Author: isabelhannah

Images have been dictating emotions ever since the age of the electronic culture. The introduction to images, creating a uniformal societal experience, has allowed individuals to introduce features through the human eye in order to evaluate an images emotional content. With meaning comes representation, and the emotional qualities an image contains holds a silent power. 

The world created by pixelation is seemingly serene. The sky is as clear as ever, perpetuating a calming blue color. The majority of the photo is engulfed by clear, vibrant waters. In the distance a coastline is revealed, allowing the assumption of a society close enough to feel safe, yet far away enough to leave your troubles behind. The center of the image contains a single person on a yellow kayak. Behind the person on the kayak is what appears to be a shark, floating in the direction of the boat. My first reaction to the image was an overwhelming feeling of anxiety. The shark, so easily lurking behind the kayak invoked fear. I saw what most people would, an inevitable attack on the human carelessly engaging with the monster’s natural habitat. After my anxious episode, something changed. The picture I originally unfolded had another story waiting to be told. I saw the shark peacefully swimming by, the man acknowledging the shark, and smiling.

In society, images are usually literally painting a picture. To analyze them with a conscious approach you must ask yourself, “what is it trying to tell you?”. Being aware of the power a simple logo may hold over you is enlightening. In the modern world we live in, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

The crucial reality of the effects of childhood trauma and its correlation to the development of psychopathy in adulthood is yet to be addressed to the public in an impactful way. The public has also been ignorant of those affected, referring to their own disease and how they are treated within society. For the past hundred years mental health has been a subdued topic many fear to discuss due to the lasting stigma society has normalized when addressing mental illnesses. Out of fear, the average person may ignore the problem completely, desperate to avoid the uncomfortable conversation about safe healthcare for people suffering from mental disorders. Mental health installs fear in society as the uncontrollable social deviance commonly witnessed separates the individuals, generally dehumanizing them in the process. Ignorance is praised through jokes and aggression, fostering a dangerous concoction of a never ending cycle where patients are mistreated, allowing progression and often times worsening situations for both parties. While some mental illnesses tend to be genetic, transferring through families, it is interesting to question if the upbringing of a child has an impact on the development of the personality disorder called psychopathy. 

Psychopathy traditionally exerts unpleasant traits, describing the typical patient as lacking common emotions. A person who is diagnosed as a psychopath lacks empathy and remorse. The individual often is manipulative and obtains egotistical traits, allowing them to treat others as objects. “The closest thing to a real “Batman” style villain in the real world is the psychopathic personality; a narcissistic and antisocial personality disordered sort of individual who has an easy time manipulating and harming other people because he doesn’t much empathize with them. Psychopaths tend to be numerous in prison situations (and some might say, in positions of authority) as they have little regard for law and order. What matters to these folks is their satisfaction of their various appetites. The people around a psychopath are more or less seen by that psychopath as tools or objects that either help them satisfy their appetites, or get in their way. They aren’t averse to harming other people who get in their way in order to satisfy their appetites if that becomes expedient.” [Nature, Nurture, and Psychopathy] The basic human distinction, exuding empathic emotion, is stripped from people who suffer from the disorder. What has to be considered is the story behind the diagnosis. 

This proposal is targeted to address the controversial topic of the legalization of phsyician-assisted suicide, consistently being debated within the medical world. Many experts suggest the ethical relation to the procedure, consequently having conflicting opinions with not only the general public, but the medical professionals administering it themselves.

The outcome of this research is to strictly determine the approaches and variables that may construct the possible dictation of managing a law such as this. The results are important to the many people quietly suffering, and how we as a society should deal with the moral relations of the decision making process behind terminating lives, including its possible association with mental health. To summarize, this study will create a new world for the medical field to understand people when reflecting on someone’s decision to end their life, describing the moral ethics of it all, and building a safe environment for those willing to express their unhappiness and what causes it.

The idea that we, as humans, are not the only form of intelligent life in the universe, is a question that may never be truly answered. Scientists have agonized over a theory that may never be applicable in the lifetime of the human race. The Fermi paradox is the belief that extra terrestrial beings are real, yet question where they are, and why the human race has failed in finding any type of evidence to their existence. It puts any and all facts into perspective, comparing the probability of the truth behind more life and if so, where they are. I believe that we will never figure out if “aliens” exist or not, and to put any resources into their existence is foolish. We should approach the situation with the idea that aliens have the technology we may never obtain. To believe that we are the only intelligent life forms in a galaxy, let alone a universe, as vast and intricate as ours is blatant ignorance. With the notion of the billions and trillions of different planets that are the typical model to ours, Earth, should alone prove the reality of aliens. The zoo hypothesis believes that the human race is not ready to be contacted by other intelligent life, and I agree. Our unstable society is not ready to be met with another big change. A good amount of people hate the “aliens” that exist in the United States of America today. Can you imagine the violent reactions that would be approached to real extraterrestrial life? Humans naturally fear the unknown, and fear is usually paired with anger. The first things that come to mind with potential contact to other life forms would be conflict: war, fear, miscommunication, and most importantly, a form of racist bias towards a new species with the same, or more advanced, intelligence to ours. Peace would likely be unreachable. Even if we wanted to, I hope aliens have understood how to outsmart us for the human race’s own good, and the potential other civilizations in the universe.

Thesis: “Unfortunately, current data on the achievement gap between African American and white students in the United States suggest that the legacy of slavery and discrimination in America persists to the modern day, raising alarm for the present necessity to fight for equality of education.” Strong, suggesting moral relativity when regarding modern day racism and inequality in an educational setting. Sets up the personal bias relying on the interracial effects of white privilege.

Audience: Towards the general public. Suggesting the barriers within resources or lack there of when discussing the differences of the broad scale of the white and African American population in the United States. Assuming the author is trying to promote change in the general social system.

Logos: Explains the “…major rift in income, race distribution, and public school performance…” Shows the audience that the clear correlating inconsistency relying on social classes and relative educational preferences. Emphasizes racial ideas and the everlasting effects from prior racist history. (Slavery and the repercussions of withholding the ability to create civil educational rights in the past) Mentions Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Ethos: Tone is serious regarding racial bias. Demographics shifts. Sites socio-economic trends showing struggling African Americans attempting to keep up with the wealthy white students.

Pathos: Draws in the audience with cognitive dissonance, presenting slavery and historic mistreatment of differing races. The “legacy of slavery.”

Kairos: Uses current information of the unequal treatment between the correlation of races and social classes. Sadly may continue to be relevant as racism continues to be prevalent under the United States administration. (Triggering the connection of the past and present, extremely important issues still plaguing the United States)

 In a close knit society such as ours, I imagine that it would be an important lesson to accept people rather than contort them into a vague comparison to what they once were or could easily be. Arguably, that in fact is how a close knit society, such as ours, functions. As a young girl I have approached life with the notion that equality is a gift; an expectation we, as a society, may all receive. What I have come to realize as a young adult, is the correlation between equality and society is close to nonexistent. Growing up in an impoverished town gave me this perspective through a first hand basis. Being a middle class resident, surrounded by friends and classmates who were significantly struggling, led me to appreciate what I assume to be wealth and health. The constant suffocation of my small town had  angered me when addressing a larger scale of world afflictions. Society, I discovered, was inherently unjust and unequal. Unbelievably so, we don’t and won’t, accept any possibility in changing that. As much as some people ridicule societies inter-workings, remarkable changes are impossible.  It’s the idea we strive for, that a sin-less moral person exists; I’ve yet to meet the angel. As we agonize over our first world problems we can’t ignore real life tragedies. But we do. We are selfish, it’s in our nature. Some go to church, some study philosophy, and some become teachers as we commonly address that the youth are our future. From this, I now approach life with two senses; that of personal conflict and public conflict. What we don’t realize is although we may morally be on a path of righteousness, when it comes down to it, people always choose themselves. 

• 

Hi! My name is Isabel Ernenwein and I’m from Newburgh, New York. My middle name is Hannah which is why my username in Isabelhannah. No reasoning behind it, I just like it better. I haven’t travelled too much but I am planning to travel abroad frequently. I went on a trip to Greece over the summer and as cheesy as it sounds, it was life changing. Definitely recommend. I’m just excited to be at a college that not only accommodates traveling abroad, but promotes it. Can’t wait for first semester!