPA amongst students, and thus more potential funding for the school district, then the argument to require volunteering as a graduation requirement holds. If the author understands that the graduation rate, academic success and school funding is more significant than optional volunteering made mandatory, then there is a flaw in the request to make it a required activity.

Overall, this author assumes that students in the past have found balancing yet another extra-curricular activity of required volunteering, a rewarding experience. He also assumes that students still feel this way and that their priorities align with parents, teachers, and the community and that everyone believes in this cause. He implies that this is a top priority that the school mandate however he does not take into account the possible negative outcomes that could come to exist should students fail to meet this new requirement. The author does have good intentions with this argument however he has not thought through all of the potential consequences of this proposition and he needs to look more closely at students feelings of success, feeling rewarded, and the importance to them of contributing to their community.