"Plugged in"- Big Questions.

Everyday that I walk to class, the world seems to be getting more and more “plugged in”. Meaning, less connected to the daily interactions that used to occur. Whether it is headphones in the ears, blasting who knows what, or instagram stalking one of your social media icons, BYU falls into the world of phone over usage in a social media realm.

            My topic and claim will by the end of my paper, have answered all three of the BIG questions. I will acknowledge what exists. We know that the world in this day and age is evolving through social media. If any person were to observe most campus’ including BYU’s I think it is safe to say that most people are on their phones, looking down as they walk from class to class, or they are connected through earphones, thus disconnecting people interaction face to face.

What is good? This is a quality clause, because in my opinion, disconnecting from the people interaction is weakening people skills and communication throughout the U.S. However, opposing to my claim, social media allows us to connect to people we may not seem close with, whether that is geographically or even personally.

What should we do? As a campus, we could focus on more people interaction, pushing people to work with one another to encourage a friendlier environment. This will allow others to feel more confident in approaching people, boosting their people skills day to day. Or maybe what we could do is allow those people who want social interaction to meet at certain times or places, while the other students do what they desire. Because still, this is a campus with choice and students can choose how they would like their college experience to be.

How I will get across my point is by using cons of social media and phone usage, hoping to connect with my audience. If I give reasons as to why it is bad and how it can continue to pull apart our campus that will hopefully be a valid argument. However I must acknowledge the counter party as well, so that I may be a credible source. It is important that I use specific research as well, so that my claim will be accurate and full of detailed information. I want my audience to be more informed on this issue, they most likely feel connected to because it is a daily occurrence.

The Big Question

      My claim that the United States needs to go all in or all out on the issue at ISIS answers all three of the big questions.  First it answers the question "what should we do?".  The claim implies that the United States should be making decisive decisions.  This won't be the purpose of the opinion editorial but the question will be addressed to keep my audience interested.  However, my audience are BYU students and I'm not trying to answer what should BYU students do.  These leads to the second question "what exists?".  This will go in hand with the main purpose of my paper which will be to inform students on the ISIS situation and why the US needs to take decisive action.  I want more people to be aware of what is going on since the ISIS situation affects most of us in one way or another.  Hopefully this will in turn will help others to come up with suggestions on what we as students should do personally about this.  Last we have the third question "what is good?".  It's slightly implied since the claim is implying that full out decisions are good and necessary.  I desired for my claim to answer the big three questions because an issue as complicated as the ISIS situation deserves these questions to be asked.  If they were to be ignored the current situation may go out of hand and many more hardships like death may follow.
     I plan to be persuasive in this claim by referring to sources that detail the ISIS situation.  But I also plan to share personal stories of individuals who have been particularity affected by this situation.  I'm assuming that most students are personally affected by having relatives, friends and relatives of friends who are directly within the sphere of influence of this conflict.  I for example have an uncle who currently works developing wing parts for the Air Force.  He's not stationed in combat but he is close and that may put stress on him or his family.  Once I have the ethos and the pathos established with the sources and stories, I'll use logos to explain why decisive action is necessary and good.  I feel that decisive action is the only way to make real progress and that only going halfway will go no where.  However I'll need to back that up with sources and examples.

What still exists? Immodesty.

Modesty is not a dress code, it is a virtue. I don’t know how or when that idea got thrown out the window, but it was once common knowledge. The root of modesty is concerned with our characters – it is part of who we are. The principle of modesty calls for much more commitment than just covering a certain amount of skin. My design in adding to the conversation about modesty is to clarify exactly what it includes, and how the real meaning of modesty drastically changes its importance in our lives. The ultimate goal for this declaration is to compel my audience to do something about this issue in their own lives. 

In order to change people’s actions, you have to change their perspective, which is another of my main purposes in writing about this topic. By redefining modesty in a way that they may not have considered before, I am answering the first question of writing, “what exists?” I am also implying that the need exists for me to clarify what modesty is because immodesty is still prevalent – in more ways than one – on our campus, even though we have all agreed to abide by certain “dress and grooming” standards. I hope to focus on this only as it is necessary to instigate a paradigm shift about modesty, using examples to illustrate the essence of modesty or immodesty. These examples will include not only the issue of immodesty in clothing, but also in actions, and in words. I am essentially calling for greater commitment to this principle, while also attempting to build upon the general understanding of it. To establish my credibility on this subject, I will include quotes and ideas from outside sources and materials to prove that my claim is worth listening to. Specifically, I will use scriptures, the words of modern-day prophets, official church material, the dictionary, the Catholic catechism, and personal examples, in order to accomplish this purpose.

With my claims about what is at the core of modesty, I am trying to open people’s minds to the idea that immodesty can be anything that is designed to draw attention to ourselves in any way. I am declaring that modesty is something we need to work on in some new ways, and giving my ideas on what we should do to improve the situation. This is answering the third question, “what should we do?” As I establish what I believe is the point of modesty, I am also intentionally sending out a strong admonition for people to do something about it. Unfortunately, what we wear will always give off an impression to those around us, and has the potential to say more about who we are than anything we could say ourselves. It may in fact reflect the degree of our conversion to others, and our commitment to following Christ. Yes, our clothing can say a lot about us, and it is my hope that I can help others understand just how real this connection is, and perhaps plan their wardrobe accordingly. 

Strength, Stress and Skill

My essay will focus on two of the Big Questions; what is good, and what should we do. I will be arguing that climbing is an amazing and unique sport, and BYU needs an indoor climbing wall, particularly in the winter when the mountains are inaccessible. There are a ton of climbers at BYU. There are so many climbers at BYU partly because outdoor climbing is so available, and also there is a climbing culture that emanates from the mountains themselves.

One must only try climbing to discover why people love it so much. Climbing is an amazing combination of strength, stress control, and skill. Climbing makes one strong like few other sports. It doesn’t create bulk, but rather a strength to weight ration that allows you to control your own body at new levels. Perhaps the only other sport that creates a similar strength to weight ratio is gymnastics. Climbing truly reveals some of the incredible things the human body is capable of. Climbing also requires one to control their stress. Humans are afraid of heights since falling really far can kill you. Climbing is safe as long as the climber and belayer communicate well, double check each other, and use proper gear correctly. Even when one knows they are tied to a rope and won’t fall to the ground, it still require stress control when you are tired and trying to clip the next quick draw while lead climbing. Climbing is extremely satisfying as ones skill level increases and progress is made with each new day of climbing. Once one discovers these amazing attributes of climbing, it often becomes an important enriching activity in their lives.

When one understands these things, it is clear why BYU climbers would be so excited to have a climbing wall right on campus. Available for when there is not time for a trip to the canyon, or especially, when outdoor climbing is not possible because of the snow. When winter comes, BYU climbers have two choices, stop climbing till the snow thaws, or go to an indoor gym, the closest being The Quarry. BYU climbers need a third option, that of an on campus gym. If enough climbers rallied together and came up with some logical options for where a climbing wall could be installed, then a proposition could be presented to the administration at BYU.

A climbing wall on campus would provide the most accessible climbing area for BYU climbers, and would be of great value.

Pollution and Waste- Big Questions

            My opinion editorial claim, which states that as members of society we all need to take responsibility for our consumption and learn how to properly dispose of our waste, answers the questions of “what exists”, “what is good”, and “what should we do”. 

            My claim answers the question of “what exists” when addressing the problem presented. What exists is that Americans are wasting more than they should, and this is causing major problems. Many Americans waste out of habit, and recycling does not even cross their mind. Because of this, more landfills need to be created, which leads to more waste, as well as harmful emissions. When creating landfills, there is always a risk that toxic liquids will seep through the liners, and cause groundwater to be polluted. This is a risk that we should not take lightly, seeing as only 2.5 percent of the world’s water is fresh, and only 1 percent of that freshwater is easily accessible. With this knowledge, Americans should be extra conscious about what they choose to throw away.

            From the answer of “what exists”, it is clear to see that “what is good” would be to reduce the waste we put out. To do this, the question of “what should we do” is also answered.

There are several ways to answer, “what should we do”, and it is especially easy to refer to the three R’s- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The most effective way to cut back on waste would be to follow the three R’s in order. It is most helpful to reduce the number of things we buy, because then there are no worries about the waste that products create. When we reuse an item, there is no energy being taken up to either put it in a landfill or create something new with it. It also allows a consumer to save money on buying a new item, as well as saving the materials that would be needed to create another item. While recycling is the last preferred option of what we should do to cut back on waste, it is still a very important one. For example, it could be hard to think of a way to reuse paper once it has already been written upon, so in this instance, recycling is the best option. Through recycling, new items can be made from the old, rather than just having those items end up in a landfill. Although recycling does use energy, it is far better than using that same energy to put items into a landfill that can never be used again.

Why should we care?

The question that my opinion editorial is going to focus on is what problems exist with social media, specifically Pinterest.  It’s going to answer this question by listing off certain facts about how diminishing Pinterest is to people’s confidence and how it makes it easier to put on a mask of lying and deceitfulness. It’s easier to pretend that you’re someone you’re not and to come across better, cooler, or more attractive.  It also promotes a sense of procrastination.  It’s easier to put off something difficult and to waste time looking at pointless pictures.  Pinterest isn’t always bad. It can be used as a tool for clever ideas to make home life better, but there’s everything in moderation.

If we go back to the question, the points above are how I am going to express how this problem exists. I chose this topic to answer this question because people are aware of the issue and the problem that social media has in their self worth. It doesn’t just hurt their confidence in their appearance and how exciting their life is, but it also hurts them mentally. Social media can be an addiction, especially Pinterest. There are always new ideas out there to see and new things to become aware of. It’s about time society put down the time wasting, life-draining technology and go do something productive.  We were put here on this earth to help each other in the ultimate goal of reaching eternal life. There’s only so much you can do sitting in front of a computer screen and, in the long run, it doesn’t do very well with reaching that goal. It’s appropriate to try and spread things about the gospel through social media, but the screen restricts some of the raw emotion felt when speaking one-on-one. I chose this topic to answer this question because interaction with our fellow children of God is essential to becoming who we want to become at the end of this life.

There are statistics of how social media ruins the confidence of people who spend too much time on it because of how polished everyone looks on social media. I plan to use those statistics to give me authority to be able convince my audience that I know what I’m talking about. I’ll also give personal experiences about how social media has affected my life and my perception of myself. This will allow the audience to connect with me at an emotional level.  Hopefully, that’ll cause them to feel emotional about the issue as well and to want to change and do something different about the way they participate online. 

The Reason for the Season

Today is the twelfth of September. There is over a quarter of a year left until Christmas, yet it has already begun making its appearance in stores nationwide. But why? If you're like me, you've wondered about this question time and time again. Consider Thanksgiving; it too is surrounded by craziness! The mad rush we refer to as Black Friday has all but consumed the special traditions of that holiday. 

In my opinion editorial I hope to address both of these issues. I feel that this topic is both relatable and relevant to the BYU community and therefore I will try to answer all three of the "big questions." First, "what exists?" This portion of the editorial is where I will include statistics and dates--past history of the retail sales and opening times related to both Black Friday and Christmas. By doing so, I hope to establish ethos so that readers will be more open to what I will suggest later. I also hope to convince them that this is a symptom of a large issue within our culture: materialism.  

The second question I will address is "what is good?" This is the segment of my editorial when I will talk about the importance of celebrating holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is a time to come together as a family, and to recognize that there is so much to be grateful for. I want my audience to feel the importance of what I'm trying convey, so I will use pathos to paint a picture of what Thanksgiving and Christmas is truly about. What is good almost always involves the people around us. It doesn't involve items that can be bought in a store. By giving readers a chance to acknowledge the worsening trend of commercial-holiday-craze, they will be more willing to do something to change.  

The third and final question will follow right after the second, "what should we do?" There are many things that we as a BYU student body, faculty, community and even as a nation can do to be more aware of materialism in our lives. President Uchtdorf once said something to the effect of "we would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, and truly see the things that matter most." This quote is the driving force for my editorial and I will include it somewhere within the final paragraphs. As a BYU community, we can take a stand. We can recognize the things in our life that detract from the true meaning of the holidays: to be grateful, to remember Christ, and to serve. Change starts small, but BYU can make a difference by leading a unified change for the better. 

What exists? What is good? What should be done?

I will be writing my opinion editorial on the organization called Ordain Women. This organization is founded on the idea that women within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints should receive the priesthood in order to become “equal” to men. My claim, that women should not receive the priesthood, will be answering all three big questions: What exists? What is good? And what should we do?

Although many people within and outside of the church have heard of the Ordain Women organization, many people do not know or fully understand the specific stances in which the members of the organization feel so strongly about. I hope to inform my readers about the mission and beliefs of this group as well as the opposing view. Also, I will talk about the development, the deterioration and the possible future that lies ahead for Ordain Women.

I believe that Ordain Women will become another strong voice within the church with a new leader. For the next big question, I will explain what, in this case, is not good about women receiving the priesthood. This will be the main bulk of my paper. I will use my opinion as well as scripture verses, apostles and prophet’s opinions, and other various leaders throughout the church and what they believe. I will explain how the priesthood has influenced my life without actually holding the power of the priesthood myself. I believe that many of the women within this movement do not actually see the power and blessings that have come from the priesthood.

The last big question that I will cover is: What should we do? Many people think that the excommunication of Kate Kelly was harsh or unnecessary. If the ordination of women is an issue once again, what should be done? Hopefully we, as church members, can better understand the reasoning behind the priesthood and come to the realization of the blessings that it has in everyone’s lives, not just men.

A large part of this movement is to get women to have the same amount of power within the church as men. In order to be a credible source, I will look at both sides of the issue. By understanding both points of view, I will sound more credible instead of ignorant or uneducated. In my editorial, I hope to help people understand the blessings the priesthood brings. Like Elder Robert D. Hales stated, “bounteous blessings of the priesthood can be ours through our obedience and that all of the magnificent, eternal blessings that God makes available to men and women and families upon this earth can be ours through the power of the priesthood.”

Diet soda- Don't drink it!

Despite what you may think, the ‘diet’ in diet soda does not mean it is better for you. I personally know a nutritionist/personal trainer who tells her clients, “I would rather have you drink regular soda than diet soda.” Not that regular soda is good for you, but diet soda is just worse. It won’t help you lose weight, and it won’t help you become healthy.  For my opinion editorial, I will be writing about diet soda and its harmful effects on the human body. Diet soda is not good for you. There are multiple ingredients that make it harmful, and in this editorial I will be focusing on aspartame, a fake sugar in diet soda, and caffeine. I want BYU students to think twice the next time they want a diet soda. 

The big question my topic will be addressing is “What is good?” or more specifically, “What is not good?” My claim is telling people what they should not drink and why it is not good for them.  I want BYU students to be informed, so they do not regret anything later in life.  However, while my main focus will be on ‘what is good?’ I will also go over “what exists?” and “what should we do?” For “what exists?” I will write about the chemicals and ingredients in diet soda that make it bad to drink. And for the “What should we do?” I have three words: don’t drink it!

I plan on convincing with BYU students that my argument is right because I am a student just like them, and I know some of the reasons one might drink diet soda. For some, they say it is cheap. (Although, may I just say, not as cheap as water!) Some use it to stay awake in that 8 a.m. class or at night finishing up last-minute homework. With the country focused and being fit and healthy, some students may drink it to lose weight or be “healthier”.  Whatever the reason is, in the long run, it is just not worth it to drink diet soda.

I want to be able to use logic and pathos to persuade students to not drink diet soda. One of the ways my argument will be persuasive is if I use studies and articles backing up my claim. I do not claim to be an expert in this subject, so if I have studies and articles to back up my claim, it will help me sound authoritative and believable.

What exists? What is good? What should we do?

In my opinion editorial I would like to address that the junk food we eat can cause harm to us in the future. You can get junk food at any fast food restaurant and vending machines and we usually tend to choose junk food because it is easier to reach than healthy foods. Junk food can cause illnesses if we eat it frequently. Junk food has I high fat level and high sodium which can cause obesity, diabetes, or even heart disease. As you can see, my opinion editorial basically answers the following questions: what exists, what is good, and what should we do?

What exists? In America, mostly every American consumes junk food or fast food at least once a week and many consume junk food in a daily basis. According to the weight control information network, more than two in three adults are overweight and one in three adults are considered to be obese. Obesity has been growing rapidly for the past few years. Diabetes is also one of the most common illness seen because of high levels of sugar. Type two diabetes is caused by high levels of fat and sugar. Your body tries to produce enough insulin to maintain your body at homeostasis but, when you are feeding these type of foods in your body often your body is not able to keep up the insulin production causing diabetes. Junk food or eating at fast food restaurants can also lead to heart disease. By eating junk food the fatty acids and triglycerides in your body start clogging your arteries which can lead to lack of oxygen and heart disease. Junk food also makes you lethargic and less effective. You feel tired and fatigued due to the lack of oxygen levels and the high sugar levels you feed your body.

What is good and what should we do? Trying to live a healthy lifestyle might not be easy for some but it is possible. Each day we can cut something from our diet. It might be one less soda, a bag of chips, ice cream, or anything that has simple sugars and high fats. Living a healthier lifestyle will not only make your body healthier but it also makes you feel better, you feel more energetic, and you feel happier. Instead of eating junk food we can switch that to fruits and vegetables. Even though fruits and vegetables do not seem as appetizing we should try to stay away from junk food to maintain our bodies healthy.

What is good? What should we do?

My Opinion Editorial mainly answers two of the three questions: “What is Good?”, and “What should we do?”. In my stance, I believe that modesty is the choice that is good, and that immodesty isn't. When girls, and guys, dress in a way that doesn't draw attention to their bodies, they seem to exude an air of confidence about them; they aren't trying to catch the eye of an onlooker through their lack of clothing, but rather through their personalities. When they choose to dress this way, they’re saying that they've got a high amount of respect for themselves, because they don’t feel like they've got to dress less. They’re confident with who they are, and believe that others will like what they've got to offer without having to display their bodies. People might try to reject this because they’ll point out that so many movie stars dress in a way that’s revealing, and they still have that confidence in themselves. While that is true, and that the individuals are featured in many magazines and tabloids, what are they really in the spotlight for? Is it because they’re being recognized for their brains, or for their bodies? Magazines run so many articles about who wore what where, and who was the best dressed for events. That’s why celebrities spend so much money on their attire, because they don’t want to be bashed for the way they dress, or they’d like to be ranked the best dressed at an event. It’s a competition to see who can look the best; the celebrities are using their bodies to get the attention that so many of them crave. They gain their confidence based off of how they dress and look, not from their personality.

For my other answer to the “What should we do?” portion, I’m going to propose that people dress modestly. There are lots of people who aren't LDS that dress in a way that isn't necessarily church standards, but who still cover up their bodies. When you dress modestly, you’re showing that you have respect for your bodies, and that you don’t want to use them as an object. Our bodies are a temple, and they’re a gift from God; they've been “bought with a price”, and they’re houses for the Holy Ghost. If we were housing a guest, wouldn't we want the place they were staying to be as clean and as presentable as we could make it? We should view our bodies the same way, and give it the same respect that it deserves.

What Exists? What Should We Do?

           School is demanding.  Work takes time, and dating takes money.  Membership in the church expects an even balance between all of these things, and our own personal pride pushes us to excel in each category.  As a single male who is a full-time student and member of the church, I fully understand the scheduling conflicts that occur at this point in our lives.  

In my opinion editorial I plan to address the demanding educational, ecclesiastical, occupational and social demands of Brigham Young University students. I will outline the rigorous schedules that haunt single students taking 14 or more credits, who also work a part-time job.  How do we balance these demands?  Where do our priorities lie?  Ultimately what we’re each asking is: What should we do?

                There exists a problem within the walls of this argument.  The issue is time.  Time is one of our most precious and valuable resources as mortals. As the ‘future generation,’ the way that we use our time will affect the remainder of our entire lives, and hopefully the lives of those around us.  As members of ‘Generation Y,’ otherwise known as ‘millennials’ (persons born between 1974-1994) we have consistently been referred to as the future leaders of the church, and the future leaders of the world.  We know from modern revelation that Heavenly Father has saved some of his most valiant servants to come forth in these latter-days.  That is me and you, my friends.  The future is now- our time has come.  What are we doing to fulfill this divinely appointed responsibility?  How do we fulfill these expectations?

What we need to do is manage our time.  Ultimately, we need to manage our lives.  Living day-to-day, even minute-by-minute will no longer cut it.  In preparing this opinion editorial, I hope to help others come to the consensus that although time is short and school is hard, we can do better and work more diligently.  I plan to help solve this issue by mapping out a generic schedule of a student who meets the criteria mentioned above. My purpose is to help give guidance to those who are in need of more organization and structure.  Book of Mormon prophets taught us this principles thousands of years ago:  “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order…” (Mosiah 4:27).  The time is now for us to apply, and “liken” these teachings to our current situations, in order to make the best of the prime of our lives.

Men's and Women's Sports

My essay topic deals with women's and men's sports here at Brigham Young University. I questioned the difference in community support between men's and women's sports. Men’s sports have always been more popular, even the only kind of sporting events allowed. Athlete culture at BYU is special. Sports teams pray together, give devotionals, attend the temple and serve together. This is a special privilege associated with being a member of an athletic team here. Many prospective college athletes chose BYU over other, maybe even better, schools because of this culture. The BYU community elects excellence of these athletes on the court and off. This community helps sponsor athletics. This community helps to set the rules and guidelines for athletics. This community never misses a football game. This community travels across the country to be at basketball games. This community fails to show up to the women’s basketball games. This community does not support men’s and women’s sports equally.

In my opinion-editorial, I will seek to answer all three of the big questions posed in the Writing and Rhetoric book. 

What exists? I hope to draw attention to the vast difference in community support. Attendance records and other facts and figures will be extremely useful here. A logical appeal will be the main rhetorical device used. The BYU community will be made aware that women's sports have less community support. I used the history of attendance records to compare men’s and women’s sports. It is a fact that there is higher attendance at men's football, basketball, and volleyball games than their women’s counterparts. The community support can be found through the  ROC support, advertisements, television time, coaching salaries, gear, athlete recognition, and fan support. However, I would point out that support has increased with university help. Activities such as summer camps, pre-game parties, a student section and giveaways tend to draw large crowds. The audience will take away from this section the realization that there is a problem with community support of both men’s and women’s sports. 

What is good? After identifying the problem, I would utilize an emotional and ethical appeal. I hope to approach an open minded audience that women's sports are just as important as men's. The BYU  community should feel that there is an injustice. This would segue into the next part. 

What should we do? This question would be answered by examples of actions the BYU community can do. The community is made up of both faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni. Each member chose to be a part of this community and can do their part to support one another. I will seek to connect readers with their sense of community. I will urge them to do their part and support both men’s and women’s spotting events through a variety of ways including, but not limited to, attending events, planning pre-game activities, and being informed about the teams. Together, we can continue share the athletic spotlight between the men's and women's teams.

Change it to Zero in Three

Society has engraved this idea into our heads since the day each of us was born: women must be skinny and men must be "ripped". As of recently, a new idea is surfacing and becoming more and more accepted--obesity--and with obesity comes the claim, "your body is what it is, you cannot control that." What happened to healthy? Isn't it far more important to take care of yourself and have a strong and healthy body than it is to have a skinny one? It is because of claims like this that about 8 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder and 1 in 3 adults are considered obese. What exists? These numbers exist, they are real; the world around us has a cruel perception of what bodies should look like and it is the furthest thing from true. Growing up, I started to believe these perceptions. I wasn't as skinny as my best friend, so therefore, I was fat. Was it true? Absolutely not, but the world made me think so. According to my Body Mass Index, I am at a healthy weight. The range of healthy weights is actually broader than most realize. Many of us have fallen into the mindset that, I'm not skinny, so I'm fat, but I'm not obese so I can't embrace it, so I'm just stuck here. Health isn't about numbers, or at least it shouldn't be, and it's not about others either. Healthy is completely personal, but it is crucial, especially to us college students.
We are at the brink of our existence. It is more important now, than ever before to be healthy. Our bodies simply cannot do the things required of it if we are not healthy. We are constantly moving and rarely have a break; our minds are always engaged in new concepts, we cannot afford to be unhealthy. Eating right gives your body the nutrients it needs to stay alert and focused in class, exercising gives your body the strength it needs to make it through the day, not to mentions endorphins which make you happy and is an excellent stress reliever. Along with eating right and exercising often, our bodies need sleep. Sleep not only rests your body, but it rests your mind, it makes it possible to stay awake in class and while you study and to retain the information you are being taught.
Being healthy or becoming healthy is not near as daunting as you might think, I know I thought it was. It's actually quite simple and it's the little things that end up making a huge difference. Drink water instead of soda and when there are stairs, take them. Choose an apple over chips and go for a run once a week. Do twenty curl-ups and ten push-ups before bed and go to bed early. Keep a water bottle filled in your backpack at all times and bring a lunch from home. These little things add up and you will start to see big results and if you keep up these habits, these will be life long results.

What should we do?

In my OpEd I discuss the importance of self-acceptance and how we as a BYU community can help those who struggle with body image issues by the way we talk of ourselves/others and by realizing that finding self-acceptance is a real issue in our society.
Every day we pass by so many people unaware of their joys and/or struggles but we all have them. The reason helping other’s  find self-acceptance is so crucial is because when one is left in the dark of those negative thoughts their condition can go from having low self-esteem to possibly developing a serious illness. This sort of illness may include but is not limited to self-harm, drug abuse, eating disorders etc. You may think I may just be going to an extreme by concluding that having negative thoughts can cause you to have a huge problem such as the ones stated above but I’m not because I experienced having an eating disorder first-hand.
NEDA a National Eating Disorder Association has stated that “Eating disorders are real, complex, and devastating conditions that can have serious consequences for health, productivity, and relationships. They are not a fad, phase or lifestyle choice. Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that affect a person’s emotional and physical health.”
The thing is although eating disorders are very serious our society can help prevent them. Some ways to do this is by the way we talk about ourselves. If you are constantly tearing your body down around others they might start doing the same thing. In addition, we as a community, who’s faith is centered around Christ and his example to love our neighbors should be focusing on exactly that- loving and accepting all men (and women). We should do our best to focus on the gift Heavenly Father has given us- to walk, run, smile, move our fingers etc. We should not define our worth by the way we look. Once we start to believe that being or looking a certain way will make us like-able we are not only shaming the bodies we’ve been given but we are allowing our minds to be of the world. We need to realize that the way media portrays beauty is not what Heavenly Father has taught us or wants us to believe. Prevention of thinking negatively about the way one is, is the key to finding acceptance within one’s self. We all have the power to help others, to make them feel like they are whole just the way they are.

What is Not-So-Good

I am doing my opinion editorial on the negative effects of Instagram in people's lives and my argument is that it would be beneficial for people to stop using it. For my topic, I will be answering all three of the big questions: What exists? What is good? And What should we do? I will mainly be answering the second question, what is good, or in this case, what is not good. Furthermore, my opinion editorial will focus on explaining why Instagram is not good.

First, I will briefly address what Instagram is: a popular form of social media where people post individual pictures and view other picture posts from people they "follow". However, I will not need to spend much time or detail on this because most people are already familiar with it.

Next, I will explain why Instagram is not such a good thing, even though there are some good things about it. I will support this with evidence from my personal experience along with observations of people that I know. These negative impacts that I have noticed in my life and the lives of others include effects on view of oneself, interpersonal communication skills, daily productivity and time management, and relationships with others. These are the reasons that I will provide as support for why I think Instagram is not good.

I hope to establish myself as a convincing authority by relating to my audience. I can establish that connection by talking about my experience with Instagram, using certain Instagram jargon and showing that I am just like them. I used to use Instagram all the time, I was even somewhat addicted, but I managed to come to the realization of the negative effects it was having in my life and the lives of others around me. I had a change of opinion and by explaining my experiences, they will hopefully gain a trust for me and be willing to change their opinions as well.

Lastly, I will tell the audience what they should do about the issue. That is, they should stop using Instagram, or at least use it as little as possible, to avoid the negative outcomes that can occur through using it too much. While all three of the big questions need to be answered in my opinion editorial, I will spend a majority of my writing focusing on why Instagram is not a good thing by providing logical reasons.

Good & Should

The issue I’ll be writing about is the use of reusable bags being more environmentally friendly, convenient, and smarter than the use of plastic bags. My claim is really answering two of the big questions, “what is good,” and “what should we do.”

            My claim addresses the question of what is good by reasoning that plastic bags are worse than cloth or reusable bags. They harm the environment so badly! On a website talking about the facts of using plastic bags, it states that a single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade, and about 1 million plastic bags are used every minute! Where are so many of these plastic bags going? The majority of plastic bags are not being recycled. Instead, they are being thrown into the ocean. Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it, and plastic bags are the second-most common types of ocean refuse! The facts are adding up, and the odds aren’t looking very good in a plastic bags favor.

            Another reason that getting my claim addresses the what is good question is that by using cloth bags instead of wasting all the plastic ones, we will save more money and we’ll be happier overall with the cloth bags. It only takes eleven times of use to pay off for buying that one cloth bag, and it can still be used many more times. Also, cloth bags are much more sturdy than plastic, and those long walks back from the grocery store won’t be burdened with handles breaking and bags ripping.

            The other big question my claim addresses is what should we do. By Brigham Young University banning plastic bags, we’ll set an example to all the other colleges and universities in our country. Other countries are already setting this example, and some never even used plastic bags to begin with. Using reusable bags will set BYU apart as an environmentally aware and safe place, and will bring us a lot of good attention and media.

            The issue addresses both of these big questions I’ve stated, both by saying why cloth bags are good and plastic bags aren’t, and what we should do to implement cloth bags in our grocery stores, restaurants, and retail shops. Hopefully those points will be made obvious to my audience so that this paper won’t just be an assignment, but a mission.