10 Fun Facts About University of Georgia

University of Georgia, or more commonly referred to as UGA, is one of the top public universities with a historic college football team. But did you know some of the most famous celebrities are UGA alums? Whether youre a current student, alumni or a prospective student, here are 10 fun facts aboutUGAyoull never have guessed!1. Dr. Crawford Long, the first man to use ether as an anesthetic in surgery, studied at UGA and roomed with Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. 2. The Demosthenian Literary Society at UGA, founded in 1803, is one of the oldest university organizations in America. Alumni include dozens of congressmen and supreme court justices, as well as Joel Furr, the first person to refer to junk e-mail as spam. (Remarkable, we know.) 3. UGA is one of the three oldest public schools in the country, as it was founded in 1785. (The other two are the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the College of William and Mary)4. Ryan Seacrest of American Idol went to UGA, along with Alton Brown of Good Eats, Wayne Knight of Seinfeld, and Gunther (James Michael Tyler) of Friends! 5. The last time the United States hosted the Summer Olympics was in 1996. Though Atlanta was the host city, events were held in Athens at UGA’s Sansome Stadium, Stegeman Coliseum, Foley Field, and several other athletics facilities. 6. A good number of popular bands have come out of the University of Georgia, including Lady Antebellum, the B-52s, Of Montreal, and R.E.M. 7. UGA’s Hope Scholarship offers money to students based on their school credits, essentially paying each student who applies for funds $233 per hour of class. Pretty legit. 8. The UGA Bulldogs have produced several famous football players, including AJ Green, Matthew Stafford, and more recently Todd Gurly, who’s just really awesome. 9. Once a year, the University of Georgia puts on public display the only surviving copy of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America. The exhibit is in the Universitys Richard Russell Special Collections Library. 10. Since the early 1900’s, tradition has held that those who walk under the Georgia Arch prior to graduation will never graduate. Spooky. Are you looking to apply to UGA? Make sure to search through profiles of students accepted to see essays, stats, and advice. See how they got in, and how you can too!

The fonts that make you remember more - Emphasis

The fonts that make you remember more The fonts that make you remember more We are more likely to remember information when it is written in a hard-to-read font, according to psychologists at Princeton and Indiana universities. Researcher Connor Diemand-Yauman and his colleagues wanted to explore how fonts affect how much we remember from the text we read. They found that learning materials set in slightly harder-to-read fonts produced significantly higher scores in students’ assignments. Arial vs Comic Sans The researchers presented 28 participants with information about three species of aliens, and gave them 90 seconds to learn the features that identified them. For half the participants, the information was presented in clear 16-point, black Arial font. Information for the remaining participants was presented in Comic Sans or Bodoni fonts, both in grey and 12-point. Participants were later tested on the identifying features of the alien species. Those who had learnt from the harder-to-read fonts answered 86.5 per cent of questions correctly, compared with 72.8 per cent by those who learnt from the easy-to-read fonts. The researchers replicated the findings in a similar study at a school in Chesterland, Ohio. Levels of processing So why did the participants remember more about the harder-to-read samples? Diemand-Yauman suggests that when we find something easy to read, we tend to take it as a sign that we already have mastery of the material. But when fonts make reading slightly harder, we often doubt whether we instantly ‘get’ it. As a result, we are more likely to go over the information again to make sure we fully understand it. This encourages deeper processing in the brain, which makes us remember more about the text. But that doesnt mean you use Cloister Black for your reports from now on. Improving readability One of the main challenges of writing is producing a document that people actually read. The participants in the studies above were more likely to read than normal. This is because text was given to them by people in authoritative positions (psychologists, teachers) and in test conditions. But your report isn’t an experiment. And your target audience may not feel obliged to read your piece at all, especially if it’s that little bit harder to read, or it’s set in an inappropriate font. Besides, there’s more to business writing than getting people to remember the details in your documents. It is about setting a good impression too. Much like wearing a suit, your clients will judge your written output on presentation, and one way to get this right is to use the best fonts. Serif vs sans serif fonts Serif fonts are those with the twiddly strokes at the ends of characters (eg Times New Roman, Minion). There is an argument that serif fonts are more distinctive than sans serif fonts (without strokes, eg Arial, Calibri), and are therefore easier to read. However, there are plenty more studies that show there is no difference between them in terms of legibility. Interaction designer Alex Poole thinks most mainstream typefaces are equally legible. He says, ‘It makes much more sense to argue in favour of serif or sans serif typefaces on aesthetic grounds than on the question of legibility.’ Fonts help to set the tone of your professional identity. For business writing, they need to be formal but approachable; sensible but not staid; and consistent, not erratic. That’s why at Emphasis we prefer Arial, a sans serif font, because it is plain, clear and simple – just the qualities we recommend in writing. Reference: Fortune favors the bold (and the italicized): effects of disfluency on educational outcomes, Connor Diemand-Yauman et al, Cognition, Vol 118 (January 2011). To learn more about how we can help you, your team or your entire organisation transform your writing at work, download our free course catalogue today.

Plato The simile of the cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Plato The simile of the cave - Essay Example At the time of its composition, scholars struggled to explain human psychology and the workings of the human mind. A tag of war between empirical psychologists and those that believed in reason led to numerous debates and this composition aims at addressing the situation at hand. The allegory is part of a series of publications, collectively titled The Republic, which address various aspects of human behaviour including; morality and justice. In previous and subsequent publications, the author uses the same style of presentation to explain human behaviour, and his view on various issues affecting human beings. At the time of publishing The Republic, Plato doubled up as a renowned philosopher and mathematician among the Greeks. Plato drew inspiration from other established scholars such as Pythagoras and through his numerous travels to Egypt, Syria, Libya, and Sicily. The main themes in the simile are ignorance and humans, as depicted by the enslaved characters and their understanding of things. The following analysis of the work by Plato aims to explain the analogies purported in the simile, the plot and the elements of literature used by the author. The analysis will go over the plot of the simile to uncover the intended message from the hidden nature in which the author delivers it. The allegory begins with a group of prisoners chained at their hands and necks. They cannot change the direction in which they are facing and are forced to constantly stare at a wall. Behind the prisoners is an elevated wall, and a pathway constructed in such a way that the prisoners cannot see people using the path, but can see shadows of what they are carrying cast upon the wall they are facing. Further behind the pathway is an elevated fire, blazing at a distance such that shadows of the prisoners, as well as elevated goods carried by passers-by, are cast upon the wall in front of the prisoners. The narrative

English for Speakers of Other Languages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

English for Speakers of Other Languages - Essay Example The first part examines the comprehension of what has been read and asks the reader to answer several multiple choice questions regarding that text. This is on the simple level of memory and comprehension of what has been read. The second part requires not only understand but logistical interpretation. The reader is presented with text that is missing three paragraphs and then presented with four paragraph choices at the end and asked to insert the proper three paragraphs in to the correct section of the test. This certainly presents an advanced level of understanding required to correctly eliminate the erroneous paragraph and insert the correct three paragraphs in the proper sections. This demonstrates an understanding of syntax and semantics. Section three is again a presentation of text, each at different stylistic levels of reading examples and multiple choice questions are asked at the end. Section four flips the scenario and asks a question prior to reading the text, turning th e reader's intelligence to search on first to find answers to specific items requested. This not only displays semantic and organization understanding but structural knowledge as well: A person's structure of knowledge in a subject area includes not only declarative knowledge about substance (or information about what) but also procedural knowledge about methods (or information about how) and strategic knowledge about alternatives for goal setting and planning (or information about which, when, and possibly why). (Merrick 1984: 156)

Kite Runner Themes Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Themes Essay Ethnic Pride Baba expresses a great deal of pride and attachment to the afghan culture so the move to America fills Amir and himself with a loss of heritage and identity. The escape from the previous culture however allows Amir to escape the incident of rape upon his best friend Hassan which has left a bad taste on his childhood. In America Amir doesn’t turn away from his Middle Eastern culture, and asks Soraya’s father, the general for permission to marry her even though he spurns it slightly by talking to her privately without consent. Amir towards the end, becomes proud of his blended culture. Although he enjoys visiting Pakistan, eating the traditional food and hearing references to childhood legends, he also likes the feeling of hope and freedom he gained from America. Social Inequality From childhood, Amir recognizes the difference in social standing between himself and best friend Hassan. As a Pashtun, Amir enjoys privileges of being a higher class and his father being a successful man whereas Hassan is poor and he and his father face prejudice from people every day. Despite this, Hassan and Ali are content with their lower class life and are good natured human beings. Hosseini is trying to convey that your social standing in society does not determine what kind of person you are and if you are better than someone else. You can only truly be better than someone else morally and having saint-like characteristics. During Amir and Hassan childhood, they’re differences of social class are conveyed by living standards, Hassan being illiterate and physical appearances. These are individually important but as a whole they all convey irony in the fact that it is Hassan who is content with life and Amir who is not. Later in the novel, Hazara prejudice which is taken to the extreme as they are massacred and abused by Taliban officials, such as Assef. When Sohrab returns with Amir to America, Amir is quick to dispel any mention of class as he believes it is has influenced his and Sohrab’s life too greatly and he perhaps finally sees them as his equals which he was afraid to do so as a child(never referring to Hassan as his friend). Personal Responsibility Many of the actions of the main character stem from personal responsibility. Baba takes on the responsibility of Ali from his father, who took him in when he was a child. He lets Ali and his son work for him, offers them shelter and food; making them feel part employees and part family. Air later realises this ‘personal responsibility’ baba showed for Ali may stem from his guilt of betraying Ali and fathering Hassan. Amir feels responsible for all the bad occurrences which happened to Hassan and his father. He feels many of the events which occurred later in the novel are down to him being too cowardly to prevent Hassan being raped. Though many suffer from the Taliban’s ruthlessness, he believes the events that happened to Hassan’s family are his responsibility/fault. The feeling of responsibility is what drives Amir to return to Afghanistan, to rescue Sohrab. Rahim Khan plants this idea in Amir’s head and suggests this is the way to achieve closure and absolution for the past. After he rescues Sohrab, Amir feels responsible for the boy in a different way and wants to protect him from anymore pain; furthermore, he sees Sohrab as a way to fill the emptiness in the marriage from his and Sorayas infidelity. Identity and Self- discovery Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his true purpose and find his identity through noble actions. Amir’s failure to be loyal to his friend at such a crucial moment defines this conflict. His endeavour to overcome his own weaknesses appear in confronting Assef, returning to a war torn country oppressed by the Taliban and even his carsickness whilst during with Farid. The revelation of baba later in chapter 17, allows Amir to discover who his father really was and how alike they were in terms of betraying people who loved and were loyal to the end to them. The return to Afghanistan allows Amir to find out the type of man he can become and to confront his past which he has so desperately tried to bottle up. Family, Fathers and Fatherhood Family relationships play a great part in this novel but mothers are strikingly absent. Amir and Hassan grow up without their mothers and this is exemplified through the tension of Baba’s treatment of his sons. He makes it clear he is disappointed Amir is bookish, cowardly to protect his social standing and stick up for Hassan whilst on the other hand, he never publically acknowledges Hassan as his own son- although he shows a great deal of affection to Hassan. Likewise, General Taheri is a similar traditional, highly critical father who chafes his daughter for rebellious behaviour. The theme of family is then reintroduced when Amir and Soraya are unsuccessful in starting their own- punishment perhaps for their pasts or that Amir has yet to face up to his. The adoption of the troubled Sohrab however, provides them with the attempt to begin a complete family based on love and honesty. Journey and Quest The novel is mostly based around Amirs departure from Afghanistan as a young teenager and his return as a middle aged man to the war-torn country. At the same time, it is a symbolic quest. Amir makes great sacrifices to pursue his quest to atone for past sins by rescuing his nephew Sohrab in the hands of the Taliban. Symbolised at the beginning of the novel with Amir cutting his fingers with the kite string in order to sacrifice himself for his father’s love, sacrifice plays a big theme also. Amir towards the end of the novel again, willingly cuts his fingers, to revive his spiritually wounded nephew who is suffering from depression. By the end of the novel, this significant symbol of sacrifice shows how much Amir has morally developed as he is willing to sacrifice much in order to save Sohrab from a similar fate and to protect him. The most part of the novel is Amir hiding from his past and by returning to Kabul he is taking that all important journey to have complete redemption. Political power and Abuse The events of the novel occur against the backdrop of political change, the rise of the Taliban government. Assef, Hassans rapist and bully, who becomes a high ranking Taliban officer, embodies the consequence of abuse of power and violence and oppression caused by the Taliban. Assef is a sociopath who thrives in the atmosphere of chaos. Interpersonal violence leads to the split of Hassan and Amir; on a national scale the abuse of power by communist backed soviets results in massacres and Afghanistan forces to go into exile. The abuse of power and abuse is an important reference to how the hazara’s have been treated. From humiliation at the beginning of the novel for their looks to being massacred and horrifically abused. When General Taheri demands an explanation for their adoption of Sohrab, he echoes the discrimination against this entire ethnic minority and in a sense, Baba also condones the attitude towards Hazara’s by not admitting that he fathered a Hazara son. Kites After Hassan gets raped while running his kite, Amir cannot separate kite fighting and running from his own betrayal and cowardice. Therefore, even after all of his injuries and trials on Sohrabs behalf, it is the act of kite running that finally makes him feel redeemed. Beyond their significance to the plot, kites have multiple layers of symbolism in the story. One of these layers involves the class difference between Amir and Hassan, which largely dictates and limits their relationship. In kite fighting, one boy controls the kite while the other assists by feeding the string. Just as Hassan makes Amirs breakfast, folds his clothes, and cleans his room, so does he cater to Amir in kite tournaments. Even though Hassan shares in the excitement of kite fighting, he does not actually have control over the kite. Hassan may help the kite lift-and-dive, but Amir is the one who claims a victory. Hassan may catch a cherished rival kite and hold it in his arms, but always to bring it back to Amir, to whom it then belongs. His joy is vicarious, just like his experience of wealth and privilege while living in Babas household. In order to free himself of selfishness and cowardice, Amir must go from being merely a kite fighter-someone who seeks glory-to a kite runner, someone who genuinely does things for others. The activity of kite fighting is violent by nature. The kites battle and so too do the children flying them. The string, which is covered in ground glass, carves deep gashes into the fliers hands as they try to cut each other down, and once kites fall out of the sky, the kite runners retrieve them with the same furious determination as, say, a hunting dog does a slain bird. In its violence, kite fighting represents the conflicts that rage Afghanistan nearly throughout the course of the novel. When Hosseini paints us a picture of hundreds of kites trying haphazardly and with great determination to cut each other down, he shows us also the warring factions of Afghanistan overthrowing one another. At the same time kite fighting is violent, the mere act of kite flying is innocent and speaks of freedom. Amir and Hassan do not have control over the differences between them; in fact, they are both the victims of a lie, and their relationship would have been different had they known they were brothers. Yet despite their differences and the symbolism of their respective kite-fighting roles, flying kites is an activity that brings the boys together. For a moment, they are part of a team. For many years, Amir feels as though he and Hassan are adversaries for Babas love. After the rape, Hassans very existence infuriates Amir because it reminds him of his cowardice. Despite all this, when the boys fly kites together, they are on the same team. They are more like brothers then than perhaps any other time, because the activity is somewhat mutual. It allows them to momentarily escape their differences and enjoy a shared sense of exhilaration and freedom.

Macbeth: Choices :: Macbeth essays

Macbeth: Choices         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare characters often could not escape the consequences of their choices. The choices that some characters made in the play put them in a position which they could not escape. In most of these cases the character feels remorse for the choice they had made. The characters that I will be concentrating on are Macbeth, Macduff, and Lady Macbeth. These characters are the best examples of how characters could not escape their choices in the play.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The actions of Macbeth during the play sometimes put him in a situation which he could not escape. An example of this is when Macbeth murders Duncan. After he does it he regrets it and is afraid to think about it. This is shown in the quote: I am afraid to think what I've done; look on't again I dare not./(50- 51, Scene 2, Act 2) Another example is after Macbeth had Banquo killed and he sees Banquo's ghost at the table. He goes crazy and starts yelling at the ghost and he realizes that he cannot change what he has done so he tries to ignore it. That same scene Lady Macbeth says: Things without all remedy should be without regard: what's done is done./(11-12, Scene 2, Act 3) These examples show how Macbeth cannot escape the choices he made.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macduff's allegiance to the country of Scotland leads to consequences which he cannot change. Macduff's allegiance is shown when he left Scotland and his family to go to England. There he met with Malcolm and started raising a army to overthrow Macbeth.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The result of this is the slaughtering of Macduff's wife and children by Macbeth's men.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He blames himself for their death and he knows he can do nothing to change it. This is seen in the qoute: Sinful Macduff, They were all struck for thee! Naught that I am, Not for their own demerits but for mine fell slaughter on their souls. Heaven rest them now!/(224-226, Scene 3, Act 4)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth cannot escape the consequences of her choices either. She pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan when he did not want to. She also smeared the blood all over the guards and put the daggers in their hands. She went along with the murdering of Banquo and tried to tell Macbeth that he could not change what he had done in the second quote of my second paragraph. All of the choices she made had a huge impact on her life and we see what she has become in the

Gay Marriage argument Essay

The issue of legalizing gay marriage has always been a matter of great controversy in the United States. Many people believe that legalizing gay marriage is immoral and unconstitutional. â€Å"Untraditional,† â€Å"unlawful,† and â€Å"unethical† are some of the many terms used to describe gay marriage. Not all individuals feel this way. The issue has created widespread division both politically and socially. Advocates strongly believe that gay marriage is a constitutional right, while the opposition claims it has too many social disadvantages. In present day society the number of peoples in support of gay marriage is higher than ever. One of the many advocates for pro gay marriage is Evan Wolfson, the founder and president of Freedom to Marry. Wolfson presents numerous arguments for the legalization of gay marriage in his article â€Å"Without Nationwide Gay Marriage, U.S. Government Discriminates.† Using emotional, logical, and legal appeal, Wolfson presents his argument. Same-sex couples should be able to celebrate their relationships through the bondage of marriage just like heterosexual couples. Many same-sex couples want to marry and they should be able to since it is there human right. Evan Wolfson explains it flawlessly when he proclaimed â€Å"Marriage is an important moment in life when we make a public promise of love and dedication to the person we are building a life with, and ask our friends and family to support us and hold us accountable. Couples who have made that commitment in life should have the same commitment under the law; called marriage.† It is unjust to rid taxpayer citizens of this right. It is societies norm that marriage should be between a man and woman, but it is not written anywhere within the constitution. It is a saddening injustice to discriminate citizens due to their sexual orientation. This is appropriately presented when Wolfson writes â€Å"Under the law, marriage touches every aspect of life, from birth to death, with taxes in between. Denial of the freedom to marry is one of the harshest inequalities inflicted on lesbian and gay families—discrimination by their own government†¦particularly in these tough economic times.† The benefits of marriage should be extended to all individual during the present economic situation. According to Wolfson, Withholding from these benefits by preventing same sex marriage is a prime example of discrimination. There is no logical to reason to prevent gay marriage since it has been proven successful. â€Å"Gay couples share in the freedom to marry in six states and the District of Columbia; the sky hasn’t fallen.† Gay marriage has been proven successful in other parts of the world along with some of the United States. Same sex marriage is gaining more and more acceptance, yet it is discriminated against state and federal governments. The Federal government targets homosexual couples through the enactment of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). Wolfstan claims â€Å"DOMA harms married same-sex couples by withholding the more than one thousand federal responsibilities and protections accorded all other married couples.† Benefits such as social security survivor and health coverage are withheld from â€Å"married† couples. The constitution commands â€Å"equal justice for all† and Wolfson believes its time to abide by our nation’s written law. Although Evan Wolfson presents valid points, there are many holes in his argument. The author disregards many aspects while portraying his own ideas. To begin with, why is it necessary to define a relationship with the title of â€Å"Marriage?† If two people of the same sex want to be in a relationship, why not just be together? The author claims that â€Å"Gay couples share in the freedom to marry in six states and the District of Columbia; the sky hasn’t fallen.† In the literal sense this statement is true, but what about the rise in divorce rates in the six states and District of Columbia? The sky hasn’t fallen, but there may be negative consequences to the legalization of gay marriage. Wolfston also charges the state and federal governments with discrimination against gays. It is the government’s job to please the majority, and if anti-gay legislation will do that, so be it. If same sex couples are offended with state policies, why can’t they move to a different state or country? Wolfson mentions many appropriate points, but why doesn’t he mention any outside sources? Providing no information from experts in the fields or resources challenges the credibility of his argument. Marriage is traditionally defined as a union between a man and a woman, not a woman and a woman, or man and a man. The legalization of gay marriage would cause social and economic perils that can’t be overlooked. In his article †Opinion: Gay marriage should not be made legal,† Ryan Normandin presents numerous legitimate reasons as to why gay marriage shouldn’t be legalized. Many gay rights advocates believe that they have the right to marry whomever they want under the equal rights protection clause, but that is certainly not the case. As Normandin explains in his article, â€Å"They claim that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees them the right to marry whomever they desire, including members of the same sex. To forbid this would, in their minds, be discrimination. But do all people have the right to marry whomever they want already, with the exception of same-sex couples? No; states have laws regulating marriage, forbidding first cousins from marrying, brothers and sisters from marrying, parents and offspring from marrying, and people from marrying animals, inanimate objects, or multiple other individuals.† The legalization of gay marriage would open legal doors to other forms of relationships such as polygamous, incestuous, and other nontraditional relationships. By the logic of gay marriage, everyone has an equal right to marry whomever or whatever he or she pleases. It is only fitting that state and federal governments regulate marriage, he claims. Traditional marriage is beneficial to the American government, which makes it appropriate for couples to receive tax breaks and numerous benefits. Ryan Normnadin explains it best when he literates â€Å"The rationale is that males and females, when married, are more likely to procreate, thus ensuring the continuation of American society. It is certainly to America’s advantage to have citizens, so there exists a compelling state interest justifying government subsidization of heterosexual marriage.† Since traditional marriage is helping the United States procreate, it is in the government’s best interest to subsidize marriage that is increasing its number of citizens. Many individuals in favor of gay rights believe that happiness of same-sex couples is enough a reason for its legalization. Unfortunately, that is not the case since â€Å"happiness† is not a compelling enough argument when weighed against the drawbacks of gay marriage. One of the major drawbacks is that same sex couple can not nurture a child properly. The well being of a child cannot be jeopardized for â€Å"happiness.† Although gay couples can’t reproduce, artificial insemination and adoption are some options. Although, these arguments do not prove a viable option because complications can arise. Normandin refers to University of Canterbury professor Bruce J. Ellis to prove this point. Professor Ellis’s research claims â€Å"greater exposure to father absence was strongly associated with elevated risk for early sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy.† These are risks that can’t be taken lightly just to make lesbian couples â€Å"happy.† There are also risks involved in parenting in regards male couples. The author also refers to Stanford psychologist Eleanor MacCoby who points out that â€Å"mothers, on average, may have somewhat stronger parental ‘instincts’ when it comes to responding to young infants.† It is of utter importance for a child to grow up with both a mother and father. According to Normandin’s beliefs, â€Å"Happiness† is not enough reason to harm the future of countless children. Ryan Normandin presents a compelling argument, but there are flaws in many of his ideas. For example, the author compares gay marriage to incest and bestiality. Is it really fair to compare gay marriage to such formidable acts against nature? Bestiality and incest have far more negative effects then gay marriage, so it is not fair to compare them. They inability of gay couples to reproduce is another point Normandin brings about. Although this statement is valid, isn’t artificial insemination a tool that can help lesbian couples procreate? What about the thousands of neglected children male couples can save? Lastly, the author quotes various professionals to point out that children of same sex couples will have complications due to an absent father or mother. Studies show that this maybe true, but what about family members that can fill that absent role present in same-sex couples? Can’t the grandmother or aunt provide maternal care to a child of a male couple? Why can’t a grandfather or uncle act as a fatherly figure for a lesbian couple’s child? Normandin provided a very compelling argument, but there are minor doubts to his ideas. After analyzing both sides of the issue along with my prior experiences and knowledge, gay marriage should not be legalized. Both articles made valid points, but Ryan Normandin’s opinionative piece â€Å"Opinion: Gay marriage should not be made legal† changed my perception on this issue entirely. Viewing marriage as a governmental issue, not a personal one, made me realize that marriage isn’t only about happiness. Marriage between a man and a woman is beneficial to the government, therefore it is allowed. Since same-sex marriage doesn’t pose benefits, such as procreation, to the United Sates or its citizens, it is either prohibited or highly restricted. Reproduction is required for the survival of any society and legalizing gay marriage would deem procreating unimportant. Gay marriage also causes dire consequences for the couple’s kids. I have witnessed my co-worker’s only kid, Marshall, with an absentee father figure. Due to a missing father, Marshall took part with the wrong crowd and disregarded all authority. I have also witnessed the psychological problems with kids who are missing a mother. My cousin, who has two mothers, is socially awkward and lacks basic conversation skills. To ensure the full health of a child, they need both a mother and a father figure to provide motherly and fatherly instincts. Same sex households are not ideal environments for children. Another good point that Normandin posed was that the legalization of gay marriage would open doors to other kind of relationships such as polygamy. This would undoubtedly lead to further deconstruction of marriage and family. I also believe same sex marriage to have detrimental effects on society. A news report I read claimed that legalizing gay marriage in Scandinavia is linked to the cause of population decline and higher divorce rates. Numerous researches state that homosexual relationships don’t last long term. The fact that Wolfson did not provide any outside sources was another factor that shaped my opinion. I believe that outside sources make an argument much more credible. Challenging cultural, moral, social values, the disadvantages of gay marriage greatly outweigh the advantages. Works Cited Normandin, Ryan. â€Å"Gay Marriage Should Not Be Made Legal – The Tech.† Gay Marriage Should Not Be Made Legal – The Tech. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 06 July 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. . Wolfson, Evan. â€Å"Without Nationwide Gay Marriage, U.S. Government Discriminates.† US News. U.S.News & World Report, 7 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. .