Definition Paragraph:

This essay will cover the topic of success for college students. Therefore, success in this essay refers to the student's retention and their academic performance. Traditional predictors are disgusted greatly in the scholarly article referred to, as well as in this essay. By using the term traditional predictors it is meant to stand for what normally is a good indicator on a student’s success in college. Emotional intelligence, which is explained in depth throughout the article, refers to a students’ ability to use their emotions rather than their cognition when solving problems. Cognitive abilities refers to the ability to utilize what is learned or attained, also known as common sense, to rule their academic life. The traditional student that is discussed in the study, as well as both in the scholarly article and this essay, refer to a student that graduates from a higher education institution within six years with a bachelor’s degree.

Scholarly Article Summary

In the scholarly article, "Non-Cognitive Predictors Of Student Success In College" the main topic discussed is the success rate of college students. Every one in two students will receive a bachelor degree within six years of enrollment in a university. Many researchers believed that the precursor to success in college as well as life was a students’ high school GPA and an ACT or SAT score. However, in the study done by Larry Sparkman proves differently. Many studies done throughout the years has also semi disproved this theory. Tinito (1993) believed one must be integrated in the university both academically and socially, and must achieve a level of commitment to their career, academic goal, and the institution in order to be successful in college as well as life. The success rate of college students can be defined as a students’ retention and their academic performance. Many studies done in the past show that life success is contributed more to emotional intelligence rather than cognitive abilities (IQ). The emotional intelligence of an individual increases with age and education attainment. The IQ of an individual is not a strong predictor of performance at work nor life. In Sparkman’s study the emotional intelligence of an individual was based on these fifteen things: self regard, emotional self awareness, assertiveness, independence, self actualization, empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationship, reality testing, flexibility, problem solving, stress tolerance, impulse control, optimism, and happiness. The finding in the study suggests that students that attain these qualities are more likely to graduate within six years of enrollment at an institution. He also found in his study that white females who are not dating who live on campus their first semester and one or both parents have a four-year degree are the most likely to succeed. Sparkman’s study is viable proof that regardless how intelligent one is, if they cannot put their emotions and dedication into going to school and getting a degree they are more likely to drop out or graduate later than the traditional student.

Scholarly Article Link

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=108&sid=0b79d993-fdf3-4156-a782-abfefda6fee1%40sessionmgr115&bdata=JmxvZ2luLmFzcCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=79547321

Scholarly Article

In the scholarly article, "Non-Cognitive Predictors Of Student Success In College" (2012),  Larry Sparkman claims that the variables of Empathy, Social Responsibility, Flexibility, and Impulse Control help determine the graduation rate amongst students in universities. Sparkman supports this claim by testing participants that were traditional students who initially enrolled as freshmen for the fall semester of 2002 and attended freshman orientation the weekend prior to the beginning of classes. In this study, emotional intelligence was operationalized as 15 components: self-regard, emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, independence, self-actualization, empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationship, reality testing, flexibility, problem solving, stress tolerance, impulse control, optimism, and happiness. His purpose is to provide evidence that emotional intelligence is imperative in order to graduate from a university within four years. With the plethora of data as well as the language utilized within the article, Sparkman appears to be writing to a well-educated audience with interest in the success rate of college students.

TED Video 10/31/12

All individuals vary whether it’s their personal appearance or personal opinions. However, the main thing that sets all individuals apart is their identity. Identity can be defined as the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. In the TED video the identity of people is discussed. The speaker, Bryan Stevenson, in this video discussed the role of identity in society and how in reverse society affects the identity of people. Bryan emphasized multiple times that poverty is one of the main causes for identities to changes as well as lead to crime rates to increase. Bryan suggested that building ones’ character from learning from the past one will one day be able to look past the determining factor of race. He believes that ethics also help play a role in identity by using ones’ truths, morals, and beige able to reconciliate to mold a better person. Also, having the characteristic of being courageous will help one look past the media and what has been instilled in them through segregation and history books one can change their identity for the better. It has been noted in poverty stricken areas the crime rate is extremely high. Bryan poses the question, is this due to biasness of whites and blacks, and the fact that many people believe the color of one’s skin is more superior than the identity underneath the skin. By creating a new identity for yourself you will be able to see things I a new light that you would have never seen before. All of the things speaker, Bryan Stevenson, talked about all relates back to one thing and that are that identity is associated with inequality. The inequality towards African Americans results in the ill punishment of them in the legal system. With Bryan’s personal experience working with adult and juvenile African Americans in the prison system he is able to speak accurately on how punishment is solely based on race. The TED video today showed that by changing our identities as well as perspectives on things, discrimination of African Americans as well as the flawed prison system can be changed.

Alternative Assignment

I believe that the video for the alternate assignment is very interesting. However, I think that Huckleberry Finn is a great piece of literature that reflects greatly on the time period it was written. Although nigger may be an offensive term in today's era, back when the book was written it was the acceptable term. I believe that the commentator is correct when saying that slave is a job title and isn't a description of a person's ethnicity. By changing the word nigger to slave the essence of the book will be changed and it'll lose its' relevance to why it was written. Just because words inside Huckleberry Finn is offensive does not mean that we should change it. If this is the case then Catcher in the Rye should be taken off the shelves of all book stores because of the offensive manner it contains. Mark Twain used certain words and descriptions in order to make his book relevant and to build a great story that teaches life lessons.

Opinion Free Summary of "At Long Last, Dignity?"

In the article “At Long Last, Dignity” the highly controversal topic of same sex marriage is discussed. The article was published in The New York Times October 8, 2012 by Frank Bruni. The article discusses the issues over same sex marriage in the state of Maine, as well as other states including: Maryland, Washington and Minnesota. The emotions of an 80 year old gay man, Chuck Bennett are abundant in the article. This man discussed many things varying from being forced out of the Navy to buying his dream house alone. The times seem to be changing according to Bennet and he believes that he was born 50 years too soon. Same sex advocates are very optimistic about Maine as well as the other states due to the Presidential support they have as well as a whole community supporting the same sex marriage regardless of sexual preference.