First Place/1996/Expository Writing

IS OUR SOLAR SYSTEM UNIQUE?

by:  Neil Goslin
Instructor:  Maria Smith


                
	In our society, we have convinced ourselves that there is no place 
like Earth.  We have gone to great lengths to make ourselves feel special.  
We want to believe that our Earth and our solar system are unique.  Is this
conviction based on science or ego?  
	It was once believed that the Earth itself was the center of the 
universe.  We now know, however, that the universe is infinite, and we are
also learning that the Earth may not be unique.  In fact, as experts have
noted, this solar system may be a fairly typical one, and we may not be
alone in our universe: 
		A discovery that most astronomically minded people have
		awaited since childhood--one that many expected to go to 
		their graves never seeing--has finally happened...the first 
		planet orbiting a normal star other than the sun has been 
		found.  And what a strange planet it is turning out to be. 
		(MacRobert and Roth 38)
	The possibility of such a planet had been a source of debate for a
very long time.  "For centuries, one of astronomy's greatest unknowns has
been whether other stars have solar systems.  Generations of textbooks have
taught why finding planets even around the nearest of stars was impossible," 
explain the experts.  (MacRobert and Roth 38).  Scientists offer the following 
explanation:
		The discovery of this planet (which orbits a star known as 
		51-Pegasi) is forcing scientists back to the proverbial 
		"drawing board" on their beliefs of planet formation.  Such 
		objects were thought to have been formed differently.  "The 
		very existence of a giant planet a mere 7 million km from its 
		star throws current theories of planet formation into turmoil."  
		(qtd. in MacRobert and Roth 40).  
	This information, published last January, implies that there is
another solar system.  This planet, orbiting 51-Pegasi is, by definition, a solar 
system.  Furthermore, two more planets, much larger than our own Jupiter, 
were discovered only a few months later and published in April 1996.  
Observed by Geoff Marcy of San Francisco State University and Paul Butler of 
the University of California at Berkeley, the planets add to our understanding of 
the universe: 
		..., as Marcy says, `They bridge a gap between 51-Pegasi,
		and its close orbit, and the planets in our solar system.'  The
		stars, 47 Ursae Majoris and 70 Virginis, are solitary stars
		located roughly 40 to 70 light-years from Earth, close enough
		to be seen with the naked eye under a dark sky.  (Naeye 50)
	The very existence of these planets is amazing in its own right, but 
there is other evidence that is even more interesting.  The planet orbiting 47
Ursae Majoris (known as 47 Ursae Majoris B) "is roughly Jupiter's mass in a 
Jupiter-like orbit.  It's the first planet that kind of looks like it would fit 
into our solar system," notes Butler (52).  
	This evidence of other solar systems is accompanied by the 
possibility of a much bigger discovery:  70 Virginis B, which is the planet orbiting 
70 Virginis, and is an incredible 8.1 times the mass of Jupiter.  Butler explains
why:
		Astronomers are excited about 70 Virginis B because at its
		distance from the star, the temperature at the cloud tops
		should be eighty-five degrees Celsius, which is the
		temperature of lukewarm coffee.  Marcy and Butler have
		named the planet "Goldilocks" because the temperature in the
		atmosphere is "just right" for liquid water.  In addition,
		organic molecules, the building blocks of life, could form.  (52)
	Although to some, the thought of life on other planets is very intriguing, 
to others it is frightening.  Regardless, such life is becoming a very real 
possibility.  The mass of these planets is so enormous however, that due to their 
intense gravity, life may not be possible.  Still, even this fact may not preclude 
life:
		Even if these new planets are unlikely abodes for life, it's
		conceivable they have moons with atmospheres that moderate
		the climate, making life possible.  All of the giant planets in
		our solar system boast a family of moons and a set of rings, so
		it's not farfetched to think that the new planets have moons
		and rings as well....  It's also possible that one or both solar
		systems have Earth-size planets in Earth-like orbits.  (53)
	This recent inference, that other life is likely, has been widely
accepted by the scientific community.  There is one project which hopes to 
provide definite answer.  Project SETI, Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, 
says its members "are encouraged" (Lemonick, Jaroff, and Davies 109).  They 
have been hoping for evidence of intelligent life since the 1960's:  
		Their quest has always been rested on the assumption that
		planets exist outside the solar system and that there may be
		life out there intelligent enough to transmit radio signals
		across vast stretches of space.  Since they've been proved
		right about the planets, their search for some sounds of life
		seems less quixotic.  (109)
	This type of interest in U.F.O.'s has been previously considered to be
the work of idiots.  No sane person would publicly claim to be remotely
involved in an "E.T." project.  Now, however, exploration of alien life is
becoming a very ambitious scientific venture:  
		If E.T. is out there trying to get in touch with us, his message
		may well be received first in a quiet rural setting 30 miles
		northwest of Boston.  There, a dish-shaped antenna 84 feet
		across, faces skyward, attuned to the muttering of the cosmos. 
		This Harvard-Smithsonian radio telescope is the latest and
		most ambitious SETI effort yet.  (109)
	The telescope in question is referred to as the BETA telescope
(Billion-channel Extra Terrestrial Assay).  The telescope is designed to scan
the heavens, cutting a swath across the stars, searching of the elusive signal. 
The biggest question is whether or not an alien creature would even be
sending signals that would be recognized by man-made equipment.
	Whether we can interpret their signals or not is a small part of the
big picture.  The fact seems to indicate that alien life is definitely there, and
that alone is worth the effort.  "I have no doubts," says BETA director and
Harvard physicist Paul Horowitz.  "Intelligent life in the universe?  
Guaranteed.  Intelligent life in our galaxy?  So overwhelmingly likely that I'd 
give you almost any odds" (qtd in Lemonick, Jaroff, and Davies 110).  
	The experts, then, seem to agree that our Earth and our solar system
are not as unique as we thought they were.  As history has shown, most
scientific beliefs on the uniqueness of the human race have been based on
ego.  We were supposed to be alone, a special species.  The simple facts
seem to indicate that we are not.  I encourage the reader to see this as a
positive paper, a possible step in a direction that could lead the human race
into am age of discovery and knowledge bigger than we could possibly
imagine.  

Second Place/1996/Expository Writing

NATURE CAN INSPIRE AND HEAL

by:  Rebecca Myers
Instructor:  Julie Simon



                           
O lady!  We receive but what we give, And in our life alone does Nature live: 
			--from Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  "Dejection:  An Ode"


	The sun, the waters, and the plants and animals are all vital to the
circle of life.  As a part of that circle, nature can touch the senses, but more
importantly, it can move the soul, inspire the mind, and ease a troubled
heart through its beauties and its majesty.
	How is it that nature can communicate if it does not have lips to
utter?  Oh, but it does!  Nature speaks through the rotations of the seasons,
the glow of the sun, the touch of a flower, even the silence of one of its
creature.  
	Nature speaks through the sound of the crackle of the leaves as one
shuffles alone through them on a chilly autumn's day.  I have often done
this and have found that I feel at peace, tranquil, the problems of my daily
life tend to seem of little importance as compared to the awesomeness of the
"real" world around me.
	Nature also speaks through the feel of the snow as I have packed up
a snowball with my fingers and nose numb to ice, and my woolen cap falls
low over my oddly sweaty forehead.  Winter seems to have a majesty all its
own.  It has a distinct aroma which makes me feel excited.  The
astonishment of the snow as it covers half the world in a blanket of ice
allows me to ponder on the enormous power of the seasons.
	The power of winter is fantastic in and of itself, but the spring can
inspire anyone without even trying.  The smell of newly blossomed buds on
the tree outside my home in the springtime catches my eye and makes me
smile.  This power of creation allows me to consider the infinite goodness of
a Heavenly Being who, in my opinion, created this nature for all to see and
appreciate.  
	As spring rolls into summer, I always like to visit the ocean.  When I
was a child, its deep colors and overturning waves were a wonder to me. 
As I have grown older, I've discovered many others who know the wonder
of the sea.  Jacques Cousteau understood the power of the seas as he
explored them year after year.  I have respect for this grand mass of water
which has the power of life in its waves and currents.  
	Just as grand as the ocean is the powerful sun which brings forth
light essential to existence.  The renowned poet Shelley declared in his poem
from "Scenes from the Faust of Goethe" that one can "draw strength from
gazing on its glance, though none its meaning fathom may."  The sun is
used as a tool for healing many ailments.  Many people suffer from a
syndrome of serious depression during the winter when there is less
sunlight.  The remedy for this syndrome is, of course, sunlight.  I'm not
sure if anyone can explain why the sun is such an essential piece to
happiness, but it is obvious that its rays have brought forth words of
inspiration and healing to the soul.
	The majestic waters of the ocean and other bodies of water in union
with the powerful rays of the sun work together in harmony to bring forth
the vegetation so inherent to survival.  Dorothy Frances Gunney's poem,
"The Lord God Planted a Garden," expressed the relationship between the
garden and God:
		The kiss of the sun for pardon,
		The song of the birds for mirth-
		One is nearer God's heart in a garden
		Than anywhere else on earth.
	As Gunney found inspiration in a garden, Wordsworth found
significance in the sight of daffodils.  After being witness to the "wealth the
show" had brought him, the memory continued to "flash upon that inward
eye which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And
dances with the daffodils."  
	Just as important as the foliage is its complement:  the animals,
which the flowers could not live without.  Animals have always brought
solace and peace to many who are lonely or ill.  They have also helped to
revive memories.    
	To Wordsworth, the sight of a butterfly revived memories of his
childhood when he wrote:
		Float near me; do not yet depart!
		Dead times revive in thee:
		Thou bring'st, gay creature as thou art!
		A solemn image to my heart,
		My father's family.
	Although there are many animals that do not utter a word, their eyes
and actions can send a message.  Writer Annie Dillard describes an
encounter with a weasel as they stared motionless into each other's eyes. 
The experience she says, was "a bright blow to the brain, or a sudden
beating of brains, with all the charge and intimate grate of rubbed
balloons."  This experience prompts Dillard to question life and the way          
society lives and prides itself.  She expresses the thought that many times          
people are just too busy, or don't care enough, to admire this world.  But
nature, though silent, is not mute.  It demands an deserves the attention of          
our listening hearts. 

Second Place/Winter  1995/Expository Writing

CHEATING:  A PROBLEM AT SUU

by:  Candace Carlisle Wilson
Instructor:  Julie Simon



            
	As I was taking a test in my food and nutrition class last year, I was
flabbergasted when I noticed one of my classmates cheating.  He was sitting
in the seat before me; hence, it was obvious what he was doing.  I couldn't
believe my instructor didn't notice as well.  The student found it easy to
bend over and flip through his notes, which were lying on the floor.  After
seeing this, I understood I had been quite naive about cheating going on at
SUU.  Now, following much research and observation, I realize even more
clearly that cheating is definitely a problem on our campus.
	Just how many students cheat? When I asked that question in my
own informal survey of 80 chemistry students, 24 percent admitted cheating
on a 101 exam while attending SUU.  Sixty-one knew of others who had
cheated.  Before such rampant dishonesty can be curbed,  teachers and
administrators must understand for what reasons and under what
circumstances students cheat.
	Of course, there is no easy--or complete--solution to cheating. As
SUU instructor Artis Grady stated, "There will always be a problem of
cheating on any college campus.  If students are determined to cheat, they
are bound to find a way to do it"  (Interview).
	However, that doesn't mean we should ignore the problem. When
other students cheat, they are cheating both themselves and their
classmates.  If a cheater gets the high score in a class, the non-cheater is
affected by it, and an unfair situation is created.
	Since this is the case, why do so many college students cheat?   The
reasons are understandable since college campuses are very competitive;
students are striving to be better than other students.  Competition for
admission to the "right" college or graduate school and for landing the
"right" job is increasing.  To win the competition, students sometimes feel
that the only way to succeed is to cheat.  Some students assigned to classes
beyond their actual competence cheat to survive.  Students on large
campuses indicate that they do not identify with the institution; thus, they
feel that it is not necessary to abide by the codes of conduct.  Also, students
might resort to cheating thinking that, "others are doing it so why can't I?"
(Fishbein 59).
 	There are also internal factors that motivate a student to cheat. 
 Authors William and Pamela Kibler state, "Cheating becomes a way for
students with low self-esteem to achieve their academic goals and avoid
failure" (B1).  Studies done over the last 25 years reinforce the idea that
dishonest behavior is consistent with low self-esteem.  As the study proves,
students with low self-esteem have a tendency to cheat for three basic
reasons: They lack confidence; their behavior is dictated more by
circumstances or people around them than by feeling that they control what
happens to them; finally, they fear failure.  In other words, these students
perceive themselves as failures and that they are of little worth (Kibler B1).
	This sense of inferiority may be impossible to monitor or control.  In
practical terms, however, there is an external problem that may be easier to
identify and solve.  Professors and instructors play a major role in the act
of students cheating on exams.  Alan Hamlin, a professor at SUU, was
 quoted in a recent newspaper article as saying, "We have to show that there
is cheating going on to the extent that we think it is.  The only way that is
going to happen is if teachers actually take action at their local level--first of
all to discourage it, but when they find it, to take some kind of action
against it" (qtd. in McCloskey 3). 
	If a student has the desire to cheat and sees that he or she can get
away with it, he or she will more than likely do it.  If a student is being
observed while taking an exam, he or she will feel pressured not to cheat. 
Those professors that don't make up varied formats of tests or who give the
same test every quarter are contributing to the dilemma.
	On the campus of SUU we find punishment for cheating not being
consistent.  Every professor has his or her way of handling a cheating
situation.  Some professors may be very lenient.  Vice President for Student
Services Sterling Church explains two possible reasons for this leniency. 
"We have professors who are new to the classroom situation and we have
professors who may be reluctant to take action because of possible legal
recourse" (qtd. in McCloskey 3).  Then again, there are those professors
who will come down quite hard on cheating students.  Grady's opinion on
the matter is this:  "I do feel that there is a lot of pressure put on the
professor's shoulders when confronting a student about cheating when he or
she really may not have been" (Interview).  It is relevant that punishment
on campus for cheating isn't fair; why should some be punished and others
get off?
	What can be done about this problem?  Some studies recommend
solutions including improving teaching techniques, designing assignments
and tests that make it harder to cheat, and addressing the moral and ethical
development of students through educational seminars and classes. 
However, it would be difficult to improve all professors' teaching
techniques and would be perplexing to try to change a student's morals.  It
would be much simpler to eliminate cheating on exams by simply
rearranging the questions on alternating exams to make the answers
different, not using the same exam every quarter, having the class arranged
in a way where the setting is known, and making punishment consistent
across campus (Kibler B2).
	The important point to remember about the solution to this problem
is that professors do and should have significant control.  In my own
survey, of the 24 percent of students who admitted cheating on an exam, all
but one of them said that the act was performed in the classroom itself.  So,
professors have a lot of policing to do--and an important responsibility to
assume.  Students rely heavily on their professors to gain knowledge. 
Because of professors' high stature, they are the ones that should do all in
their power to discourage cheating.
	Sterling Church pointed out that everyone benefits when faculty
members take this kind of responsibility. "The more faculty members can
do to prevent academic dishonesty, the more effective they're going to be. 
Generally speaking, those professors who put time and energy into
preventing academic dishonesty generally have fewer problems than those
who don't" (qtd. in McCloskey 3).
	Grady pointed out that making cheating difficult sometimes takes
more thought than labor.  She tells of a time when she asked a question on
the exam that stated, "Circle all the vitamins that are B vitamins."  Another
format of the exam stated the question "Circle those vitamins that are not B
vitamins."  Those who were trying to cheat would look at another
classmate's exam, thinking that the question was the same as their own. 
When this exam was given, seating arrangements weren't being tracked by
Grady. However, if seating was standardized, cheating could be even more
easily identified, she said.
	Some professors have tried to minimize cheating by requiring their
students to take tests under close supervision in the campus learning center.
Typically, students are allowed to take the test at their own convenience.
However, with this method, there is no telling which students, after taking a
test, will go tell other students the questions that were asked.  I know this
goes on because I was once standing in the student center, and I overheard
a student sharing information about the exam he had just taken with a
classmate who had not taken the test yet.  
	Even if information sharing could be discouraged by teachers'
varying tests and restricting exam times, giving testing center exams is not
the best solution to cheating. Using the learning center can be very costly to
the departments, who must pay for each test given there. Since most
departments can't afford such an expense, if widespread learning center
testing became popular, the cost probably would have to come out of
students' fees. Students pay enough in fees as it is.  Another down factor is
that SUU does not have a large enough testing center facility to
accommodate large numbers of students.
	Another solution might be to make students aware that cheating is
wrong. Still, even if students were taught to recognize academic dishonesty
through moral seminars, the act of cheating would still exist.  After all,
most college students already realize that cheating is dishonest, but they still
need to be discouraged from doing it.
	Grady boldly stated, "Cheaters are like prisoners; they receive more
rights than they probably deserve" (Interview).  This is very true, and
confirms the argument that professors need to come down hard on cheaters. 
If cheating is not strongly discouraged in classrooms, the problem will
become even more widespread.  Students will then never learn that they are
truly only cheating themselves.
__________________________________________________________________
          
Author's comments:
"	"The purpose of my essay is to inform my readers that cheating is 
definitely a problem on the campus of SUU.  Maybe those that do cheat will 
think twice before doing it the next time."

	Questions for the reader:
This writer uses a questionnaire, a personal interview, and information from 
two library sources to argue her point in this problem/solution essay. What 
effect do the direct quotations have on her essay?  Did the combination of 
interviews and written sources work together to persuade you of the writer's 
argument? 


Works Cited
Carlisle, Candace. Questionnaire.  12 Feb. 1988.
Fishbein, Leslie. "We Can Curb College Cheating."  Education Digest  
	(March 1994): 58-61.
Grady, Artis.  Personal interview.  17 Feb. 1995.
Kibler, William & Pamela. "When Students Resort to Cheating."   
	Chronicle of Higher Education.  14 July 1993: B1-2.
McCloskey, John.  "Prevention of Cheating on the Minds of Many Here."   
	University Journal.  27 Feb 1995: 3. 
          

First Place/Spring 1995/Expository Writing

MATHOPHOBIA

by:  Amy Marquardson
Instructor:  Bill Ransom



   
	In our society, females often lack confidence in their ability to learn
math--and no wonder. From infancy on, they constantly receive the message
that "girls aren't good in math." 
	Is this message an accurate one? It has been suggested that not only
is there a difference in mathematical abilities between the sexes, but that the
difference is dictated by biology. There have, in fact, been experiments
performed on this subject.  These studies have used positron emission
tomography (PET) scans to observe the brain as it works.  In one research
project, for instance, a distinct difference was observed in the way adult
men and women used their brains to solve problems listed in a common
college entrance exam, the SAT.  The results of the scans, however, were
silent "on how the brains of men and women get to be different," says
researcher Richard Haier (qtd. in Begley,  Murr, and Rogers 54). 
	Because such studies are relatively new, they have not been
performed on children. In fact, the limited research that does exist indicates
that the area of the brain used in mathematical thinking does not show sex-
related differences from birth.  When fetal and newborn brains have been 
studied, "none of the sex differences in [the brain] have been reliably detected, 
"comments psychologist Marc Breedlove of the University of California, 
Berkeley.  Breedlove also asserts the reason for the discrepancy between the 
two studies when he says, "Surely the more complex social interactions among 
humans also sculpt the developing nervous system" (qtd. in Begley, Murr, and 
Rogers 54). 
	A recent article in the American Educational Research Journal
asserts that females do not have less natural aptitude for mathematics than
males (qtd. in Aiken 28). Instead, observed inequalities are a result of
different sex-role perceptions. The effect of this perception is suggested by
another study that found when "the development of gender differences in
learning opportunities and achievement in math was traced, all female
students had less interest in mathematics (than their male counterparts) and
less confidence in their mathematical ability" (Catsambis n.p.).
	What is causing this lack of confidence? One researcher says not one
but several influences affect the development of female mathematical
ability:
		Among the environmental factors that might contribute to...sex 
		difference in mathematical achievement and attitude are 
		teacher attitudes and expectancies, inadequate mathematical 
		training of girls in high school, and poor role models, including 
		parents.  Personality characteristics such as conformity and 
		feelings of inadequacy are also noteworthy. (Aiken 28)  
	How these influences affect girls might be suggested in a study that
tried to discover the  reasons for the differences between males and females
in SAT scores.  The study was begun after researchers noticed the puzzling
fact that "although females have higher grade point averages than males,
both in high school and college, females score considerably lower than
males on the SAT exam" (Miller, Mitchell, and Van Ausdall 436). 
Wondering if differences in the way males and females take tests might be
affecting scores, researchers gave SAT-type math practice exams to 139
high school students on two different occasions.  In one instance, the test
was timed, and in the other, students were told they could take as long as
they wished.  When the test was timed, there were large differences in the
scores of males and females; the males scored much higher.  When the test
was not timed, the gender gap was almost closed (436).  This study fits in
with other studies that suggest that the educational environment is not
friendly to the ways females learn:
	Teachers provide males with more freedom to deviate from 
algorithmic procedures, while females are expected to closely follow the 
rules... boys may be more inclined to attempt an unfamiliar item than girls 
and are more inclined than girls to guess at a solution." (Miller, Mitchell, 
and Van Ausdall 436)
	Teachers, then, may be shaping the ideas of male and female 
students throughout their early lives.  The concise, strict roles dictate the 
confidence level which, in turn, affects their ability.  Not only education but 
social pressure might influence the development of female mathematical ability. 
Girls are often afraid to show interest in a "boy's" subject--a fact that I know from 
personal experience.
	For instance, one day as I walked across a college campus, a young man
started walking beside me.  We talked about the weather, and then he asked me 
what my major was.  I told him math.  He said, "Oh, a smart girl."   The conversation 
ended.  It was clear to me that the moment I announced my interest in math, my 
companion lost his interest in me.
	What can be done to remedy this problem? Both common sense and 
scientific studies indicate that providing girls with role models is important.  One 
study, for instance focused on what happened in two different high schools calculus 
classes.  In the first high school, the class was taught by a male.  In his class, by 
the last trimester, there was only one girl left.  In the second high school, the class 
was taught by a female.  In her class, there were only three males.  Of course, one 
case cannot prove the argument. But it does point to the fact that it would be worth 
investigating the question of  whether same-sex role models could help students 
achieve more.
	As this paper has suggested, society determines people's self-definitions.  
Females are not expected to do well in mathematics, so they do not.  In a sense, 
society is brain-washing girls and women into believing they are incapable of 
performing up to the standards of boys and men in mathematics. Fortunately, since 
society is causing this problem, it can also contribute to its solution.
________________________________________________________________________
Author's comments:
	"This essay was intended to show society's impact on females' attitudes 
and aptitudes in mathematics.  I hoped it would promote societal awareness of the 
problem of gender bias."

Questions for the reader:
	The writer used outside sources to assert the point that the differences 
between male and female abilities in mathematics can be traced to societal 
expectations.  Were you convinced by the writer's argument? Did she need to cite 
more sources to prove her point?  Did she say enough about each of factors that 
she mentions as influencing the development of girls' mathematical ability 
(teachers' attitudes, kind of training, role models, and social pressure)?  What did 
you think of her inclusion of personal experience in this essay?  Would all 
professors accept such an anecdote as "evidence" ?
        
Works Cited
Aiken, Lewis.  "Sex Differences in Mathematical Ability."  Educational 
	Research Quarterly.  10.4. (1987): 25-34.
Begley, Sharon, Andrew Murr, and Adam Rogers.  "Gray Matters."   Newsweek. 
	27 Mar. 1995: 48-54.
Catsambis, Sophia. "Gender Differences in Mathematics Participation from 
	Middle School to High School."   Sociology of Education.  67.3.    
	(1994): 199-215.
Miller, Diane, Charles E. Mitchell, and Marilyn Van Ausdall.  "Evaluating 
	Achievement in Mathematics:  Exploring the Gender Biases of Timed 
	Testing."   Education. 114.3 (1994): 436-8.