E110 FA19 Class Blog

In my first blog post I knew I was going to write about microdosing LSD. However, I am going to be zeroing in on microdosing and its effects specifically on mental health.  First, I will write about why it became illegal. Then, I will write about what LSD does in general, and the difference between microdosing and taking full amounts. Next, I will show the scientific results of those who have tried micro-dosing and then evaluate if it should be a good way to treat mental health issues, and the dangers around it.

I have narrowed my research topic down to studying the importance of inclusive queer health education. This would entail looking into school’s curriculums, whether they be inclusive or not, the effects of queer erasure in schools, on straight as well as queer students, and laws regarding LGBTQ+ education. I would want to describe how schools with LGBTQ+ inclusive education have less bullying, LGBTQ+ students are more at risk of STI’s, the threat of No Promo Homo laws, and the decreasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people among young people in America.

In my first post, I was already researching and focused on my topic, LSD. After my meeting with Michael, I got confirmation on something I had suspected: the thesis for my proposal (and research paper for that matter) is going to be a weird, three headed monster. The first part of the thesis will be on the history of LSD and how it became illegal. The second part of my thesis will be on the how LSD needs to be rescheduled in the government so that researchers are able to have access to it. The third part of my thesis will be on the promising results of new research emerging on LSD: the benefits it has on patients with mental illness and the finding that it doesn’t have a high potential for abuse.

I will be researching how people who suffer from Narcolepsy experience dreaming and how it differs from the way other people dream. I have found many books that provide background information about dreaming and narcolepsy to get a better understanding of each topic. I will also be looking at studies done that examine people with narcolepsy and evaluate different aspects of their dreaming. These results will help support my thesis and answer the question of how narcoleptic patients dream. Dreaming is such a complex thing in our lives but it fascinates me and I am excited to learn more about this specific aspect of it. 

For my research paper, I have decided to discuss the topic of how Special Olympics and Unified Sports affect all people. The thesis of the paper is Special Olympics and Unified Sports are absolutely essential to the educational system and should be implemented into every school system because they increase inclusion, keep all individuals involved healthier, and improves the overall quality of life. It is necessary to provide adequate and ample funding for these programs to prosper. 

I chose to write about this because I think inclusion is an extremely important aspect of life and can improve our world. These programs provide people with the tools they need to succeed in life and I truly believe they are extremely beneficial and we must take action in order to make all people feel accepted and welcomed. Special Olympics and Unified Sports ensure that our world is united and creates a better atmosphere to live in.

In my other blog post, I mentioned how I was going to be doing this topic for my proposal. This will simply be a reiteration of why I chose the topic and the benefits of it.

Meditation and mindfulness is a priceless (literally, it’s free), quick, and easy way to improve quality of life and reduce burnout in jobs and school. If a person has a really demanding job, such as a doctor, taking 5-15 minutes of their time to dedicate it to meditation and mindfulness has proven to increase their performance. They will be less stressed, thus giving them better results in the quality of their work. If a person is enrolled in school and has a demanding workload or other responsibilities, dedicating some time to re-grounding oneself will reduce the amount of negative impact the stress may have. This may include anxiety and depression. Lastly, if a person simply wants to improve the quality of their life, meditation and mindfulness is a way to make life more vibrant. Noticing and realizing all of the bits and pieces of life that we miss out on everyday because of work or responsibilities will entirely change one’s outlook on life. Meditation and mindfulness is something everyone should implement in their everyday routine.

I decided to stick with the topic of political influence in film. I think this topic is very important because both politics and movies are big parts of American culture. Whether you have realized it or not, films can be influencing your political decisions by pushing certain political agendas on the audience. Sometimes, this political influence isn’t so apparent and you, the audience member, get subconsciously influenced. My research will look into how exactly politics is being woven into the film industry and how the audience member can pinpoint when/where it is happening.

I have to find more sources but I have a broader search now that will help me find available resources at the library. I don’t have a complete thesis yet but I know the topics I will be addressing in the paper (what fandoms and “stanning” are, specific fandoms who have become toxic, how a fandom can become an extremely bad place, how media can influence this behavior, etc.).

My thesis for my argument is, does cultural background influence how the authoritative parenting style is expressed? I chose to do this question/ topic because it something that is very important and discussed a lot about in my major. I find it very interesting and truly want to know the answer to this question. It is basically how we all agree on authoritative parenting being the most effective parenting, but it is too vague to correspond with every culture. Therefore, every culture needs to establish their own definition for authoritative parenting. I am very excited to write about this topic and learn more!

This paper will serve to bring awareness to the recent changes that have been coming to the smartphone industry. There has been plenty of new features coming out that have made the phones look more visually appealing, however the practicality of these devices are taking a hit. More and more features that have been normal for smartphones are starting to disappear from the market that have been present since the beginning. Without a a public protest against these manufacturing processes that are being claimed as sacrifices, more and more features will be taken away from the consumer and the price of phones will only increase.