Infographic

                                    Link to infographic:
                                   https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/17472968#

Rationale of infographic

For my infographic I wanted to piggyback off of my paper in a visual form to help my audience get a better stance of where I was coming from. The infographic was slightly challenging like the paper because like the paper there was so much information and different sources to use, I had to narrow down which sources would provide my audience with the best interpretation of the data. To start my infographic off I wanted to use a title that would make my audience which is college athletes and incoming athletes, want to view and read more into the topic. To do this I felt I needed to present accurate facts as well as putting visuals in that people could read and that were not dull. For most of the text I used a money green color because they article is about paying student athletes and the color of money is green.

Also the green color is something that pops out on the background that I chose. With certain graphs I used the color of the college or university to display my graph data. In other parts of the infographic I use data and pictures that I found from credible sources and articles which are based on the same thing. I specifically choose articles that displayed their data in a colorful manner but also had accurate data and related to the specifics of what I was getting at. Also to give a better overall understanding of what I was getting at I choose a specific sport as an example and elaborated on that specific sport to show how much money the sport generates and how the athletes do not benefit from it. Throughout the project I put in little pictures hinting at my overall topic that student athletes should be paid I did this so that as well as getting the data that they need to understand the topic, they are getting that I am leaning toward the side of paying athletes.  

In the begging of my infographic I started off with a title bolded in green with money signs around it. This gives off the sense that the topic is going to focus around money and I wanted it to be slightly creative and different. Under my title I have a picture of what looks like a student athlete with books and other items you would expect a student athlete to have, he has on a jersey so it is very clear that he is an athlete. Around the athlete are money signs and the picture itself relates back to the title of “pay for play”. As you go further down the infographic that’s when my first amount of data is presented. I start off with the main source of funding for student athletes and that is the scholarships. I start with this because it is a common theme that people believe that scholarships cover everything and this is why student athletes should not get paid so I wanted to first kill this myth before going further into my topic. 

Rationale of blogs

When entering this class and seeing that we had to write blog posts I was not sure how I would do or how I would manage seeing as how it would be my first blog. The topic I focused on mostly was the pay of collegiate student athletes. Upon first choosing this topic I was not very sure about it, it seemed interesting and something I felt I could write about but I didn’t know much about it. As the class went on and I got the hang of using the blogs and what I needed to do the level of interest in my topic increased as well because I wanted to learn more about it so I could make better blogs and write more in depth. When first researching my topics I used a broad scope “why student athletes should be paid” I felt that they should but I did not have a reason why and I also did not know why they were not being paid. As the post went on I furthered my researched and went from just being interested in my topic to actually being a supporter of athletes being paid. I learned that through my research certain sources were not as credible as others. For this topic sports sources like ESPN and others like it seemed to be the most credible for this topic, while other sources; like those of sports blogs or people who started websites of their own were not. The evidence I used in my blogs was accurate graphs and tables I got from credible sources to show the amount of money colleges and universities make and I also used pictures relating to my topic to draw more interests to my blog.

From this project just building my blog up over time I learned that certain things work and others do not. With blogs the text cannot be too long so in the place of these blogs I used pictures, graphs and videos. The videos I used focused on my topic and I used it because I felt it would help further explain my topic better and give the readers a better understanding of my blog and my views as a whole. I used pictures throughout my blog to help add culture and make my blog more readable and interesting. Also I used pictures as evidence of my topic. A long with the graphs and tables, some of the picture used helped me to get my information and ideas across in a way that words could not. 

Draft of info graph and topic

link is here

link is here

Rationale

why it works and how it helps

The resources that I gained while creating this blog will help me in a variety of many different ways, for starters from the creativity aspect. This is my first blog and it challenged me to think outside of the box and be creative with what I wanted to say and how I wanted to format the evidence and my own opinions. This being my first time doing a blog it was challenging at first trying to figure out how I would format my work and what to include to make my blog informative but also interesting. Doing these blog posts also helped me with organization and only using what was needed and relevant for the audience to gain a clear picture of what I was trying to say. For blog posts you want to get straight to the point and leave all of the unnecessary details and things that stray from the subject out of your posts so that you do not confuse the readers. While working on my blog post the most useful sources that I used were news sources and business sources. Both these sources provided accurate statistics and had the graphs to go along with them. Finding sources was not hard but finding the right sources that could provide you with all of the data you needed became a challenge because not all sources are credible and reliable. Another challenge I had to overcome while working with my sources is finding correct graphs and tables to back up what I was saying.

I used many different multimodal’s to get my point across to my audience. The main ones I used were graphs and tables but I also tried to incorporate videos and pictures as well to keep my blog posts from being too wordy and boring. Again I am new to the whole concept of blogs so I wanted to try to be as creative as possible when using multimodals as well I wanted eye popping and colorful graphs as well as interesting videos and pictures that would keep readers entertained as well as getting my point across. The sources that I gathered related directly to my topic and usually help me gain more knowledge about the topic that I was making the blog post on.  I know that for some of the topics I choose it started out a tad bit rough when trying to find information from credible sources because some of the information did not sound correct so I had to really do a lot of research to make sure my sources were credible. 

Is it worth the time and stress?

The stress is worth the degree

Is getting your degree really worth the stress time and money you invest in a college or university? According to study.com people who earned degrees in 2015 earned $48,500 while those without degrees earned $23,900. so yes, it really is worth it in the long run. Although some people drop out of school and manage to find jobs it it shown that those who do not finish college are more likely to be unemployed long term. Although finishing school does not guarantee you a job the odds are in your favor and you are more likely to succeed in the job market with a degree than if you did not have one.

The article goes on to state that over the years the earnings of college graduates has increased and will continue to increase as time goes on.The article also states that earnings also differ as far as gender also but even this does not change the fact that college graduates on average earn more.
 

College is a stressful time not only from the loads of course work but from just trying to figure out how you are going to pay for it all, be the best student you can be and manage a social life all at the same time. But based on the statistics and findings college does pay off in the long run. Although it may seem like the most logical option to stop school and start working, if you just manage to finish and get your degree. 

Is it worth it

An article published by American Radio works goes further in depth about the different statistics of higher education. 

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The graph above from American Radio works shows the value of higher education and how the job market is revolving around the graduation rates of college students. By the graph above shows that more available jobs for those with degrees will increase dramatically by the year 2018. 

Blog 3: The business of college sports

Pay for play, why not?

The ever growing debate of "should college athletes be paid"has become an interesting topic in today's society and quite frankly, they should. It is known that college athletics generates millions in revenue and this would not be possible without the athletes themselves. Yes these athletes spend countless hours perfecting their craft to bring there school money and championships but the question still arises of what is the athlete getting out of it? According to Listland college athletes should not be paid because they spend almost as much money as they generate. The example that they use is the University of auburn constructing a mega screen that is 11,000 square feet, high definition and can be seen from 30 miles away. The total cost of this was 13.9 million, and you ask yourself was this screen really needed? College sports like college is a business everyone wants the newest and biggest products to bring in fans and keep the money train flowing. But you never see a business that does not pay its employees. College athletes spend more time on the field then some full time employees do at their jobs, but still are not required to be paid for their play.

some argue that college athletes should not be paid because they are on full scholarships and everything is paid for so all they have to worry about is being good at their sport but this is incorrect. Believe it or not all college athletes do not receive full scholarships , and on top of that some college athletes don't receive scholarships at all. Outside of sports these athletes do have lives and some have responsibilities and even bills and with practice and school, there is little time for a job. These collegiate programs are generating millions of dollars from the hard work of athletes and not giving them anything of the profit that is gained. Below is a graph from Business Insider of different schools and the amount of money individual sports brought in.

What do stats and reports tell us about the college dropout rate

The Ugly Truth about dropout statistics

Based on statistics The United states has the highest dropout rate in the developed world according to Business Insider. In 2008 55 percent of undergraduates received their degree over a 6 year span. In my opinion there are many reasons that students dropout but the main is the cost of attending a college or university. As stated in the statistics from College Atlas 40% of college students have parents who did not go to college and 50% of college dropouts made less than $35,000 a year, not much motivation if you ask me.



 College is a business and like all businesses it runs off of money, the money you invest in the school pays for you to go to school of course but it also helps the school run. Personally i think that higher education is very expensive and for some people it is not worth the cost that's why they feel that dropping out and going into the working world is the best option for them . The cost of attending a college or university is steadily rising and my prediction is that future generations will be less inclined to stay in school because of the ridiculous cost of attending. Although i understand that colleges need the money to run, what i do not understand is why so much money is needed from each student yearly on an increasing basis. If there is a noticeable dropout rate due to the cost you would think that there would be a plan or methods implemented to curve the steadily increasing dropout rates. And according to the statistics as costs keep rising so will the amount of students that don't finish college.Looking at numerous graphs its very clear that the ever present cost of just attending college is more of a burden to students then any other factor, the group of students it seems to have the highest effect on are underclassman specifically incoming freshman. Although not shown in the info graphic above, incoming freshman and first year students are the most likely to drop out of college. The data that i gathered does not directly translate their dropping out to cost but from statistics of college students in general, we can assume that cost plays a role in this factor.

This chart from education reform now just depicts the graduation rates over a 6 year period of different colleges.

Blog 1: What is college for?

College is a place for higher learning and for one to grow as a person and develop into the person that they will be for the rest of their lives. College is a time of growth and and experiencing new things that also help you grow as a person.

Many people just view college as a place that you go after high school to further your education and eventually get a job, this is true in a sense but this is not the only thing that colleges provide. As an incoming freshman, to any institution you are entering a world of new opportunities and many new activities and groups that you may not have been exposed to in high school. On a college campus you can find people from all walks of life, with different beliefs and cultures all coming together in the same learning environment bringing their own experiences and traditions, and it is this diversity that makes college so special and unique.

For most jobs these days after school they require more then just a a high GPA. Many jobs require experience and extra curricular activities and the graph below shows the importance of attributes when jobs are evaluating college graduates for hire.

Colleges & Majors

What people think of most when they think of college is that it is still in fact school and that you have to do tons of work and its just like high school where you are forced to sit through classes that you don't have interest in. College offers many different majors and topics for you to choose from so that you find something you enjoy study, College is built around you and your ambitions and by having so many majors they try to help you find what you are interested in so that college is a place of learning but also a place you can grow.

Higher Education and student athletes

Do we really have time?

Should athletes be given more free time during the school year and an extended off-season?

Some experts argue that they should and this in itself will improve the overall well being of the student athlete. An article done by Inside Higher Ed says that athletes complain that they do not have enough time due to sports and practice. The article mainly focuses on the off-season that athletes get when there sports isn't active and they do not have games, but many say that they work just as much in the off-season as they do in the regular season if not more. For collegiate coaches the off-season is a time to push your athletes to prepare for the upcoming season, but since there are not any games that have to be played some coaches take advantage and overwork their athletes. Although athletes are not required to come to certain things coaches find ways to punish athletes that don't show up so in a way they make them mandatory. 

Division I Men

Sport Athletic hours

• Baseball 42.1
• Basketball 39.2
• Football (FBS) 43.3
• Football (FCS) 41.6
• Other sports 32.0

Division II Men

• Baseball 39.0
• Basketball 37.7
• Football 37.5
• Other sports 31.3

Division III Men

• Baseball 34.8
• Basketball 30.8
• Football 33.1
• Other sports 29.2

Division I Women

Sport Athletic hours

• Basketball 37.6
• Other sports 33.3
• Students athletes are required to fulfill a minimum amount of time doing activities for their sports and usually these leaves little time for being a student, or having a life outside of sports. Division 1 sports spend the majority of their time on the field and not in classroom which is why some experts say that the student aspect of "student-athlete" is diminishing entirely. As a student athlete I can attest that balancing school and sports is not an easy task. Although they try to create ways to help you it is still a very daunting task even for those who have good time management skills. 

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Higher Education and student athletes

Should athletes be given more free time during the school year and an extended offseason?

Some experts argue that they should and this in itself will improve the overall well being of the student athlete. 

Division I Men

Sport Athletic hours

• Baseball 42.1
• Basketball 39.2
• Football (FBS) 43.3
• Football (FCS) 41.6
• Other sports 32.0

Division II Men

• Baseball 39.0
• Basketball 37.7
• Football 37.5
• Other sports 31.3

Division III Men

• Baseball 34.8
• Basketball 30.8
• Football 33.1
• Other sports 29.2

Division I Women

Sport Athletic hours

• Basketball 37.6
• Other sports 33.3
• Students athletes are required to fulfill a minimum amount of time doing activities for their sports and usually these leaves little time for being a student, or having a life outside of sports. Division 1 sports spend the majority of their time on the field and not in classroom which is why some experts say that the student aspect of "student-athlete" is diminishing entirely. 

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This i believe (2)

I Believe...

this i believe (2)

In my This I believe project I start off my paper and audio by stating my this I believe statement which is I believe that everyone is entitled to a belief. I continue my paper by forming my stance. I do this by telling a personal story of why I feel the way that I do and this leads into why I stand where I do the subject that everyone is entitled to a belief. The way I start the paper is to do so, so that the audience gets a clear understanding of my belief and where I stand on it. I structure my paper so that I state why I feel the way that I do while adding to each reason by given a personal example from my life and each tie into one another. I get my audience to care by giving personal examples that everyone can relate to. To begin my personal story of why I believe that everyone should be entitled to their beliefs I use something that happened to me while I was in middle school. Everyone can relate back to a time in their school years where they were belittled or bullied and I use this to start out my paper and get the audience to care and want to read more.

When relating my story to my personal life I use facts that and things that actually happened in my life to show readers that this is something that I take serious and something that is important to me. I back the life stories up with factual information and things that people can honestly say that they experienced themselves. So not only do the readers relate to what I am saying they don’t have to go far looking for evidence of what I’m saying because it’s what most if not all students experience and that is there values and beliefs being tested or questioned.

I organized my work in a way that the reader can read it thoroughly without having any trouble with grammar or trying to figure out what I’m talking about, and in a way that they can go back and relate each point to one another to get a clear view of my stance. The paper starts out with my belief statement separated from the rest of the work so that before you even start to read into the bulk of the paper you understand where I am coming from. Then as the reader reads on they are given a personal story from when I was younger that relates back to the belief statement. In reading the first paragraph of the paper the reader gains understanding of where my belief started and why I might feel so strongly about it. My paper then jumps ahead to my college years. It shows how I as a person have developed and how this has impacted my stance on what I believe and how I handle those who may have different beliefs or challenge what I believe. The paper ends by tying everything back together relating each point to one another to help the reader further understand.

For my verbal presentation I had to go back and cut some mistakes out when reading what I wrote. Generally I talk pretty face and somewhat have a very deep low tone type voice. Knowing this I had to speak clearly and louder than I usually do so that when listening it would be able to comprehend clearly. Also when recording I had to make sure that there was no background noise or anything that would throw me off from reading or mess up my recoding. Finding a quiet place with no outside noise was probably the most challenging aspect of recording along with reading and making sure that the audience could understand. I took me about 2 or 3 tries to get it to sound how I wanted it to and even then it still needed a lot of editing. When reading through the first time I purposely went back in and put commas so that when I was reading I could que myself to slow down and take breaths and not rush through it or mumble. 

This I believe (draft)

It is in the American culture it is ever present to sit back and take things for what they are and not stand for what you believe in. Going through the schooling systems it’s been countless times. The first time I came into a situation where I was put on the spot I backed down. I was in the 6th grade and was in class when a student said everyone who believes in religion is wasting their time. He continued saying god isn't real and that it’s just a waste of time and people that believe in religion just do it because they have nothing else to believe in. I was in the 6th grade so hearing this and being the religious person i am i did not know how to respond and I went home telling my parents what had happened. My dad sat me down and explained to me that everyone is entitled to their opinions and beliefs and that you should never throw your beliefs on others but if someone is attacking what you believe, you are entitled to defend it and since then I have been very verbal about what I believe and I take pride in standing up for what I believe in.

In today's society I think this belief of standing up for what you believe in is more important than ever. As a young black male in today's society seeing all the injustice going on has forced me to become more involved and push for change. I believe that regardless of race age or ethnicity there is a difference between right and wrong and society has become numb to the harsh realities of violence and brutality