Causal Rewrite- HockeyFan

Posted on April 10, 2024 by hockeyfan

Still Needs a Title

National League Hockey is one of America’s favorite sports. People from not only the US, but also boarding countries across the world find hockey to be a sport to be a daily pleasure to watch. Going to see your favorite team in action, as well as seeing your favorite players skate around the ice is a treasure to hockey fans. No one goes to a hockey game expecting to see their icon walk off the ice and never return to the game However an injury on the ice could not only sadden the fans, but also hurt the player enough that they are out of the game for weeks, or even forever. Connor Bedard from the Chicago Blackhawks is an example of a gruesome injury that had occurred on the ice due to a lack of protective gear. Bedard collided with one opponent on the opposing team. This caused him to hit the ice at a high rate of speed and immense force. This resulted in a broken jaw which needed emergency surgery. Had the bottom half of his face been more protected, it would have made the injury less serious or possibly even prevented it.

A Hockey player tends to spend their whole adolescent life playing hockey and preparing for the National League teams. From the time a child starts playing hockey, safety is at the top of learning subjects. During the Junior League players are required to wear full covering helmets. This helps to prevent facial fractures during the game. Adults, as young as 18 make it to the NHL, because they are so young their bones may not have fully developed or fused together by the time they get to play at their first National League game. When they move up to the big league the helmets get a little different, it is only covering their head and their eyes. An article from Sage Journals explains how this causes more facial features during the game when a collision happens on the ice. 73.5 out of 1000 players contracted a facial injury during a game wearing an NHL regulated helmet. However only 16 out of 1000 players received a facial injury due to the fact that they were wearing a fully covering helmet. This number is significant enough to make you think about the real effects wearing a half shield has on a player compared to a full covering helmet.

The number of minor brain traumas, as well as concussions has risen over the years and will continue to rise in the NHL community. An Article from BMJ Sports Medicine explains how even though the NHL has added more penalties such as checking from behind, and head checking it has still not done enough to bring down the number of injuries down significantly enough. This poses the question of whether the NHL is really doing enough regulation to protect the players from injury causing them to be taken out of the game for a short period, or the rest of their career. An example of a regulation provided by the NHL is as follows. A Matching penalty shall be placed on any player or team official who deliberately attempts to or deliberately injures an opponent, official, team official or spectator in any manner. While placing a penalty on a player may seem effective, in the long run it does not do much. Once they get out of the penalty box, they are able to commit another offense that could pose a risk of injury. What we should be doing, is any player that breaks a regulation rule that involves physical fighting or injury should be ejected from the game. This would get the point across that this is not acceptable and will cause you to lose a significant amount of playing time should you choose to cause physical harm to an individual.

Chances are when you go to a hockey game a fight will break out at some point. Hockey is known to have a stronger masculinity dominance surrounding it. This in a way causes more fights in order to prove who is more masculine. The NHL does allow fighting on the ice, while the Olympics, as well as international teams do not allow fighting on the ice. While at the game you might find it exciting, it does not happen at every game. A “fight” during a hockey game consists of two or more players removing their gloves and helmets and then they proceed to throw punches at each other. This would then result in all of the players involved receiving a penalty. However this does not send the message that it is unacceptable to partake in an activity such as fighting. With Olympics being such a prestigious sporting event, they do not allow fighting.  The International Ice Hockey Federation states that if you participate in fighting you will be ejected from the game as they do not find it acceptable, or regulate it. This poses the question of what does the Olympics see wrong with fighting on the ice that the NHL does not?

The bottom line is that by the NHL not taking more precautionary measures, and regulating fights on the ice it is causing more injuries than any other sport. If we added more protective gear, and followed the same rules as the Olympics and International teams we would have a safer game. Taking away fights on the ice, and adding more protective gear takes nothing away from the enjoyability of the game. Instead it creates a safer game for the players. Safer gear could include a full face covering helmet, and or neck guards to prevent an interaction between the blade of ones skate and a players neck. While concussions can occur without fighting on the ice, they can still occur when a collision happens in the ice between two players. In order to make the game overall safer more regulations needs to take place. We should be taking a page out of the Olympics rule book, and follow what they are implementing.

References

Playing rules – attempt to injure & deliberate injury. Ontario Ball Hockey Federation. (n.d.). https://ontarioballhockeyfederation.ca/playing-rules-attempt-to-injure-deliberate-injury/#:~:text=(a)%20A%20Match%20penalty%20shall,or%20spectator%20in%20any%20manner. 

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0887302×07303626 | request PDF. (n.d.-a). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328039672_httpjournalssagepubcomdoiabs1011770887302X07303626 

IIHF official rule book 2021/22. (n.d.-b). https://blob.iihf.com/iihf-media/iihfmvc/media/downloads/rule%20book/2021_22_iihf_rulebook_v1_1.pdf 

Posted in Causal Rewrite, HockeyFan, Portfolio—HockeyFan | 3 Comments

Rebuttal Rewrite–Gymrat

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Gymrat

Body Image is not deeply affected by Social Media

Social media has been seen as these horrifying apps that the most recent generation has grown up with. All due to a lot of mental health struggles, cyberbullying, eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction. All of these cases could have been true in the past, but in the most recent years, it has been shown to have a more positive impact. With more fitness influencers coming up and talking about their personal experience growing in their bodies and changing, showing expectations vs reality, and simply talking about their bodies, fitness journeys, comparison struggles, and just being raw to be more relatable to everyone else. Even with that though a lot of people blame social media being the root of the problem for adolescents when in reality it is the feed they have themselves. Any social media on any basis only shows on your feed what is frequently liked by you or what you follow. If the impact of social media is so bad why not just change the algorithm? With that being said social media’s positive influences have changed a lot of people’s physical and mental health combined.

Social media can have a bad influence on people. In the end, it all depends on the consumer and their algorithm. Social media has a wide spread of categories to show and yet it only shows the consumer what they most like and anything relatable to that. This implies that whoever is necessarily badly affected by social media and their body image is because that is what they are feeding into their brain all day long. To add social media is not the problem but the consumer themselves because the person posting is not trying to make you feel worse about yourself but somehow you do because they look a certain way you do not. 

Health and fitness influencers all over tend to show the real truth about bodies. Showing different people they have trained with the start and the result, showing that consistency is the key to change. For example, trainer Mikeymikebw always posts his clients after some time of being with him to show the muscle definition change with his training or meal plans. Showing the transformations and showing people the difference influences people to want to be better for themselves, not envy and feel like they are not enough. After speaking to Mikey about his clients and the social media posting he said, “The best thing I do is post my client’s spotlights because they draw in more attention for people to want to change and clients as well for myself to help people change,” As stated before this is influencing people to want to change, giving them a optimistic mindset for their future about their body and health. In another conversation, he stated, “Nobody comes to this on their own they start by being influenced mainly by social media.” Whether it is a bad or good influence it still creates a positive change in the end with people changing their lifestyles and mindsets. 

Social media has one of the biggest roles in body positivity movements. The study, “Bopo: Enhancing body image through body positive social media- evidence to date and research directions” talks about these movements and characteristics. Also finding ways that social media content can be beneficial for body image and lower comparison. All of this occurs because most of the body positivity posts also branch out to “a wide range of body sizes, shapes, and appearances and include messages about the importance of broadly conceptualizing beauty engaging in body acceptance and appreciation”, stated in the article. This is more than enough to show how much body positivity movements have a great impact on people on social media to stop constantly comparing themselves to bodies that are nothing like theirs. 

The whole point of the content on social media is to make everyone feel included not for you to pick the worst features you think to have and compare them to others. As the study states, “ body positive content aims to disrupt the monopoly of idealized media on the visual landscape, and to encourage individuals to adopt a positive stance towards their body and appearance.” All of this is done by having more inclusiveness and less oppressive systems. Social media is not going away any time soon, we have to learn to embrace it in the most positive outlook possible because it is meant to be used in that way. Perceiving it negative way with constant comparison of bodies only makes it look that way more and more causing the environment to be negative. 

Another study, “I don’t need people to tell me I’m pretty on social media:” A qualitative study of social media and body image in early adolescent girls” talks about how these girls embrace the differences in bodies rather than compare themselves and beat themselves up for it. From 7th to 8th graders it was shown that even though their social media use was high the influence that social media had on them was minimal and they appreciated the differences. This could be due to, “these characteristics were nurtured by positive parental influence and a supportive school environment.” as the study stated, causing them to not want to look for a way to be better or look better, but rather appreciate themselves and everyone else around them because they do not need that attention from anywhere else. When the environment all around is better it prevents body dissatisfaction because the young adults are already satisfied. Therefore they see everything in a positive light no matter what the post is. 

Overall the most straightforward answer to give anyone who claims to suffer from body image from body dysmorphia would be to just get off social media and live without it, be happy on your own. That simply would not happen in today day. Learning to embrace social media in the positive way that it is meant to be looked at with influencers showing the reality of bodies and having better environments showing people to perceive things differently is the way to handle it. There is no such thing as negativity on social media it all depends on how it is perceived. 

References:

Rodgers, R. F., Wertheim, E. H., Paxton, S. J., Tylka, T. L., & Harriger, J. A. (2022). Bopo: Enhancing body image through body positive social media- evidence to date and research directions. Body Image, 41, 367–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.008 

Talked to Mikeymikebw in person for 45 minutes about the topic.

Burnette, C. B., Kwitowski, M. A., & Mazzeo, S. E. (2017). “I don’t need people to tell me I’m pretty on social media:” A qualitative study of social media and body image in early adolescent girls. Body Image, 23, 114–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.09.001 

Posted in GymRat, Rebuttal Rewrite | 5 Comments

Rebuttal rewrite – Toetio

Posted on April 9, 2024 by toetio

The Complicated Origins of Hand Gestures

Some people may argue against the idea that hand gestures are used to communicate over a language barrier, on the basis that hand gestures are culture specific. as a result of this, people from two different cultures may have no idea what another gesture means. It is indeed true that many gestures are culture specific for example many of the hand gestures listed by William S. King required explanations as to what they means.

The “bull sign” is the same gesture as the mano cornuta. (See Andrea de Jorio, La mimica degli antichi investigata nel gestire napoletano [Naples, 1832].) The local gesture, made by closing the second and third fingers of the hand, leaving the index and little fingers extended, is used by the gesturer to indicate that his credulity is being tried. This symbol is supposed to represent the horns of a bull, and the gesture is often accompanied by the expression “Bull–.”

A fairly common symbol on this campus is made by pointing the forefingers of both hands and placing them along the temples, pointing upward. If the person to whom the gesture is directed is unaware of its meaning, he will invariably ask. The gesturer then relates the following story. “There was once a queen ant who sent out some workers to gather food for the winter. Two very diligent ants found a ball of horse manure and laboriously pushed it toward the nest. The queen ant saw them appear with their burden over the rise directly above the nest, and, fearing the load might get away from them and roll into the entrance-hole, excitedly waved her antennae. The signal she gave means in ant language ‘stop that —.’ ” The fingers along side of the head represent the queen ant’s antennae. This gesture, like the “bull sign,” is directed toward people suspected of stretching the truth.

Maurice H. Krout’s paper Understanding Human Gestures also provides examples of culture specific gestures

Gestural expression was common among North American Indians. They had thousands of signs to convey meaning without sound, but other peoples have also used gestures for this purpose. The natives of Timbuctoo place two fingers astride a finger of the other hand to indicate riding. Similarly, when they press a heavy head against an open hand, they mean “Go to sleep.” Closing the fist with the thumb between the index and middle fingers indicates derision among certain Europeans. Turning the back and lifting the skirt is a sign of disrespect among the French and others. Throwing the head back and making a chucking noise with the tongue signifies negation among Turks. Massaging the abdomen to show satisfaction was common among Indians, and is still imitated by our youngsters. The Ainus of Japan lightly tap the nose or the mouth to express surprise

Krout goes on to explain his view of how these more culture specific gestures came to be.

J.F. Dashiell has traced these conventional gestures to meaningful acts which were gradually reduced to a few simple movements for convenience in communication. Thus crossing fingers is probably the easiest way to symbolize a cross, and for that reason has been used to challenge the authority of the dark and evil powers. Shaking a finger at some one, likewise, originated from the act of shaking up offenders who had placed others in an angry mood. Clenching the fist is probably an abbreviation of the act of striking. Beckoning to some one is a remnant of the act of pulling people by force. Waving the hand sideways can be traced to the act of pushing others bodily aside. All these gestures are thus conveniences which are understood only because they had been fully expressed at one time.

It is true that cultures often have specific gestures which only they understand, but mountains of evidence gathered throughout time demonstrate that gestures can be used for a universal understanding.

The use of hand gestures in cross cultural interactions is well attested to throughout history.  Gordon W Hewes’s paper, Gesture Language in Culture Contact provides a good compilation of such examples.  Hewes reaches back to antiquity for his examples, such as this one from Xenophon’s The March Up Country about using hand gestures to communicate with locals:

When they reached Cheirosophos, they found them in their quarters, garlanded with hay and served by Armenian boys in their native costume; they made signs to the boys as if they were deaf and dumb to show what they wanted.

Hewes also provides various examples of European sailors coming into contact with indigenous peoples. Such examples are important as the demonstrate the usefulness of hand gestures even without an interpreter. For example, this quote from Don Ferdinand Columbus about his father Christopher’s encounter with “natives”: 

Some of them [the Indians] had scars or wounds on different parts, and being asked by signs how these had been got, they answered by signs that people from other islands came to take them away, and that they had been wounded in their own defence.

When they had completed those forty leagues they came to a small settlement of natives, but they had no interpreter to ask them what they wanted to know. When the natives saw the Spaniards with horses, they were terrified, got into their canoes, and from thence made signs and brought some of their food for the Spaniards. … By signs the natives said that there were no roads and no provisions further on.

All of the above points demonstrate that, while hand gestures may in some cases be specific to one culture, they can still be utilized to communicate across a language barrier.

References

Hewes, G. W. (1974, April 4). GESTURE LANGUAGE IN CULTURE CONTACT. Gallaudet University Press. https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.rowan.edu/stable/pdf/26203092.pdf?refreqid=fastly-default%3A96a64e3c92470323313aebe843658f0e&ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search_gsv2%2Fcontrol&origin=&initiator=search-results&acceptTC=1

King, W. S. (1949). Hand gestures. Western Folklore, 8(3), 263–264. https://doi.org/10.2307/1497931

Krout, M. H. (1939). Understanding Human Gestures. The Scientific Monthly, 49(2), 167–172. http://www.jstor.org/stable/17039

Pocock, N. S., Chan, Z., Loganathan, T., Suphanchaimat, R., Kosiyaporn, H., Allotey, P., Chan, W.-K., & Tan, D. (2020, April 6). Moving towards culturally competent health systems for migrants? applying systems thinking in a qualitative study in Malaysia and Thailand. PLOS ONE. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0231154

Posted in Portfolio—Toetio, Rebuttal Rewrite, Regrade Please, Toetio | 2 Comments

Rebuttal Rewrite- Breaking Bad45

Posted on April 9, 2024 by BreakingBad45

The type of education you receive will depend on your environment 

As we live day to day in our society, at one point in time you gain the ability to learn and comprehend things. Many people have an idea of what education is, and have gotten it at one point in their life. However, many people have differing ideas when they think of education because everyone has had different lessons and different ideas of teaching. And this can become rather complicated when you ask different people. Some environments, make it very hard to succeed if you are not taught at the correct time or in the right form. My idea is that you cannot succeed in a school setting if you are faced with certain obstacles, these obstacles including living areas and financial situations. Because those things will hold you back.

Many urban areas are very unfortunate with their school systems and struggle every day to create ways to get students to enroll because of the many struggles the go through. The struggles they face include gang life, single homes, and children that are stricken with starvation. This is seen in cities like Harlem, the Bronx and other parts of the city as well as other parts of the world. 

The debates that the opposing side of people try to make is that idea that people are able to make it in life, attend a good college, and work a good job as long as they work hard they are able to achieve those things. I believe that is simply untrue because there are people in certain unfortunate situations that are unable to make it into a good school because of where they come from. People’s environments naturally change and form the person you are if you live there long enough as it is only natural. I think many people carry disadvantages while navigating their education because of this. Because of the good education and upbringing I was fortunate to have, it was easier for me to be successful and be able to attend a university unlike other students. This article by the Georgia Library claims that, “the findings that overcrowded areas contain many chances and have an easier access to depression but it doesn’t affect their education or the level they can contain,” (Lanus). He says that everyone is capable of succeeding because everyone is physically able to do so in this country. The issue I have is people thinking everyone has an equal chance in that success, and the truth is that cannot possibly happen for the unprivileged. They are unable to have the same chances as a student who is financially set.

I found an article on the subject about a Rowan student who I know personally visited a middle school and high school principal located in one of the bad parts of the Bronx where there is a lot of crime and poverty. He found that the principal (who did not want to be named) believed that, “Students in this area may gain no hope in the future because of how our system has been running,” (Marone). In the article, he mentions how many children under the age of 14 are afraid to go into school. The reason behind this deals with the amount of gang life in the area. Students tend to see people before walking to class being harassed, beaten, robbed or even worse to be forced into a gang because they think they will have a better chance at life. So in their ideal mind they think they will truly succeed out of this if they spend there lives in crime which is the true tragic part of all of this.

Another thing taken into account is that many of these students in areas like New York will not have the ability to eat everyday; the starvation causing them to be unmotivated and simply unable to learn anything. The principal from the Bronx believed that students would have a better chance of coming into school at all if there were more free lunches for the unfortunate children. The kids would then want to go to school to eat, and in return, learn some valuable information that could potentially help and benefit a child’s life drastically. Many of the kids that go to these schools are often complaining about being hungry. 

The National Library of Medicine had their own experiment to see if poverty changes the education of students. They believed that, “The results indicate that enduring exposure to neighborhood poverty relates to educational attainment, while timing does not,” (Lanus). They go on to say that it could affect your ability to learn, but it would affect many more children than adults trying to learn at a university. This is relevant because in the experiment they state that children would have a much harder time gaining an education because of the stress and other factors that they have to deal with in their daily lives. This shows that it will affect the kids life a lot more than an adult’s life. Children are easily impressionable and when they pick up on social and societal cues you tend to mold into that version from wherever you are and that is the same with learning.

Many children are receiving education around the world; however, that type of learning can be dramatically different from others depending on the enviornment. Just like New York, there are people that attend public schools in dangerous areas who may not learn anything in class. At the same time, a few blocks away at the private schools nearby, there are students learning and receiving help that will benefit their futures. The idea is that regardless of where you’re from, you’ll learn things differently from other people. There are people that can receive more help and guidance with the reason being they were born into the right family at the right time of life. The idea of chance is a big actor because no one can choose what they are born into that just find their way out of it.

There are many ways of finding solutions in urban areas like this to get children to attend schools and gain a sufficient education, but it would need to be a whole debacle that would entail many different sides of people joining together to help our future youth. The ideas that I feel make the most sense are to have safer routes to school so kids feel comfortable, free lunches for the children so students would have the motivation to go to school, and to find and hire a team of nurturing teachers that give good quality learning in these dangerous areas; many teachers in that area do not care for their students. More solutions that would aid in attacking the root of the problem would be to be vigilant of children who may be victims of malicious parenting, and help to get these children away from their home abuse. Also, having the cities be more aware of their gang violence and rising up to combat it could make a drastic change not just for the young students, but for everyone. The whole idea in itself can not be possible because of how many of these cities have been living with these problems for years. The idea can be tragic, but many people are able to succeed in this world. I truly believe everyone can and is capable of doing so. The thing that becomes conflicting is: if everyone could achieve these goals, even if they had obstacles like these, why can’t everyone succeed? I believe many people would not gain the same knowledge, therefore everyone would not gain the same standard of education making it much harder to succeed. The task of success is not impossible however everyone faces there own tasks and difficulties that are separate from others making it impossible from everyone to have the same chance.

Marrone, C., & Bullimore, M. A. (n.d.). A Case Study of Secondary School Leaders’ Perceptions of Attendance Policies and Procedures Used to Increase Attendance. https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/66143 

Do poor housing conditions affect educational attainment? : An analysis of the impact of poor housing conditions on educational achievement, a study based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (n.d.). https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/553803 

Nieuwenhuis, J., Kleinepier, T., & van Ham, M. (2021, May). The role of exposure to neighborhood and school poverty in understanding educational attainment. Journal of youth and adolescence. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8043918/#:~:text=The%20results%20indicate%20that%20enduring,stronger%20impact%20than%20later%20exposure 

Posted in BreakingBad, Portfolio—BreakingBad, Rebuttal Rewrite | 1 Comment

Casual Rewrite- The Gamer2.0

Posted on April 8, 2024 by The Gamer 2.0

Strategic partnerships Leading to significant brand exposure

We all watch sports or have watched sports sometime in our lives, and one thing that people also look at are the sneakers that the players wear. Sneakers are a big part of sports. They have the ability to have control on the court or on the field, plus they also look nice on the feet. That’s where the brands you wear have an impact, because it’s not only because of the brand that you wear, but also because of the comfort it gives, the stability, the traction, and also the looks. 

A company’s goal is to reach the top, make their product, and simply put it out there with one vision in mind, which is to make money. On the other side, New Balance does not only want to make it to the top, but they also want to provide each customer with the utmost care and quality over quantity. When producing a product, you always should put your best into what you put out there. People see that and admire it, and that’s what got New Balance in the game for years because of their passion and their dedication. 

Strategic thinking is a process involving being able to analyze situations and understand long-term objectives with effective plans and actions that help you achieve those objectives. With New Balance, they have mastered this and implemented it into their brand, and that skill is what brought them to the top.

The partnerships that they have made along their journey have brought them to where they are. The introduction of Cameron Brink, the first female basketball athlete for New Balance. Brink, a multiple-time All-American, WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, and FIBA 3×3 World Cup MVP, served as a brilliant marketing tactic that New Balance pulled, bringing more eyes to the brand and also developing Cameron more as an athlete. In the article, Naveen Lokesh, Head of Basketball Sports Marketing at New Balance, said in a statement, “Cameron’s exceptional skill on the court and her desire to give back align perfectly with New Balance’s desire to change the game for the better. We are excited to support Cameron in reaching new heights in her career and contributing to the growth of women’s basketball for years to come.” New Balance has a long history of sponsoring female athletes in track and field, and expanding is only going to bring them higher and higher than the other competitors. They are community-driven to create positive change in the lives of young, female athletes, which is the right decision in this day and age. The world is changing at a rapid rate, and it’s only smart to adapt to the changes quickly, and New Britain has understood that very well. 

New Balance has very good marketing,as evidenced by its sponsorship of major sporting events, including the renowned Front Ruiners New York LGBT Pride Run. Starting in 1982, the event has been able to grow not only in NYC but also worldwide. New Balance is deeply involved in supporting initiatives such as Changing the Game: The GLSEN Sports Project. This project is committed to uplift the benefiting caregivers, coaches, students, and school administrators alike. With a generous donation of $600,000, New Balance aims to impact over 1 million students by 2025 through this program. Moreover, in 2021–2022, New Balance funded 15 scholarships, particularly supporting black students pursuing studies in the entrepreneurship and footwear industries. The establishment of the Black Talent Design & Fashion Fund underscores New Balance’s commitment to facilitating student success by removing barriers to education and providing necessary resources. Remarkably, New Balance’s growth isn’t solely measured in statistics; it’s rooted in community engagement and advancement, reflecting its ethos of evolving alongside its stakeholders rather than leaving them behind. This dedication is what distinguishes New Balance and underscores its significance in today’s world.

New Balance’s strategic focus on capturing the attention of the next generation by representing a bold move, showcasing that they have developed forward-thinking and approached the positioning as leaders in the industry. Their recent sponsorship deal with the Brazilian prodigy, Endrick, ahead of his transfer to Real Madrid adds another impressive chapter to their portfolio. Endrick joins a unique list of soccer talents endorsed by New Balance, including the likes of Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling, and Sadio Mane, all of whom have left a significant mark on the sport.

In conclusion, New Balance’s journey to success proves that their mark, commitment to quality, and dedication to a positive impact come with strategic thinking and exposure. Through strategic thinking and a focus on community engagement, New Balance has not only reached the top of the sports industry but also set a standard for others to see. Their ability to adapt to changing trends, embrace diversity, and empower athletes of all different backgrounds reflects on their growth as a company.

References:

New Balance Makes Stanford Star Cameron Brink The Brand’s First Female Basketball Athlete

https://www.forbes.com/sites/timnewcomb/2023/08/15/new-balance-makes-stanford-star-cameron-brink-the-brands-first-female-basketball-athlete/?sh=222d619439d8

Sport Culture

https://www.newbalance.com/sport-culture.html

New Balance renews Official Sponsorship with NFCA

https://nfca.org/divnews/general/new-balance-official-sponsor-renewal-2024

Real Madrid-bound Endrick swaps Nike for New Balance

Real Madrid-bound Endrick swaps Nike for New Balance
Posted in Causal Rewrite, Portfolio—TheGamer, TheGamer2.0 | 1 Comment

Rebuttal Rewrite- The Gamer2.0

Posted on April 8, 2024 by The Gamer 2.0

 New Balance on Marketing

Yes, it’s true that New Balance hasn’t been at the top for years on end compared to Nike and Adidas, but they have found a way to make it there. They have been viewed as an underdog in this scene. It’s been called “The Dad Shoe” and many more, only being viewed as one little thing, but it’s some more. People have argued many times that New Balance would never make it to the top and would never be able to compete with Nike, “The Top Brand,” and other leading brands.

The argument for this cause is that New Balance is not at the top but rather among the other leading brands in the marketing side of things. Yes, you can say that, but you will need to back it up with evidence, and that’s when cards get played. For starters, New Balance has been around for the longest time since it was established in 1906. As one of the brands that has been in the game for the longest time and is still thriving, it’s surprising to say that their marketing schemes are not the best. By always improving and trying to improve their work,  the company decided in 1936 to target selling arch support products to people such as retail workers, firefighters, and police officers. Which was also an important figure in the views of marketing and how they are able to see a problem in the community, identify it, and act on it. They continued this over the years, providing the best quality for each and every sport and improving as they went along the way.

We all know that Nike has always been at the top of the list, and yes, we can argue that, provided that New Balance is next on that tier list and will eventually become at the top of that list. Well, in the last three years, New Balance people have been interested in what they have been about to do, and that’s what has captured their attention. Its marketing strategies, like Beijing, allowed them to make small collaborations with relevant brands, which exposed them to a younger and more diverse audience. Their media impressions have increased by around 200 percent from 2021 to 2022 around COVID. Which is an impressive reason being  that some companies were closing and others were gaining due to the way they were able to market properly, and New Balance was one of those who were gaining. The hype for the sneakers has increased dramatically, and the inventory cannot meet the demand for the brand. They put their brands on different platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, also known as “Twitter,” and the exposure is what the young audiences are constantly on, and that’s the perfect way to target them.

Unlike other brands, New has shown that they are not only in the game to become the biggest. Their actual goal is to really open their company to others and help them on their come-up. They are determined to sponsor young individuals, not only the famous ones we all know and love, like Lebron James, but people like Auralee, who is just a model who models different brands in Paris, and New Balance partnered with him with the goal of just exposing their content to the world everywhere. Patta 991, Casablanca 327, Salehe Bembury ML2002R1, and many more are just the small collaborations that they have, not only focusing on collaborations with the big dogs but also the small ones too.

It is argued that New Balance doesn’t compare; it’s a shoe that no one wears anymore, but as you can see, they can’t even meet the demands for it. The brand has proven time and time again that it is able to compete with the others while also meeting the demands of its customers. With the information provided, this proves that New Balance has not only been one of the top contenders for being the best in the marketing scene, but also that they have come so far and will continue to rise to the top.

References

https://www.heddels.com/2019/07/new-balance-brand-history-philosophy-iconic-products/embed/#?secret=KlYSyIcXrI#?secret=dTPqyMJzKn

https://www.fatbuddhastore.com/new-balance-timeline-i205

https://hypebeast.com/2021/5/new-balance-best-collaborations-stussy-jjjjound-aime-leon-dore-salehe-bembury

https://www.nssmag.com/en/fashion/35532/new-balance-collaborazioni

https://stories.complex.com/new-balance-reinvention

Posted in Portfolio—TheGamer, Rebuttal Rewrite, TheGamer2.0 | 1 Comment

Rebuttal Rewrite- Username

Posted on April 8, 2024 by username1132005

Misconceptions About Dogs That Need To Be Broken

Dogs can be some of the most loyal and important figures in people’s lives. They are there for you when others aren’t, and wont turn their backs on you. While dogs are very popular amongst most, some people do not like dogs for a number of different reasons. Some could be afraid of dogs based on the stereotypes of their breed, they could have had a bad experience with a dog, or they really just do not care about them as a whole. It is normal for people to not want to approach a dog they have never interacted with before. In the case of a homeless dog though, there is nothing more to worry about from their dog, to any other dog out there. The stereotypes need to be broken with the homeless animals, and people need to widen their horizons in order to see past the negatives and realize that dogs are the reason why donations are more prevalent when with a homeless person. 

If a mom and her daughter are walking the streets and see a homeless person, they may not feel safe going up to the homeless and giving them a donation. Especially if the daughter for example is at a young age, the mother could have some drawbacks. 

Even though not all people are dog people, the dog should actually make the mother in this example more comfortable around the homeless. The dog is a symbol of loyalty and peace so the mother should feel better that the dog is present in this case. If the mother can see the relationship between the dog and its owner, it should evoke more sympathy, rather than fear of the unknown. 

Dogs can easily adapt to their surroundings, and see social cues in humans, so the mother in this case should not have any fear when it comes to the homeless dog. The dog is outside all day watching people and if in a city, seeing the hectic nature of its surroundings. Having people come close to the dog and its owner on a daily basis, should emit the fear of the mother, and show her that the dog is not a threat. If the dog has been out on the streets for a long period of time, then it should be adapted to its surroundings and should not attack. According to the article titled, How To Help Your Dog Adjust To A New Environment, written by Trott states how, “…with the proper training and introduction, most dogs will quickly adapt and start taking every new location in stride”. Especially if the mother and daughter often see the homeless and its dog, then that should give the mother more clarity that the dog is adapted to its surroundings and is not going to attack.

If the owner’s dog were to be vicious and attack, why would the owner have it outside if they want people to approach them and give a donation? The goal is to have the dog be there to be welcoming and make everyone feel more comfortable, not drive people away. 

Diseases and illnesses can be carried by any type of dog in any type of environment. It is common for dogs to pick up diseases including fleas and ticks anywhere, including in a house or even on the streets. To categorize a dog that lives on the streets by saying that since they are outside 24/7 then they should have diseases is not necessarily fair to that dog. Any dog can pick up a disease since they like to explore and sniff around places. There is no more to fear than a homeless dog on the streets in terms of diseases, than any other dog. Just because a dog is outside on the streets does not automatically mean that they are carrying a disease, when a stranger’s dog could in fact have fleas and ticks.  

It would not be fair to be afraid of a dog on the streets due to the fact that they could potentially be carrying a disease. According to the article titled, Tips To Keep Your Pets and Family From Getting Fleas and Ticks In Your Yard, written by A&A Lawn Care and Landscaping, shares how dogs are more likely to contract a disease if they are, “…out in the yard, if you have woods or high grass, ticks undergo what’s called questing, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass and hang out”. Out in the city, the homeless would want to stay out in the open on the streets where they are most visible to the public, and that would not be where there is a lot of grass land or trees like in a park. 

Other dogs that are owned by someone in a city could be getting closer to grass and trees where fleas and ticks are, compared to a homeless dog. If someone is still too nervous to approach a homeless person because of their dog, they could not go anywhere close to the dog and quickly give a donation to the owner and walk away. 

 There are mass amounts of stereotypes when it comes to dogs, and even homeless people. It is important for people to feel out the vibe of the pairing before going to approach them. For some people, they would not want to go ahead and approach a homeless person and their dog because of the stereotypes of the dog breed. If the stranger walking by the homeless and their dog can see their relationship and see if the homeless is going near their dog and petting it, it should show how there is a real connection and love to the dog, regardless of the breed. 

The Pitbull dog breed is a breed that is constantly being misunderstood and not given the time of day or any attention. Each dog is different with different temperaments and attitudes towards people. According to the article titled, Pitbull Abuse and Neglect, written by Admin states how, “As with any breed of dog, if a dog is raised to be mean or aggressive, as many breeds are trained in the dog fighting world, they may behave that way.  Dogs truly want to obey and please their master”. If a stranger can see how the homeless are in control of their dog, and if the dog listens to commands, it should show how the dog is behaved and should not be a threat. 

If a homeless person has a Pitbull it is not fair to automatically rule them out of receiving a donation, when even the littlest dog can do damage. It all depends on the level of training a dog has, and the relationship between the dog and its owner. The dog should show a symbol of sympathy, rather than a symbol of fear driving people away. At the end of the day, the dog is not out on the streets to look pretty, they are out there to help their owners and try to get people to give more donations. 

There is no more to fear than a homeless dog, compared to any other dog. If a dog is out on the streets, it should actually be more behaved than any other dog since it needs to stay put and stay calm due to the mass amounts of people surrounding it. The dog and its owner are a big factor with why people would or would not approach them and give a donation. The relationship between the dog and its owner should be clearly visible that there is love and trust between them, which in return should bring in more donations because people will feel comfortable enough to approach them.

References

Admin. (2018, July 5). Pitbull abuse and neglect. Animal Justice League of America. https://www.animaljla.org/pitbull-abuse-and-neglect/ 

Tips to keep your pets and family from getting fleas and ticks in your yard…: A&A Lawn Care & Landscaping. A & A Lawn Care & Landscaping. (2021, March 31). https://aalawns.com/tips-to-keep-your-pets-and-family-from-getting-fleas-and-ticks-in-your-yard/ 

Trott, S. (2024, March 19). How to help your dog adjust to a new environment. Now Fresh. https://nowfresh.com/en-us/help-your-dog-adjust-to-a-new-environment#

Posted in Portfolio—Username, Rebuttal Rewrite, Username | 6 Comments

Rebuttal rewrite-Eaglesfan

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Brandon Sigall

Pitchers Adapt

While many pitchers have already adapted to the new Pitch Clock rules, a popular objection is that they favor the offense at the expense of defensive efficiency and pitcher statistics. This is most likely because fans see that the bags have increased in size and because the pitcher has become limited in how many times he can try and pick off a runner. It makes an impression that these rules are hurting pitchers and the defense behind them.

This argument that pitchers have only gotten worse and defense isn’t as good is wrong. While there have been pitchers who have struggled adapting to the new rule, there are plenty of others who are striving and have gotten increasingly better because of the pitch clock. One of these pitchers is San Francisco Giants player Blake Snell. ESPN’s stats go on to show in 2022 before pitch clock was enabled, Snell had a 3.38 ERA. In previous years he was even higher getting in the fours at times. In 2023, when the pitch clock was introduced, Snell had a 2.25 ERA. The funny part is, Snell was resistant to these rules at first. In an ESPN article titled What players think of MLB’s new rules, Blake commented this when asked what his favorite part of the new rules was: “None that I can think of.” Someone who clearly wasn’t a fan of the changes ended up having one of his best years in his career and won Cy Young.

Gerrit Cole was dominant in years without the pitch clock. Recently however, in the two years before pitch clock was added, he had his ERA in the three’s range. According to ESPN, Last year he dropped from a 3.5 ERA to a 2.63 ERA. These changes in rules have in a way, certainly revived Cole’s career. Winning the Cy Young can allow Cole to get more money out of a contract as he has proven he has more worth than any other American League pitcher. Another pitcher who almost dropped a whole number’s worth and also won the Cy Young award. Another pitcher who benefited was Sonny Gray. A guy who wasn’t on a lot of radars before 2023 had a 2.79 ERA and became a CY Young candidate. It is clear that the pitch clock is having some sort of effect on certain pitchers. One of the things the rule does is give pitchers less time to think. The seconds counting down before the pitchers have to pitch could be leading to them just throwing instead of thinking about the pitch they should throw and the batter that is up. Cy Young is the biggest award a pitcher can win. For Snell and Cole to win it in the same year their ERA got that much better shows there is some sort of correlation to the new rules. 

While the argument is that the pitch clock is making pitchers worse, there is also something to be said about the batters. If the pitchers were truly only getting worse, then that must mean the batters have to be getting better and their averages must be going up. This is also not the case. Multiple batters have been really struggling after the new rule was added and some of those batters have been superstars that are supposed to be the team’s leaders. One of these players is Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. According to ESPN’s stats, Kyle had a batting average of .218 in 2022. In the next season, he batted a low .197 in 2023. A .021 decrease in batting average. If pitchers were really getting worse Kyle should’ve most likely batted a lot higher than that. 

 Nolan Arenado who is another superstar in the league also had his batting average decrease. In 2022 he batted .293, in 2023 he batted .265. These are two batters who are known to have long routines before stepping in the box. Then the pitch clock has made them shorten their routines and step in the box quickly. This is resulting in the pitcher at times manipulating the pitch clock and firing the ball as soon as the batter is in the box. The rule seems to actually benefit pitchers more than batters. The argument that it is making pitchers worse clearly does not take the batters who the pitchers are facing into account. Batters dropping their averages down that much shows the pitch clock is clearly causing more problems to batters, especially since the pitcher can now take control of an at bat in the way they want.

A part of the argument is that because the pitchers are getting worse, defense is also getting worse. This is most likely because if the pitchers’ ERAs are increasing, that must mean defense isn’t as good. Players are disagreeing with this argument. The players actually think the opposite and some are actually going on to say defense seems to be getting better with the new rule. In an article titled, Is MLB’s Pitch Clock Leading to Better Defense?, Kolten Wong commented: “I think it’s helping defensively a lot, just because you don’t have the down time to really kind of walk around.” If the players in the league are saying that defense is getting better, it is most likely getting better. Players are the ones playing the game, fans simply just watch it. They don’t actually know how it feels or what it is like. For a player to come out and say something positive about it shows fan’s arguments aren’t always valid. The pitch clock actually increases defense for a huge reason. Players do not have lots of time in between pitches now to look around, adjust their gloves, or any of the other distractions. Wong also stated, “You’re not cleaning dirt, you’re constantly back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So, I’m a big fan of it.” With the players on their feet at all times now, pitchers have to be getting better. The players are now more focused behind the pitcher and are always ready to make plays. That shows that pitchers are not only getting worse because of the new rule but actually getting better.

References:

ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.). Blake Snell – San Francisco Giants starting pitcher. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/33748 

ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.-b). Gerrit Cole – New York Yankees starting pitcher. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/32081 

ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.-c). Kyle Schwarber – Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/_/id/33712 

ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.). What players think of MLB’s new rules. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/36387464/mlb-players-react-2023-pitch-clock-rules

Is MLB’s pitch clock leading to better defense? some players and coaches think so. (n.d.). https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2023-07-06/is-mlbs-pitch-clock-leading-to-better-defense-some-players-and-coaches-think-so

Posted in EaglesFan, Portfolio—EaglesFan, Rebuttal Rewrite | 9 Comments

Rebuttal Argument Rewrite — Ilovebees

Posted on April 8, 2024 by ilovebeesss

The Complexity of Tears

Although the main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that the shedding of tears can be therapeutic for individuals, especially college students, it is important to dismantle the concept of classification of emotional tears. The manifestation of these tears is presented as a representation of singular and intense emotion (sadness, joy, grief, empathy) or a reaction to a single factor. However, this perspective overlooks the complexities of the overall human emotional experience and the nature of tears shed in response to various factors. Emotional tears cannot be classified as arising from singular, concrete emotions. Rather, they arise from a complex interplay of multiple emotional states, often intertwined in a cascade of feelings that will end up producing tears due to the communication hindrance. 

The emotions or feelings that come from the categorization of “Emotional tears” are the trigger or the most basic emotion that can be explained in short and that applies to the situation that the individual is facing. In reality, tears shed in response to a specific event are rarely attributable solely to a primary emotion. Rather, they arise from a nuanced interaction of several emotions, each of which contributes a different emotional factor.

When an individual is going through a situation that makes them angry, there is a possibility that this individual will cry. But the reality is that this individual reflects the complex interplay of emotions and physiological responses associated with this intense feeling. The feeling of anger can be the trigger for many other intense feelings and emotions that cause crying. 

For example, consider a scenario in which an individual discovers that his or her partner has been unfaithful. In response, it is not only anger stemming from betrayal that brings tears. Rather, a host of emotions will likely arise due to this triggering emotion. The individual may experience deep sadness due to the abuse of trust, shock from the unexpected revelation, distress over the uncertain future of the relationship, and being overwhelmed by the sudden upheaval. In essence, the tears shed in this situation encapsulate a complex range of emotions beyond anger, reflecting the nature of the emotional response to betrayal.

We know that crying cannot be based on a single emotion because there is no single factor that contributes to this emotion appearing along with tears. The study “What Makes People Cry? A Preliminary Analysis of Situations that Evoke Emotional Tears” presented by Julia Wagrowska and Monika Wrobel sought to know what types of situations make people cry and what specific emotions are linked to these tears. In other words, they wanted to identify broad emotional categories and the particular events that fit into these categories. They found that “a significant portion of the items were related to feelings of frustration, helplessness, and loss of control,” even when the category was anger-induced tear situations.

In a subsequent section of the study, they mention a similar example but with the feeling of sadness. Wragrowska and Wrobel mention that tears are often related to the feeling of sadness, that is, tears are the product that occurs when an individual feels sad. They further elaborate that “Sadness is not always the dominant emotion at the onset of tears, and sadness alone does not determine the appearance of tears, as it is possible to experience sadness without crying.” This is due to the difficulty of isolating a single emotion when an individual is exposed to many factors that may be related to this emotion, that is, emotions are often intertwined and influenced by various external stimuli, internal thoughts, and past experiences. 

Another factor that supports the idea that emotional tears do not stem from a single emotion is that crying occurs as a type of non-verbal communication when there is no time to explain in detail each emotion that an individual faces. The research article “Emotional Tears Communicate Sadness but Not Excessive Emotions Without Other Contextual Knowledge” by Kenichi Ito presents a study that targeted people’s perception of tears on the face. Ito indicates that “a crying person is often interpreted as experiencing turbulent feelings and thoughts” This indicates that the individual experiencing a single, basic emotion, such as sadness or anger, generally finds it easier to reconcile and manage that emotion without resorting to tears. However, when this individual is faced with a multitude of emotions simultaneously, the emotional landscape becomes more intricate and difficult to navigate leading to tears serving as a physical manifestation of this emotional complexity. This dismantles the idea of categorizing a single emotion behind “emotional tears.”

In conclusion, naming tears as the only representation of a single emotion or reaction to a single factor overly simplifies the complexity of human emotions and the reaction that causes an individual to cry. It cannot be clearly classified that tears arise from a different emotion; rather, they arise from a complex interaction of multiple emotional states, often intertwined with multiple factors. Tears further serve as a non-verbal communication of the intricate emotional turmoil that individuals face when dealing with a myriad of emotions simultaneously.

References

 Ito K, Ong CW and Kitada R (2019) Emotional Tears Communicate Sadness but Not Excessive Emotions Without Other Contextual Knowledge. Front. Psychol. 10:878. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00878

Wągrowska, J., & Wróbel, M. (n.d.). What Makes People Cry? A Preliminary Analysis of Situations that Evoke Emotional Tears. Central and Eastern European Online Library. Retrieved from https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1177951

Posted in ILoveBees, Rebuttal Rewrite | 2 Comments

Rebuttal REWRITE – Snowman

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Snowman10

Cars Powered by Solar Energy

Solar-powered cars have been recognized as a response to fuel worry in electric cars (EVs), along with sustainability concerns. On the other hand, some contest about their viability. begin to examine why, in spite of these reservations, the solar-powered cars have future potential.

The idea of using solar energy to decrease the fear of range in battery-powered car is addressed in Sarah Wells’ article “Where Are All the Solar-Powered Cars?” In “The Reality of Solar-Powered Cars,” Kevin Clemens lists difficulties but also suggests possible fixes. Also, the growing trend of EV owners installing solar rooftops is addressed in “Solar rooftops gain traction as electric vehicle owners look to skip paying for electricity or fuel: ‘Solar just makes sense'” by Alexa St. John and the Associated Press.

Participants argue that infrastructure and solar technology aren’t yet developed enough for widespread use. They point to lack of facilities for charging and cars with limited solar panel surface area. But according to Clemens, continued developments in solar technology could soon make solar-powered vehicles a reality. In addition, the increasing number of solar rooftops among drivers of electric cars suggests that solar energy will grow increasingly a favorite.

In conclusion, there are challenges to get past but there are no denying the potential benefits of solar-powered vehicles. Solar-powered cars, which provide a more efficient and environmentally friendly alternate to traditional vehicles, have a chance to play an important part in sustainable transportation as technology develops and demand rises.

References

Clemens, K. (2023, October 31). The reality of Solar-Powered cars. Tech Insights. https://eepower.com/tech-insights/the-reality-of-solar-powered-cars/#

Wells, S. (2023, October 11). Where are all the Solar-Powered cars? Ieeespectrum. https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/solar-powered-cars-2665858715

Solar rooftops gain traction as electric vehicles owners look to skip paying for electricity or gasoline: ‘Solar just makes sense.’ (2023, December 16). Fortune. https://fortune.com/2023/12/16/solar-rooftops-gain-electric-vehicles-owners-skip-paying-for-electricity-gasoline/#

Posted in Portfolio—Snowman, Rebuttal Rewrite, Snowman | 4 Comments